Sen. Sherrod Brown of Ohio took a walk of shame Thursday to the office of Sen. Barbara Boxer of California.
There, Boxer was waiting to collect on her bet that the Golden State Warriors would win the NBA championship. And on Tuesday, they did, beating the Cleveland Cavaliers 105-97.
As part of the bet, Brown had to wear a jersey from the winning team to Boxer’s office. He arrived a little late.
“He is resisting this moment,” Boxer said before Brown walked in, donning the No. 23 Jersey not of the Cavaliers’ LeBron James, but of the Warriors’ Jason Richardson.
“LeBron James is 23,” Brown said. “Does this guy play?”
Surrounded by family and Senate staff, the two Democrats swapped beer, T-shirts, coffee and trash talk.
“You start,” Boxer said, “because I want the last word.”
Brown noted with pride that star players Curry and James are both sons of Akron, Ohio. Then, he proceeded to mock Curry’s habit of chewing on his mouth guard.
“What’s this goofy thing hanging out of Curry’s mouth?” Brown asked, incredulously. “Nobody does that!”
Boxer reminded Brown who won the bet.
“Sherrod, there are children here!” she exclaimed. “Can you be a good sport for five minutes?”
Boxer presented Brown with a bag of Warriors Grounds, a dark roast made by Peet’s Coffee, a Berkeley, Calif., company founded in 1966.
Brown wouldn’t have had much luck getting the special blend online: As of Thursday, the coffee was out of stock on Peet’s website.
Still, Brown couldn’t resist another crack about Curry.
“Is this like a crackerjack box?” he asked. “You open it and get one of those mouth guards?”
“Yes, it’s in there!” Boxer said.
Brown thanked Boxer for the coffee and presented her with a bottle of Goose Juice, a Rye India Pale Ale brewed by Hoppin’ Frog in Akron.
It was the Warriors’ first title since 1975. Boxer, who’s not seeking re-election next year, noted that the wins bookend her political career, which began with her election to the Marin County Board of Supervisors in 1976.
Boxer said that sometimes people say she and Brown act like brother and sister. On Thursday, they demonstrated why.
“I just want you to know how much I enjoyed our trash talk,” Boxer told him.
“I enjoyed all the trash talk until today,” he replied.