When Donald Trump called out the NFL and the players who have been protesting the national anthem, the sports world reacted quickly in opposition. One of the biggest stars to speak out against the president was NBA superstar and future Hall of Famer, LeBron James.

LeBron on Trump

It all started last month when Donald Trump was campaigning for then GOP senate candidate Luther Strange in Alabama. During his speech, Trump shifted his focus to the national anthem protests, labeling the players who take part in the demonstrations as a "son of a b*tch." Going a step further, the former host of "The Apprentice" then called on team owners to fire the players who protest, causing an even bigger backlash.

The Sunday following Trump's speech saw the largest national anthem protest in NFL history, with over 200 players acting out. Since then, the issue has remained a hot topic, with Trump continuing to call out the players as being "disrespectful" to the United States. In addition, just a day after his initial comments, Trump took to Twitter to dis-invite Stephen Curry of the NBA's Golden State Warriors from attending the White House meeting with his team due to his critical comments. LeBron James wasted no time giving his thoughts, referring to Trump as a "bum" in his own Twitter post. As reported by GQ, and later ESPN, on October 17, James isn't done speaking out against the president.

During an interview with GQ published on Tuesday, LeBron James was asked about his feelings on Donald Trump, and whether or not his previous criticism of the president could be compared to Muhammad Ali's opposition to the Vietnam War.

"I think Ali represented something bigger than Ali," James said, before adding, "I know the opportunity that our country has given people, and to see the guy in charge now not understanding that is baffling."

"But Muhammad Ali's correlation to the war," LeBron James said, adding, "I don't think me and Donald Trump could ever get to that point." The former NBA MVP went on to explain that being the president allows you to inspire many, but then took another shot at Trump.

"Not with the president we have right now, because there's no positive with him," James said.

Moving forward

As high-profiled athletes continue to speak out against Donald Trump, the billionaire real estate mogul has many other issues to worry about. With his plan to repeal Obamacare failing time and time again, and questions surrounding issues like immigration and tax reform, only time will tell if the president will be able to follow through on his campaign promises, regardless of what his views are on the world of sports.
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