LeBron James continues to impress on and off the court after being named as Time Magazine's 2020 Athlete of the Year last December 10.
The 35-year-old All-Star player of the Los Angeles Lakers rolled to his fourth NBA championship last October. He was hailed as the Finals MVP, his fourth MVP award in his career.
The Lakers' history of winning multiple championships is not surprising news anymore.
LeBron James became the third and fourth player in NBA history to win three championships with three different teams (Lakers, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Miami Heat).
He shared this achievement with former teammate Danny Green, who first joined the San Antonio Spurs and Toronto Spurs before becoming a Laker in 2019.
John Salley was the first player to win two championships with Detroit Pistons and one apiece with the Chicago Bulls and the Lakers. Robert Horry became the second player to notch the rare feat, bagging the rings with Houston Rockets, Spurs, and Lakers.
According to Time, Lebron James spearheaded an organization called More Than a Vote. The group looks forward to uplifting racial equality among Black people in the middle of political disparity.
The said organization is composed of Black athletes and celebrities who sparked activism on social media to edify the people for a smart voting system.
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"After nearly two decades in the NBA, James has fully embraced that his talent on the court is a means to achieving something greater off it. And this year, more than in any before it, he showed why he is unrivaled in both. Despite misgivings, James played on in the bubble and led the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA championship - his first with the team and fourth overall," Time noted.
The New York-based magazine commended LeBron's leadership and influence on the other athletes and fans in fighting and speaking out for freedom and fairness.
Sports Illustrated honoree Patrick Holmes, Cleveland Brown's Odell Beckham Jr., and two-time WNBA All-Star Chiney Ogwumike are some athletes who joined the movement.
Seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton is another athlete who knew that his actions were put to fruition. He told Time that his battle against social injustice was not in vain because another athlete like LeBron was also fighting the same.
Besides the Athlete Of the Year award by Time, LeBron James received the 2020 Sportsperson of the Year and the Muhammad Ali Legacy Award from Sports Illustrated.
Naomi Osaka, the No.1 seed in Women's tennis, was a staunch supporter of the Black Lives movement. During her run in the 2020 U.S. Open, she wore black masks engraved with the names of Black people who were victims of social injustice and police brutality.
For Osaka, LeBron James is someone who had the most powerful voice besides being the best player.
In the first preseason game of the Lakers against the Los Angeles Clippers, LeBron James and his co-star Anthony Davis did not play. It was not a problem, though, as the Lakers cruised past the Clippers, 87-81.
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