The President of the United States, Donald Trump, decided to insult two people with one Tweet Friday night, taking a shot at Don Lemon of CNN, then throwing in a dig at LeBron James’ intelligence for good measure. Doing so in the wake of LeBron spending more than $40 million from his non-profit to build a school for the most disadvantaged in his hometown of Akron, Ohio, was poor timing.
And it rallied athletes — both NBA players and those from other sports — to defend LeBron.
A sign of an insecure human being is one who attacks others to make themselves feel better... im just sad that young kids have to see stupid tweets like these and grow up thinking it’s okay... forget everything else Donald your setting a bad example for kids😑 our future 🤡 https://t.co/eg0MECg8xC
— Donovan Mitchell (@spidadmitchell) August 4, 2018
So let me get this straight: Flint, MI has dirty water still, but you worried about an interview about a man doing good for education and generations of kids in his hometown? Shut your damn mouth! Stop using them twitter fingers and get stuff done for our country with that pen. https://t.co/sEkX3OKaJM
— Karl-Anthony Towns (@KarlTowns) August 4, 2018
He’s gotta go! https://t.co/rujnO4rbYH
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) August 4, 2018
Tired of you! https://t.co/3vYwL0OyMx
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) August 4, 2018
I've been silent about ALL of the DUMB stuff this man has tweeted but THIS is attacking the NBA brotherhood and I'm not rollin'! What an embarrassment... https://t.co/zHjgokig8R
— Anthony Tolliver (@ATolliver44) August 4, 2018
Lol! He's attacking LeBron's intelligence days after he opened a school that guarantees free college education for at risk youth, all the while his University settled out of court for Fraud?!!!??? You can't make this stuff up!!!!!! 🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️🤦🏾♂️
— JJ Sullinger(He/Him) (@JJSullinger) August 4, 2018
There were others that lept forward as well.
One had every advantage. The other had the opposite. Today more than ever one stands taller than the other. Literally and figuratively. 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/TAXaJyrGI1
— Rex Chapman🏇🏼 (@RexChapman) August 4, 2018
Former Trump University Workers Call the School a ‘Lie’ and a ‘Scheme’ in Testimony https://t.co/IO3TDu4TCT
— David Aldridge (@davidaldridgedc) August 4, 2018
Who’s the real dummy? A man who puts kids in classrooms or one who puts kids in cages? #BeBest https://t.co/XO50qVksnR
— Don Lemon (@donlemon) August 4, 2018
https://www.instagram.com/p/BmDqTONl1HY/
LeBron is popular and respected among his fellow NBA players, but he’s also arguably the biggest name/brand in sports in the world right now. He’s a guy athletes from other disciplines look up to and try to emulate, both for his success on the court and his moves off it in terms of business success and willingness to speak out and act on social issues. Those athletes jumped to LeBron’s defense as well.
No matter what #POTUS does for our economy, foreign relations or religious freedom THIS will be his legacy. Insulting Americans. We may disagree on policy, but we must always gravitate toward decency and respect. Leaders lead in word AND deed. We should expect and demand BOTH. https://t.co/9htjzI6LK8
— Benjamin Watson (@BenjaminSWatson) August 4, 2018
As myself and others have noted, this is not going to work for Trump the way his attacks on the NFL anthem have. The NBA’s fan base is younger, more diverse, and more urban than the NFL’s and it has far less overlap with the hardcore Trump base. NBA fans will mainly read the above Tweets from athletes and nod in agreement, then maybe send out their own Tweets bashing the president.
The other factor here is that the NBA owners are not going to run scared from the president the same way, because of both the demographic issue mentioned above, and the fact the players hold the power in this relationship in the NBA. If Chris Paul and James Harden did something to protest during the national anthem at an NBA game, even in red state Texas, Houston owner Tilman Fertitta would not throw down some silly edict because he would fast have a rebellion on his hands. The power dynamic is different from the NFL’s, and the owners know it. Of course, this all got headed off in the NBA because the NBA Commissioner encourages the players to speak out on issues, backs them, and in the face of the anthem protests went to Paul, LeBron, and the players’ union and started a dialogue about what they should do. A dialogue based on trust and respect. Turns out, that stuff works.