Zlatan takes aim at LeBron James over political activism

Zlatan Ibrahimovic has taken aim at basketball great LeBron James’ political activism by insisting that sportspeople should simply ‘do what you are good at’.

LA Lakers superstar James has been at the forefront of campaigning for social justice and change in society for a number of years – with his latest initiative helping voter mobilisation for the November presidential election in the United States.

Ibrahimovic, however, shared his distaste for influential figures branching into politics.

James, 36, threw his weight behind fighting against police brutality and racism across a turbulent year. He features twice on the 2020 Laureus World Sport Awards shortlist, having placed his personal politics front and centre.

But when speaking about the activism of athletes during a wide-ranging chat with UEFA and Discovery+ in Sweden, Ibrahimovic name-dropped James and shared his controversial opinion.

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‘What he does is phenomenal, but I don’t like it when people with a certain “status” talk about politics,’ he said.

‘Do what you are good at. I play football because I am the best at it. If I was a politician, I’d have gone into politics.

‘This is the first mistake that famous people make when they feel like they’ve arrived. I think it’s better to steer clear of these issues and do what you’re good at.’