US President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Lebanese President Joseph Aoun in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, DC, on July 21, 2026. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP)
By Enitan Abdultawab
U.S. President Donald Trump has taken another swipe at NBA superstar LeBron James, suggesting the basketball icon is “maybe a racist” while weighing in on the long-running debate over who is the greatest player of all time.
Trump made the remarks on Friday while answering questions in the Oval Office after being asked whether he considered James or NBA legend Michael Jordan the better player.
“LeBron is, maybe he’s a racist. Maybe he doesn’t like Trump, I don’t know. But I only like people who like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way,” Trump said.
The latest remarks add to a years-long public feud between Trump and the four-time NBA champion.
James has repeatedly criticized Trump, accusing him in a 2018 CNN interview of using sports to deepen divisions in America.
“We’re in a position right now in America where this race thing has taken over because I believe our president is kind of trying to divide us,” James said at the time.
Their dispute dates back to 2017 when Trump withdrew the White House invitation traditionally extended to NBA champions after the Golden State Warriors indicated they would not attend. James defended Warriors star Stephen Curry, calling Trump a “bum” on social media.
Trump later questioned James’ intelligence and has continued to criticize the NBA star over the years, particularly after James endorsed Kamala Harris during the 2024 U.S. presidential election.
Despite his criticism of James, Trump spoke warmly of Michael Jordan, saying the NBA legend is a personal friend.
“Michael Jordan’s a guy that’s a friend of mine — play golf with him. He’s a really good guy,” Trump said.
Trump has frequently used major sporting events as part of his public appearances during his second term, attending this year’s NBA Finals, the FIFA World Cup final, the Super Bowl, the Daytona 500 and the U.S. Open men’s final.
His appearance at the NBA Finals in New York was met with boos from sections of the crowd.
