Why didn’t the Denver Nuggets visit the White House after winning the NBA championship?
The Denver Nuggets are the reigning NBA champions. They are still playing extremely well in the 2023/24 season, with the maturity of young players like Peyton Watson and Christian Braun, in addition to the main stars of last season.
However, the Denver Nuggets have yet to visit the White House as of now, as is customary for NBA champions. It is known that the team was originally scheduled to visit the White House on March 19 (Vietnam time), but the schedule was canceled.
So, what made them miss this visit?
Why didn’t the Denver Nuggets visit the White House after winning the NBA championship?
According to TNT’s Chris Haynes, the Denver Nuggets skipped the White House tour because the team wanted to focus on securing the top seed in the Western Conference before entering the Playoffs. However, head coach Michael Malone denied that.
“Contrary to recent rumors, the team’s goal is not to win the top seed in the Western Conference. That is not the reason we canceled the White House tour,” said Michael Malone.
In fact, the Denver Nuggets were unable to visit the White House due to their schedule. The trip was scheduled for March 19 (Vietnam time). However, the Denver Nuggets have a trip to Dallas on March 18 and then another away game in Minneapolis on March 19 (Vietnam time). These are two cities very far from Washington, DC, and it would be impossible for the Denver Nuggets to fly from Dallas to Washington and then to Minneapolis in just 48 hours.
Not to mention, the Denver Nuggets’ original schedule for the White House tour was set for January 23 (Vietnam time), coinciding with the away match against the Washington Wizards. However, the highest government agency in the United States had to cancel this trip due to conflicts in the White House’s work schedule.
(NBA Entertainment)
With the Denver Nuggets representing the West, they only have one away game against the Washington Wizards in the East. If they miss out on the January 23rd opportunity, it will be very difficult for the Denver Nuggets to organize a similar trip, especially when the NBA schedule is extremely dense with an average density of 2-3 days/game.
Even though it’s not for political reasons, the Denver Nuggets still face a lot of criticism. Charles Barkley said: “It’s an honor to visit the White House, you should go whenever you can.”
It is unclear when the Denver Nuggets’ White House tour will be rescheduled. If it cannot be rescheduled, the Denver Nuggets will likely be the only team not to honor the NBA with this honor.