Golden State Warriors, After Snubbing Trump in 2017, Visit with Obama While in DC
Likely lost in the shuffle of a extremely busy news week was another Trump diss that by now must seem commonplace. The Golden State Warriors, who back in 2017 did not accept an invite to the White House after winning the NBA championship, decided to visit former president Barack Obama on Thursday while in Washington, D.C., to play the Wizards. In more normal times, this would have been the time the 2018 championship Warriors would have likely visited the White House, if Trump weren’t still in office.
Looks like the Warriors paid a visit to President Barack Obama during their visit to Washington DC. pic.twitter.com/D5PSwjc3Gl
— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) January 25, 2019
The team visited with Obama for about an hour, according to The Mercury News, and only forward Jonas Jerebko missed the visit due to the birth of second child.
Warriors guard Stephen Curry was asked, after the game against Washington, about the meeting with the former president and said, “It was very low-key,” and added, “[it was] a great time for us to kind of talk about life and not basketball.”
In my walk-off interview with Stephen Curry last night for the Wizards-Warriors postgame show, I asked Steph about the Warriors' recent visit with former President Barack Obama.
He described it as "very low-key." pic.twitter.com/BE6SPAbdyS
— Chase Hughes (@ChaseHughesNBCS) January 25, 2019
Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who has been an outspoken critic of Trump’s in the past would only say that the team was “happy” about the meeting.
Steve Kerr “happy” the Warriors players met with President Obama. But Kerr declined to talk any further pic.twitter.com/YQYNcq8nHi
— Mark Medina (@MarkG_Medina) January 25, 2019
Back in 2017, Trump took to Twitter when it became obvious the champs were likely going to pass on his invite and withdrew it. “Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!”
Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 23, 2017
Kerr then responded to the controversy saying in part, “These are not ordinary times. Probably the most divisive times of my life… the president has made it difficult to honor that institution [the presidency].”
This snub may seem inconsequential to many, but with the popularity and cultural status that NBA stars hold in America, it’s just another sign of how unpopular this president has become.