Following a swirl of reports to the contrary, the Warriors said earlier this week that no decision had been made on whether the team would accept the traditional invitation to visit the White House.
One of the team’s most high-profile stars, Stephen Curry, told reporters, however, that he doesn’t want to go.
Go behind-the-scenes as the #Warriors were celebrated at the @WhiteHouse as guests of @POTUS.https://t.co/tltmX9onEB
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) February 5, 2016
“Somebody asked me about [going to the White House] a couple of months ago, like a hypothetical, if the championship were to happen would I do it and I think I answered, ‘I wouldn’t go.’ I still feel like that today,” Curry told USA Today. “But, obviously as a team, we’re going to have a conversation.”
This isn’t the first time Curry has spoken out against Trump. When Kevin Plank, CEO of one of Curry’s main sponsors, Under Armour, said in an interview said that Trump is an “asset” to the country, Curry responded that he agrees with the description, “if you remove the ‘et’ from asset.”
READ MORE: ‘Old friend’ Rodman presents copy of Trump’s ‘Art of Deal’ during N. Korea visit
President Trump has attracted criticism from many in the NBA. Following last November’s election, Richard Jefferson, of last year’s champions, Cleveland Cavaliers, said they’ be the last team to visit the White House. High profile coaches Stan Van Gundy, Greg Popovich and the Warrior’s own Steve Kerr all gave interviews where they were extremely critical of Trump.
As recently as last month Kerr called Trump a “blowhard” and said he “couldn’t be more ill-suited for office.”
Several other Warriors have also put it on the record that they have reservations about visiting Trump in the White House. Veteran forward David West told The Undefeated that he “probably won’t” visit the White House.
?? #WarriorsParadepic.twitter.com/SXZPB2BGxV
— GoldenStateWarriors (@warriors) June 15, 2017
The most vociferous response came from small forward Andre Iguodala who said, “Hell, nah!” when questioned by journalist Sam Amick from USA Today.
“We’re going to do what our leader [Curry] does,” Iguodala told Amick. “I think we handle [the White House situation] when it gets there. I mean, it may be different. There might be somebody different in [office]. That’s a realistic thing to say, though, right? So, you don’t know what’s going to happen.”
Golden State defeated Cleveland on Monday night to wrap up their series in five games and earn their second NBA championship in three years.
