Zlatan Ibrahimovic has always been at the center of controversy throughout his career. During a recent interview, the current AC Milan striker had some harsh words about NBA star LeBron James and his involvement in politics that has landed him in some hot water again.
The full quotes from ESPN:
“[LeBron] is phenomenal at what he’s doing, but I don’t like when people have some kind of status, they go and do politics at the same time,” Ibrahimovic said. “Do what you’re good at. Do the category you do. I play football because I’m the best at playing football.”
He would also go on to say:
“I don’t do politics. If I would be a political politician, I would do politics. That is the first mistake people do when they become famous and they become in a certain status. Stay out of it. Just do what you do best because it doesn’t look good.”
It is well documented how much LeBron James does for his community. Whether it be opening up his I Promise School, giving back to his hometown of Akron, Ohio, and countless other things. His More Than a Vote organization helped gather over 40,000 volunteers to help at polling stations this past November, helping to reach out to black voters to encourage them to vote.
People are always quick to tell athletes to stay in their lane or “Shut up and dribble” when it comes to their involvement in politics. What seems to fall by the wayside is that they are regular people, just like us. They have a say in what goes on and have a responsibility to vote just like you and I. A bad take here by Zlatan Ibrahimovic, but I guess we can’t be surprised.
