It didn't take long for Cleveland Cavaliers All-Star LeBron James to respond to Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who told James and Kevin Durant to 'shut up and dribble' after their recent criticism of President Trump.
In a post on Instagram, James let a picture and a hashtag do his talking for him.
A post shared by LeBron James (@kingjames) on
Ingraham's comments came on the heels of a 16-minute “Uninterrupted” video with James and Kevin Durant during an Uber ride through downtown Akron in January.
"The climate is hot. The No. 1 job in America, the appointed person is someone who doesn't understand the people, and really don't give a f--- about the people," LeBron said.
Ingraham issued the following response on TV: “Unfortunately, a lot of kids and some adults take these ignorant comments seriously. Look, there might be a cautionary lesson in LeBron for kids: This is what happens when you attempt to leave high school a year early to join the NBA. It’s always unwise to seek political advice from someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball. LeBron and Kevin, you’re great players, but no one voted for you. Millions elected Trump to be their coach, so keep the political commentary to yourself. Or as someone once said, ‘Shut up and dribble.’”
In an interview with USA TODAY's Sam Amick, Durant said of Ingraham's comments: “To me, it was racist."
On Saturday, Ingraham made a statement through Fox News:
"In 2003, I wrote a New York Times bestseller called 'Shut Up & Sing,' in which I criticized celebrities like the Dixie Chicks & Barbra Streisand who were trashing then-President George W. Bush. I have used a variation of that title for more than 15 years to respond to performers who sound off on politics. I’ve told Robert DeNiro to 'Shut Up & Act,' Jimmy Kimmel to 'Shut Up & Make Us Laugh,' and just this week told the San Antonio Spurs’ Gregg Popovich to 'Shut up & Coach.' If pro athletes and entertainers want to freelance as political pundits, then they should not be surprised when they’re called out for insulting politicians. There was no racial intent in my remarks - false, defamatory charges of racism are a transparent attempt to immunize entertainment and sports elites from scrutiny and criticism. Additionally, we stated on my show that these comments came from an ESPN podcast, which was not the case - the content was unaffiliated with ESPN."
