Joe Biden welcomes NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks to the White House

President Joe Biden on Monday welcomed the 2021 NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks to the White House, a tradition that was halted briefly under the previous administration. The Bucks became the first NBA team to visit the White House since the Cleveland Cavaliers visited at the end of the Obama administration in 2016.

In a speech, Biden congratulated the Milwaukee side on winning their first NBA title in 50 years. The Bucks won the NBA championship title by defeating the Phoenix Suns in six games in the NBA Finals, concluding with a Game 6 victory in Milwaukee.

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Biden, during his speech, mentioned Bucks guard Jrue Holiday and quipped he isn’t as good of an athlete as his wife and former USWNT midfielder Lauren Holiday.

Meanwhile, he complimented the franchise for their efforts in urging people to vote and get vaccinated, as well as their actions following the August 2020 police shooting of Jacob Blake in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

“You represented yourselves and your families, your organisation and a great American city by staying true to who you are,” Biden said. “You did the work in an offseason and during a gruelling regular season.”

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The Bucks were down 0-2 in both the Eastern Conference semifinals and the NBA Finals against the Brooklyn Nets and the Phoenix Suns, respectively. Biden applauded the team’s ‘Never Give Up’ attitude. 

“You never gave up. I watched. It was amazing how you came back. You always believed. [Bucks] Coach Bud [Mike Budenholzer], you got them to play as a team.”

Bucks owner Marc Lasry and two-time league MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo gave their remarks before presenting the president with a Bucks jersey with his name and the number 46 on the back.

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Antetokounmpo, in his remarks, said, “From Sepolia to the Oval Office, meeting the president of the United States.”

“I’m grateful for this opportunity, and it’s a great example that with a lot of hard work, you can accomplish a lot of things in life, and this is one of those amazing gifts that we get to experience.”

The NBA Finals MVP, who starred with 50 points in Game 6, concluded by saying, “I’m in the White House – this is awesome!!”

At the event, the second gentleman of the US, Douglas Emhoff, was also present. 

The Bucks gathered for selfies on the South Lawn in the hours leading up to the event, with guard Pat Connaughton tweeting a snapshot of the squad on his Twitter account. The Bucks’ official Twitter account also shared a photo of Giannis Antetokounmpo and his brother and teammate Thanasis Antetokounmpo holding their championship rings. The players also met Vice President Kamala Harris ahead of the event.