Golden State Warriors ‘Rep the Bay Area’ At The White House

Dub Nation got a different kind of dub on Tuesday…the dub of getting to meet President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris at the White House.

The Golden State Warriors celebrated their 2022 NBA Championship at the White House. NBA teams have been visiting the White House as part of a long-standing tradition, with the first visit by the Boston Celtics in 1963 during the Kennedy administration, and then a yearly occurrence beginning during Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

The team last visited the White House seven years ago to celebrate their first championship and returned Tuesday to celebrate their fourth. But, they also made sure to represent the team's town, the Bay Area, too.

The team posted a social media photo showing the smiling shooting guard Jordan Poole with Harris, with the caption, “Bay Area icons.”

Harris, an Oakland native, showed her excitement to welcome the Warriors.

“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 exclaimed.

Not only did the basketball team visit the Oval Office, but the Bay Area’s finest in hip-hop also visited.

In another post, with the caption, “Bay Area reppin’ at The White House,” rappers Mistah F.A.B., E40, Sway, and Too Short, brought their West Coast pride to the White House.

The rappers introduced themselves in the video and joked, “And we are men of the Secret Service of the Warriors.”

Warriors' shooting guard Klay Thompson also shared his appreciation for his team, the Warriors organization, and the president and vice president.

After the team missed earning playoff spots in 2020 and 2021, the Warriors’ championship win in 2022 cemented them as a dynastic mainstay.

“It’s a culmination of all of our hard work, perseverance, and just being gritty for years,” Thompson concluded. “This was a process and to be here and celebrate, it’s like the cherry on top.”

Stephen Curry, the Warriors point guard, also spoke during a press briefing at the White House podium about the impact of sports.

“[I’m grateful] to have this opportunity to reflect on the accomplishment last year, and also [to] acknowledge the play sports has in bringing people together from all walks of life,” Curry said.

The impact of sports is even more far-reaching. As part of their meeting today, Curry also thanked President Biden for bringing home Brittney Griner. Griner, of the Phoenix Mercury WNBA team, was sentenced to nine years in an exile colony after she was found guilty of attempting to smuggle illegal drugs.

Ten months into her sentence, the Biden-Harris administration engaged in a prisoner trade to release her. The Russian government freed the 32-year-old after the U.S. government exchanged her for Viktor Bout, a Russian arms dealer with the moniker, “Merchant of Death” – earning that nickname for scheming to sell weapons to those who claimed their plan was to kill Americans.

In a CBS News short, Curry said, "[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," Curry said. "That means a lot to know that she's here and home safe with her family, and all the work that went on behind the scenes to make that a reality."

As another show of gratitude, Curry gifted President Biden a “46” jersey, indicative of his role as 46th president, and Curry awarded Harris a “1” jersey, to show her status as the first woman and first woman of color to become vice president.

Curry concluded the team’s visit today by sharing his final thoughts on his day while hoping there will be more opportunities for championship visits.

“Hey what up, Dub Nation, we’re out here at the White House,” Curry said. “It’s been an unbelievable day celebrating our championship. We got to meet President Biden and Vice President Harris, and [we got to] really just celebrate the amazing accomplishment that we all had last year. Hopefully, we’ll be back with another trophy. Shout out to Dub Nation – let’s go!”