Barbara Bush never got to any of the NBA championship celebrations held at the White House when her grandfather was president of the United States. Never got to one when her father occupied the Oval Office, either.
She got to the one held for Golden State earlier this year — as an NBA employee.
The former first daughter, very quietly in deference to her desire to keep many details of her life private, has worked for the NBA for the past year after connecting with the league during the pandemic on some health-related and social justice initiatives. The league has now announced that Bush was recently promoted to lead its social responsibility department, helping oversee initiatives surrounding racial justice, public service, health matters including mental health, community partnerships and more.
“I believe in the same values as the NBA, which is why I chose to work here,” Bush said in an interview with The Associated Press. “And the work is what matters to me. If that does mean, you know, sometimes being out there within my comfort level, that’s OK with me. It’s not about me. The NBA, we’re using all the resources that we have to create awe-inspiring moments for people to come together when we’re in sort of a loneliness crisis. That is meaningful to me.”