Oklahoma City Thunder Decline Trump White House Invite
Oklahoma City Thunder Are Eurostepping Trump White House Visit Due To "Timing Issue" - Page 3
"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."
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Tron Snow
Published on
March 21, 2026
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A spokesperson for the NBA franchise told The Athletic in a statement that the team will eurostep a White House visit, citing "timing issues."
The tradition of NBA champions visiting the White House dates back to the 1960s. Trump's unfortunate first presidential election victory saw that tradition hit a snag with the Golden State Warriors, led by fierce Trump critics Steve Kerr and Steph Curry, who told Trump we're good following their NBA Finals victories in 2017 and 2018.
The last NBA team to visit the White House was the Boston Celtics during the Biden Administration.
Xinhua News Agency / Oklahoma City Thunder
You can add the current NBA champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, to the list of NBA franchises that have passed on visiting the Donald Trump White House.
Don’t expect to see the reigning league and NBA Finals MVP, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and his Thunder teammates standing behind Donald Trump on the South Lawn of the White House.
A spokesperson for the NBA franchise told The Athletic in a statement that the team will eurostep a White House visit, citing “timing issues.”
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“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 told The Athletic.
The Thunder secured the franchise’s first championship since relocating from Seattle last year, defeating the Indiana Pacers in seven games.
The tradition of NBA champions visiting the White House dates back to the 1960s. Trump’s unfortunate first presidential election victory saw that tradition hit a snag with the Golden State Warriors, led by fierce Trump critics Steve Kerr and Steph Curry, who told Trump we’re good following their NBA Finals victories in 2017 and 2018.
If the Thunder accepted the Trump White House’s invitation, they would have been the first team to visit since Orange Mussolini got back in the White House. The last NBA team to visit the White House was the Boston Celtics during the Biden Administration.
The Thunder are currently on a 5-game road trip and play the Washington Wizards today so that they could have squeezed in a White House visit, but possibly having to turn around and play the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday could be the reason for the team’s “timing issues.”
While the team cites “timing,” social media seems to believe that they don’t want to be seen standing next to a guy whose administration is currently in a ridiculous war with Iran, which is extremely divisive and is mentioned in the Epstein Files a ridiculous number of times.
Whatever the reason, we’re just happy they are not going, and besides, who wants to eat McDonald’s at the White House?