WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump took a swipe at NBA superstar LeBron James on Saturday, suggesting the basketball icon “may be a racist” while praising Michael Jordan as the greatest player in NBA history.
Speaking during a White House press conference, Trump was asked by Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy to settle the long-running debate over who is the greatest basketball player of all time after reports that James plans to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers.
Trump quickly backed Michael Jordan.
“Michael Jordan is a guy that’s a friend of mine. I play golf with him. He’s a really good guy,” Trump said.
Turning to LeBron James, the president added:
“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.”
The remarks are the latest chapter in the long-running political feud between Trump and James.
LeBron James has been an outspoken critic of Trump over the years and publicly endorsed Democratic presidential candidates in the last three US elections, including Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Kamala Harris in 2024.
The NBA legend also criticized Trump in 2017 after the president withdrew the Golden State Warriors’ traditional White House invitation following comments by Stephen Curry indicating he would not attend.
Meanwhile, Michael Jordan has largely stayed away from direct political involvement. Trump noted that he knows the six-time NBA champion personally and has played golf with him.
Jordan, 63, is widely regarded as one of basketball’s greatest players after leading the Chicago Bulls to six NBA championships during the 1990s while winning five NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) awards.
James, 41, has built an equally remarkable career, capturing four NBA championships with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers. He is also a four-time NBA MVP and currently holds the league’s all-time records for both points scored and games played.
Trump’s comments are likely to reignite debate among basketball fans and add another political dimension to the longstanding rivalry between supporters of Jordan and James in the “Greatest of All Time” (GOAT) discussion.
