NBA 2020: Donald Trump calls players ‘very nasty and frankly very dumb’

US President Donald Trump has continued his attack on the NBA, declaring the basketball league is in “bigger trouble than they understand”.

Donald Trump won’t be sitting courtside at a Lakers game anytime soon.

The US President has fired back in his ongoing war of words with the NBA after its players united to protest for black rights when its season relaunched recently.

Trump was asked about players kneeling during the national anthem and said there was a “nastiness” to the way the NBA had approached the issue.

“It’s been horrible for basketball,” he told Outkick. “Look at the basketball ratings — they’re down, down to very low numbers. Very very low.

“People are angry about it. They don’t realise. (Fans) have enough politics with guys like me. They don’t need more.

“And there was a certain nastiness about the NBA, the way it was done too. The NBA is in trouble. It’s in big trouble. Bigger trouble than they understand.”

Trump had earlier said players kneeling during the Star Spangled Banner was “disgraceful” and had made the game unwatchable to him, prompting LA Lakers superstar LeBron James to hit back.

“I really don’t think the basketball community are sad about losing his viewership,” James said. “Our game is in a beautiful position and we have fans all over the world. And our fans don’t only love the way we play the game … but also respect what else we try to bring to the game and acknowledging what’s right and what’s wrong.”

Los Angeles Clippers coach Doc Rivers added: “Well, we lost one guy. Like, really, I don’t even care. We know that justice is on our side, right?”

LeBron James (second from right) and Doc Rivers (far right) kneel in support of Black Lives Matter. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

Asked by Outkick about players and coaches taking shots at him despite their unwillingness to speak out on human rights violations in China while taking “billions of dollars” from the Asian country, Trump said: “I haven’t noticed them sending things back at me but I will say that I wouldn’t be that surprised as some are very nasty, very, very nasty and frankly very dumb. But I haven’t noticed that.”

“But I will say this: The way they cater to China, the way they bow to China, it’s a disgrace frankly. And they make a lot more money here than they do from China,” he continued.

“But we have a system that allows you to disrespect your system and that’s too bad for them. They don’t appreciate what they have here.”