{"id":154334,"date":"2023-01-17T19:32:01","date_gmt":"2023-01-18T03:32:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=154334"},"modified":"2023-01-17T19:32:01","modified_gmt":"2023-01-18T03:32:01","slug":"president-biden-and-vice-president-harris-honoring-the-2022-nba-champions-the-golden-state-warriors","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/?p=154334","title":{"rendered":"President Biden and Vice President Harris Honoring the 2022 NBA Champions, the Golden State Warriors"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Good afternoon. Everybody, please have a seat. Good afternoon. Good afternoon.  It\u2019s good to see everyone. It is so good to see everyone. What a wonderful day in Washington, D.C.  So, while we are gathered here, I do want to take a moment to address the many Californians who have been impacted by the extreme weather that has hit the state. They and our very courageous first responders are in our thoughts and in our prayers.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72923-PM.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72923-PM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-154335\" srcset=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72923-PM.jpg 640w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72923-PM-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72923-PM-123x70.jpg 123w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72923-PM-570x322.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72911-PM.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72911-PM.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"640\" height=\"361\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-154336\" srcset=\"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72911-PM.jpg 640w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72911-PM-300x169.jpg 300w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72911-PM-123x70.jpg 123w, https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72911-PM-570x322.jpg 570w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 640px) 100vw, 640px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><iframe loading=\"lazy\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/Gms9fwqvt7w\" title=\"President Biden Welcomes the Golden State Warriors to the White House\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>And I have been in constant contact with California\u2019s state leaders. And the President will have more to say about our administration\u2019s response. But they are very much \u2014 those Californians \u2014 in our mind.<\/p>\n<p>And now, I will talk about our beloved Warriors. (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So, as a very proud daughter of Oakland, California \u2014 (applause) \u2014 it gives me immense personal pride as the Vice President of the United States to say: Dub Nation is in the house! (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>My family and my Bay Area friends are among the many<br \/>\nwho are gathered here to congratulate our Golden State Warriors, the 2022 NBA Champions. (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>So, 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.<\/p>\n<p>Doug and I, the first Second Gentleman of the United States, together with our family, who are here, have watched this team on television and in person.<\/p>\n<p>I have a fond memory of a particular playoff game in Oakland, at Oracle. So, we were headed to the game but stuck in standstill traffic, and we were worried that we were going to miss the tip-off.<\/p>\n<p>Now, I was the Attorney General of California at the time. And to the dismay of my security detail, I decided to jump out the car \u2014 (laughter) \u2014 and take BART instead. (Applause.) And got on a jam-packed train with all the other fans.<\/p>\n<p>We got to the game on time. And, yes, the Warriors did win. (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>It was a glorious day. And I even caught my Lakers-fan husband cheering them on. (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Six years later, after President Biden and I were elected, the Warriors presented me with a jersey with the number 49 to commemorate my number as Vice President. It still hangs next to our treadmill at home. (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>And as many of you may know, I work out every morning. So, every morning, I look at that jersey: a symbol of grit, determination, and teamwork.<\/p>\n<p>My pride in the Warriors today is not only because they win, but because these players, their coaches, and this entire organization consistently stand for the principles of equity, equality, and justice \u2014 (applause) \u2014 which they do with<br \/>\ngreat integrity and excellence.<\/p>\n<p>So, for all of this, I congratulate our Warriors.<\/p>\n<p>And it is now my great honor to introduce two people who<br \/>\nembody and live by these important principles. One of them<br \/>\nis a two-time MVP and a four-time NBA champion. The other is the champion of our nation. (Laughter.) You\u2019re welcome. (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Please welcome Steph Curry and the President of the United States, Joe Biden. (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT: Hello, everyone. Please have a seat if you have it. I\u2019m tempted to say, as honored as I am to be here speaking, I\u2019m not sure I wouldn\u2019t be more excited if I was standing back there. (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Kamala, thank you very much. It feels like a Warrior home game, and that is the toughest ticket in town. And this has been a tough ticket to get in town.<\/p>\n<p>Nancy Pelosi \u2014 where are you, Nance? Nancy? (Applause.) The greatest Speaker in our history, and this is her home court right here. (Laughter and applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Folks, it\u2019s so wonderful to be here.<\/p>\n<p>Paul \u2014 good to see you, Paul. (Applause.) God love you. That\u2019s the man.<\/p>\n<p>There\u2019s several other members of the California delegation here \u2014 who are also here, and along with several city and state leaders. But as Kamala said, we\u2019re \u2014 we\u2019re all closely monitoring the storms, the floods, the landslides all across California. And our heart is with all of the families \u2014 all the families in the communities that are hurting, and all the brave and historic \u2014 and heroic first responders.