Obama praises Chicago Bulls draft pick; receives praise in return

[TeamJordan23]

For the Obama-supporting NBA fans:

On Fox Business News on Thursday, Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said, "I think Derrick Rose is the man. He's Jason Kidd with a jump shot. I think he'll be a great point guard in the NBA, and he's from Chicago."

When the quote was relayed to Rose, he said, "Wow, that's big. Someone running for president already comparing me to a veteran. I can't let that get to my head. I still have to get out there and play."

Later, Rose's college coach at the University of Memphis, John Calipari, said, "That's why Obama is going to be our next president. He knows his hoops. I'd say that's a fairly accurate assessment.

"I think what he means by that is, wherever this kid wants to go with the ball, he can do it, like Jason Kidd. There's no place you're going to stop him from going. And probably, at this stage, he is a better shooter than Kidd. Now, Kidd's feel for the game is off the chart. Derrick could catch him as some point."

Rose grew up on the South Side of Chicago and is a White Sox fan. But if the crosstown rival Cubs invited him to sing Take Me Out to the Ballgame at the seventh-inning stretch, he would accept. "Just to have fun," he says. "I actually did it once before, with some of my teammates, after we won back-to-back state titles. It was scary at first. I can't sing at all. But then the crowd helped us out."

http://www.usatoday.com/sports/basketball/nba/2008-06-26-rose-scene_N.htm

[RoyGBiv]

1. "But then the crowed helped us out."

Nothing like a chorus of off-key singing to make you feel okay about your own. :)