The past few weeks have been a whirlwind of headline news for NBA star LeBron James. Coming off of a disappointing 4-0 sweep in the NBA Finals, James opted to become a free agent. He officially announced his intention to sign with Magic Johnson's Los Angeles Lakers in early July, and the signing was eventually made official. Since then, he's been seen cheering for and coaching his son "Bronny" at AAU games, has opened a new school in Akron, Ohio, and has been featured in a CNN interview. The latter of these brought criticism from President Donald Trump, who claimed interviewer Don Lemon made LeBron "look smart which isn't easy to do."
Clinton speaks up in favor of LeBron
During LeBron's interview, he was asked about the current president several times.
The two have been on opposite sides for quite some time, dating back to last year. In 2017, LeBron called Trump a "bum" for comments made about Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry saying he wouldn't visit the White House. He spoke a bit more in his CNN interview about why he feels Trump isn't suited for the job of president.
LeBron James (@KingJames) says Trump's trying to use sport to divide people, but he believes it brings people together. He sits down with @donlemon at the opening of his new elementary school for at-risk children in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Watch 10pET https://t.co/koTK4RarqE pic.twitter.com/CQYsTz2Fzl
— CNN (@CNN) July 30, 2018
On Saturday, Hilary Clinton promptly took the opportunity to offer some thoughts about LeBron James.
She tweeted in the afternoon to praise "King James" as a great family man who "gives back to his community and isn't afraid to speak his mind."
.@KingJames is a great family man, incredible ballplayer, gives back to his community, and isn’t afraid to speak his mind. He’s a world class athlete and a class act. We need more like him in this world.
— Hillary Clinton (@HillaryClinton) August 4, 2018
Clinton's tweet went on to call him a world class athlete and a "class act," suggesting the world needs more individuals like him in this world.
Some may quickly see that as jabs at President Trump following his "not-so-praiseworthy" comments about James' recent CNN interview. However, the message is clear that Clinton might be among LeBron James' fans.
Others supported and defended LeBron
Many other individuals were on board to support and defend LeBron James within the past few days.
Following President Trump's tweet, NBA stars including Stephen Curry, Bradley Beal, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Donovan Mitchell all tweeted their thoughts. They were all in favor of LeBron and some went as far as to call out President Trump for his actions.
The end of Trump's tweet finished with "I like Mike!" as a way to pick sides in the debate involving Michael Jordan vs. LeBron James. However, even MJ recently gave a statement indicating that he is a fan of LeBron James. NBC News' Geoff Bennett reported via his Twitter that Jordan believes in what LeBron is doing for the community right now.
NEW: Jordan sides with James over Trump tweet. NBA legend Michael Jordan tells NBC News through a spokesperson: "I support LJ. He’s doing an amazing job for his community.”
— Geoff Bennett (@GeoffRBennett) August 4, 2018
There are also plenty of NBA fans, whether they are fans of the Los Angeles Lakers or other teams, who seem to support LeBron James.
Even the so-called "haters" who love to root against the NBA star find it hard to say anything bad about him opening up a new school for at-risk kids. However, there are plenty of those in the political space who may not agree with James making comments against the current president.
With that said, it will be interesting to see if this ongoing "beef" between the current president and the biggest athlete in the United States continues on throughout the season. LeBron already suggested in his CNN interview that he may run for president if there are no other candidates who seem capable of ousting Trump from office.
