Trump Not Inviting Warriors, Cavs to WH: ‘If They Don’t Want to Be Here I Don’t Want Them’

Monica Sanchez | June 8, 2018
DONATE
Font Size

President Trump said Friday that he would not be inviting the Golden State Warriors or the Cleveland Cavaliers to the White House, regardless of who wins the NBA championship.

Speaking to reporters on the South Lawn before heading to Canada for the Group of 7 (G-7) summit, Trump said that neither NBA Finals teams’ star players LeBron James nor Stephen Curry were invited.

“We’re not going to invite either team,” said Trump.

His remarks come after James said neither team was planning on attending.

The President insisted that “we have other teams coming,” adding that he hopes the Washington Capitals come to the White House after winning the Stanley Cup Championship on Thursday.

"I think we’ll have the Caps," Trump said of the city's hockey team. "I mean we’ll see."

"You know my attitude. If they want to be here, it’s the greatest on Earth," he went on. "If they don’t want to be here, I don’t want them."

President Trump rescinded the Philadelphia Eagles’ invite to the White House on Monday because members of the Super Bowl-winning team disagreed over his belief that everyone should proudly stand for the National Anthem.  

This came after the White House learned that the Eagles would be sending a “smaller delegation” to the event because many had opted out of attending.

He and the White House said that the 1,000 Eagles fans attending the event “deserve better” and called the move a "political stunt." Trump decided to put on an invite in honor of the military instead.

On news of Trump’s decision to cancel the Eagles' Super Bowl ceremony, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ star player LeBron James said that he was “not surprised” and that “no matter who wins this series, no one wants the invite anyway.”

“So it won’t be Golden State or Cleveland going,” he said.

The President in September 2017 rescinded the Golden State Warriors' invitation to visit the White House after they won the NBA championship because star player Stephen Curry expressed to his team and the media that he did not want to go.

donate