US President Donald Trump called LeBron James a "total disgrace" over a national anthem gesture, a criticism that drew attention as James’s Philadelphia 76ers rallied to beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 114-106 at home. The LeBron James Trump anthem dispute has moved beyond the court.
According to SCMP, Trump posted on social media that James is "no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE" and should apologise to "Great American Warriors and Heroes" who died for the American Flag. The sources give no date or platform for the post beyond "social media."
According to ABC Australia, Trump’s criticism centres on James appearing to continue warm-ups, practising a golf swing and jump shot, while The Star-Spangled Banner was performed before a game at Madison Square Garden in New York. The incident happened before the 76ers’ season opener against the New York Knicks on Tuesday, according to SCMP and Al Jazeera.
The 76ers beat the Cavaliers on Thursday, erasing a 29-point deficit in James’s first home game since joining Philadelphia as a free agent, according to Al Jazeera. James scored 17 points with 10 rebounds and five assists, while Tyrese Maxey scored 32 and Joel Embiid 24.
The comeback was the biggest of the play-by-play era, which started in 1996, and the biggest of James’s career, Al Jazeera reports. James said of the win: "You don’t want to rely on that," calling it a good win but not a position he wants to be in often.
Al Jazeera reports that James has not made any statement on the criticism. ABC Australia reports that when questioned, James offered a short response, calling it a "slow news day in the office." Coach Nick Nurse said the Trump criticism "goes right in with other outside noise we’ve already had," according to ABC Australia.
James and Trump have been critical of each other for years, occasionally trading public swipes, according to ABC Australia and SCMP.
Al Jazeera requested a response from the 76ers, and none is included in the sources. The sources include no response from the White House or Trump beyond his post, and do not say whether the NBA has commented. The sources also do not state any next steps, and the anthem details rely mainly on ABC Australia and SCMP.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.