Baller 21

Barack Obama is a Baller

by Chris Harvey on 06/01/07

Check out the full N.Y. Times article and video on Barack Obama and his love of the game of basketball.

It was an interesting article and the video interview was by his brother-in-law, former Princeton Basketball star. Highlights from the article:

Obama grew up playing ball on a playground near Waikiki Beach, Hawaii. He also likes to play golf.

The future Mrs. Obama requested for her brother to take him out to play basketball to see what kind of character he had. Was he selfish or a poor sport? (That’s awesome!)

While in Harvard Law School Obama and his classmates played inmates at a Massachusetts prison. They were terrified to win or lose, because the convicts lining the court had bet on both outcomes. (“I got two packs on you!” they called out.)

Though most of the men in his circle of playing partners could afford to build courts at their own homes, they pride themselves on the democratic nature of basketball, on showing up at the South Side parks and playing with whoever is around. At the University of Chicago court where they used to play they said, “You might have someone from the street and a potential Nobel Prize winner on the same team.” “It’s a great equalizer.”

Currently, Mr. Obama does not get to play much, but the solution according to his friends, is for him to win the presidency, so they can all play together at the White House. (3 on 3 on the White House lawn…I’m in!)

Sweet story,

C.Harv