LeBron James to receive Muhammad Ali Legacy award

This year has been filled with uncertainty and social unrest, but throughout it all, LeBron James has continued to use his platform for the greater good while excelling in the game of basketball. For that reason, he has been named a recipient of 2020 Sports Illustrated Muhammad Ali Legacy Award — an honor that celebrates one’s sportsmanship and its effect on the world.

The NBA season was cut short after ballers were diagnosed with COVID-19, but when it resumed in the form of the bubble, the basketball league and its players decided to bring attention to social justice issues via their jerseys and messages on the end zone. James, in particular, capitalized on post-game interviews to speak about police brutality and demand justice for slain victims Breonna Taylor, George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

Following the police shooting of Jacob Blake, he joined his colleagues in boycotting their playoff games and helped to create social justice plans that would address racial inequality and the unwarranted killings of Black victims.

James also played a vital role in getting people to the polls this past election season. His More Than a Vote initiative — which seeks to fight voter suppression — recruited over 10,000 poll workers to work in Black electoral districts and restored the voting rights of former felons in Florida by paying their outstanding fines and fees. He partnered with Stacey Abrams to educate people on the history of voting via an animated video, and he teamed up with Michelle Obama in an effort to encourage early voting.

Amid his dedication and work toward social justice reform, the NBA star remained committed to the actual sport of basketball, leading the LA Lakers to a championship win — a victory Barack Obama even celebrated.

“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,” the former president said.

James is slated to receive this year’s Sportsperson of the Year award alongside fellow recipients Breanna Stewart, Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka and Laurent Duvernay-Tardif.