NBA champs Milwaukee Bucks to visit the White House on November 8

The 2020-21 NBA champions Milwaukee Bucks will visit the White House on November 8 to celebrate their first title for the franchise in 50 years.

Thanking US President Joe Biden and the White House for the invitation, Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer said on Saturday, “We’re very excited, very appreciative of the invite.”

“We know it’s an honor and special, and we’re looking forward to visiting the White House.”

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The Milwaukee side will be the first NBA champion to be feted at the White House since 2016, when the Cleveland Cavaliers visited former President Barack Obama.

However, the Golden State Warriors (2017 and ’18) and Toronto Raptors (2019) did not visit under former President Donald Trump, and the Los Angeles Lakers (2020) did not go due to travel issues related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Milwaukee 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 on July 20 when Giannis Antetokounmpo scored 50 points. 

However, it’s too naive to give all the plaudits of Bucks’ victory to the 26-year-old forward. After all, who can forget the game-winning steal from Jrue Holiday on Devin Booker in Game 5 and later setting up Antetokounmpo for that showbiz dunk?

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The Bucks will next play the Washington Wizards in Washington on November 7 and take part in the White House ceremony the following day before travelling to Philadelphia.

This season, Antetokounmpo and co. started their title defence with a win against the Brooklyn Nets, who would have eliminated them in the second round of the 2021 playoffs if Kevin Durant’s foot hadn’t crept across the 3-point arc while making a shot in Game 7.