President Donald Trump has accused LeBron James of disrespecting the United States after the Philadelphia 76ers forward appeared to practise a golf swing and a jump shot while “The Star-Spangled Banner” was performed before Tuesday’s season opener at Madison Square Garden.
Trump’s post on Truth Social, published on Thursday, read: “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.” The president added that James “should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag.”
James, 41 and in a record 24th NBA season, had scored 14 points with nine rebounds and seven assists in Philadelphia’s 106-100 win over the defending champion New York Knicks — a result that spoiled New York’s ring ceremony on opening night. Tyrese Maxey led the scoring with 28 points, Jaylen Brown added 19 in his own 76ers debut, and Jalen Brunson top-scored for the Knicks with 21.
What the footage actually showed
The clip, filmed by a spectator rather than the broadcast feed, shows James rotating his torso and swinging his arms in a motion resembling a golf swing as the teams lined up along the sideline, before switching to his shooting form. It does not establish intent, and there is no indication James was making a political statement or protesting.
Context matters here. James took up golf in the past year after decades of ignoring it, telling Complex he started as a personal challenge and quickly became absorbed by the sport. He was criticised for near-identical movements on Christmas Day last season, while still with the Los Angeles Lakers, during the anthem before a game against the Houston Rockets. He did not comment on that footage either.
The NBA does have a written rule. Section H of the rulebook, adopted in 1981, states that “players, coaches and trainers are to stand and line up in a dignified posture along the sidelines or on the foul line during the playing of the National Anthem.” Enforcement sits with the league office, not individual teams, and the NBA has issued no public statement on James. No disciplinary action has been announced.
A feud with a decade of history
This is not a new quarrel, and the anthem is only its latest vehicle. The sequence is well documented:
- 2016: James endorsed Hillary Clinton, writing that “we need a president who brings us together and keeps us unified.”
- September 2017: After Trump rescinded the Golden State Warriors’ White House invitation, James posted “U bum” and added that visiting the White House “was a great honor until you showed up.”
- 2018: Trump mocked James’s intelligence following his CNN interview with Don Lemon, in which James had criticised the president’s treatment of Black athletes kneeling during the anthem.
- July 2026: Hours after James announced he was signing with Philadelphia, Trump told reporters: “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.”
What distinguishes the current episode from the 2017 NFL kneeling confrontations is the absence of a protest. Colin Kaepernick knelt deliberately and explained why. James swung at an imaginary golf ball. The president’s framing requires the gesture to carry meaning its subject has never claimed for it.
James answers without speaking
James made no public response before Philadelphia’s home opener against Cleveland on Thursday night, and posted nothing on social media. During the anthem at Xfinity Mobile Arena he stood with his arms behind his back and his head bowed — a conspicuous change of posture in front of roughly 20,000 fans who gave him a warm reception.
He then produced 17 points, nine rebounds, five assists and three steals as the 76ers erased a 29-point deficit to beat the Cavaliers 114-106, the largest comeback of his 24-year career. Maxey scored 32, Joel Embiid 24 and Brown 21. Coach Nick Nurse declined to engage with the row, saying his attention was on practice, film and preparation.
The practical consequences look limited. The NBA has shown no appetite for punishing a player over pre-game fidgeting, and James has nothing to gain from a direct exchange with the White House while his team sits 2-0 and his individual durability is the story worth telling. But the pattern is now established: a 41-year-old in his final seasons remains one of the most reliable triggers for presidential attention in American sport, and every anthem he stands for in Philadelphia this season will be watched by cameras looking for his hands.
Sources: [ABC News](https://abcnews.com/Politics/trump-slams-lebron-james-apparent-national-anthem-stretches/story?id=137487658), [AP via ClickOnDetroit](https://www.clickondetroit.com/news/politics/2026/10/22/trump-blasts-76ers-star-lebron-james-as-disgrace-for-not-standing-still-during-national-anthem/), [Yahoo Sports](https://sports.yahoo.com/nba/article/76ers-rally-from-29-point-deficit-for-biggest-comeback-of-lebron-james-career-to-win-home-opener-114-106-021043265.html), [CNN](https://edition.cnn.com/2026/07/24/politics/trump-lebron-james-racist), [ESPN](https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/20848575/rules-national-anthem-differ-sports-leagues), [BroBible](https://brobible.com/sports/article/lebron-james-golf-national-anthem/)
**Word count:** 731 (article body only).
One editorial note: some aggregator write-ups attribute fresh “we will definitely not shut up and dribble” quotes to James this week. Those appear to be recycled from his 2018 response to Laura Ingraham — AP and Yahoo both report he had not commented publicly as of Thursday afternoon, so I left them out.
Sports journalist and editor at SportsPortal.net. Covers cricket, football, Formula 1, tennis, and basketball with a focus on how global sports connect with Pakistani audiences. Follows the PSL, Pakistan national cricket team, Premier League, and major international tournaments. Has reported on sports for digital audiences since 2021.
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