As a lifelong Philadelphia 76ers fan, I had mixed emotions when the team signed NBA superstar LeBron James as a free agent over the summer. On one hand, he is an immense NBA talent and megastar, and this kind of thing doesn’t happen to the Sixers franchise, ever. And even though he is in the twilight of his career at 41 years old, James’s recent level of productivity, combined with the team-friendly contract he signed, instantly makes the team a title contender. My reservations, however, stemmed from the fact that he is just so darn unlikable and a staunch left-wing political acolyte.
And James took less than one game in a Sixers uniform to validate my concerns.
During the performance of the national anthem at Tuesday night’s nationally televised season opener against the defending NBA champions, the New York Knicks, at Madison Square Garden, James refused to remain still, unlike every other player on the court. Instead, he started swinging his hips in a semicircular motion while holding his hands wide, making a movement resembling a golf swing. He then mimicked shooting a basketball multiple times. To say it was extremely odd behavior during the national anthem would be an understatement.
But more importantly, it was disrespectful, and President Donald Trump noticed the slight. The president took to Truth Social to scold the Sixers’ prized free agent signing.
“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 said. “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!”
I actually couldn’t agree more. I am glad Trump called out James for his behavior. My first reaction upon seeing it was that he was being completely disrespectful to the national anthem. At worst, it looked like he was subliminally engaging in anti-patriotic behavior. At best, the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, who has played in the league for over 23 years, is just so obtuse and self-centered that he either thinks he can do whatever he wants or doesn’t realize what professional basketball players are supposed to be doing during the performance of the national anthem. Either way, it is not a good look.
It’s not the first time James has encountered controversy during the performance of the national anthem. In 2020, while with the Los Angeles Lakers, James knelt during the national anthem while wearing a shirt that read “Black Lives Matter.” It was another sign of disrespect toward the country and the national anthem, but it also signified that James understood their importance and relevance. Doing those stretches at that particular time is just inexcusable and dishonorable behavior. Trump is right to say James should apologize. He won’t, for a variety of reasons, but Trump is correct nevertheless.
The president renewed his criticism of James during a campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa, on Thursday night.
“And what about LeBron James? Did you see that deal?” Trump said. “No, he’s doing, during the national anthem, he’s practicing his golf swing,” he said while mimicking James’s actions. “I said, ‘What the hell is that?’”
“It’s a big scandal kind of a story,” the president added. “I don’t understand it.”
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Again, Trump is right. But this is also why Trump is so beloved and why he is different from any other president before him, especially among Republicans. No other president would have enough guts to criticize a megastar professional athlete for disrespecting the country and the national anthem. A Democratic president wouldn’t do it because they wouldn’t care. A Republican president would be too scared of the fallout and would go apoplectic worrying about being called racist.
Meanwhile, Trump bows to no one and doesn’t succumb to the political will or threats of the rabid Left. Trump does what he thinks is right, and in this case, that means criticizing LeBron James. His criticism of James warrants praise and should be revered because, once he is out of office, it is unlikely that another president will have the character, integrity, and fearlessness to mount such defenses of our national anthem and American pride.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
