The Oklahoma City Thunder were expected to pay a visit to President Donald Trump at the White House when they hit town for a game with the Washington Wizards on Saturday night.
Reigning NBA champions traditionally have a courtesy call with the sitting U.S. president during their first visit to D.C. after winning the Larry O'Brien trophy. Since the Thunder and Wizards play in different conferences, they meet only twice this season and Saturday night is their only trip to Washington this year.
However, the team announced that the schedule doesn't work for them.
"We have been in touch with the White House, and we are appreciative and grateful for the communication we have had, but the timing just didn't work out," the Thunder said in a statement shared with The Athletic.
Ever since 1963, when the Boston Celtics visited the late President John F. Kennedy, it has been a tradition for NBA champions to visit the sitting president. However, they don't need to do so,and the Thunder are not the first team to decline.
The 2017 and 2018 Golden State Warriors championship teams did not visit the White House during President Trump's first term. The 2019 Toronto Raptors also did not visit the White House, as did the 2020 Los Angeles Lakers , but this was due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Likewise, the 2023 Denver Nuggets also declined due to timing.
However, the Thunder's predecessors, the 2024 Boston Celtics, visited the White House on November 21, 2024, to share their record-breaking 18th NBA championship with then-President Joe Biden. Similarly, the 2021 Milwaukee Bucks visited Biden on November 8, 2021.
The Thunder deciding to skip their White House visit came as a surprise from an online fan who noted that Oklahoma statewide and federal offices, and the state legislature are dominated and controlled by members of the President's political party:
A couple of Twitter users agreed with that statement:
But while some took it seriously, others had a good laugh about it. One guy said that the 2025 NBA MVP made the decision not to go to the White House because he can't foul-bait there:
Someone even said that the White House visit isn't the only thing that this Thunder team is skipping this season.
It's hard to put words in the Thunder's mouth because they've already given their reason: timing. For context, OKC is in the middle of a five-game road sojourn to the East. They are 2-0 on that trip, with games in Philly and then Boston to conclude it.
With games against the Knicks , Pistons , Lakers (2x), Clippers , Nuggets, and Suns still on the horizon, the Thunder have the 6th most difficult remaining schedule. With the San Antonio Spurs just 3 games back, this is the timing they are talking about.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Mar 21, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
