In case there was any confusion on where LeBron James stands in the 2024 presidential election, he made his views very clear on Thursday.
The Los Angeles Lakers star posted a video on social media officially endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris over former President Donald Trump. He included a pointed video featuring a racist watermelon joke made by comedian Tony Hinchcliffe at Trump’s rally at Madison Square Garden on Sunday, an appearance that has since been widely criticized and partially disowned by Trump himself. The video also included past comments Trump has made on race.
Plainly speaking, it is not a surprise that LeBron James endorsed the opponent of Donald Trump. The two have been at odds repeatedly since Trump’s election in 2016, during which James endorsed Hillary Clinton. No NBA champion visited Trump during his presidency, with James playing a vocal part in the back-and-forth involved. James has received some nice words from Trump’s wife Melania, though.
The most memorable episode of James and Trump’s clash was when he directly called the president a bum after disinviting the Golden State Warriors from the White House, something Stephen Curry said he wasn’t interested in doing.
Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going! So therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 23, 2017
James campaigned for President Joe Biden and Harris in 2020, officially endorsing the Democratic ticket and pushing for voter registration. He also had some fun when the election was officially called for Biden.
This endorsement isn’t surprising, but it comes in an election where voter turnout among young people could be a deciding factor, and celebrity endorsements such as Taylor Swift and Bad Bunny are seen as boons for Harris. With James’ sway among millions of basketball fans, who skew younger than any other major sports league in America, the Harris campaign likely won’t mind this one either.
Other notable current and former athletes have pledged support for Trump, including San Francisco 49ers defensive end Nick Bosa and former IndyCar and NASCAR driver Danica Patrick.
Meanwhile, James just began his 22nd NBA season, which has already been a special one. James and his son Bronny made NBA history as the first father and son to take the court together.