Stephen Curry and LeBron James spoke their minds last year. They have not changed their minds this year.

No matter whose team wins the NBA championship Bradley Chubb Color Rush Jersey , neither superstar will be at the White House anytime soon.

On the day when the Philadelphia Eagles were supposed to be there to commemorate winning the Super Bowl – a visit that was canceled by President Donald Trump and had the White House accusing players who weren’t planning on attending of abandoning their fans – Curry and James were among those speaking out at the NBA Finals in support of the Eagles.

”I’m not surprised. It’s typical of him,” James, the Cleveland star, said Tuesday of Trump’s decision to cancel. ”I know no matter who wins this series, no one wants the invite anyway. So it won’t be Golden State or Cleveland going.”

On the eve of Game 3 of the Warriors-Cavaliers series, politics dominated the conversation.

Curry raised Trump’s ire last year when he said he wouldn’t go to the White House, prompting the President to disinvite him and the champion Golden State Warriors.

Curry said Tuesday that he spoke with a current Eagles player about the team’s decision-making process and how it went deeper than disagreeing with Trump policies and the ongoing issue of some NFL players choosing not to stand for the pregame playing of ”The Star-Spangled Banner.”

”It’s an important conversation, but you can’t control what other people try to do, or try to control the narrative or things like that,” Curry said.

Curry said the team has been on the same page after his comments last year and Trump’s subsequent revoking of the Warriors’ invitation. ”And every team that’s won a championship since then has gone through that.”

There has been clear tension between many star athletes and the current administration throughout the Trump presidency. Trump has often blasted the NFL players who have kneeled for the national anthem, a protest that started in 2016 when San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick did so to raise awareness of racism – more specifically Authentic Thomas Vanek Jersey , the killing of black men by police.

Trump said the Eagles’ event was called off because some of their players ”disagree with their President because he insists that they proudly stand for the National Anthem, hand on heart, in honor of the great men and women of our military and the people of our country.”

No Eagles players kneeled during the anthem last season.

”Instead the decision was made to lie, and paint the picture that these players are anti-America, anti-flag and anti-military,” the Eagles’ Malcolm Jenkins wrote in a statement posted to social media Tuesday .

The WNBA champion Minnesota Lynx were not invited to the White House to celebrate their most recent title, something James called ”laughable.” Instead, the Lynx will spend Wednesday giving away new sneakers to more than 300 needy kids in Washington. Villanova, the reigning NCAA men’s champion, has not revealed if an invitation was sent. Many members of the U.S. Olympic Team that competed earlier this year in South Korea did not attend a White House reception.

Hockey’s Pittsburgh Penguins and baseball’s Houston Astros have accepted invitations to the White House for the traditional meeting with the President in recent months, as have several college teams. When the New England Patriots went last year http://www.brownsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-baker-mayfield-jersey , half the team chose not to attend.

The Warriors, in lieu of going to the White House, spent that day taking a group of children to the National Museum of African American History and Culture a few miles away.

”I think the President has made it pretty clear he’s going to try to divide us, all of us in this country, for political gain,” said Golden State coach Steve Kerr, who has often criticized Trump and his policies. ”So it’s just the way it is. I think we all look forward to the day when we can go back to just having a celebration of athletic achievement and celebrate Americans for their achievement, their good deeds.”

Kerr also lauded the Eagles for being what he called ”fantastic citizens in their own community.”

”It will be nice when we can just get back to normal in three years,” Kerr said.

The overwhelming issue surrounding the Eagles’ planned visit was that most of the team was not going to attend, and that was a major factor in Trump deciding to pull the invitation.

”What else do you expect Trump to do?” Golden State’s Kevin Durant said. ”When somebody says they don’t want to come to the White House, he disinvites them. So the photo op don’t look bad. We get it at this point. But it’s good that guys are sticking to what they believe in and what they want to do. Like guys said before me http://www.cowboysauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jihad-ward-jersey , I’m sure whoever wins this series won’t be going.”

Injuries are having a major impact on the NBA playoffs.

A tweak, turn or strain to this or that has sidelined or limited players from All-Stars to reserves – and that has influenced the early outcomes of Round 2.

After Jaylen Brown strained his right hamstring in Boston’s Game 7 win over Milwaukee, he all but begged the Celtics doctors and trainers to let him suit up for the start of their Eastern Conference semifinal matchup with Philadelphia.

