Oct. 23, 2026
From LeBron James To Boycotting The WNBA, Trump Takes Aim At…. Basketball?
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RSS Feed President Donald Trump has called for a boycott of the WNBA over players skipping the pregame national anthem, and accused LeBron James of disrespecting the country for stretching during the anthem at the Knicks’ game this week. But is there another explanation other than these athletes are “protesting” or “disrespecting” the United States Of America? The answer is a HARD yes.
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00:00:02
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Friday, October 23rd. And the president apparently is more of a hockey guy because he really doesn't like LeBron James. And he's telling folks to boycott the WNBA. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Robe, it's okay. Some people don't like basketball so much. It seems weird, though. You like the Knicks? How'd that go? Do I have it right? The only game they lost in the NBA finals was the game he attended, correct?
00:00:36
Speaker 2: You are correct.
00:00:36
Speaker 1: Okay. But Robes, is he messing with us on these two things and picking on two issues that divide us but aren't really that relevant to us?
00:00:48
Speaker 3: I think he's finding, or at least he believes, that his nationalism focus has worked so far. When he talks about Americans... And it's about us versus them. It has worked in the past. And so he sees an opportunity where you have Americans, a certain segment of them, not seeming to respect the fight that hardworking, working class, military folks have fought their whole lives for and clearly died for. That they're not being respectful of what it took and what it takes to be the.
00:01:32
Speaker 2: United States of America.
00:01:33
Speaker 1: You think that's what LeBron was doing?
00:01:35
Speaker 3: I do not, but I think he saw it as an opportunity to try and further... Look, when you expose the rift between us versus them, you rally your base to then go vote because it's us versus them. There's so much at stake. Our country's pride is at stake.
00:01:53
Speaker 2: That's what's happening.
00:01:54
Speaker 1: So let me... Is it reasonable, though, Robes, for someone... who did serve to see what LeBron did. We're going to describe a little more here. Many of you have already seen it. Is it reasonable? Then you would listen to someone and say, I feel that's disrespectful during the national anthem.
00:02:11
Speaker 3: Yes. I would listen to someone who has served, who found that disrespectful.
00:02:17
Speaker 2: A hundred percent.
00:02:17
Speaker 1: And that's where we always want to leave space. Uh, but ropes out of nowhere, these have exploded into biggest stories. Um, Given all that's going on with the midterms, the president is talking about basketball. He's talking about one of the biggest stars in the sport and one of the biggest superstars and one of the greatest players of all time in LeBron James. Now, Robes, we watched this game, of course, the other night. Knicks versus the Philadelphia 76ers. LeBron just joined Philly, so he's in New York. Opening game of the season. Ring ceremony. A big whoop-dee-doo. We actually noticed LeBron during warm-ups, during the national anthem.
00:03:00
Speaker 3: No, no, no.
00:03:00
Speaker 1: We noticed him because we were paying such close attention. Damn it, I don't have his name. The brother that sang the national anthem.
00:03:07
Speaker 2: He's so good.
00:03:08
Speaker 1: He is amazing.
00:03:09
Speaker 3: We were obsessed with him. He was incredible.
00:03:13
Speaker 1: So this is why we actually were watching the national anthem so closely is because we've seen him perform it before. He's done it there at the Garden before. We love him. So we were watching. The cameras move around, show players and whatnot during the national anthem being performed. And sure enough, it cut to LeBron at some point. And he was doing some squats and some stretches and his eyes were closed and his hands were together. He was in his own zone. Go ahead.
00:03:43
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, in fact, I remember thinking to myself, wow, I didn't realize LeBron prayed before games.
00:03:50
Speaker 2: That's where my head.
00:03:51
Speaker 1: Went, actually. Yes, that's a very good point to make. This is what it looked like. LeBron was in his own kind of a zone, still getting prepped for the game as the national anthem was going on. So later, Robes, I didn't see this during the game, but later someone posted a video of LeBron, and it appears he's doing a A practice golf swing. That is certainly what, it's fair to say that's what it looked like. Is that okay?
00:04:20
Speaker 2: Yes, it looked like that for sure.
00:04:22
Speaker 1: Okay. You could also argue he was flexing or trying to stretch his hips. However you see it. Fine. Let's go with the golf thing. People took that and they ran with the robes.
00:04:33
Speaker 2: They thought it was disrespectful.
00:04:35
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:04:35
Speaker 1: They thought this guy's messing around with his golf swing during the national anthem.
00:04:39
Speaker 3: Right. And by the way, I have the name just because I think I want to give this guy due credit.
00:04:44
Speaker 2: He was amazing.
00:04:45
Speaker 3: Avery Wilson. He's a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and actor. And you remember, I was like, damn, wow, this dude can sing. He was so impressive. I was blown away by him. And he was remarkable.
00:05:04
Speaker 1: The national anthem was written for him.
00:05:08
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:05:08
Speaker 1: He owns the song. He is so good on the national anthem.
00:05:13
Speaker 2: Absolutely. He's a Broadway actor. He was in The Wiz. He is an R & B artist.
00:05:17
Speaker 1: Oh, he's so good.
00:05:18
Speaker 3: And he's one of the voice alum. I don't know what role he played, but this is what I'm getting about. But his rendition of the national anthem is... is something to behold.
