NBA commissioner Adam Silver says statement by President Donald Trump saddens him
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Friday that his reaction to President Donald Trump's
announcement that the NBA champion will not be invited to the White House "is one of sadness."
Speaking to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith prior to Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Silver said, "It's a bit of resignation that this is where we find ourselves.
"Championship teams, not just in our sport but in other sports, aren't getting to celebrate in that way, something that has historically been apolitical in Washington, but I have to put it in the greater context of where we find our country," Silver said. "I would say, though, ultimately it saddens me because historically we've been able to use the NBA and all of sports to bring people together."
Trump told reporters on Friday morning prior to attending the G7 summit in Canada that "We're not going to invite either team," referring to the
Golden State Warriors and
Cleveland Cavaliers, for a visit to the White House.
Silver said "politics have always been part of players' lives," referencing when NBA legend
Bill Russell stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial when Dr. Martin Luther King gave his "I Have a Dream" speech in 1963.
