Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James came under fire for appearing to practice his golf swing during the national anthem before his team’s Christmas Day game against the Houston Rockets.
ESPN’s cameras caught James, 40, swaying back and forth as he was lined up with his teammates for “The Star-Spangled Banner.” While some fans found the moment funny, others did not take kindly to what they called a sign of disrespect.
“And per usual disrespecting our national anthem,” one fan wrote in the comments of the video, which ESPN posted via TikTok on Thursday, December 25.
“Most unlikeable athlete in history,” another added.
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“Exactly why he will never be the GOAT. SO DISRESPECTFUL,” a third wrote, as others also weighed in on James’ legacy and comparisons to Michael Jordan as the greatest player ever.
The Rockets won the game, 119-96, and James did not publicly address the controversy.
As James’ basketball career winds down, he has picked up golf as a new pastime. He told Spectrum Sportsnet Live in September that he has “the bug.”
“The bug is real,” he said. “I didn’t know nothing about it. People said if you ever get into the game and the bug grabs you, it’s over with. I definitely have it, man.”
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James added, “I think the best thing I’ve gotten from it, besides like how competitive and hard it is, the mental challenge, which I love anything that’s mentally challenging, but you just get away from the world. You’re out there on the green, no phones. My phone stays in the cart the whole time. I check it from time to time. But it’s just like I play my music, I’m out there with my guys. You’re out there and just in the world. I can lose my mind into the game of golf.”
James has also earned the support of his fellow players, who seem more than happy to share the course with the four-time MVP.
“You know what, I’m just happy my guy’s out there. It’s been a long time coming,” Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum said in a video posted via X by the NBA in July. “Part of it is you gotta get out there, fall in love with the game. We all probably looked like this when we first got out there. But hopefully, you keep practicing and he’s only going up from there.”
The Golden State Warriors’ Stephen Curry wasn’t as charitable, mocking James’ swing in July during a celebrity tournament in Lake Tahoe, Nevada.
“Rookie hazing,” Curry, 37, called it in an interview with Nevada SportsNet. “He got his first few swings out there. I talked to him last week and he told me how much fun he had.”
“You know, there’s something to work with that swing, though,” Curry added. “That’s kind of what I was going for. He’s got good bones and a good foundation, and if he spends a little bit of time practicing, a little bit of coaching, he’s got potential for sure. So, I’m excited to see it.”
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