LeBron James is no stranger to making political statements, and that hasn't changed now that he's a member of the Los Angeles Lakers. Before his new team's game on Saturday night against the Spurs in San Antonio, LeBron arrived in a black and white hat that said "Beto for Senate."
LeBron James sporting a @BetoORourke hat in San Antonio tonight. Beto is running for the Senate seat in Texas that Ted Cruz holds right now. pic.twitter.com/lDHoELqljw
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) October 27, 2018
The hat shows LeBron's support for U.S. Senate candidate Beto O'Rourke, who is running against Ted Cruz in a high-profile race for one of Texas' two seats. This isn't the first time that LeBron has offered praise or support for O'Rourke.
Late in the summer, O'Rourke was asked for his thoughts on athletes -- NFL players, specifically -- kneeling for the National Anthem. In his response, he made the case that doing so is not disrespectful. When a video clip of O'Rourke's response was released, LeBron shared it on Twitter.
A Must Watch!!! 🙏🏾💪🏾💯‼️ Salute @BetoORourke for the candid thoughtful words! https://t.co/E1YrbqGciZ
— LeBron James (@KingJames) August 23, 2018
At the 2016 Republican National Convention, then-presidential candidate Cruz invoked James and his Cleveland Cavaliers' 3-1 comeback in the 2016 NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors as a metaphor for his own comeback. James vocally backed Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton in the general election.