Donald Trump escalated his long-running feud with LeBron James on Thursday, lashing out at the NBA superstar for what the president called disrespectful behavior during the playing of the national anthem ahead of a game earlier in the week.
Trump shared a video on his Truth Social network capturing the basketball legend making apparent warm-up movements while lined up alongside his Philadelphia 76ers teammates prior to their season opener against the New York Knicks on Tuesday.
“While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country! I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE,” Trump wrote on the social media platform.
“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!” he added.
The video circulated by Trump featured an on-screen caption reading, “LeBron working on his golf swing pregame.” In the footage, the 41-year-old forward could be seen performing lateral swinging motions and subtle basketball shooting movements while standing in formation with his team.
Trump did not let the matter rest online. Speaking later that evening at a campaign rally in Iowa, the president renewed his public attack, characterizing James’s pregame actions as “a big scandal kind of a story” and doubling down on his harsh rhetoric against the veteran athlete.
The public rebuke is merely the latest chapter in a history of political and personal clashes between Trump and James, who have repeatedly traded barbs over the years. Rather than engaging in a prolonged war of words this time, however, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer opted to shrug off the presidential criticism entirely.
Speaking to reporters after the 76ers completed an epic, come-from-behind victory to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 in Philadelphia, James offered a brief and dismissive assessment of the controversy.
“It must be a slow news day at the office,” he remarked, repeating the sentiment for emphasis. “Slow news day at the office.”
James, currently entering a record-extending 24th season in the National Basketball Association with the fourth different franchise of his storied career, has routinely used his platform to speak out on social and political issues, placing him at frequent odds with conservative figures and Trump himself.
Inside the Philadelphia locker room, the organization made a concerted effort to insulate the squad from the media firestorm surrounding their marquee player. Sixers head coach Nick Nurse told reporters that Trump’s comments were precisely the kind of external distraction that he has been coaching his players to tune out and ignore as they navigate the demanding 82-game regular-season schedule.
“I think that goes right in with other outside noise we’ve already had,” Nurse said following Thursday night’s victory. “I keep saying the same thing. All I really care about is getting to the practice floor, getting them in the film room, getting them to the game floor. The focus that they’ve had and the intent and all the stuff like that has been outstanding.”
Nurse and the coaching staff’s emphasis on focus appeared to pay immediate dividends on the court, where the 76ers orchestrated a historic turnaround against Cleveland. Thursday’s thrilling win marked both the largest comeback by the Philadelphia franchise in the play-by-play era, which dates back to the 1996-97 season, and the single largest comeback victory of LeBron James’s illustrious career.
James contributed a well-rounded stat line to the monumental effort, finishing the night with 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, and three steals. He received significant support from teammate Tyrese Maxey, who spearheaded the second-half rally by pouring in 32 points alongside a crucial defensive performance against star guard James Harden. Meanwhile, Jaylen Brown, making his home debut in a Philadelphia uniform, caught fire after halftime, scoring 17 of his 21 total points in the second half, including 10 vital points in the fourth quarter alone to seal the win.
Trump’s vocal criticism of James revives a familiar pattern of political friction between the administration and prominent American athletes, particularly Black athletes, over their conduct and demonstrations during the playing of the Star-Spangled Banner before major sporting events.
During his first term in office, Trump frequently targeted high-profile sports figures for their political expression. Most notably, he singled out former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick for his decision to kneel during the national anthem to protest systemic racial injustice, police brutality, and civil rights inequalities across the United States. That dispute ignited a nationwide cultural debate that drew in athletes, league executives, and millions of sports fans alike, setting a precedent for the ongoing intersection of professional sports and national politics.
As the 76ers prepare for their upcoming matchups, the team is looking past the political turbulence generated in Iowa and Washington, choosing instead to channel their energy into maintaining the momentum gained from their historic comeback victory on the floor.