00:05:29
Speaker 1: I think he actually did do it during the playoff. We've seen him before.
00:05:32
Speaker 3: Yes, this is not the first time we've seen him sing at the Garden and sing.
00:05:35
Speaker 2: The national anthem.
00:05:36
Speaker 1: Okay, so he was fantastic. Anyway, LeBron was stretching. So the president then robes, if you have it there in front of you, the initial. So the president picks up on what some people have been talking about online. He reposts the video and says this.
00:05:52
Speaker 3: While listening to our national anthem, LeBron James disrespects our country. I said right from the beginning that he's no good, a total disgrace. LeBron James should apologize to all of those great American warriors and heroes who died for the American flag and all that our country stands for. Um....
00:06:26
Speaker 1: Okay, I think, Rose, I want to leave space for people who feel that way, for people who feel that what he did was disrespectful. It's hard to take it this nuclear. It's hard to see why he's a total disgrace.
00:06:41
Speaker 3: I think there, look, you can take issue 100% with someone not being solemn. Look, I think most people expect folks who have hats on to take them off. Some people go to the place and position of putting their hand over their heart, but most people are solemn.
00:07:01
Speaker 2: They are quiet.
00:07:02
Speaker 3: They are, yes, respectful when the national anthem is being sung. Now, I said this during our morning run. I want to give players a little bit of space for the fact that they hear this national anthem. I guess this was the opener, so I guess maybe you could even say there was more focus and emphasis on this game rather than others. And maybe someone should have been aware that that would have been the case. But I can see a place where you aren't thinking like that. You aren't in that headspace. You're thinking ahead to the game. You're thinking ahead of what you need to do. You're in a zone of about to go play. You have heard the national anthem.
00:07:41
Speaker 2: How many regular season games?
00:07:42
Speaker 3: 82.
00:07:42
Speaker 1: Okay. That's 82 renditions of the national anthem these guys have to hear every year. That's aside from the playoffs, which LeBron is almost always in.
00:07:53
Speaker 2: And I'm not trying to make any excuses.
00:07:55
Speaker 3: I totally respect when people feel like this is the ultimate disrespect to our country.
00:08:00
Speaker 2: I totally get that.
00:08:01
Speaker 3: But I also just wanted to just acknowledge that for them, for players on the court, it might just feel like... Yes, someone's giving an opening statement, but the show's about to begin, your head is already there, and what you've got to do, and you're just not thinking about what's actually... You're not in the now. You're in the what's about to happen zone. And yes, maybe he needs to even acknowledge that I was in my zone, in my game zone, and I should have been in the present, and I wasn't.
00:08:32
Speaker 1: Robes, you just made the best argument I have heard in this whole thing. It's... Both things can actually be true. You can admit that maybe I should have been more focused on that. And Robes, you laid something out. This is part of the routine for these guys. It's ceremony for the rest of the arena. This is part of the next step we have to go to to get to the thing I'm really supposed to be doing tonight. And you forget to stay in that moment, which does matter.
00:09:02
Speaker 2: That's a human moment.
00:09:04
Speaker 3: It might not be a deliberate disrespectful moment.
00:09:08
Speaker 2: That's the thing.
00:09:09
Speaker 3: I don't think that LeBron James was intentionally disrespectful.
00:09:13
Speaker 1: Of course not.
00:09:14
Speaker 2: I think he was.
00:09:15
Speaker 3: This is a big deal, this is a big game, this is a big moment, and he's already the buzzer going. So his mistake was not being in the present moment and not recognizing what the present moment meant to people who were watching him.
00:09:33
Speaker 1: That was really well done. You have nailed this. I had more stuff, but you nailed it. That is really it, baby.
00:09:43
Speaker 3: Because haven't we all done that? Haven't we all been distracted? We're on our phones. We're doing something else because something is routine to us, but it might be special to someone else. And all of a sudden there's that moment. And yes, there's a bit of shame. There's a bit of humility. There's a bit of defensiveness that might... immediately pop up instead of just.
00:10:02
Speaker 2: Saying, oh, wow, you know what?
00:10:04
Speaker 3: Upon reflection, Seeing it the way you're seeing it, I can understand why I looked like an asshole.
00:10:11
Speaker 2: And it wasn't what I intended. But you know what? I'm sorry.
00:10:15
Speaker 3: And I'll be more present next time because, yes, men and women have died.
00:10:19
Speaker 1: That's so interesting, Robes. That is such a good way. That is such a good way to put it. Two things come to mind. One about Michael Jordan. One about Broadway. We talk about this all. If you don't realize, Robes, people travel from all over the world to come see a Broadway show. How many shows do they do on Broadway week for one? How many performances? They do eight.
00:10:41
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:10:42
Speaker 1: So you're doing the exact same thing eight times a week, but for somebody that spent thousands of dollars to get here with their family of five to come see your show, this is it for them. This is the one time they don't care how long your week has been. You say it in that moment as to where for them, it's one thing. And for everybody else, this is a, This is a solemn experience.
00:11:03
Speaker 2: It's a singular moment.
