AP Photo/Charles Dharapak
President Barack Obama has welcomed the NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers to the White House.
An avid basketball fan, Obama says no team exemplified excellence on the court more than the Lakers did last year in winning their 15th league championship.
Obama said Monday he was especially excited to meet Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who has won 10 championships, though he didn’t hesitate to remind the team that six of those victories were with Obama’s hometown Chicago Bulls.
“You remember that,” Obama joked with former Lakers all-star Magic Johnson, who was on the losing end of the Bulls 1991 victory.
Obama commended the players not only for their athletic achievements, but also their work off the court. The players held a fitness clinic for Washington-area school children
Monday, and several players are donating money to relief efforts in Haiti. The Lakers added to Obama’s collection of sports jerseys, presenting him with a bright yellow jersey with the president’s name stitched on the back.
The Lakers have been to the White House numerous times.
Photo by Andrew D. Bernstein/NBAE via Getty Images
President Ronald Reagan shakes hands with Magic Johnson during the world champion Los Angeles Lakers’ visit to the White House in 1985 in Washington, D.C.
In the West, Brandon Roy, averaging 23.4 points per game. His team is collapsing from injury at every moment yet the Blazers are competing in the West. Zach Randolph is averaging 20.7 points and 11.5 rebounds per game. No other big is putting up these numbers except for Dirk Nowitzki who will also be a reserve. Kevin Durant is a no-brainer, Chris Paul would have been a starter had he not gotten hurt early in the season, but has rebounded back to 19.5 points, 11.2 dimes, and 2.3 steals. My favorite pick is Monta Ellis who is 6th in scoring in the league and has been playing like an All-Star this season. Chris Kaman was left off the ballot by the All-Star committee but that has stopped him from having his best season statistically.
In the East it was a little tougher choosing the bigs due to the lack of any real All-Stars aside from Chris Bosh, who is a lock for reserve. His teammate Andrea Bargnani is sadly joining him, only to make the game more interesting. His ability to shoot from deep makes the game sort of fun. The East centers are a sad bunch, but David Lee has been playing well for the Knicks and he will make his first All-Star apperance. The Atlanta Hawks Joe Johnson is averaging 21.3 points a game for the roller-caster Hawks and is a shoo-in. Gerald Wallace is participating in the Slam Dunk Contest(?) but should also be a reserve averaging 18.5 points and a whopping 11.3 boards a game. Derrick Rose and Rajan Rondo are the future of the NBA, and each is one of the biggest contributors on there teams. Both guys will be making there debuts at the 2010 All-Star Game.
