President Donald Trump appeared on Rush Limbaugh’s show on Friday and offered a mixed message concerning Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, acknowledging his basketball skills while criticizing his approach to politics.
"Nobody’s watching [NBA]. I don’t even know who’s playing in the Finals… LeBron has been a spokesman for the Democratic Party. A very nasty spokesman. He’s a great basketball player, but people don't want to see a guy that way. He’s a hater."
– Donald Trump on LeBron, the NBA. pic.twitter.com/VL8UwENM9r
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) October 9, 2020
Trump’s social media references to James over the years have also been mixed, including two mentions of him being “a great guy” in 2013 and for his ability in the clutch in 2015.
"@IcyJordan: @realDonaldTrump do you like LeBron as a player and person? @KingJames" LeBron is a great player and a great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 17, 2013
Congratulations to @KingJames on winning Athlete of the Year in last night’s @ESPYS. LeBron is also a great guy!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) July 18, 2013
Great shot by @KingJames yesterday. Lebron is a tough competitor who delivers under pressure.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) May 11, 2015
However, since being elected president in 2016, Trump’s remarks about James have been in response to criticism from the NBA legend, with a 2018 tweet questioning James’ intelligence and offering praise for Michael Jordan.
Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2018
James has been subjected to frequent criticism over the course of his 17-year career and has largely learned to either deal with it or use it as motivation on the court.
On the other hand, Trump has often shown a thin-skinned approach to any criticism, which is why his attitude toward James has changed so dramatically.
While Trump was more than happy to praise James when the superstar led the Heat to titles in both 2012 and 2013, it’s not likely that he’ll follow suit should the Lakers win one more game in the NBA Finals.
Not being acknowledged by Trump is something that won’t matter to James, who will enter rare territory if the Lakers capture this season’s league title. James will be one of only a few players who have been part of NBA title teams with three different franchises.
With Trump in the midst of a difficult re-election campaign, James could end up getting the last laugh if Trump loses that bid to remain in the White House next month.
