LeBron James was getting loose before his first game as a Sixer, working on his golf swing and his shooting form while the national anthem played. President Trump saw the clip and called him a total disgrace who owes the country an apology.
It happened Tuesday night at Madison Square Garden, before the opener against the Knicks. James stood at the front of the Sixers line in black while his teammates stood still, and swung his arms through a practice golf swing before miming a free throw. A fan caught it on video, and by Thursday the clip was everywhere.
Trump posted the video himself on Thursday and went straight at him:
“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.”
President Donald Trump, on Truth Social, Thursday
Trump demanded James apologize to the service members who died for the flag. Nothing in the clip shows a protest, and James has done versions of this routine for years, including during the anthem on Christmas Day last year. The critics piled on anyway. Fox News host Laura Ingraham answered with three words: “Class all the way.”
President Trump's post calling out LeBron James over the anthem video, shared Thursday:
— Breaking911 (@Breaking911) October 22, 2026
The game itself went fine for him. James put up 14 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists, and the Sixers spoiled the Knicks championship ring night 106-100. It was the first game of his 24th NBA season, a league record.
Trump and James have been going at each other for a decade, back through the anthem fights of Trump’s first term. In July, Trump said Michael Jordan was the greater player and suggested James might be “a racist” for not liking him.
Neither James nor the Sixers had responded by Thursday afternoon. With these two, a response is usually only a matter of time.
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