Milwaukee Bucks: 5 takeaways from 2017-18 Media Day

5. The President was a major headline

A few days ago, the NBA Media Days were supposed to be about basketball, solely and primarily. Instead, a tweet from the nation’s Commander-in-Chief set off a whirlwind of discussion, outrage and media coverage that ensured the Milwaukee Bucks would not make it through a day without a bombardment of questions.

After Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors indicated he was not interested in visiting the White House to meet President Donald Trump — the traditional right of every championship team — the President responded by rescinding the invitation.

Across the league owners, coaches and players spoke out against both the President’s reaction and the greater narrative, of Donald Trump using his position to divide, rather than bring together. LeBron James‘ was particularly jarring:

The Bucks, like every team hosting a Media Day across the nation, were asked about the situation. Head coach Jason Kidd responded, “We don’t look at them just as basketball players or athletes, they are human.”

Point guard Malcolm Brogdon went to college in Charlottesville, VA, site of a recent demonstration of white supremacy that resulted in the death of an innocent woman. Brogdon said Monday that he hopes more athletes will take advantage of their platform to speak up on important issues, and that “as we continue to come together, unify, I think we can make progress.”

Jabari Parker spoke along similar lines, stating, “Anybody with any responsibility has an opportunity to create change and to take a side and you have good and you have bad. It’s no in-between.”

On the topic of whether the team will make a group demonstration, multiple players relayed that it will be a decision for the entire team to make together.