Barack Obama Praises 'Extraordinary Leader' LeBron James After Lakers' Title Win

Former U.S. President Barack Obama took to Twitter on Tuesday to congratulate LeBron James after James won his fourth NBA title.

Obama shared photos of James after each of his championship wins: in 2012 and 2013 with the Miami Heat, 2016 with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Monday night after the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Heat in six games.

"Proud of my friend @KingJames for his fourth title, fourth Finals MVP, and for not only living up to the hype after seventeen seasons, but surpassing it as an extraordinary leader both on the court and in the public arena fighting for education, social justice, and our democracy," Obama wrote. 

Over the summer, James and Chris Paul were among the players who asked Obama for advice after the NBA season was temporarily halted in protest of the police shooting of Jacob Blake in Wisconsin. Per ESPN's Dave McMenamin, "Obama was in favor of returning to play once the players seized the moment to work with the league's owners to identify and implement actionable items to effect positive change."

The former president also tweeted late Monday night recognizing the Lakers' win and the Seattle Storm's WNBA championship, praising the leagues for "using their platforms to take a stand for racial justice and encourage civic participation this offseason."