Donald Trump took aim at NBA star Stephen Curry on Saturday, but LeBron James went to bat for his on-the-court rival.
Curry had publicly said that he would not be visiting the White House with the NBA champion Golden State Warriors and that the team would be deciding collectively whether they would attend or not. Curry and several other players have taken issue with Trump, which apparently did not sit well with the president.
On Saturday morning, the president took to Twitter to officially rescind the invitation to Curry, Fox News noted.
“Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!” Trump tweeted Saturday morning.
The tweet drew widespread criticism, with many saying the president was behaving like a spoiled child.
But LeBron James was quick to Curry’s defense. Not long after Trump’s tweet taking back his invitation to Curry, James pointed out that Curry had already said he wasn’t going and that Trump had tainted what was once a prestigious White House visit for championship-winning teams.
Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going! So therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!
— LeBron James (@KingJames) September 23, 2017
LeBron’s blast went viral almost immediately, with many praising the Cavaliers forward for sticking up for Curry against Trump’s apparent bullying.
LeBron James defends Warriors’ Steph Curry, blasts ‘bum’ Donald Trump. https://t.co/r2tb8E6Vay
— USA TODAY Sports (@usatodaysports) September 23, 2017
Trump’s decision to publicly rescind the offer to Stephen Curry came just hours after the president took aim at NFL players who sit out the national anthem in protest of police brutality against minorities. After former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick first started the protest last year, many other players have joined in, even as Kaepernick has not been able to find a team willing to sign him.
As many on Twitter noted, Donald Trump appeared to be inspired by Fox News to rescind the invitation to Steph Curry. The president is known for his affinity for the cable news network, and his tweet against Curry came within minutes of Fox airing the former NBA MVP’s comments.
“Fox & Friends” covered this story at 8:24am. Banner: “Curry Wants to Skip White House Visit.” Trump tweeted at 8:45. https://t.co/hVN7qnRwyy
— Brian Stelter (@brianstelter) September 23, 2017
While Steph Curry has already lost his invite to the White House, the rest of the Golden State Warriors have yet to decide whether they want to visit Donald Trump or skip the long-honored tradition and not go. Should the Cleveland Cavaliers win the NBA title next year, it seems pretty clear that LeBron James has already made up his mind.
[Featured Image by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images]
