In 2015, the Golden State Warriors won their first title in 40 years after defeating Eastern Conference champions Cleveland Cavaliers in six games (4?2). For the same, they were honored at the White House by the then-President of the United States, Barack Obama. However, after taking the stage, President Obama was quick to voice his disappointment over the absence of one dignitary, Stephen Curry?s daughter Riley Curry.
What did Barack Obama say?
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Obama jokingly said, ?I was hoping that Riley Curry would be here today to share the podium with me, I guess I?ll have to get media training some other day.?
His remarks came after famous post-game interviews where Riley Curry accompanied her dad Steph and stole the limelight, not only in one but two post-game presses. She handed her gum over to a nearby employee for safekeeping and asked her dad to ?be quiet.? Then, she played peekaboo with the audience from under the curtained podium.?
Obama and the Warriors
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As per CBN News, President Barack Obama cited the Warriors’ outstanding track record over the previous two years, which included a season in which they won 67 games; their first title in 40 years, and a 24-0 start to the current campaign for Golden State. He also mentioned his favorite NBA team 1996 Chicago Bulls, stating, ?It is rare to be in the presence of guys from the greatest team in NBA history, So we?re pretty lucky today because we?ve got one of those players in the house.?
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Obama also praised the Warriors’ accomplishments off the field, such as their collaborations with groups like “My Brother’s Keeper,” a program designed to support young men of color. He said, ?They’re the kind of people you want representing a city.?
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The former President’s love affair with the game dates back to his childhood. Growing up in Hawaii, his grandfather took him to watch a University of Hawaii men’s game and his father handed him a basketball, which further brought him closer to the sport.
Over time, he grew fond of the NBA and its players and even has a special connection to Michael Jordan’s Chicago Bulls, who won six titles when Obama was a young lawyer and a politician in the city. Notably, he once stated that he would like to own a team and was not averse to relating global issues to basketball.