President Donald Trump suggested that basketball superstar LeBron James might be “a racist,” telling reporters Friday that “I only like people that like me.” Trump was asked about James’ decision to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers and whether he thought James was a better player than NBA legend Michael Jordan. “Well, Michael Jordan’s a guy that’s a friend of mine,” Trump said. “I think LeBron is, maybe he’s a racist, but maybe he doesn’t like Trump. I don’t know, but I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way.” The remarks represented the latest salvo in a long-running war of words between the president and James, who earlier on Friday announced he would return for a record 24th year in the NBA rather than retire. James endorsed Hillary Clinton in her 2016 run against Trump, writing at the time that “we need a president who brings us together and keeps us unified.” After Trump won that election, the two clashed more directly over the president’s decision to rescind a White House invite to the Golden State Warriors following their championship win. “U bum,” James posted on social media in September 2017. “Going to the White House was a great honor until you showed up!” Trump lashed out at James the next year, writing that an interview the NBA all-star had done with then-CNN correspondent Don Lemon had “made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do.” James during that interview had criticized Trump for his attacks on Black athletes who were choosing to kneel in protest against racial injustice during the national anthem. Since then, Trump has occasionally targeted James while playing up his admiration for Jordan, who he said Friday had played golf with him and was “a really good guy.” James went on to endorse Joe Biden in 2020 and then back Kamala Harris in her unsuccessful run against Trump in 2024. “When I think about my kids and my family and how they will grow up, the choice is clear to me,” James posted on X ahead of the 2024 election, alongside a video that contained clips of a series of offensive remarks that Trump had made. James is just one of the pro athletes whom Trump has criticized since first running for office a decade ago — a list that at points also included NBA stars Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant. Adam Cancryn, CNN
