Miami Heat moves charity tournament away from Trump’s Golf Course in Doral
The Miami Heat has decided to pull its charity golf tournament from President Trump’s Doral golf resort and will move it elsewhere next year, a team spokesman confirmed on Tuesday.
The Heat would not comment as to the reason for the move, but the Miami Herald learned the decision was not made by the players or anyone on the team. It was a corporate decision. The Washington Post first reported the news.
The annual tournament, which benefits the Miami Heat Charitable Fund and has been administered by the Miami Foundation, had been held at Trump’s Doral golf resort every spring or summer since 2011. Trump bought the course out of bankruptcy in 2012.
Next year, the Heat will host the tournament at Deering Bay Yacht & Country Club in Coral Gables.
“I’m supportive of the decision and I’m supportive of this organization,” captain Udonis Haslem said Tuesday when asked by The Herald about the charity golf event being moved from Trump’s golf resort.
“Since I’ve been here they’ve always done things the right way and made sure they were fair and conscious of everybody.”
Trump recently criticized the defending champion Golden State Warriors and revoked an invitation to visit the White House after Stephen Curry said he didn’t want to go.
Trump also targeted NFL players who have taken a knee during the national anthem as a protest against police treatment of African Americans. The president said he hoped NFL owners would fire any “son of a b----” who knelt during the anthem.
The Heat, which has locked arms during the playing of the national anthem as a sign of unity against social injustice since the start of last season, responded to Trump’s comments last month on media day.
“Whether you agree with him or not, that’s not how we want our leader to be speaking in that vulgarity and explicitness,” forward Justise Winslow said.
“It’s time for a change and right now it’s about figuring out the best steps to make that happen. Just bringing awareness to the cause and understanding that a lot of stuff going on in our country right now is not OK. It’s not humane. It’s not ethical.”
Winslow visited the White House in 2015 after his alma mater Duke University won the national championship. Winslow said last month if he found himself in the same position with the Heat, he’s not sure he wouldn’t hesitate to go again.
“Hopefully we’ll have that decision to make in June,” Winslow said. “But right now I wouldn’t be the first guy on that bus to [Washington] D.C.”
The Heat opens the regular season Wednesday in Orlando.
This story was originally published October 17, 2017 at 2:54 PM with the headline "Miami Heat moves charity tournament away from Trump’s Golf Course in Doral."