NBASports & Politics

President Obama Continued His Election Day Basketball Ritual With Scottie Pippen

by Jordan Rabinowitz | 10:55 pm, November 6th, 2012

President Obama/Guy-Who-Will-Have-Once-Been-President-Obama is a basketball fan (how did you not know this already?) and the dude likes to blow off some steam on Election Day by shooting hoops. He had a notable Chicago legend in tow with him on Tuesday in sidekick extraordinaire, Scottie Pippen.

According to the Chicago Tribune (via Ball Don’t Lie):

At around 1 p.m., Obama’s motorcade arrived at the Hope Athletic Center on Chicago’s West Side, where the president played basketball with staff and friends. Former Illinois Treasurer Alexi Giannoulias tweeted that he was playing on a team with Obama and former Bulls Pippen and Randy Brown.

A White House spokeswoman confirmed that Obama also played with Education Secretary Arne Duncan, Reggie Love, Mike Ramos and Marty Nesbitt.

In 2008, Obama played basketball with aides before winning the kickoff Iowa caucuses. The president and his aides decided to make the games an Election Day tradition after they lost the next contest — the New Hampshire primary — on a day when they didn’t hit the court.

I’m wondering how these teams were picked, but I’m guessing nobody told the president, “Hey man, you don’t get to play with the NBA legend.” Because if I’m the president, there is no way I’m playing against Scottie Pippen.

In related news, Mitt Romney was found not playing basketball with Spencer Hawes.