00:11:05
Speaker 1: It absolutely is. The other thing is about Michael Jordan. Some people complain so much about players doing their rest, right? Some kid in Detroit got tickets for Christmas to see the 76ers come to town, and LeBron's on rest that night, and the kid doesn't even get to see LeBron. I'm not dogging LeBron for this. It's just a different NBA now where guys get a little rest. Michael Jordan, they always talk about, understood that he was the show every night. And he took that as a responsibility. Every night, they're here to see me. I'm going to show up and put on the best show. It's that thing, Robes, that we don't realize. And give LeBron a little mercy in that moment of it is different for him. He's on a new team. He's in the garden, the most important basketball field. gym in the world for these guys.
00:11:58
Speaker 2: And a team he wanted to play on, by the way.
00:12:01
Speaker 1: Yeah, a lot was on the... Brobes, you make a very good... You nail it in the moment.
00:12:06
Speaker 3: His head was somewhere else. Right or wrong, his head was somewhere else.
00:12:11
Speaker 1: He doesn't deserve a presidential spanking for that, does he?
00:12:14
Speaker 2: I don't think so. I do think that he could, maybe.
00:12:18
Speaker 3: Maybe if someone else had delivered the spanking, he could have acknowledged, he could have behaved better or.
00:12:23
Speaker 2: Been more present.
00:12:24
Speaker 1: Yes. His response in the locker room, he was actually asked about it yesterday after their first home game in Philly that he's played in. Just quote, it's a slow news day at the office, you know, slow news day in the office. Had a big smile on his face. It sounded like robes when the reporter was asking the question. This was the first time he had heard of it. And that's all he said. Just slow news.
00:12:44
Speaker 3: He didn't have a chance to think about it. I don't know if this story has legs. It might because the president didn't stop at LeBron James.
00:12:52
Speaker 2: But like, and that's the thing, consider the messenger.
00:12:56
Speaker 3: Perhaps if he felt like it wasn't so singularly and specifically targeted towards him, he might be able to take a moment and say, you know what? I don't know.
00:13:07
Speaker 2: I don't know.
00:13:07
Speaker 3: Just have some moment of reflection where he said next time. Maybe I'll be more, like, just aware of what's happening instead of being so singularly focused on what's happening next.
00:13:21
Speaker 1: He can also, Robes, he can be aware of it and change his behavior without making a big deal and making an announcement.
00:13:29
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
00:13:29
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's okay. Look, there's plenty. Robes, LeBron might be the greatest sportsman ever. And that ropes as much attention has been on this man from the moment he picked up a basketball in junior high school. Literally. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in high school. He has had very few missteps.
00:13:48
Speaker 2: That's true.
00:13:48
Speaker 1: He's not gotten in trouble. He hasn't been in the middle of scandal. Yes, he's done a couple things here and there. But generally speaking, he has been great for the sport. He took a back swing, a practice swing during a national anthem.
00:14:05
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:14:05
Speaker 1: That's the best we got on him. He's doing well. These two do have some history. They've gone back and forth in various ways over the years. Robes, because LeBron has obviously not supported President Trump at all, but actually called him a bum. There was a whole thing. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, winning the championship. They weren't going to go to the White House. So the president was saying, well, he disinvited them. And LeBron chimed in on that, saying on Twitter, you bum. Steph already said he ain't going, so therefore ain't no invite. Going to the White House was a great honor until you showed up.
00:14:47
Speaker 3: Ouch. Okay.
00:14:49
Speaker 2: I see where.
00:14:50
Speaker 1: These two. Ah, there you go. There you go. That's a bunch of history.
00:14:53
Speaker 2: There's history.
00:14:56
Speaker 1: Yes, the other one here. Another situation, Robes. The president was asked... In the Oval Office by Peter Doocy of Fox News. Mr. President, the whole debate over LeBron versus Jordan. Who do you got? Yeah, and he got this reaction out of him. The president essentially said, Jordan's a friend of mine and we golf together. I wonder how Jordan felt about that. But then he went on to say about LeBron, maybe he's a racist. Maybe he doesn't like Trump. I don't like people that like me.
00:15:30
Speaker 2: I only like people who like me. Well, I mean, that's an honest response.
00:15:34
Speaker 1: Okay. But he didn't reserve all of his ire for the NBA. Stay here. The president had some really harsh things to say about the WNBA and is encouraging fans to boycott the league.
00:16:00
Speaker 3: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. Yes, the president has a thing against basketball, it seems, at least in the last 24 hours. I mean, I guess he likes Caitlin Clark, maybe? That might be the only person I felt like he might be on a team for.
00:16:17
Speaker 1: He was in Iowa last night, so that was the right thing to do.
00:16:20
Speaker 3: Yes, and he actually knew his audience. That is a huge part of doing what he does. He knows who he's talking to. And yes, he, we just outlined before the break, his ire, his new spat with LeBron James. But he also has taken on the entire WNBA.
00:16:40
Speaker 1: Did you notice this, that this had been a controversy, if you will, stirring up that the WNBA finals going on right now, the teams have not been on the court for the National Anthem?
00:16:51
Speaker 2: I did not notice.
00:16:53
Speaker 1: I didn't either, but this has been bubbling up, and people have been pissed about it, and the president got involved in it last night. He was at, again, an Iowa rally. He really has. Every single day of the week, he's been in a different state at a different rally.
00:17:08
Speaker 2: He has.
00:17:08
Speaker 3: He knows what's at stake, and he knows what the polls are showing, even though he won't admit it.
