"Just Give Me the Ball"

Right after Obama won the White House, New Yorker political correspondent Ryan Lizza wrote a fascinating article about the historic 2008 presidential campaign. Among other things, he shared this little anecdote about Obama: 

Obama, who is not without an ego, regarded himself as just as gifted as his top strategists in the art and practice of politics. Patrick Gaspard, the campaign’s political director, said that when, in early 2007, he interviewed for a job with Obama and Plouffe, Obama said that he liked being surrounded by people who expressed strong opinions, but he also said, ‘I think that I’m a better speechwriter than my speechwriters. I know more about policies on any particular issue than my policy directors. And I’ll tell you right now that I’m gonna think I’m a better political director than my political director.’ After Obama’s first debate with McCain, on September 26th, Gaspard sent him an e-mail. ‘You are more clutch than Michael Jordan,” he wrote. Obama replied, ‘Just give me the ball.’

And he wasn't kidding. The man isn't one to shy away from a challenge. Take, for instance, this edited clip from a recent White House shoot around with the Lady Huskies, who went a remarkable 39-0 this season, capturing the program's sixth national championship this past March. To Obama, though, they were just another group of people he could trump--this time with his impressive jump shot.  

(Via Gawker)