*What began as a familiar sports debate quickly turned into another chapter in the long-running public feud between President Donald Trump and LeBron James.
Speaking on Friday, Trump was asked to weigh in on the decades-old argument over the NBA’s greatest player. Rather than simply choosing between Michael Jordan and James, Trump praised Jordan before taking a swipe at the now-former Los Angeles Lakers and the newly minted Philadelphia 76ers star.
“Michael Jordan’s a guy that’s a friend of mine,” Trump said. “I play golf with him. He’s a really good guy.”
Trump then added, “And I think LeBron, 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.”
Trump did not explain what prompted his remark suggesting James “may be a racist.”
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Years of Public Disagreements
Trump’s comments revive a public rivalry that has stretched across multiple election cycles, with James repeatedly criticizing the president and endorsing Democratic candidates for the White House.
In 2016, James endorsed Hillary Clinton, saying she better understood the challenges facing children growing up in communities like his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
He later backed Joe Biden in the 2020 presidential election and threw his support behind Kamala Harris during the 2024 campaign.
Shortly before the 2024 election, James wrote on X, “What are we even talking about here?? When I think about my kids and my family and how they will grow up, the choice is clear to me. VOTE KAMALA HARRIS!!!”
The tension between the two men has surfaced before. In 2020, after Trump said he stopped watching NBA games because players knelt during the national anthem, James dismissed the criticism.
“I really don’t think the basketball community are sad about losing his viewership, him viewing the game. And that’s all I got to say,” James said.
Why Michael Jordan Became Part of the Conversation
Trump’s answer also highlighted the different public paths taken by James and basketball legend Michael Jordan.
Unlike James, Jordan has largely avoided endorsing presidential candidates or becoming deeply involved in partisan politics during his career.
That reputation dates back to the early 1990s, when he declined to publicly support Democratic Senate candidate Harvey Gantt in North Carolina. The moment became associated with the phrase, “Republicans buy shoes too.”
Jordan later reflected on the remark in ESPN’s 2020 documentary “The Last Dance,” saying it had been made “in jest.” He explained that while he chose not to publicly campaign for Gantt, he did make a financial contribution to the candidate.
“I will send a contribution to support him,” Jordan recalled saying. “Which is what I did.”
The Feud Continues
Trump’s latest comments add another chapter to one of the most visible political rivalries involving a professional athlete.
While the president was initially asked to settle the NBA’s greatest-of-all-time debate, his response quickly shifted attention away from basketball and back to his years of public disagreements with James.
James has not publicly responded to Trump’s latest remarks.
Whether he responds or lets the comments pass, Trump’s answer demonstrates that even a simple basketball question can quickly become another flashpoint in their long-running feud—one that has increasingly blurred the lines between sports, politics and public discourse.
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