Oklahoma City Thunder Break Tradition: No White House Visit for NBA Champions
The Oklahoma City Thunder, the current NBA champions, will not be visiting the White House during their upcoming trip to Washington, D.C. due to a timing issue. The team had discussions with the White House about celebrating their 2025 title, but unfortunately, the timing did not align for the visit. This breaks the tradition of NBA championship teams visiting the White House, which dates back to 1963 when the Boston Celtics visited after winning the title the previous season. The Thunder, who won their first title last June, will be playing the Wizards in Washington on Saturday at 5 p.m. ET.
During President Donald Trump's term, the topic of sports teams visiting the White House was contentious. The Golden State Warriors declined to visit after winning the NBA championship in 2017, and the invitation was subsequently withdrawn by Trump. The Warriors were also not invited after winning another championship in 2018 but did visit during Biden's presidency to celebrate their 2022 championship. Other teams, such as the North Carolina men's college basketball team in 2017 and the NFL's Philadelphia Eagles in 2018, also declined invitations or had them revoked during Trump's term.
In 2022, before becoming champions, the Thunder visited Biden's White House for a policy discussion and a screening of a documentary about their after-school program in Tulsa. As the playoffs approach, the Thunder are in a strong position to potentially defend their title, currently holding the No. 1 spot in the Western Conference with a 55-15 record. Last month, the U.S. men's hockey team, invited by Trump, attended the State of the Union after winning gold at the Milan Cortina Olympics and had a special event at the White House.
Trump also invited the gold-medal-winning U.S. women's hockey team to the State of the Union, but they declined, citing prior commitments. Trump faced criticism for his remarks about the women's team, implying that he was only inviting them to avoid backlash. The Thunder's decision not to visit the White House this weekend adds to the list of championship teams who have skipped the traditional visit in recent years.