Kevin Durant on Canceled Eagles White House Visit: ‘What Else Do You Expect Trump to Do?’

Kevin Durant
AP Photo/Ron Schwane

The first team that got disinvited from President Trump’s White House, is now opening up about the most recent team to have their invite rescinded.

When asked for comment about Trump’s decision to cancel the Philadelphia Eagles invite, Warriors forward Kevin Durant was not surprised.

“What else do you expect Trump to do? When somebody says they don’t want to come to the White House, he disinvites them so the photo op don’t look bad. We get it at this point. It’s good that guys are sticking to what they believe in and what they want to do. Like guys said before me, I’m sure whoever wins this series won’t be going.”

By saying “guys said before me,” Durant referenced comments made by Cavs forward LeBron James, who told reporters that no matter who won the Finals, no one would want to go to the White House.

“No matter who wins this series, no one wants an invite anyway” James said.

Warriors guard Steph Curry made it clear that if his team won the Finals, he didn’t expect an invite from President Trump.

“I mean, I hope to be in that situation and win two more games where we win a championship and obviously know what comes with that,” Curry said. “But I don’t think — I think I agree with LeBron. Pretty sure the way we handled things last year kind of stay consistent with that. But at the end of the day, like I said, every team has an opportunity to make a decision for themselves and speak for themselves. I think that’s powerful being in this situation.”

Outspoken Warriors coach Steve Kerr sees Trump’s cancellation as part of what he calls, the president’s larger plan to divide America.

Kerr said:

It’s not surprising. I think the President has made it clear he’s going to try to divide us – all of us – in this country for political gain. That’s just the way it is. I think we all look forward to the day when we can go back to just having a celebration of athletic achievement and celebrate Americans for their achievement, their good deeds.

The irony is that the Eagles have been nothing but fantastic citizens in their own community. They’ve done so much good. I’ve read a lot about their team. Malcolm Jenkins, Chris Long — these guys are studs. They’re amazing. So it will be nice when we can just get back to normal in three years.

Kerr closed with a defense of athlete activism, “You have to understand that what players have protested is not the military. They’re protesting police brutality and racial inequality. So if any American wants to protest that anytime, that’s their right as Americans. That’s what the military fights for, is free speech.”

Follow Dylan Gwinn on Twitter @themightygwinn

COMMENTS

Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.