US President Donald Trump has denounced protests by NFL players and rescinded a White House invitation for NBA champion Stephen Curry in a two-day rant that targeted top professional athletes and brought swift condemnation from league executives and star players alike.
Wading into thorny issues of race and politics, Trump's comments in a Friday night speech and a series of Saturday tweets drew sharp responses from some of the nation's top athletes, with LeBron James calling the president a "bum".
Trump started by announcing that Curry, the immensely popular two-time MVP for the Golden State Warriors, would not be welcome at the White House for the commemorative visit traditionally made by championship teams after Curry indicated he didn't want to come. Later, Trump reiterated what he said at a rally in Alabama the previous night - that NFL players who kneel for the national anthem should be fired.
The Warriors said it was made clear to them that they were not welcome at the White House.
Curry had said he did not want to go anyway, but the Warriors had not made a collective decision before Saturday - and had planned to discuss it in the morning before the president's tweet, to which coach Steve Kerr said : "Not surprised. He was going to break up with us before we could break up with him."
Others had far stronger reactions.
"U bum (at)StephenCurry30 already said he ain't going!" James tweeted in a clear message to the president - a post that Twitter officials said was quickly shared many more times than any other he's sent. "So therefore ain't no invite. Going to White House was a great honor until you showed up!"
James also released a video on Saturday, saying Trump has tried to divide the country.
"He's now using sports as the platform to try to divide us," James 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 organisation." General manager Bob Myers said he was surprised by the invitation being pulled.
Trump's latest entry into the intersection of sports and politics started in Alabama on Friday night, when he said NFL players who refused to stand for The Star-Spangled Banner are exhibiting a "total disrespect of our heritage".
Several NFL players, starting last season with then-San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick, have either knelt, sat or raised fists during the anthem to protest police treatment of blacks and social injustice.
Last week at NFL games, four players sat or knelt during the anthem, and two raised fists while others stood by the protesters in support.
"That's a total disrespect of everything that we stand for," Trump said.
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