Overview
- On Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, President Trump posted a message with a short video that he said showed LeBron James making pregame shooting and golf-swing motions during the national anthem and called James "worthless".
- The video references actions during the anthem before a game in New York that took place on Tuesday when James opened his 24th NBA season with 14 points and 9 rebounds at Madison Square Garden.
- Trump's post explicitly demanded that James apologize to "those great warriors and American heroes" who died for the flag, framing the incident as an affront to veterans.
- As of Oct. 22, coverage shows James had not publicly responded to the president's post, and the exchange is the latest episode in a public rivalry that dates back to 2017.
- The episode underscores how presidential posts amplify sports moments into national debates about patriotism and could prompt reactions from the NBA, James's team, commentators, or veterans groups.