Donald Trump launches astonishing attack on LeBron James calling him 'racist'
Donald Trump launches astonishing attack on LeBron James calling him 'racist'
Sahil Kurup Sat, July 25, 2026 at 1:06 AM UTC
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Donald Trump gave his take on the LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan debate -Credit:Getty
President Donald Trump lashed out at LeBron James on Friday, suggesting the NBA superstar might be "a racist" during a comment in which he was asked to weigh in on the long-running Michael Jordan versus James greatest-of-all-time debate, hours after James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers.
"Michael Jordan is a guy that's a friend of mine, play golf with him, he's a really good guy," Trump said. "I think maybe LeBron is a racist. But maybe he doesn't like Trump. I don't know. I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way."
The comment marks the latest chapter in a years-long public feud between Trump and James that dates back roughly a decade. It comes as LeBron faces an awkward reunion with a new 76ers teammate after comments on his son, Bronny.
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Trump was once publicly complimentary of James, tweeting in 2013 that he was a "great player and great guy." That relationship soured considerably following James' entry into political commentary during Trump's presidency.
James publicly endorsed Hillary Clinton ahead of the 2016 election, writing in an op-ed published in the Akron Beacon Journal that Clinton was "the only candidate who truly understands the struggles of an Akron child born into poverty," citing her education policy positions in particular.
Following Trump's victory, James wrote that "LOVE and FAITH will be the only thing that can get us through this."
The rivalry escalated significantly in 2018, when James opened the "I Promise School" for at-risk children in his hometown of Akron the same week Trump attacked him in a late-night tweet, prompted by a CNN interview in which James told Don Lemon he would "never sit across" from Trump and accused the president of using sports to divide the country.
James had also previously said at Cleveland Cavaliers media day in 2017 that Trump "doesn't understand the power that he has for being the leader of this beautiful country."
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He added, "The people run this country, not one individual — and damn sure not him."
NBA basketball player Lebron James and Democratic presidential nominee Hillary Clinton arrive for a rally at the Cleveland Public Auditorium November 6, 2016 in Cleveland, Ohio. Donald Trump barnstorms five states Sunday while Hillary Clinton implores her most fervent supporters to get to the polls, in a frenetic final 48-hour dash to the US presidential election. (Photo by Brendan Smialowski / AFP via Getty Images)
James continued to speak out against Trump throughout his first term, including criticizing his 2017 travel ban and his decision to cancel the Philadelphia Eagles' White House championship ceremony in 2018.
After Trump lost the 2020 election to Joe Biden, James expressed relief, saying at the time, "Four years ago, I sat there and said this is the beginning of the end for our country. And hopefully it only lasts four years.
"But the one thing you can't get back in life, one thing you can never get back, and that's time. Can't get back time. We've literally just s----ted away four years."
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James also compared Biden's win over Trump to his own iconic championship-saving block on Andre Iguodala in the 2016 NBA Finals, posting an edited image of the play with Biden's and Trump's faces photoshopped onto the players.
Trump's latest comments come just hours after James agreed to sign with the 76ers, joining Jaylen Brown, Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey in pursuit of what could be the final championship run of his career.
Neither James nor his representatives have publicly responded to Trump's most recent remarks.
Meanwhile, James' $93M pay cut means 295 NBA players earn more than him.
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
