President Donald Trump has sparked fresh discussion on social media after making an unusual remark suggesting that LeBron James could play in the WNBA. The comment came while Trump was discussing transgender athletes in women’s sports, as he connected the issue to his long-standing preference for Michael Jordan over James. His remarks quickly drew attention and reignited debate online.
Trump has recently been more vocal about basketball, including weighing in on the enduring greatest-of-all-time conversation. While the GOAT debate is typically centered around Michael Jordan and LeBron James, the President left little room for ambiguity, making it clear that Jordan remains his clear choice over the four-time NBA champion.
Donald Trump’s LeBron James WNBA Remark Sparks Fresh Social Media Debate
President Donald Trump drew attention with an unusual hypothetical while discussing transgender athletes in women’s sports, saying he would ask LeBron James whether he had ever wanted to be a woman so he could play on a team Trump imagined building. “It doesn’t matter, I’d say, ‘LeBron, did you ever have any desire to be a woman? Because what I’d love you to do is star on my team that I’m building up,” Donald Trump said. He went on to claim the fictional roster would be unbeatable, adding, “I will have the greatest team in history. They’ll never lose. Nobody will come within 70 points of this team.” Trump also joked about his coaching credentials, saying, “I’d be the greatest women’s basketball coach in history because I don’t like LeBron James. I like Michael Jordan much better.”
The remarks came shortly after LeBron James agreed to join the Philadelphia 76ers for his 24th NBA season. Asked again about basketball’s greatest player, Trump reiterated that he ranks Michael Jordan ahead of James, pointing to his personal relationship with the Bulls legend. “Well, Michael Jordan is a guy that’s a friend of mine. He’s a really good guy,” Trump said. He then added, “And I think LeBron… Maybe he’s a racist, but maybe he doesn’t like Trump. I don’t know. I only like people that like me, so I would say Michael Jordan all the way.”
Trump’s latest comments have resurfaced discussions surrounding transgender athletes and women’s sports, despite there currently being no transgender players on WNBA rosters. There are also no transgender athletes competing at the highest level of NCAA women’s basketball, making the remarks another flashpoint in the broader public debate surrounding the issue.
Donald Trump and LeBron James: A Look at Their Long-Running Public Feud
The rivalry between Donald Trump and LeBron James has played out in public for nearly a decade, driven largely by political differences and sharp exchanges on social media. Their feud began in 2017 after Trump withdrew the Golden State Warriors’ invitation to the White House following their NBA championship. LeBron, backing teammate Stephen Curry’s decision to skip the visit, fired back with his now-famous “U bum” post, saying that a White House visit had been a great honor until Trump became president. The exchange marked the start of an increasingly tense relationship between the two.
The conflict intensified in 2018 after LeBron, during a CNN interview about his I Promise School, accused Trump of using sports to create division in the country. Trump responded by mocking LeBron’s intelligence in a social media post and ended it with the remark, “I like Mike,” referencing Michael Jordan in the long-running GOAT debate. Even then, First Lady Melania Trump publicly praised LeBron’s work with children, distancing herself from the criticism. Over the years, LeBron has continued to oppose Trump politically by endorsing Democratic candidates, including Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden, and Kamala Harris, while Trump has repeatedly criticized the NBA star and expressed admiration for Jordan instead.
