LeBron James is sparking backlash this week due to a video of him supposedly disrespecting the national anthem.
The Los Angeles Lakers faced off on Thursday’s Christmas Day against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles, Calif. As the national anthem played in the background right before the contest, the Lakers star forward James could be seen on the side facing away from center court and simply continuing his pregame stretching routine (instead of standing at attention out of deference to and respect for the anthem).
James was making such exaggerated arm motions while the anthem played that ESPN posted the clip to their TikTok page along with the caption “Bron working on his golf swing?” As such, the four-time NBA champion received sharp criticism online for seemingly failing to respect the national anthem.
Here is the video.
Per usual, LeBron James is disrespecting the National Anthem.
— Vince Langman (@LangmanVince) December 27, 2025
Is there a bigger scumbag in the NBA than this D-Bag? pic.twitter.com/Kk6CDwsglK
The soon-to-be 41-year-old James, who may be in his final NBA season, finished Thursday’s game with 18 points, two rebounds, and five assists in 32 minutes played. The Lakers lost to the Rockets by an ugly final score of 119-96 however, marking their third consecutive loss.
That video of James, meanwhile, reopened a sore spot for many fans. During the 2020 NBA bubble in Orlando, Fla., James notably joined countless other players and also coaches who chose to kneel during the playing of the national anthem before games. James once clashed with President Donald Trump over the anthem issue as well.
