Trump says LeBron James showed disrespect during US national anthem

Oct 16, 2026; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia 76ers forward LeBron James (23) controls the ball against the Boston Celtics during the first quarter at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

Oct 22 (Reuters) - US President ⁠Donald Trump criticized NBA superstar LeBron James on Thursday ⁠for what he called disrespectful behavior during the singing ‌of the national anthem at a recent NBA game.

"While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country," Trump said in a Truth ​Social post accompanied by a video showing ⁠James moving his body ⁠during the singing of the anthem. "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!"

The clip Trump shared showed James standing ​in line with ‌the members of the Philadelphia 76ers, swinging his arms ⁠in a warmup-type ​stretch and performing basketball shooting movements.

A representative for the 76ers did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Trump has repeatedly ⁠criticized athletes for their behavior during pre-game ​renditions of the US national anthem, notably beginning with NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick's kneeling protest in support of racial justice.

Trump canceled a ⁠planned White House visit of the Super Bowl champions Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 after the team disagreed with his call for players to stand during the anthem.

James became a leading voice ​in the Black Lives Matter movement in ⁠2020 and has frequently supported progressive issues as he ascended ​to the top of the NBA's ‌all-time scoring list.

(Reporting by Ismail Shakil ​in Ottawa, Christian Martinez in Los Angeles, Amy Tennery in New York; Editing by Doina Chiacu and Alistair Bell)

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2026年10月16日；美国宾夕法尼亚州费城；费城76人队前锋勒布朗·詹姆斯（23号）在Xfinity Mobile Arena球馆第一节比赛中控球对抗波士顿凯尔特人队。图片来源：Bill Streicher-Imagn Images（强制署名）

10月22日（路透社）——美国总统唐纳德·特朗普周四批评NBA超级巨星勒布朗·詹姆斯在最近的一场NBA比赛中，在奏国歌时表现出不尊重的行为。

“勒布朗·詹姆斯在奏国歌时，不尊重我们的国家，”特朗普在Truth Social上发布了一段视频，视频显示詹姆斯在奏国歌时扭动身体。“勒布朗·詹姆斯应该向所有为美国国旗和我们国家所代表的一切而牺牲的伟大美国战士和英雄道歉！”

特朗普分享的视频片段显示，詹姆斯与费城76人队的队员们站在一起，挥动双臂进行热身拉伸，并做出篮球投篮动作。

76人队的代表尚未对此事作出回应。

特朗普曾多次批评运动员在赛前演奏美国国歌时的行为，尤其以 NFL 四分卫科林·卡佩尼克单膝跪地抗议种族正义为开端。

2018 年，由于费城老鹰队不同意特朗普要求球员在奏国歌时起立的呼吁，特朗普取消了超级碗冠军费城老鹰队原定的白宫访问计划。

2020 年，詹姆斯成为“黑人的命也是命”运动的领军人物，并在他登上 NBA 历史得分榜榜首的过程中，经常支持进步议题。

（渥太华 Ismail Shakil、洛杉矶 Christian Martinez、纽约 Amy Tennery 报道；Doina Chiacu 和 Alistair Bell 编辑）

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