Steph Curry, the two-time NBA MVP, says the Golden State Warriors can “inspire some change” and “send a statement” by snubbing a visit to Donald Trump’s White House.
The Warriors franchise have yet to make a decision as to whether they will celebrate their NBA title with the US president – and indeed have yet to receive a formal invitation. But Curry reiterated his stance that he will vote no when the time comes. “I don’t want to go,” Curry told a press conference.
When asked why he wants to skip the visit and what the intended message would be, Curry was forceful in his response. “That we don’t stand for basically what our president has … the things that he’s said and the things that he hasn’t said in the right times, that we won’t stand for it,” Curry said. “And by acting and not going, hopefully that will inspire some change when it comes to what we tolerate in this country and what is accepted and what we turn a blind eye to. It’s not just the act of not going there. There are things you have to do on the back end to actually push that message into motion.
“You can talk about all the athletes that have said things and done things – from [Colin] Kaepernick to what happened with Michael Bennett to all sorts of examples of what has gone on in our country that has led to change. We’re all trying to do what we can using our platforms, using our opportunities to shed light on that, so that’s kind of where I stand on it. I don’t think us not going to the White House is going to miraculously make everything better, but this is my opportunity to voice that.”
Anthony Slater
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Stephen Curry pretty forceful on his thoughts about Trump and possible White House visit pic.twitter.com/Ubj6V91EsL
Curry later told ESPN’s The Jump: “You don’t want to rush to a decision, understanding the magnitude of what this means. We have an opportunity to send a statement that hopefully encourages unity, encourages us to appreciate what it means to be American and stand for something … we want to take advantage of this opportunity [by not going].
“But it’s not just about me, it’s not just about [Kevin Durant], it’s about the whole team and what we can be able to accomplish as a team and the opportunity that has historically been afforded to championship teams. We’ll have that conversation obviously, we’ll do it as a group and we’ll have one voice.”
(@anthonyVslater)Bob Myers explains the Warriors current situation in regards to potential White House visit pic.twitter.com/e7xboDDUrT
Warriors forward Kevin Durant revealed last month that he would skip a White House visit should the team accept an invitation. “I don’t respect who’s in office right now,” he told ESPN.
The Chicago Cubs, the 2016 World Series champions, visited the White House in June, as did Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots in April, albeit without star quarterback Tom Brady.