LeBron James has always been a team guy, but back in 2016, Donald Trump pushed him to break an unwritten NBA rule for the first time ever-and it’s got fans buzzing all over again. The drama unfolded when LeBron, then with the Cleveland Cavaliers, opted out of staying at the team’s designated hotel -the Trump SoHo in New York- before a game against the Knicks.
It was a “modest political protest” against Trump, who’d just been elected president, and a big deal for LeBron, who’d never ditched his squad’s hotel in his career. “I really don’t think the basketball community are sad about losing his viewership,” LeBron said later, per a 2020 clip, after Trump griped about players kneeling during the anthem and vowed to “turn off the game.”
The move wasn’t just LeBron’s idea-several Cavs teammates joined him, making it a group stand against Trump’s rhetoric. They checked into a different spot, leaving the Trump SoHo behind, and X users are still talking about it years later. “LeBron said ‘not today’ to Trump-legend!” one fan posted, while another added, “That’s my GOAT-always standing up!”
It wasn’t about the game’s outcome-a 105-86 loss to the Thunder later that year-but the statement. LeBron’s been vocal about Trump before, like when he and Hillary Clinton rallied together in Cleveland in November 2016, showing his political side long before the hotel snub.
Trump forced James’ rule-breaking moment
Trump didn’t take it lightly. He later added LeBron to a White House ban list alongside Steph Curry before the 2018 NBA Finals, doubling down on his beef with the league’s stars. “LeBron’s always been about more than ball,” an X user noted, pointing to his activism, from kneeling protests to community work.
The Trump SoHo stunt marked a first for LeBron-breaking the unwritten rule of staying with the team to send a message. “He’s a leader on and off the court,” another fan tweeted, hyping how LeBron’s 22-year career, four MVPs, and 20 All-Star nods come with a backbone.
Fast forward to 2025, and LeBron’s still making waves at 40-averaging 25 points this season with the Lakers. Trump’s comments about the NBA’s kneeling protests still echo, but LeBron’s hotel protest remains a defining moment.
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