Obama Earns Hoops Vote of Confidence

Craig Robinson: Brother-in-Law, Basketball Mentor

His basketball credentials are impeccable. Robinson, head coach of Brown University men’s hoops, is the first ever two-time Ivy League Player of the Year. He helped lead the Pete Carrill-coached Princeton Tigers to two NCAA Tournament appearances during his tenure (1981 and 1983). Robinson is also Barack Obama’s brother-in-law. Since we hear so much about Obama playing pick-up wherever he goes on the campaign trail, and as we stand in the midst of March Madness, we thought we might find out from someone who knows first-hand (and with solid expertise) if Obama the ballplayer is like Obama the candidate, how much game the Democratic presidential hopeful actually has and whether we may be close to having the first president who can dunk?
DAVE HOLLANDER: Bill Bradley says you can learn a lot about person by playing pick-up basketball. What did you find about Barack Obama the first time you played pick-up?
CRAIG ROBINSON: The first time we played, I found that he was confident without being cocky. And our circumstances for playing were a little (pauses) different. My sister had asked me to take him to play. And, I’m used to playing with guys who are pros or almost pros so he was playing in a group of guys who were pretty good. What I found was that he was a real team player. He was confident in that he knew what he could do, and he would do that -- and not try to do things he couldn’t do in order to impress people. That’s a tell-tale sign of a lot of people who play pick-up basketball. Also because he was playing with his girlfriend’s brother, he didn’t pass me the ball all the time trying to suck up. I was very impressed with that.

DH: Was this the very first time you met him?
CR: I had met him before but I hadn’t played basketball with him. You quoted Bill Bradley but my father used to say that same thing and that’s why my sister asked me to take him to play. After [Michelle and Barack] met and it seemed like this was something that could last a little longer than you usual dating, she asked me to go play with him.

DH: Did your report seal the deal with Michelle?
CR: I don’t know if it was the actual closing argument but I think it helped his cause.

DH: Is he D-I material?
CR: No, I would say he’s your average pick-up basketball player.

DH: No pun intended but I hear his game is all left?
CR: Very.

DH: Do you think if we worked on it, he could go to his right?
CR: He can go to his right. But his strength is to his left. In pick-up basketball, left-handers have a huge advantage because most of the population is used to guarding someone who is right-handed. Even if you expect it, that move to the left is hard to stop.

DH: It’s hard to tell in a pick-up game but I think it’s important to ask: Can he take a charge?
CR: He’s a good basketball player so I imagine if he ever played in a game with refs he could take a charge.
DH: It’s often noted that he’s very fit with a slender build, but is he soft?
CR: I would never say he was soft. He’s very strong actually. He’s one of those wiry, strong type of guys. While he’s slight in stature he’s not weak.

DH: If he were to assume the point position, is he more “shoot first” or all about distribution?
CR: Well, he’s not a point guard. He’s a forward. He has a very good outside shot. And he’s unselfish but I would never call him a point guard.

DH: What his overall court awareness?
CR: He understands the game and the object of the game is to win. The object is also about passing and moving . He can see the court really well. It’s less peripheral vision and more being able to see a step ahead of what’s going on.

DH: What says a lot about somebody is can he rebound?
CR: Yeah, he can rebound. He can block out. He’s a good pick-up basketball. I’d say 85-90% of the population plays pick-up basketball, the other 10% are Division III to Division I college players and pros. He would rank high in the pick-up group.

DH: Can he dunk?
CR: He can dunk on the kiddie basket in his yard but not on a 10-foot rim.

DH: What is his signature move?
CR: Pump fake, one dribble right, pull up jump shot.

DH: This is important: What kind of player is he when he’s behind?
CR: He’s the kind of player who likes to win and stay on the court. As you know, in pick-up basketball, if you lose you’re off. If your behind or the game’s close, he’s going to be more focused. He plays hard and he likes to win.

DH: Is his style run and gun or more deliberate?
CR: He’s more of a deliberate player but when it’s necessary to fast break he can fast break. When you’re playing pick-up once you get our of your thirties there’s no more run and gun at all for anybody.

DH: As you know basket ball is a game with 10 players but only one ball. What kind of a player is he when the ball is not in his hands?
CR: A savvy player. Setting screens, always moving to get open and help other people get open. He’s proficient player. I’ll put it this way: He’s fun to play with. Some guys you hate playing with but he’s fun to play with because he’s not a selfish player.

DH: Is there a great pro or college player you can compare him to?
CR: Oh wow, that’s the first time I’ve gotten that question. (pauses) He’s like a left-handed Dennis Johnson. He made shots when he had to make shots. He played good D, passed the ball. He was like a big guard-small forward. When he played for the Celtics he played sort of that hybrid wing player that they call it nowadays. That’s who I think of when I think of Barack’s game.

DH: Although Obama graduated from Columbia University and Harvard Law School, is he able to put all that aside and root for Brown?
CR: Oh yeah, Brown’s his favorite team.

DH: How good of a recruiting chip will it be to say, “… and my brother-in-law’s the president?”
CR: (Laughs) I don’t know because I haven’t been able to say it but I can tell that Brown is on more people’s radar screens than it has been in the past.

DH: You’ve played in the NCAA Tournament twice. In what ways has this Democratic primary been like March Madness?
CR: Like any kind of competition that has a long time frame, if you’re trying to make an analogy to a game, you have to break it into two halfs, four quarters what have you. The thing to remember is that there’s always going to be times where you’re going to have a run and the other team is going to have a run . The guy who wins the game withstands the other guy’s run. You have to withstand their run and stay within your game plan, which I think Barack has done tremendously well in this primary. He’s up against a formidable opponent who’s coming at you with all kinds of things, and he’s been able to sort of handle and stay above the fray, on message, whatever the colloquialism you want to use. That’s very much like participating in the NCAA Tournament. Each time you win you’re going to have another and often harder challenge the next game. You have to be able to withstand that next team’s challenge and move on.

DH: If you had to characterize Hillary Clinton as a basketball player what type of game do you think she would have?
CR: No comment. I can only get in trouble with that one.

DH: Playing for Princeton in the 1983 NCCA Tournament, you upset an Oklahoma St. in the first round. There have been plenty upsets so far but do you have any insights as we look at the Sweet 16 and beyond?
CR: I have been really impressed with Davidson. Not just this team, but year in and year out they’re always very competitive and they have terrific game plan and they play great defense. In year’s past they’ve been overmatched athletically and I think now they’ve gotten some players that have enough experience in these kinds of tournaments that they are a dangerous team – a very dangerous team. But you look at North Carolina and every time I watch them play I try to figure how the heck is anyone going to beat that team.

Dave Hollander is the author of 52 WEEKS: Interviews with Champions! Info at: www.davehollander.com