Did Aaron Rodgers take big shot at LeBron James?

Apr 26, 2023; Florham Park, NJ, USA; New York Jets quarterback Aaron Rodgers (8) talks to the media during the introductory press conference at Atlantic Health Jets Training Center. Mandatory Credit: Tom Horak-USA TODAY Sports

Aaron Rodgers has not said a whole lot publicly about the 2024 U.S. presidential election, but the New York Jets star did manage to sneak in what sounded like a shot at LeBron James over LeBron’s support of one candidate.

The election, which Donald Trump won in a landslide, took place on Tuesday. That happened to be the same day as the NFL trade deadline. During his weekly appearance on “The Pat McAfee Show,” Rodgers joked that teams looking for advice about what to do at the deadline should “ask your favorite celebrity.” That was obviously a reference to celebrities endorsing either Trump or Democratic candidate Kamala Harris.

Then came what seemed like a swipe at LeBron.

“My favorite is when the celebrity is bought and paid for by China,” Rodgers said.

Several days before the election, James took to social media to urge his followers to vote for Harris.

LeBron has been extremely outspoken on the topic of social injustice in the United States, but his stance on China has drawn criticism. When former Houston Rockets general manager Daryl Morey once showed support for Hong Kong protestors who were fighting against the communist Chinese regime, LeBron said he felt Morey was not educated on the situation. James later tried to clarify his remarks and was called out by some within the NBA community.

The NBA as a whole has been accused of ignoring civil rights issues in China to protect its own financial interests. The same can be said of LeBron, who has a lifetime endorsement deal with Nike and its Chinese-manufactured products. Rodgers was almost certainly alluding to all of that.