A Minnesota high school basketball team has pulled out of a tournament on Martin Luther King Jr. Day just days after their fans were criticized for displaying a President Donald Trump re-election flag.

The Jordan High School boys' basketball team was scheduled to play Minneapolis Patrick Henry High School on Monday in the MLK Showcase at Minneapolis Roosevelt.

Some Jordan fans displayed a Trump banner when Roosevelt visited Jordan last week.

Jordan is a rural, overwhelmingly white community.

Roosevelt's coach Michael Walker, who says his team is predominantly black, criticized the opposing school's fans following the game last week.

A Minnesota high school basketball team has pulled out of a tournament on Martin Luther King Jr. Day just days after their fans were criticized for displaying a President Donald Trump re-election flag

He posted a photo on Facebook of front-row spectators at the game with a flag reading 'Trump 2020 Keep America Great!' draped over their legs.

Several other teenage Jordan fans were clad in the patterns of the American flag.

Henry coach Jamil Jackson says organizers of the invitational were told Jordan feared something might happen to the players if they came to Roosevelt to play.

But Jordan Superintendent Matthew Helgerson said: 'Fear was not our reason'.

Helgerson told the Star Tribune in an email that the team did not want its presence at the event 'to detract from the athletes'.

Following the criticism last week, Bridget Kahn, whose son was among the spectators wearing the flag, told the Star Tribune that the students were simply wearing 'a bunch of red, white and blue, supporting their president.

'They don't have a racist bone in their body,' she said.

She said that the Jordan fans left the game with the flag 'wrapped around them like capes. I didn't see anything wrong with that.'

But the Roosevelt coach questioned why the political banner was present at a high school sporting event in the first place.

Michael Walker, the boys basketball coach at Minnesota Roosevelt High School, criticized the opposing school's fans following the game last week after he spotted the Trump 2020 banner

'I coach a predominantly black inner city high school team,' Walker wrote the day after the game.

'We go out to a rural area in Jordan, MN and this is there. Please explain how and why this is appropriate at a high school basketball game?'

His post received thousands of comments and prompted a debate on whether wearing the Trump flag was unnecessarily provocative.

The School District Superintendent also ordered a review.

Kahn mentioned to the Tribune that the Roosevelt team opted to stay in the locker room during the pre-game national anthem.

Following the criticism last week, Bridget Kahn (above), whose son was among the spectators wearing the flag, told the Star Tribune that the students were simply wearing 'a bunch of red, white and blue, supporting their president

Minneapolis schools spokesman Dirk Tedmon confirmed that this was the Roosevelt team's practice. He also said Jordan team was made aware this beforehand, prompting online speculation that the Trump banner was meant as a retaliation.

But Kahn and others on Facebook said that the Jordan team's fans were dressed up for a USA-themed night which happened to coincide with the match.

London Elizabeth, who went to the school, wrote: 'Each week, the students at JHS vote on their twitter page, for a theme for the next game. These polls done and decided days in advance. (sic)

'It's almost comical that it just so happened to be the same day the opposing team decides to opt out of being present for the national anthem. Huge coincidence! But it was in NO way in retaliation and there was NEVER any intention to offend the other team.'

'This isn't about race. This was merely supposed to be a fun night to dress up in what represents America.

'We shouldn't be bashing Roosevelt's coach either. I'm sure he didn't know this was a coincidence. I'm sure he didn't know about the theme of the night.'

Some supporters of the home fans said they were merely exercising their right to free speech. Others responded by pointing out that the Roosevelt team was also exercising their free speech right when they skipped the national anthem.

In a statement, School District Superintendent Matt Helgerson expressed 'regret that Roosevelt players and their coaching staff, fans and community were made to feel uncomfortable, as it is always our intent to graciously host our opponents.'

Helgerson added that district staff were 'reviewing this matter and collecting information [and] working cooperatively with the Minneapolis School District and Roosevelt High School in our review and response to this event.'