US President Donald Trump said LeBron James "maybe he's a racist" during a White House press conference on July 24, 2026, when asked who is the best NBA player, endorsing Michael Jordan as his choice instead [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. Trump added, "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," highlighting his personal connection to Jordan and skepticism toward LeBron [1].
LeBron James, 41, announced the same day that he signed with the Philadelphia 76ers to continue his NBA career [1, 6, 2, 5]. James said he believes he can help the team, which includes All-Stars Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, and Jaylen Brown, win a championship [6].
Michael Jordan, now 63, won six NBA titles and earned five MVP awards with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s [1, 6, 2, 5]. LeBron James has won four NBA championships with the Cleveland Cavaliers, Miami Heat, and LA Lakers, has been named MVP four times, and holds NBA all-time records in points scored and games played [1, 6, 2, 5].
LeBron James has openly criticized Trump in the past and supported Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton in 2016, Joe Biden in 2020, and Kamala Harris in 2024 [1, 2, 5]. He also spoke out after Trump withdrew the Golden State Warriors’ White House invitation in 2017 following Stephen Curry’s refusal to visit [1, 2, 5].
Peter Doocy of Fox News asked Trump the question linking LeBron’s recent signing with the 76ers to the debate over the best NBA player of all time at the press conference where the comments were made [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. LeBron James had not publicly responded to Trump’s remarks as of the most recent reports [6].
