Column: Trump's tweet about LeBron is pathetic, immature but not unexpected

Jeff Zillgitt | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption President Trump bashes LeBron James over CNN interview President Trump reacted on Twitter to a CNN interview with LeBron James where the NBA superstar criticized the president.

Since the 2016 election, President Donald Trump has had several opportunities to fire back at LeBron James for something James said about him.

But until Friday evening, Trump resisted.

Even when James called Trump a "bum" and even when James said Trump doesn’t understand or care about the people, Trump said nothing. All the while,Trump bashed the NFL, some of its players and the Golden State Warriors, calling Steph Curry out by name.

Trump left James alone — until Friday evening when he insulted the intelligence of James and CNN’s Don Lemon in a tweet.

Trump wrote: “Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike!”

So why now? Joe Vardon, who covered James for Cleveland.com and covered Ohio politics before switching to sports, posits that Trump waited until James was no longer a full-time resident of Ohio, a swing state Trump needs to win in 2020.

Now that James is moving to California — a state Trump won’t win — Trump felt it was OK to bash James in a tweet at 11:37 p.m. ET on a Friday. How that impacts the 2020 election, the people of Ohio will settle that. It seems like superficial play, if that’s why Trump attacked James with a third-grade insult that's hardly clever or mature.

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

More: LeBron James opens new public school in Akron

It was Trump’s version of telling a black basketball player to shut up and dribble. Trump’s tweet was petty, mean-spirited, not presidential. It reeked of racism and bigotry. Keep in mind, Trump hasn’t said a word about NBA coaches Steve Kerr or Gregg Popovich, frequent critics of the president.

LeBron James is a lot of things but dumb is not one of them. He is smart, talented, thoughtful, kind, compassionate, empathetic, driven and funny. He has amassed a fortune — nearly half a billion dollars according to Forbes — not only through basketball but with endorsements and investments, and has created a philanthropic foundation.

Lebron James was just interviewed by the dumbest man on television, Don Lemon. He made Lebron look smart, which isn’t easy to do. I like Mike! — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 4, 2018

It’s pathetic — but not unexpected — that Trump would mock James’ intelligence at any time, but to do it the week James opened his new school for at-risk children takes a special kind of hubris.

Let’s see, the Donald J. Trump Foundation vs. the LeBron James Family Foundation.

One is under scrutiny for its practices that yielded a Pulitzer Prize for Washington Post reporter David Fahrenthold, who “found that many of Trump’s philanthropic claims over the years had been exaggerated and often were not truly charitable activities at all.” It is also being sued by the attorney general in New York for “improper and extensive political activity, repeated and willful self-dealing transactions, and failure to follow basic fiduciary obligations or to implement even elementary corporate formalities required by law.”

James’ foundation is not some fly-by-night operation. Administrative roles are filled with education specialists at all levels, from elementary to college. It is changing lives of children, from the most basic to most profound ways.

Speaking of starting schools, Trump settled a fraud case involving Trump University in which he settled fraud cases in violation of New York state education laws for $25 million.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver defended James on Saturday.

"LeBron is one of the all-time greatest NBA players and one of the most accomplished athletes," Silver told USA TODAY Sports. "He runs a very successful media company. He's sent hundreds of students to college and just opened a school in Akron where at-risk students will receive free tuition, meals and transportation. I greatly admire his intelligence and business acumen and have enormous respect and appreciation for what he does in his community."

James was not born on third base thinking he hit a home run. James was born with two strikes and an ace firing fastballs, and he belted a grand slam. Yes, he had help from others, and James acknowledges that with humility and grace. His foundation is centered around providing similar help to those who need it.

That’s why so many prefer that James not shut up and dribble.

Sam Amick contributed to this report.