Trump Weighs In On Michael Jordan vs LeBron James Debate
President Donald Trump weighed in on the Michael Jordan vs LeBron James debate. In a recent interview, the commander in chief was pressed on who the greatest basketball player of all time is.
In his estimation, there is really no argument – it’s Jordan.
“Michael Jordan,” he told Clay Travis of Outkick.
“Plus, he wasn’t political so people like him better.”
Trump And LeBron James Have Had A Long-Standing Beef
President Trump’s decision to select Jordan over James in the GOAT debate may be merit-based, but it could also be personal. He and the Akron-born star have gone back and forth through the media for years.
The most high-profile moment in their feud came back in 2017, when President Trump rescinded an invitation to the White House that Steph Curry and the Golden State Warriors clearly never wanted in the first place.
An exasperated James then fired off a tweet that immediately became the most retweeted message of the year.
Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going! So therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 23, 2017
More recently, President Trump took the NBA to task for kneeling during the National Anthem and speaking out on social justice issues. In response, he claimed that he was no longer watching basketball.
When James heard this, he insisted that NBA players did not care one iota whether the POTUS was still a fan of the sport or not.
“I really don’t think the basketball community [is] sad about losing his viewership,” he said.
The NBA would be in trouble if Bradley Beal ended up with either one. https://t.co/kKoyl6yE7j
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 29, 2020
Trump Calls NBA Protests ‘Dumb’
During his recent interview, President Trump did not hold back. He referred to the ongoing social justice protests in the NBA as “nasty” and “dumb,” and suggested he had serious problems with them.
“Some are very nasty,” he said.
“Frankly very dumb. But I haven’t noticed that. The way they catered to China and bowed to China, it’s a disgrace. We have a system that allows them to disrespect the system. They don’t appreciate what we have here.”
President Trump also maintains that the NBA’s continued ratings woes stem from a focus on social justice matters.
“They know my feelings very well,” he said.
“They’ve been expressed. It’s been horrible for basketball. Look at the basketball ratings. People are angry about it. They have enough politics with guys like me. They don’t need more.
“There was a nastiness about the NBA and the way it was done. The NBA is in trouble. Big trouble.”
Based on how contentious the relationship between NBA players (and in some cases coaches) and President Trump up to this point, it is unrealistic to expect it to change any time soon.
Possibly the ugliest jerseys in sports history. https://t.co/ByA5SrqjZN
— Game 7 (@game7__) November 30, 2020
The Michael Jordan vs LeBron James Debate Will Continue
Ever since the Last Dance aired a few months ago, a fiery debate has raged regarding who the best NBA player of all time is.
The younger generation, who did not get a chance to witness Jordan’s heyday, generally feels like James is the superior talent. The older has an affinity for Jordan.
Given what generation President Trump comes from, and based on his past feelings regarding James, his opinion on the matter does not come as a particularly big surprise.
Related: Paul Pierce Ranks LeBron James, James Harden, Luka Doncic And More
A longtime sports reporter, Carlos Garcia has written about some of the biggest and most notable athletic events of the last 5 years. He has been credentialed to cover MLS, NBA and MLB games all over the United States. His work has been published on Fox Sports, Bleacher Report, AOL and the Washington Post.
