Ten Reasons The New York Knicks Should Not Visit The White House.

(ThyBlackMan.com) The New York Knicks, NBA champions for the first time in 53 years, have been given the keys to the city of New York. But, before they can celebrate for too long, owner James Dolan has dropped a bombshell. The team is to visit the White House of President Trump. The reaction has been split amongst fans, players and pundits alike. But, before it’s too late, here are 10 reasons why the Knicks should not visit the White House.

1. Dolan Accepted Without Asking the Players

Dolan accepted the invitation before even asking the players if they would attend. In an interview with New York Magazine, Jalen Brunson explained that he and the other players hadn’t even discussed the possibility of visiting the White House before Dolan announced that the team would be going. “We haven’t discussed it,” Brunson said. “But as a team, we’ll discuss it, and we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” That was not agreement from the players. This is a player being as diplomatic as possible in expressing his team’s position on visiting the White House.

2. This Is a Personal Favor, Not a Presidential Honor

Dolan and Trump have been friends for thirty years. In fact, in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, Dolan personally extended an invitation for Trump to attend the game and then even sat with him in the owner’s box. As political strategist Antjuan Seawright told ESPN, “I think the only reason the Knicks received the invite is because of the relationship with the owner and Donald Trump.’’ This is just a friend doing a favor for a friend and the players will be nothing more than props in Dolan’s attempt to repay a favor to Trump.

3. Trump Was Booed Inside Madison Square Garden

New York spoke on June 8th and it was clear. When the jumbotron at MSG showed an image of Trump at Game 3 of the NBA Finals, the crowd at the home of the Knicks erupted in loud, sustained, and intense booing. The fans who supported this club through 53 years of disappointment made their opinions on Trump’s attendance very clear. Why would the team honor that attendance with a party?

4. The “Trump Curse” Is Real in Knicks Lore Now

Game 3 was the only game in which the Knicks lost in the entire NBA Finals series. It was also the only game in which Donald Trump appeared to root for them. Following the loss, Knicks fans went to MSG to burn sage and try to clear the space of any negative energy left behind by Trump’s visit. That may sound superstitious, but the sentiment is totally real: Trump’s presence at the game felt like a bad omen, not an honor. Visiting him now would be a strange way for the team to celebrate.

5. Josh Hart Has Already Made His Position Clear

On the other hand, another player for the Knicks, Josh Hart, let his voice be heard during the 2020 presidential election. When referring to Donald Trump, Hart stated that Trump is a “dumbass” and wrote this on his social media account not once but twice. For this reason, if the Knicks were to be invited to the White House, Hart would have to be left out of the occasion. This in turn could lead to a huge media circus, with Hart as the center of attention, which would be very awkward for the team.

 

6. Every NBA Champion During Trump’s First Term Said No

Not a single NBA championship team during Trump’s first term in office traveled to the White House for a celebratory visit. The Golden State Warriors publicly declined two separate invites for the White House visit. With the highly politicized atmosphere of Trump’s White House and the already very divided politics, the players played it safe. The politics would be too much for most of the players, and as we have all come to realize, they are not naive to the political implications that come with a White House visit for a sports team. The Knicks would not just be ending the streak for NBA championship teams, but would add an even greater layer of complexity as fans and media compare the situations to the two previous declines by the Golden State Warriors.

7. New York City’s Mayor Wasn’t Subtle About It Either

Mayor Zohran Mamdani, a democratic socialist who led the Keys to the City ceremony, represents the political opposite of Donald Trump. The city that hosted this championship parade, packing the Canyon of Heroes for the parade of Jalen Brunson and the rest of the team, voted overwhelmingly against Trump in the last elections. So for the team to celebrate with Mamdani and the rest of New Yorkers in the days following their championship, and then turn around and celebrate with Trump at the White House, would send a contradictory message to the city that made this possible.

8. The Celebration Already Happened — And It Was Perfect

Millions turned out for the ticker-tape parade through the Canyon of Heroes after the Knicks won their first NBA championship in 53 years. Jalen Brunson held the Larry O’Brien Trophy on a float while the city lost its collective mind. They got to hold the championship trophy, and then they got to hold the keys to the city. That celebration was enough. There is nothing that a visit to the White House could add to that, and nothing that the fans would want added to it.

9. The Timing Looks Like a Political Statement

Visiting the White House is a tradition for teams right after winning a championship. But that does not mean it is mandatory. When a team decides not to visit the White House after winning a championship, it is news for a day, and then it is forgotten for good. But when a team does visit the White House after winning a championship and the visit turns into a political flashpoint, the team and its players are then harassed for years by the visit and the way that it is perceived. Given the current national politics, when the Knicks visit the White House, it will not be perceived as a neutral sports tradition but rather as an endorsement. That is not how the Knicks’ legacy should be defined. The Knicks’ legacy should be defined by the players and by the fans, not by the friendship of one owner and the President of the United States.

10. The Players Earned This Championship. The Choice Should Be Theirs.

Jalen Brunson played through injury and pressure to put the team in position to win its first title in over half a century. His teammates grinded through a 13 game winning streak. The players earned this championship. They deserve to decide how it is celebrated and by who. The locker room has yet to discuss whether or not the team should celebrate at the White House but James Dolan has already signed them up for the event before the team has even discussed it. That was a mistake and the players should have the final say.

Whose Celebration Is This, Really? 

The Knicks won a championship for all of New York — the fans, the city, and the kids who grew up all across the city waiting for a moment like this. The way they celebrate matters greatly. This is not a celebration of a championship that will be enhanced by a White House visit driven by the owner’s personal relationship with the President. It will be a complicated event and the players should determine for themselves whether or not they wish to cross that bridge.

Associate Editor; Stanley G. Buford

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