Trump calls LeBron James 'maybe a racist' and picks Jordan as basketball's greatest
US president revives long-running feud with NBA star, citing personal friendship with Michael Jordan and saying he only likes those who like him.
President Donald Trump told a White House news conference on Friday that basketball star LeBron James “maybe a racist,” hours after James confirmed he would join the Philadelphia 76ers for a 24th NBA season. Asked to choose between James and Michael Jordan as the greatest player of all time, Trump replied: “Michael Jordan is a guy that’s a friend of mine. I play golf with him. He’s a really good guy. I think LeBron is, maybe he’s 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 president did not elaborate on the accusation, and James has not responded. Trump’s remarks extended a years-long public feud with the four-time NBA champion, who has repeatedly criticised the president. James endorsed Trump’s Democratic opponents in the last three presidential elections—Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Kamala Harris in 2024. In 2017, after Trump withdrew a White House invitation to the NBA champion Golden State Warriors, James called the president a “bum” on social media. Trump later mocked James’s intelligence and, during the 2020 campaign, said he “felt badly” for the player because television ratings for the NBA Finals had fallen.
Trump spoke warmly of Jordan, a six-time NBA champion, describing him as a personal friend and golf partner. Jordan’s representatives have previously denied that the basketball icon endorsed Trump in the 2024 election, after fake social media posts suggested otherwise. James, 41, is the league’s all-time leading scorer and has won four championships and four most valuable player awards. His move to the 76ers places him in a city roughly 220 kilometres from Washington, a proximity noted by some observers.
The exchange highlights the personal animosity between the president and one of America’s most prominent Black athletes, at a time when Trump has made sports a regular backdrop for his public messaging. James’s agency has been contacted for comment, but no response had been issued by the time of reporting. The remarks are likely to fuel further debate over the intersection of sports, race, and politics in the United States.
| Atlantic / Anglosphere press | −0.50 | critical |
|---|---|---|
| Continental European press | −0.30 | critical |
| Arab Levant-Maghreb press | −0.60 | critical |
Trump accuses LeBron James of racism, fueling his well-known rivalry with the NBA star. Atlantic press highlights the divisive nature of Trump's statements, framing them as another move in the American culture war.
The news is reported with a detached tone, emphasizing the political-media nature of the controversy. The focus is on the implications for European public debate on racial tensions, rather than on Trump's personality.
Trump's accusation against LeBron is seen as a manifestation of American systemic racism, mirroring the treatment of minorities. Arab press highlights Western hypocrisy and solidarity with LeBron, seen as a victim of an oppressive system.
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