00:17:14
Speaker 1: So now I guess, Robes, he isâ He is attached to a couple of issues that get people fired up. Yes, having to do with patriotism and having to do with the national anthem. So he went after the WNBA robes. These players haven't been coming out for the national anthem during the finals. And so he brought it up out of nowhere at a rally last night.
00:17:38
Speaker 3: At a rally in Iowa, Iowa fans who might really like Caitlin Clark, right? He did invoke her name as well. So he said, what's going on with the WNBA?
00:17:49
Speaker 2: What's that all about?
00:17:50
Speaker 3: You know, they'll destroy themselves before they get started because they just started to do good. It's a big deal going on. They leave the court when the national anthem's playing. What is that all about? You know, the NFL did that for a while. They stopped because people stopped watching the game. So I think you should do the same with women's basketball unless they fix it.
00:18:13
Speaker 2: So essentially he was telling folks.
00:18:16
Speaker 3: There in Iowa and certainly the world who was watching to boycott the WNBA because the teams, like explain what goes on before the games. It began in protest, but now it's just continued out of, Convenience?
00:18:35
Speaker 1: Out of routine.
00:18:36
Speaker 3: Routine.
00:18:37
Speaker 1: Now, this is... I mean, what do you do with it? I mean, the truth of the matter is this. Charlottesville, Virginia. Unite the right rally. Where they had all these white nationalist groups, these racist groups, come together for a rally. It ended up in violence. A lot of people remember.
00:18:54
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:18:55
Speaker 1: It was a very ugly scene. It was around that time. I think the president put out a couple statements. He didn't necessarily... He... Each statement got a little closer to condemning, but he didn't necessarily initially. Rose, players in the NBA, WNBA, in protest, didn't want to come out and be standing there saluting the flag during the national anthem.
00:19:21
Speaker 3: If they didn't feel like they were supported and protected under that flag.
00:19:26
Speaker 1: That's simple stuff. It's a form of protest. You don't have to like it. But a lot of the players in the WNBA are black.
00:19:32
Speaker 3: And that, again, is what makes the United States of America... Beautiful!
00:19:36
Speaker 2: The United States of America. The fact that you can.
00:19:39
Speaker 3: Protest your own government without any fear of retribution.
00:19:44
Speaker 1: There ain't that... Now, that is the most wonderful thing about this country. But robes... they wanted to protest so the wnba amended its rules on the national anthem and told them nope no kneeling and all that no sitting but you're allowed to just not be out there on the floor a lot of teams adopted that at the time the wnba then didn't rescind the suspension of the rule. So a lot of teams, Robes, at that time, got accustomed to a new routine of having that last 10 minutes of not standing out there, just looking up, going through the same ceremony we go through dozens of times a year. We'll go use that time to go to the locker room, to get a last drink, to get tightened up on the laces, or whatever. So now, Robes, both of the teams in the WNBA Finals have admitted This is not protest. The Golden State Valkyries robes are a new franchise. They've only been in the league two years. The entire two years, they have not come out for the national anthem.
00:20:54
Speaker 3: They've only known this new routine, and they've adopted it as just basically kind of getting your last-minute ducks in a row, so to speak. And so that is how it's been... Basically used and regarded as, not as some protest where they're standing outside going, we refuse to be on the court to honor our country.
00:21:18
Speaker 2: That's not what this is about.
00:21:20
Speaker 3: So that is unfortunate because it's now being interpreted that way because that's how the president presented it.
00:21:27
Speaker 1: He's selling you on, see those black and brown players who refuse to come out.
00:21:37
Speaker 3: And he made a very specific point to say someone like Caitlin Clark, the darling of the WNBA, who fairly so has been credited with increasing the spotlight and the audience, both televised and in the stadiums, to say, yes, this is a sport worth watching. But he knew his crowd in Iowa, big Caitlin Clark. Like, look what she did and look what they're doing. Ooh.
00:22:07
Speaker 1: Division works, they say in politics, Robes. But that sucks. It sucks that what these women are doing in the NWNBA and how great the finals have been, they are being accused of something and labeled as something that they aren't even doing. Robes, it's just the routine. Now, you can argue. Yes, you should be out there. Fine. But this is not some protest. You're not to boycott them because they hate America. No.
00:22:36
Speaker 3: That's not the correct way to view this story.
00:22:39
Speaker 2: And so it's always good.
00:22:40
Speaker 3: To have a little perspective. And if anything, we hope you got some from this episode.
00:22:45
Speaker 1: Enjoy. Enjoy the games this weekend, everybody. Enjoy the horror movies. This weekend as well. What are our genres this weekend?
00:22:53
Speaker 2: We've got the.
00:22:56
Speaker 1: Oh, I'm sorry.
00:22:57
Speaker 3: No, I've got sci-fi horror and then we've got thriller horror.
00:22:59
Speaker 1: Sci-fi horror is on Saturday.
00:23:01
Speaker 3: Saturday.
00:23:02
Speaker 2: And thriller horror is on Sunday.
00:23:04
Speaker 1: So be looking for that. Got some recs for you.
00:23:06
Speaker 3: All right.
00:23:06
Speaker 1: Appreciate you as always, folks. I'm TJ. That's Robes. We'll talk to you soon.
