Kevin Durant will not be visiting the White House when his Golden State Warriors are invited there to be honored for winning the NBA title.
Durant spoke with ESPN’s Chris Haynes on Thursday as the Finals MVP’s hometown of Seat Pleasant, Md. celebrated Kevin Durant Day. The two talked about politics, and Durant bluntly stated that he won’t go to the White House as long as Donald Trump is president.
“Nah, I won’t do that,” Durant told Haynes. “I don’t respect who’s in office right now.”
Durant said that by choosing not to make the trip, his political views will be heard.
“I don’t agree with what he agrees with, so my voice is going to be heard by not doing that,” Durant said. “That’s just me personally, but if I know my guys well enough, they’ll all agree with me.”
The Warriors have not stated whether they have made a team decision about how they will handle the White House visit. However, many of their players — and even their head coach — have let their opposition to Trump be known. One even said he doesn’t want the team making the visit.
Durant feels that Trump has helped empower white supremacists and is “driving” the escalation of racial tension, which hit a wildly concerning level during a rally in Charlottesville over the weekend. He’s not alone in his thoughts, as many other athletes have shared a similar concern, including fellow NBA star LeBron James.
