The Lakers meet the president, a nice way to forget about the ugly loss in Toronto.
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The Lakers weren’t expecting to get a walkthrough — a pregame practice going over positions — on their off-day in Washington D.C. on Monday.
But when you’re going to meet the President, you practice.
On Monday, the Lakers got to meet Baller-in-Chief Barack Obama, and before the President walked in and official press conference started, the Lakers had a walk-though with White House staff on where to walk in, where to stand on the risers and the like.
They got it right when the lights went on — just like they did last year in the NBA Finals, which is the reason they got to meet the President. And while the President does more of these meet-and-greet photo ops than anyone on the planet, he seemed to seriously enjoy this one. Because who doesn’t want to take a break from writing and rehearsing a long speech given to a room where half the people want you to lose your job, so instead you can talk hoops with Phil Jackson and Kobe Bryant?
Obama has made no secret before he is a fan of Jackson, not surprising since he grew up in Chicago as a Bulls fan. Obama also made a joke about Jackson’s ritual of handing out books to players before their longest road trip of the year, saying he would like Jackson to send the Democrats and Republicans some books about playing as a team.
This was not the first time meeting the president for all of the players. Jordan Farmar introduced Obama at a campaign rally in Newport Beach back in 2008.
“President Obama was really cool,” Farmar said. “We talked basketball right away.”
Magic Johnson was there for the Lakers and said Obama was the first person he let talk some trash to him without talking back. Jeanie Buss offered Obama some courtside seats (although more people would still want to see Jack Nicholson).
If the weather in Washington were not the typical January cold and dreary, Obama would have wanted to have done this ceremony outside, on the full-sized basketball court he had put in at the White House. Maybe shot around a little on the court, and with the way the Lakers have played defense of late Obama probably could put up 20 points on them. The scouting report on Obama is that he is a pretty good and smart player, but likes to talk a little trash and shoot a little too much.
Maybe Kobe and Obama would have gotten along just fine.
President Barack Obama means business, at least on the basketball court. In addition to building a new hoops court on the White House South Lawn (to which he’s invited LeBron James and other NBA pros to play), he has assembled what he says is ”the best basketball-playing cabinet in American history.”
Separation of power (forwards): Obama jockeys for a rebound during an October 8th game with members of Congress and his cabinet
Some prominent administration officials who also have the hops include: Attorney General Eric Holder, co-captain of his high school team (the “Peglegs”) and a freshman player at Columbia University; Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, who, at 6’5”, was co-captain of Harvard’s varsity squad, and played professionally for Australia’s National Basketball League; General James Jones, the National Security Adviser, who stands 6’4” and was a forward for the Georgetown University Hoyas; UN Ambassador Susan Rice, a feisty 5’3” but a star hoops player when she attended Washington, D.C.’s National Cathedral School, where she was nicknamed “Spo” (short for “Sporting”); Paul Volcker, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve Board and now chairman of Obama’’s Economic Recovery Advisory Board, played basketball for Princeton.
And, of course, there’s the Baller-in-Chief himself, an avid hoops player when he attended school in Honolulu who would dribble and bounce a ball between classes (and where he was nicknamed Barry O’Bomber because of his devastating “jump shot”).
President Obama’s back-to-school event next month will features a couple of other famous names, basketball superstar LeBron James and best-selling singer Kelly Clarkson.
All three will appear in a 30-minute documentary to be broadcast on more than 20 cable television networks, urging students to stay in school and use education to reach for their dreams.
According to a release about the program, called Get Schooled: It’s Your Right, Obama plans to say:
“So as this new school year begins, I urge you to set goals for your own education: To study hard and get involved in your school, to try new things and find something you’re passionate about.
“And that’s how our nation will get ahead — by ensuring that every American gets a world-class education, from preschool to college to a career.”
The program will be seen Sept. 8 at 8 p.m. ET on cable outlets that include BET, MTV, VH1, CMT, Comedy Central, Spike TV and Nickelodeon
All of those are Viacom networks, which is sponsoring a new initiative along with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. The five-year “Get Schooled” campaign is designed to improve high school and college graduation rates.
The three headliners — Obama, Clarkson, and James — will be accompanied by high-level aides who will discuss how school helped them forge careers.
They are White House speechwriter Sarah Hurwitz, Clarkson music director Jason Halbert, and James marketing assistant Latesha Williams.
Last week I got a call from the producer of a new upcoming television show called “The Buried Life” on behalf of these four young guys who are trying to accomplish a list of 100 things to do before they die while helping strangers do the same thing.
So it’s a kind of a how to do anything series with a pass it forward twist.
