Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James passed on an opportunity to join Team USA, but his media company is still weighing in on the Tokyo Games from afar, blasting the International Olympic Committee for banning protests on the medal stand.
James played for three Olympic teams, but declined to make the trip to Tokyo this summer, telling media last month that he would focus on playing for the “Tune Squad,” the cartoon team James is drafted to play for in “Space Jam 2,” rather than on the Olympic squad.
But James, who is known for taking public political positions, particularly over the last several years, could not resist commenting — at least indirectly — on political protests that are expected to pepper the Tokyo Games. His company, The Uninterrupted, which he shares with Maverick Carter, blasted the Olympic Committee’s decision to continue to bar athletes from protesting or making political statements on the medal stand, even though the IOC lifted its ban on athlete protests elsewhere, so long as they do not interrupt competitive play.
“Rule 50 is a rule in the Olympic Charter that bans any kind of demonstration and prohibits any opinionated political, religious or racial propaganda at the Olympic site in 2021,” The Uninterrupted said on Twitter Friday.
“The only time an athlete is able to speak freely is at press conferences and to the media, but not on the Olympic podium when the world is watching,” the company continued. “Simply put, we see this as a way of silencing voices, and as advocates for Athlete empowerment, we take a stand against it.”
The company then implored the IOC to let the rest of Rule 50 fall.
“Sport is not neutral. When athletes speak up – whether from a stadium, gymnasium, or track – they start conversations and things change,” the group said. “Give athletes the chance to show up fully and to make change.”
Here’s what you need to know about #Rule50 and how Olympians around the world are being silenced before the #TokyoOlympics start 🗣👉 pic.twitter.com/bMPikWnF4x
— UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted) July 20, 2021
The IOC’s Rule 50 previously banned all forms of political protest during the Games. After consideration, the IOC lifted the ban, allowing some forms of protest at specific times; notably, the IOC now allows athletes to “take a knee” during pre-game festivities, an opportunity several soccer teams, including the United States women’s soccer team, took advantage of earlier this week.
What remains of Rule 50, however, would ensnare athletes like Gwen Berry, an American Olympic medal hopeful in the hammer throw, who turned her back on the American flag during the national anthem at the U.S. Olympic Trials and protested on the podium at the Pan-American Games.
So far, athletes have protested just once at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games: during the opening round of soccer. Women’s and men’s teams “took a knee” ahead of the first soccer games at the Olympics to send a message about equality in light of racial slurs hurled at players from Team Great Britain online after three of the team’s players missed penalty kicks in the European championships.