Trump Takes Shots at Athletes Because They Aren't Fans Of Him
What does the NBA, NFL, and MLB all have in common? Each preserves one of the most exclusive and sacred rewards that can be gifted to an athlete, the inaugural championship team visit to the white house.
Donald Trump didn't learn one important lesson on the way to the white house. You don't pick a fight with a professional athlete. Trump has been the target of both NFL and NBA players after his recent tweets and comments about professional athletes not being supportive of American "heritage."
This is stemming from a comment made by Donald Trump in a tweet where he took aim at Stephen Curry for telling ESPN that he did not want to visit the white house because of his feelings about Trump. Donald tweeted, "Going to the white house is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!"
The Golden State Warriors issued a statement the following day: "While we intended to meet as a team at the first opportunity we had this morning to collaboratively discuss a potential visit to the White House, we accept that President Trump has made it clear that we are not invited."
Lebron James was also quick to defend Curry after he was uninvited to the white house. James tweeted Trump calling him a "bum" then posted a video on "Uninterrupted" where he shared his thoughts about the type of outrage Trump has been causing. This is also stemming from a visit Trump made to Huntsville, Alabama where he spoke to a crowd and promoted NFL owners firing players that did not kneel for the national anthem. Trump described them as being a "son of a bitch" for not respecting the flag by kneeling and urged that they should be fired immediately.
Possibly the biggest takeaway from this is that while Trump has been busy creating tension with other countries, he chose to save his worst sentiments for African-American males. This is why many athletes have mentioned not wanting to visit the White House if given the chance or they passed on the invitation.
Professional sports is considered one of the most American of hobbies we share in this country. Opposing its biggest superstars is not something we consider duties of the president. We likely won't see an inclusion of Trump within much of pro sports. Unlike Obama, we won't be wondering who Trump is picking for the NCAA tournament or who he thinks is going to the world series. He's made it clear what he thinks of the athletes that don't share his version of American patriotism, and it appears the feeling is mutual.