NBA Players & Melania Trump Back LeBron In Controversy Over Trump Tweet On Intelligence
UPDATE: Michael Jordan has weighed in with a statement: “I support LJ. He’s doing an amazing job for his community.” Also on Team LeBron: Melania Trump. She praised James for his work with children, even saying she is open to visiting the school he founded in Akron.
“It looks like LeBron James is working to do good things on behalf of our next generation and just as she always has, the first lady encourages everyone to have an open dialogue about issues facing children today,” the first lady’s spokeswoman, Stephanie Grisham, said in a statement. “As you know, Mrs. Trump has traveled the country and world talking to children about their well-being, healthy living, and the importance of responsible online behavior with her Be Best initiative. Her platform centers around visiting organizations, hospitals and schools, and she would be open to visiting the I Promise School in Akron.”
EARLIER: President Donald Trump heads to a rally in Ohio today, a day after questioning Akron, Ohio hometown hero LeBron James’s intelligence in a tweet. A warm welcome may not be in the cards, if online reaction to his Twitter message is telling.
Thousands of Twitter users have responded for James after Trump’s Twitter slam. So far, James himself has not answered. But other NBA players have taken up the battle for him.
The incident started when Trump tweeted that “Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!”
Trump was responding to comments made by James in an interview with CNN’s Don Lemon, in which he said that Trump was “using sports to kinda divide us.
“Sports has never been something that divides people,” James told Lemon. “It’s always been something that brings someone together.”
So far, stars Minnesota Timberwolves Karl-Anthony Towns and Utah’s Donovan Mitchell have responded to Trump. On Trump’s behalf, Fox News commenter Britt Henry and British talk show host Piers Morgan have supported Trump.
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
Tired of you! https://t.co/3vYwL0OyMx
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) August 4, 2018
He’s gotta go! https://t.co/rujnO4rbYH
— Jared Dudley (@JaredDudley619) August 4, 2018
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
— 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
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