President Donald Trump had already made his stance toward LeBron James apparent in July, when he weighed in on the NBA’s GOAT debate and chose Michael Jordan over the 76ers star while calling the latter a “racist.”
Trump reignited his criticism of James on Thursday, accusing the NBA star of showing disrespect toward the US national anthem and branding him a “TOTAL DISGRACE.”
Trump finds Lebron James’ behavior disrespectful
“While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country,” Trump wrote in a Truth Social post alongside a video that showed James moving his body during the anthem.
The clip showed James standing alongside his Philadelphia 76ers teammates, swinging his arms in a warm-up stretch and mimicking basketball shooting motions.
“I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE. LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for! President DONALD J. TRUMP,” Trump’s post further read.
Trump’s criticism follows JD Vance condemning WNBA players
Trump’s remarks followed criticism from Vice President JD Vance a day earlier, when he called out players from the Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries for leaving the court during the national anthem ahead of WNBA Finals games.
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Vance condemned the move as “disgraceful,” arguing that athletes should not express opposition to a politician by “disrespecting the country writ large.”
Trump and James’ long-running feud
Donald Trump had previously taken aim at James in July while discussing his choice for basketball’s greatest player, naming Hall of Famer Michael Jordan over the Philadelphia 76ers star.
During the remarks, Trump also suggested that James might be racist and speculated that the NBA star disliked him.
“And I think LeBron is maybe he’s a racist, but maybe he doesn’t like Trump. I only like people who like me. So I would say Michael Jordan all the way,” the US president said.
Meanwhile, James is in his record 24th NBA season and has frequently criticized Trump while speaking out on issues such as racial justice, voting rights and education. The 41-year-old has also backed Democratic candidates in recent election cycles.