The Slatest

Trump Rescinds White House Invitation for NBA’s Warriors After Criticism From Players

President Donald Trump applauds during a rally for Sen. Luther Strange (R-AL) at the Von Braun Civic Center September 22, 2017 in Huntsville, Alabama.  

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP/Getty Images

President Donald Trump said that anyone who doesn’t see going to the White House as an honor shouldn’t go. As part of a Saturday morning tweetstorm, Trump suggested he won’t invite the Golden State Warriors to the White House to celebrate their NBA title after Stephen Curry made it clear he didn’t want to go.

“You can talk about all the different personalities that have said things and done things—from Kaepernick to what happened with Michael Bennett to all sorts of examples of what has gone on in our country that has led to change,” Curry told reporters on Friday. “We’re all trying to do what we can using our platforms, using our opportunities to shed light on that. That’s kind of where I stand on that. I don’t think us going to the White House will miraculously make everything better, but this is my opportunity to voice that.”

On Twitter on Saturday morning, the president wrote that the invite was off. “Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!”

In effect, Trump withdrew an invitation that didn’t actually exist. The White House had not invited the Warriors but the two sides had been talking about the issue and administration officials made it clear the administration would extend the invitation if the team decided to go, according to ESPN.

“I don’t want to go. That’s the nucleus of my belief. If it was just me, it would be a pretty short conversation,” Curry said as the management of the team said they would discuss the issue with the players to make a decision as a group.  Curry wasn’t alone in his views. Kevin Durant also said he didn’t want to go to the White House. “I don’t respect who’s in office right now,” he said.

The president commented on Curry 20 minutes after Fox & Friends covered the story on Saturday morning.

Trump’s tweet marked the second time in less than 24 hours that the president commented on sports. On Friday night, the president criticized the NFL players who protest during the national anthem, although he didn’t mention anyone by name. Earlier, the White House had called for the firing of ESPN’s Jemele Hill after she described Trump as a white supremacist.* “Why anyone would think that of a politician who continually publicly attacks outspoken black people in an attempt to whip up his largely white constituency is not much of a mystery,” notes Deadspin.

*Correction, Sept. 23, 2017, at 6:45 p.m.: This article initially misspelled Jemele Hill’s first name and misstated that she was male.