Vice President Kamala Harris will have the endorsement of a prominent Bay Area athlete as she looks to win the Democratic presidential nomination in the coming weeks and, eventually, the election in November.
Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry spoke glowingly of the Oakland-born Harris in a news conference on Thursday ahead of the U.S. men’s basketball team’s first group-stage game against Serbia.
“It’s a very interesting time for our country, for sure,” Curry said. “The fact that President Biden gave the endorsement, Vice President Harris is primed to bring her energy to this campaign and, hopefully if she’s on the ticket, winning the election. It’s a big deal, to say the least.”
Harris, a longtime Warriors fan, met with the U.S. men’s team after a training camp practice earlier this month.
Curry said he hopes a gold medal performance in Paris can help bring positive energy to Harris and bring the country together ahead of the election.
“She represents the Bay Area. She’s been a big supporter of us, so I want to give that energy back to her,” he said.
“We’re representing our country here, and this is a very monumental next couple of months for the direction where we’re headed. Hopefully, this is a great way to do our part to continue unifying our country with how sports brings a lot of people together. For her, in this moment, knowing what’s ahead, it’s all about positive energy and optimism, knowing how divided our country is right now. [I’m] just excited for the journey ahead for her.”
Following President Joe Biden’s announcement last weekend that he will not run for a second term, Harris earned the endorsement of Biden and many other prominent Democrats as the party’s nominee to go against Republican nominee and former President Donald Trump in November’s election.
Despite Harris still needing to earn the nomination from delegates at the Democratic National Convention in August, she is favored to be the party’s candidate.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr also voiced his support for Harris, telling reporters on Thursday, “Kamala Harris is a great candidate and I will support her.”
Curry will look to lead Team USA to its fifth consecutive Olympic gold medal. This year’s team is one of the more talented rosters the U.S. has put together, featuring the likes of Curry, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis and Devin Booker.
While still favored to win gold, the U.S. will face stiff competition. France, Greece, Spain, Canada, Serbia and South Sudan all boast teams with NBA talent that could challenge the U.S. in different ways. The U.S. went 5-0 in lead-up games, but three wins came by six points or less.
The American’s opening game against Serbia is scheduled for 8:15 a.m. on Sunday.
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