The Backstreet Boys think it’s time for the U.S. women’s Olympian hockey team and other female athletes to get their flowers.
Piggybacking off of hip-hop icon Flavor Flav’s planned celebration for female Olympians in Las Vegas, Backstreet Boy AJ McClean invited the athletes to attend their sold-out Vegas residency at the Sphere with a private meet-and-greet.
“These ladies deserve their flowers. They deserve their respect,” the singer said in a social media video, nodding to President Trump’s slight against the team after hosting the men’s hockey team at the White House last month.
On Saturday, Flavor Flav, an official sponsor and hype man for women’s Olympic teams, announced the Backstreet Boys’ invitation via his own social media, posting a FaceTime chat with McLean. The announcement came after Flav announced his Vegas celebration on “CBS Mornings.”
“I saw the video that you posted the other day, man, about the U.S. Women’s Olympic team,” McLean began, a reference to Flav’s announcement that he will host “She Got Game Weekend” in Las Vegas. “And I was blown away, dude. I was like, good for you, man. These ladies deserve their flowers. They deserve their respect.”
Watch the video below:
McLean then extended an invite to the band’s shows in the city. “I wanna invite all the ladies to the show in Vegas this summer … I’m 100% serious. I’m a girl dad, bro. My daughters watching these young ladies achieve greatness, inspires my kids, man. Have them all come out to the show.”
In February Flav reposted a message from The GIST, a women-led sports brand, sharing he will host the “She Got Game” weekend July 16-19. The women’s players accepted the invitation, though it has been reported that it’s currently unclear if the entire 23-member roster will be able to attend. The weekend comes in partnership with the Women’s Sports Foundation and others.
“If the USA Women’s Hockey team wants a real celebration and invite … I’ll host them in Las Vegas. Do some nice dinners and shows and good times,” he wrote at the time. “I’m sure I can get a hotel and airline to help me out here and celebrate these women for real for real.”
The Backstreet Boys’ invite is the latest show of support for female Olympians after backlash to President Trump making a joke at the hockey team’s expense while inviting the men’s team to the State of the Union address.
Trump called the team in the locker room after their gold medal win and said he’d begrudgingly “have to bring the women’s team” to the White House since he was bringing the boys, adding that he “probably would be impeached” if he didn’t invite them. The men’s team laughed, despite the women’s U.S. hockey team also bringing home gold. The women’s hockey team later declined the president’s invitation, citing scheduling conflicts.
