LeBron James doubles down with sneaky golf hip turns during national anthem after Trump’s ‘total disgrace’ dig
LeBron James made small hip-turn movements during the US national anthem before the Philadelphia 76ers played the Cleveland Cavaliers, hours after President Donald Trump criticised his earlier golf-swing gestures. The article presents the movements as a pointed response to Trump, though a newspaper described them as stretching.
Trump had called James a “total disgrace” on Truth Social and demanded an apology to US service members who died for the country. He also criticised James during a campaign stop in Iowa, saying he did not understand why James was practising his golf swing. Asked about Trump’s post after the game, James called it a “slow news day at the office”.
In short
- James made hip-turn movements during the anthem.
- Trump criticised his earlier golf-swing gestures.
- James dismissed the post-game attention as a “slow news day”.
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The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
James’s gestures can be understood as a restrained, non-violent way to answer a president’s public criticism while keeping attention on his own response rather than escalating the dispute. Supporters may see the anthem setting as incidental stretching and view Trump’s demand for an apology as an attempt to turn an ambiguous movement into a test of patriotism.
The case against
Critics may argue that making a pointed gesture during the national anthem risks appearing disrespectful to people who regard it as a solemn tribute, especially when the dispute concerns service members. They may also see Trump’s criticism as a legitimate expression of that concern, even if James’s movements were intended only as stretching or a private joke.