Speaker 1: Hey there, folks. It is Friday, October 23rd. And the president apparently is more of a hockey guy because he really doesn't like LeBron James. And he's telling folks to boycott the WNBA. And with that, welcome to this episode of Amy and TJ. Robe, it's okay. Some people don't like basketball so much. It seems weird, though. You like the Knicks? How'd that go? Do I have it right? The only game they lost in the NBA finals was the game he attended, correct?
00:00:36
Speaker 2: You are correct.
00:00:36
Speaker 1: Okay. But Robes, is he messing with us on these two things and picking on two issues that divide us but aren't really that relevant to us?
00:00:48
Speaker 3: I think he's finding, or at least he believes, that his nationalism focus has worked so far. When he talks about Americans... And it's about us versus them. It has worked in the past. And so he sees an opportunity where you have Americans, a certain segment of them, not seeming to respect the fight that hardworking, working class, military folks have fought their whole lives for and clearly died for. That they're not being respectful of what it took and what it takes to be the.
00:01:32
Speaker 2: United States of America.
00:01:33
Speaker 1: You think that's what LeBron was doing?
00:01:35
Speaker 3: I do not, but I think he saw it as an opportunity to try and further... Look, when you expose the rift between us versus them, you rally your base to then go vote because it's us versus them. There's so much at stake. Our country's pride is at stake.
00:01:53
Speaker 2: That's what's happening.
00:01:54
Speaker 1: So let me... Is it reasonable, though, Robes, for someone... who did serve to see what LeBron did. We're going to describe a little more here. Many of you have already seen it. Is it reasonable? Then you would listen to someone and say, I feel that's disrespectful during the national anthem.
00:02:11
Speaker 3: Yes. I would listen to someone who has served, who found that disrespectful.
00:02:17
Speaker 2: A hundred percent.
00:02:17
Speaker 1: And that's where we always want to leave space. Uh, but ropes out of nowhere, these have exploded into biggest stories. Um, Given all that's going on with the midterms, the president is talking about basketball. He's talking about one of the biggest stars in the sport and one of the biggest superstars and one of the greatest players of all time in LeBron James. Now, Robes, we watched this game, of course, the other night. Knicks versus the Philadelphia 76ers. LeBron just joined Philly, so he's in New York. Opening game of the season. Ring ceremony. A big whoop-dee-doo. We actually noticed LeBron during warm-ups, during the national anthem.
00:03:00
Speaker 3: No, no, no.
00:03:00
Speaker 1: We noticed him because we were paying such close attention. Damn it, I don't have his name. The brother that sang the national anthem.
00:03:07
Speaker 2: He's so good.
00:03:08
Speaker 1: He is amazing.
00:03:09
Speaker 3: We were obsessed with him. He was incredible.
00:03:13
Speaker 1: So this is why we actually were watching the national anthem so closely is because we've seen him perform it before. He's done it there at the Garden before. We love him. So we were watching. The cameras move around, show players and whatnot during the national anthem being performed. And sure enough, it cut to LeBron at some point. And he was doing some squats and some stretches and his eyes were closed and his hands were together. He was in his own zone. Go ahead.
00:03:43
Speaker 3: Yeah, no, in fact, I remember thinking to myself, wow, I didn't realize LeBron prayed before games.
00:03:50
Speaker 2: That's where my head.
00:03:51
Speaker 1: Went, actually. Yes, that's a very good point to make. This is what it looked like. LeBron was in his own kind of a zone, still getting prepped for the game as the national anthem was going on. So later, Robes, I didn't see this during the game, but later someone posted a video of LeBron, and it appears he's doing a A practice golf swing. That is certainly what, it's fair to say that's what it looked like. Is that okay?
00:04:20
Speaker 2: Yes, it looked like that for sure.
00:04:22
Speaker 1: Okay. You could also argue he was flexing or trying to stretch his hips. However you see it. Fine. Let's go with the golf thing. People took that and they ran with the robes.
00:04:33
Speaker 2: They thought it was disrespectful.
00:04:35
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:04:35
Speaker 1: They thought this guy's messing around with his golf swing during the national anthem.
00:04:39
Speaker 3: Right. And by the way, I have the name just because I think I want to give this guy due credit.
00:04:44
Speaker 2: He was amazing.
00:04:45
Speaker 3: Avery Wilson. He's a Grammy-nominated singer, songwriter, and actor. And you remember, I was like, damn, wow, this dude can sing. He was so impressive. I was blown away by him. And he was remarkable.
00:05:04
Speaker 1: The national anthem was written for him.
00:05:08
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:05:08
Speaker 1: He owns the song. He is so good on the national anthem.
00:05:13
Speaker 2: Absolutely. He's a Broadway actor. He was in The Wiz. He is an R & B artist.
00:05:17
Speaker 1: Oh, he's so good.
00:05:18
Speaker 3: And he's one of the voice alum. I don't know what role he played, but this is what I'm getting about. But his rendition of the national anthem is... is something to behold.
00:05:29
Speaker 1: I think he actually did do it during the playoff. We've seen him before.
00:05:32
Speaker 3: Yes, this is not the first time we've seen him sing at the Garden and sing.
00:05:35
Speaker 2: The national anthem.
