Basketball player LeBron James has backed his hometown tyre company Goodyear after Donald Trump lashed out at the firm for "playing politics".
Mr James is from Akron, Ohio, where Goodyear was founded more than 120 years ago. The company, still based in the city, employs about 3,000 people.
He told reporters: "Not only has Goodyear been great for my city, for the history of my city, but for the country.
“Unbelievable brand and unbelievable history. So, we stand strong, we always unite, especially my city."
He made his comments after Mr Trump called for a boycott on Goodyear's products. Mr Trump incorrectly said that the company had "announced a ban" on the Trump campaign’s Make America Great Again caps.
Goodyear, which had nearly $15 billion in revenue last year, said a widely circulated image that triggered the controversy was not created or distributed by the company’s corporate group.
The image spelt out appropriate and inappropriate displays, with ‘Black Lives Matter’ and ‘Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender Pride’ deemed acceptable, while ‘Blue Lives Matter’ and ‘MAGA Attire’ were not.
Yesterday, Goodyear became the focus of a conversation that created some misconceptions about our policies and our company. Goodyear has always wholeheartedly supported both equality and law enforcement and will continue to do so.
City leaders are worried that a boycott would have a major impact on Akron, where Goodyear is one of the top employers.
Mr James has been a long-time supporter of community projects in Akron and came to the NBA from his state-champion St Vincent-St Mary’s High School team in the city.
He later led the Cleveland Cavaliers to their only NBA title during his second stint with the team.
Now with the Los Angeles Lakers, he added: “We’ve always felt like we’ve been counted out, being a small city … and that’s what rallies us even more. It makes us even stronger.”
