Adam Silver Thinks If Invited, NBA Teams Should Go to the White House
As soon as the Golden State Warriors won the NBA championship, there was speculation as to whether the team would follow tradition and visit President Donald Trump in the White House.
Many members of the Warriors organization, including coach Steve Kerr and Stephen Curry, have been outspoken opponents of Trump, and rumors initially surfaced claiming the Warriors wouldn't be making the commemorative visit. Shortly thereafter, the team released a statement saying no decision had been made and that it hadn't received an invitation. Kerr then said the team would consider making the trip should an invitation come.
The Warriors visited President Barack Obama after they won the 2015 NBA Championship.
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In an interview with C.J. McCollum that aired on The Players Tribune, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said it's his personal view that if invited, teams should accept the invitation.
"I definitely don't think it should be a league decision," Silver told McCollum. "I don't think we should be directing teams or players to go to the White House.
"It's my view that if invited, our teams should go to the White House. Regardless of people's personal political views, I think that these institutions are bigger than any individual politician; any individual elected official.
"And it concerns me that something like going to the White House after winning a championship—something that's been a great tradition—would become one that is partisan."
Silver did say he would respect any individual player's decision to decline an invitation.
After winning Super Bowl LI, the New England Patriots visited President Trump at the White House in April, but more than 30 members of the team did not attend.
