LAS VEGAS (AP) — Vice President Kamala Harris was a shock visitor on the U.S. Olympic males’s basketball crew’s follow Tuesday, and her message was clear.
“Convey again the gold,” Harris stated.
Harris — who flew to Las Vegas on Tuesday for marketing campaign appearances — addressed the crew briefly on the finish of its fourth and remaining coaching camp follow session. She has lengthy stated that she’s a Golden State Warriors fan; the U.S. crew is coached by the Warriors’ Steve Kerr and consists of Warriors guard Stephen Curry.
“It’s an amazing reminder of the truth that we’re taking part in for our nation,” stated Kerr, who has met Harris on a number of events due to her Warriors fandom. “Vice President Harris advised the blokes how a lot she admired them, how a lot they actually embody excellence and that we’re going over there to attempt to win a gold medal for our nation.”
Harris shook fingers with the gamers, chatted briefly with LeBron James and some others, and posed for a gaggle photograph with the crew.
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“Actually, you all symbolize one of the best of one of the best,” Harris advised them. “And being Crew USA, it’s about representing our nation. You might be, as you might be on daily basis on and off the court docket, ambassadors for who we’re as a rustic. You symbolize leaders in each stroll of life. And so that you can go to Paris and convey again that gold is simply one other instance of your excellence, your teamwork, your compassion and your dedication.”
U.S. assistant coach Erik Spoelstra stated he didn’t know the vice chairman was coming to follow.
“It was a fairly particular second for the complete group,” Spoelstra stated. “She simply talked about that we symbolize our nation and all people’s going to be watching and rooting for us and it’s an enormous duty. However she is aware of that all of us are placing within the work to symbolize all people right here and do it with class.”
Harris is planning to fulfill with voters in each Las Vegas and Dallas this week. She’s dealing with additional consideration amongst Democrats contemplating her prospects as a potential substitute for President Joe Biden, who’s resisting calls to step apart.
The U.S. males’s crew performs its first of 5 pre-Olympic exhibition video games Wednesday towards Canada in Las Vegas. Although that sport received’t have any bearing on the Olympics — the primary U.S. sport in France is towards Serbia on July 28 — Harris inspired the crew to go forward and begin successful now.
“Our nation is cheering you on and we’re so pleased with you,” Harris stated. “Beat Canada and convey again that gold.”
