Kathrine Frich
James has not yet replied to the latest attack.
Opening night at a packed sports arena always brings plenty of cameras and bright lights.
Every small movement on the court gets captured, replayed, and picked apart online within minutes.
This week, a brief pre-game routine in New York quickly caught the eye of the White House.
Caught on camera
President Donald Trump lashed out at basketball star LeBron James over his behavior during the US national anthem at Madison Square Garden, according to the Daily Beast.
During the season opener between the Philadelphia 76ers and the reigning champion New York Knicks, the veteran player was spotted mimicking a golf swing and practicing his free-throw motion while the song played.
Now in his 24th NBA season, James quickly drew a furious response from the president, who paused his busy campaign push for the Senate to weigh in online.
“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,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, as cited by the Daily Beast.
James has not yet replied to the latest attack. Still, the two famous figures have a bitter history that stretches back nearly a decade.
Years of bad blood
Their feud first flared up in 2017 when Golden State Warriors guard Steph Curry expressed doubts about visiting the White House after winning an NBA title.
When the president pulled the invitation, James jumped onto social media to defend his fellow player, the Daily Beast reported. “U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going! So therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!” James posted at the time.
Since that clash, the basketball icon has regularly backed Democratic candidates running against Trump. And the president has taken plenty of opportunities to fire back in public.
Earlier this year, Trump compared James unfavorably to another basketball legend while speaking with reporters.
“Michael Jordan is a guy that’s a friend of mine. I play golf with him. He’s a really good guy… I think LeBron is, maybe he’s a racist, but maybe he doesn’t like Trump… I only like people who like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way,” Trump told the press, according to the Daily Beast.
