Over the past four years when Donald Trump was president, his presence in office has changed and complicated a great tradition. Today’s athletes now think long and hard about the ramifications of accepting or declining a White House visit.
Throughout Trump’s time in office, just one basketball champion under Trump’s presidency visited the White House. Most were not invited or did not accept the invitation from the president.
The Bears became the first basketball team and first female team in any sport to visit Trump’s White House.
"It's not a political issue for me. It's an honor to go to the White House," Baylor coach, Kim Mulkey told The Associated Press. "I want everyone to say they went to the White House. Not many people can say that."
In 2017, the North Carolina Tar Heels men’s basketball team declined a visit to the White House. The Golden State Warriors, led by superstar Stephen Curry, declined to visit Trump in the White House in 2018; the Toronto Raptors followed suit in 2019.
Countless other teams were never invited or were uninvited, presumably due to conflicts with Trump’s political stances or personal philosophies.
Now, with Joe Biden sworn in as the 46th President of the United States, a new era has dawned in the White House; the NBA’s interest in a long-standing tradition has been revived.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, one of the league’s most outspoken players on matters of social justice, has had a long-standing feud with Trump due to fundamental differences in character and opinion.
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