Former NBA standout Al Harrington says "shut up and dribble" belongs in the past ... and he's got a pretty good reason for getting involved in politics these days.

Charlie has boots on the ground in Texas, and he caught up with Harrington at Republican senatorial candidate Ken Paxton's rally in Fort Worth ... where Harrington told us he's getting more involved in politics, particularly because of his business interests in the cannabis industry.

Harrington, who has been invested in cannabis since 2011 and lives in Texas, says he's trying to understand where the industry is headed amid looming restrictions ... and wanted to hear what Paxton, Texas' current attorney general, had to say.

He told us he met Paxton over dinner and came away thinking Paxton was a "great gentleman" ... though that doesn't necessarily mean he's jumping on the Republican bandwagon.

In fact, Harrington told us he grew up identifying as a Democrat but now considers himself an independent.

And when Charlie brought up the infamous "shut up and dribble" criticism aimed at LeBron James, Harrington gave us his take.

He told Charlie ... "We're all human beings, we have our opinions on different things and we should be able to be comfortable enough to speak on it."

As for where his political loyalties lie ... Harrington says he's less concerned with who's in power than what they're doing for everyday Americans.

His message? "We should vote for what's right."

Harrington spent 16 seasons in the NBA ... playing for the Pacers, Hawks, Warriors, Knicks, Nuggets, Magic and Wizards before retiring in 2014.

Check out the full interview to hear Harrington's interesting take on political parties and being more engaged ... and Charlie also asks him about Paxton's political opponent, James Talarico.