LeBron James was infamously told to “shut up and dribble” back in 2018 by Fox News personality Laura Ingraham, who objected to James making a foray into politics by critiquing Donald Trump. To this day, it still prompts vitriol, with James even recalling the event in recent social media posts. Now, James’ fellow Ohioan Dave Chappelle decided to offer up a response to Ingraham in his latest comedy special, 8:46.
Discussing the way in which the public outspokenness of Black people in America is digested by the larger public, Chappelle praised James for exceeding “every expectation that they had for him” and called James “one of Ohio’s greatest residents.”
“(Ingraham) told my friend to shut up and dribble,” Chappelle explains. “My friend is the best at something, and (Ingraham) is not the best at anything.”
A main thread of Chappelle’s latest special is the usefulness (or not) of celebrity during the latest series of uprisings around the country, but he seems to generally appreciate James. Chappelle goes on to explain that celebrity is a “treacherous” business, and yet James came out on top, a “family man” who is a role model for all. To that end, he decries Ingraham for challenging the pain James feels and wanted to speak out on.
The main point seems to be to highlight that no matter how impressive James’ character is, and no matter how much he’s accomplished, some will still look down upon him for being a Black athlete. And while Ingraham is not the first to express this sentiment over the years, her comments said the quiet part loud in a way that few will soon forget.