00:05:36
Speaker 1: Okay, so he was fantastic. Anyway, LeBron was stretching. So the president then robes, if you have it there in front of you, the initial. So the president picks up on what some people have been talking about online. He reposts the video and says this.
00:05:52
Speaker 3: While listening to our national anthem, LeBron James disrespects our country. I said right from the beginning that he's no good, a total disgrace. LeBron James should apologize to all of those great American warriors and heroes who died for the American flag and all that our country stands for. Um....
00:06:26
Speaker 1: Okay, I think, Rose, I want to leave space for people who feel that way, for people who feel that what he did was disrespectful. It's hard to take it this nuclear. It's hard to see why he's a total disgrace.
00:06:41
Speaker 3: I think there, look, you can take issue 100% with someone not being solemn. Look, I think most people expect folks who have hats on to take them off. Some people go to the place and position of putting their hand over their heart, but most people are solemn.
00:07:01
Speaker 2: They are quiet.
00:07:02
Speaker 3: They are, yes, respectful when the national anthem is being sung. Now, I said this during our morning run. I want to give players a little bit of space for the fact that they hear this national anthem. I guess this was the opener, so I guess maybe you could even say there was more focus and emphasis on this game rather than others. And maybe someone should have been aware that that would have been the case. But I can see a place where you aren't thinking like that. You aren't in that headspace. You're thinking ahead to the game. You're thinking ahead of what you need to do. You're in a zone of about to go play. You have heard the national anthem.
00:07:41
Speaker 2: How many regular season games?
00:07:42
Speaker 3: 82.
00:07:42
Speaker 1: Okay. That's 82 renditions of the national anthem these guys have to hear every year. That's aside from the playoffs, which LeBron is almost always in.
00:07:53
Speaker 2: And I'm not trying to make any excuses.
00:07:55
Speaker 3: I totally respect when people feel like this is the ultimate disrespect to our country.
00:08:00
Speaker 2: I totally get that.
00:08:01
Speaker 3: But I also just wanted to just acknowledge that for them, for players on the court, it might just feel like... Yes, someone's giving an opening statement, but the show's about to begin, your head is already there, and what you've got to do, and you're just not thinking about what's actually... You're not in the now. You're in the what's about to happen zone. And yes, maybe he needs to even acknowledge that I was in my zone, in my game zone, and I should have been in the present, and I wasn't.
00:08:32
Speaker 1: Robes, you just made the best argument I have heard in this whole thing. It's... Both things can actually be true. You can admit that maybe I should have been more focused on that. And Robes, you laid something out. This is part of the routine for these guys. It's ceremony for the rest of the arena. This is part of the next step we have to go to to get to the thing I'm really supposed to be doing tonight. And you forget to stay in that moment, which does matter.
00:09:02
Speaker 2: That's a human moment.
00:09:04
Speaker 3: It might not be a deliberate disrespectful moment.
00:09:08
Speaker 2: That's the thing.
00:09:09
Speaker 3: I don't think that LeBron James was intentionally disrespectful.
00:09:13
Speaker 1: Of course not.
00:09:14
Speaker 2: I think he was.
00:09:15
Speaker 3: This is a big deal, this is a big game, this is a big moment, and he's already the buzzer going. So his mistake was not being in the present moment and not recognizing what the present moment meant to people who were watching him.
00:09:33
Speaker 1: That was really well done. You have nailed this. I had more stuff, but you nailed it. That is really it, baby.
00:09:43
Speaker 3: Because haven't we all done that? Haven't we all been distracted? We're on our phones. We're doing something else because something is routine to us, but it might be special to someone else. And all of a sudden there's that moment. And yes, there's a bit of shame. There's a bit of humility. There's a bit of defensiveness that might... immediately pop up instead of just.
00:10:02
Speaker 2: Saying, oh, wow, you know what?
00:10:04
Speaker 3: Upon reflection, Seeing it the way you're seeing it, I can understand why I looked like an asshole.
00:10:11
Speaker 2: And it wasn't what I intended. But you know what? I'm sorry.
00:10:15
Speaker 3: And I'll be more present next time because, yes, men and women have died.
00:10:19
Speaker 1: That's so interesting, Robes. That is such a good way. That is such a good way to put it. Two things come to mind. One about Michael Jordan. One about Broadway. We talk about this all. If you don't realize, Robes, people travel from all over the world to come see a Broadway show. How many shows do they do on Broadway week for one? How many performances? They do eight.
00:10:41
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:10:42
Speaker 1: So you're doing the exact same thing eight times a week, but for somebody that spent thousands of dollars to get here with their family of five to come see your show, this is it for them. This is the one time they don't care how long your week has been. You say it in that moment as to where for them, it's one thing. And for everybody else, this is a, This is a solemn experience.
00:11:03
Speaker 2: It's a singular moment.
00:11:05
Speaker 1: It absolutely is. The other thing is about Michael Jordan. Some people complain so much about players doing their rest, right? Some kid in Detroit got tickets for Christmas to see the 76ers come to town, and LeBron's on rest that night, and the kid doesn't even get to see LeBron. I'm not dogging LeBron for this. It's just a different NBA now where guys get a little rest. Michael Jordan, they always talk about, understood that he was the show every night. And he took that as a responsibility. Every night, they're here to see me. I'm going to show up and put on the best show. It's that thing, Robes, that we don't realize. And give LeBron a little mercy in that moment of it is different for him. He's on a new team. He's in the garden, the most important basketball field. gym in the world for these guys.
