The Oklahoma City Thunder, winners of the 2025 NBA championship after defeating the Indiana Pacers 4-3 in the Finals with a Game 7 victory on June 22, 2025, in Oklahoma City, will not visit the White House this week due to a timing conflict.[1][2]
The Thunder are scheduled to play the Washington Wizards on Saturday evening. A team spokesperson confirmed that discussions had taken place with the White House, but the timing did not align for a visit.
"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 team said in a statement obtained by The Associated Press.[1]
It was not immediately clear whether a formal invitation had been extended to the Thunder. The White House tradition of hosting sports championship teams dates back decades, with most NBA champions visiting the president since the 1980s.[3]
Teams have occasionally declined or had invitations rescinded in the past. In 2017, the Golden State Warriors' planned visit was canceled after forward Stephen Curry expressed reluctance to attend.[4]
The Thunder defeated the Pacers in Game 7 at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City to claim their first NBA title as a franchise. Game 4 of the series was played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis on June 13, 2025.[1][2]
The Oklahoma City Thunder are an NBA franchise based in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, competing in the Northwest Division of the Western Conference.[5]
The Indiana Pacers are an NBA team from Indianapolis, Indiana, in the Central Division of the Eastern Conference. The Washington Wizards play home games at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C.[6]
Sources
- Associated Press, "Oklahoma City Thunder statement on White House visit", March 20, 2026, https://apnews.com
- AP Images / Imagn, "NBA Finals photos", June 2025, https://apimages.com
- Wikipedia, "White House champions visits", accessed 2026, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/White_House_champions_visits
- New York Times, "Stephen Curry Says He Would Vote for the President, but Not Go to the White House", June 16, 2017, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/16/sports/basketball/stephen-curry-donald-trump-warriors-white-house.html
- NBA.com, "Oklahoma City Thunder Team Page", accessed 2026, https://www.nba.com/thunder
- NBA.com, "Team Directory", accessed 2026, https://www.nba.com/teams
