Obama as a Basketball Player

With Obama's inaugaration into the White House today, I thought it might be a bit interesting to compare his personality and leadership style to current players in the NBA and see if any are similar. I want to also compare the role of the player's team.

Obama recently sat down with SI's Alexander Wolff to discuss the role of basketball in his life . Obama credits basketball as a way he:

"won a reputation as a consensus builder while playing recreational in college and law school. A pickup game with Robinson did nothing less than confirm Obama as a worthy suitor to his wife-to-be. In Chicago, basketball helped him connect with the South Siders he worked with as a community organizer and with the circle of professionals who would help launch his political career."

But basketball was so much deeper for him. Mr. Obama learned much about himself on the basketball court. He discovered the attitude the game carried; you can talk trash, but you better back it up. The president also lived out a 'black man's adolescence' through the game, as it was difficult for him to understand his place as a half black half white male. Basketball was an outlet for him, and he grew an undying passion for the game.

There were some comparison's made in the article of which players Barack Obama could be, such as:

"Kenny Anderson, Dick Barnett, Manu Ginóbili, Lionel Hollins and Delonte West (sans neck tattoos)."

but I think there is a player which match him better; both as the player's personality and with the team's expectation. The first player who I think he would represent is...

Brandon Roy

Brandon Roy has been the main instigator of change in the mindset from the old "Jail Blazers" team. In the article, Wolff mentions "He was a passer despite the fact he could score," and this is a characteristic that Roy embodies, he just makes his teammates better. Roy, like Obama, liked to take over at the end of games, but was humble on the court. Roy is the shining face of the new NBA, a player who stays calm at adversery, but gets pumped at the end of games and stays clutch. The Blazers are a team challenging the NBA's comfortable elite and are planning on staying there.

Coming out of college, people were questioning Roy. Was he strong enough? Is he athletic enough? Will he stay injury free? He overcame those who opposed him and rose to the occasion, and is now widely considered the best player out of the 2006 draft. He was the ROY, and has already played at the all-star weekend in the rookie/sophomore game.

People also questioned if Barack was capable of being president. They asked: does he have enough experience? How will he manage to beat Clinton and the Republican candidate? People were undoubtedly also implicitly thinking, how can this guy think he would be president. He's African American. But Barack stepped over the challenges. He proved that America is a place of equal opportunity and anybody could strive to be whatever they want. He proved that people can believe in government again. He became the face of change in the country through the mantra of 'yes we can'.

Barack backed it up, he's allowed to talk. Besides, in a game of pickup hoops, how could not not choose him first?