Michael Jordan came out in support of LeBron James in a statement issued after the new Los Angeles Laker was criticized by President Donald Trump, but some said the NBA great's comments were not strong enough.
Jordan was dragged into the controversy when Trump dropped his name in a Twitter post criticizing James and CNN anchor Don Lemon for an interview that aired on the network last week.
Trump was responding to the CNN interview that aired last Monday and was re-broadcast Friday, where the NBA superstar charged that the president was "dividing us."
"And what I've noticed over the past few months [is] he's kind of used sport to kind of divide us, and that’s something that I can't relate to, because I know that sport was the first time I ever was around someone white, and I got an opportunity to see them and learn about them, and they got an opportunity to learn about me, and we became very good friends," James said on CNN.
On Saturday, Jordan issued a statement through the Charlotte Hornets, the NBA team he owns, in support of James, who helped open a public elementary school for at-risk youth in his hometown of Akron, Ohio.
Some argued that Jordan's words were not strong enough and that he did not directly challenge Trump and his comments.
Others defended Jordan.