Nearly a year after their title victory (the first in franchise history), the OKC Thunder have refused to keep up with a long-standing NBA tradition.
Each year, it’s customary for the reigning champions of each of the major American sports to celebrate their victory with a special visit to the White House. This year, however, the Thunder have turned down the opportunity, citing a conflict in timing.
“The Oklahoma City Thunder, the NBA’s reigning champion, will not make the customary White House visit during their road trip to the nation’s capital this weekend,” reported The Athletic’s Joel Lorenzi. “The organization and the White House had conversations about a celebration of the team’s 2025 title, but a ‘timing issue’ prevented it from happening.”
The Thunder make their first and only visit to Washington, D.C. tomorrow (for a game against the Wizards), and it would have been the ideal time to stop by and visit the iconic American landmark. But with the Thunder currently in the middle of a five-game road trip, including a visit to Philadelphia on Monday, they were seemingly unable (or unwilling) to fit it into their schedule.
“We have been in touch with the White House, and we are appreciative and grateful for the communication we have had, but the timing just didn’t work out,” the Thunder said.
The Thunder have brushed this off as simply a scheduling issue, but it’s hard to ignore the pattern of behavior we’ve seen in recent years. The annual White House visit was once thought of as a can’t-miss event for champions, and players would set aside the day to ensure they could attend. It was just another way to honor the nation’s best winners in sports, and it was considered a great honor.
Since Donald Trump has taken office, however, it has gotten increasingly popular to spurn the invitation. Back in 2017, the Warriors declined Trump’s invite and were not invited back after they won the following year. Interestingly, in 2022, they visited the White House under Biden’s Presidency despite not having gone in their previous victories.
The Warriors and Thunder aren’t the only teams to spurn Trump’s invite. The 2017 men’s basketball team from North Carolina and the NFL’s Philadelphia Eagles in 2018 also declined invitations, sending a unified message of disapproval across some of the most iconic sports.
For the Thunder, it’s hard to verify their exact reasoning for skipping the visit, but there wasn’t any hostility or animosity involved. They kept it cordial without any additional reasoning, suggesting they might have gone had they had a few more days off after Saturday’s game.
Whatever the reasoning, it only adds to the growing rift between the NBA and the current United States administration. His brutal and unforgiving tactics have rubbed a lot of players the wrong way, and respect has been lost on both sides.
As for what comes next, that depends on who wins in this year’s playoffs. If the right team ends up with the trophy, they could make the time to meet with Trump and celebrate like champions in the White House. So far, however, teams are more inclined to just stay home than spend their time mingling with top politicians.
