Obama raves about Jeremy Lin
President Barack Obama called The Wire “one of the best shows of all time,” and curbed his Chicago bias enough to rave about New York Knicks sensation Jeremy Lin during a 24-minute basketball-centric conversation on Bill Simmons’ “B.S. Report” podcast.
Obama guaranteed a Chicago Bulls NBA title before he leaves office — in five years? — but he couldn’t resist raving about Lin, a fellow Harvard grad who’s sparked the Knicks during their recent winning streak. “I’ve been on the Jeremy Lin bandwagon for awhile,” Obama boasted, explaining that his Secretary of Education — and former Harvard basketball captain — Arne Duncan had raved about Lin’s talents when the 23-year-old was still a member of the Crimson.
“It’s a terrific story. He seems like a wonderful young man, and it elevates this great sport all around the world.”
Simmons, ESPN’s Sports Guy, noted Boston-sports partisan, and the author of a mammoth tome titled The Book of Basketball, kept the conversation mostly to the hardwood, including the president’s opinion on the best basketball player of all time. No surprise there: Chicago’s Michael Jordan.
Obama was similarly risk averse when Simmons asked him to name the best character from the HBO series, The Wire. “It’s got to be Omar, right. I mean, that guy’s unbelievable,” answered Obama. “That was one of the best shows of all time.”
You can read a transcript of their conversation here.
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