LeBron James says President Trump is using sports to 'divide' nation

Steve Gardner | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption LeBron James cuts ribbon at ‘I PROMISE’ school LeBron James and his charity, "The LeBron James Family Foundation,” partnered with Akron Public Schools to open the I PROMISE school for at-risk youths.

From the controversy over NFL players kneeling during the national anthem to selective teams' invitations to the White House, NBA superstar LeBron James believes President Donald Trump is using sports to create division throughout the country.

Hours after James opened his I Promise School in his native Akron, Ohio, he was on CNN discussing race, sports and politics in a wide-ranging interview with anchor Don Lemon.

"What I've noticed over the past few months," James said. "(Is) he's kinda used sports to kinda divide us, and that's something that I can't relate to."

The three-time NBA champion said his introduction to sports as a youngster gave him his first opportunity to interact with people from different backgrounds and different races. In his case, and in the case of many others, sports was a unifying force.

LeBron James (@KingJames) says Trump's trying to use sport to divide people, but he believes it brings people together. He sits down with @donlemon at the opening of his new elementary school for at-risk children in his hometown of Akron, Ohio. Watch 10pET https://t.co/koTK4RarqE pic.twitter.com/CQYsTz2Fzl — CNN (@CNN) July 30, 2018

"I got an opportunity to see them and learn about them, and they got the opportunity to learn about me ... And I was like, 'Oh wow, this is all because of sports,'" James said.

The 33-year-old superstar has been outspoken in the past with his criticism of Trump, calling the president a "bum" after he retracted an invitation to the White House for the 2017 NBA champion Golden State Warriors.

Follow Gardner on Twitter @SteveAGardner