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By Howard Bryant
Mr. Bryant is the author of “The Heritage: Black Athletes, a Divided America and the Politics of Patriotism.”
In 2017 the sports world was pretty well united in using the White House visit as a pulpit of dissent. In breaking with tradition, no N.B.A. or W.N.B.A. team accepted an invitation from President Trump in his first term. The Oklahoma City Thunder, which won the championship on Sunday night, will be the first N.B.A. team in Mr. Trump’s second term to face the question.
