Trump picked Michael Jordan as his basketball GOAT, but only after revealing what he thinks of LeBron James: ‘Maybe he’s a racist’

President Donald Trump said Michael Jordan is the greatest basketball player of all time, but only after suggesting that LeBron James might be “a racist.” According to Mediaite, Trump made the comments during a press conference at the White House on Friday. He was responding to a question about who he considered the best player ever.

Fox News senior White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked Trump to choose between James and Jordan. The question came just hours after James announced he was joining the Philadelphia 76ers. Trump answered by praising Jordan and questioning James’ feelings toward him.

“Well, Michael Jordan is a guy that’s a friend of mine, played golf with him. He’s a really good guy,” Trump reportedly said. “And I think LeBron is, may be he’s a racist. But maybe he doesn’t like Trump I don’t know? But I only like people that like me. So I would say Michael Jordan, all the way.”

Trump says he prefers people who like him

This is not the first time Trump has faced accusations of racism, and allies have previously stepped in to defend him against racism accusations on his behalf. The comparison between James and Jordan has been debated by basketball fans for years. James has won four championships and four MVP awards over a career that has spanned 23 seasons so far.

He has played for Cleveland twice, along with Miami and Los Angeles, and has now joined the 76ers. Jordan won six championships and five MVP awards while playing for the Chicago Bulls during the 1980s and 1990s. 

He also came out of retirement a second time to play for the Washington Wizards in the early 2000s, a stretch of his career that many fans tend to overlook. Some fans also consider Kareem Abdul-Jabbar or Magic Johnson to be possible GOAT candidates, among other players.

Trump’s comments about James are not new. Trump and James have had public disagreements for several years. James campaigned for Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign, and the following year he called Trump a “bum.”

In 2017, James wrote on social media, “Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!”

James later criticized Trump after Trump described NFL players who knelt during the national anthem as “very dumb.” James went on to endorse former Vice President Kamala Harris during her 2024 presidential campaign against Trump.

Trump did not provide further explanation for his comment suggesting James might hold racist views. Members of his own administration have also fielded questions on the topic, including when Secretary of State Marco Rubio faced racism accusations during a trip to India earlier this year.