*Little Rock, Arkansas — Apparently, America’s commander in chief has discovered another national emergency: LeBron James stretching during the national anthem!
Not inflation. Not Vladimir Putin. Not the Jeffrey Epstein files. Not America’s international conflicts. A basketball player’s warm-up routine!
On October 22, President Donald Trump attacked Philadelphia 76ers superstar LeBron James, calling him a “TOTAL DISGRACE” after James mimicked basketball movements and a golf swing during the national anthem. Trump demanded an apology to America’s military heroes. LeBron responded brilliantly:
“It must be a slow news day at the office.”
Indeed, King James! But here’s the historical hypocrisy: Trump himself was recorded pretending to conduct an orchestra during the national anthem at his 2020 Super Bowl party. Where was his apology? Apparently, patriotic standards depend on who’s standing—and who’s being criticized. Stretching during the anthem is not a criminal offense. Nor does patriotism require surrendering one’s constitutional freedoms.
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TWO BILLIONAIRES. TWO EXTRAORDINARY LEGACIES.
At 41, LeBron James has entered his unprecedented 24th NBA season.
Twenty-four seasons! More than 43,000 regular-season points, four championships, four MVP awards, and a career built on extraordinary physical conditioning, preparation, teamwork, and consistent excellence. LeBron has remained competitive across nearly this entire millennium. And his achievements extend beyond basketball.
Forbes estimates James’ fortune at approximately $1.4 billion. He became the first active NBA player to reach billionaire status. Born to a teenage mother in Akron, Ohio, James transformed athletic success into entrepreneurship, educational philanthropy, employment opportunities, and generational wealth.
His I PROMISE educational initiatives demonstrate an investment in children’s futures. Trump, meanwhile, inherited substantial financial advantages. His business history includes six corporate bankruptcies, controversial ventures, and prolonged litigation. Both men became wealthy and famous. But wealth alone is not leadership. Character, accountability, and measurable service also matter.
TRUMP’S PRESIDENTIAL SCOREBOARD
Consider the documented numbers. 34 felony convictions involving falsified business records connected to reimbursements for a hush-money payment to Stormy Daniels. Trump is appealing those convictions. Two presidential impeachments, followed by Senate acquittals. A civil jury finding of liability for sexually abusing and defaming E. Jean Carroll. And 30,573 false or misleading claims documented by The Washington Post during Trump’s first presidency.
In the 2024 Presidential Greatness Project survey, participating scholars ranked Trump last among 45 presidents. That ranking is an expert assessment, not mathematical proof. Nevertheless, it represents a devastating historical evaluation. While LeBron continues breaking records, Trump continues generating controversies. And now, apparently, basketball stretching is presidential business!
FROM LEBRON TO THE WNBA: WHY THESE DISTRACTIONS?
Trump also urged Americans to boycott the WNBA because players leave the court before the national anthem. Yet that practice has existed for years, sometimes for game preparation and sometimes as social commentary. Why does America’s president devote so much energy to attacking professional athletes?
Meanwhile, the administration faces consequential questions involving Russia, Ukraine, military policy, economic priorities, and the release of Epstein-related documents. Those issues merit congressional scrutiny and presidential leadership. I cannot prove Trump’s comments were orchestrated to distract Americans. But the contrast between the seriousness of those responsibilities and the triviality of this controversy is undeniable.
In my previously published op-ed, A Low Emotional IQ: Iran Walks Out of Peace Talks Due to Trump Outburst, I discussed emotional regulation as an essential characteristic of leadership. America needs presidential judgment, not perpetual confrontation. And when Trump’s presidency eventually ends, let us resist inventing a dementia diagnosis to explain his conduct. There is no verified public diagnosis establishing dementia. Accountability must rest on documented decisions, not medical speculation.
LEBRON JAMES FOR PRESIDENT IN 2028?
Why not? James satisfies the Constitution’s basic presidential eligibility requirements. His experience managing business ventures, assembling successful teams, supporting education, and engaging with communities provides meaningful leadership credentials.
Does that automatically qualify him to govern? Absolutely not. National security, constitutional law, diplomacy, and economic policy require preparation and experienced advisers. Nevertheless, I would seriously consider LeBron James as a presidential candidate before dismissing him simply because he is an athlete.
Trump entered presidential politics without previously holding elected office. Americans should not automatically exclude James from that same opportunity. And unlike Trump, LeBron would be constitutionally eligible for election in 2028.
THREE SCRIPTURAL LESSONS FOR AMERICA
Matthew 7:3–5: Before condemning another person’s small fault, examine the greater fault within yourself.
Proverbs 12:22: Dishonesty is condemned, while those who act truthfully are pleasing to God.
Luke 12:48: Those entrusted with great responsibility will be held to greater expectations.
As a Christian, I pray for President Trump to exercise wisdom, humility, restraint, and responsible leadership. As a Philadelphia native, I celebrate LeBron James’ extraordinary career and the privilege of witnessing nearly 25 years of his love of basketball greatness in the city of brotherly love! LeBron will eventually retire. Donald Trump must eventually leave the presidency. Both men will leave historical legacies. But while LeBron James has spent decades rewriting the NBA record books, Trump has spent much of his political career rewriting the rules of presidential controversy, profiteering, and personal WH vengeance executive orders.
Perhaps King James should consider the White House before an NBA coaching or general-manager position. After nearly 25 years as an all-star player, only married to one wife, no sexual or extramarital affairs, no divorces, and no criminal record, Mr. President, LeBron James owes America no apology for stretching. Americans, however, deserve responsible leadership from the nation’s highest office in every area of life, not just with abortion, marriage, and partially building a wall. That’s no laughing matter.
References
- Associated Press / ABC News: Trump’s October 22, 2026, criticism of LeBron James.
- CBS News: February 2020 footage of Trump gesturing during the national anthem.
- NBA / Associated Press: LeBron James’ historic 24th season and career statistics.
- Forbes: LeBron James’ billionaire status and business achievements.
- The Washington Post Fact Checker: 30,573 false or misleading claims documented during Trump’s first presidential term.
- Associated Press: Trump’s October 2026 call for a WNBA boycott.
- Modern Ghana — Edmond W. Davis: A Low Emotional IQ: Iran Walks Out of Peace Talks Due to Trump Outburst.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Edmond W. Davis is a leading social historian, media strategist, and professor. Davis is the founder of the National HBCU Black Wall Street Career Fest. A native of Philadelphia, PA, he, his wife, and his son currently live in Little Rock, Arkansas. area. Davis is committed to cultural empowerment and educational equity through storytelling and civic engagement. In 2026, Davis was a grand marshal at the 38th Annual African American History Month Celebration Parade, the largest in the U.S. during Black History Month. His life is told in the 2023 ‘Short Documentary of the Year’ at the Black Excellence Awards, titled ‘FROM GRIND TO GROWTH: The Edmond W. Davis Story. Davis was also the courthouse jailroom deputy on the NBC TV miniseries Bluff City Law.
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