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LeBron James was as still as a statue during the national anthem before Thursday’s game between the 76ers and Cavaliers.
Video from the Philadelphia Inquirer showed James straight-faced with his arms behind his back while the anthem played at Wells Fargo Arena, a stark contrast to his movements before Philadelphia’s season-opener against the Knicks.
— Philadelphia Inquirer Sports (@phillysport) October 22, 2026President Donald Trump posted a video on his Truth Social platform on Thursday criticizing Sixers forward LeBron James for pregame stretching during the national anthem before Tuesday’s Sixers-Knicks season opener.
This was LeBron before tonight's game in Philly. pic.twitter.com/QY99bbWhej
During the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” on Tuesday, video spread on social media of James swinging his arms and mimicking shooting motions.
President Donald Trump caught wind of the viral video and slammed the 22-time All-Star’s antics, saying that he should apologize for disrespecting the United States.
“While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country!” Trump said in a scathing post on Truth Social Thursday afternoon. “I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE.
“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, 41, has yet to publicly comment on Trump’s comments or why he was performing different movements during the national anthem.
The situation also comes while the WNBA is facing heat for players on the Dream and Valkyries jogging off the court before the anthem during the Finals, with Vice President JD Vance calling the action “disgraceful.”
“I think that you should not express some criticism of a public policy of a given politician by disrespecting the country writ large,” Vance said during an interview on the “Arroyo Grande” podcast Wednesday. “I mean, those women who play for the WNBA, think of the public safety, think of the incredible wealth and privilege, the amazing jobs that they have.”
Both teams, however, say that it’s a part of their routine before the game, claiming that they have left the court for the anthem all season.
“We’ve been doing that,” Valkyries guard Veronica Burton told reporters before Game 2. “That’s just our pregame routine.