US President Donald Trump has criticised NBA superstar LeBron James over his conduct during the American national anthem before the Philadelphia 76ers’ season opener against the New York Knicks, describing the basketball star as a “total disgrace” and demanding an apology.
Trump’s criticism followed the circulation of a video showing James moving his arms and appearing to practise elements of his basketball shooting routine while the national anthem played before Tuesday’s game at Madison Square Garden in New York.
In a post on his Truth Social platform on Thursday, October 22, Trump accused the 41-year-old forward of showing disrespect to the United States and called on him to apologise to American military personnel and national heroes.
“While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country!” Trump wrote, before describing the basketball player as a “TOTAL DISGRACE”.
He added that James should apologise to those who had died for the American flag and the values the country represents.
The video showed James standing alongside his Philadelphia teammates as the anthem was performed. While most of the players remained relatively still, James moved his arms and rotated his shoulders in a motion that some viewers interpreted as a golf swing before appearing to practise a basketball shot.
The footage quickly attracted attention on social media, with reactions divided over whether the movements were disrespectful or simply part of the player’s warm-up routine.
However, the interpretation of the footage remains central to the controversy. James is right-handed, while the movement in the video was consistent with a left-handed golf swing, raising questions about whether he was actually imitating a golf swing as some viewers suggested. The available footage does not, by itself, establish that he intended to disrespect the anthem.
James subsequently responded to the controversy after the 76ers’ home opener against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Thursday.
Asked about Trump’s criticism, the four-time NBA champion dismissed the episode with the remark, “It must be a slow news day at the office.”
His response came after Philadelphia secured a remarkable 114-106 victory over Cleveland, recovering from a 29-point deficit to win in front of their home supporters.
James contributed 17 points and 10 rebounds in the comeback victory, helping the 76ers begin their home campaign on a positive note despite the attention surrounding the presidential criticism.
The incident adds another chapter to the long-running public tension between Trump and James, who have frequently expressed opposing views on social and political issues.
Their disagreements date back several years, including in 2018, when James criticised Trump during an interview about the president’s influence on American society and his relationship with professional athletes.
Trump subsequently responded with personal criticism of the basketball star. Their exchanges have continued over the years, with the president again targeting James in July 2026 when he suggested the player might be racist while comparing him unfavourably with former NBA great Michael Jordan.
The latest disagreement also recalls wider debates in American sports about how athletes should behave during the national anthem. Those discussions gained national prominence in 2016 when former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick began kneeling during the anthem to protest racial injustice and police brutality.
Trump has repeatedly criticised athletes whose actions during the anthem he considers disrespectful, making the latest comments about James consistent with his longstanding public position on the issue.
For James, the controversy comes at a significant point in his career. The NBA’s all-time leading scorer is beginning his record 24th season and his first with Philadelphia after spending eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
His move to the 76ers has placed him in a new basketball environment as the franchise seeks to compete in the Eastern Conference.
Neither the controversy nor Trump’s demand for an apology has changed the immediate focus of Philadelphia’s campaign, with coach Nick Nurse urging his players to concentrate on training, preparation and performances rather than outside distractions.
James, meanwhile, has offered no indication that he intends to apologise, instead responding to the president’s criticism with a brief dismissal.
The disagreement has once again brought the relationship between American sports, national identity and public figures into the spotlight, with the debate centring not only on what James did during the anthem but also on whether his movements should be interpreted as a deliberate political statement.
