LeBron James remains a divisive figure in the sports world, facing criticism for his entrance into the Galen Center to watch his son Bronny’s first collegiate game after his summer cardiac arrest.
As James walked into the arena with his son Bryce and teammates, a video captured him entering while the national anthem played. Despite common fan behavior during sporting events, James sat down immediately without removing his hat. Orange County Register reporter Luca Evans, who recorded the incident, claimed James often enters games during the anthem to minimize exposure.
Social media erupted with criticism, accusing the Lakers star of showing “zero respect” for the U.S. and hating the country for not standing during the anthem.
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James has faced backlash since 2020 when he and other NBA players knelt during the anthem and wore “Black Lives Matter” shirts to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake.
Despite expressing support for Colin Kaepernick at the time, emphasizing Kaepernick’s message was unrelated to the flag or soldiers, James has not knelt during the anthem since 2020.
Bronny James, LeBron’s eldest son, made his long-awaited college debut at the University of Southern California after recovering from a cardiac arrest suffered during a workout in July. Playing under a minutes restriction, Bronny contributed four points, three rebounds, and two assists in 17 minutes during the Trojans’ 84-79 overtime loss to Long Beach State.