President Donald Trump took a swipe at LeBron James just hours after the NBA superstar officially announced he was joining the Philadelphia 76ers, suggesting the four-time champion is "maybe a racist" while explaining why he believes Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time.
Speaking to reporters in the Oval Office, Trump was asked to weigh in on the long-running debate between James and Jordan. Rather than comparing their accomplishments on the court, Trump pointed to his personal relationship with the former Chicago Bulls legend.
"Michael Jordan is a guy that's a friend of mine. Play golf with him. He's a really good guy," Trump said.
He then turned his attention to James.
"I think LeBron is, maybe he's a racist. Maybe he doesn't like Trump. But I only like people that like me. So I would say Michael Jordan all the way."
The comments came the same day James confirmed he would continue his NBA career with the 76ers after leaving the Los Angeles Lakers.
Earlier Friday, James announced his decision in a series of posts on X, saying he considered retirement before deciding he still had another championship run left.
"I thought I was done when the season ended," James wrote. "I still truly love this game, and I have more to give."
According to ESPN's Shams Charania, James agreed to a two-year deal with Philadelphia after informing the Lakers he would not return for the 2026-27 season. The Athletic reported the 76ers beat out several contenders, including the Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Miami Heat, to land the NBA's all-time leading scorer.
Trump and James have exchanged public criticism for years.
During Trump's first term, James accused the president of using sports to divide Americans during an interview with CNN's Don Lemon.
"He's using sports to kinda divide us, and that's something that I can't relate to," James said at the time.
Trump responded on what was then Twitter, criticizing both James and Lemon after the interview.
