Trump renews spat with United States sports stars

A handful of current and former professional athletes for Philadelphia's teams are speaking out against President Donald Trump's comments about Golden States Warriors star Steph Curry and NFL players who protest the national anthem. General manager Bob Myers said he was surprised by the invitation being pulled, and National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver said he was disappointed that the Warriors will not be at the White House.

"We accept that President Trump has made it clear that we are not invited", the Warriors wrote in their statement.

On Saturday, James waded into the row with a tweet that appeared to be directed at Trump.

Championship sports teams visiting the president at the White House goes back to the days of Andrew Johnson. LeBron James, before calling him a "bum", called him a "so-called President" after he failed to condemn the neo-Nazi attacks in Charlottesville. So therefore ain't no invite.

"It's different, it's not just me going to the White House, if it was this would be a pretty short conversation but like I said it's the organisation and it's the team". "And yet, when an National Football League player takes a knee, somehow that player is presumed to be a martyr for a social cause".

"It's surreal, to be honest", Curry said after that practice had concluded at the team's facility in downtown Oakland.

"It was unbelievable to see all these guys rally around each other and speak up", Curry said.

The Warriors said that when they go to Washington this season they will instead "celebrate equality, diversity and inclusion - the values that we embrace as an organization". "No White House, but a lovely Pink Hotel + plenty of sunshine".

"I don't respect who's in office right now..." "I'm embarrassed because he said the speech in Alabama and got a rousing reception when he said those things".

President of the United States of America, Donald Trump is having quite a bad record when it comes to rows with athletes.

Several athletes, including a handful of NFL players, have refused to stand for the U.S. national anthem in protest over the treatment of blacks by police. "He is fired, '" Trump said. Sure, you're going to have policies that align with your party, but that's the not the point. "He's going to say, 'That guy that disrespects our flag, he's fired.' And that owner, they don't know it, (but) they'll be the most popular person in this country".

Amid Trump's Twitter tirade against the NFL, the league's stars and executives have distanced themselves from the president by publicly denouncing his remarks.