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Trump says NBA star LeBron James disrespected US national anthem

Al Jazeera · 2026-10-22

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• What happened: Trump says NBA star LeBron James disrespected US national anthem SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkPhiladelphia 76ers forward LeBron James on the basketball court during a break in a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the United States [Brad Penner-Imagn Images/Reuters]By... • Why it matters: This update may be relevant for Cyprus residents, visitors, businesses or policymakers. • What to watch next: Follow CyprusDailyLife for updates.

SaveSharefacebookxwhatsapp-strokecopylinkPhiladelphia 76ers forward LeBron James on the basketball court during a break in a game against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden in New York City, the United States [Brad Penner-Imagn Images/Reuters]By ReutersPublished On 22 Oct 202622 Oct 2026US President Donald ⁠Trump criticised ⁠National Basketball Association (NBA) superstar LeBron James on Thursday for what he called disrespectful behaviour during the singing of the ⁠US 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 anthem.Recommended Stories list of 4 itemslist 1 of 4FIFA announces USA to host first Women’s Club World Cup in 2028list 2 of 4Real Madrid’s complaint over La Liga chief’s Nazi slant sent to tribunallist 3 of 4FIFA’s Infantino made to wait on Asian support as chief coy at AFC sessionlist 4 of 4Maradona doctor was made ‘scapegoat’ for his death, Argentinian court toldend of list“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 warm-up-type stretch and performing basketball shooting movements.A representative for the 76ers ⁠did not immediately respond to a ⁠request from Al Jazeera for comment.Trump has repeatedly criticised athletes for their behaviour 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 cancelled the 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.

Source: Al Jazeera
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