Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James brushed aside sharp public criticism from former President Donald Trump, offering a brief, measured response after leading his team to a comeback victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The latest friction between the cultural icons erupted after Trump posted an angry rebuke on Truth Social, calling the four-time NBA champion a “TOTAL DISGRACE”. The dispute centered on pregame footage from the Philadelphia 76ers’ season-opening game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. While teammates stood in line along the sideline during “The Star-Spangled Banner,” video captured James mimicking his shooting stroke and pantomiming a golf swing. Trump demanded a formal apology, arguing the actions insulted fallen service members and showed a lack of decorum.
Trump escalated his remarks hours later while addressing a political campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa.
“And what about LeBron James? Did you see that deal?” Trump asked the crowd, which responded with boos. “No, he’s doing, during the national anthem he’s practicing his golf swing. I said, what the hell is that. It’s a big scandal kind of a story. I don’t understand it”.
Rather than retaliating with reciprocal insults, James met the barrage with indifference. Asked about the comments in the locker room following the 76ers’ 114–106 comeback victory over his former team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, James smiled and delivered a succinct reply:
“It must be a slow news day at the office,” James said. “Slow news day in the office”.
Philadelphia head coach Nick Nurse similarly downplayed the controversy, grouping it with ordinary sports chatter.
“I think that goes right in with other outside noise we’ve already had,” Nurse told reporters. “All I really care about is getting to the practice floor, getting them in the film room, getting them to the game floor. The focus that they’ve had and the intent and all the stuff like that has been outstanding”.
The dust-up adds to nearly a decade of high-profile clashes between Trump and James. Their tension dates back to 2017, when James famously rescinded interest in visiting the White House after winning a title, calling Trump a “bum” on social media and stating that the traditional championship visit had lost its prestige. In subsequent years, James rejected conservative commentators’ calls to “shut up and dribble,” using his platform to promote voter education and civil rights initiatives. Trump, in turn, has consistently attacked James’s public stances, intelligence, and television ratings during his NBA Finals appearances.
The off-court feud arrived as James, at age 41, kicked off his record-setting 24th NBA season. After spending six seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers, James joined Philadelphia this fall, contributing 14 points in the opener against the Knicks before logging 17 points, 10 rebounds, and five assists in Thursday’s win against Cleveland.
Further analysis and reaction to the exchange can be found in detailed coverage by The Guardian and sports updates from theScore.