<\/p>\n<p>Working closely with Governor Newsom \u2014 I\u2019m in constant contact with \u2014 and the entire delegation, I issued a disaster declaration to support recovery and to rebuild. And I\u2019ll be traveling to California on Thursday to assess the damage and see what additional support may be needed.<\/p>\n<p>Difficult moments like this remind us that we are one America. We\u2019re one America. And, folks, I know the team we\u2019re honoring today understands what it takes to work together.<\/p>\n<p>Let me just say that the Golden State Warriors are always welcome in this White House. Always welcome. (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>No more droughts. (Laughter.) I mean in California.<\/p>\n<p>And congratulations to the team\u2019s owner, Peter and Joe. Congratulations to the staff and coaches and fans and, most especially, to the incredible players standing behind me.<\/p>\n<p>Today, the Golden State Warriors are known as one of the most successful franchises in basketball and all of sports. And four NBA titles, six finals, and \u2014 in the last eight seasons. That ain\u2019t bad, man. (Laughter.) That ain\u2019t bad. The stat line of a dynasty.<\/p>\n<p>But the last couple of years were pretty tough. You struggled in 2020, missed the playoffs in \u201921, and critics wondered if this team was gone for good as a championship team. But, fellas, I know what it feels like. (Laughter and applause.) I\u2019ve been there.<\/p>\n<p>But as my dad used to say, \u201cJoe, get up. Just get up, and never give up.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But you never gave up, and you always believed.<\/p>\n<p>Coached by one of the greats, a man of courage and humility \u2014 five rings as a player, four as a coach: Steve Kerr. (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And, by the way, he\u2019s running out of fingers. (Laughter.) You all see the size of those rings? He has to walk around like this. (The President bends forward.) (Laughter). Well, I tell you what \u2014 (laughs) \u2014<\/p>\n<p>And one of the best executives in sports, Bob Myers, who rebuilt \u2014 (applause) \u2014 and reimagined a team around the Big 3: Steph, Draymond, and \u2014 and Kay [Klay]. Well, you guys are something incredible. I mean, you add up to 72 feet? (Laughter.) You\u2019re amazing. I swear to God, you\u2019re incredible. (Laughter.) Who worked like hell to come back after missing two and a half seasons in injuries. You brought Andre, and you signed another group of up-and-coming stars.<\/p>\n<p>In 2022, you showed what you\u2019re all about: heart and hustle. Finishing near the top of the Western Conference at the end of the regular season. In the playoffs, defeating Denver, Memphis, and Dallas. And in the finals, beating the Boston Celtics for the Warriors\u2019 seventh title in franchise history. That\u2019s pretty damn good. (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>And, Steph, earning your first Finals MVP award. Finals. That\u2019s not bad, man. (Laughter.) How\u2019s it feel compared to all those other MVPs? (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>MR. CURRY: It was the best one.<\/p>\n<p>THE PRESIDENT: It was the best one? All right. (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>Well, I tell you what \u2014 it goes with his two regular season MVP awards, including the first unanimous MV- \u2014 MVP in NBA history. (Applause.) It cemented his place in history among the best ever.<\/p>\n<p>You know, and they don\u2019t do it with a style of play that does anything other than reflect America: constant motion with individual freedom and personality that comes together as one team \u2014 a team that plays with joy, with drive to be their best, and reflects the vibrancy of the Bay and the culture of our country.<\/p>\n<p>And no wonder \u2014 it\u2019s no wonder why millions of people at home and around the world stop and watch you play. And that\u2019s true. Wherever they can tune in, they watch.<\/p>\n<p>You entertain and, above all, you do something that I don\u2019t even think you guys think about a lot: You inspire. You inspire. Unrelated to basketball, you just inspire.<\/p>\n<p>And let me close with this. On Sunday, it would have been Dr. King\u2019s 94th birthday. I believe \u2014 I had the great honor of being the first sitting President to deliver a sermon at Sunday service at \u2014 at his cherished Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.<\/p>\n<p>Fellas, we\u2019ve been on some big stages, but that was something special and humbling for me. You could feel his spirit. You literally could feel his spirit, at least I could \u2014 his moral vision of a beloved community where \u2014 where we move forward and we move forward together.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s exactly 60 years ago this month when President Kennedy hosted the Boston Celtics as the first NBA championship team to visit the White House.<\/p>\n<p>A few months later, in August, a Celtic legend, Bill Russell, returned to Washington, this time to stand at the Lincoln Memorial to hear Dr. King deliver his \u201cI Have a Dream\u201d speech.<\/p>\n<p>I know this is the first season without Mr. Russell since his passing last year, and we miss him. But we know that all of you carry forward the through-line of greatness and service that he and Dr. King represented.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s fitting we continue the tradition to host the day after Dr. King\u2019s holiday. Look at what this team does: speaking out against racism, standing up for equality \u2014 I mean speaking out loudly against racism; standing up for equality; encouraging people to vote; empowering children and their families to eat healthy, learn, and play in safe places; rallying the country against gun violence.<\/p>\n<p>And, Coach, I want to thank you again. I want to thank you again. (Applause.) I really mean it.<\/p>\n<p>(Inaudible) his dad was a great man and professor at Beirut University, and so much more. But he was a victim of gun violence. But it matters.