Joe Biden sparks controversy as he kneels in 2022 NBA Championship team photo op
By: Zaini Majeed (Republic World)
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
Joe Biden widely hailed praises on the team's star players, its front-office personnel, and Coach Steve Kerr in a speech before the photo op.
Written By Zaini Majeed
IMAGE: Instagram/POTUS
"I'm not doing that," US Vice President Kamala Harris was heard saying awkwardly with a smile as President Joe Biden on Tuesday, January 17, garnered controversy by kneeling in the photo op with the Golden State Warriors. Biden had invited the 2022 NBA Championship team, the Golden State Warriors, to the White House and as the group took a photo, the President of the United States kneeled down as the team gathered for a click. "No," coach Steve Kerr was heard saying, dismissing the moment with a wave.
Biden, however, was bent down on the ground taking a Black Lives Matter-styled knee as he smiled at the camera. US President had also widely hailed praises on the team's star players, its front-office personnel, and Coach Steve Kerr in a speech before the photo op.
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A post shared by President Joe Biden (@potus)
Biden hails the 'Warrior spirit'
Vice President Kamala Harris stood between Warriors superstar Steph Curry and veteran Andre Iguodala as the photos were taken. The team was in the White House to celebrate the latest NBA championship. In 2017 and 2018, the team had passed on the opportunity after spurring with the then-Republican President Donald Trump who left office in January 2021.
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"As they put it in Dub Nation: strength in numbers. That's the Warrior spirit. That's America," Biden wrote on Twitter, sharing the picture.
"Notice Biden kneeling before Kamala Harris. This is subliminal messaging," one said. "You're the president of the United States.....why are you kneeling?" meanwhile one other asked. "Get off your knees," one other commented. The Dubs were in Washington DC to play the hometown Wizards at the Capital One Arena as they later commemorated their fourth championship in eight years. The Warriors beat the Celtics in 6 games during the 2022 NBA Finals.
Warriors superstar Steph Curry noted in a speech: "On behalf of the Warriors, I want to thank President Biden and Vice President Harris for the invitation to come to the White House today to celebrate our championship from a year ago." He further said that it is a "great reminder of how lucky we are to be Americans, to live in a country where we can chase our dreams and enjoy the fruits of our labor and the celebration of all those around us."
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I really hope the right keeps this shit up for the next two years. They will guarantee a Democratic victory.
Not with Biden will the Dems win. Every effort should be made by the Republicans to vilify the idiot and make him look bad, stupid, and ineffective.
Thankfully, his ongoing cooperation is greatly appreciated.
Why is Biden kneeling down in front of a sports team photo controversial and described as a "black lives matter" thing?
Is that because black people play basketball?
Too bad all their efforts so far have just highlighted the republican's penchant for hypocrisy.
kneeling in the front of group photographs is hardly an unknown thing
It's a coach and coaching staff thing as your photos show. Not PotUS
I would probably prefer that the president wouldnt kneel, but its not a big deal. As an "embarrassment" its sort of on the level of Trump inviting a championship college team to the White House and then serving them Mc Donald's cheeseburgers and fries as their White House meal.
“It's a coach and coaching staff thing as your photos show. Not PotUS”
So he is not the leader? Appropriate in its context. Sheesh, people…the definition of a first world problem when something so innocent is a point of contention. Breathe.
Hell, it impressed me. At his age, the ability to kneel, then get back up without help is more impressive than anything else. When I do it, the knee cracking is deafening....
Not of the team he isn't.
The president kneeling is , at worst, a violation of decorum. After all the times Trump disregarded presidential decorum you'd think the right would just let this sort of thing go.
“Not of the team he isn't.”
Certainly not your team, eh?
What did the administration provide for a meal for these guys? I think that team rather enjoyed all that McDonalds food.
The left seems awfully invested in Biden kneeling.
Odd.
Good thing he wasn’t wearing a tan suit …
Yeah, interesting why liberals are the only one who ever talk about that. A few critical comments and you'd think someone tried to kill him.
Even the slightest criticism of their lord and savior obviously causes immense amounts of physic trauma they still haven't recovered from.
Lol … ok
No. That’s ignorant. It’s not a BLM knee. It’s a team sports pic knee.
Not only is it not subliminal messaging, but this “analysis” strikes me as racist.
This whole article is stupid. The worst thing I can say about Biden in this picture is he looks like kind of a dork being the only person kneeling in room of like 50 people, who are all standing. Plus, he looks silly kneeling in a suit. Trying to read more into it than that is a desperate attempt at winning racial political points.
The only one making a big deal out of this are Democrats and leftists; who can't stand taking the same inane crap they have been dishing out for the last six years plus.
Chances are most people on NT wouldn't have even know about this if JR hadn't posted it.
www.msn.com /en-us/news/politics/joe-biden-kneeling-in-front-of-golden-state-warriors-raises-questions/ar-AA16sWFd
J oe Biden has sparked concern from his critics after he chose to take a knee for a photo opportunity when meeting the 2022 NBA Championship team, the Golden State Warriors.
3-3 minutes Invalid Date
J oe Biden has sparked concern from his critics after he chose to take a knee for a photo opportunity when meeting the 2022 NBA Championship team, the Golden State Warriors.
The Warriors have won four championships in the past eight years, but they did not meet Donald Trump while he was in office.
The team was publicly disinvited after star point guard Stephen Curry said he was not interested in going, according to an ESPN report.
During their meeting on Tuesday, Biden took a knee in front of the team for a photo with Vice President Kamala Harris and the team, prompting laughter from those in the room.
The photo, among others, was shared to Biden's Twitter page . The president captioned the image: "As they put it in Dub Nation: Strength in numbers.
"That's the Warrior spirit. That's America."
Former Superman actor Dean Cain was one of the social media users to question Biden's choice to kneel and simply tweeted: "Why are you taking a knee?"
Right-wing activist Louis Marinelli also commented on the photo and tweeted: "Notice Biden kneeling before Kamala Harris. This is subliminal messaging."
One America News Network host Addison Smith made a similar statement and tweeted: "Insightful messaging to have Biden kneel before Kamala Harris."
He tweeted: "Kamala Harris refuses to drop to her knees in front of an entire NBA Team.
"Kamala shouts 'I'm not doing that.'
"Joe Biden in turn gets on his knees before the Golden State Warriors. The White House crowd awkwardly gasps. Cringe. Watch."
This move by Biden was defended by Curry, however, who said the image was now iconic, according to a San Francisco Chronicle report.
He said: "Very symbolic. I think it was an iconic moment in the sense of what that image means. But the fact that he would do it there, I don't know how he'd put words to it but he's just a humble server, man.
"That's how you want anybody to approach the position that he's in. That picture is going to be one to keep."
During the meeting, Biden also suggested he shared similarities with the team in that they proved their critics and doubters wrong.
He said: "The last couple of years were pretty tough. Critics wondered if this team was gone for good as a championship team."
He joked: "Fellas, I know what it feels like."
Newsweek has contacted the White House for comment.
So a couple tweets that said:
:The horror! Put Trigger warning on your posts before people die of shock that someone could dare, dare to use twitter to ask why a President in kneeling!
Solidarity with Colin Kaepernick?