The Golden State Warriors made their way back to the White House on Tuesday after capturing their fourth NBA championship in eight seasons this past summer. They were in town the previous night to take on the Washington Wizards and hung around an extra day for their planned White House visit.
The team declined to visit after their 2017 and 2018 championships when former President Donald Trump was in office, but they were more than excited to return. It was all smiles for the Warriors as they entered a place they have gotten accustomed to visiting. Steph Curry even cracked a few jokes to lighten the mood.
Curry and Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also gave a heartfelt message at the White House briefing before the festivities began.
What Did Curry and Kerr Say at the briefing?
Curry and Kerr addressed reporters in the White House media room before their official celebration began with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
Both men talked about the current landscape of America and gave a special thanks to President Biden for their efforts in getting WNBA star Brittney Griner back home.
Golden State Warriors star Steph Curry and coach Steve Kerr made an appearance at the White House briefing Tuesday before celebrating their 2022 championship. Curry thanked President Joe Biden for getting WNBA star Brittney Griner home from Russia. https://t.co/ssS9w2L1QO pic.twitter.com/xzb7jmBuQS
— The Associated Press (@AP) January 18, 2023
“This is a great opportunity for us from the basketball community to thank President Biden and his staff for all their hard work and diligence on getting Brittney Griner home, who is a big part of our basketball family,” said Curry.
Griner landed in Texas last month after a prisoner swap between the U.S. and Russia. She spent 10 months of detention in Russia.
Kerr echoed Curry’s high praise for the president and vice president with kind words of his own.
“We learned a lot about what this administration is doing to help create a safer environment in our country,” Kerr said.
According to The Associated Press, Kerr, Moses Moody, and Klay Thompson spent time at a roundtable event with White House officials to discuss the gun violence problem in America.
Adults Acting Like Children
“As a very proud daughter of Oakland, California, it gives me immense personal pride as the vice president of the United States to say Dub Nation is in the house,” Harris stated.
She also mentioned how she kept her custom Warriors jersey by her treadmill and how it was “a symbol of grit, determination, and teamwork.”
Curry presented her and Biden with new custom jerseys that had their names on the back. Harris received the number 1 to represent her being their No. 1 fan. Biden received the number 46 to represent him being the 46th president in U.S. history.
Steph jokes that Biden should frame his Warriors jersey at the oval office 😂
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/yRVG728dld
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) January 17, 2023
Before Curry presented them with their gifts, he stated that he hopes to see the jerseys hanging in the oval office.
“We brought two gifts for you. They are jerseys, a number 46 and number 49. We would love to have you a part of dub nation forever and hopefully have them hanging in the oval office (laughing),” said Curry. “Hopefully, we can come back and check if it’s up there.”
Biden return the good gesture with some kind words of his own.
“The last couple of years were pretty tough — struggled in 2020, missed the playoffs in 2021 and critics wondered if this was ‘gone for good’ as a championship team,” Biden said. “Fellas, I know what it feels like.”
He finished by stating the “Warriors reflect America with their style of play, showcasing constant motion, with individual freedom and personality that comes together as one team, a team that plays with joy, with drive to be their best.”
Special Guests
The Warriors also had some special guests from the Bay to tag along. Rappers E-40, Too Short, Sway Calloway, and Mistah F.A.B. all pulled up to support their hometown team as well.
Bay Area LEGENDS pulled up to the White House with the Warriors! 🏆🔥🐐
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📹: @nba pic.twitter.com/rdkKdL5rXA— Power 106 (@Power106LA) January 18, 2023