Oklahoma City Thunder were invited to the White House to be received by the U.S. Presidency, as has been tradition for decades. This is a recognition from high-ranking U.S. Officials of the champions of the world’s premier basketball competition. However, the reigning champions will not be visiting Washington this season.
This reception by the President of the United States has been taking place in basketball since 1963 and too occurs in other sports in the country.
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The Oklahoma City Thunder will be unable to attend due to scheduling conflicts, a team representative told The Athletic: “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 operate out,” a spokesperson for the team said to the American outlet.
Boston Celtics Were the Most Recent Champions to Visit
Last year, the Boston Celtics, who won the championship in 2024, did attend their appointment at the White House coinciding with a game against the Washington Wizards.
Los Celtics, celebrating the NBA championship title in the streets of Boston.
The Thunder, who have won the championship for the first time in their history, play against the Wizards this Saturday, but will not be present at the iconic American building due to a lack of ‘time’.
Curry Set a Precedent with His Rejection of Trump
Those who did not attend this celebration on their own accord were the Golden State Warriors in 2017. The Bay Area team defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers and won their third of five rings they have achieved in the last 11 years. However, Stephen Curry, the team’s star, declined this invitation as it would imply meeting with Donald Trump, who was then serving his first term as President of the United States.
By rejecting this, the American politician responded to the Warriors legend by revoking his invitation. Now, the Oklahoma City Thunder join the ‘club’ founded by the Warriors and will not attend this ceremony.
The tradition of NBA champions visiting the White House dates back to 1963, but has develop into increasingly fraught in recent years, with several teams opting out for political or logistical reasons. The Thunder’s decision, while framed as a scheduling issue, continues a trend of teams distancing themselves from the current administration. This isn’t necessarily a new phenomenon; teams have declined invitations for various reasons throughout the years, reflecting the diverse political views within professional sports.
Oklahoma City will seem to continue their championship form when they face the Washington Wizards on Saturday. Tip-off is scheduled for 7:00 PM EST.
