President Donald Trump tore into LeBron James after footage showed the NBA star practicing golf and shooting motions during the national anthem, calling him a “TOTAL DISGRACE.” Trump demanded an apology honoring Americans who died defending the country and its flag. The president shared the footage on Truth Social, drawing attention to James’s conduct before his first regular-season game with the Philadelphia 76ers.
The incident occurred before Philadelphia faced the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on October 20th. James stood alongside his teammates as “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, appearing to rehearse a golf swing before switching to a basketball shooting motion. Most of the players beside him remained still during the performance. Philadelphia went on to defeat New York 106–100 in its season opener.
A spectator captured the movements from the stands, and the footage circulated online ahead of Trump’s response two days later. An X account posted the clip on October 21st, directing attention to James’s behavior during the ceremony. Other public figures subsequently shared the footage, including OutKick founder Clay Travis and Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
Trump addressed James directly in his October 22nd Truth Social post. “While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country!” he wrote. The president continued, “I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE.” He then demanded, “LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!”
Travis also criticized James in an October 22nd post accompanying the footage. He described the basketball star’s influence on the NBA as “toxic” and said he looked forward to his retirement. Ingraham responded sarcastically with “Class all the way,” while commentator Joe Concha endorsed Travis’s description. Republican Rep. Tim Burchett added his own sarcastic reaction: “He is clearly oppressed.”
The dispute came as James began his record 24th NBA season at age 41, with a home debut against Cleveland next on Philadelphia’s schedule. He had contributed 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the opening victory over New York. Philadelphia coach Nick Nurse faced questions about the president’s criticism ahead of the Cavaliers game at Xfinity Mobile Arena.
Watch James’s movements during the national anthem here:
"*" indicates required fields
Trump and James have publicly clashed for years, including over athletes’ conduct during the anthem. During an earlier dispute over NBA players kneeling, Trump said he would stop watching games when players participated in the protests. James responded that the basketball community wouldn’t miss his viewership. James also criticized Trump during his first term and used his public appearances to advocate political and social causes.
Nurse described the latest controversy as another distraction while discussing preparations for Philadelphia’s home opener. He said his priorities remained practice, film sessions and games, praising the players’ focus since training camp. “I think that goes right in with other outside noise we’ve already had,” Nurse said. When James was subsequently asked about Trump’s criticism, he dismissed it as a “slow news day in the office.”
Featured image credit: screengrab from the embedded video.