LeBron James, other members of Cavs not staying at Trump hotel in NYC
LeBron James is among members of the Cavaliers who opted not to stay with the rest of the team at the Trump Hotel in Manhattan ahead of Wednesday night’s game against the Knicks, he confirmed Wednesday.
James told reporters he was “not trying to make a statement” with his decision. ESPN’s Dave McMenamin reports that “about half” of the Cavs roster was excused from staying at the Trump SoHo hotel “should they choose to,” despite the team having booked rooms there in advance. James and an unknown number of others stayed at another hotel nearby.
“It's just my personal preference,” James, who campaigned for Hillary Clinton in November, told reporters. “At the end of the day, I hope he's one of the best presidents ever for all of our sake—my family, for all of us. But it's just my personal preference. It would be the same if I went to a restaurant and decided to eat chicken and not steak.”
He added that it was the first time in his career he had stayed at a hotel other than the primary team one while on the road.
According to ESPN, the Cavs and the Trump SoHo agreed to a deal before the season given that the hotel could guarantee a block of rooms should Cleveland play in New York City during the playoffs.
