NBA 2017 Champions Golden State Warriors To Skip White House Visit? Is It Because Of Donald Trump?
The newly-crowned NBA 2017 champions Golden State Warriors are reportedly planning to make a strong political statement by skipping the traditional courtesy visit to the White House.
Several news outlets revealed that the Oakland-based basketball team came up with the plan as per unanimous vote. However, it remains unclear whether or not they will push through with it.
Just hours after the Golden State Warriors bagged the NBA 2017 championship title, CNBC analyst Josh Brown took to social media and revealed that the team unanimously decided to boycott their courtesy visit at the White House.
With reports that the NBA 2017 champions are planning to ditch the White House visit, many are wondering whether or not this move has something to do with Donald Trump. Considering that some members of the team have been very vocal about their opposition to Trump, many believe that the president has something to do with their alleged decision.
It can be recalled that immediately after Trump was voted as president on November 9, Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr declared that he will not accept an invitation to the White House if they win the NBA championship.
Golden State Warriors star player Stephen Curry has been an outspoken critic of Donald Trump as well. In fact, the 29-year-old NBA superstar endorsed Trump’s opponent, Hillary Clinton, during the election.
Previously, one of Curry’s major endorsement, Under Armour, created a controversy when its CEO, Kevin Plank, described the president as a “real asset” to the nation. Curry, who clearly disagreed with the comments, fired back at Trump.
“I agree with that description. If you remove the ‘et’ [from asset]”
Veteran players David West, Andre Iguodala, and Shaun Livingston also shared the sentiment, claiming that they would skip the ceremonial visit should they end up winning the NBA 2017 championship.
Despite all the claims, the Warriors has released an official statement on Tuesday, pointing out that their main focus at the moment is to celebrate their victory. The team also clarified that they haven’t even received an invitation from the White House.
“Today is all about celebrating our championship. We have not received an invitation to the White House but will make those decisions when and if necessary.”
Sports teams have been doing courtesy visits to the White House since the 1800s. In 2015, the Golden State Warriors paid a visit after bagging the NBA title. Last year, the Cleveland Cavaliers also visited the White House after beating the Warriors in seven games.
Other champion teams that visited the White House include Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Miami Heat, and San Antonio Spurs — all of which happened under the Obama administration.
[Featured Image by Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP Images]
