LeBron James And A Few Teammates Opt Out Of Team's Scheduled Stay At Trump-Branded Hotel

The Cleveland Cavaliers are visiting New York this week to play the Knicks on Wednesday, but LeBron James and a few other Cavaliers players will not be staying at a Trump-branded hotel in Manhattan, per reports from ESPN and the Cleveland Plain Dealer. The Cavs were not among the three teams who decided to stop staying at Trump hotels earlier this season, but James was one of the most vocal NBA supporters of Hillary Clinton throughout her campaign. James is one of just an unspecified few who is seeking other accommodations, from ESPN:

Other members of the team’s traveling party will stay at the 46-story luxury building opened in 2010 and branded through a licensing agreement with President-elect Donald Trump, as the Cavs have a contract with the establishment.

James and J.R. Smith spoke at a Clinton rally in November, and Iman Shumpert and Richard Jefferson have said that they would not go to the White House if they won another championship. Cavs GM David Griffin confirmed the change of hotels to the Cleveland Plain Dealer:

James is among the players who will not stay at Trump SoHo, even though Trump no longer holds any equity in the hotel. Griffin said upwards of half the team — the Cavs travel with 14 players — may not stay there.

[ ESPN | Cleveland Plain Dealer]

Correction: Donald Trump does not own the Trump SoHo, it merely bears his name. ESPN said in their initial report that he owned the hotel.