When the reigning NBA champion Cleveland Cavaliers visit the White House on Thursday, they may be the last team to do so for quite some time.
Per Sports Illustrated‘s Lee Jenkins:
The Cavs are going to the White House tomorrow. One of them speculated they may be the last NBA team to do that for a while.
— Lee Jenkins (@SI_LeeJenkins) November 9, 2016
Personally, I don’t doubt this. The NBA is more progressive than any other professional sports league in the United States, and the transfer of power from Barack Obama to Donald Trump isn’t something that will go over well with most of its players.
Ownership might intervene with the coming NBA champions, and this stance could change. Hell, the White House, in anticipation of such an issue, could scrap these visits altogether.
But if everything remains the same, if the invite is still extended to each NBA champion, if the owners and coaches of said teams aren’t applying pressure to their players, I’d bet on the Cavaliers being the last champion to make this trip for a few years—until Trump’s reign, whether it spans one or two terms, is over.
Feelings, of course, will vary from team to team, champion to champion. Commissioner Adam Silver might even get involved if this becomes a thing. But knowing the NBA and its players, there’s a real chance this batch of speculation becomes a recurring reality.