00:11:58
Speaker 2: And a team he wanted to play on, by the way.
00:12:01
Speaker 1: Yeah, a lot was on the... Brobes, you make a very good... You nail it in the moment.
00:12:06
Speaker 3: His head was somewhere else. Right or wrong, his head was somewhere else.
00:12:11
Speaker 1: He doesn't deserve a presidential spanking for that, does he?
00:12:14
Speaker 2: I don't think so. I do think that he could, maybe.
00:12:18
Speaker 3: Maybe if someone else had delivered the spanking, he could have acknowledged, he could have behaved better or.
00:12:23
Speaker 2: Been more present.
00:12:24
Speaker 1: Yes. His response in the locker room, he was actually asked about it yesterday after their first home game in Philly that he's played in. Just quote, it's a slow news day at the office, you know, slow news day in the office. Had a big smile on his face. It sounded like robes when the reporter was asking the question. This was the first time he had heard of it. And that's all he said. Just slow news.
00:12:44
Speaker 3: He didn't have a chance to think about it. I don't know if this story has legs. It might because the president didn't stop at LeBron James.
00:12:52
Speaker 2: But like, and that's the thing, consider the messenger.
00:12:56
Speaker 3: Perhaps if he felt like it wasn't so singularly and specifically targeted towards him, he might be able to take a moment and say, you know what? I don't know.
00:13:07
Speaker 2: I don't know.
00:13:07
Speaker 3: Just have some moment of reflection where he said next time. Maybe I'll be more, like, just aware of what's happening instead of being so singularly focused on what's happening next.
00:13:21
Speaker 1: He can also, Robes, he can be aware of it and change his behavior without making a big deal and making an announcement.
00:13:29
Speaker 2: Absolutely.
00:13:29
Speaker 1: Yeah, it's okay. Look, there's plenty. Robes, LeBron might be the greatest sportsman ever. And that ropes as much attention has been on this man from the moment he picked up a basketball in junior high school. Literally. He was on the cover of Sports Illustrated in high school. He has had very few missteps.
00:13:48
Speaker 2: That's true.
00:13:48
Speaker 1: He's not gotten in trouble. He hasn't been in the middle of scandal. Yes, he's done a couple things here and there. But generally speaking, he has been great for the sport. He took a back swing, a practice swing during a national anthem.
00:14:05
Speaker 3: Okay.
00:14:05
Speaker 1: That's the best we got on him. He's doing well. These two do have some history. They've gone back and forth in various ways over the years. Robes, because LeBron has obviously not supported President Trump at all, but actually called him a bum. There was a whole thing. Steph Curry, Golden State Warriors, winning the championship. They weren't going to go to the White House. So the president was saying, well, he disinvited them. And LeBron chimed in on that, saying on Twitter, you bum. Steph already said he ain't going, so therefore ain't no invite. Going to the White House was a great honor until you showed up.
00:14:47
Speaker 3: Ouch. Okay.
00:14:49
Speaker 2: I see where.
00:14:50
Speaker 1: These two. Ah, there you go. There you go. That's a bunch of history.
00:14:53
Speaker 2: There's history.
00:14:56
Speaker 1: Yes, the other one here. Another situation, Robes. The president was asked... In the Oval Office by Peter Doocy of Fox News. Mr. President, the whole debate over LeBron versus Jordan. Who do you got? Yeah, and he got this reaction out of him. The president essentially said, Jordan's a friend of mine and we golf together. I wonder how Jordan felt about that. But then he went on to say about LeBron, maybe he's a racist. Maybe he doesn't like Trump. I don't like people that like me.
00:15:30
Speaker 2: I only like people who like me. Well, I mean, that's an honest response.
00:15:34
Speaker 1: Okay. But he didn't reserve all of his ire for the NBA. Stay here. The president had some really harsh things to say about the WNBA and is encouraging fans to boycott the league.
00:16:00
Speaker 3: Welcome back, everyone, to Amy and TJ. Yes, the president has a thing against basketball, it seems, at least in the last 24 hours. I mean, I guess he likes Caitlin Clark, maybe? That might be the only person I felt like he might be on a team for.
00:16:17
Speaker 1: He was in Iowa last night, so that was the right thing to do.
00:16:20
Speaker 3: Yes, and he actually knew his audience. That is a huge part of doing what he does. He knows who he's talking to. And yes, he, we just outlined before the break, his ire, his new spat with LeBron James. But he also has taken on the entire WNBA.
00:16:40
Speaker 1: Did you notice this, that this had been a controversy, if you will, stirring up that the WNBA finals going on right now, the teams have not been on the court for the National Anthem?
00:16:51
Speaker 2: I did not notice.
00:16:53
Speaker 1: I didn't either, but this has been bubbling up, and people have been pissed about it, and the president got involved in it last night. He was at, again, an Iowa rally. He really has. Every single day of the week, he's been in a different state at a different rally.
00:17:08
Speaker 2: He has.
00:17:08
Speaker 3: He knows what's at stake, and he knows what the polls are showing, even though he won't admit it.
