It's been a very long time since an NBA champion has been to the White House.
After eight straight years of trips to Washington D.C. (and nearly two decades of regular visits), no NBA title winner has visited the White House since President Donald Trump took office in 2017, as the one-time tradition became mired in divisiveness that included Trump not even inviting the Golden State Warriors in 2017 or 2018.
That appears like it could change with President-Elect Joe Biden now primed to take office.
"Yoooo @KingJames y’all can go to the White House and celebrate y’all title G!" Warriors big man Draymond Green tweeted at LeBron James, who helped the Lakers to the 2020 NBA title while inside the league's Orlando bubble.
Winning sports teams have visited the White House for at least 150 years, dating back to when Andrew Johnson invited two amateur baseball clubs to D.C., including the Washington Nationals.
The first NBA champs to visit were the Boston Celtics, who met President John F. Kennedy in 1963.
Since Trump took office, however, that tradition abruptly ended for NBA teams.
In 2017, Steph Curry — already leaning toward not going — said he wanted to talk to his Warriors teammates before making a final decision. After Curry's comments, Trump tweeted, "invitation is withdrawn!" James then famously called the president a "bum."
FILE: U.S. President Barack Obama holds a Golden State Warriors basketball jersey during an event with the team in the East Room on February 4, 2016 in Washington, DC. Obama welcomed the 2015 NBA Champion Golden State Warriors to the White House to congratulate the team on their championship season. (Photo by Win McNamee/Getty Images)
Win McNamee/Getty ImagesIn 2018, James said neither the Warriors nor the Cleveland Cavaliers would visit the White House, regardless of who won. The Dubs repeated and did in fact visit D.C., but met with Barack Obama instead. In 2019, the Raptors' Danny Green called it a "hard no" when asked about whether Toronto would renew the tradition.
On Saturday, with Trump now on his way out of Washington, James seemed giddy to return to the tradition.
"YO we back up in there my G!!!," he replied to Green. "I’m taking my tequila and vino too!"
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