LeBron James signed with the Philadelphia 76ers, ending his eight‑year tenure with the Los Angeles Lakers. But as his free‑agency move grabbed headlines, an old Donald Trump remark about James playing in the WNBA has resurfaced, drawing attention because of the ongoing debate over transgender participation in women’s sports.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
At Turning Point USA’s Student Action Summit in July 2022, Trump quipped: “I’ll tell you what. I’d be the greatest women’s basketball coach in history. Because I don’t like LeBron James. I like Michael Jordan much better. But I’d go up to LeBron James, it doesn’t matter. I’d say, ‘LeBron, did you ever have any desire to be a woman? Because what I’d love you to do is star on my team that I’m building up. I’ll have the greatest team in history. They’ll never lose. Nobody will come within 70 points of this team’… No, we have to change that. We have to make it OK to talk about it.”
Trump framed the comment as a joke, but its resurfacing now has reignited scrutiny.
The Trump‑LeBron feud dates back to 2017, when James blasted Trump for rescinding a White House invitation to Stephen Curry and the Warriors. Since then, they have traded public criticism.
“U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going! So therefore ain’t no invite,” James wrote on X. “Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!”
Most recently, Trump was asked to weigh in on the GOAT debate between Michael Jordan and James. He replied, “Michael Jordan is a friend of mine… I think LeBron is—maybe he’s a racist, maybe he doesn’t like Trump. I only like people that like me, so I’d say Michael Jordan all the way.”
All about the ongoing Trans athlete controversy around the WNBA
Though Trump’s WNBA joke predates today’s controversy, its resurfacing coincides with heated debate over transgender participation in women’s sports. The WNBA and the Players Association’s (WNBPA) new Collective Bargaining Agreement kept the rule that “only players who are women are eligible,” but left gender identity undefined.
Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham called for barring transgender athletes from women’s categories, saying she wanted to protect young girls in locker rooms. She faced immediate backlash from reporters and social media, though she insisted her stance was “common sense.”
Meanwhile, Golden State Valkyries coach Natalie Nakase backed inclusion, stating that “sports is about belonging.” Fever star Caitlin Clark deferred to the league office, saying governing bodies must work with athletes to find solutions.
Responses across the WNBA remain divided, and the league office has stayed silent. Against this backdrop, Trump’s resurfaced joke has been pulled into the conversation, even if it was originally delivered as a dig at LeBron rather than a comment on trans athletes.