Breaking
President Donald Trump publicly called out LeBron James on Thursday, Oct. 22, accusing the NBA star of disrespecting the country during the national anthem. “While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country!” Trump wrote on Truth Social, sharing a 22-second clip of James before a game. “I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE,” the president added.
Trump said 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!” The video, which spread widely on social media earlier in the week, shows James lined up with his Philadelphia 76ers teammates, stretching his arms and appearing to practice his golf swing and shooting form while the anthem played. As of Thursday afternoon, James had not publicly responded to the president.
Details & Background
The footage was captured Tuesday, Oct. 20, at Madison Square Garden before James’s regular-season debut with the 76ers against the defending champion New York Knicks. Philadelphia won 106-100. James, who left the Los Angeles Lakers and signed with the 76ers this past offseason, finished with 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, while Tyrese Maxey led all scorers with 28. After the game, James told NBC, “I could be a lot better. Still getting my rhythm, obviously just a little bit over two weeks with the new squad.”
This is not the first time James’s anthem routine has drawn attention. According to The Spun, he has been seen practicing his golf swing during the anthem several times over the past year, including in a video ESPN shared last season while he was still with the Lakers. James has said he wants to change how people view golf and open doors for inner-city kids to play the game. Trump and James also have a long, bitter history. In 2018, Trump mocked an interview James gave on CNN, writing that the host “made LeBron look smart, which isn’t easy to do.” In July, after James announced his move to Philadelphia, Trump suggested James might be racist and said he preferred Michael Jordan, according to CNN.
Reactions
The president’s post amplified criticism that had been building online since Tuesday night. Conservative commentator Clay Travis wrote that he “can’t wait until he retires,” saying James has “been toxic for the entire NBA.” Many fans online accused the four-time NBA champion of disrespecting the flag, while others shrugged off the moment as a harmless pregame habit.
Neither James, the 76ers nor the NBA had issued a public response to Trump’s post as of Thursday afternoon, according to FOX 29 Philadelphia. During Trump’s first term, James brushed off the president’s criticism of athletes who protested during the anthem. Thursday’s demand echoes Trump’s 2017 campaign against NFL players who knelt, when he wrote, “Very important that NFL players STAND tomorrow, and always, for the playing of our National Anthem.”
Why This Matters to You
For millions of Americans, the national anthem is not a warm-up period. It is a brief moment set aside to honor the flag and the service members who fought and died under it. When one of the most famous athletes in the world appears to treat it as practice time, it can strike a nerve with veterans and military families, and it sends a message to the young fans who copy everything their heroes do.
The episode also shows that the fight over patriotism in professional sports is far from over. Trump has made respect for the flag a signature issue since his first term, and leagues that depend on broad national audiences have learned how quickly these controversies spread. Whether James answers the president or stays silent, the debate over how athletes treat the anthem is back in the national spotlight just days into the new NBA season.
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