Shut up and dribble? How popularity, activism, and real-world events shape attitudes towards LeBron James and race

Abstract

With great regularity, celebrities add their voices to the political debates that shape our future. One celebrity who has added his voice to the conversation about the status of African Americans in modern society is NBA superstar LeBron James. Our research examines how James’s standing on the issue of race is shaped by individuals’ relationships with him as well as current events involving James himself. Via a survey experiment in which some respondents are given information about hypothetical activism and real-world motivations underlying it, we find that favorability helps explain which individuals feel James is a major player on the issue of race. However, recent events like critiques from partisan opponents and being the victim of race-based crime did little to boost or undermine James’s standing.