(CNN) Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is ready to move on from the China controversy and focus on winning a championship and other things.

Just a day after criticizing Houston Rockets' general manager Daryl Morey as "misinformed" over a tweet supporting Hong Kong protesters, James said Tuesday he has more pressing issues to deal with at home.

"I'd be cheating my teammates by continuing to harp on something that won't benefit us trying to win a championship because that's what we're here for," James told reporters Tuesday. "We're not politicians. I think it's a huge political thing but we are leaders and we can step up at times. But ... you don't feel like you should speak upon things you shouldn't have to."

James said he has a list of concerns in his own backyard that he should prioritize more than political issues a world away.

"There's things that happen in my own community -- trying to help my kids graduate high school and go off to college -- what's been my main concern over the last couple years -- and my school. Trying to make sure the inner city kids that grew up in my hometown can have a brighter future and look at me as inspiration to get out of the hellhole of the inner city. And we don't talk about those stories enough."

Read More