Trump will 'think about' inviting NBA champion Raptors to White House
President Donald Trump told reporters that he'll consider inviting the Toronto Raptors, the 2019 NBA champions, to the White House if they are interested in making the trip.
"We thought about that. That's an interesting question. They played phenomenal basketball. I watched a little bit of it," Trump said at a news conference following a meeting with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Thursday. "They were really terrific - congratulations, by the way.
"That was a great job by a great team. We'll think about that. If they'd like to do it, we'll think about that."
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse said Wednesday that the team is planning to visit Trudeau in Ottawa, Ontario, in the near future.
No NBA champion has visited the White House since Trump's inauguration in 2017. After winning the title that year, Warriors guard Stephen Curry explicitly stated he didn't want to make the trip. Trump then rescinded the invite, and LeBron James responded with his infamous "U bum" tweet.
Midway through the 2018 NBA Finals between the Warriors and the Cleveland Cavaliers, Trump made it clear that he would not invite either team to the White House. After repeating as champions, the Warriors instead visited former President Barack Obama in January during their lone trip to Washington, D.C., this past season.
The Philadelphia Eagles also skipped the traditional White House visit after their Super Bowl win in 2018, as did Virginia this year after winning the NCAA men's basketball championship.
Reigning Super Bowl champions the New England Patriots are still expected to visit at some point, though some players have already ruled themselves out.
The NHL's Washington Capitals accepted Trump's invitation after winning the Stanley Cup in 2018. The Boston Red Sox also accepted the invite recognizing their 2018 World Series win, although several players, as well as manager Alex Cora, refused to attend.
After winning the College Football Playoff National Championship, Clemson visited the White House in January during the government shutdown. Trump served them a buffet of fast food.