LeBron James' dormant feud with Donald Trump was reignited during his first game with the Philadelphia 76ers.

The president of the United States slammed the athlete online during the team's season opener on Tuesday, 20 October. This reignited the animosity between them, which had been quiet for a while.

The basketball star and the president have never hidden their distaste for each other. James has openly called out the politician and even endorsed his opponent, Kamala Harris, in the last presidential election.

Donald Trump Slammed LeBron James as 'A Total Disgrace' for National Anthem Behaviour

Trump blasted James in a recent Truth Social post, calling him out for not standing at attention during the national anthem on opening night of the 2026-27 NBA season. The game on Tuesday, 20 October, pitted the Philadelphia 76ers against the New York Knicks.

While other players lined up for the anthem as Avery Wilson sang the country's tune, James could be seen practising his golf swings in a video before the start of the match.

'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,' Trump wrote in a post on Thursday.

Trump's criticism of James did not stop there. He wrote that the NBA star's actions were a slap in the face to those who fought for the country's freedom centuries ago.

'LeBron James should apologise to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for,' the president wrote before signing off with his name, according to TMZ.

The Tuesday game marked LeBron's official debut with the Philadelphia 76ers. He previously played with the Los Angeles Lakers for eight seasons, where he helped lead the team to their 17th NBA championship. During his time with the Lakers, James earned eight consecutive All-Star selections and seven All-NBA team honours.

Trump Previously Called LeBron James A 'Racist'

In July, Trump also criticised LeBron at a White House press conference. He was asked who he considered the greatest basketball player of all time: James or Michael Jordan.

For the president, who has expressed his dislike for James at several points, the answer was simple. However, instead of just picking one, he added some eyebrow-raising comments about the athlete.

'Michael Jordan is a guy that's a friend of mine. I play golf with him. He's a really good guy,' he explained before adding: 'I think LeBron is — 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.'

During the last presidential election, James was vocal about supporting Kamala Harris' campaign for the presidency. He used his social media platform to share a compilation of Trump's past controversial remarks while highlighting his support for the vice president.

'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 NBA champion posted on X.

His message was tagged to a video that portrayed Trump as a person who uses 'racist' rhetoric to drive personal gains and fuel his political campaign. The video ended with the text 'Hate Takes Us Back', after Trump was recorded saying, 'Of course I hate these people and let's all hate these people because maybe hate is what we needed,' although the context of the president's statement was unclear.

Trump Blasts LeBron James Amid Controversy Over Transgender Athletes

Trump maintained the stance that transgender women do not have a place in women's sports. The issue became a hot topic in 2022 after Lia Thomas, a transgender swimmer, competed at the NCAA Women's Swimming and Diving Championships. Thomas, who previously competed on the men's team, tied for fifth place with Riley Gaines, a cisgender woman, in the 200-yard freestyle.

The issue was brought up again after Sophie Cunningham recently made a statement expressing that women's spaces and sports should be protected from transgender participation.

Trump criticised transgender athletes who competed in women's sports before directing the spotlight to James in 2022. The president declared that he would be the greatest women's basketball coach in history and joked that he would ask James whether he had 'any desire to be a woman' so that he could play on his hypothetical team.