Donald Trump has attacked LeBron James after the NBA star was filmed appearing to practice his golf swing during the national anthem on Tuesday night.
The clip rapidly spread online after the Philadelphia 76ers defeated reigning NBA champions the New York Knicks in the opening game of the new season.
The footage showed James mimicking a swing with a golf club at Madison Square Garden while The Star-Spangled Banner played. He was also seen rehearsing his free-throw motion.
Trump, who has repeatedly clashed with James in the past, responded with a furious post on Truth Social on Thursday.
The President wrote: ‘While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country! 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!’
Donald Trump has condemned LeBron James, calling the NBA star a ‘total disgrace’
The latest remarks add to the long-running feud between Trump and the four-time NBA champion, whose public dispute dates back to 2017, when James branded Trump a ‘bum’.
Earlier this year, Trump launched another extraordinary broadside at James, just hours after the 41-year-old announced he would join the 76ers.
With James’ 24th NBA season confirmed, Trump was asked to weigh in on the debate over basketball’s greatest player of all time.
‘Michael Jordan’s a guy that’s a friend of mine, I’ve played golf with him,’ Trump said.
‘He’s a really good guy and I think LeBron is – maybe he’s a racist, but maybe he doesn’t like Trump, I don’t know – but I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way.’
James, 41, has regularly used his public platform to criticize Trump. He has previously backed Democratic candidates and supported voting-rights initiatives across the United States.
Their dispute became especially visible during Trump’s first presidency, after the President withdrew an invitation for Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry to visit the White House when Curry expressed hesitation about attending.
James quickly defended his rival, writing to Trump on social media: ‘U bum, Steph Curry already said he ain’t going! So, therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!’
Join the discussion
Was Donald Trump justified in calling LeBron James a ‘total disgrace’ over his conduct during the national anthem, or did the President overreact?
Trump launched an extraordinary attack on James this summer, saying ‘maybe he’s a racist’
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Trump and James exchanged further verbal attacks on social media in 2018
The feud intensified in 2018, when Trump said both the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors would be barred from visiting Washington, D.C., after that year’s NBA Finals.
Refusing to be fazed, James swiftly shut down the snub, declaring at the time: ‘Winning a championship is way bigger than getting invited to the White House, especially with him in it.’
Later that year, James voiced his frustration with the President’s leadership during an interview with ESPN, admitting it made him ‘sick’ to see how Trump handled the moral authority of the Oval Office.
‘He doesn’t understand the power that he has for being the leader of this beautiful country,’ James said at the time. ‘He doesn’t understand how many kids, no matter the race, look up to the President of the United States for guidance, for leadership, for words of encouragement. He doesn’t understand that, and that’s what makes me more sick than anything.’
James’s political opposition to Trump stretches back to 2016, when he penned an emotional op-ed for his local newspaper, the Akron Beacon Journal, endorsing Hillary Clinton for president.
Reflecting on his childhood in a single-parent home, James argued that Clinton was the only candidate who truly understood the plight of underprivileged youth, praising her as a champion for children alongside his ‘good friend’ Barack Obama.
James’ political opposition to Trump stretches back to 2016, when he penned an emotional op-ed for his local newspaper, the Akron Beacon Journal, endorsing Hillary Clinton for president
James and the Sixers spoiled the Knicks’ banner raising party with a 106-100 victory Tuesday
James got a rough welcome in his debut game as a 76er when he took to the court against the Knicks. The occasion grew testy as James was seen shouting back at fans near the floor of the Garden multiple times.
At one point in the second quarter, he was seen saying multiple words to baseline fans during a live play.
During another instance at the free throw line, James was seen shouting over to one fan where he could be seen cursing them out.
‘You don’t know what the f*** you talkin about,’ James appeared to say. ‘I’m not from the West Coast. I’m from Ohio, baby. Ay, f*** you talkin about.’
According to The Athletic’s Mike Vorkunov, Knicks superfan Spike Lee stood up to try and keep things calm between James and the fan.
Later in the game, James was seen walking back over to the fan and dapping him up to diffuse the situation.
James joined the Sixers over the summer after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers in free agency.
The Sixers, who return to action on Thursday night against James’s former Cleveland Cavaliers team, spoiled the Knicks’ banner raising party with a 106-100 victory.
James led the team in assists with seven alongside 14 points and nine rebounds in his Philadelphia debut. Guard Tyrese Maxey led the team in scoring with 28 points plus four rebounds and five assists.