Trump criticized James after a video appeared to show the basketball player making apparent warm-up movements while lined up with his Philadelphia 76ers teammates during the national anthem. The incident took place before the 76ers’ season opener against the New York Knicks, according to The Guardian.
The Guardian reports that Trump called James a “TOTAL DISGRACE” and demanded an apology over the incident. The criticism focused on what Trump characterized as disrespectful conduct during the anthem, while the supplied reports describe James’s movements as apparent rather than establishing their complete context.
When asked about Trump’s comments, James replied, “Slow news day.” The Guardian gives the fuller wording as “Slow news day at the office,” while Yahoo Sports used the shorter version in its headline.
The Guardian identifies the 76ers’ opener as having taken place on a Tuesday, but the supplied excerpts do not establish the exact calendar date. They also do not specify the venue. The available material does not independently verify the complete video or the full context of James’s movements during the anthem.