Warriors' Andre Iguodala in response to visiting the White House: 'Hell nah'
In the wake of rumors Tuesday that the Golden State Warriors would decline their invitation to visit the White House following their NBA championship, the team released a statement saying they would make that decision "when and if necessary."
The Warriors' 2015 Finals MVP winner Andre Iguodala, however, has already submitted his vote.
"Hell nah," Iguodala told USA Today, pointing out that a lot could change between now and whenever a visit might be planned.
"We're going to do what our leader [Stephen Curry] does," he said. "I think we handle [the White House situation] when it gets there. I mean, it may be different. There might be somebody different in [office]. That's a realistic thing to say though, right? So you don't know what's going to happen."
Iguodala might be prepared to make a statement by declining a trip to the White House, but it seems no invite from President Donald Trump might be his preference. If they don't get an invite, they won't be able to decline -- something most expect the team to do.
"Maybe [Trump] doesn't [invite us] and we don't go, or we don't say anything and make a big deal of it, and he doesn't make a big deal of it and we go our separate ways. Y'all might write about it. I might call him and say, 'If they ask, just say our schedules conflicted.' And then if y'all write something, we'll say, 'Fake News.'"
Iguodala says the basis of his decision is centered on racism and the divide he believes the Trump administration has widened since taking over as president. According to him, it's "convenient ignorance" that has encouraged racists rather than thwart it.
"We all know [that it is getting worse]," Iguodala said on the topic of racism. "I think it's just the ignorance, the convenient ignorance. [It's] not to say that people aren't aware, but they just don't want to address it [because] they don't want to be attached to it so they ignore a lot of the bad things that happen. I feel like there are actions that occur, that continue the dividing of everyone. And I think that's done on purpose."