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Gregg Popovich explains how LeBron James' biggest contributions to society have been made off the court

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich have a heartfelt comment on why LeBron James is having a huge impact on society as more than a basketball player.

  • San Antonio head coach Gregg Popovich complimented LeBron James on his social impact ahead of the Spurs game against the Cavaliers on Sunday.
  • Popovich spoke to how James has been a source of inspiration for his community, and argued that his biggest impacts likely take place off the court.
  • James returned the kind words, saying that Pop was one of his "all-time favorite people" that he's ever crossed paths with.

Gregg Popovich had some kind words for Cavaliers superstar LeBron James before the Spurs game against the Cavaliers on Sunday, explaining to reporters his belief that James might have even more impact off the court than he's had as the best basketball player on the planet for the last decade.

The comments come in the wake of Fox News anchor Laura Ingraham's claim that James should "Shut up and dribble" after James offered critiques of President Trump in a video for Uninterrupted. James responded by stating that he was more than an athlete, and later elaborated on how his contributions go well beyond basketball.

When asked, Popovich mentioned how impressive it is that James has been in the spotlight since such a young age, and how he's always been able to navigate media with grace. "I mean, think about when he came into public view, how young was he?" Popovich said.

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"And to this day he hasn't missed a step, he hasn't fallen off the ledge and he's been a brilliant example for millions of kids, especially kids with lesser opportunity and haven't had the same advantages as others."

Popovich noted the large impact James has had both through acts of charity, and as a source of inspiration to his community and basketball fans, while also criticizing Ingraham for her effort to deter James' speech. Per ESPN:

"There really is a First Amendment and you can have opinions -- as a coach, as a plumber, as an astrophysicist and a lowly reporter. They can have whatever opinions they want, and that's what's amazing about this when you look at this guy, how many millions of dollars, tens of millions of dollars he's given, tens of millions of kids that are inspired by him. It's kind of like the 'Black Panther' movie."

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