Donald Trump has criticised LeBron James after the Philadelphia 76ers star appeared to continue warming up while the US national anthem was played before the team’s season opener against the New York Knicks.
The US president called James a “TOTAL DISGRACE” in a social media post and demanded that the NBA veteran apologise to American military personnel who died serving their country.
James, who is playing in his record 24th NBA season, has yet to publicly respond to Trump’s latest comments. The incident has also added another chapter to their long-running public disagreement.
Nick Nurse addresses outside noise after Donald Trump’s criticism of LeBron James
James appeared to practise a golf swing and take a jump shot while “The Star-Spangled Banner” played at Madison Square Garden. He was standing alongside teammates who mostly remained still during the anthem.
Trump shared a video of the incident and wrote: “I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE.”
He added: “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!”
The criticism came hours before James made his home debut for the 76ers against the Cleveland Cavaliers. Ahead of that game, Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse made it clear that his priority was keeping the team focused on basketball.
“I think that goes right in with other outside noise we’ve already had,” Nurse said. “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.”
Nurse added that the team’s focus and intent had been outstanding, suggesting the coaching staff did not want the controversy to become a distraction.
The dispute is the latest in a series of public exchanges between Trump and James, who have disagreed on political and social issues for years.
In 2018, James responded to criticism from Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who had told him to “shut up and dribble” after he spoke about social issues.
“We will definitely not shut up and dribble,” James said at the time, explaining that he wanted to use his platform to help young people.
James has also previously spoken about the impact he hopes to make away from basketball, saying he believes he can inspire and empower people beyond his performances on the court.
For now, the 76ers will be hoping the attention surrounding their star does not take focus away from their start to the NBA season.
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