But don't say he's a black guy...

Even in the most ghetto-ass, chitterling circuit, Booty Call/Soul Plane-ish flick, a black president's cabinet would not be a bunch of ex-ball players. And yet here we are...

Besides their impressive resumes and political star-power, a few of President-elect Barack Obama's top cabinet choices have something else in common -- hoop dreams.

Though these days Eric H. Holder Jr., Susan E. Rice and Gen. James L. Jones, may be more comfortable handling policy memos than shooting free throws, at one point they were very much at home on the court.

And as the basketball-loving president-elect assembles his so-called team of rivals, it appears he may have - coincidentally -- put together a pretty competitive group of players.

What an amazing time. Fuck a team of rivals. A team of ballers, fool. No, seriously. We got next.

UPDATE: And via TNR and Yglesias Napolitano has coached basketball. Dude, when this is all said and done, I want to see a game.

Comments

New betting pool:

Which member of the executive branch comes to a press conference limping from arthroscopic surgery after blowing a knee?

Posted by KevDog | December 2, 2008 12:11 PM

He's pretty old, but Paul Volcker is 6'7" and played varsity ball back in the day as well.

Posted by TH | December 2, 2008 12:17 PM

Shooting in someone's face-- THAT'S not change we can believe in.

Posted by Gramsci | December 2, 2008 12:33 PM

BREAKING NEWS...Shawn Kemp has been nominated to be Secretary of The Administration for Children and Families..yeah boi!

Posted by Gee Dub | December 2, 2008 12:36 PM

After 8 years of Republican insanity, I'm impressed that sometimes "liberals" can be pretty silly, too.
I think that most of us have noticed that Obama is a "person of color". Personally, I think it's great, and I love the way it unites America in regard to race. (I also love the way it drives the anti-black wingnuts crazy.)
Who cares "how black" he is? Obama is a complex man. He has many facets, and he certainly knows many cultures.
I suppose we could also start to wonder "how female" Hillary Clinton is.

Posted by babyming | December 2, 2008 12:45 PM

To answer KevDog's question: it's got to be Obama himself. I don't know if the appointees in the article actually still play regularly -- its pretty rare for a dude in his late 40s to still play real pickup games the way Obama does. He's in great shape, but injuries at that age are inevitable. Even if its just a turned ankle, at some point over the next 4-8 years he's going to do something that will put him on crutches.

I fully support more suggestions for basketball-related appointments. I know somebody at TNR mentioned Marbury for a special enjoy to Iraq. The best part is, James Dolan would pay his salary!

Posted by too many steves | December 2, 2008 12:46 PM

Coates I am sure there was some way you could have incorported (Gen) Jim Jones..."BALLIN" into your post lol. By the way has Obama's boy Reggie Love that used to ball at Duke been named to an official post?

Posted by sgwhiteinfla | December 2, 2008 12:48 PM

If he wants another Republican, there's always Sarah Palin. It's winter, and Washington is a lot nicer than Alaska in January.

Posted by M.C. | December 2, 2008 12:50 PM

(It's only the most popular sport in the country. To play, that is, if not to watch. Probably because women don't play football much.)

Posted by M.C. | December 2, 2008 12:55 PM

Baller?

Seriously? And that's just oh-tay?

Then what you're saying is not just that Obama is Wilt Chamberlain, but that he is Wilt Chamberlain.

If it might please the "court," the prosecution would like to enter exhibit A into evidence.

Posted by James O'Hearn | December 2, 2008 1:02 PM

Calm down, Mr. O'Hearn. If you read that Urban Dictionary page, the primary definition of "baller" is still basically "one who excels at basketball."

Posted by too many steves | December 2, 2008 1:12 PM

@ sgwhiteinfla

aaw man, why didn't i think of that one! Nicely done....
i sense a mixtape coming...

Posted by Bruce | December 2, 2008 1:13 PM

Coates,

this cracked me up for a lot of reasons.

They really are reaching for stories, aren't they?

Posted by rikyrah | December 2, 2008 1:16 PM

Indeed, too many steves, and the original definition of "gay" was "happy."

While I applaud this respect for the etymological origin of a term, as an experiment I do encourage you to head on down to the nearest truck stop, find a fellow with a smile, and then tell him how "gay" he looks.

I'm sure he will entirely understand your intention.

Posted by James O'Hearn | December 2, 2008 1:22 PM

James O'Hearn

Are you seriously quoting an "urban" dictionary or was that just a joke?

Posted by sgwhiteinfla | December 2, 2008 1:22 PM

This is gonna sound like I’ve been drinking hater-ade, but when it comes to hoops, it’s only truth serum.

As far as I can tell, BHO was not a star hoopster. His high school was state champ in Hawaii but he didn’t start. And he didn’t play at Occidental or Columbia, which were hardly powerhouses in the 80s. The real baller in the family is brother-in-law Craig Robinson.

Having said that, Obama is in amazing shape, and he’s definitely got some game. He’s probably better now than he was in his youth.

