LeBron James hasn’t played a game for the 76ers, yet his arrival in Philadelphia has already sparked headlines far beyond basketball.

Hours after James announced he was joining the Sixers for what is expected to be his record-setting 24th NBA season, President Donald Trump weighed in on the NBA’s long-running greatest-of-all-time debate, siding with Michael Jordan while taking a personal shot at the league’s all-time leading scorer.

“Well, Michael Jordan’s a guy that’s a friend of mine,” Trump said Friday. “Play golf with him. He’s a really good guy. And I think LeBron is — maybe 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.”

The remarks came on the same day James agreed to join Philadelphia on a reported two-year, $8 million contract with a player option, giving the Sixers another future Hall of Famer alongside Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey and Jaylen Brown as the franchise pursues its first NBA championship since 1983.

Trump, LeBron Continue Long-Running Public Feud

Trump’s comments marked the latest chapter in a public back-and-forth that has stretched across multiple election cycles.

In 2017, James called Trump a “bum” after the president rescinded a White House invitation to the Golden State Warriors following their NBA championship. Stephen Curry had already indicated he would not attend the traditional championship celebration.

The following year, Trump criticized James after the four-time NBA MVP accused him of using sports to divide Americans during an interview with CNN. Trump concluded his social media post by writing, “I like Mike,” referencing Jordan.

James has also publicly endorsed Democratic presidential candidates Hillary Clinton, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris in elections against Trump.

On Friday, Trump again made clear where he stands in the Jordan-versus-James debate. Rather than comparing their accomplishments on the court, he pointed to his friendship with Jordan and his strained relationship with James.

Philadelphia 76ers Now Become the Latest Stage in GOAT Debate

Whether James can strengthen his place in basketball history is now a Philadelphia storyline.

Jordan retired with six NBA championships, five MVP awards and six Finals MVP trophies, accomplishments that remain central to many fans’ GOAT argument. James arrives in Philadelphia as the NBA’s all-time leading scorer, a four-time MVP, four-time champion and the first player in league history to reach a 24th season.

James has previously downplayed direct comparisons with Jordan, saying their careers and playing styles are too different to judge one against the other. He has described himself as a point-forward rather than the scoring wing Jordan was throughout most of his career.

Still, Philadelphia presents James with another opportunity to reshape his legacy.

He is pursuing something no player has accomplished before: winning NBA championships with four different franchises. A fifth title would also tie Philadelphia native Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Magic Johnson with five career championships, though James would still sit one ring behind Jordan’s six — a benchmark that continues to fuel basketball’s greatest debate.

For the Sixers, however, the focus is far more immediate than legacy rankings.

Philadelphia assembled one of the NBA’s deepest veteran cores by pairing James with Embiid, Maxey and Brown, believing the 41-year-old still has enough left to help deliver the championship that has eluded the franchise for more than four decades.

Training camp remains weeks away, but James’ move has already placed the Sixers at the center of conversations extending well beyond the court — from championship expectations to the never-ending debate over basketball’s greatest player.

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