The Cleveland Cavaliers visited the White House on Thursday for their official championship celebration with President Obama, whose easy charm and humor we will really miss for these sorts of things. The full video of his speech to them is above, but here are our favorite parts of the transcript:
Welcome to the White House and give it up for the world champion Cleveland Cavaliers. That’s right, I said ‘World Champion’ and ‘Cleveland Cavaliers’ in the same sentence. That’s what we’re talking about when we’re talking about hope and change.
I also, before I go any further, want to give a special thanks to J.R. Smith’s shirt for showing up. I wasn’t sure if it was going to make an appearance today. I’m glad it came. You’re a very nice shirt.
Iman Shumpert, playing not only great defense and scoring, but also delivered his wife’s baby in the bathtub using a pair of headphones to tie off the umbilical cord. Now that’s something right there. That was an All-Star move. Got the MacGyver flat top, which we miss.
Here as well are some snapshots of the best moments from the Cavs’ visit, which Richard Jefferson predicts will be the last one from an NBA team for quite some time.
"These sleeves look a little tight, can I rip these off?" – @BarackObama
"I'll show you exactly how to do it." – @KingJames pic.twitter.com/rxafdcbdcR
— The Association on FOX (@TheAssociation) November 10, 2016
Iman Shumpert was legit amazed that President Obama's podium was movable pic.twitter.com/IxieVZtp4F
— AP (@Ananth_Pandian) November 10, 2016
https://twitter.com/brianphillips/status/796768305851662336
Obama gives a special shoutout to "JR Smith's shirt, for showing up." pic.twitter.com/t2G2CByJX1
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 10, 2016
Chicago fan Obama: "I should add that by knocking off the Warriors, they cemented the 1996 Bulls as the greatest team of all time"
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) November 10, 2016
(No 3-1 joke was to be had, unfortunately.)
Of Kevin Love's big defensive stop on Steph Curry late in Game 7, Obama says: "Kevin was really movin'!" pic.twitter.com/sCXN5F1KhT
— SLAM (@SLAMonline) November 10, 2016
https://instagram.com/p/BMpJP2Gh46Q/
