Donald Trump slams ‘nasty’ LeBron James as a ‘hater’ on radio show

NBA superstar has been vocal critic of president and once called him a ‘bum’

Donald Trump ripped into “nasty” LeBron James and branded him a “hater” as he called into Rush Limbaugh’s radio show.

The president turned his fire on the Los Angeles Lakers superstar, who has been an outspoken critic of Mr Trump and once called him a “bum.”

"LeBron is a spokesman for the Democratic party and a very nasty spokesman," Mr Trump told the conservative talk show host on Friday.

“He’s a great basketball player but people don't want to see a guy that way. They don't want to see that.

“We have enough difficulty during the week, you don't want to sit down watching a basketball game and then watch somebody that hates your guts. He’s a hater."

Mr Trump’s comments came just hours before James tried to secure an NBA title for the Lakers in game five of the finals against the Miami heat.

In September the president said he would not watch any NBA games while players knelt for the national anthem and criticised the sport for being ‘highly political.”

In response James said he was fine with Mr Trump not watching him play.

“I really don’t think the basketball community is sad about losing his viewership," James said then.

"The game will go on without his eyes on it.”

In 2017 James took to Twitter to call the president a “bum” when Mr Trump hit out at the Golden State Warriors for refusing to visit the White House.

In June James joined with other black athletes and entertainers to start a group trying to protect voting rights and fight voter suppression.