Trump calls LeBron James a ‘disgrace’ over his anthem warm-up, and James answers: ‘Slow news day at the office’

President Donald Trump went after LeBron James on Thursday over how the 76ers star spent the national anthem before his Philadelphia debut, calling him “a TOTAL DISGRACE” and demanding an apology. James waited until after one of the best wins of his career to answer, and he needed one line: “Slow news day at the office.”

What happened during the anthem at Madison Square Garden

The clip comes from Tuesday, Oct. 20, before the 76ers opened the season against the defending champion Knicks in New York. While “The Star-Spangled Banner” played, James, lined up with his new teammates, kept moving. He stretched his arms, made what looked like a golf swing and went through a shooting motion, while most of the players around him stood still. Philadelphia won 106-100 and James scored 14 points, as we covered in our 76ers-Knicks recap.

The video spread online over the following two days. On Thursday, Trump shared it on social media with text over the footage saying James was “working on his golf swing.”

“While listening to our National Anthem, LeBron James disrespects our Country!” Trump wrote. “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!”

He came back to it that night at a campaign rally in Sioux City, Iowa. “During the national anthem he’s practicing his golf swing. I said what the hell is that,” Trump told the crowd. “It’s a big scandal kind of a story. I don’t understand it.”

Nurse: “outside noise”

The post landed hours before Philadelphia’s home opener against Cleveland, James’ former team. Coach Nick Nurse, who has talked since training camp about tuning out distractions, treated it as one more. “I think that goes right in with other outside noise we’ve already had,” Nurse said before the game. “All I really care about is getting to the practice floor, getting them in the film room, getting them to the game floor.”

Before tip-off, Boyz II Men sang the anthem. This time James stood with his arms behind his back and his head bowed. He was then introduced to a roaring ovation from a crowd of about 20,000.

James answers after a 29-point comeback

What followed was the largest comeback win of James’ 24-season career. The 76ers trailed by 29 points and won 114-106, with James finishing with 17 points and 10 rebounds. Our 76ers-Cavaliers recap has the full second-half turnaround.

Afterward, James was asked about the president’s comments. He chuckled and kept it short.

LeBron James responds to a question about Trump's recent criticism.

"Slow news day at the office. Slow news day at the office." pic.twitter.com/bIA6MoU2Z2

— Jackson Thompson (@JackThompsonFOX) October 23, 2026

“Slow news day at the office. Slow news day at the office,” James said. He did not apologize and did not say anything more about the anthem.

What the NBA rule says

The league’s rule book does address the anthem. Its “Comments on the Rules” section says players, coaches and trainers must stand and line up in a dignified posture along the foul lines during the American or Canadian anthem. James was standing in line with his team, so the question raised by the video is posture, not whether he stood.

The NBA has rarely used that rule to punish anyone. In 1996 it suspended Denver guard Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf for one game for refusing to stand, before he agreed to stand and pray during the anthem. In 2017 commissioner Adam Silver said he expected players to keep standing and that if anyone did not, “we’ll deal with it when it happens.” In the 2020 restart near Orlando, when players and coaches knelt during the anthem, the league said it would not enforce the rule. The NBA has not announced any action over Tuesday’s clip.

An old feud, a new team

Trump and James have traded public shots for years. In 2017, after Trump withdrew a White House invitation to the champion Warriors, James called him “U bum” on social media, and the two have clashed regularly since. Thursday’s post picked up that thread with “I said right from the beginning that he’s no good.”

James, 41, is in his first season with the 76ers, who are 2-0. His off-court deals have already raised rules questions this season, as we explained in our story on his prediction-market endorsement and the NBA’s rules. Philadelphia is back on the floor this weekend. Follow every league-wide story on our Around the league page.