The Oklahoma City Thunder will not be visiting the White House to celebrate their recent NBA championship during their current trip to Washington. A team spokesperson confirmed on Friday that while the franchise and government officials discussed a potential ceremony, they ultimately decided to scrap the plans. The team is scheduled to play the Washington Wizards on Saturday, which is the traditional window for such a celebration to occur. Officials from the organization expressed gratitude for the communication with the administration but noted that the schedule simply did not allow for the event to take place.

This decision breaks from a long-standing tradition where professional sports champions are honored by the president in the nation’s capital. These visits have been a staple of the American sports landscape since the early 1960s, serving as a non-partisan recognition of athletic excellence. The Thunder had been expected by many to participate given their presence in the city this weekend for a regular-season matchup. However, the logistics of the trip and the team’s internal itinerary took precedence over the ceremonial meeting.

Several professional teams have skipped these invitations in recent years for various reasons, making this latest cancellation part of a growing trend in professional athletics. While some teams have cited political differences in the past, others have pointed to logistical hurdles or short notice. The Thunder organization stayed away from any political commentary in their brief public statement. They focused entirely on the practical aspects of the decision, emphasizing that the timing was the only factor that prevented the meeting from happening as planned.

Other champion athletes have had mixed responses to similar invitations during the current administration’s tenure. For instance, the gold-medal-winning U.S. men’s hockey team recently attended the State of the Union and held a private event in the Oval Office. On the other hand, the women’s national hockey team declined their invitation to the same event last month. That team also cited academic and professional commitments as the primary reason they could not make the trip work, mirroring the scheduling excuses used by the Thunder this week.

The Thunder will instead keep their focus on their upcoming game against the Wizards as they look to maintain their standing in the Western Conference. Without a formal White House reception on the books, the team is expected to follow their standard road game routine this weekend. It remains unclear if the team will attempt to reschedule the visit for a future date or if the opportunity has passed for this championship cycle. For now, the reigning champions are prioritizing their on-court performance over the traditional celebratory photo op at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.