The traditional White House visit following a sports championship victory has become more of a talking point during the Trump era than ever before.
While Stanley Cup champions the Pittsburgh Penguins are planning to meet with the president, the Golden State Warriors have yet to commit.
“We have not been invited to the White House,” Raymond Ridder, a team spokesman, said in an email Tuesday, according to the Washington Post. “Today is all about celebrating our championship. We will make those decisions when and if necessary.”
The Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday night, marking their second championship in three years.
Having beaten out the Nashville Predators to clinch the NHL crown on Sunday, “the Pittsburgh Penguins would never turn down a visit to the White House and, if invited, we would go as a team,” David Morehouse, their team’s CEO and president, said in a statement.
Stephen Curry and the entire Warriors team made the traditional trip to Washington, D.C. in February 2016 to celebrate their 2015 NBA season title with then-president Barack Obama.
The morning after their latest victory over the Cavs, former White House photographer Pete Souza reminded his Instagram followers how much fun Curry and Obama had making a science fair project volcano.
In February, Curry openly disagreed with Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank’s support of Trump, who he called “an asset to the country.”
“I agree with the description, if you remove the ‘et’ from asset,” Curry, an Under Armour endorser who has his own shoe line with the sportswear brand, told the Mercury News.
A number of New England Patriots players — including Chris Long and Martellus Bennett — declined their White House invite earlier this year following the overtime win over the Atlanta Falcons in Super Bowl LI.
“I’m not going to the White House. Basic reason for me is I don’t feel accepted in the White House,” defensive end Devin McCourty said at the time.
“With the president having so many strong opinions and prejudices I believe certain people might feel accepted there while others won’t,” he added.