Charles Barkley believes the Golden State Warriors’ stance of not visiting the White House because they don’t like who the president is “sets a bad precedent.”
In an interview on NBA TV about the entire situation between the Warriors and Donald Trump, the TNT analyst said that regardless of who the sitting president is, it is an honor and a privilege to visit the White House.
"I think that sets a bad precedent." – Charles Barkley on the White House controversy on #GameTime. pic.twitter.com/OyCRwDNGcH
— NBA TV (@NBATV) September 23, 2017
Barkley also thinks the Warriors may have missed an opportunity to engage the president in a dialogue to discuss their issues first-hand upon their visit.
President Trump withdrew the Warriors' invitation to the White House in response to Stephen Curry and other Warriors' unwillingness to go.
Barkley raised a fair point in terms of the Warriors possibly using their visit to voice their concerns to the president instead of simply declining an invitation to the White House in protest.
However, it’s debatable whether the Warriors have set a “bad precedent.” While the championship team’s visit to the White House is a tradition, it’s in no way mandatory and the players have the right to accept or decline it if they so choose, even if it’s because they don’t like the president.
If anything, the Warriors may have set a promising precedent in terms of being high-profile athletes who are not afraid to stand up for issues they feel strongly about.
Charles Barkley may disagree with that sentiment, but the fact of the matter is this topic, along with other issues, has become very divisive to many people in this current political climate.
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