This is now the sixth year of Donald Trump’s presidency, and a long-standing NBA tradition still hasn’t shown up. No champion has made the customary White House visit during his time in office.
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Interestingly, from late February to early April, The Athletic took the pulse of locker rooms across the league. One question cut through everything else. What would players actually do if the invite came today?
The answers revealed a league split almost right down the middle. Some players still view the visit as part of the championship experience, while others have no interest in stepping into a political setting tied to the current administration. That tension, between tradition and personal stance, now defines how players approach what used to be an automatic celebration.
For players on one side, the reasoning stayed simple. The White House still represents the highest level of recognition, regardless of who occupies it. “I still think it’s a privilege and honor to go to the White House and meet the leader of the country.” “I don’t get into politics. Hell yeah, I’m going. You don’t get to step foot in the White House too many times.”
On the other side, the resistance was just as direct, and often tied to the current political climate. Several players pointed specifically to Donald Trump when explaining their stance. “I personally wouldn’t (visit). I can’t agree with Trump; I don’t like what he does in office.” “I don’t think it’s conducive to the whole of America. So I don’t think I’d visit.” In total, dozens of players who commented echoed similar concerns, pointing to disagreement with the administration rather than the tradition itself.
When the numbers came into focus, the divide became even clearer. Among 118 players surveyed, 53.4 percent said they would consider going, while 46.6 percent leaned against it, with 18 others declining to answer. The gap is small, but the hesitation behind it says more than the percentage itself.
Imago
For close to 60 years, an NBA title came with one last stop: the White House celebration. That visit once felt automatic, regardless of politics. However, over the past decade, that expectation has shifted. Teams like the Golden State Warriors notably declined during Trump’s first term, and the hesitation has carried into the present. The Oklahoma City Thunder’s decision in March only reinforced that trend.
The OKC Thunder declined to meet with Donald Trump
It should have been a milestone moment for the Oklahoma City Thunder, their first White House invite as champions. Instead, they chose to pass. During their March trip to Washington, the team quietly skipped the visit, a spokesperson confirmed.
“We have been in touch with the White House, and we are appreciative and grateful for the communication we have had, but the timing just didn’t work out,” the spokesperson said, per The Athletic.
The explanation was straightforward. Timing. The Thunder were in the middle of a five-game road stretch across Orlando, Brooklyn, Washington, Philadelphia, and Boston between March 17 and 25, with little room to adjust. Still, the decision fits a growing pattern across the league, where teams lean on logistics while navigating a politically sensitive situation.
Now the question shifts to what comes next. Will future champions bring the tradition back, or continue to quietly move past it? As more teams face the same decision, the White House visit is no longer automatic. It is a choice, and one that says as much about the league as the title itself.
