San Antonio Spurs Visit the White House News: President Obama Commends Team's Diversity
The San Antonio Spurs visited the White House on Monday where they were praised by none other than President Obama for their success given their relatively old age in the NBA.
The Hill indicated in their report how Obama admired the resilience of Spurs' key players despite them being "past their prime."
"Let's face it, just a little while back, people were saying that the Spurs were past their prime, not just old but kind of boring," Obama said. "Now they're fresh and exciting, which is basically the exact opposite of what happens to presidents."
"It makes me feel good to see that folks in advancing years can succeed in a young man's sport," the head of state joked.
The 53-year-old further commended the team's diversity.
"They find folks who didn't have a chance someplace else and suddenly they figure out a way to make them shine as part of a team. In that sense, they're a great metaphor for what America should be all about," Obama said, referring to French players Tony Parker and Boris Diaw along with Argentina's Manu Ginobili.
Furthermore, the Hawaiian-born president mentioned Spurs hiring a woman in its relatively male-dominated crew.
"As somebody who's got two daughters, one of who is a baller, it makes me feel good when excellence is recognized regardless of gender," Obama said of WNBA star Becky Hammon, who is now a full-time female assistant coach for the five-time championship team.