Charles Barkley Talks LeBron James, Social Activism by Athletes in SNL Monologue

Basketball Hall of Famer Charles Barkley used his Saturday Night Live monologue to express his support for athletes' social activism, specifically mentioning LeBron James.

“Keep on dribbling and don’t ever shut up," Barkley said, addressing James.

The "shut up and dribble" phrasing came as the result of a controversy sparked by Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who criticized James for his social activism last month. Ingraham called James a "dumb jock" and his words "barely intelligible" and "ignorant" in a commentary after the Cleveland Cavaliers star said President Donald Trump doesn't "give a f--k about the people" in an UNINTERRUPTED video. 

"You're great players, but no one voted for you," Ingraham said of James and Kevin Durant. "... So keep the political commentary to yourself, or as someone once said, shut up and dribble."

Barkley, who has been outspoken about race relations, politics and a number of other societal issues throughout his career, used the SNL platform to encourage athletes to keep talking—pointing to himself as an example of success amid outspokenness. 

"I'm an athlete, and athletes have been speaking out a lot this year," he said. "They've been kneeling during the anthem, refusing to go to the White House. A lot of times, athletes are worried that speaking out will hurt their career. Here's something that contradicts all of that: Me.

"I've been saying whatever the hell I want for 30 years, and I'm doing great. ... This country has a great tradition of athletes speaking their mind. Muhammad Ali changed the way people thought about Vietnam. Jim Brown had people thinking about race."

James is far from the only athlete who has come under fire in the political specter during Trump's tenure. The tweet-happy president has also called out Colin Kaepernick by name and other NFL athletes who knelt during the national anthem throughout the 2017 football season.