Right-wing social media users attack LeBron James for sitting during the national anthem

LeBron James continues to cement his star status as critics proceed to scrutinize every detail of him.

The Los Angeles Laker had two great days on December 9 and 10, when he was named the inaugural champion and MVP of the NBA’s midseason tournaments, while also keeping track of his oldest son, Lebron “Bronny” James Jr. play his first collegiate game at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.

This was a monumental moment for the James Gang, as Bronny not only returned to motion after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest during considered one of USC’s summer training camps, but can also be the first male in the James family to go to varsity.

Even though Bronny didn’t shine on the stat sheet and the Trojans lost to the Long Beach State 49ers, James was still overcome with emotion when he saw his first child play. In Instagram post, the 38-year-old told his son: “I’m proud of you kid, you gave me more life today! Thank you and I love you.”

At the same time as James praised his son for playing after a health scare, he was criticized for how and when he entered the arena. James, along together with his mother Gloria, daughter Zhuri and son Bryce, made their option to their courtside seats at the same time as the national anthem was sung.

The crowd panicked after they saw the world-famous athlete, but quickly quieted down as the singer continued the anthem. Once the James family took their seats, they sat down. No one in attendance seemed upset, but the right-wing media had a good time seeing James’ “blatant disrespect” for America.

Conservative media outlets like are reporting that the future Hall of Famer is sitting Fox News AND Breitbart, and right-wing social media users said James has “zero respect” and even called him a “piece of shit.” The reporter who filmed James entering the stadium, objected to the scrutiny, saying that James enters games presently “so as not to cause a big fuss” and that he has been doing so for years.

More people got here to James’ defense, saying: ‘Benny, once more attempting to make mountains out of molehills. He got here in, gathered his things, and so what. Good God” and “I’m not a LeBron fan, but I do not think it was intentional disrespect. He was taken to his seat, sat down for 10 seconds after which stood up. He looks busy with something. Was that a foul look – yes, he must have stood. But this wasn’t some Kaepernick protest…

While it wasn’t “some kind of Kaepernick protest or message” from James, the former 49ers quarterback followed suit in 2020. After the NBA season resumed in the NBA Bubble during the pandemic, players and coaches from the Lakers, Clippers, Pelicans and Jazz took a knee during the national anthem to protest racial injustice. James later told reporters, “I hope we made Kaep proud.”

Earlier that 12 months, Jay-Z and Beyoncé incurred the ire of right-wing media after they sat during the national anthem at the Super Bowl. Unlike James and the NBA’s protest, it didn’t make Kaepernick proud when he recalled Hov saying he was “past the point of kneeling at a protest.”