LeBron James had promised to revive NBA champions’ traditional White House visit. But the Lakers won’t be getting it done in the near future.
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It’s been around 5 months since Joe Biden was declared victorious in the US Presidential elections. The 78-year-old has held office for nearly 3 months now, in which he’s changed the dynamic of the position quite a bit.
No longer is a sitting president sitting and tweeting about the NBA’s favorite son, disparaging him. Trump actively disenfranchised NBA players of their platform by poking fun at them.
As a result, he was alienated by the players’ community. Stephen Curry declared in September 2017 that his Warriors wouldn’t be visiting White House on any sort of official pretext.
Trump, ever the instigator, then took it upon himself to disinvite Curry and any future NBA champions. This meant that a decades-old tradition of champions being felicitated by the President was now broken.
LeBron James, Lakers deflect White House visit on Washington trip
With Covid still going strong in the second wave, the league’s COVID protocols remain tough as ever. Thus, there is no scope for LeBron to make good on his promise to Draymond Green.
After Joe Biden’s electoral victory was confirmed, Green had asked The King if he’d revive the champions’ tradition. James, who’d campaigned for the Democrats, had replied enthusiastically.
The league’s COVID-19 protocols and a scheduling crunch will prevent the team from visiting. The Lakers play in Orlando on April 26 before their game in DC on April 28, followed by a long flight back home for a game against Sacramento on April 30.
