(From The Chicago Tribune Online)
Here are some of the members of Barack Obama’s real “basketball Cabinet”—a lineup of friends and family he plays hoops with—and their stats:
ARNE DUNCAN
Position: U.S. education secretary nominee
Height: 6 foot 5
Hoops career: Co-captain at Harvard, where he was all-Ivy League and an Academic All-American and played four years of pro basketball in Australia
Scouting report: “I did not select Arne because he’s one of the best basketball players I know.” —Barack Obama
DAVID AXELROD
Position: Senior adviser to the president
Height: 6 foot 2
Hoops career: Met his future wife, Susan Landau, playing basketball in a coed league in Hyde Park
Scouting report: “[O]n the basketball court, teammates say that if you pass him the ball you are lucky to see it again.”—Tim Shipman, the Daily Telegraph of London
CRAIG ROBINSON
Position: Head men’s basketball coach, Oregon State University (and Obama’s brother-in-law)
Height: 6 foot 6
Hoops career: Two-time Ivy League player of the year at Princeton, played two seasons of pro ball in Britain and former head coach at Brown University
Scouting report: “I passed to Craig often enough that he concluded I was a good guy.” —Obama
REGGIE LOVE
Position: Obama’s personal assistant
Height: 6 foot 4
Hoops career: Was on Duke’s 2001 NCAA championship basketball team and 2004-05 team captain
Scouting report: “Those are All-ACC hands right there.” —Obama, after throwing a bag of caramel corn to Love at the Iowa State Fair
ALEXI GIANNOULIAS
Position: Illinois treasurer
Height: 6 foot 2
Hoops career: Played point guard at Boston University and a year of professional ball in Greece
Scouting report: “Barack was between Alexi and the basket. Alexi lowered his shoulder and took him out.” —Fellow pickup player Eric Whitaker
ERIC WHITAKER
Position: Obama family friend, adviser
Height: Not available
Hoops career: Played at Grinnell College
Scouting report: “[Whitaker] and I played basketball together when he was getting his master’s in public health at Harvard, while I was in law school there.”
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