The four guys tracked me down because #95 on their list is ‘Play Ball with Obama’ and they thought maybe Baller-in-Chief.com could help.
From their website, which is impressive and well done:
We’ve decided to step up our game and add another seemingly impossible item to the list: #95: Play Ball with Obama. Bay-rock is one of our heroes, he changed the world in a moment -- we want to see if he can ball. One on one, one on four, TBL vs. The White House, whatever! The challenge is out Mr. President.
Their project sounds really interesting, especially the altruistic component where they help others. It also seems well-funded, which in and of itself is quite an accomplishment for this quartet of seemingly ordinary everyday guys. Well-funded enough, anyway, to make a difference with a charitable organization, an important social cause, or in lives of individuals who could benefit most. This is as important as ever, in D.C. as well as elsewhere.
Kudos to the group for creating something from nothing, and taking their vision this far.
So I told them I wasn’t sure if I could help but that I would try.
The guys in this group are Ben Nemtin, Duncan Penn, Jonnie Penn, and Dave Lingwood. They seemed likable and energetic.
“We started this project to inspire others and to prove anything is possible,” Duncan later explained.
It’s an improbable list, especially #95.
“This is a tough one,” I said.
“They’re all tough, but we’ve completed all of the ones we’ve tried so far,” their producer said.
Of course, playing President Obama in basketball would have been much earlier than #95 on my list, but I give the guys credit nevertheless. Or maybe they’re saving the hardest ones for last.
My advice to them was that if they focus on helping provide assistance and exposure to local D.C. community service projects, then 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue will tend to pay that much more attention to what they’re doing.
Their trailer below does a good job of explaining the project:
Meanwhile, the entire crew is in Washington, D.C. this week talking to politicans, officials, media contacts, people who’ve played basketball with the President, and anyone else who might offer clues or leads or advice.
Keep an eye out for a big purple bus rolling around in the city.
If you have any leads, they say, you can contact them here: crew@theburiedlife.com.
Or go to their website, where you can sign up and create your own personal list of 100 things to do before you die.
There’s been much chatter lately about President Obama and his family spending their summer vacation in the traditionally African American enclave of Oak Bluffs on the island of Martha’s Vineyard.
If you’ve never been to Oak Bluffs, you’ve got to check it out. The black history heritage trail of Martha’s Vineyard is fascinating and little known. And, don’t believe the silly hype from the recent New York Magazine article that claims visitors and residents adhere to self-imposed racial segregation. That’s simply not true.
By the way, my wife and I got married (over a decade ago!) at a private house in Oak Bluffs, overlooking the water, in a lovely low key ceremony. Boston Celtics star Ray Allen did the same thing last summer (got married there, that is, not necessarily low key).
Yes, Oak Bluffs and Martha’s Vineyard do have their share of celebrities.
But has anyone scoped out the basketball options for the president? Where did Ray Allen shoot around while he was there?
Sure, people have driveway hoops. But that’s not what we’re talking about here.
Unfortunately, the best place to play, by far, won’t be ready until next summer. It’s the brand new Y.M.C.A. gymnasium that’s going up in nearby Vineyard Haven, a mile or two down the road from Oak Bluffs. The $1.7 million facility will include a sweet, full sized basketball court with accompanying locker rooms, cafe, snack bar, wellness center, and other features.
Until then, the president (and everyone else) will have to “settle” for the awesome outdoor lighted court at Niantic Park in Oak Bluffs. That court is sweet too.
It’s got a special smoothly finished surface, extended backboards (so you go hard to the rim), padded poles (ditto), a neat paint job with contrast colored keys and center circle, bleachers, and an electronically controlled scoreboard.
It’s also got an enclosed fence and parking. Plus, it’s right in the middle of Oak Bluffs, you can’t miss it, and everyone can walk over there from wherever they’re staying.
It’s a 3-on-3 youth basketball tournament that takes place on July 4! This year marks the seventh annual event! It’s for boys and girls ages 10-18 (pre-registrations July 1-3).
Best of all, the tickets, registration, and sponsor fees benefit the Oak Bluffs Parks Department and the Martha’s Vineyard Chamber of Commerce Charitable Fund.
Isn’t that right along the lines of what President Obama and Mrs. Obama have asked Americans to do, as far as supporting their communities through volunteerism and goodwill?
Opening rounds for the Vineyard Streetball Classic on July 4 begin at 10 a.m.
By the way, the court stays open late, and there’s even an open-age night hoops league played there. Maybe, just maybe, the president can use his executive privilege to substitute in on one of the teams as a ringer.
(Photos courtesy of the Vineyard Streetball Classic and the Vineyard Gazette.)
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