SOMERSET, N.J. 鈥� President Donald Trump denounced protests by NFL players and rescinded a White House invitation for NBA champion Stephen Curry in a two-day rant that targeted top professional athletes and brought swift condemnation Saturday from league executives and star players alike.
Wading into thorny issues of race and politics, Trump鈥檚 comments in a Friday night speech and a series of Saturday tweets drew sharp responses from some of the nation鈥檚 top athletes, with LeBron James calling the president a 鈥渂um.鈥� Hours later, Major League Baseball saw its first player take a knee during the national anthem.
Trump started by announcing that Curry, the popular two-time MVP for the Golden State Warriors, would not be welcome at the White House for the commemorative visit traditionally made by championship teams: 鈥淕oing to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team. Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!鈥�
Later, Trump reiterated what he said at a rally in Alabama the previous night 鈥� that NFL players who kneel for the national anthem should be fired, and called on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to tell them to stand.
The Warriors said it was made clear to them that they were not welcome at the White House.
NBA Warriors coach Steve Kerr says political differences can be put aside during White House visits. His comments came in response to President Trump鈥檚 tweeted dis-invite of team star Stephen Curry. (Sept. 23)
Curry had said he did not want to go anyway, but the Warriors had not made a collective decision before Saturday 鈥� and had planned to discuss it in the morning before the president鈥檚 tweet, to which coach Steve Kerr said : 鈥淣ot surprised. He was going to break up with us before we could break up with him.鈥�
Others had far stronger reactions.
鈥淯 bum @StephenCurry30 already said he ain鈥檛 going!鈥� James tweeted in a clear message to the president 鈥� a post that Twitter officials said was quickly shared many more times than any other he鈥檚 sent. 鈥淪o therefore ain鈥檛 no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!鈥�
Curry appreciated James鈥� strong stance.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a pretty strong statement,鈥� Curry said. 鈥淚 think it鈥檚 bold, it鈥檚 courageous for any guy to speak up, let alone a guy that has as much to lose as LeBron does and other notable figures in the league. We all have to kind of stand as one the best we can.鈥�
Curry added that he doesn鈥檛 believe Trump 鈥渞espects the majority of Americans in this country.鈥�
James also released a video Saturday, saying Trump has tried to divide the country. 鈥淗e鈥檚 now using sports as the platform to try to divide us,鈥� James said. 鈥淲e all know how much sports brings us together. ... It鈥檚 not something I can be quiet about.鈥�
The Warriors said that when they go to Washington this season they will instead 鈥渃elebrate equality, diversity and inclusion 鈥� the values that we embrace as an organization.鈥� General manager Bob Myers said he was surprised by the invitation being pulled, and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said he was disappointed that the Warriors won鈥檛 be at the White House.
鈥淭he White House visit should be something that is celebrated,鈥� Myers said. 鈥淪o we want to go to Washington, D.C., and do something to commemorate kind of who we are as an organization, what we feel, what we represent and at the same time spend our energy on that. Instead of looking backward, we want to look forward.鈥�
Added Kerr after his team鈥檚 first practice of the season, 鈥淭hese are not normal times.鈥�
Bruce Maxwell, an African-American player for the Oakland Athletics, became the first major league baseball player to kneel during the national anthem. Teammate Mark Canha, who is white, put his right hand on one of Maxwell鈥檚 shoulders during Saturday鈥檚 anthem. The Athletics released a statement saying they 鈥渞espect and support all of our players鈥� constitutional rights and freedom of expression.鈥�
In New York City鈥檚 Central Park, musician Stevie Wonder declared, 鈥淭onight, I take a knee for America. Both knees!鈥� as he knelt on stage at the Global Citizen Festival.
As a candidate and as president, Trump鈥檚 approach has at times seemed to inflame racial tensions in a deeply divided country while emboldening groups long in the shadows. Little more than a month ago, Trump came under fire for his response to a white supremacists鈥� protest in Charlottesville, Virginia. Trump also pardoned Joe Arpaio, the former sheriff of Arizona鈥檚 Maricopa County, who had been found guilty of defying a judge鈥檚 order to stop racially profiling Latinos.
