President Donald Trump called L.A. Lakers star LeBron James a “hater,” on Rush Limbaugh’s radio townhall broadcast on Friday.
Trump reiterated that he won’t be watching the NBA with all its woke attacks on America, but he also took specific aim at loud anti-Trumper LeBron James.
The president appeared on Limbaugh’s nationally syndicated radio program for two solid, commercial-free hours, and discussed a wide range of issues that are important to consider for the November general election.
At one point, the discussion turned to the NBA, and Trump spoke specifically about James.
“He’s a great basketball player, but people don’t want to see a guy that’s that way. They don’t want to see that. … He’s a hater,” Trump said of James “You don’t want to sit down, watch a basketball game, and then watch somebody that hates your guts, okay.”
Trump has taken aim at James in the past. In August he took a slap at the player and CNN anchor Don Lemon in a Tweet.
The president also shook his head at how badly the NBA is doing in the ratings for its 2020 season.
After Limbaugh noted that NBA Commissioner Adam Silver recently hinted that all the social justice stuff may come to an end next season, the president replied, “Because their ratings have died. I haven’t watched a basketball game – and I helped them get open. I haven’t watched a basketball game all year.
“The NBA has become so political that nobody cares about it anymore… I don’t even know who’s playing in the finals!” the president said. “I don’t know anyone that’s watching the NBA. Lebron has been a spokesman, I don’t know him, I never met him. All I know is when he endorsed Hillary I thought, ‘That’s the greatest endorsement I’ve ever seen’ because when he endorsed Hillary four years ago, she came up to his knee. I said, ‘That is not the best-looking president I’ve ever seen.”
LeBron James and his L.A. Lakers take on the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals Friday night.
Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston.