Bucks, Mavericks Reportedly Have Stopped Staying in Trump Hotels

Protests have spread across the country since President-elect Donald Trump beat Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 election, and a handful of NBA teams have reportedly decided to distance themselves from the Republican nominee.

According to Marc Stein and Zach Lowe of ESPN.com, the Milwaukee Bucks and Dallas Mavericks have stopped or will stop staying at Trump-branded hotels in New York and Chicago this season "in part to avoid any implied association with the new president-elect." 

Stein and Lowe also listed the Memphis Grizzlies among the teams that have stopped or will stop staying at Trump hotels, though head coach David Fizdale denied those claims on Wednesday, per Ronald Tillery of the Commercial Appeal.

Fizdale said the hotel the team stays at is not and never has been politically motivated, per Michael Wallace of the Grizzlies' official website. According to Wallace, Fizdale's choice of hotel is mainly influenced by where the Miami Heat stayed when he worked there.

Stein and Lowe cited sources who said an additional Eastern Conference team has elected to switch from the Trump SoHo in New York to a different property beginning next season.

The report pointed out Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry and Mavericks owner Mark Cuban both publicly supported Clinton in the election. According to Luke Kerr-Dineen of USA Today, Cuban "never held back in criticizing" Trump during the campaign.

This isn't the first time NBA teams or figures have expressed concern about Trump. Head coaches Stan Van Gundy of the Detroit Pistons, Steve Kerr of the Golden State Warriors and Gregg Popovich of the San Antonio Spurs all criticized the president-elect last week for his divisive campaign and rhetoric.

Anthony Slater of the San Jose Mercury News shared Kerr's thoughts:

"I don't think anybody can deny this guy is openly and brazenly racist and misogynistic," Van Gundy said, per the Detroit Free Press' Vince Ellis.

Popovich expressed concern over Trump's "disgusting tenor and tone and all the comments that have been xenophobic, homophobic, racist, misogynistic," per Pounding the Rock's Chris Itz.

Trump's election has drawn criticism from more than just NBAers in the sports world.

Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver Mike Evans sat during the national anthem before his team's game against the Chicago Bears on Sunday to protest the president-elect, though he apologized for doing so, per ESPN's Josina Anderson.