“Doesn’t matter who’s in there,” Charles Barkley rips championship teams skipping White House visits to meet President

Traditionally, NBA champions have visited the White House for a ceremony with the President.

“Doesn’t matter who’s in there,” Charles Barkley rips championship teams skipping White House visits to meet President

Charles Barkley wants NBA Champions Denver Nuggets to take up White House visit invitation rather than focus on No. 1 seed matchup

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The White House typically invites North American sports champions to meet the current president. However, the NBA champion Denver Nuggets have decided to skip the White House visit invitation. As expected, this did not sit well with Charles Barkley, who called out the defending champions. 

The Denver Nuggets recently made the news for canceling their scheduled visit to the White House on March 18. 

Barkley felt that the Nuggets prioritizing their March 19th clash against the Western Conference-leading Minnesota Timberwolves was not a good enough reason. He felt that politics were taking precedence over the sporting goodness of the moment. 

Are they flying Southwest or something? Come on, man. I actually have a problem with this whole thing that’s happened in sports the last few years, not just now. It’s an honor and a privilege to go to the White House. It shouldn’t matter who’s in the White House. Whether you like the president or not…it’s an honor and a privilege to go to the White House and you should always go.
Charles Barkley chuckled and said on Inside the NBA

Co-analysts Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal agreed with Barkley that the Denver Nuggets do not need to fight for the No. 1 seed. O’Neal was clear to the point when saying that the Nuggets do not need to skip the visit just to get the No. 1 seed. They are the benchmark of the NBA. Even if they finish in the top 3, they will get a home-court advantage. 

Barkley alluded to the fact that personal opinions of who is sitting in the White House should not deter the team from visiting. The Denver Nuggets do not know if they will get a similar chance again. Many players in NBA history have never gotten that chance.

Charles Barkley wants NBA Champions to visit the White House

NBA Champions have always accepted their invitation to visit the White House and have a photo session with the President. 

However, during the time of Donald Trump‘s reign, none of the championship-winning squads visited the White House. That was the time the sporting world united in its voice against Trump. 

After Joe Biden took charge, the Milwaukee Bucks broke the deadlock and visited the White House. The following year, the Golden State Warriors continued the tradition. O’Neal and Smith agreed that a visit to the White House is the best team bonding exercise any team could hope for.

Hence, with the way they are playing, missing the White House visit for the No. 1 seed is not something the Denver Nuggets should do. It is a chance to show that the sporting world is appreciated by the most powerful person in the world. Which is why Charles Barkley is insisting on the Nuggets visiting.

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