It's a question I frankly would have even asked over the previous two decades, after all, regardless of party, the president of this country swears an oath to protect and serve all Americans, even those he disagrees with.

And athletes had always largely responded in kind, regardless of who they disagree with.

But after Donald Trump ran a campaign based on divisiveness and then as president adopted a platform that many MBA players felt was not just not inclusive of them but actually against them with Steph even want to go here is our conversation behind you.

Over there is the trophy.

Normally, when you win one of those things, you go to the White House to celebrate.

Your coaches stood up there and said you guys were gonna meet and discuss it as a team.

Kevin Durant's been very open, he says.

I don't wanna go.

What are your feelings on it?

I'm on that same tip, and obviously you don't wanna rush your decision on kind of understand the magnitude of what this means.

Um, we have an opportunity to send a statement that hopefully encourages unity encourages us to just appreciate what it means to be American, Um, and stand for something.

So whether that's, uh whatever your opinion is on either side, that's what we wanna.

We wanna take this advantage.

Advantage of this opportunity is going to be very clear.

You're saying you have the opportunity to say you're standing for something by not going for me?

Yeah, that's my That's gonna be my foot.

When I was with the team not long after that aired on the jump, Fox News picked it up.

Which means guess who saw it.

Yeah, which led to the tweet quote.

Going to the White House is considered a great honor for a championship team.

Stephan Curry is hesitating.

Therefore, invitation is withdrawn, which prompted LeBron a few hours later to answer Trump with quote, You bum.

Steph already said he isn't going, so no invite.

Going to the White House was a great honor until you showed up, uh, memories.

Over the following years, we'd watch the president of the United States regularly attack various athletes almost exclusively athletes of color.

He called NFL players sons of bitches.

He questioned black basketball players intelligence.

And, boy, did he make it clear what he thought of female athletes.

Not a single women's team that won a championship over the past four years was invited to the White House.

Not even the wildly popular team use a group that won the Women's World Cup.

They're called Team U.

S A.

America.

Okay, Anyway, now Trump did host plenty of other athletes at the White House personally for me, the L S U football team using the most hallowed building in America as a dance floor for get the GATT.

Yeah, um, that is always going to stick out.

You know, it's a funny thing about athletes making White House visits in some ways, there just one more ceremony.

But ceremonies like this are actually pretty crucial ways.

A country identifies its most important values.

Who the most powerful person in the world chooses to celebrate helps define who deserves that American seal of approval.

And that's why, when Barack Obama was president, he not only invited Olympians to the White House, he actually reached back into history and invited families of African Americans like the family of Jesse Owens, who back in 1936 was very specifically and purposely not given that presidential seal of approval.

Obama also invited Paralympians Mawr women's teams than any previous president.

And yes, of course, MBA champions.

The jump was actually fortunate enough to be invited to the final athlete visit of Obama's presidency.

The 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Remember when Obama told J.

R.

Smith that to get in the door, he had to put a shirt on?

Yeah, once inside, he told them this.

Yeah, Clears.

Yeah.

Okay, okay.

I just want to say congratulations on one of the best seasons of all time.

Great piles of all time on your city on your state could not be proud of are these are the wind?

All right, thanks.

Let's say, speaking of guys who still Hey, how do you get to see you?

Can you say what these White House visits mean to you to have all these sports teams come in over the years?

It's so much fun on.

It is especially great for the staff people who work in government who are crazy fans to be able to beat a heroes and cheer.

Sure, Mom, do you know any crazy from sports fans?

No, No, no, You may have noticed Joe Biden right alongside Obama.

There.

Biden comes into office at a time when athletes in this country are the most politically active we have seen in 50 years.

And Biden's brother recently told ESPN that the new president specifically wants to use that activism and use sports as a tool to unite and heal are reeling country.

Biden was actually an athlete himself, a high school and briefly college football player who used sports to help him overcome a severe stutter.

So it's a fitting goal and one that at least the MBA seems willing to assistant.

Right after the election, Draymond Green and LeBron James exchanged tweets about the Lakers.

Yes, going on an official White House Champions visit.

And just this morning, the Golden State Warriors released this video in support of Vice President Kamala Harris.

I am so proud to be a daughter of Oakland, California Every little girl watching tonight seeds that this is a country of possibilities on and to the Children of our country.

Regardless of your gender, our country has sent you a clear message.

Dream with ambition, lead with conviction and see yourselves in a way that others may not simply because they've never seen it before.

But know that we will applaud you every step of the way.

Madam Vice President, I'm not saying you gotta put this up in your office at the White House, but probably a good idea.

Congratulations.

Blazing your own path.

We're all rooting and supporting the whole way.

Oh, this means so much to me, you guys.

I will proudly proudly display this.

You know, watching Steph, right?

There was a pretty cool, full circle moment in a through the looking glass kind of way.

What a contrast to that day of training camp nearly four years ago.

And of course, we don't know what the next four years are going to bring.

But we do know there once again seems to be a spirit of partnership between the leaders Americans elected and the athletes so many Americans love.