Riley Gaines, the former University of Kentucky swimmer turned conservative commentator, posted on X on October 30, 2026: “The first amendment gives LeBron James and WNBA players the right to disrespect the national anthem. It also gives me the right to call them ungrateful, anti-American hacks for doing so.”
The post came after clips circulated of LeBron James stretching and taking practice golf swings while standing for the national anthem ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers’ season opener against the New York Knicks. In follow-up comments, Gaines said, “It also gives me the ability to call these people ungrateful, anti-American hacks. Just being totally honest, that’s what I think of people like LeBron James, who are just disrespecting the flag, the national anthem, and more importantly, everything that it stands for.”
Gaines also pointed to the WNBA Finals, when players from the Golden State Valkyries and Atlanta Dream left the court just before the national anthem began, as part of the same pattern she was criticizing. James, a three-time Olympic gold medalist who has represented Team USA internationally, has not responded to Gaines’ comments
