LeBron James Endorses Hillary Clinton

AKRON, OH — LeBron James endorsed Hillary Clinton for president in a personal essay that drew connections between his own childhood in Akron and those of the children he mentors today through his foundation, noting that only one candidate "truly understands the struggles of an Akron child born into poverty."

The essay was published in Business Insider on Sunday and the pages of the Akron Beacon-Journal on Monday. Ohio, a battleground state, remains very much in play in this presidential election.

Writes James:

As a kid, I didn't have much money. It was just my mom and me, and things were rough at times. But I had basketball. That gave me a family, a community, and an education. That’s more than a lot of children in Akron can say. There are a lot of people who want to tell kids who grew up like me and looked like me that they just don’t have anything to look forward to.

The Cleveland Cavaliers star's website is filled with photographs of the children and families he assists through his foundation: LeBronJamesFamilyFoundation.org. The photos connect to biographical sketches of the children and the hard work they are doing to earn their way to a college education.

This year, James and the Cavaliers brought an NBA championship to Northeast Ohio — the first pro sports championship in 52 years. James mentions that accomplishment in his endorsement essay, too: "Holding that trophy was beyond words. It still hasn't hit me. But for me, coming home was never just about basketball."

He describes his work with Akron's children as his "second mission."

A lot of them didn’t think college was for them, but now I hear they want to become things like doctors and business owners. We even have a future astrophysicist. I can’t wait to see how far these kids can go.

I also tell all my kids how important it is that they give back to the community. Because if basketball has taught me anything, it’s that no one achieves greatness alone. And it takes everyone working together to create real change.

As the most recognizable figure in the country's most popular sport, and a businessman and philanthropist as well, his choice for president carries some influence and certainly will be welcomed by Democrats and the Clinton campaign. The latest polling puts Republican Donald Trump anywhere from 1 to 5 points ahead of Clinton among Ohio voters, according to the Real Clear Politics assessment of polling data.

No Republican has ever won the White House without winning Ohio. The last Democrat to do so was President Kennedy. That's why both Clinton and Trump are spending so much time here.

James has at times expressed his views on politics and race in society.

In 2012, while playing for the Miami Heat, he and teammates wore black, hooded sweatshirts similar to the one worn by Trayvon Martin the night he was shot to death in Florida. Before a game in New York in 2014, after the death of Eric Garner at the hands of police, James wore an "I Can't Breathe" T-shirt.

Last fall, James took issue with the growing gun violence and urged a move toward more common-sense regulations and penalties related to gun crimes, saying, "There's so many around now, today. But if there's some stipulations behind it or some penalties, some big time penalties or rules or regulations about carrying firearms, legal or illegal, people will second-guess themselves."

At the ESPY Awards this year, he joined Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Dwyane Wade on stage for a presentation about guns and violence.

LeBron James campaigned for President Obama in 2008. In his endorsement essay, James calls Obama his friend, asserts that Clinton should be elected to preserve Obama's legacy, and decries "policies and ideas that divide us." He never mentions Trump in his essay.

Like my foundation, Hillary has always been a champion for children and their futures. For over 40 years, she’s been working to improve public schools, expand access to health care, support children’s hospitals, and so much more. ...

Finally, we must address the violence, of every kind, the African-American community is experiencing in our streets and seeing on our TVs. I believe rebuilding our communities by focusing on at-risk children is a significant part of the solution. However, I am not a politician, I don’t know everything it will take finally to end the violence. But I do know we need a president who brings us together and keeps us unified. Policies and ideas that divide us more are not the solution. We must all stand together — no matter where we are from or the color of our skin. And Hillary is running on the message of hope and unity that we need.

Read the full endorsement via Business Insider's "LeBron James: Why I'm Endorsing Hillary Clinton"

Photo by Keith Allison via Wikimedia Commons