LA Clippers star Paul George is thankful for guys like LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony, who he says paved the way for athletes to speak out on injustice.
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00:00 LA Clippers star Paul George is never afraid to speak out about something he believes in.
00:04 He credits players like LeBron James for paving the way for him to do so.
00:07 On a comment spot at the Portis on Saturday, George praised James,
00:10 Carmelo, Anthony, and others for making it more comfortable for athletes to voice
00:14 their opinions on injustice, saying, "You have tremendous leaders in our league,
00:17 in LeBron, Dwayne Wade, Chris Paul, Carmelo. We've got unbelievable leaders that notice
00:22 they have a platform. They're educated in politics and using their platform to get points across.
00:26 For a long time, guys were just stuck on, 'Hey, we play ball, that's it. I don't want to get
00:30 into that land of politics. That's not what we do.' I think those four guys are names that made
00:34 it comfortable for guys to step out and give their takes on politics."
00:37 George also gave credit to the NBA for allowing players to speak out,
00:41 saying it's a great partnership between the two parties.
00:43 His statement especially rings true to 2020, where we've seen more professional athletes
00:48 speak out, demonstrate, and protest for things they believe in than ever before.
00:51 And like George said, the NBA is engaging that activism as well.
00:55 When the season resumes on July 30, courts love the phrase "Black Lives Matter" painted on them,
01:00 and players build a wall of social justice statements and place their names on their
01:03 jerseys. It's a small step, but it's one in the right direction.
01:06 George's LA Clippers will take on LeBron James' Los Angeles Lakers later this month,
01:11 to off the NBA restart.