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# Lebron James is Time's 2020 Athlete of the Year

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<!-- video src="https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/FdoCPXyP.m3u8" -->
## Video: Lebron James is Time's 2020 Athlete of the Year

[Watch (HLS stream): Lebron James is Time's 2020 Athlete of the Year](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/FdoCPXyP.m3u8) (3:28)

![Lebron James is Time's 2020 Athlete of the Year](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/FdoCPXyP/poster.jpg?width=720)

_Published 2020-12-11. Lebron James is named Time's 2020 athlete of the year for the combination of his athletic prowess and social impact in such a tumultuous year._


---

Jul 28, 2023 1:02 AM UTC

---

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### Frontline Health Workers are Time's 2020 Guardians of the Year

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### BTS Is TIME's 2020 Entertainer of the Year

---


## Transcript

Kind: captions Language: en-US I just hope they accept me for who I am as a basketball player, especially as a person. You know, I’m not coming into the team right away trying to be a leader, but if they give that to me, I know how to be a leader. But, I’m just going to accept my role until I have to do something. An athlete’s true voice is found when their talents on the court are rivaled by their impact off of it. A combination of athletic dominance and social impact so powerful the world does not witness since the days of Muhammad Ali. Well I’ve seen Lebron mature and evolve as a leader, as an athlete, you know as an individual.

He’s taken every opportunity he has been given to do things for others. When you see someone with the stature of Lebron speaking out on these issues, these are the sacrifices that he’s willing to make time and time again and it’s admirable to watch and inspiration to a whole culture. In 2020, as we witness devastating acts of police brutality, a league wide stoppage in play occurred in the middle of the NBA playoffs, Lebron would simply not shut up and dribble. Lebron was frustrated he was ready to walk away. He then realized wait a second, we have an opportunity. We can ask to owners to work with us.

Let’s open up the arenas to become polling places. Help us back More Than A Vote. When you see what the voter turnout was in Detroit, when you see Atlanta and what happened there, it literally helped to change the course of history. What Lebron James has done is going to forever change the athlete’s role in society. Athletes know they can step out, they know they can speak up and we saw this all over the world this year. It’s examples like that that makes it possible for the next, the generation, the next athlete to take that risk. Lebron has ignited the younger generation to really share our voices on issues we feel really passionate about.

To really fight for something and stand for something. It’s time to look in a mirror and ask ourselves “what are we doing to create change?” It’s beautiful to watch and witness someone who hasn’t forgotten the circumstances and the obstacles that he’s overcome and the place from where he came. He’s just a kid from Akron. This past season he’s once again reached great heights on the basketball court, but off of it he emerged as something so much more meaningful. I’m not coming into the team right away trying to be a leader, but if they give that to me, I know how to be a leader. And that, even more than the titles and MVPs is Lebron James greatest legacy.

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