The mere possibility of Lebron James considering a move to the Alamo City, has San Antonio buzzing. James has long made his admiration for Gregg Popovich and the Spurs organization well known throughout his career.
Many analysts and NBA fanatics alike have speculated about the possibility of seeing James in Silver and Black.
Well, it turns out that former President Obama thinks San Antonio would be the best choice for Lebron James come the off season! To clarify, those were not his words. However, Obama did make it evident which team he would go with if he were in the position James' will find himself in this off season.
The former president spoke on the subject during MIT’s Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Obama was part of a panel that was intended to be an off-the-record session meant for the hundreds of conference goers that were in attendance.
Despite the electronics and media ban during the session, the full audio recording of the panel was leaked by monthly print magazine, Reason.
Obama was prompted by a hypothetical question.
“You’re an NBA All-Star. You’re a free agent this offseason. Every team is offering you the max contract. Which teams would you choose to meet with in free agency and why?”
It’s safe to say that “NBA All-Star” and “free-agent” could be replaced by “Lebron James” and the scenario would still make sense.
Although the former president seemed to hesitate to answer at first, he finally gave what he believed was a “safe” answer.
“I think it’s fair to say that there are organizations in the NBA or the NFL that may not win every year, but have created the kind of culture that I was referring to earlier. They’re smart, they’re well run, they’re focused on the team, they treat everybody in the organization with respect, and that is the kind of organization that I would want to be a part of. And so, I will say that, over the last 15 years in basketball, San Antonio would be a great example of that.”
The former president even went on to speak about Tim Duncan in particular. Specifically the relationship the hall of famer shared with head coach Gregg Popovich.
Obama mentioned other teams like the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors who seemed to be building a Spurs-like culture. He explained how those organizations have players that are team first guys. They’re players that are mature enough to be the number one guy, as well as the wingman when needed.
“That’s part of the reason it worked for San Antonio. The best player Tim Duncan, embodied that attitude. Hall of fame player but you know if Popovich yelled at him, he took it. Because he understood, he had a role to play.”
You can hear Obama's response in the audio recording below. Since it's the full panel in its' entirety you'll want to jump to around the 45-minute mark.
Obama obviously answered the question as if he were in that scenario. You can’t help but wonder if Lebron James will take his indirect advice when it comes to making a choice this off season.