Banana Boat Buddies: Athlete Activism in America

As an emphatic speech from presidential nominee Donald Trump wrapped up the 2016 Republican National Convention on Thursday night, host city Cleveland settled into another hot and muggy, quiet midsummer evening. For all the cautious anticipation preceding the Convention that would take over the downtown area, the city kept relatively tame throughout. Cleveland had had some practice, after all, playing host to such astronomic events just weeks ago as the city cradled hordes of people gathered together in the same very streets to celebrate their first pro sports championship in half a century. But if you were visiting Cleveland this past week, you already knew about that from the fresh championship apparel sported by all the locals.

While politics and sports remain two vastly different worlds, it is hard not to draw parallels listening to Trump present his speech to a frenzied crowd in the same arena where LeBron “King” James delivered a 41-point masterpiece to his raving subjects mere weeks ago. The parallels have been made even easier to draw in the wake of the Cavs’ very own James — in concert with his notorious Banana Boat Buddies — recently delivering an impassioned, highly political message to a national audience at ESPN’s ESPY awards ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KCjMvEdPi30

Last Thursday’s ESPY message was not LeBron James’ first high-profile endeavor in social activism.

James and the others have spoken up on socio-political issues in the past before, but nothing as loud and center stage as the ESPY’s opening statement, which touched on the numerous high-profile deaths of black people at the hands of police throughout America in the past few years. In fact, no athletes in recent memory have taken such an outwardly spoken stance on such a tense subject. James of the Cavs, along with NBAPA president Chris Paul and friends Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, brought to the forefront of the sports world the current issue of an ongoing rocky relationship between African Americans and officers of the law. The latter member, Anthony, was the one to really get the ball rolling with an instagram post that has since gone viral. A group text between the Boat members following that post eventually led to the ESPY speech and its backing by ESPN. Anthony wasn’t done, either, as he continued to reinforce his message and make plans to take up action with community leaders. Up to today, it had seemed so uncommon for these celebrity athletes to be this up-front about hot button issues  — are we witnessing the start of a trend?

LeBron James’ teammates, like Kyrie Irving (pictured above), have followed James’ example in raising awareness on hot issues.

Athlete activism in America is hardly a new phenomenon. From Jackie Robinson to Jim Brown to Kareem Abdul-Jabar to Billie Jean King, athletes have stood up for what they believe and trumpeted social change for decades. As fans, though, we tune into sports to be entertained, not educated by our entertainers. Is there a place in the sports world for such action, and are athletes qualified individuals to speak on these subjects?

“[The issue is] too close to us,” Anthony said. “We’re human beings. Just because we are athletes, people are saying we shouldn’t be saying this and we should be saying that. We are human beings. We are affected by it”

Consider Muhammad Ali, the GOAT: he is widely remembered as the greatest boxer of all time, only not as much for his actual boxing resume (while impeccable) but for the whole, larger-than-life package that included his social activism and empowerment of the African American community. He raised the bar for what it meant to be a professional athlete. Of course, he was criticized by many at the height of his fame, including by those who would say there was no place for his controversial opinions in the forum through which he performed. In the short term, his actions in the ring and out were divisive, but in the long term, there is no denying his actions enhanced not only his legacy as an athlete but as a human being.

In the basketball universe, Carmelo Anthony’s NBA career is often viewed as disappointing, a case of a premier talent and star who’s punched below his weight class for mostly mediocre teams, despite a shining track record in international play at the Olympics. However, it is Anthony’s recent outspokenness that may ultimately define his image when we think back on his life; the basketball player who implored other basketball players and athletes — heck, people in general — to “do more”. Even the Cavs’ own LeBron James is slighted by an American fanbase who will never allow him to escape the shadow of Michael Jordan.

Where Jordan will never hold a flame to LeBron, though, is in the department of social activism. Jordan never touched that arena with a 10-foot pole, despite his all-encompassing greatness on the hardwood and as a brand; conversely, in addition to speaking publicly on hot issues, James is famously charitable to Akron’s youth and school systems, fostering an intimate connection with Akron, Cleveland, and all of Ohio that is very much real and felt by the region’s denizens. Whose legacy will be remembered as the more impressive one?

These athletes such as Anthony and James, who we flock to watch perform amazing feats at the highest of levels, are privy to a platform that most of us could only dream of. Whether or not you agree with the actual message being broadcasted, it is commendable to see people utilize their standing to accomplish something they feel is right. Doing something that others can’t. Sure, it’s easy to point out problems in our society, just as you or I might on a daily basis. We don’t know the answers to life any more than a pro athlete does, but sometimes just talking about something and bringing enough attention to it can lead to the individuals who do help find the best solution. Especially with social media, words and ideas spread like wildfire.

If there was any doubt about the impact athletes can have on Americans, just look at the unifying power of sports that Cleveland has witnessed firsthand. The Cleveland metro area had a population of 389,521, as of spring 2014. During the RNC, an estimated 50,000 politicians, delegates, journalists, and other official visitors came into town. For all the ramped-up security precautions, for the downtown residents who lodged with their parents in the suburbs over the week to avoid the crush of activity, Cleveland saw it’s “population” increase temporarily by as much as about 15%, after accounting for protesters. The Cavalier’s championship parade? An estimated 1.3 million people for an increase of 330%. The disparity is staggering.

Sports: 1 | Politics: 0

Do you see all the wine and gold colors worn by the crowd in the above-left photo? All of that clothing features the Cleveland Cavaliers brand, and when the face of that brand, LeBron — the second biggest athlete in the world — speaks up about something at a nationally televised awards ceremony, people hear. People outside of Cleveland hear. Suddenly, the sports world has come to life on the activism front — heck, even Terrell Owens is speaking on unity! A recent quote from basketball’s famed Julius Erving on the Undefeated sheds some light on the mentality of many Americans regarding activism:

“It’s been an unprecedented time, because of the exposure that it gets. I remember the era of civil unrest in the ’60s, it was all of this and some. So, it’s almost like reliving it,” Basketball Hall of Famer Julius “Dr. J” Erving, 66, said Wednesday. “You know, Watts, [California], Newark, [New Jersey], and various places and cities that got burned down. I mean, these are the type of situations that ignite riots and they also bring about change. So, I think that’s the big thing about what’s happening now. … I think there’ll be dramatic change, with us taking a look at how police handle their business. And we’ll all be better because of that.”

Do you want your athletes to be activists? For those of us who want our entertainment and politics to remain on separate plates, we may come away from this culture movement disappointed. For those of us who see the value in letting important issues trickle down into the more rote areas of everyday life, things are trending upward. In the digital age, awareness is at an all-time high — too high, oftentimes. It is still up to us as individuals to parse through an excess of information and form our own opinions on important and divisive issues, especially those sensitive ones related to race. Sports should also never be our primary source for news on current events; there is a time and place for everything. We will continue to watch our beloved Cavs and other sport teams as an escape from reality, but a gentle reminder here and there from reality can lend to much grander things than our own individual comforts. We won’t always agree on divisive subjects, but at least we will be talking about them more.

At the end of the day, life problems will always exist, and when it comes to someone like LeBron wielding his unique and extensive influence to try and address these problems, the only remaining question becomes: why not?