LeBron James sparked outrage from MAGA supporters after footage showed him practicing golf swings during the national anthem before the Lakers’ Christmas Day game against the Houston Rockets.
The 40-year-old NBA legend was caught on camera warming up and taking practice swings while “The Star-Spangled Banner” played at the arena.
The incident reignited long-standing tensions between James and Trump supporters who have criticized the Lakers star for years over his political activism. Social media exploded with angry reactions from MAGA followers who called his behavior disrespectful.
“Comrade James is just showing his Chinese colors,” one user posted, referencing past controversies over James’ comments about China and Hong Kong protests.
Another wrote: “You are such a P0S. If you hate this country so much (the country that made you rich, BTW), then GET THE HELL OUT.”
Per usual, LeBron James is disrespecting the National Anthem.
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) December 27, 2025
Is there a bigger scumbag in the NBA than this D-Bag? pic.twitter.com/Kk6CDwsglK
The golf swing incident occurred before the Lakers’ 119-96 loss to Houston on Christmas Day. James scored 18 points in the defeat but admitted before the game he would rather be home with his family than playing on the holiday.
James has become obsessed with golf in recent months, frequently posting videos of himself on courses. He said in August that he was “addicted” to the sport, joining other NBA legends like Michael Jordan and Steph Curry who became avid golfers during their careers.
Curry even mocked LeBron James‘s swing at a celebrity tournament, calling it “rookie hazing” while saying James had “good bones” for the sport.
The Christmas Day controversy adds to James’ history of clashes with Trump supporters who view his activism as unpatriotic. Conservative critics have repeatedly told him to focus on basketball instead of politics, but James has maintained his right to speak out on social issues affecting his community.
In 2018, Fox News host Laura Ingraham told James to “shut up and dribble” after he criticized then-President Trump. James fired back, saying he would never “shut up and dribble” because he owed too much to his community.
James has been a frequent critic of Trump throughout the president’s political career. He called Trump’s rhetoric divisive and said the January 6 Capitol riots happened “because of him.” The NBA star also supported Kamala Harris in the 2024 election, posting a video that compared Trump’s language to historical violence.
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