Fox News Host Who Told Lebron James to 'Shut Up and Dribble' Says: 'There Was No Racial Intent in My Remarks'

Last week, Fox News host Laura Ingraham was accused of racism when she criticized NBA star Lebron James‘ comments about President Donald Trump in web series Rolling With the Champion. “Must they run their mouths like that?” she said on her talk show The Ingraham Angle last Thursday. “This is what happens when you attempt to leave high school a year early to join the NBA. Keep the political commentary to yourself. Or as someone once said, shut up and dribble.” After critics called her comments racially charged, Ingraham defended her remarks.

“In 2003, I wrote a New York Times bestseller called ‘Shut Up & Sing,'” she said on her talk show on Feb. 16, the night following her controversial comments. “I have used a variation of that title for more than 15 years to respond to performers who sound off on politics…There was no racial intent in my remarks… Race has nothing to do with it.”

The news host even invited James onto her talk show, tweeting him, “Hey King, Come play on my Court next week. You’re invited on the show anytime.”

The Golden State Warriors’s Kevin Durant, who was also a guest alongside James on Rolling With the Champion‘s episode last week, doesn’t accept Ingraham’s defense: “To me, it was racist,” he told USA Today. “I feel sorry for her, because she doesn’t understand,” Durant said, shaking his head in disapproval. During the NBA All-Star Weekend, James had a more positive view of the incident: ““She did the best thing to help me create more awareness…., ” he said at a press conference on Feb. 17, “I get to sit up here and talk about social injustice, equality [because] a woman on a certain network decided to tell me to shut up and dribble. So, thank you, whatever her name is. I don’t even know her name.”