Thunder skip White House visit over scheduling conflict
thunder-skip-white-house-visit-over-scheduling-conflict
WASHINGTON — The reigning NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder will not stop at the White House during their visit to the nation’s capital this weekend, a team spokesperson confirmed Friday.
According to a team statement, discussions were held with White House staff about recognizing the 2025 NBA title, but scheduling issues prevented the event.
“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.
NBA champions have traditionally made White House appearances since the Boston Celtics’ visit in 1963, often aligning the ceremony with a regular-season game in Washington. Oklahoma City faces the Washington Wizards on Saturday.
Several pro teams have turned down such invitations in recent years, notably the Golden State Warriors in 2017.
In February, the gold-medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team attended President Donald Trump’s State of the Union, met with him in the Oval Office and had lunch at the White House. The U.S. women’s hockey team, also invited, declined because of prior academic and professional commitments, citing similar timing concerns.
Source: ESPN
