JOCK SCRAP
Trump trades blows with NBA, NFL
President Trump went one-one-veryone Saturday, rankling the American sportsspo world by attacking Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry and seemingly rescinding his team’s invitation to the White House, a day after bashing NFL players who kneel during the national anthem. NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell ripped Trump’s comments as “divisive,” and Cleveland Cavaliers superstar LeBron James called the commander in chief “a bum.”
President Trump gave new meaning to “political football” Saturday, taking on the NBA and the NFL in a war of words over patriotism — with top pro athletes across the country joining the nasty scrimmage.
Trump started the daylong grudge match by disinviting Golden State Warriors MVP Stephen Curry, and apparently the entire squad, from the traditional championship-team White House visit.
The Warriors are the reigning champions of the National Basketball Association.
The team responded that none of its players wanted to go anyway. Meanwhile, some of sports’ biggest stars stormed online throughout the day to call the leader of the free world a “bum,” a “clown” and even an “a--hole.”
National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell also tackled Trump, calling the president “divisive” for publicly criticizing football players who kneel in protest during the national anthem.
“Divisive comments like these demonstrate an unfortunate lack of respect for the NFL, our great game and all of our players,” he said.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver chimed in Saturday night, saying in a statement that he was “disappointed” that the Warriors won’t get the chance “to share their views directly with the president.”
Silver also backed his own men: “I am proud of our players . . . for continuing to speak out on critically important issues.”
Trump had sparked Saturday’s free-for-all during a campaign rally in Alabama, by urging NFL owners to say, “Get that son of a bitch off the field right now!” whenever players kneel during the playing of the national anthem before games — a silent, sidelines protest against racism first made by then-San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick.
Trump also urged fans to leave the stadium in a protest of their own.
By early Saturday, Curry — already an outspoken Trump critic — had announced, “I don’t want to go” to the White House and Trump had tweeted in response, “invitation is withdrawn!”
“Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team,” Trump tweeted at 5:45 a.m. “Stephen Curry is hesitating, therefore invitation is withdrawn!”
Soon, the Cavaliers’ LeBron James, one of the biggest stars in all of professional sports, rebounded with a slam dunk against the president.
“U bum” King James tweeted. “@StephenCurry30 already said he ain’t going! So therefore ain’t no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!”
But it was a daylong contest — with no one using a mouth guard, least of all Trump.
“With everything that’s going on in our country, why are YOU focused on kneeling and visiting the White House,” Chris Paul, the Houston Rockets guard and NBA Player Association president, asked Trump in a tweet.
Paul went on to doubt that Trump is “man enough to call any of those players a son of a bitch to their face.”
Tweeted Buffalo Bills star running back LeSean McCoy: “It’s really sad man . . . our president is a a--hole.”
Bengals safety George Iloka tweeted, “I can’t take anything our Celebrity in Chief says seriously. He’s a real life clown/troll.”
Later Saturday, the owners of the New York Giants issued a statement saying they would cer- tainly not fire players for kneeling during the anthem, and calling the president’s Friday night comments “inappropriate, offensive and divisive.”
The Warriors stood by Curry and his teammates, saying in a statement, “We accept that President Trump has made it clear that we are not invited. We believe there is nothing more American than our citizens having the right to express themselves freely on matters important to them.”
The University of North Carolina’s 2017 NCAA men’s basketball champions, the Tar Heels, chose Saturday to announce that the team will be White House noshows too, although they blamed a scheduling conflict, the News & Observer reported.
And the 49ers called Trump’s remarks “callous and offensive.”
Trump, unrepentant, doubled down:
“If a player wants the privilege of making millions of dollars in the NFL, or other leagues, he or she should not be allowed to disrespect,” Trump tweeted at 2:11 p.m., before continuing seven minutes later, “our Great American Flag (or Country) and should stand for the National Anthem.
“If not, YOU’RE FIRED. Find something else to do!”
But while millionaire players and some sports officials were blasting Trump, the president’s core supporters had his back.
“I love it!” auto worker Brian
Pannebecker said Saturday, as Republicans gathered for a weekend Michigan GOP conference.
Pannebecker said he’s been frustrated with NFL players kneeling at the national anthem — and he was thrilled that Trump stuck it to them this weekend.
“I’m a veteran. My son is in the Army right now . . . when I see the flag, I see the veterans and I’m showing respect to those folks when I stand and put my hand over my heart and listen to the national anthem and sing along with it.
“Trump is standing up for the vast majority of people who respect everything that this country stands for,” he said.
Saul Anuzis, a former Republican National Committee member of, said, “Trump has one of the best feels for what the American people believe in. I think . . . most Americans think disrespecting the flag is disrespecting the country.”
I don’t want to go, that’s really it . . . it’s not just me going to the White House . . . it’s the team. Golden State Warriors guard and two-time NBA league MVP Stephen Curry (left) discussing a potential presidential visit