NBA star LeBron James was seen sitting during the National Anthem at his son's college basketball game.
In a 34-second clip shared to X, the Los Angeles Lakers player is seen walking in with his mother and daughter as the National Anthem plays. The NBA star proceeds to sit in the front row as the National Anthem continues.
James notably stood up again towards the end of the clip, though X users panned his move.
“Zero respect for the country that gave him the opportunity to be a basketball star,” wrote co-owner of Trending Politics Collin Rugg. “Zero respect for the country that allowed him to become a billionaire. Zero respect for the men and women who defend our country so he can live his life. Shameful.”
UFC fighter Colby Covington heavily criticized James during promotion for UFC 296.
"If you hate America so much and you don't like this country that gave you a billion dollars, leave it or come deal with me," the fighter said.
“Go to China, go to these sweat shops that you employ all these laborers and use these women and pay 'em pennies on the dollar to make your millions,” Covington continued. “F--- you LeBron James. You're a coward. You're a spineless coward, and you're a b----.”
Last year, James said WNBA star Brittney Griner, who was detained in Russia for marijuana possession at the time, shouldn't want to be back in America.
“Now, how can she feel like America has her back?” James said. “I would be feeling like, ‘Do I even want to go back to America?’”
In the wake of Black Lives Matter demonstrations throughout the nation following the death of George Floyd in 2020, James criticized race relations for Black Americans.
“It’s just heartbreaking,” James said at the time. “You guys don’t understand. Unless you’re a person of color, you guys don’t understand. I understand you might feel for us. But you will never truly understand what it is to be black in America.”
The Lakers player said the Black Lives Matter movement was a "walk of life."
“When you wake up and you’re black, that is what it is. It shouldn’t be a movement. It should be a lifestyle. This is who we are," he said. "I don’t like the word ‘movement’ because, unfortunately, in America and in society, there ain’t been no damn movement for us. There ain’t been no movement.”
“You know what’s going on now. Is that progress? I think we can all say that’s not progress,” James continued. “The conversations being had right now and how many people are really listening or just having the conversations of trying to make things happen, that’s progress. We got a long way to go.”
