Trump calls LeBron a disgrace over anthem warmups before his Sixers home debut

President Donald Trump on Thursday accused LeBron James of disrespecting the country, two days after James appeared to keep warming up during the national anthem before his first game with the Philadelphia 76ers. The post landed a few hours before James' Sixers home debut against the Cleveland Cavaliers at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.

According to ESPN, James appeared to practice a golf swing and a jump shot during "The Star-Spangled Banner" at Madison Square Garden before Tuesday's opener against the Knicks, while teammates beside him mostly stood still. The Athletic also reported that James pantomimed golf swings while the anthem played.

Trump shared video of the moment on social media. "I said right from the beginning that he's no good, a TOTAL DISGRACE," he wrote, per ESPN. "LeBron James should apologize to all of those Great American Warriors and Heroes who died for the American Flag, and all that our Country stands for!"

Representatives for James did not respond to ESPN's request for comment. James is 41 and in his record 24th NBA season.

This fight is years old. As a Cavalier in 2017, James called Trump "a bum" on Twitter. A year later he answered a Fox News host's "shut up and dribble" line by saying he would not do that. Trump has drawn his own criticism over anthem conduct, including a 2020 video that showed him waving his hands as if conducting while the anthem played at a Super Bowl watch party.

On the court, James' first Sixers game went fine for Philadelphia. He had 14 points, nine rebounds and seven assists in the 106-100 win over New York. Brown, also new to Philadelphia, added 19 points.

Now the home crowd gets its first look, and the opponent is James' former team, Cleveland. Tonight's anthem will get more attention than usual.

What to watch: how James handles the pregame anthem in Philadelphia, whether he or the Sixers say anything about Trump's post after the game, and whether the noise follows the team on the road.