LeBron James, 41, has agreed to join the Philadelphia 76ers on a two-year deal worth $8 million, according to ESPN, taking a sharp pay cut from the nearly $53 million he earned last season. Hours later, Donald Trump called the four-time NBA champion “maybe a racist” when asked to name the greatest basketball player of all time.
Trump cited his friendship with Michael Jordan when the question was raised. “Michael Jordan’s a guy that’s a friend of mine, I’ve played golf with him,” Trump said. “He’s a really good guy and 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.”
A feud going back years
The comments extend a dispute that dates to 2017, when James called Trump a “bum” after the president withdrew a White House invitation extended to Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry. James wrote on social media: “U bum, Steph Curry already said he ain’t going! So, therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!”
The following year, Trump announced he was pre-emptively banning the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors from visiting the nation’s capital after the NBA Finals. James responded: “Winning a championship is way bigger than getting invited to the White House, especially with him in it.”
In a 2018 ESPN interview, James said Trump’s conduct in office made him “sick.” “He doesn’t understand the power that he has for being the leader of this beautiful country,” James said. “He doesn’t understand how many kids, no matter the race, look up to the President of the United States for guidance, for leadership, for words of encouragement.”
One last run
James confirmed the 76ers move with a lengthy statement on X in which he admitted he had considered retiring. “I thought I was done when the season ended,” he wrote. “I wasn’t ready to announce it, and I knew I needed some time to really decide, but I was pretty sure I played my last game.”
He said competition, not money, drove the decision. “I still truly love this game, and I have more to give,” he wrote. “This is my last decision. I’m not going for money. I’m not going for family. I still want to compete, to win and to have a chance at the feeling of winning another championship. I believe I can help make the Philadelphia 76ers a championship team.”
James told the Lakers earlier this summer he would not return to Los Angeles. His former clubs, the Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat, were reported to be leading the chase, with the Golden State Warriors also in the frame.
He joins a 76ers roster featuring Joel Embiid, Jaylen Brown and Tyrese Maxey as he chases a fifth NBA title. According to The Athletic, Maxey and other key figures at the club pursued James relentlessly in recent weeks, and a blockbuster trade for Brown from the Celtics helped tip the balance.
The 76ers have not won an NBA championship since 1983 and have not advanced past the second round of the Eastern Conference playoffs since 2001. James is the all-time leading scorer in NBA history and is about to enter his record 24th season in the league. He turns 42 in December.
