There’s no “Mr. President” out there

January 24, 2017 3:01 PM

The Oral History of President Barack Obama Playing Pickup Basketball

There’s a code when you’re shooting around with a bunch of guys, getting ready for a game. They talk a little differently, they walk a little differently. Especially at the NBA level. I don’t know how to explain it, but that’s what I was most impressed with about the President. He fit right in. I think that’s maybe one of the most defining attributes of his eight years. He could talk to really any group. He could make you feel like he was one of you.

posted by I_Love_Bananas (19 comments total)

Luckily, after a couple of seconds of stunned silence, he bounced up off the floor and after a few kind of… pointed words, we resumed the game.

Hopefully spoken by Luther, the anger translator.
posted by The Hamms Bear at 3:33 PM on January 24, 2017 [5 favorites]

Haha, makes me think of the West Wing episode where President Bartlet is playing ball with his staff and subs in Mr. Rodney Grant, aka Juwan Howard.
posted by Fizz at 3:38 PM on January 24, 2017

I always wondered if he ever played Bill Bradley and if so who won.
posted by jonmc at 4:42 PM on January 24, 2017

I read somewhere a story about a staffer who played against Obama in a pickup game on the 2008 trail, and after a particularly good score over the President, the staffer said "Hah! All your base are belong to us!"

Obama looked quizzically at the staffer, who realized maybe this Constitutional lawyer, Senator, and leading candidate for leader of the free world didn't follow eight-year-old memes.

And then the President said, "What you say?" and grinned.
posted by infinitewindow at 4:44 PM on January 24, 2017 [43 favorites]

From the WTF w/Maron episode in June 2015: “I used to play basketball more, but these days I’ve gotten to the point where it’s not as much fun, because I’m not as good as I used to be and I get frustrated. Now I’m like one of these old guys, running around. The guys I play with, who are all a lot younger, they sort of pity me and sympathize with me. They tolerate me. We all know I’m the weak link on the court.”
posted by not_on_display at 5:45 PM on January 24, 2017 [3 favorites]

I wish they would have some kind of contest to get to play a game with The President. I would just love that.
posted by cashman at 5:55 PM on January 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

Great article - thanks for posting it.

I think it's fair to say there are parts of MeFi that are kind of anti-sports - but in my experience people really do play to their characters, often in shockingly revealing ways. Do they hustle? Are they dirty? Do you want them on your team? How do they lose?

This is one of just many, many articles, podcasts, and just lore that make it clear that Obama was someone you wanted on your team, working by your side. I'm really going to miss him.
posted by NoRelationToLea at 6:13 PM on January 24, 2017 [9 favorites]

For a slightly different take, from SB Nation: Barack Obama's 9 most disrespectful basketball moments, RANKED

What I don't get is how we don't have a YouTube link to Dan Pfeiffer's opening anecdote about making that shot live on CNN in 2007. We should have video of that, no?
posted by mhum at 6:28 PM on January 24, 2017 [4 favorites]

mhum: "We should have video of that, no?"

To answer my own question, it looks like this (very poor quality) video after the fact (not the live shot but a later interview talking about the shot) is the closest I could find. The video title also claims that it was a three-pointer though it's hard to verify from the video itself.
posted by mhum at 6:39 PM on January 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

More proof that we didn't deserve this man.
posted by tobascodagama at 7:15 PM on January 24, 2017 [3 favorites]

If there's an article like this in 4 years, just imagine: "An oral history of Trump obsessively yelling at CNN"
posted by T.D. Strange at 9:12 PM on January 24, 2017 [3 favorites]

If there's an article like this in 4 years, just imagine: "An oral history of Trump obsessively yelling at CNN"

You could literally write that article today.
posted by His thoughts were red thoughts at 9:16 PM on January 24, 2017 [3 favorites]

Thanks for posting this. I needed something positive and this made me grin and smile.
posted by chasles at 9:44 PM on January 24, 2017 [1 favorite]

Bleacher Report made him a hoops mixtape.
posted by yeahwhatever at 10:02 PM on January 24, 2017

This made me like Roy Williams better. I mean, I grew up In Lawrence, during his coaching days, and he came thru Wendy's alot when I worked there. In his little black Porsche, he'd always order: a crispy chicken sandwich combo with cheese and taco chips instead of fries and a small chilli with cheese and onions. He'd also order that for his team... I kinda never forgave him for leaving KU.

But I do NOW: Roy was just as blindly and clearly enamored with the former President as I was.

I forgive you, Roy.
posted by blessedlyndie at 11:25 PM on January 24, 2017 [2 favorites]

"You know how you beat LeBron James one-on-one? Get there 45 minutes early. Then it's one-on-none."

((SOB!!!))
posted by TWinbrook8 at 4:33 AM on January 25, 2017 [1 favorite]

Man, I want to challenge Maya Moore in heels. She's like 6'3" and I'm 5'11" on a good day.
posted by Sphinx at 5:04 AM on January 25, 2017

What about Obama talking smack about Michael Jordan?

There is no doubt that Michael is a better golfer than I am," he added. "Of course, if I was playing twice a day for the last 15 years, then that might not be the case. He might want to spend more time thinking about the Bobcats, or the Hornets.”

Admittedly, he wasn't on a basketball court when he said that.
posted by rdr at 6:00 AM on January 25, 2017

There’s no “Mr. President” out there

For at least the next four years.
posted by Splunge at 1:10 PM on January 25, 2017