The L.A. Lakers will NOT visit Joe Biden at the White House next week to celebrate their 2019-20 NBA championship -- but it ain't a protest.
Unlike every NBA team during the Trump administration, the Lakers are NOT choosing to skip the Biden visit for political reasons -- it's all about COVID protocols and scheduling conflicts, according to multiple outlets.
The Lakers will be in D.C. to take on the Washington Wizards on April 28th -- and championship teams have historically scheduled the celebratory White House during road trips in the area.
But, it won't happen this time.
However, the Lakers -- including superstar LeBron James -- are open to a future meeting with President Biden ... possibly later or even after the season.
Hey, they're all busy people!
Plus, the NBA has strongly discouraged teams from participating in large public gatherings -- which could be one of the reasons they're pressing pause on the White House visit for now.
During President Trump's term -- zero NBA or WNBA championship teams visited the White House.
The Warriors, Raptors and Lakers were all outspokenly against the visit -- and Trump, in turn, either withdrew his invitation or never extended one.
Same with the WNBA teams and nearly every major college basketball champion with one exception ... the Baylor women's team visited after their 2019 title win.
But, Biden is hoping to end the streak -- and he probably will. After all, a bunch of NBA superstars including LeBron endorsed Biden for president.