- The Denver Nuggets were scheduled to visit the White House on March 18
- But because Denver was scheduled to play Minnesota on the 19th, the visit was canceled
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The Denver Nuggets are skipping the usual visit to the White House for reigning NBA champions, but they are not making a political statement against the Biden administration.
Instead, as TNT NBA insider Chris Haynes reported, Denver is simply focused on securing the top seed for the Western Conference Playoffs. They are currently one game behind the first place Oklahoma City Thunder at 43-20.
“The Denver Nuggets are prioritizing that No. 1 seed,” Haynes said. “They’re really trying to do everything they can to get to that spot heading into the playoffs.”
The Nuggets were originally scheduled to visit the White House in January, but a scheduling conflict with the government pushed the visit back to March 18 before Denver pulled out altogether this week.
Denver will face the second-ranked Timberwolves on March 19 in Minneapolis.
Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, Denver’s top stars, are from Serbia and Canada, respectively
TNT’s Charles Barkley, however, did not believe this excuse.
“Are they flying southwest or something?” Barley joked. ‘Come on man. I actually have a problem with everything that has happened in the sport in recent years, and not just now.
“It is an honor and a privilege to go to the White House. It shouldn’t matter who’s in the White House. It is an honor and a privilege to go to the White House. You always have to go. But these guys act like they’re flying southwest.”
American professional and collegiate sports teams are traditionally welcomed to the White House after winning their respective championships, but that practice has come under fire in recent years.
Barkley didn’t believe the Nuggets’ excuse and said it was an honor to go to the White House
Detroit Pistons power forward Rasheed Wallace once said he had nothing to say to then-President George W. Bush before the reigning NBA champions’ 2005 visit to the White House.
But in the end, Wallace and Bush shared a sweet moment on stage when the 6-foot-2 NBA star introduced his daughter to POTUS.
Boston Bruins goaltender Tim Thomas skipped the usual visit in 2012 because of his disdain for then-President Barack Obama.
But during the Trump administration, things got really contentious between athletes and the White House.
President Biden is presented with a jersey while hosting the Astros to celebrate their 2022 title
When Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry publicly admitted in 2017 that he did not want to go, Donald Trump subsequently withdrew the offer to the team, sparking a war of words.
At the time, LeBron James rushed to Curry’s defense on Twitter (now X), writing, “U bum @StephenCurry30 already said he’s not going! So it’s not an invitation. Going to the White House was a great honor until you showed up!’
A year later, James told reporters, “Nobody wants an invite anyway.”
Things have returned to normal in the Biden years, with the usual visits to the White House for the respective national champions resuming — until the Nuggets declined the invite this week.