There is a longstanding tradition with sports teams that win a championship taking a trip to the White House for a visit with the President of the United States. But since Donald Trump took office no NBA team has chosen to make that trip.
Meaning LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers were the last team to do so in 2016, when Barack Obama was completing his second term. But the Los Angeles Lakers are hoping to change that this season.
The Lakers of course, hoisted the Larry O’Brien trophy in 2020, and with LeBron and others within the organization making their feelings on the current President clear, a visit while he’s still in office was effectively ruled out.