Steph Curry thanks Biden for Brittney Griner’s release from Russia
During his visit to the White House with the Golden State Warriors, Steph Curry thanked President Joe Biden for helping to bring Brittney Griner home.
Patrick Colson-Price, Associated Press
President Joe Biden compared his once-slim presidential hopes to the Golden State Warriors’ pursuit of a fourth NBA championship title in eight seasons.
“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.”
Biden made his comments at the White House on Tuesday, honoring the Warriors for the 2022 title.
It was the first time the Warriors celebrated at the White House since their 2015 title when President Barack Obama was in office. Though the Warriors won titles in 2017 and 2018, they did not visit the White House during President Donald Trump’s years in office.
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“I always love coming to D.C. for a number of reasons,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Monday before playing the Washington Wizards. “I’ve got a lot of family here in town. 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. We’re thrilled.”
With now five titles as a player and four as a coach, Biden joked Warriors coach Steve Kerr was running out of fingers for championship rings. Biden also praised the Warriors for “speaking out against racism, standing up for equality, encouraging people to vote, empowering children and their families to eat healthy and to learn and to play in safe places, rallying the country against gun violence, and Coach (Kerr), I want to thank you again.”
Vice President Kamala Harris, a native of Oakland, California, made opening remarks and relished in her Warriors fandom. She told a story about trying to get to a Warriors game in congested Bay Area traffic when she was the state’s attorney general. Dismissing the pleas of her security detail, Harris said she got out of the car and took BART, the area’s public transportation rail system.
“We got to the game on time, and yes, the Warriors did win. It was a glorious day,” Harris said.
Longtime California congresswoman Nancy Pelosi was at the White House visit with her husband Paul. Both also attended Golden State’s game against the Wizards.
Warriors star Steph Curry presented Biden and Harris with Warriors jerseys and noted the franchise’s first championship was in 1946 as the Philadelphia Warriors, referencing Biden as the 46th president. He grew up two hours from Philadelphia.
“I want to thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for the invitation to come here. It’s something that we don’t ever take for granted,” Curry said. “To have this opportunity to reflect on the accomplishment last year to bringing everybody together to celebrate that to also acknowledge the place sports has in bringing people from all walks of life, all backgrounds to provide inspiration, hope, love, togetherness and that’s what our journey was last year, so to have another opportunity to celebrate that means a lot.”
Follow Jeff Zillgitt on Twitter @JeffZillgitt
