President Barack Obama recently congratulated the 2009 NBA champions, the Los Angeles Lakers, by holding a special ceremony for the team at the White House. A devoted basketball fan, President Obama took the opportunity to express his love for the game.
“The only thing that’s better than watching basketball is playing basketball,” President Obama said. “But I’m 48, soon to be 49, and it’s a little harder these days to move around on the court, especially when you’re playing against kids who are half your age. But I still get enormous, enormous pleasure from watching great athletes on the court. And nobody exemplified excellence in basketball better than the Los Angeles Lakers last year.”
President Obama also commended the Lakers for their contributions to the community. “But I think it’s important to note that this team also knows that being a champ is about more than trophies and rings,” he said. “It’s about being a winner off the court as well as on it, and giving back to those who are less fortunate. The Lakers and the NBA have always been about serving others — at home and around the world. And that tradition continued last week, when the NBA and the Players Association, led by Derek Fisher, pledged to donate $1 million to support relief efforts in Haiti. Jordan Farmar and Pau Gasol are also donating their money to the Clinton-Bush Haiti Fund. Pau pledged $1,000 for every point he scored against the Knicks — and I’m glad he dropped 20, helping the Lakers to beat New York and changing the lives of Haitians thousands of miles away.”
The Lakers are on track to make another visit to the White House in 2011. The team currently holds the best record in the Western Conference and will likely be favored if they reach the NBA Finals.
–amir shaw
