Obama Gives Advice to Bulls and Accepts Basketball Challenge

Barack Obama suggested that his hometown team, the Chicago Bulls, pick University of Memphis point guard Derrick Rose with the first pick in Thursday’s NBA Draft.

“I think Derrick Rose is the man,” said Obama, who won a Hawaii basketball state championship in high school. “I think he is Jason Kidd with a jump shot. I think he’ll be a great point guard in the NBA. And he’s from Chicago. So how can you resist him there?”

Obama, who made his remarks in a Fox Business interview, also accepted a challenge to play basketball with Fox’s Alexis Glick.

Their exchange is below.

GLICK: All right. Next time we sit down, you know, I was a basketball player, I want to play basketball.

OBAMA: You’ve got game?

GLICK: Yes. I got game. I mean, listen, I’m a graduate of Columbia and I’m a basketball player…

OBAMA: Did — you played on the team?

GLICK: I was thinking zone defense, man-to-man, we can go up to the free throw line, see who does the best out of 10.

OBAMA: Let me see your nails though. The…

GLICK: Oh, they’re horrible. They have serious problems.

OBAMA: You’re going to have to clip those before we get on the court.

GLICK: Yes, but next time it’s a date?

OBAMA: Let’s go.

GLICK: Is that a deal?

OBAMA: It’s a deal.