Joe Biden was elected president in November 2020. Steph Curry and the Warriors know what it’s like to be the top dog for four years.
The Golden State Warriors visited the White House for the second time, after winning their fourth NBA title last June. After declining to visit during the Trump administration, Curry returned, making his entrance alongside President Joe Biden.
President Joe Biden welcomed the Warriors, comparing their struggles in 2020 and 2021 to his own political career.
“The last couple of years were pretty tough, Biden told the crowd. “Struggled in 2020, missed the playoffs in 2021 and critics wondered if this was ‘gone for good’ as a championship team. Fellas, I know what it feels like.”
Like the Warriors, Biden defeated a powerhouse from the Northeast in a close contest, while experts said he was too old to pull off the victory. He also had to fend off a populist contender in early rounds — Bernie Sanders for Biden, the Memphis Grizzlies for the Warriors.
Vice President Kamala Harris also moved from her native Oakland to a bigger city, just like the team. She told a story about trying to go to a Warriors game amidst bad traffic, while eventually braving the Bay Area’s ramshackle train system, to the horror of her security detail.
Harris said, “We got to the game on time, and yes, the Warriors did win. It was a glorious day.”
Curry scored 41 points in an MLK Day win over the Wizards on Monday, in front of former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. The Warriors also presented jerseys to the 46th president — Biden got a No. 46, of course — and the VP, who got No. 1 — the same number Curry’s beloved brother-in-law Damion Lee wore last year.
The Warriors didn’t visit the White House after their championships in 2017 and 2018. President Donald Trump disinvited them, a day after Curry said he didn’t want to go, due to Trump’s response to the white supremacist rallies in Charlottesville. In January 2019, they met with Barack Obama instead.
No NBA champion visited the White House during Trump’s time in office, with the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers visiting Obama in the fall of 2016, and the 2019 Toronto Raptors refusing to go. The 2020 Los Angeles Lakers didn’t meet with President Biden due to COVID-19 issues. Last year, the Milwaukee Bucks did visit President Biden.
President Biden joked that head coach Steve Kerr’s fingers were weighted down by all of his championship rings as a coach and a player, while Kerr expressed appreciation for the opportunity to visit.
“It’s an amazing place to visit just seeing American history right before your eyes, and to be able to visit the White House is just an incredible honor,” Kerr said. “We’re thrilled.”
