After drawing the ire of Donald Trump, NBA icon LeBron James opted to make a noticeable change to his behavior during a national anthem rendition on Thursday. 

Earlier this week, footage of the Philadelphia 76ers star quickly went viral after their victory over the NBA champion New York Knicks on the first day of the new season.

It showed James pretending to swing a golf club and practicing his free throw technique while The Star-Spangled Banner was sung at Madison Square Garden.

Trump, a longtime critic of James, lashed out at the NBA legend in an explosive Truth Social post on Thursday, labelling him an 'absolute disgrace' over the matter.

Returning to the court just hours after Trump's furious social media tirade, all eyes were on James as The Star-Spangled Banner was sung at the Xfinity Mobile Arena.

In a video posted Thursday night, James was seen standing with his arms behind his back while swaying side to side during the rendition.

LeBron James responds to Trump's criticism

In comparison to his antics on Tuesday, it was seen as 'muted' behavior from James by most fans, however, some still took issue with his actions on social media.

James himself spoke out on the criticism he faced from Trump after the game, seemingly trolling the US President over his uproar. 

'It must be a slow news day at the office, you know,' he said after helping the Philadelphia 76ers secure a stunning comeback win over the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Days prior, Trump had written on Truth Social: 'While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country! I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE.

'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!'

Trump doubled down on his criticism of the NBA superstar during a rally in Iowa on Thursday night. 

'During the national anthem, he's practicing his golf swing... what the hell is that?' he said, while the crowd booed James. 'It's a big scandal... what it's all about? I don't understand it.'

Trump-James feud

The comments mark the latest chapter in a long-standing feud between the four-time NBA champion and Trump, which dates back to James labeling him a 'bum' in 2017. 

Earlier this year, Trump launched an astonishing attack on James just hours after the 41-year-old revealed he'd be signing with the 76ers.

Just hours after LeBron's 24th season in the NBA was confirmed, Trump was asked to weigh in on who holds the title of the greatest basketball player of all time.

'Michael Jordan's a guy that's a friend of mine, I've played golf with him,' Trump said.

'He's a really good guy and I think LeBron is - maybe he's a racist, but maybe he doesn't like Trump, I don't know - but I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way.'

James, 41, has frequently used his platform to criticize Trump, previously endorsing Democratic candidates and launching voting-rights initiatives across the country.