A significant portion of the world is mourning the untimely loss of political commentator, Charlie Kirk. We say portion because to this day there is also a significant number of people who, surprisingly, celebrated the gruesome and well-documented assassination attempt of the influential speaker.
But that doesn’t count him out of sports topics, as Charlie Kirk, though already gone, has found himself pulled into an NBA debate. This is after Michael Jordan’s former teammate, Etan Thomas, called out Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones. Jones had recently spoken out on political issues, sparking a reaction from Thomas, who wrote:
“Oh so now Jerry Jones is OK with mixing sports and politics?”
Oh so now Jerry Jones is ok with mixing sports and politics ? pic.twitter.com/EastnXghMP
— Etan Thomas (@etanthomas36) September 15, 2025
Kirk, who has long been critical of athletes using their platforms for political commentary, quickly became part of the wider conversation. His public praise of Jones’s business record was overshadowed by backlash over the double standard Thomas highlighted.
The moment sparked heated discussion online, where users pointed out how Kirk has often attacked stars like LeBron James for voicing political or social views. Critics argued that Kirk’s praise of Jones clashed with his history of dismissing similar behavior from players.
Charlie Kirk has made a career out of blending sports and cultural debates to push his narrative. The response to Thomas’s comment shows how those intersections can still ignite strong reactions.
Michael Jordan’s name may have been on the sidelines of this debate, but his era of teammates once again highlighted how sports legends and political questions often remain tied together.
Charlie Kirk on LeBron Sparks Outrage
Old posts from Charlie Kirk resurfaced online, showing his long-running criticism of LeBron James and the NBA. In 2011, Kirk mocked James by writing:
“LeBron, ZERO RINGS. #JOKE.” Years later, he expanded on that view in interviews, saying: “Do you know that LeBron James is 0-for-14 in game-winning shots in the finals or in playoffs… The NBA is on verge of collapse. No one wants to watch it; crowd attendance is down; they’ve got to give away free food and free beer.”
Kirk has often used LeBron as an example when talking about politics in sports, framing the NBA as a league that lost its audience by being too outspoken. He doubled down by adding:
“I don’t take any NBA seriously post 2012, 2013.”
The comments show how Charlie Kirk has consistently targeted LeBron while downplaying the sport as a whole. To many fans, his words reflect more about his political stance than about basketball itself.
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Dan has been active in sports since 2016 and has worked behind the scenes as a scriptwriter for basketball, volleyball, and other sports. At a time, Dan has also been working as a sports commentator for CBA Pilipinas. During the pandemic, he has also been actively writing betting articles for CashBet and BetNow.
