LeBron James Responds to Trump Criticism
On Thursday night, LeBron James went through his customary warmup routine and then stepped onto the court with undeniable intensity.
The superstar from the 76ers addressed the criticism leveled at him by Donald Trump regarding his pregame activities during the national anthem before Tuesday’s season opener against the Knicks.
“It’s a slow news day at the office, you know,” James remarked, clearly unimpressed. “Slow news day in the office.”
During the performance of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by Avery Wilson at Madison Square Garden, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer humorously mimed a golf swing.
Trump, in a post on Truth Social, stated, “While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country. 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!”
As James prepared for Thursday’s home opener against the Cavaliers, he adopted a more subdued demeanor while on the court during the anthem—not that he or his teammates seemed impacted by Trump’s words.
“I think that goes right in with other outside noise we’ve already had,” remarked coach Nick Nurse after their 106-100 victory, which pushed the team to a 2-0 start. “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.”
The history between James and Trump isn’t new, as they’ve exchanged barbs before—James infamously referred to the President as a “bum” in a social media post back in 2017.
This latest exchange occurs amidst ongoing discussions about the national anthem’s significance in sports. The WNBA’s Valkyries and Dream have also made headlines by walking off the court prior to the anthem during the league’s championship series, although they’ve stated that this was part of their pregame routine long before the series began on October 17.
