President Donald Trump waded into a fresh controversy on Friday, characterizing NBA superstar LeBron James as a possible racist while voicing his preference for Michael Jordan. The remarks came during an Oval Office interview, shortly after news broke that James had signed a two-year, $8 million contract with the Philadelphia 76ers.
“Well, Michael Jordan’s a guy that’s a friend of mine. I golf with him. He’s a really good guy,” Trump said when asked to choose between the two basketball icons. “I think LeBron is maybe he’s a racist, but maybe he doesn’t like Trump. I don’t know. But I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way.”
The president’s comments mark the latest escalation in a long-running public feud with James, who has been one of the most outspoken athletes on political and social issues. James, who played last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, has previously accused Trump of fostering racial division. In 2018, James said Trump “doesn’t give a f— about the American people,” and later warned that the president had given racism “an opportunity to be out.”
“It’s not even a surprise when he says something,” James said of Trump at the time. “It’s laughable; it’s laughable and it’s scary.”
The tension between the two dates back to Trump’s first term, when James defended fellow NBA star Steph Curry after Curry declined a White House invitation following the Golden State Warriors’ championship. Trump responded by calling James a “bum” on social media. The latest insult comes as Trump has continued to target his political rivals in public appearances, often blurring the line between sports and politics.
James’ move to Philadelphia surprised many in the league, as the 76ers have been rebuilding with a young core. The deal reunites James with former teammate and current Sixers star Joel Embiid, potentially reshaping the Eastern Conference landscape. But the political undertones of the signing were not lost on observers, given Philadelphia’s status as a key swing city in presidential elections.
Trump’s accusation of racism against James drew immediate backlash from civil rights groups and sports analysts, who noted the irony given the president’s own history of racially charged statements. In 2017, Trump faced condemnation for saying there were “very fine people on both sides” of the deadly white nationalist rally in Charlottesville, Virginia. James referenced that moment when he said Trump had emboldened “negative racism.”
“The guy in control has given people and racism, and negative racism, an opportunity to be out, and outspoken without fear,” James said in a 2018 interview. “And that’s the fearful thing for us, because it’s with you, and it’s around every day, but he’s allowed people to come out and just feel confident about doing negative things.”
The White House did not immediately clarify whether Trump’s comments reflected official policy or were merely off-the-cuff remarks. However, the president’s tendency to inject personal grievances into public discourse has become a hallmark of his administration, which has also faced scrutiny over its handling of environmental grants and trade disputes with allies.
As James begins his tenure with the 76ers, the political fallout from Trump’s words is likely to linger, underscoring the deep divisions that sports figures can both reflect and amplify in today’s polarized climate.
