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LeBron James took power complete nan play aft he was seen swinging his hips during nan nationalist anthem earlier nan Los Angeles Lakers played nan Sacramento Kings.
The Lakers star was accused of practicing his play plaything alternatively of opinionated still pinch either his manus complete his bosom aliases pinch his hands down his back. Sports pundit Craig Carton called retired James for nan move during an section of his podcast connected Monday.
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Los Angeles Lakers guardant LeBron James (23) successful nan first half against nan Sacramento Kings astatine Crypto.com Arena connected Dec. 28, 2025. (Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Imagn Images)
"If you wanna disregard your coach, disregard your teammates, being an 11-plus-1 type of guy, do it connected your ain time. Don’t do it during my nationalist anthem," Carton said. "A mates of days ago, Lakers basketball, nationalist anthem, he disrespects nan nationalist anthem.
"And while nan anthem is being played, your guy, nan self-appointed ‘King,’ decides that’s a bully clip to activity connected my play plaything and disrespect nan men and women of nan subject who gave their lives for this country. ‘Let maine get a mates of aerial swings successful while nan anthem is being played because I don’t play bully hoops anymore. I gotta activity connected my play game.’"
Fox News Digital reached retired to James’ reps for comment.
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Los Angeles Lakers guardant Lebron James (23) reacts aft scoring a handbasket arsenic guardant Rui Hachimura, backmost left, looks connected during nan first half of an NBA hoops crippled against nan Sacramento Kings, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, successful Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
National anthem controversies first bubbled up during nan 2016 play erstwhile then-San Francisco 49ers backmost Colin Kaepernick took a knee while "The Star-Spangled Banner" played. He said he was protesting group injustice successful nan U.S., and took it a measurement further erstwhile he wore socks depicting constabulary officers arsenic pigs and expressed support for Cuban dictator Fidel Castro.
An anthem contention sparked up again erstwhile James and others took a knee during nan opus successful nan NBA bubble aft Jacob Blake was changeable successful a constabulary incident weeks aft nan decease of George Floyd. Blake later admitted he had a weapon connected him erstwhile he was shot.
It didn’t look James was doing an enactment of protesting earlier nan crippled against nan Kings.
Los Angeles Lakers guardant Lebron James, center, drives to nan handbasket against Sacramento Kings defender Demar Derozan (10) arsenic halfway Maxime Raynaud (42) watches during nan first half of an NBA hoops game, Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, successful Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Jessie Alcheh)
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Los Angeles defeated Sacramento, 125-101. James had 24 points and 5 assists.
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Ryan Gaydos is simply a elder editor for Fox News Digital.
