Speaking on ‘Inside the NBA’ this week, Charles Barkey went off on the reigning, defending NBA champions. After it was revealed that the Nuggets would skip their visit to the White House this year, the former Suns legend denounced the growing trend and reminded the public that it’s an “honor” to get an invitation to the White House.
“Are they flying Southwest or something?” Barkley asked. “Come on, man. I actually have a problem with this whole thing that’s happened in sports the last few years, not just now. It’s an honor and a privilege to go to the White House. It shouldn’t matter who’s in the White House. It’s an honor and a privilege to go to the White House. You should always go… whether you like the president or not. It’s an honor and a privilege to go to the White House and you should always go.”
Barkley was singing a different tune during the previous administration, but his point about the dying tradition still stands. Over many decades, it’s been customary for the champions of all four major American sports to receive an honorary White House visit, which is meant to celebrate their victory and enjoy the spoils of their playoff battles in front of the entire country.
Over the years, we’ve had a lot of memorable moments from these visits and it was always interesting to see NBA stars engage with the leader of the free world. But since Donald Trump took office in 2016, NBA teams started to decline the White House visit, starting with the Warriors in 2017-2018 and then the Raptors in 2019.
This year, the Nugget became the latest team to skip out on the practice, except, unlike in prior years, it’s not for any politically charged reasons.
Why Did The Nuggets Skip The White House Visit?
The Denver Nuggets earned their White House invitation by winning the NBA Finals in last year’s playoffs. And while the White House visit is supposed to be considered an honor for teams, the Nuggets don’t appear to be losing any sleep over missing the opportunity this year.
Apparently, it was the Biden administration that originally canceled the visit and that’s why they had to change the date from its original time to March 18th. But with a game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on the very next day, the Nuggets decided it was best to just stay home, focus on the game, and not let anyone, or anything get in the way of their goals.
Even for a Nuggets squad fresh off winning the title, they are all-in on another playoff run, and this latest gesture proves how committed they are to the mission. At 3rd in the West, the Nuggets are in a position to continue their dominant run but only if they maintain their focus and composure for the rest of the season.
With Nikola Jokic leading the way, Denver stands a chance against any team in the league this season and if any opponent wants to take them down, it will take a complete and committed effort from everyone involved.
Clearly, the Nuggets mean business this season and while Charles Barkley may not like them curving the President of the United States, you can’t blame them for putting their season above anything else.
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