Joe Biden Snub Leaves Charles Barkley Livid on Live TV

The Denver Nuggets‘ visit to the White House is still pending. The 2023 NBA champions have not met the President of the United States since they lifted the trophy back in June last year. We are just 3 months away from the next NBA Finals, and reports suggest that the Nuggets have canceled their visit to the White House, which was scheduled for the 18th of this month. After Chris Haynes shared the news on TNT, Charles Barkley shared his disapproval on live television.

The Philadelphia 76ers legend did not like that the Nuggets canceled such a prestigious invite.  Barkley first mocked the defending champs, “They flying Southwest or something? Come on man,” and continued, “I actually have a problem with this whole thing just happening with sports for the last few years…It’s an honor and privilege to go to the White House.”

Read more: Nuggets Bring Back Nikola Jokic’s Prized Possession After Childhood Picture Goes Viral

The ever-outspoken 1993 NBA MVP explained his view on the matter. He doesn’t think players and teams should be making personal judgments when it comes to the prestigious ritual. “It shouldn’t matter who is in the White House…You should always go…Whether you like the President or not,” Barkley exlaimed.

We are unaware of if there’s a rescheduling in the offing. As per Haynes, the Nuggets canceled the invite because they are keen to secure first place before entering the playoffs. Nikola Jokic and Co., who are the third seed at the moment, will be facing the first-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves on the 19th. Due to this important match-up, the Nuggets decided to call off their plans to the White House.

With the regular season coming to an end in April, the Denver Nuggets might not have a chance to visit the POTUS until the playoffs get over. Now that they have delayed it further, they might not get the honorable invite once again or it will be planned only after June. Also notably, Barkley was not the only one who did not like this decision from the Nuggets. 

Shaquille O’Neal adds to Barkley’s disapproval 

The Los Angeles Lakers legend also agreed with Barkley’s take on the presidential refusal. Shaquille O’Neal believes the Nuggets are one of the best teams in the Western Conference. Although they are third seed currently, the defending champs have proved what they are capable of. Also, they are just one win away from tying the first seed, so Shaq believes this is not a big enough problem for the Nuggets to cancel their invite to the White House.

For a team of such caliber, facing the first-seed Wolves should not be a huge concern. This is what the Big Aristotle conveyed. Moreover, the Wolves just announced that their main star Karl-Anthony Towns will be sidelined for a few weeks due to an injury in his left meniscus.

It’s a huge liability for the Wolves, but the Nuggets might have an easier path now for the first seed. So it is safe to say that, canceling the invite could have been avoided, keeping in mind the above circumstances. However, nothing can be changed now. Let’s hope they get another invite from President Joe Biden. 

Read more: Shaquille O’Neal Takes Bold Stance on Nikola Jokic’s Nuggets, Reveals Crucial Reason

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