Lakers visit with President Obama, spend time with local Boys and Girls Club
Kobe Bryant has spent time with President Obama several times over the last year. Bryant was even a part of a contingent of NBA players who played a pick-up basketball game with the president last summer.
Still, when the Lakers visited with Obama at a local Boys and Girls Club in the Washington area Monday -- part of a ceremony for winning back-to-back championships -- Bryant still was in awe.
Bryant talked about how "extremely competitive" Obama is. Every one knows how competitive Bryant is, so that's something the two have in common.
"The cool thing about going to the White House is to be able to talk with people that work with him and have been around him and they talk about his resiliency and always having a positive attitude no matter what," Bryant said. "[He says], 'You are going to have setbacks, but we're still going to get to where we need to go. Even though we're going through this, ultimately we'll get there.' I think that's one of the characteristics that I admire the most about him."
Last year, the Lakers visited the White House after they won the championship. This time, the Lakers visited a Boys and Girls Club along with President Obama in the area as part of NBA Cares.
About 20 kids got to sit with the Lakers, who helped them write letters and put care packages together for wounded servicemen and women at Walter Reed Hospital.
Obama joked that Bryant and Derek Fisher, who have won five NBA titles with the Lakers, have been to the White House so many times after winning a championship that "they give tours themselves. And the same for Coach [Phil] Jackson," who has won 11 NBA titles as a coach.
"On the court, not too many people can do what the Los Angeles Lakers can do," Obama said.
Obama congratulated Jackson on winning his 11th NBA championship, and fifth with the Lakers.
Obama then added that "I should point out that it's still one behind the six [championships] he won the with Chicago Bulls."
Obama is a Chicago sports fan.
"Kobe said not for long," Obama said, laughing.
Obama said it has been a "long drought" since the Bulls last won an NBA championship in 1998, but he did say "as you witnessed on Friday, that my Bulls are showing some signs of life."
The Bulls defeated the Lakers in Chicago Friday night.
"I just want to congratulate all the Lakers for being one of the outstanding sports franchises in our country in our history," Obama said.
Jackson said he had some words for Obama when they met before the ceremony.
"I congratulated him on his latest compromise," Jackson said. "I told him that he's a left-hander and he should know that you have to go right to shoot. But he hit a three-pointer this time."
Jackson was referring to the tax cuts Obama has proposed.
Photo gallery: Lakers visit President Obama.
-- Broderick Turner in Washington
Photo: President Obama with the Lakers. Credit: Evan Vucci, Associated Press.
yeah, that's the classy ouchhhhhhh we know and love.
ouchhhhhh- if I wasn't serious about THE LOVE, why would I talk to you?
phred | December 14, 2010 at 12:47 AM
is phred a synonym of soliloquy????????????????????????????
u talk about CLASSY???????????????
like calling yello a HATER
me an IMPOSTOR???????????????
GREAT WAY TO LOVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ru sure they hired you to teach the YOUTH?????????
poor youngsters
Posted by: ouchhhhhhhh | December 14, 2010 at 01:26 AM
ouchhhhhh- well, I would talk to you, if I could figure out what the heck you are talking about.
Posted by: phred | December 14, 2010 at 12:52 AM
same here. the difference is that you disappear when depressed, so there is no "dialogue" for a week?!
Posted by: ouchhhhhhhh | December 14, 2010 at 01:40 AM
Hi
What are the use of Buying Gold ?
Please give me solution.
Posted by: Tom | December 14, 2010 at 02:58 AM
Phred always likes to hide behind his "It's all about the Love" mantra while he denigrates those who don't think he's all that special.
RKO
Posted by: THE REAL KEEN OBSERVER | December 14, 2010 at 03:34 AM
@ JustaLakerFan,
Are you a closet InfoWarrior?
###
@ Tom,
Buying gold and silver is, in some circles, in preparation for the fiat currency breakdown induced by the Fed's continuous devaluing of the US dollar. Printing money that is not backed by a precious metal, then printing more and more, reduces the actual value of that money... or so I've heard.
###
Anyone going to see Tron Legacy this weekend?
