President Barack Obama applauded LeBron James in a new interview for wearing a shirt dedicated to Eric Garner during a recent game and said more sports stars should use their influence to address social issues.
James sported a shirt with the phrase “I Can’t Breathe” instead of his jersey on Dec. 8 in a show of support for Garner, the Staten Island man who was killed in an altercation with police in July, during which the officer used an apparent chokehold.
“You know, I think LeBron did the right thing,” Obama told PEOPLE. “We forget the role that Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe and Bill Russell played in raising consciousness.”
James’ decision to wear the shirt came as athletes on a number of other teams did similarly in the wake of the grand jury announcement that the officer involved in the fatal incident would not be indicted, setting off a string of protests against police brutality.
“We went through a long stretch there where [with] well-paid athletes the notion was: just be quiet and get your endorsements and don’t make waves,” Obama said. “LeBron is an example of a young man who has, in his own way and in a respectful way, tried to say, ‘I’m part of this society, too’ and focus attention.”
The President added that he would “like to see” more athletes do that, “not just around this issue, but around a range of issues.”
See Athletes Who Have Taken a Stand on Political Issues
African-American track team members Tommie Smith (C) and John Carlos (R) raised gloved Black Power fists as during the medal ceremony of the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City. Both Smith and Carlos were suspended from the U.S. team, and both received death threats. "We knew that what we were going to do was far greater than any athletic feat," Carlos reportedly said at the time. Both are now in the Hall of Fame. John Dominis—The LIFE Picture Collection/Getty ImagesIn this image posted to Miami Heat basketball player LeBron James' Twitter account in 2012, Miami Heat players wear team hoodies to protest the killing of unarmed black teen Trayvon Martin by neighborhood watch member George Zimmerman. (LeBron James via Twitter-- AP Photo)APSweden's Moa Hjelmer sports rainbow nails at the 2013 World Athletics Championships in Moscow, Russia, to protest Russia's laws prohibiting gay "propaganda." (Martin Meissner-- AP)Martin Meissner—APEgyptian soccer player Ahmed Abdul Zaher shows a four-finger sign, widely known as a gesture of support for ousted Islamsist President Mohammed Morsi, after scoring a goal on November 10, 2013. He was suspended from the team and from the FIFA Club World Cup in Morocco after flashing the sign of support, and his team looked into trading him. (Desouki--AFP/Getty Images)Khaled Desouki—AFP/Getty ImagesIn 2010, the Phoenix Suns wore jerseys emblazoned with "Los Suns" on Cinco de Mayo, in response to an anti-immigration law recently passed in Arizona. (Christian Petersen--Getty Images)Christian Petersen—Getty ImagesLos Angeles Clippers players wore their warmup jerseys inside out to protest racist remarks by team owner Donald Sterling on April 27, 2014, in Oakland, Calif. (Marcio Jose Sanchez--AP Photo)Marcio Jose Sanchez—APSt. Louis Rams wide receiver Tavon Austin raised his arms in the "hands up, don't shoot" gesture to show support for Michael Brown, before a game against the Oakland Raiders at the Edward Jones Dome. (Jeff Curry--USA TODAY Sports)Jeff Curry—USA Today Sports/ReutersCleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James warms up before an NBA basketball game against the Brooklyn Nets at the Barclays Center on Dec. 8, 2014, in New York. Kathy Willens—AP
