Former US President Donald Trump has criticized American basketball star LeBron James, accusing him of disrespecting the national anthem during an NBA game. Trump, in a post on Truth Social, stated that James 'disrespects our Country' while the national anthem is being played.

He further urged James to 'apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!' Trump's post included a video purportedly showing James engaged in warm-up exercises during the anthem.

This isn't the first time Trump has weighed in on James. In 2020, he famously sided with Michael Jordan in the 'who is better' debate, noting Jordan 'wasn’t political, so people like him better.'

Trump has a history of criticizing athletes he perceives as disrespectful or overly political. Earlier this year, he also targeted freestyle skier Hunter Hess, calling him 'a real Loser' after Hess expressed views critical of the current US administration. Trump had argued that Hess should not have tried out for the Olympic team if he held such opinions, highlighting his consistent stance on athletes' public conduct and political expressions.

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