According to Reuters, on July 24 local time, when asked about his evaluation of the basketball careers of Michael Jordan and LeBron James, U.S. President Donald Trump said that James might be a “racist”.
At a White House press conference, Fox journalist asked Trump which Jordan or James was the "best ever player".
Trump replied, "Jordan is my good friend. I often play golf with him, and he's a great person. As for LeBron, he might be a racist, or maybe he simply hates me. I'm not sure. I only prefer people who make me happy, so there's no doubt in my choice of Jordan."
In the past three presidential elections, James has publicly supported Democratic candidates who competed against Trump: Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Kamala Harris in 2024.
In 2017, Golden State Warriors player Stephen Curry explicitly stated that he did not wish to attend a meeting with President Trump at the White House. As a result, Trump revoked the invitation to the NBA championship team to the White House. Later, LeBron James publicly criticized Trump.
The 63-year-old Jordan won the NBA championship six times during his time with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s, and was named the Most Valuable Player five times.
The 41-year-old James has played for the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers. He has won four NBA championships and was named MVP of the regular season four times. Additionally, he holds the records for the most total points scored and the most appearances in NBA history.
