Basketball player Lebron James lashed out on Monday against the United States President Donald Trump over his verbal battle with the National Football League (NFL) over players who drop to one knee during the national anthem.

“I’m not going to let one individual no matter the power, no matter the impact that he should have, or she should have, ever use sport as a platform to divide us,” James said at a news conference during the Cleveland Cavaliers media day.

Dozens of NFL players, coaches and even some owners joined in silent protest at games on Sunday (September 24) against Trump’s call for owners to fire players who do not stand during the “Star-Spangled Banner.”

Trump kicked off his battle with the largest-grossing U.S. professional sports league at a rally on Friday (September 22), when he said any protesting player was a “son of a bitch” who should be “fired.”

White House spokeswoman Sarah Huckabee Sanders said that anti-racism protests should not be directed at the flag.

Reuters