Over the past year-and-a-half, NBA players have taken a strong stance against Donald Trump and several members of the Republican Party, even threatening to sit out the season unless they addressed some issues of social injustice.
The NBA boycotted a playoff game and players voiced their social views and concerns in their jerseys and the hardwood, up to the point where they forced team owners to commit money and their platforms to empower African American voters.
Now, it seems like that stance has gone to a whole new level, as James Harden and Russell Westbrook reportedly want to get out of the Houston Rockets because of the team's owner's close relationship with Donald Trump.
James Harden And Russell Westbrook Want Out Of The Houston Rockets Because Of Tilman Fertitta's Friendship With Donald Trump
Harden and Westbrook demanded a trade a couple of days ago, and Rich Buchner of Bleacher Report recently claimed that a turning point was how invested Tilman Fertitta was in Trump's campaign:
“I’m hearing that Tilman Fertitta’s strong Republican support and donations is one of the things that is contributing to this dissatisfaction, and those two are not the only ones to want out of Houston,” Buchner reported.
Both players are still under contract and the Rockets have no rush to move them whatsoever. Then again, it doesn't seem healthy or sustainable to keep your two best players on the team if they don't want to be there.
If this is true, Harden and Westbrook would be setting a strong - yet controversial - precedent that could continue to backfire for the rest of the league in terms of ratings and audience. But it would also show just how committed they are to inspiring change.
