Jalen Brunson hinted that the New York Knicks’ visit to the White House announced by the team’s Trump pal owner is no slam dunk.
In a brief but telling remark to New York Magazine’s Intelligencer hours before James Dolan said he accepted President Donald Trump’s invitation to celebrate the team’s NBA title at the White House, the superstar guard “appeared noncommittal” about the players visiting, Intelligencer wrote.
That would be an understatement.
“We haven’t discussed it,” Brunson told the outlet in an article posted Wednesday. “But as a team, we’ll discuss it and we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”
Owner Accepts Invitation, Players Unclear
HuffPost has reached out to the Knicks and Brunson for some clarification.
“We just received an invitation which we’ve accepted, still have to figure out the details,” Dolan said on a sports radio show last week. “I’ve known the president 30 years, and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House.”
Trump joined Dolan at Game 3 ― the Knicks’ only loss to the San Antonio Spurs in the series ― and was met with lusty boos. He also appeared to fall asleep.
Historical Context of NBA White House Visits
No NBA championship team has visited the White House during Trump’s time in office. The Golden State Warriors made clear their political objections on two occasions. Meanwhile, three teams visited during Joe Biden’s presidency.
One possible opponent of a Trump visit might include Knicks guard Josh Hart, who after the 2020 election wrote on X: “YESSIR!!!! GET TRUMP’S DUMBASS OUT THE WHITE HOUSE!!!!!!”
It wasn’t the first time Hart had called Trump a “DUMBASS.”
