Beto O'Rourke has two pretty powerful athlete allies after his speech about the NFL kneeling issue -- LeBron James and Arian Foster.
FYI, O'Rourke is running for senator in Texas against Ted Cruz -- and started to become famous this week thanks to a video from a Texas town hall showing Beto explaining why kneeling during the anthem is NOT disrespectful.
"And so non-violently, peacefully, while the eyes of this country are watching these games, [some NFL players] take a knee to bring our attention and our focus to this problem to ensure that we fix it," O’Rourke said.
"That is why they are doing it, and I can think of nothing more American than to peacefully stand up, or take a knee, for your rights, anytime, anywhere, any place."
LeBron tweeted about the video on Thursday -- calling it a "must watch."
Foster -- a former star NFL running back for the Houston Texans -- took it a step further ... spending the day campaigning with O'Rourke in Houston.
Beto put out a statement thanking Arian for his support -- "Grateful that [Arian Foster] would spend the day with us in Spring and Houston. Grabbing smoothies, driving the truck, joining the discussion about how this community and this state leads the way on so many important issues. Hope you have a fun birthday tomorrow!"
NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner also weighted in -- saying, "Every past & present fan of NFL - please listen - I believe he hit the nail on the head & he did so not by dividing the 2 sides but by joining them together in realizing the freedoms of our country have been forged by soldiers but also by many others who have fought in diff ways!"