It’s no secret that President Donald Trump is a devout baseball fan. He demonstrated that when he visited the Yankees earlier this season.
Basketball? That seems like a different story, though he may be indicating that his feelings toward the sport are softening.
On Tuesday, as the NBA season began, the White House’s social media account posted a highlight video of Trump to the tune of “Roundball Rock,” the NBA on NBC theme song. It included Trump shooting paper towels like a basketball into a crowd of Puerto Rican citizens after Hurricane Maria in 2017.
This represented a different relationship with the sport than he had during his first presidency, when he posted on X/Twitter:
“People are tired of watching the highly political (NBA). Basketball ratings are WAY down, and they won’t be coming back. I hope football and baseball are watching and learning because the same thing will be happening to them. Stand tall for our Country and our Flag!!!”
These comments came after NBA players protested against police brutality following the shooting of Jacob Blake. This led to the postponement of games while in the bubble.
Was he mocking the sport for its return to NBC, or is he genuinely excited to bring back some 1990s nostalgia?
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