Lebron James: ‘I mean too much’ to society, youth to ‘shut up and dribble’

Speaking to reporters Saturday afternoon at the NBA All-Star 2018 Media Day in Los Angeles, James said he is too much of an inspiration to kids and society to stand down.

“We will definitely not shut up and dribble. I will definitely not do that. I mean too much to society, I mean too much to the youth, I mean too much to so many kids that feel like they don’t have a way out and they need someone to help lead them out of the situation they’re in,” the Cleveland Cavaliers player said. He said the conditions in which he grew up, including being an African American kid in a single-parent household, “defeated the odds.”

The feud between James and Ingraham began last week when the Fox News host said James and fellow NBA star Kevin Durant should “shut up and dribble” in response to criticisms they made against President Trump.

James said at one point during a recently released video that Trump doesn’t “give a fuck about the people.” Ingraham also said to leave politics to the people who don’t leave high school a year early.

James, who tweeted back at Ingraham on Friday, said Ingraham should check her facts because he did graduate from high school.

James did give Ingraham some credit. Though he couldn’t remember her name, James said “the best thing” Ingraham did “is help me create more awareness.”

“I appreciate her for giving me even more awareness,” he added.

Amid the controversy, Ingraham tweeted that she wanted Lebron to come on her show on Fox News next week.

James has not responded to the invite, but he isn’t the only athlete to take on Ingraham after her comments.

His former teammate Dwayne Wade tweeted that Ingraham’s comments were racist.

“They use to try and hide it … now the president has given everyone the courage to lie their truths,” he tweeted.

On Friday, Ingraham put out a statement in which she said charges of “racism” against her are “false” and “defamatory.”