Boston managed to win without him in its 117-101 victory over the sluggish 76ers in Game 1 Monday night, thanks to career nights by Al Horford, Terry Rozier and rookie Jayson Tatum.

But despite two days or rest and treatment, coach Brad Stevens said Brown is ”very doubtful” for Game 2 on Thursday night.

”The bottom line is with this hamstring injury is it’s not terrible. Not a long-term thing. It shouldn’t linger if he comes back at the right time,” Stevens said.

If Brown can’t go for Game 2, it will again put stress on a Celtics rotation that just recently got back Marcus Smart from a right thumb surgery.

Fred VanVleet appeared to tweak his right shoulder in the second half of the Raptors‘ 113-112 overtime loss to Cleveland in Game 1 of their series Tuesday night. He missed most of Toronto’s first-round series against Washington with shoulder problems, but the Raptors still turned to him with the game on the line against the Cavaliers. VanVleet missed what would have been a go-ahead 3-pointer in the waning moments of regulation and another in the extra frame.

”I wish I wasn’t hurt,” he said, ”but I’m not looking for any excuses.”

Elsewhere in the league http://www.packersauthorizedshops.com/authentic-jaire-alexander-jersey , the return of some players and absence of others has been just as noticeable.

Stephen Curry, who sat out all of Golden State’s first-round series win over San Antonio with a sprained ligament in his left knee, gave the Warriors a major lift in his return for Game 2 of the Golden State’s semifinal matchup with the Pelicans on Tuesday night.

Ricky Rubio missed the Jazz’s series-opening loss against Houston on Sunday with a left hamstring injury and is out indefinitely. The Rockets’ Luc Mbah a Moute returned in Game 1 from the dislocated right shoulder he sustained last month. Houston originally thought he’s be out a full month, but he came back ahead of schedule and didn’t show any lingering effects from the injury in 21 minutes of action.

A closer look at Thursday’s games:

CAVALIERS AT RAPTORS

Cavaliers lead 1-0. Game 2, 6 p.m. EDT, ESPN.

NEED TO KNOW: The Raptors have lost seven straight playoff games against the Cavaliers, dating to the 2016 Eastern Conference finals, and blew a chance to take a lead in the series by coughing up a 10-point lead in the fourth quarter of Game 1 . The Raptors missed four potential game-winning shots at the end of regulation, and a wide-open 3 by VanVleet late in overtime.

KEEP AN EYE ON: Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas. He had 21 points and 21 rebounds in Game 1 and shot 7 for 19, but missed five of six attempts in the fourth. On Wednesday, Cavs coach Tyronn Lue said he can live with Valanciunas getting looks in the post if it means fewer touches for Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan Eddie Rosario Minnesota Twins Jersey , and fewer 3-point attempts by the Raptors.

INJURY UPDATE: While VanVleet acknowledged he’s still dealing with discomfort in his shoulder, he plans to play through it for now.

PRESSURE IS ON: The Raptors. The top-seeded team in the East has already surrendered home court advantage to its playoff nemesis and is 0-5 all-time on the road against Cleveland in the postseason. If Toronto can’t even this series before it shifts to Ohio, it might not be coming back across the border for Game 5.

76ERS AT CELTICS

Celtics lead 1-0. Game 2, 8:30 p.m. EDT, TNT.

NEED TO KNOW: The Celtics negated the athleticism of the 76ers in Game 1 by knocking down 17 3-pointers. Before the big scoring nights by Rozier (29 points), Tatum (28 points) and Horford (26 points), the Celtics hadn’t had three players score 25 or more points in a playoff game since 2009.

KEEP AN EYE ON: 76ers C Joel Embiid. He had 31 points and 12 rebounds in Game 1, becoming the first Philadelphia player to register 30 points and 10 rebounds in a playoff game since Allen Iverson in 2001. But he said the focus will be on defense in Game 2. ”We didn’t stick to the game plan,” he said. ”There’s a lot of stuff we can definitely correct.”

INJURY UPDATE: Smart said Wednesday that his thumb remained ”a little sore” after Game 1 but added ”I’m good to go” for Game 2.

PRESSURE IS ON: The 76ers. They entered the series on six days of rest but were doomed by a slow start in Game 1. This young group mostly cruised over the final three games last series against Miami. Being down 0-2 with its home court to defend is a lot to ask against a Celtics team playing with a lot of confidence.

—

AP Freelance Writer Ian Harrison contributed to this report from Toronto.

—

.