LeBron James hasn’t responded to a shot about his intelligence from President Donald Trump, but Hall of Famer Michael Jordan and other fellow NBA players took to Twitter to defend him.
Trump took aim at James in a tweet on Friday night, days after an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon aired in which the Los Angeles Lakers star said he felt that Trump was “using sports to kinda divide us.”
“Sports has never been something that divides people,” James told Lemon. “It’s always been something that brings someone together.”
Trump also appeared to take sides in the LeBron vs. Jordan debate, saying, “I like Mike!”
Jordan, who owns the Charlotte Hornets, issued a statement Saturday backing James.
Jordan, who owns the Charlotte Hornets, issued a statement Saturday backing James.
“I support LJ,” Jordan said in the statement. “He’s doing an amazing job for his community.”
NBA commissioner Adam Silver, who was at the league’s NBA Africa Game on Saturday in Johannesburg, South Africa, commended James for his work on and off the court.
“LeBron James is one of the all-time greatest NBA players and one of the most accomplished athletes,” Silver told USA Today. “He runs a very successful media company. He’s sent hundreds of students to college and just opened a school in Akron where at-risk students will receive free tuition, meals and transportation.
“I greatly admire his intelligence and business acumen and have enormous respect and appreciation for what he does in his community.”
Other players from around the league, including Golden State’s Stephen Curry, Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns and Utah’s Donovan Mitchell, came to James’ defense on social media after Trump’s tweet.
Karl-Anthony Towns
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