THE DAILY BS: HOW MUCH CAN YOU HANDLE?
SPARE ME THE BS (I’ve got things to do).
- Trump criticized video of LeBron James making practice motions during the national anthem before an NBA game.
- Trump called James a “TOTAL DISGRACE” and demanded an apology.
- James remained standing during the anthem and later brushed off the controversy as a “slow news day.”
LAY IT ON ME (I’ve got time).
LeBron James apparently found time for a little golf practice during the national anthem. Donald Trump was not impressed.
Footage from the Philadelphia 76ers’ opener in New York showed James lined up with teammates during ‘The Star-Spangled Banner,’ making movements resembling a golf swing and a jump shot. The other players mostly stood still. The president shared the video Thursday and blasted James for what he considered disrespect to the country.
‘I said right from the beginning that he’s no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE,’ Trump wrote, demanding an apology to Americans who sacrificed their lives for the flag. The remarks reopened a long-running political feud between Trump and the NBA star, who has not been shy about criticizing the president over the years.
There is one important detail for anyone describing the footage: James was standing. The complaint concerns his movements during the anthem, not a decision to kneel or refuse to stand.
By Thursday night, James had a more comfortable subject: basketball. He was playing for Philadelphia in a game against Cleveland. After the Sixers produced a major comeback, he brushed off questions about the president’s comments with a dismissive line: ‘It must be a slow news day at the office.’
James stood much more still during Thursday’s anthem, performed by Boyz II Men. Sixers coach Nick Nurse treated the uproar as another piece of outside noise that the team needed to ignore.
It’s a near-perfect recipe for modern viral politics: a circulating clip, a presidential broadside and a superstar with a response ready. What it wasn’t was an ordinary basketball warmup. At least not once the White House entered the conversation.
DBS WIRE SOURCES (I’ve got all day).
- Associated Press — Trump criticizes LeBron
- Reuters — Trump says LeBron disrespected anthem
- Philadelphia Inquirer — James anthem controversy
