Golden State Warriors Swap White House Visit For African American History Museum
BALTIMORE (WJZ/CNN) -- Instead of visiting the White House Tuesday to celebrate their 2017 NBA championship, the Golden State Warriors toured the National Museum of African American History and Culture with local Washington, D.C. students, all-star guard Klay Thompson said.
"The White House is a great honor, but there are other circumstances that we felt not comfortable going," Thompson told reporters Monday night, the New York Post reported.
"We're not going to politicize anything. We're just going to go hang out with some kids and take them to the African American Museum and teach them things we learned along the way, life lessons and hopefully give them some great memories," he added.
The Warriors' invitation to visit the White House was rescinded by President Donald Trump last fall after the team's superstar, Stephen Curry, criticized the President over his attacks on black athletes protesting during the National Anthem.
Trump was quick to reply, revoking the invitation on Twitter.
Since Trump took office, players on other professional sports teams have declined to attend the White House to celebrate titles. Several players on the Super Bowl champion Philadelphia Eagles, including former Baltimore Raven Torrey Smith, said they wouldn't accept an invitation from the President.
RELATED: Some Eagles Players, Including Former Raven Smith, Will Skip White House Visit
Earlier this month, Smith expressed his disapproval of Trump's war against players who take a knee during the national anthem to protest racism.
"We read the news just like everyone else," Smith said on Wednesday. "You see Donald Trump tweet something ... We have those conversations in the locker room, just like everyone else does in the workplace. We're very informed about what goes on, and we're trying to continue to educate ourselves."
"They call it the anthem protest," he added. "We're not protesting the anthem. It's a protest during the anthem. I understand why people are mad, or may be offended when someone takes a knee. My father, when he dies, is going to be buried with an American flag draped around his casket, being that he served in the Army."
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