President Donald Trump doubled down on denouncing protests by NFL players and rescinded NBA star Stephen Currysa国际传媒檚 White House invitation on Saturday, a series of tweets that quickly inflamed football and basketball stars and even prompted LeBron James to call the president a sa国际传媒渂um.sa国际传媒�
Trump started by announcing that Curry, the immensely popular two-time MVP for the Golden State Warriors, would not be welcome at the White House for the commemorative visit traditionally made by championship teams. Later, Trump reiterated what he said at a rally in Alabama the previous night that NFL players who kneel for the national anthem should be fired.
U bum already said he ain't going! So therefore ain't no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!
sa国际传媒� LeBron James (@KingJames)
The Warriors said it was made clear to them that they were not welcome at the White House. They said that when they go to Washington this season they will instead sa国际传媒渃elebrate equality, diversity and inclusion sa国际传媒� the values that we embrace as an organization.sa国际传媒�
Curry had said he did not want to go to the White House anyway, but the Warriors had not made a collective decision before Saturday.
Following a tweet Saturday, James clarified his stance on the issue in a video.
"Itsa国际传媒檚 not about dividing. We as American people need to come together even stronger.sa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� responds to sa国际传媒檚 comments.
sa国际传媒� UNINTERRUPTED (@uninterrupted)
Warriors general manager Bob Myers said Saturday he was surprised by the invitation being pulled.
sa国际传媒淭he White House visit should be something that is celebrated,sa国际传媒� Myers said. sa国际传媒淪o we want to go to Washington, D.C. and do something to commemorate kind of who we are as an organization, what we feel, what we represent and at the same time spend our energy on that. Instead of looking backward, we want to look forward.sa国际传媒�
Added Warriors coach Steve Kerr, after his teamsa国际传媒檚 first practice of the season: sa国际传媒淭hese are not normal times.sa国际传媒�
Trumpsa国际传媒檚 latest entry into the intersection of sports and politics started in Alabama on Friday night, when he said NFL players who refused to stand for sa国际传媒淭he Star-Spangled Bannersa国际传媒� are exhibiting a sa国际传媒渢otal disrespect of our heritage.sa国际传媒�
Several NFL players, starting last season with then-San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, have either knelt, sat or raised fists during the anthem to protest police treatment of blacks and social injustice. Last week at NFL games, four players sat or knelt during the anthem, and two raised fists while others stood by the protesters in support.
Other players have protested in different ways over the past season since Kaepernick began sitting during the 2016 preseason.
sa国际传媒淭hatsa国际传媒檚 a total disrespect of everything that we stand for,sa国际传媒� Trump said, encouraging owners to act. He added, sa国际传媒淲ouldnsa国际传媒檛 you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, yousa国际传媒檇 say, sa国际传媒楪et that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! Hesa国际传媒檚 fired.sa国际传媒�
On Saturday, Trump echoed his stance.
Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.Stephen Curry is hesitating,therefore invitation is withdrawn!
sa国际传媒� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL,or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect....
sa国际传媒� Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump)
Plenty of other current and former stars from across sports weighed in Saturday. Richard Sherman of Seattle Seahawks said the presidentsa国际传媒檚 behaviour is sa国际传媒渦nacceptable and needs to be addressed.sa国际传媒� NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell strongly backed his leaguesa国际传媒檚 players, calling Trumpsa国际传媒檚 words sa国际传媒渄ivisivesa国际传媒� sa国际传媒� as did New York Giants owners John Mara and Steve Tisch, who also said the presidentsa国际传媒檚 comments were inappropriate and offensive.
sa国际传媒淒ivisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players, and a failure to understand the overwhelming force for good our clubs and players represent in our communities,sa国际传媒� Goodell said in a statement.
Trump also bemoaned what he called a decline in violence in football, noting that itsa国际传媒檚 sa国际传媒渘ot the same gamesa国际传媒� because players are now either penalized or thrown out of games for aggressive tackles.
sa国际传媒淣o man or woman should ever have to choose a job that forces them to surrender their rights,sa国际传媒� DeMaurice Smith, the NFL Players Association executive director, said Saturday. sa国际传媒淣o worker nor any athlete, professional or not, should be forced to become less than human when it comes to protecting their basic health and safety.sa国际传媒�
Trump has met with some teams already in his first year in office.
Clemson visited the White House this year after winning the College Football Playoff, some members of the New England Patriots went after the Super Bowl victory and the Chicago Cubs went to the Oval Office in June to commemorate their World Series title. The Cubs also had the larger and more traditional visit with President Barack Obama in January, four days before the Trump inauguration.
North Carolina, the reigning NCAA mensa国际传媒檚 basketball champion, said Saturday it will not visit the White House this season. The Tar Heels cited scheduling conflicts.
Warriors forward Draymond Green said the good news was that Golden State wonsa国际传媒檛 have to talk about going to the White House again sa国际传媒� unless they win another title during the Trump presidency.
sa国际传媒淢ichelle Obama said it best,sa国际传媒� Green said. sa国际传媒淪he said it best. They go low. We go high. He beat us to the punch. Happy the game is over.sa国际传媒�
Reynolds reported from Miami. AP Sports Writer Janie McCauley in Oakland, California contributed to this story.
Catherine Lucey And Tim Reynolds, The Associated Press
