Political Commentators React as LeBron James Manifests Trip to Israel

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has been unusually quiet about his criticisms of President Donald Trump's second regime.

Political Commentators React as LeBron James Manifests Trip to Israel

22-time All-Star LeBron James (Image via FirstSportz)

In Short
  • LeBron James expressed a desire to visit Israel, stating he hopes to inspire people there.
  • His comments sparked backlash from political commentators due to the ongoing conflict in Gaza.
  • Other NBA stars, including Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, have faced scrutiny for their ties to Israel.

Those who have been following LeBron James know that he has stood up to injustice in the past and has not been afraid of calling out those in power if he wanted to take a stand.

His battle of words with President Donald Trump during his first term is well-documented. Even though the latter had a lot of criticisms to throw at the Lakers’ superstar, James stuck to his stance.

Even the barbs thrown by Trump’s supporters, namely the right-wing media and other professional athletes, who do not agree with the four-time NBA champion’s opinions, have not managed to rattle him.

This time, the father of three has been relatively quiet and even waited to speak up against the ICE shootings in Minneapolis, quite a few weeks after they all happened. But when a reporter at the 2026 All-Star game asked him about something, the 41-year-old replied:

Never been there. If I have fans over there, then hope they follow my career, and hope I inspire people over there… Hopefully, someday I can make it over there. Like I said, I’ve never been over there, but I’ve heard nothing but great things.

LeBron James replied

Essentially, the league’s all-time leading scorer was manifesting a trip to Israel, as he felt he had heard nothing but great things about the country.

LeBron James faces backlash for Israel comments

Had this answer been about any other country, usually those listening or watching would not pay attention. However, since this was about Israel, the country that has been at war against the people of Gaza, political commentators and the media were the first to react.

Many wondered if this was pure ignorance of what is happening in Gaza, or if this was LeBron James succumbing to the pressure of corporations.

They essentially slammed the superstar for commenting without thinking, as the question was primarily about fellow All-Star Deni Avdija. Check out examples of those reactions below.

LeBron James is not the first veteran superstar to face such scrutiny. Just a few days ago, longtime rival Stephen Curry came under severe criticism after it was revealed that he invested in tech companies started by former Israel Defense Forces agents.

Kevin Durant’s ties to Israel exposed

Just like LeBron James and Stephen Curry, their other OG Paris Olympics teammate, Kevin Durant, was also exposed for his links to Israeli companies.

Kevin Durant and LeBron James at the 2026 All-Star game
Kevin Durant and LeBron James at the 2026 All-Star game (Image via Complex Sports/X)

They look cheap and uncreative. There, I answered your question. Will you answer my question about Skydio, a drone company you invested in, selling to the IDF, or will you stick by your brand of deflecting and ducking?

A fan replied to Kevin Durant

This was the fan’s response to Kevin Durant after drawing him into an argument about the changes to the Larry O’Brien trophy. The fan essentially cornered the 16-time All-Star about his investment in the drone company Skydio.

The Israeli Defense Forces are one of the thousands of clients that purchase drones from the firm. But the fan wanted to know the Slim Reaper’s opinion on his company enabling Israel to carry out its alleged war crimes.

For someone who takes pride in responding to fan questions, no matter the time of the day or the anger with which they reply, in this instance, Durant did not come back with a reply.

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