It was a tale of two champions last week.
LeBron James is polarizing professional athletes — especially regarding his political commentary. Known for his often-debunked left-wing political comments, James lashed out again this week against the country that made him a billionaire. First, he said the country was unsupportive of WNBA player Brittney Griner amid her legal problems in Russia. Later in the week, on an episode of The Shop, James ripped Boston sports fans as racist. These are just the latest anti-American sentiments spewed by the NBA superstar.
Comparatively, there is David Ortiz. Ortiz is the beloved former baseball player for the Boston Red Sox. He played 14 seasons for the iconic MLB franchise. He was a 10-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion. He will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 24.
Yet Ortiz, born and raised in the Dominican Republic, has an entirely different opinion of the United States than James. Whereas James routinely expresses entitlement, Ortiz expresses gratitude. Consider a recent interview he gave last week.
“One of the guys asked me, ‘Man, you sound like you’re very proud of being an American citizen,’ and I told him, ‘Man, you have no idea,'” Ortiz said in an interview with NESN’s Tom Caron. “I mean, I can’t thank the U.S. enough for everything that had to do with me and my family throughout the years. You know, I built a career in the U.S. I’m living the American Dream based on all the hard work. I have never had issues living in the U.S.”
For nearly two decades, LeBron has been a professional athlete in the public eye. He’s given hundreds of interviews. Yet, the next time James talks about the U.S. as affectionately as Ortiz did this last week will be the first time. Ortiz showed appreciation; James showed privilege.
“And the U.S. has given me the opportunity to be someone, to put my son, my family in a better situation. Two of my kids have been born, one in Boston and the other one in Wisconsin. You know, I have, I was married to someone that is a beautiful person,” Ortiz continued.
Notice how Ortiz stressed opportunity. He realized nothing was owed to him. He embraced the foundation of what many people fail to realize is a core tenet of American society: equal opportunity. Ortiz cherishes this because he knows it’s not guaranteed. It’s a fact lost on many people today — people like LeBron James.
“What else can I ask? You know what I’m saying? I mean, everything has been incredible. I have — I have an amazing career, so I always gonna try to represent the U.S. no matter what, just like I represent the Dominican Republic.”
James’s unpatriotic attitude is indicative of the toxic sentiment that comprises much of today’s left-wing ideologues in the country. To people like them, those like David Ortiz cannot exist because of the country’s biases and prejudices. Yet it’s people like David Ortiz who expose this propaganda and shatter the glass ceilings built by the Left.
Both men are champions, but there is a stark difference between them in integrity and character. LeBron James is a phenomenal athlete, but David Ortiz is an inspiration. Be a David Ortiz, not a LeBron James.
