LeBron James has broken his silence on President Donald Trump’s comments condemning his behavior during the National Anthem.
James was seen on the court finishing warm ups as the anthem played ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers’ Tuesday night showdown against the reigning NBA Champion New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Footage showed James stretching his arms and loosening his torso, appearing to mimic a golf swing.
Trump wasted no time sharing a video of James in the moment, along with a rant on Truth Social: “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!”
James clapped back after Philadelphia’s Thursday night home opener and comeback win over his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, dropping a zingy one-liner when asked about Trump’s comments.
“It’s a slow news day at the office, you know. Slow news day in the office,” James told reporters.
76ers head coach Nick Nurse said Trump’s comments were “right in with all the other outside noise we’ve already had.”
“All I really care about is getting them to the practice floor, getting in the film room, getting them to the game floor. And the focus that they’ve had and the intent and all the stuff they’ve had has been excellent,” Nurse said.
James and Trump have publicly exchanged barbs dating back to 2017 when the four-time NBA MVP called the president a “bum” after his White House rescinded an invitation to the Golden State Warriors. James followed up by saying that a visit to Washington, D.C. was an honor “until you showed up.”
The Independent has reached out to the White House for comment.
The exchange follows James’s debut with the Philadelphia 76ers after opting to extend his career during the off-season by signing with the team.
James helped the 76ers to a Tuesday night win over the reigning champion Knicks, 106-100. He scored 14 points in 34 minutes on the court. He followed that up Thursday with a come-from-behind win over the Cavaliers, 114-106.
Speaking to NBC after Tuesday’s game, James said: “I could be a lot better. Still getting my rhythm, obviously just a little bit over two weeks with the new squad.
“But I like the way we played. I think we played exceptionally well.”