[dbdh]
Posted by: Don't Blame Del Harris! | December 14, 2010 at 06:41 AM
OFF TOPIC
and i bet that Kobe bean Bryant will APPROVE this message:
disclaimer: i do not know too much about football, like in NFL, and i'm not a homer of any team but
sunday night i was shortly visiting some friends who had the news on and i've seen the end of a play involving a guy who had a "SPLASH" in the end zone. i barely figured out that was the eagles-dallas game and i heard the name vick.
tonight i remember it, actually i saw many headlines regarding that play so i was able to figure it out. if u don't know what i'm talking about:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyqCjfLcALE
well, it was the most spectacular play , i ever seen
and the best SHOWBOATING ever. and he was penalized. reminds me of the new rules imposed by Stern on BB.
and against the Cowboys, the Yankees of NFL
and from Vick - the little renegade
i started to like this Eagle team, even if i remember their coach is kinda morose.
did i mentioned the SHOWBOATING????????????????
and this guy DeSean Jackson played in my neck of the woods in Berkeley - now i remember that a few years ago they were more exciting than sucks, but i did not care to find out or to watch.
looking up the roaster, there is also a LeSean.
le Sean, de Sean, and that Vick guys
don't you guys/gals love showboating and irreverent players????????????
vs. irrelevant ones?
give it up for
DeSean Jackson
that kid can run, has court vision (yes, in the meantime i watched many Utube videos), can break ankles and yes, also make goofy plays before the TD. hey, it's part of the game
Bye Bye Life - "All That Jazz" 1979: Ben Vereen
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bNcl0L7eJUY
"a so so entertainer (DeSean Jackson), not a humanitarian, (Michael Vick) …"
WELCOME BYNUM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WE NEED SOME SHOWBOATING ON OUR OWNNNNNNNNNNNNN
Posted by: ouchhhhhhhh | December 14, 2010 at 06:44 AM
What I see going on here is a battle between The RCOTD award winners v The non RCOTD winners.
Nothing more, but this fun.
Posted by: Magia32 | December 14, 2010 at 06:45 AM
WOW! What a morning in the blog. As I suspected/feared, Bynum returns and the teams line up and simply galvanize their positions.
I was going to pipe in and make a statement but today is not the time for it. Too much sniping going on and the frustration level has been turned up a notch.
I will say this though:
@ Jamie Sweet. I am so glad you're back. I saw you posting on the other site for quite awhile so I knew you were still posting. I know you still posted here occaisionally, but you have been here regularly as of late. Your reasoned and level headed posts are MUCH appreciated. You make great points that both sides of the Bynum wars can hear. My thanks.
@ phred. I'm glad to see you back! You asked in one of your posts, "Was I missed?" (or something like that). Yes you were missed! Welcome back, though I don't recall the reasons for you being gone.
Enjoy the day everyone.
Posted by: JohnnyV | December 14, 2010 at 07:17 AM
>>>which alerted the Secret Service agents, who drew and fired four shots into
>>>Kobe, who still made the finger-roll, a
Well, it would certainly take more than four slugs in his body to take Kobe out of a game. He'd go back to the bench and ask for some bandaids & check back in.
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | December 14, 2010 at 04:12 PM
>>>Can you imagine if Dr. Buss was like this? He'd be like a tennis match all by
>>>himself.
>>>Dr. Buss to D-Fish: Why are you in the Game?
Yes, but Buss is not The Donald, and Fish is not Baron Davis.
So insread, it goes like this:
Dr. Buss to D-Fish: Thanks for helping win a fifth ring.
D-Fish: Thanks. I'll be happy to help win 3 more
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | December 14, 2010 at 04:15 PM
>>>Can you imagine if Dr. Buss was like this? He'd be like a tennis match all by
>>>himself.
>>>Dr. Buss to D-Fish: Why are you in the Game?
Yes, but Buss is not The Donald, and Fish is not Baron Davis.
So instead, it goes like this:
Dr. Buss to D-Fish: Thanks for helping win a fifth ring.
D-Fish: Thanks. I'll be happy to help win 3 more
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | December 14, 2010 at 04:15 PM
>>>Can you imagine if Dr. Buss was like this? He'd be like a tennis match all by
>>>himself.
>>>Dr. Buss to D-Fish: Why are you in the Game?
Yes, but Buss is not The Donald, and Fish is not Baron Davis.
So instead, it goes like this:
Dr. Buss to D-Fish: Thanks for helping win a fifth ring.
D-Fish: Thanks. I'll be happy to help win 3 more
Posted by: LongTimeLakerFan | December 14, 2010 at 04:15 PM