U.S. President Barack Obama welcomed NBA champions the Golden State Warriors to the White House. Obama is well known as a basketball enthusiast, and the president marveled at how the Dubs are revolutionizing the game with what he described as a "small-ball nuclear lineup” that specializes in great shooting and passing.
The Warriors beat Lebron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers in last year’s NBA finals and are off to a historically strong start in their quest to repeat, with a 45-4 record so far this season.
Golden State are led by Steph Curry, the sharp shooting guard who won the MVP award last year and is a good bet to repeat that feat as he leads the league in scoring. Obama described some of Curry’s antics on the court as “clowning,” particularly during the night's previous game against Washington when Curry scored 51 points in the win.
Coach Steve Kerr then presented Obama with the obligatory team jersey, number 44 since he is the nation's 44th president.
"Yeah, he had some jazz, which I expected having been with him that one golf round, but his material is pretty good. I think he told me I don’t need to make up any more excuses to shoot more shots, stuff like that,” Curry said.
"He’s got a great sense of humor, and this is what he does so. A great, great speaker, the way he was able to talk about our team, and what we were able to accomplish this year, and know us on a personal level is pretty cool.”