WASHINGTON – Back in 2008, Barack Obama was trying to win a presidential election while Kobe Bryant was trying to be a champion again.
Bryant tried not to be publicly heavy-handed but did offer Obama an endorsement. The morning after Obama won, Bryant was privately jazzed to the point he secured extra copies of the post-election Orange County Register front page to commemorate history for himself and his family.
Since then Bryant has won again – and again – and his path has crossed with President Obama’s again and again and again and …
“Fifth time, I think?” Bryant said Monday after the Lakers visited with President Obama to honor their 2010 NBA championship. “Something like that. Fourth? Fifth?”
Not many commoners spend so much time with the president that they lose track of it.
It’s only when we are with people with whom our time feels normal does that happen. We wind up remembering general themes or select highlight moments from our overall good times.
Bryant doesn’t remember everything they talked about in August when the president plopped himself down next to Bryant at the post-pickup-game barbecue for Obama’s 49th birthday … just that they talked for about a half-hour and much of it was about their personal lives as fathers to two daughters.
In January, Bryant’s wife and daughters got that private invitation to the White House the day after the entire Lakers team visited to celebrate the 2009 NBA title. Bryant smiles as he recalls older daughter Natalia’s directed energy in getting the president to place an order with her for Girl Scout cookies.
“Cute moment,” said Bryant, who added that his family diligently packed those cookies up when they arrived and shipped them out to the White House, too.
When all the Lakers were in the White House last season, it was Obama’s basketball knowledge that helped him disarm these nervous guys so thrilled to be the first NBA champion team to meet with him.
Obama being a ridiculous hoophead, lent credibility again Monday when he noted during his speech on stage that Coach Phil Jackson still has more NBA titles with Obama’s hometown Chicago Bulls (six) than the Lakers (five).
“Not for long,” a voice offered from behind his back, where the Lakers were standing, just loud enough for Obama to hear.
Obama spun around, amused, and publicly credited Bryant for the cocky retort.
Actually, it came from fellow team captain Derek Fisher. But it was a logical assumption on Obama’s part that it was Bryant (who later said about Fisher’s comment: “He beat me to the punch”).
As much trash was being talked by Bryant to the president in the private moments backstage, Obama just figured this was more of the same.
Bryant had asked Obama about that famous split lip he suffered after taking an inadvertent elbow on the court last month. Obama muttered something about all kinds of injuries happening in basketball, so Bryant told him: “You’ve just got to make sure you play in the right shoes.”
“I guess those are the Kobe shoes,” Obama said dutifully.
“You got it.”
Obama had talked some trash first by bringing up his Bulls’ victory over the Lakers on Friday night. Chicago’s Derrick Rose was one of the players invited along with Bryant, Fisher and Pau Gasol of the Lakers to Obama’s birthday pickup games.
“Seems like Derrick Rose has your number,” Obama said.
Bryant fired right back.
“If he calls that number,” Bryant told the president, “I’ll be sure to pick up after the fifth ring.”
Such brashness is far from politically correct, but Bryant said Obama fully understands the drive and confidence that lie below that Bryant’s smiling or scowling surface – and have helped him win those five championship rings.
Bryant said he can sense the same drive and confidence in Obama – and has heard it from many who are more regularly around the president.
Said Bryant about Obama: “Extremely competitive. … Resiliency. Always having a positive attitude, no matter what. Those are the characteristics I admire most about him.”
Seeing Obama hit a dagger 3-pointer of his own from the right wing in the final birthday pickup game helped crystallize the image, too. “He drilled it,” Bryant said.
“He obviously knows that about me, as well,” Bryant said. “I have the same determination that no matter what the obstacles, no matter what the adversity, we’re still going to get to what our goal needs to be.”
When you hear that, it should reinforce the reality that achievers are almost invariably optimists. Those who believe good things will happen to them are far more inclined to walk this world and work their crafts until good things do.
This is not about applauding all of Bryant’s deeds or agreeing with all of Obama’s policies. They are in fact two uncommonly divisive public figures.
Some devotees will agree with everything they have done; some others can’t stand them. It comes with the territory of rising above.
What this is about is Bryant saying he simply feels like himself when he’s in the presence of the president of the United States.
Two incomprehensibly famous men, connecting as two regular guys. Their core values in common – and transcending politics and sports.
“It’s not weird anymore,” Bryant said. “It’s natural – and it’s great. It’s free-flowing. It’s just normal.”
