LeBron James has been at loggerheads with President Donald Trump since the beginning of his first term. But the tension between them has repeatedly surfaced during his second term.

Before tonight’s matchup against the Cavaliers, President Trump criticized LeBron James for a viral video showing the 76ers’ superstar practicing his golf swing and jump shots during the national anthem on opening night.

After the 76ers’ 114-106 win over the Cavaliers, LeBron James responded to the President’s remarks with a hilarious statement.

“It must’ve been a slow news day at the office, you know. A slow news day at the office,” James said, suggesting he had been doing this for a long time and that it is not a new controversy.

James finished his home debut for the 76ers with 17 points, 10 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and one block. He shot 5-for-14 from the field (35.7% FG) and 1-for-4 from the three-point line (25.0% 3P). Even before tonight’s matchup, James was seen twisting and stretching during the national anthem.

President Donald Trump posted a video on his Truth Social platform on Thursday criticizing Sixers forward LeBron James for pregame stretching during the national anthem before Tuesday’s Sixers-Knicks season opener.

This was LeBron before tonight’s game in Philly.

— Philadelphia Inquirer Sports (@phillysport) October 22, 2026

Earlier tonight, after President Trump’s comments went viral, he also mentioned James’ situation and called it a ‘scandal’ that everyone should take note of.

During a rally in Iowa, Trump clubbed the WNBA and LeBron James together to highlight a growing sense of apparent disrespect for the country’s national anthem.

“And what about LeBron James? Did you see that deal?” Trump said during a rally in Iowa as the crowd began to boo. “During the national anthem, he’s practicing his golf swing. You know what, I said, ‘What the hell is that? It’s a big scandal; I don’t understand it.”

In his viral remarks, Trump was demanding that LeBron James “should apologize to all American service members and their families” for practicing his golf swing and “disrespecting the National Anthem.”

LeBron James and Donald Trump have a lot of friction between them, to say the least. Their hostile relationship began in 2018, when LeBron James preemptively said the Cavaliers would not visit the White House if they won the NBA Finals.

Most recently, Trump called LeBron James a racist in his bizarre reasoning for picking Michael Jordan as the GOAT over him. When Trump won his second presidential term in 2024, James wrote a heartfelt message to his daughter, promising to protect her from Trump’s alleged adversities.

LeBron James has never been afraid to voice his opinions, and his most recent response suggests he isn’t interested in considering Trump’s criticism.

This most recent controversy adds another chapter to their ongoing feud, keeping both figures at the center of public discussion as their tense relationship shows no signs of improving. It remains to be seen whether the President has anything further to add.