The NBA has contacted the U.S. State Department to "try to determine" how President Trump's executive order suspending immigration from seven predominantly Muslim countries could "potentially impact the league," according to Tim Bontemps of the WASHINGTON POST. Two NBA players -- Bucks F Thon Maker and Lakers F Luol Deng -- have Sudanese roots, and the league "does a significant amount of work overseas through its Basketball Without Borders program." While a judge "granted a request from the American Civil Liberties Union to stay the order on Saturday night, it remains to be seen if the order will wind up having an impact on either Deng or Maker as the season progresses." Nets F Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, who is Muslim, said, "You can’t judge a whole group by one’s actions at the end of the day" (WASHINGTON POST, 1/29). THE VERTICAL's Adrian Wojnarowski noted the NBA has "several global initiative programs ... that recruit, develop and invest in Sudanese players." The NBA is "holding a Basketball Without Borders camp at All-Star Weekend in New Orleans" next month. A source said that there are "no players from the seven banned countries on the BWB invitation list" (SPORTS.YAHOO.com, 1/28). SI.com's Michael McMann noted while no NBA player "affected by the executive order is subject to deportation, the capacity of any such player to leave the U.S. and re-enter is now in jeopardy." The order "may make such as a player 'inadmissible.'" This "means he could remain in the U.S., but if he leaves during the 90-day period he may not be able to re-enter until the prohibited period has expired" (SI.com, 1/29).
WITH THE STROKE OF A PEN: In N.Y., Jere Longman wrote Trump's order "could have a wide impact on international sports, including jeopardizing a warm relationship" between the U.S. and Iran in wrestling competitions and "threatening the chances" of L.A. hosting the '24 Games and of the U.S. securing the FIFA World Cup in '26. Sports officials "struggled to understand the implications" of Trump's order, "including the question of whether athletes from the targeted nations could enter" the U.S. to compete (N.Y. TIMES, 1/29). The WALL STREET JOURNAL's O'Brien, Cohen, Futterman & Germano wrote in the long run, athletes and officials "aren’t sure how the ban, which has resulted in confusion and in protests in the U.S. and abroad, might affect bids for hosting international events or competing in them." For U.S. sports leagues, Trump’s order "runs counter to a push in recent years to draw more international players" (WSJ.com, 1/29).
COULD IT COST L.A. THE GAMES? St. Lucia IOC member Richard Peterkin said that he "considered the executive order 'very, very disappointing.'" The N.Y. TIMES' Longman noted the "most immediate effect may come in wrestling." Iran said that it would "stop American citizens from entering the country, in retaliation." Meanwhile, the ban on visitors "comes at a delicate time" for the USOC and LA 2024's bid. Olympic historian and author David Wallechinsky said of Trump's order, "I would consider it a blow to the Los Angeles bid -- not fatal but a blow" (N.Y. TIMES, 1/29). USA TODAY's Christine Brennan writes Trump's order is "entirely new territory" for a U.S. city bidding for the Olympics, and "not in a good way." It "flies in the face of L.A.'s elaborate and finely tuned strategy to win the Games by presenting to the world the most diverse and inclusive leadership and image of any U.S. bid city in history" (USA TODAY, 1/30). Longtime Olympics writer Philip Hersh on his personal website wrote the time has come for the USOC to "end its silence" on Trump's ban. It is also "high time" for the three U.S. IOC members -- including two women, one of whom is an African-American -- to "show they stand against intolerance." Meanwhile, British runner Mo Farah and USMNT MF Michael Bradley have "chosen conviction about justice and freedom over the cowardly complicity of silence" (GLOBETROTTINGBYPHILIPHERSH.com, 1/29). Farah said that he is "'relieved' he can return" to his home in the U.S. after it was clarified that Trump's travel ban "did not apply to him." The BBC noted the U.K. Foreign Office has advised British travelers that dual citizens were "only affected if travelling to the U.S. from one of the seven banned countries" (BBC, 1/29). USA TODAY's Nancy Armour: "Remember the IOC Refugee Team that we all found so inspiring at the Rio Games? Yeah. They wouldn't be allowed in US today." REUTERS' Karolos Grohmann: "So lemme get this right: a country bidding to host the #Olympics with @LA2024 has banned citizens of 7 nations from entering the country" (TWITTER.com, 1/28).
DROPPED KICK: U.S. Soccer Federation President Sunil Gulati said that the organization still "hasn't decided whether it will bid" for the '26 FIFA World Cup, adding that he is "taking a wait-and-see approach" to how Trump's order might impact the potential bid. Gulati: "How this plays out in terms of international events, I think that's frankly a secondary issue right now. The issue involving the executive order and its implications are far broader than that" (ESPNFC.com, 1/29). The USMNT's Michael Bradley on Instagram wrote, "The Muslim ban is just the latest example of someone who couldn't be more out of touch with our country and the right way to move forward." In L.A., Dylan Hernandez notes U.S. Soccer "didn’t have any problems with Bradley sharing his opinion," as the message was "approved by other players on the team" (L.A. TIMES, 1/30).
STRONG FEELINGS FROM SPORTS WORLD: Nike President, Chair & CEO Mark Parker in a memo to employees yesterday said that the "traditional values of inclusiveness his company stands for are being 'threatened'" by Trump's order. Parker: "Nike believes in a world where everyone celebrates the power of diversity. ... This is a policy we don't support" (Portland OREGONIAN, 1/30). Warriors coach Steve Kerr: "It's shocking. It's a horrible idea. I feel for all the people that are affected. Families are being torn apart, and I worry in the big picture what this means to the security of the world. It's going about it completely opposite. You want to solve terror, you want to solve crime, this is not the way to do it" (ESPN.com, 1/29). Kerr: "I'll just say that what’s happening is really scary and disconcerting" (L.A. TIMES, 1/29). Former NBAer Nazr Mohammed: "It's a tough day when u find out that so many ppl that u thought were fans or friends really hate u and everything u believe in" (TWITTER.com, 1/28). NASCAR driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. on Saturday tweeted a post "expressing empathy for refugees facing hardships." Earnhardt noted his own ancestors "left Europe centuries ago to escape religious persecution" (CHARLOTTEOBSERVER.com, 1/29). Bucks Senior VP/Strategy & Operations Alexander Lasry, a one-time White House aide in the Obama administration, yesterday tweeted, "This is not who we are as a country and doesn't live up to our ideals" (TWITTER.com, 1/29).