Trump鈥檚 latest entry into the intersection of sports and politics started in Alabama on Friday night, when he said NFL players who refused to stand for 鈥淭he Star-Spangled Banner鈥� are exhibiting a 鈥渢otal disrespect of our heritage.鈥�
Several NFL players, starting last season with then-San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, have either knelt, sat or raised fists during the anthem to protest police treatment of blacks and social injustice. Last week at NFL games, four players sat or knelt during the anthem, and two raised fists while others stood by the protesters in support.
鈥淭hat鈥檚 a total disrespect of everything that we stand for,鈥� Trump said, encouraging owners to act. He added, 鈥淲ouldn鈥檛 you love to see one of these NFL owners, when somebody disrespects our flag, you鈥檇 say, 鈥橤et that son of a bitch off the field right now. Out! He鈥檚 fired.鈥�
On Saturday, Trump echoed his stance.
鈥淚f a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL, or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem,鈥� Trump tweeted. 鈥淚f not, YOU鈥橰E FIRED. Find something else to do!鈥�
There are 14 NFL games Sunday, including one in London. And how players act during the anthem will certainly be closely watched at each of those games.
鈥淵ou have a chance to do something really great,鈥� music mogul Sean 鈥淒iddy鈥� Combs told players in a tweet.
Tampa Bay receiver Desean Jackson, whose team plays at Minnesota, tweeted: 鈥淚 definitely will be making a statement no disrespect to our military of service But we have to stick together as people !! Unity.鈥�
Trump has enjoyed strong support from NFL owners, with at least seven of them donating $1 million each to Trump鈥檚 inaugural committee. They include New England Patriots owner Bob Kraft, whom Trump considers a friend.
Goodell strongly backed the players and criticized Trump for 鈥渁n unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL鈥� while several team owners issued similar statements. New York Giants owners John Mara and Steve Tisch said the comments were inappropriate and offensive. Miami Dolphins owner Stephen Ross, who has supported the players who have knelt, said the country 鈥渘eeds unifying leadership right now, not more divisiveness,鈥� and San Francisco 49ers CEO Jed York ripped Trump鈥檚 comments as 鈥渃allous.鈥�
Trump was undeterred. Hours after Goodell鈥檚 comments, Trump said the commissioner had 鈥減ut out a statement trying to justify the total disrespect certain players show to our country. Tell them to stand!鈥�
Plenty of other current and former stars from across sports weighed in Saturday, as did the National Basketball Players Association, which defended its members鈥� 鈥渇ree speech rights鈥� against those seeking to 鈥渟tifle鈥� them.
Trump also bemoaned what he called a decline in violence in football, noting that it鈥檚 鈥渘ot the same game鈥� because players are now either penalized or thrown out of games for aggressive tackles.
鈥淣o man or woman should ever have to choose a job that forces them to surrender their rights,鈥� said DeMaurice Smith, the NFL Players Association executive director. 鈥淣o worker nor any athlete, professional or not, should be forced to become less than human when it comes to protecting their basic health and safety.鈥�
Trump has met with some championship teams already in his first year in office.
Clemson visited the White House this year after winning the College Football Playoff, some members of the New England Patriots went after the Super Bowl victory and the Chicago Cubs went to the Oval Office in June to commemorate their World Series title. The Cubs also had the larger and more traditional visit with President Barack Obama in January, four days before the Trump inauguration.
North Carolina, the reigning NCAA men鈥檚 basketball champion, said Saturday it will not visit the White House this season. The Tar Heels cited scheduling conflicts.
Warriors forward Draymond Green said the good news was that Golden State won鈥檛 have to talk about going to the White House again 鈥� unless they win another title during the Trump presidency.
鈥淢ichelle Obama said it best,鈥� Green said.
Reynolds reported from Miami, and AP sports writer Janie McCauley in Oakland, California contributed to this story
