Everyone knows Barack Obama is a big basketball fan (somehow, there’s even a whole book about it), so you can imagine he’s had Feb. 4, 2016 circled on his calendar for a while.
With the Golden State Warriors in town, having beaten the Wizards on Wednesday, Obama welcomed the defending NBA champions at the White House.
The president began the visit with some jokes, noting famous three-year-old Riley Curry’s absence and ribbing the Warriors for not living up to Obama’s hometown Bulls.
The president also showed off his knowledge of NBA minutiae…
President Obama called Warriors small-ball lineup "a nuclear lineup. It's almost unfair. … It's beautiful to watch."
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) February 4, 2016
…and took a thinly veiled shot at defending MVP Steph Curry.
President Obama on Klay Thompson "whose jump shot is actually a little prettier. I'm just saying."
— Jeff Zillgitt (@JeffZillgitt) February 4, 2016
Prez Obama. Chef Curry. Clowning https://t.co/bkSdHRaiDT (via @imbeccable)
— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) February 4, 2016
It appears everyone had a good time, mostly by taking photos with Abraham Lincoln.
President Obama was very funny, making jokes about @StephenCurry30 and his Warriors teammates! @POTUS
— Earvin Magic Johnson (@MagicJohnson) February 4, 2016
Obama and Curry were friendly before Thursday, having played golf together over the summer. That could be why they took this impossibly beautiful picture in the Oval Office.
President Obama also praised assistant coach Luke Walton, who led the Warriors to a 39-4 start while Kerr was still recovering from back surgery. Walton won’t be credited for those wins when the NBA selects its coach for the Western Conference All-Star team, a slight Obama could apparently relate to.
“Man, that doesn’t seem fair,” Obama told Walton, as transcribed by the Washington Post. “You defied the cynics, accomplished big things, racked up a great record and you don’t get enough credit.” He paused before adding, “I can’t imagine how that feels.”