The Nuggets don’t have the best record in the NBA, but they’re being chased by the rest of the league as long as they can call themselves reigning champions.
Nikola Jokic is in the running for his third MVP award, young role players Peyton Watson and Christian Braun are stepping up, and Denver is within striking distance of the No. 1 seed in the West. A second consecutive title could be on the table. As it turns out, the Nuggets will need to win one more championship if they want to visit the White House.
Denver canceled its scheduled visit to the White House, which was set for March 18, forgoing the tradition of the defending NBA champion stopping by Washington D.C. for a brief ceremony with the president.
Here’s what you need to know about why the Nuggets canceled their White House visit and why Michael Malone is shooting down rumors about the decision.
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Why aren’t the Nuggets visiting the White House?
TNT’s Chris Haynes reported the Nuggets are skipping their White House visit to focus solely on securing the No. 1 seed in the West, but Malone says that simply isn’t true.
“Contrary to recent reports, our whole goal is not being the No. 1 seed,” Malone told reporters on Monday, explaining that their chase for the best record in the conference is not why the visit was called off.
Michael Malone: “Contrary to recent reports, our whole goal is not being the No. 1 seed. It’s not why we cancelled the trip to the White House. I don’t know where these things come from. If we get the 1-seed, great.”
— Harrison Wind (@HarrisonWind) March 11, 2024
The real answer is evidently even simpler. The meet-and-greet with U.S. President Joe Biden was scheduled to take place between two road games, as the Nuggets face the Mavericks in Dallas on March 17 and the Timberwolves in Minneapolis on March 19. Washington D.C. isn’t exactly a convenient stop between those two cities, and neither game figures to be a walk in the park for Denver.
So, why did the Nuggets agree to that date in the first place? They were originally set to visit President Biden around their Jan. 22 game against the Wizards, in line with the common practice of the reigning NBA champion scheduling its visit during a Washington D.C. road trip, but the White House called off the event due to scheduling conflicts. The Nuggets are returning the favor this time, but it’s not due to any political issues.
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That didn’t stop Charles Barkley from taking aim at the Nuggets for their decision, calling for all championship teams to take the opportunity to meet the president. “It’s an honor and a privilege to go to the White House. You should always go.”
Barkley acknowledged that it’s a scheduling crunch for the Nuggets, but he added, “these guys act like they’re flying Southwest [Airlines].”
Southwest or not, the Nuggets don’t have any interest in wasting time with mere weeks remaining in the regular season. One way to get another White House visit is to win another championship, and Denver looks like it has the motivation to do just that.
