New York: LeBron James is not backing down on his comments about President Donald Trump, and countless other players and coaches in the NBA made it clear at media days around the league Monday that they are equally fed up with what could perhaps be described as a pattern of actions from the White House that they would call divisive or worse.
Politics were the storyline of the NBA on the first official business day of the season for most of the league’s clubs. That was no surprise, given the events of a weekend that included Trump rescinding the champion Golden State Warriors’ invitation to the White House, James calling the president a “bum” and stars like union president Chris Paul speaking out in frustration.
“We know this is the greatest country in the world,” said James, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ star. “It’s the land of the free. But we still have problems just like everybody else and when we have those problems, we have to figure out a way how we come together and be as great as we can be as a people.
“Because the people run this country. Not one individual. And damn sure not him.”
These tensions have obviously been present for far more than one weekend, but they are bubbling now in the NBA like perhaps never before — with players in many cities Monday saying they were angered over the president’s use of the line “son of a [expletive],” cited last week during a rant about NFL players kneeling during the national anthem.
“You can’t get more insulting than that,” Phoenix centre Tyson Chandler said.
Added Miami forward Udonis Haslem: “I don’t think President Trump wants to fight any of them defensive linemen or anybody in the NFL. Probably should just be respectful.”
James referred to Trump as “that guy,” and defended his decision to tweet that the president is a “bum” — a post that quickly became one of Twitter’s most-shared ever. The name-calling continued on Monday: Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal said Trump is “a clown” and Toronto Raptors guard DeMar DeRozan said the president is a “so-called leader.”
“I think the president brought a lot of this stuff on himself,” said DeRozan, who is American but plays in Canada. “He brought it on himself, he brought it on us as a country. ... I feel no player is trying to disrespect anybody, no flag or anything like that, but we seem to be the ones who get all the disrespect from our so-called leader.”
“We all have to come together,” Denver guard Jameer Nelson said. “Whether you voted for Trump or not — the world needs to be better. I don’t know. I don’t know what the right answer is. I don’t know what the wrong answer is. Nobody does. If we did, we wouldn’t be sitting here and talking about it.”
After deadly protests involving white nationalists in Charlottesville, Virginia last month, Memphis Grizzlies coach David Fizdale has been actively trying to get Confederate symbols such as monuments removed from his city.
Media days in the NBA are a mixture of basketball-related interviews, photo sessions and some frivolity. At Heat media day, Goran Dragic — whose current contract is worth $85 million (Dh312 million) — talked about his decision to fly coach home from his native Slovenia. In Memphis, guards Mike Conley and Mario Chalmers gave haircare tips. Coaches took questions en masse, sometimes even able to actually discuss the game.
But there were countless questions about politics and Trump as well.
“It’s like every time he opens his mouth, it’s like, ‘Oh, really?” Haslem said. “When you think he can’t say anything like worse, he just kind of figures it out.”
Stars like James, Paul, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony have spoken openly about the need for societal change in the past, and each of them are continuing to use their platforms now.
James made it clear that will continue.
“He doesn’t understand the power that he has for being the leader of this beautiful country,” James said of Trump. “He doesn’t understand how many kids, no matter the race, look up to the President of the United States for guidance, for leadership, for words of encouragement. He doesn’t understand that and that’s what makes me more sick than anything.”
