U.S. President Donald Trump criticized NBA superstar LeBron James on Thursday for what he called disrespectful behavior during the singing of the national anthem before the Philadelphia 76ers' season opener.
"I said right from the beginning that he's no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE," Trump said in a social media post accompanied by a video showing James moving his body during the singing of the anthem.
"While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country," he said, calling for the star to "apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!"
James appeared to practice a golf swing and jump shot as The Star-Spangled Banner was performed at Tuesday's game in New York. James, starting his first season with Philadelphia, was lined up alongside teammates who mostly stood still during the anthem.
Trump has repeatedly criticized athletes for their behavior during pre-game renditions of the U.S. national anthem, notably beginning with NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protest in support of racial justice.
Trump canceled a planned White House visit of the Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 after the team disagreed with his call for players to stand during the anthem.
James became a leading voice in the Black Lives Matter movement in 2020 and has frequently supported progressive issues as he ascended to the top of the NBA's all-time scoring list.
James had not made a public comment or a social media post as of Thursday afternoon about Trump's gripe.
The two have been critical of each other for years, occasionally trading public swipes.
The 41-year-old James, in his record 24th NBA season, was set to make his home debut for the Sixers Thursday night against Cleveland.
Among some of the more notable times James became entangled with the president or politics.
James was with Cleveland in 2017 when he made a statement during an NBA game with his shoes – one black, one white, with the word "equality" in capital gold letters on the back of each.
Then, after the game, James made a statement about Trump, saying: "This is a beautiful country and we're never going to let one person dictate how beautiful and how powerful we are."
James had called Trump "a bum" and also said earlier that season of the president: "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 showed determination to speak out on social issues and the nation's political climate after Fox News host Laura Ingraham criticized the four-time NBA champion for his 2018 comments about social issues.
"We will definitely not shut up and dribble," James said. "I will definitely not do that. I mean too much to society. I mean too much to the youth. I mean too much to so many kids that feel like they don't have a way out and they need someone to help lead them out of the situation they're in."
James referenced Muhammad Ali, Jim Brown, Bill Russell and Jackie Robinson as athletes who previously spoke up for equality and change with no concerns about the consequences or any rewards.
"We know it's bigger than us," James said.
At the peak of Black Lives Matter, James helped convince many who had never voted to finally head to the polls.
"I still know what I do on the floor and obviously, I give everything to the game," James said. "But I can make a greater impact off the floor right now, more than I can on the floor. And I want to continue to inspire people with the way I play the game of basketball. But there's so many more things that I can do off the floor to help cultivate people, inspire people, bring people together, empower them."
AC Milan striker and former LA Galaxy star Zlatan Ibrahimovic blasted socially conscious athletes in a 2021 interview. Ibrahimovic called it "a mistake" for James and other athletes to get involved in political causes, saying they should "just do what you do best, because it doesn't look good."
James, naturally, rejected the criticism.
"I would never shut up about things that are wrong," James said.
