Former NBA player and ESPN analyst Jalen Rose spared no words when it came to his thoughts on President-elect Donald Trump. Rose went as far as saying that players from championship teams would decline visits to the White House under Trump.
According to a 2015 study by racial equality activist Richard Lapchick, the NBA is composed of 74.4 percent black players (African-Americans and those from African countries). With such a heavy concentration of black players in the league, it wouldn’t be surprising if three out of four players on a team decline the invitation to visit the White House, given how Trump has spoken about minorities during the length of his political campaign.
Check out @JalenandJacoby => How Trump Presidency will affect sports? https://t.co/dplhk6Ol6y
— Jalen Rose (@JalenRose) November 10, 2016
Speaking by the numbers, it’s a very real possibility that only three or four people out of a 15-man roster would be willing to go to the White House after winning an NBA championship. Or maybe not even that.
In sports like the NBA, the minorities are the majority, so it’s likely that an invitation to the nation’s capital could end up being a one-on-one conversation rather than a celebratory presentation.
Just ask Richard Jefferson…
Richard Jefferson on Snapchat. pic.twitter.com/dZgvSz6ysD
— HoopsHype (@hoopshype) November 10, 2016