United States President Donald Trump has accused NBA superstar LeBron James of disrespecting the country after the Philadelphia 76ers forward appeared to continue warming up while the national anthem was being performed before a recent game.
Mr Trump made the accusation on Thursday in a post on his Truth Social platform, sharing a video of James during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” before the 76ers’ season-opening game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Tuesday.
Mr Trump described James’ conduct as disrespectful and called on the basketball star to apologise to American servicemen and others who died serving the country.
“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,” Mr Trump wrote.
“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!” he added.
The video shared by Trump showed James standing alongside his Philadelphia teammates while making warm-up movements. He appeared to swing his arms as though practising a golf shot and later mimicked basketball shooting movements while the anthem was being performed.
James dismisses Trump’s criticism
Mr James later appeared to brush aside the President’s criticism following the 76ers’ home victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Asked about the controversy, the 41-year-old basketball star reportedly responded, “It must be a slow news day at the office.”
Mr James, who is playing his first season with Philadelphia, scored 17 points and grabbed 10 rebounds as the 76ers recovered from a 29-point deficit to defeat Cleveland 114-106.
The result marked the biggest comeback victory of James’ NBA career.
Long-running Trump-James feud
The latest dispute adds to a long-running public exchange between Trump and James.
Mr James has repeatedly criticised President Trump and has been vocal on social and political issues, including racial equality and voting rights. President Trump, in turn, has frequently attacked the NBA star.
Mr Trump has also previously criticised professional athletes over their conduct during the national anthem, most notably former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, who began kneeling during the anthem as a protest against racial injustice and police brutality.
In 2018, Mr Trump cancelled a planned White House visit for the Philadelphia Eagles after the team disagreed with his demand that players stand during the national anthem.
Sixers coach urges team to ignore distractions
76ers coach Nick Nurse said the controversy was another example of the external distractions the team had been preparing to handle.
Mr Nurse said his priority remained getting the players onto the practice floor, into film sessions and focused on games.
He praised the team’s concentration and determination despite the attention generated by the President’s remarks.
The 76ers did not immediately issue a public response to Trump’s criticism.
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