03/20/26 05:15:00
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03/20 17:14 CDT Thunder won't visit the White House during trip to nation's
capital, a spokesperson says
Thunder won't visit the White House during trip to nation's capital, a
spokesperson says
WASHINGTON (AP) --- The reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder will not
visit the White House during their road trip to the nation's capital this
weekend, a team spokesperson said Friday.
The team and the White House had discussions about a celebration of the 2025
champs, but "timing" prevented it from happening.
"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 work
out," the Thunder said in a statement.
Visiting the White House has been a long-standing tradition for NBA champions,
dating back to Boston's trip in 1963. Teams typically schedule the celebration
when a regular-season game brings them to the nation's capital. The Thunder
play Washington on Saturday.
Several teams have declined invitations in recent years, most notably the NBA's
Golden State Warriors in 2017.
Last month, the gold-medal-winning U.S. men's hockey team attended the State of
the Union following an invitation from President Donald Trump. The team also
attended an event in the Oval Office with Trump and had lunch at the White
House.
Trump also invited the gold-medal-winning U.S. women's hockey team to the State
of the Union, but the women decided not to attend, citing "the timing and
previously scheduled academic and professional commitments."
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AP NBA: https://apnews.com/hub/nba
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