00:17:14
Speaker 1: So now I guess, Robes, he isâ He is attached to a couple of issues that get people fired up. Yes, having to do with patriotism and having to do with the national anthem. So he went after the WNBA robes. These players haven't been coming out for the national anthem during the finals. And so he brought it up out of nowhere at a rally last night.
00:17:38
Speaker 3: At a rally in Iowa, Iowa fans who might really like Caitlin Clark, right? He did invoke her name as well. So he said, what's going on with the WNBA?
00:17:49
Speaker 2: What's that all about?
00:17:50
Speaker 3: You know, they'll destroy themselves before they get started because they just started to do good. It's a big deal going on. They leave the court when the national anthem's playing. What is that all about? You know, the NFL did that for a while. They stopped because people stopped watching the game. So I think you should do the same with women's basketball unless they fix it.
00:18:13
Speaker 2: So essentially he was telling folks.
00:18:16
Speaker 3: There in Iowa and certainly the world who was watching to boycott the WNBA because the teams, like explain what goes on before the games. It began in protest, but now it's just continued out of, Convenience?
00:18:35
Speaker 1: Out of routine.
00:18:36
Speaker 3: Routine.
00:18:37
Speaker 1: Now, this is... I mean, what do you do with it? I mean, the truth of the matter is this. Charlottesville, Virginia. Unite the right rally. Where they had all these white nationalist groups, these racist groups, come together for a rally. It ended up in violence. A lot of people remember.
00:18:54
Speaker 3: Yes.
00:18:55
Speaker 1: It was a very ugly scene. It was around that time. I think the president put out a couple statements. He didn't necessarily... He... Each statement got a little closer to condemning, but he didn't necessarily initially. Rose, players in the NBA, WNBA, in protest, didn't want to come out and be standing there saluting the flag during the national anthem.
00:19:21
Speaker 3: If they didn't feel like they were supported and protected under that flag.
00:19:26
Speaker 1: That's simple stuff. It's a form of protest. You don't have to like it. But a lot of the players in the WNBA are black.
00:19:32
Speaker 3: And that, again, is what makes the United States of America... Beautiful!
00:19:36
Speaker 2: The United States of America. The fact that you can.
00:19:39
Speaker 3: Protest your own government without any fear of retribution.
00:19:44
Speaker 1: There ain't that... Now, that is the most wonderful thing about this country. But robes... they wanted to protest so the wnba amended its rules on the national anthem and told them nope no kneeling and all that no sitting but you're allowed to just not be out there on the floor a lot of teams adopted that at the time the wnba then didn't rescind the suspension of the rule. So a lot of teams, Robes, at that time, got accustomed to a new routine of having that last 10 minutes of not standing out there, just looking up, going through the same ceremony we go through dozens of times a year. We'll go use that time to go to the locker room, to get a last drink, to get tightened up on the laces, or whatever. So now, Robes, both of the teams in the WNBA Finals have admitted This is not protest. The Golden State Valkyries robes are a new franchise. They've only been in the league two years. The entire two years, they have not come out for the national anthem.
00:20:54
Speaker 3: They've only known this new routine, and they've adopted it as just basically kind of getting your last-minute ducks in a row, so to speak. And so that is how it's been... Basically used and regarded as, not as some protest where they're standing outside going, we refuse to be on the court to honor our country.
00:21:18
Speaker 2: That's not what this is about.
00:21:20
Speaker 3: So that is unfortunate because it's now being interpreted that way because that's how the president presented it.
00:21:27
Speaker 1: He's selling you on, see those black and brown players who refuse to come out.
00:21:37
Speaker 3: And he made a very specific point to say someone like Caitlin Clark, the darling of the WNBA, who fairly so has been credited with increasing the spotlight and the audience, both televised and in the stadiums, to say, yes, this is a sport worth watching. But he knew his crowd in Iowa, big Caitlin Clark. Like, look what she did and look what they're doing. Ooh.
00:22:07
Speaker 1: Division works, they say in politics, Robes. But that sucks. It sucks that what these women are doing in the NWNBA and how great the finals have been, they are being accused of something and labeled as something that they aren't even doing. Robes, it's just the routine. Now, you can argue. Yes, you should be out there. Fine. But this is not some protest. You're not to boycott them because they hate America. No.
00:22:36
Speaker 3: That's not the correct way to view this story.
00:22:39
Speaker 2: And so it's always good.
00:22:40
Speaker 3: To have a little perspective. And if anything, we hope you got some from this episode.
00:22:45
Speaker 1: Enjoy. Enjoy the games this weekend, everybody. Enjoy the horror movies. This weekend as well. What are our genres this weekend?
00:22:53
Speaker 2: We've got the.
00:22:56
Speaker 1: Oh, I'm sorry.
00:22:57
Speaker 3: No, I've got sci-fi horror and then we've got thriller horror.
00:22:59
Speaker 1: Sci-fi horror is on Saturday.
00:23:01
Speaker 3: Saturday.
00:23:02
Speaker 2: And thriller horror is on Sunday.
00:23:04
Speaker 1: So be looking for that. Got some recs for you.
00:23:06
Speaker 3: All right.
00:23:06
Speaker 1: Appreciate you as always, folks. I'm TJ. That's Robes. We'll talk to you soon.