"If you are intelligent, you understand" - Football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic remains convinced that LeBron James shouldn't mix sports with politics

AC Milan striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic has spoken out once more against LA Lakers forward LeBron James, who has been very vocal about his political beliefs.

In a recent interview with “Get French Football News,” Ibrahimovic was asked if he still maintains his opinion that James should just remain an athlete and stay silent when it comes to politics.

“I said that we are not politicians,” Ibrahimovic said. “Politics divides people. Football, in my world, unites people. Big difference. Because I have had the chance to meet and get to know people that I would never have known if I did not play football. I have met people from all four corners of the world. We unite people. Politicians divide. If I wanted to be a politician, I would do politics. We should only do what we’re good at. Sports and politics are two different categories. If you are intelligent, you understand.”

Meanwhile, Zlatan Ibrahimovic has just made it 2-0 vs Lazio.He turns 40 years old in less than a month. pic.twitter.com/a1WBt4lJyF

— 𝐀𝐅𝐂 𝐀𝐉𝐀𝐗 💎 (@TheEuropeanLad) September 12, 2021

Ibrahimovic is correct in thinking that politics divides people. But this truth hasn’t stopped LeBron James from using his platform as a popular athlete to speak up against injustice regardless of the backlash he receives.

LeBron James has been told more than once that he should stop voicing his political beliefs, but no one has been successful in keeping the LA Lakers star from doing so.

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How LeBron James and Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s war of words started

Zlatan Ibrahimovic reacts during the Serie A match between AC Milan and SS Lazio.

The two athletes’ differing views about sports and politics began in February. In an interview, Ibrahimovic was asked about LeBron James and how he mixes sports with politics.

"He is phenomenal at what he's doing, but I don't like when people have some kind of status, they go and do politics at the same time what they're doing,” Ibrahimovic told UEFA and Discovery+ in Sweden. “Do what you're good at."

Later, LeBron James had a postgame interview in which he was asked to respond to Ibrahimovic’s comments about him.

😅 "I'm kinda the wrong guy to actually go at, because I do my homework."👀 @KingJames fires back at @Ibra_Official! ♟️ Your move Zlatan... pic.twitter.com/7GDnUnUjfE

— SPORF (@Sporf) March 1, 2021

"It's funny he'd say that because I believe in 2018 he was the same guy who said, when he was back in Sweden, talking about the same things, because his last name wasn't a certain last name, that he felt like it was racism going on when he was out on the pitch," James said.

"Right? He did say that, right? I thought he said that. I speak from a very educated mind. I'm kinda the wrong guy to actually go at, because I do my homework."

No matter how long ago the exchange between the two was, Ibrahimovic hasn’t backed down from his stance. Perhaps LeBron James will be asked in a future interview what he would like to say about Ibrahimovic’s latest comments. This war of words may not be over yet.

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