Al Harrington says athletes should feel free to speak out on politics

Al Harrington thinks the days of telling athletes to "shut up and dribble" are over. The former NBA forward is getting more involved in politics himself.

At a Paxton rally

Harrington spoke with a reporter at a Fort Worth rally for Ken Paxton, the Texas attorney general who is running for the U.S. Senate as a Republican. He said his growing interest in politics is tied to his work in the cannabis industry.

Harrington lives in Texas and has put money into cannabis since 2011. He says he wants to know where the business is going as new restrictions loom, so he came to hear what Paxton had to say.

He says he had dinner with Paxton and found him to be a "great gentleman." That does not mean he is signing up with the Republicans. Harrington says he was raised a Democrat but now calls himself an independent.

Speaking up

Asked about the "shut up and dribble" jab once aimed at LeBron James, Harrington said everyone has opinions and people should feel comfortable sharing them.

He says he cares less about which party holds power than about what leaders do for regular Americans. His advice to voters is to back "what's right."

His NBA career

Over 16 NBA seasons Harrington suited up for seven teams: Indiana, Atlanta, Golden State, New York, Denver, Orlando and Washington. He hung it up in 2014.