One observer said, ‘He’s like an Ivy League version of Delonte West, without the neck tattoos, of course.’

Posted by Watson | December 2, 2008 1:25 PM

My apologies, sgwhiteinfla, but perhaps you'll be satisfied with a different reference? Let's call it exhibit B.

Posted by James O'Hearn | December 2, 2008 1:29 PM

Can the Globetrotter Homeworld be far behind?

Posted by Uncular1 | December 2, 2008 1:31 PM

James, what I said was, the primary definition is *still* basketball-related. It's not like "gay" at all, where the new definition has overtaken the original one.

I second Watson's observations. Barack gives me hope, because I was a bench-warmer in high school, too.

It must be really weird to play ball with the president. Do people go easy on him? I wouldn't, but on the other hand, I wouldn't want to knock him down and hurt him or anything.

Posted by too many steves | December 2, 2008 1:31 PM

LOL I guess I got my answer. James O'Hearn if you really think that most of the people who actually use the term "baller" think that in a story about basketball, its referring to a thug who made it thats a instead of a good basketball player thats a FAIL. If you really research an urban dictionary before you have a conversation with or about a black person then thats an EPIC FAIL.

Posted by sgwhiteinfla | December 2, 2008 1:33 PM

too many steves, it depends where you are from. Personally, I have never heard the term used in other that it's hip-hop context.

I played ball throughout university, and "ball player" or "basketball player" were all that were ever used.

Posted by James O'Hearn | December 2, 2008 1:37 PM

James O'Hearn

Next time just use "the google" and you will be much better off. By the way you will find that Sarah Palin is even described as a former "baller". Who knew she used to be a thug? LMAOOO

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:*:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7DKUS&q=sports+baller&start=10&sa=N

Results 11 - 20 of about 4,470,000 for sports baller

John McCain throws dice by choosing ex-baller Posted by Lance on August 30th, 7:00 am

Posted by sgwhiteinfla | December 2, 2008 1:42 PM

TNC

I think you just won the James Fallows excellence in journalism award for coming up with the first non-historical analogy about obama.

Team of Ballers. Sweet. It rolls off the tongue like tennyson or tupac.

Good Basketball players are team oriented (kobe and those like him excepted.) I smell a post on the influence of basketball on public policy.

Posted by Sorn | December 2, 2008 1:57 PM

sgwhiteinfla, you have indeed learned me good.

EPIC FAIL indeed. CHECK and MATE.

I will endeavor to try to learn to use "the google."

But only if you will in turn promise to learn to use "the html."

Posted by James O'Hearn | December 2, 2008 1:57 PM

‘Good Basketball players are team oriented’

Right. The early word on Obama was that he is a shoot-first guy. I think the current video clips of him playing are being edited to show him passing. (Although, after draining that 3 in front of the troops, he has nothing to prove in the shooting department.)

My sense is that behind that graceful stride and million-dollar smile lurks an introspective egghead. He might not be a great team player, but now he’s the coach.

Posted by Watson | December 2, 2008 2:21 PM

I really want to see Charlie Murphy and his crew play against the Obama cabinet.

Posted by Cole Moore Odell | December 2, 2008 2:58 PM

James O'Hearn

I had some "issues" posting html on here last week and it pissed me off so bad that i just went back to posting links. Long story short I had some long azz posts dissappear into the netherverse when I hit send. But I do know how to use "the html" and you're welcome!

Posted by sgwhiteinfla | December 2, 2008 3:10 PM

Don't forget that Palin was a hoops star in her day, too. I really wanted to see her & Obama play a pick-up game to see if she still had it.

Posted by Mark | December 2, 2008 4:42 PM

There's a court in the United States Supreme Court building. Justice Thomas is now quite, quite fat. He used to be pretty fit, but he screwed up his knee playing ball and hasn't worked out since. Basketball has been in D.C. for a long time -- it's just not the Wizards playing it (BAM).

Posted by ty | December 2, 2008 6:22 PM

You know, the thought just occured to me that the fact that so many people in the Obama administration were ballers back in high school could be the basis for a story about the age old jock vs nerd debate and whether playing sports in high school is generally beneficial to those kids who participate. It would be especially helpful to smack those fools upside the head with that keep trying to end PE and or athletics in school. Hmmmmm

Posted by sgwhiteinfla | December 2, 2008 7:32 PM

I've been wondering for the longest just where the court atthe WH is going to be erected, I figure it's symbolically fitting to just tear down the Nixon bowling ally and put the full court there. Imagine the pick up games!JFK used to invite people to swim and discus policy;Barack's style is shooting threes over some Repub for his vote.
"OK, we play to 25. I win and you cast the breaker on universal health care."

Posted by BG | December 3, 2008 1:35 AM

Team Obama has the height, but does it have the moves?

See http://notionscapital.wordpress.com/2008/12/07/hoops-holder/

Posted by Mike Licht | December 8, 2008 4:01 AM