During a brief ceremony in Washington, D.C., Monday, the San Antonio Spurs met with President Barack Obama in recognition of the team’s successful “drive for five” NBA Championship in 2014.
“Look, I admit it, I’m a Bulls fan,” Obama joked to reporters, staffers, and fans, who packed the East Room of the White House. “But even I have to admit that the Spurs are hard to dislike … first of all, they’re old … there’s a reason why their uniforms are black and silver.”
The room was soon filled with easy laughter.
Watch the video of the press conference at the White House’s website here (skip to 27:35).
Obama then gave an overview of the evolution of the team some said was once “boring.” Now it’s “fresh and new,” he said, and represents an international team – “the U.N. of basketball teams” that plays a “beautiful game.”
He also highlighted the local community work that parent company Spurs Sports and Entertainment and players themselves have been involved in – including their work with the San Antonio Food Bank and on the Eastside.
Popovich kept his remarks classically brief, and he joined the team in presenting Obama with a POTUS Spurs Jersey (No. 1) and signed basketball.
*Featured/top image: President Barack Obama poses for a photo with the San Antonio Spurs and his new POTUS jersey. Photo courtesy of www.whitehouse.gov.
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