WASHINGTON — The Golden State Warriors have been guests at the White House before, but never had they been greeted by as big of a fan as they were this time around.
“Dub Nation is in the house,” Vice President — and Oakland native — Kamala Harris said with pride Tuesday afternoon when she introduced the 2022 NBA champions during a ceremony in the White House’s East Room.
Harris added, “On a personal note, I have been a Warriors fan my entire life, and this team has been a constant source of joy and pride, for me and for so many of us,” speaking to a crowd that included San Francisco Mayor London Breed and U.S. Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who was joined by her husband Paul, as well as Bay Area rap legends E-40, Too $hort and Mistah F.A.B.
President Joe Biden’s Administration rolled out the red carpet for the reigning NBA champions who spent about four hours at the White House in their first visit since 2016.
“The Golden State Warriors are always welcomed in this White House,” Biden said on Tuesday.
Warriors star Stephen Curry presented Biden, the nation’s 46th president, with a custom No. 46 Warriors jersey with his name emblazoned on the back. Curry suggested that Biden hang it in the Oval Office and said he’d be back next year to check.
Biden praised the Warriors for their accomplishments.
“Four NBA titles and six Finals in the last eight seasons,” he marveled. “That ain’t bad, man.”
The president also called the team’s Big Three — Curry, Draymond Green and Klay Thompson — “something incredible” and drew parallels between the Warriors’ heart and hustle and that of the country.
“Critics wondered if this team was gone for good as a championship team,” Biden said. “And fellas, I know what it feels like. … But you never gave up, and you always believed.”
Biden also took time to acknowledge coach Steve Kerr, not only for his leadership but also for his fierce advocacy of gun control. That’s a subject particularly close to Kerr’s heart because his father was assassinated at American University of Beirut in Lebanon in 1984.
“It was incredibly flattering to hear the president introduce me and talk about my dad,” said Kerr, who, along with Thompson and Moses Moody, participated in a roundtable on gun violence with White House officials. “That’s one you write down and keep in the family history. Pretty special moment.”
Harris, discussing her “beloved” Warriors, recalled a time she diverted to BART to make sure she wasn’t late for a playoff game in Oakland after getting stuck in traffic.
Curry presented her with another custom jersey — No. 1 for being a top fan. Harris previously received a No. 49 jersey from the team upon becoming the 49th vice president.
“My pride in the Warriors today is not because they win,” Harris said, “but because these players, their coaches and this entire organization consistently stand for the principles of equity, equality and justice, which they do with great integrity and excellence.”
Before the ceremony in the East Room, Curry and Kerr addressed the media in the White House press briefing room. Curry thanked the president for his work in helping bring WNBA star Brittney Griner home from Russia, where she had been incarcerated for 10 months.
“It’s a big part of our basketball family, and it means a lot to know that she’s here and home safe with her family and all the work behind the scenes to make that a reality,” Curry said. “I just want to say thank you there.”
Although this was the Warriors’ fourth title in eight years, this is only the second trip to the White House for Golden State during the run and the first since 2016 when the 2015 title-winning team met with then-President Barack Obama.
The Warriors skipped out on the honorary visit in 2017; President Donald Trump said he never intended to invite them after Curry said the team would not accept. Instead, when the Warriors made their annual trip to play the Wizards, they took a private tour of the National Museum of African American History and Culture.
With Curry and the Warriors back in the NBA Finals the following year, Trump again said he wouldn’t invite the NBA champions to the White House.
The only NFL team to attend a White House ceremony during Trump’s term, the 2017 Patriots, had several players skip the visit, and only one basketball champion — men’s and women’s college hoops, WNBA or NBA — was celebrated at the White House during the Trump era (Baylor women’s basketball in 2019).
“It’s absolutely amazing to be back after seven years,” Green said. “When you’ve accomplished that before and didn’t quite get the opportunity, it sucks. As a kid from Saginaw, Michigan, you only dream of seeing the White House, let alone having an opportunity to attend or be celebrated.”
Kerr said he was “hopeful” the Warriors could earn another trip to the White House, though they still have some glaring issues they need to figure out on the court. But the always confident Green didn’t hesitate to make a declaration.
“It’s been a very great visit,” Green said before he smirked and added, “And looking forward to coming back next year.”
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