Back in 2017, Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert was bombarded with malicious voicemails from people who were deeply affected by LeBron James’ controversial comments. The Cavaliers superstar sparked backlash after he called President Donald Trump a “bum” in a tweet.
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James called Trump a “bum” in his comments about the US president and publicly stated that the Golden State Warriors would no longer be welcome to celebrate the championship in the White House. Donald’s supporters did not sit idly by and verbally attacked Dan.
“I got a voicemail after LeBron tweeted some of the most vile, disgusting, racist things. [messages],” Gilbert said on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” at the time. “I didn’t even realize there was such a serious element of racism in this country.”
“I mean, the problem is some of the sickest things I’ve ever heard people say,” he added. “You can hear it in their voices – the racism. That’s not even really the issue, and that’s what really fascinates me, because some of them are being their true selves.”
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In addition to the Warriors’ issues, LeBron also criticized Trump for naming NFL players who participated in the “kneeling” protests, lamenting: “The thing that makes me frustrated and angry is that he’s using the platform of sports to divide us.”
gilbert says he doesn’t care about politics
Apparently, many people knew that Gilbert and Trump had a good relationship, especially after Gilbert’s company, Quicken Loans, donated $750,000 to Trump’s inauguration party. In fact, Dan has been described as a “good friend” and a “huge supporter” of Donald.
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However, Gilbert is not entirely supportive of Trump. He and his wife also personally donated $75,000 to Hillary Clinton’s campaign and made significant financial contributions to Chris Christie, one of Trump’s prominent rivals for the Republican nomination.
Gilbert made it clear in a statement that he has nothing to do with politics. However, he supports and admires the outspoken political stance of James and other professional athletes.
“Our interests lie in policy at the federal level, not the politics surrounding elections,” Statement part. “We often support both political parties in the same election so we have the ability to affect positive change regardless of who holds office.”
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“Professional athletes, owners, the league itself, and the country as a whole would greatly benefit from an open, inclusive dialogue that would allow for the expression of all views and concerns that have become hot topics in professional sports recently.” the statement said.
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donald takes a swipe at stephen
The whole thing stems from Curry’s resolute rejection of the White House’s customary invitation after winning the NBA championship.
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“My position remains the same as before” Bu said. “Even further solidifying the situation in our country, especially [Trump] Represents us in a very harmful way.
“I don’t know why he felt the need to target certain people and not others. I know why, but it’s a little unbecoming of a leader of a country to go down that road. That’s not what leaders do,” he added.
Curry’s statement prompted an equally firm response from Trump, who formally withdrew the invitation.
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The Warriors won two NBA championships during Trump’s first term as president of the United States, but they chose not to celebrate at the White House. After winning another NBA championship in 2022, the Warriors’ return to the president’s mansion was controversial.
It’s safe to say that the Warriors apparently had no conflict with then-President Joe Biden and former President Barack Obama, who also visited the White House after winning the NBA championship in 2015.
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RELATED: ‘That’s how irrational his idea is’ – LeBron James reacts to Donald Trump’s claim he’s Dan Gilbert’s friend
This article was originally published by Basketball.com on December 25, 2025, and first appeared in the off-court section. Click here to add Basketball Network as your preferred source.
