LeBron James: 'Such an Honor' to Speak with Barack Obama on HBO's 'The Shop'

Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James said former President Barack Obama "[gave] us the perspective and motivation we need right now" while reflecting on Obama's appearance on HBO's The Shop. 

Obama shared a clip from his interview on the show, which prompted James to add it was "such an honor" to have him involved:

Ever since he and his Miami Heat teammates wore hooded sweatshirts to reference the 2012 shooting of Trayvon Martin, James has been outspoken on social issues. Especially ahead of the 2020 elections, he has worked behind the scenes to further causes addressing racial inequality.

In June the four-time MVP helped launch More Than a Vote, a nonprofit partially aimed at protecting voting rights and reaching out to Black voters.

"Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we're also going to give you the tutorial," James said of the project. "We're going to give you the background of how to vote and what they're trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting."

More Than a Vote also made it a priority to help turn privately owned sports arenas into polling sites to cut down on waiting times for in-person voting in large cities.

In August, the fate of the NBA's restart in Orlando, Florida, looked to be up in the air after the Milwaukee Bucks refused to play a postseason game against the Orlando Magic as a form of protest. Not only did the NBA temporarily shut down, but the protests also spread to multiple leagues.

James told The Athletic's Joe Vardon he was motivated to come up with a plan that would address concerns the players had about continuing to play amid the nationwide protests sparked by the police shootings of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor and Jacob Blake.

Shams Charania of The Athletic reported James was among a contingent of stars who reached out to Obama, who "[advised] them to play and utilize the opportunity to contextualize action they want in order to play."

The NBA and National Basketball Players Association subsequently agreed to three overarching commitments toward social justice goals, including requiring team facilities to serve as voting centers for the 2020 general election wherever possible.

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