Charles Barkley believes that NBA teams that win a championship should stop boycotting the traditional visit to the White House in order to avoid interacting with Donald Trump. Barkley noted on ‘The Steam Room‘ that while he may also disagree with a large part of Donald Trump’s rhetoric, the players should respect the office and visit the White House, as it is a time-honored tradition.
“I don’t care who the president is. He’s the President of the United States. It’s bothered me, the last 10 years, they’re like, ‘Well, I’m not going because this certain person is president.’ Dude, it’s the President of the United States.”
“Even though I disagree with President Trump on some things, if I met him, I would still give him the respect and dignity he deserves. We can disagree, but it bothers me when these teams don’t want to go to the White House. I’m just disappointed…we got so divided. Where did we get to as a country when we’re like, ‘We’re not going to the White House, we don’t like who’s in there.’ That’s just stupid.”
Barkley’s comments come in the wake of NFL team Philadelphia Eagles refusing to go to the White House after winning the Super Bowl. It is expected that NBA teams that win the championship during Trump’s presidency will not visit the White House, as this was the case during President Trump’s first tenure as the Commander-in-Chief.
When Donald Trump became president in 2016, NBA teams and players refused to go to the White House after winning the championship, protesting Trump’s views and comments about several minority groups in the United States and the world over.
Conservative media absolutely lambasted the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers, the two (American) teams that won the NBA championship during Trump’s presidency, for not showing the office the respect it deserves. However, players like LeBron James and Kevin Durant openly criticized Trump for his rhetoric against the Black, Latino, and LGBTQIA+ community, among other minorities as well.
When Donald Trump was ousted as President in 2021, the visits to the White House began again. The Milwaukee Bucks, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, and Boston Celtics all went to the White House when Joe Biden was in office. But with Trump now back in power, the players are likely to resume the boycott.
While one can understand where Barkley is coming from, the players have a right to show their peaceful protest of the incumbent leader by not partaking in the festivities at the White House. This is completely their prerogative, and they are peacefully exercising their freedom without even making any kind of loud, divisive public statement.
The current President, regardless of whether you align with his rhetoric or not, is a polarizing figure. And if NBA players and teams do not want to associate themselves with him, fearing that doing so could be seen as a tacit endorsement of what he represents, then they are well within their rights to do so.
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