LeBron James speaks at a news conference after the opening ceremony for the I Promise School in Akron, Ohio, Monday, July 30, 2018. The I Promise School is supported by the The LeBron James Family Foundation and is run by the Akron Public Schools. (AP Photo/Phil Long)Phil Long/Associated Press

Sports World Reacts to Donald Trump Ripping LeBron James' Intelligence

Tim DanielsAug 4, 2018

The sports world, including several fellow NBA players, came to the defense of Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James after United States President Donald Trump insulted the four-time MVP's intelligence in a Twitter message Friday night.

Trump reacted to a Monday interview with James by CNN's Don Lemon with this tweet:

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LeBron spoke with Lemon about the opening of the I Promise School in his native Akron, Ohio, that he funded, and during the interview he said Trump was using sports and athletes to divide the country for political gain.

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

"I support [LeBron]," Jordan said Saturday, per NBC News' Geoff Bennett. "He's doing an amazing job for his community."

The other reaction to Trump's tweet was swift:

James clashed with Trump in September 2017 when he called the President a "bum" and said visiting the White House "was a great honor until you showed up" after the Golden State Warriors' offer to attend, which they planned to decline anyway, was publicly rescinded.