President Donald Trump raised eyebrows Friday when he suggested that NBA star LeBron James could be a racist, after a reporter asked him to weigh in on the long-running debate over who is the greatest basketball player of all time.
During a White House press conference, Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy brought up the breaking news that James plans to sign with the Philadelphia 76ers, then asked the president to settle the Jordan vs. James debate once and for all.
Trump did not hold back in his response. “Michael Jordan is a guy that’s a friend of mine. I play golf with him. He’s a really good guy. I think LeBron is — maybe he’s a racist, but maybe he doesn’t like Trump. I don’t know. I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way,” the president said.
The remarks come against a backdrop of tension between Trump and James. The four-time NBA champion has backed every opponent Trump has faced in the last three presidential elections — throwing his support behind Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Kamala Harris in 2024.
James also publicly called out Trump back in 2017, after the president rescinded an invitation to the Golden State Warriors following comments from Warriors star Stephen Curry, who had said he would have turned down a White House visit anyway.
Jordan, 62, is widely celebrated for winning six NBA championships with the Chicago Bulls during the 1990s and earning five league MVP awards during that era.
James, 41, has collected four NBA titles and four MVP honors across his career with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and Los Angeles Lakers. He currently holds the NBA’s all-time records in both total points scored and games played.