<\/p>\n<p>We always believed that America can be summed up, I believe, in a single word. I was asked by Xi Jinping on the Tibetan Plateau some years ago. He said, \u201cCan you define America for me?\u201d This is the God\u2019s truth. And I said, \u201cYes, in one word: possibilities. Possibilities.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Each of you, individually and together as a team, proved that anything is possible if we do it together. There\u2019s nothing beyond the capacity of this country if we work together. Nothing. I really mean it and believe that with my whole heart and soul.<\/p>\n<p>Our national motto is: E plur- \u2014 E pluribus unum. Out of many, one. Well, you put the Dub Nation in that (inaudible). (Laughter.) Strength in numbers. That\u2019s the Warrior spirit. But that\u2019s also America.<\/p>\n<p>And now it\u2019s my honor to introduce someone I really admire not just as a player but as a person. And we all know the state [stat] line of championships and MVPs. We see the highlight reels \u2014 one of the sharpest shooters to ever play the game.<\/p>\n<p>But when you watch Steph Curry play, you also see a man of character who puts in the work, who walks his faith, who loves his family, and brings people together as one of the great sportsmen of our time.<\/p>\n<p>And besides that, he \u2014 the only thing he and I really have in common: We both married way above our station. (Laughter.) Way above our station. (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Steph Curry. (Applause.)<\/p>\n<p>MR. CURRY: Thank you for that, President Biden, Vice President Harris, the entire White Hous- \u2014 White House staff. Thank you all for welcoming us here.<\/p>\n<p>The entire organiz- \u2014 Warriors organization, every teammate, every coach, front office, executive staff, everybody that\u2019s here celebrating with us. We are a team. We do it together. And to be able to celebrate our championship together with you here, it means a lot to bring that trophy here. It means a lot.<\/p>\n<p>I think we were here seven years ago for our first championship. So, to have another opportunity to be here, it means \u2014 it means the world. We had a connection obviously with your former boss, President Obama, with his Chicago ties and watching Coach Kerr and celebrating championships there.<\/p>\n<p>But there is a connection to you. I know you grew up in Scranton, Pennsylvania. And that\u2019s two hours away from Philly, which is where the Warriors organization began. In 1946, we won our first championship. So \u201946 has a nice ring with him \u2014 (laughter) \u2014 with you as the 46th President. So that is a great connection there.<\/p>\n<p>And then, obviously, Vice President Harris representing Oakland, representing the Bay Area the way that we do every time we step foot on the court. What you\u2019ve been able to do here in D.C., it means \u2014 means the world.<\/p>\n<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MR. CURRY: So, you are, I know, a huge fan. And you\u2019re loud with it, too. And we \u2014 we love that. (Laughter.) So, we appreciate you. Keep doing \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MR. CURRY: No, it\u2019s \u2014<\/p>\n<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT: Yeah.<\/p>\n<p>MR. CURRY: We love that. We love that spirit. And we want to continue to make you proud with everything that we do.<\/p>\n<p>THE VICE PRESIDENT: Thank you.<\/p>\n<p>MR. CURRY: And, again, for us to be here \u2014 to find the common synergies within, you know, what we do on the court and what we represent. And when it comes to providing hope, inspiration, belief to everybody that watches us play, that\u2019s what you do in your roles leading our country.<\/p>\n<p>And to continue to do exactly what you said \u2014 do things together, continue to preach that message \u2014 that\u2019s \u2014 that\u2019s what we\u2019re all about, and obviously in the pursuit of winning championships and doing amazing things.<\/p>\n<p>We brought some gifts for you. We have two jerseys \u2014 a number 46 and a number 49 \u2014 that we would love to have you a part of Dub Nation forever. (Laughter.) And maybe find it maybe on the wall in the Oval Office or in your office. (Laughter.)<\/p>\n<p>That would be \u2014 we\u2019ll come back \u2014 hopefully, we\u2019ll be able to come back and check and see if it\u2019s up there. But \u2014 (laughter) \u2014<\/p>\n<p>I want to say, again, thank you for letting us be here to celebrate. And for our families, our staff, everybody here on the stage, it means the world. And hopefully this isn\u2019t the last time.<\/p>\n<p>So, thank you. (Applause.)<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Washington, DC&#8230;Good afternoon. Everybody, please have a seat. Good afternoon. Good afternoon. It\u2019s good to see everyone. It is so good to see everyone. What a wonderful day in Washington, D.C. So, while we are gathered here, I do want to take a moment to address the many Californians who have been impacted by the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":154335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_cbd_carousel_blocks":"[]","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,5,4,1,28],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-154334","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured","category-government","category-life-style","category-news","category-sports","last_archivepost"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/01\/36-President-Biden-Welcomes-the-Golden-State-Warriors-to-the-White-House-YouTube-Google-Chrome-1172023-72923-PM.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154334","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=154334"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154334\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":154337,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/154334\/revisions\/154337"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/154335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=154334"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=154334"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/new.thepinetree.net\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=154334"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}