President Donald Trump called on LeBron James to apologize Thursday, escalating a dispute over the NBA star’s conduct during a pregame national anthem, according to Breitbart News.
Trump shared footage on Truth Social showing James moving his arms and going through what appeared to be shooting motions while singer Avery Wilson performed “The Star-Spangled Banner” before Philadelphia’s season opener Tuesday against the New York Knicks.
In his post, the president accused James of disrespecting the anthem and revived his long-running criticism of the basketball icon.
“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,” Trump wrote.
The Video and the Demand
The clip circulated widely after Tuesday’s game, showing James standing with his teammates along the sideline. Rather than standing still with his hands at his sides, James moved his arms in a way that resembled a shooting motion — part of his standard pregame warm-up routine, per the footage.
Trump’s interpretation was far less charitable. He argued that James’s movements showed contempt for the flag and for the service members who died defending it, and said the four-time NBA champion owed an apology to those veterans and their families.
“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!” the president added.
Social Media Reaction
Breitbart reported that some social media users echoed Trump’s call for an apology, criticizing James’s conduct during the anthem and arguing that he should set a better example given his status as one of the league’s most prominent figures.
The episode lands James back in the middle of a familiar political storm. The NBA has long been a flashpoint in the broader debate over athletes, patriotism and protest, a conversation that intensified during the 2010s and has never fully faded from the sports calendar.
Trump has repeatedly targeted James over the years, and James has not been shy about criticizing the president in return. The new exchange adds another chapter to that rivalry — this time centered not on policy or politics but on a few seconds of pregame footwork.
A Pattern of Anthem Controversies
Anthem-related disputes have surfaced repeatedly in American sports, from NFL players kneeling during the pregame ceremony to MLB and NBA players choosing to remain in locker rooms or make statements during the song. Each cycle tends to produce the same set of arguments: whether the anthem is a moment of reverence that demands stillness, or a personal moment in which athletes are free to act as they see fit.
James himself has addressed the anthem before, though his history on the topic has mostly involved standing with teammates and speaking about the meaning of the moment. Tuesday’s footage differs from the protest-based controversies of the past in that James appears to have been going through warm-up movements rather than making a deliberate statement — a distinction that did not appear to soften the president’s response.
The 76ers opened their season against the Knicks in what was already a high-profile matchup. James’s move to Philadelphia, and his debut in a Sixers uniform, drew significant attention heading into the game — though the anthem footage quickly overtook the basketball storylines.
What Comes Next
James had not publicly responded to Trump’s demand as of Thursday, per Breitbart’s reporting. Whether he addresses the episode at all remains to be seen; the star has generally kept his public statements focused on his own terms rather than on provocations from political figures.
The 76ers, for their part, had not issued a statement on the matter. Neither the team nor the league commented in the Breitbart report.
For Trump, the post fits a longstanding pattern of weighing in on cultural flashpoints in sports — a habit that keeps him in the center of conversations his supporters relish and that his critics say reflects a persistent focus on the culture war.
For James, the episode is a reminder that every gesture on a basketball court, however small, can end up in the national spotlight. A few seconds of arm movement during a preseason-adjacent opener has now become a presidential talking point, and the call for an apology has put the ball squarely in the star’s court.
The original footage, the Truth Social post and the reaction online are all part of a now-familiar cycle — one that shows no sign of losing its power to capture attention, even a decade into the anthem era.
Source: www.breitbart.com — https://www.breitbart.com/sports/2026/10/22/trump-calls-lebron-james-apologize-his-behavior-during-national-anthem-total-disgrace/