3 NBA teams are reportedly ditching Trump-branded hotels
The Milwaukee Bucks, the Memphis Grizzlies, and the Dallas Mavericks are no longer planning to book rooms at the Trump International Tower and Hotel in Chicago, which is owned and operated by the Trump Organization, and Trump SoHo, which is branded with Trump's name, but not owned by the Trump Organization. According to ESPN, the three teams say the change is partially due to the hotels' connection to President-elect Donald Trump.
In seasons past, the three teams have stayed in the Trump-branded hotels when playing games against the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, or Chicago Bulls.
On Twitter, Mavericks' owner Mark Cuban said the decision was made "months ago," before Donald Trump was elected president.
Cuban and Marc Lasry, a co-owner of the Bucks, supported Hillary Clinton for president.
ESPN reportedly contacted all 30 NBA teams to inquire about teams' plans to stay in Trump-branded hotels across the country in the upcoming season.
Several other teams that have stayed at Trump SoHo in the past told ESPN they were not booking rooms in the hotel this season, but did not specifically connect the switch to politics. Other teams told ESPN that they had never stayed at Trump-branded hotels.
The Trump Organization could not immediately be reached for comment.
The NBA isn't alone in ditching Trump-branded businesses. The Grab Your Wallet movement on social media is encouraging people to boycott Trump-branded real estate and ditch retailers that sell Trump-branded products.
While Donald Trump has said he doesn't care about his business now that he is president-elect, customers are deciding that it is hard to separate his business from his politics.
Read the full story at ESPN >>