Should celebrities take advantage of their status to advance social struggles or should they stay in their hallway, in this case their green square or their floor?
The debate is not new in the world of sport and an unexpected clash through interviews between AC Milan footballer Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Lakers basketball player LeBron James has just revived it.
Zlatan
: "The athlete outside politics"
The Swedish giant opened hostilities on February 25.
In an interview with UEFA for Discovery + in Sweden, he said he was "not in politics" and criticized LeBron James for his activism outside the prosecution.
“LeBron James is phenomenal at what he does. But I don't like it when people with a certain status are in politics at the same time,” “Ibra” said.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic uppskattar basketspelaren Lebron James men tycker inte att han ska lägga sig i politiken: "Lebron är fenomenal på det han gör, men jag gillar inte när folk med status lägger sig i politik"
Lång intervju med Zlatan Ibrahimovic: https://trahimovic.com .co / oXm5gjmhKv pic.twitter.com/J3L82GWLD6
- discovery + sport 🇸🇪 (@dplus_sportSE) February 25, 2021
"I don't play politics ... This is the first mistake people make when they get famous and gain status. Stay out of it. Just do what you do. do the best. The rest, it does not look good to me, "said the 38-year-old striker.
LeBron James
: "My voice is powerful"
At a press conference following the Los Angeles Lakers 102-93 victory over the Portland Trail Blazers on Friday, February 26, LeBron James replied to the footballer:
"At the end of the day, I will never be silent about things that are wrong. I am committed to my people, for equality, for equality also in terms of access to the vote, I am commits against social injustice and racism, ”said the NBA superstar.
"There's no way I'm just playing sports. I know how powerful my voice is."
LeBron James responds to Zlatan Ibrahimovic who had advised him not to talk about politics.
pic.twitter.com/ZX85EZzcpL
- Josly Ngoma (@josly_ngoma) February 27, 2021
But for James, as an athlete, it's not enough just to win titles - it's equally rewarding to inspire and empower people, as well as bringing Americans together.
"For a long time, we heard that as athletes, we should be grateful to be able to throw a ball, dribble a ball, hit with a baseball bat. We were told that we were neither able nor allowed to talk about something else. This is no longer the case today. And it will not be the case for a long time, "hammered the four-time NBA champion.
Charity versus activism
?
His words echo the "Shut up and dribble" that conservative Fox News presenter Laura Ingraham launched at him in 2018 about his commitments.
LeBron James also reminded Zlatan in his response that he did not understand these criticisms because Zlatan himself had spoken out about the latent racism he suffered in Sweden.
"If another Swedish player made the same mistakes as me, they (the media) would defend him. When it's me, they don't defend me. (...) It's a story of racism. I'm not saying that it is affirmed racism, but latent racism, "he explained.
Zlatan, despite his boisterous statements, is however not heartless and also knows how to get involved in causes.
According to Le Parisien, he donates several million euros to charity every year.
And he often gives of himself, whether by recording videos intended for sick children or by showing off in an official match between PSG at the Malherbe stadium in Caen, his chest covered with ephemeral tattoos during an operation. carried out with the World Food Program (WFP) in order to sensitize public opinion to the fight against world hunger.
All without crossing the barrier of activism.
A position far from being aberrant in the light of the history of sport.
Considered the greatest basketball player of all time, Michael Jordan never wanted to get involved publicly for causes and policies.
"I congratulate Mohamed Ali for standing up for his convictions," he explains in the documentary "The Last Dance" on Netflix.
"I never considered myself an activist. I considered myself a basketball player. I focused on my craft. Was it selfish? Probably. But that's where my energy was."
>> To read also: Champions League: Demba Ba, a regular at the anti-racist tackle
However, it seems in recent years that athletes are less and less reluctant to engage in subjects close to their hearts.
Antoine Griezmann has thus broken off his partnership with the Chinese brand Huawei in support of the Uyghurs.
And he, like his sidekick Kylian Mbappé, or even Benjamin Mendy spoke about police violence.
Political speech is freed up among athletes.
The summary of the week
France 24 invites you to come back to the news that marked the week
I subscribe
Take international news everywhere with you!
Download the France 24 application
google-play-badge_FR