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Why LeBron James Ignores Genocide and Stands With Israel

The basketball great once said he wanted to be like Muhammad Ali. He can’t do that and shrug off Israeli war crimes.

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James speaks at a press conference before the NBA All-Star Game in Inglewood, California, on February 15, 2026.

Twenty-two years ago, I wrote this about a preternaturally mature 19-year-old hoops phenom named LeBron James and his aspirations off the court:

James has said he has two goals in his life. One is to be “a global icon like Muhammad Ali,” and the other is to be the richest athlete in the history of the world. And while these may be two great goals, they don’t exactly go great together. That’s because people like Muhammad Ali didn’t become global icons because they were rich, but because they were willing to sacrifice everything—including sponsorship deals—to stand up for what they believed in.

James has said he has two goals in his life. One is to be “a global icon like Muhammad Ali,” and the other is to be the richest athlete in the history of the world. And while these may be two great goals, they don’t exactly go great together. That’s because people like Muhammad Ali didn’t become global icons because they were rich, but because they were willing to sacrifice everything—including sponsorship deals—to stand up for what they believed in.

In the last two decades, we have seen how James’s desires have conflicted. During the early days of Black Lives Matter movement, he was outspoken in his support for racial justice. In 2012, he posed with his Miami Heat teammates in hoodies to protest the murder of 17-year-old Trayvon Martin, and after the police killing of Eric Garner in 2014, he wore a T-shirt that said “I can’t breathe” during warm-ups alongside Cleveland Cavaliers teammate Kyrie Irving.

Yet over the last several years, as his fortune has exploded into the 10-figure category, James’s silence has been noticeable. Neither ICE’s killings nor the Trump regime’s relentless racism has moved him to speak forcefully. One perfect encapsulation........

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