President Donald Trump called LeBron James a “TOTAL DISGRACE” on Thursday, accusing the Philadelphia 76ers forward of disrespecting the United States during the national anthem before his debut with the team. The comments came after a video circulated showing James moving through stretches and shooting motions while the “Star-Spangled Banner” played ahead of the 76ers' season opener against the Knicks at Madison Square Garden.
Trump posted his criticism on Truth Social, writing, “LeBron James disrespects our Country! I said right from the beginning that he's no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE,” according to trumpstruth.org. He went further, demanding an apology: “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 Reuters reported, Trump said James disrespected the country while the anthem was being played, tying his criticism directly to the footage shared online.
James sat nearby on the bench during the anthem, his head bowed and hands clasped. According to Fox 29, James was filmed continuing his stretching and shooting routine during the anthem before the 76ers' season opener against the Knicks on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden. The station's report noted that James had not yet publicly responded to the criticism as of its publication.
A Pattern Fans Have Noticed Before
This is not the first time James's anthem behavior has drawn attention. Yahoo Sports reports that LeBron has been caught practicing his golf swing during the national anthem several times over the past year or so, including footage ESPN once shared of him doing the same motion while he was still with the Los Angeles Lakers. The same outlet's coverage was careful to note that it's not clear James meant anything by the gesture, adding that it certainly wasn't a protest.
The anthem video arrived alongside a much bigger milestone for James: his first game in a Philadelphia uniform. He wore number 23 for the 76ers in a preseason tune-up against the Boston Celtics at Xfinity Mobile Arena in Philadelphia on October 16, and then suited up for the real thing against the Knicks days later. The Sixers spoiled the Knicks' ring night with a 106-100 win, according to Yahoo Sports, in a game that also saw James trading barbs with Knicks fans while scoring 14 points in his debut, as reported by the Associated Press.
Part of a Broader Anthem Debate
Trump's broadside against James lands amid a wider national conversation about athletes and the anthem. A separate controversy has emerged in the WNBA, where commentator Riley Gaines has argued that Atlanta Dream and Golden State Valkyries players who left the court during the anthem at the WNBA Finals shouldn't represent Team USA at the Olympics, according to OutKick. That dispute remains distinct from the James video, but it underscores how anthem moments involving pro athletes continue to draw political scrutiny.
James, who has yet to address the matter publicly, is set to continue his first season in Philadelphia as the 76ers move further into their schedule.
