Lakers to Meet Up With Barack Obama Next Week

The POTUS will greet the defending champs in Washington, though one member of the team would rather not have the ceremony take place. From the LA Times: “If it were up to Lakers forward Ron Artest, the team wouldn’t visit President Obama Monday at the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Washington. ‘I really don’t want to go,’ Artest said. ‘I want to give myself some more hunger. I’d rather not go and just wait until next year. But I’m going to go.’ But as the Lakers could attest last season, their White House visit to honor their 2008-09 championship served as a moral boost during an eight-game trip. The Lakers aren’t visiting the White House this time and instead will participate in a clinic for elementary school kids. Those wondering if Obama, a basketball aficionado, will shoot hoops with the Lakers remains unclear.”