New York Knicks owner James Dolan gladly accepted an offer to go to the White House to celebrate his team’s championship, but it’s unclear who he’ll have with him. Star guard Jalen Brunson said Monday that the team has yet to discuss the issue, telling Variety, “We’ll cross our bridge when we get to it.”
NBA teams have — famously, in some cases — not celebrated their championships at the White House with President Donald Trump in office. The Golden State Warriors started that trend in 2017, when Stephen Curry and Trump got into a feud, resulting in Trump revoking the team’s invite. Since then, no NBA team has celebrated their championship at the White House with Trump. During Joe Biden’s tenure as president, three NBA teams attended the White House for a championship celebration.
Brunson didn’t rule out the idea to Variety, simply saying the Knicks have yet to discuss the idea.
“That’s something that we actually haven’t discussed as a team. And so obviously, people are making assumptions and saying everything, but together we haven’t discussed it yet. And so we’ll cross our bridge when we get to it.”
Upon being informed that no NBA team has visited the White House with Trump in office, Brunson replied, “Interesting … interesting.”
The Knicks can’t necessarily be blamed for not getting together to talk through the decision. The team has been awfully busy following its first NBA championship in over 50 years.
But a decision will need to be made eventually, especially with Dolan on board. The owner’s willingness to attend the White House shouldn’t come as a surprise. Trump attended Game 3 of the NBA Finals in Madison Square Garden. Shortly after the team won the title, Dolan called Trump a “friend.”
Whether the players go with him could be up for debate. With Dolan intent on attending, some players may also make the trip to the White House. Others can find ways to politely decline, citing previous engagements. That’s been the common path for most of the teams and athletes who have opted to pass on the opportunity to celebrate their title with Trump.
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