Wednesday, January 28, 2026
ADVT 
International

I'm best suited as basketball commissioner: US president Obama

Darpan News Desk IANS, 31 Jan, 2016 12:42 PM
    He has less than a year left as the US president, but Barack Obama knows one job that he'd really want to take up later -- that of a basketball commissioner.
     
    In an interview to GQ India magazine's February 2016 edition, Obama was asked: "Baseball, football, basketball, all the commissioner jobs open up next year. Which one would you want?"
     
    Given his love for basketball, Obama said: "Well, I'm best suited for basketball. But I cannot believe that the commissioner of football gets paid $44 million a year."
     
    Obama's term ends in January next year.
     
    Talking about the one perk of being president that he's going to miss the most, he said: "So the clear answer would be Air Force One: an amazing plane with an amazing crew, they clear out airspace so you don’t have to wait. And you land anytime, you leave anytime.
     
    "But it maybe Marine One, because even post-presidency, I may be able to round up a private plane sometime, but it’s tough not to have your helicopter waiting for you."
     
    On a serious note, Obama shared that he feels he has a "pretty good handle".
     
    "One thing I learned during the campaign was that I’ve got a good temperament. I don’t get too high and I don’t get too low. I’m able to stay focussed even when there’s a lot of stuff going on around me.
     
    "So there was never a point, even early on - even in the first six months, where we weren’t sure whether we were going to dip into another Great Depression, we weren’t sure whether the steps we were taking on rescuing the auto industry or stabilising the financial system were going to work - there weren’t moments where I thought, 'Sheesh, feels like we’re in over our head'," he said.
     
    The 54-year-old also shared that he "didn't fully appreciate and nobody can appreciate until they’re in the position, is how decentralised power is in this system.
     
    "...A lot of the work is not just identifying the right policy but now constantly building these ever shifting coalitions to be able to actually implement and execute and get it done," he added.
     
    In the interview, by writer Bill Simmons, Obama also spoke about his "guiltiest-pleasure TV show".
     
    While he named "Big Break", he even said: "I do love 'Game Of Thrones'"
     
    The magazine's February issue will hit stands on Monday.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    'Kerala Evening' Enthralls Silicon Valley

    'Kerala Evening' Enthralls Silicon Valley
    Kathakali and Kalaripayattu performers enthralled a packed venue of the event organized by Kerala Tourism in partnership with Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) and US-India Business Council on Thursday in Palo Alto, California.

    'Kerala Evening' Enthralls Silicon Valley

    Obama To Award Science Medal To Indian-American Professor Dr. Rakesh K. Jain

    Obama To Award Science Medal To Indian-American Professor Dr. Rakesh K. Jain
    Indian-American professor Dr. Rakesh K. Jain and 16 other scientists, engineers, mathematicians, and innovators will receive the National Medals of Science and Technology and Innovation from President Barack Obama next Friday.

    Obama To Award Science Medal To Indian-American Professor Dr. Rakesh K. Jain

    Amnesiac Pakistan Rakes Up Hyderabad's 1948 Accession To India

    Amnesiac Pakistan Rakes Up Hyderabad's 1948 Accession To India
    Pakistan's Permanent Representative Maleeha Lodhi is asking the Council to keep alive the question of the princely state's integration into a secular India.

    Amnesiac Pakistan Rakes Up Hyderabad's 1948 Accession To India

    Australia Grants Special Visa To Indian Sikh For Father's Funeral In India

    Australia Grants Special Visa To Indian Sikh For Father's Funeral In India
    The 26-year-old, who arrived in Australia as a student, was awaiting the arrival of his father and mother at Melbourne Airport on Monday morning when the tragedy struck.

    Australia Grants Special Visa To Indian Sikh For Father's Funeral In India

    Quebec Man Charged With Smuggling 82 Kilograms Of Xanax Pills On Sled Across U.S. Border

    Quebec Man Charged With Smuggling 82 Kilograms Of Xanax Pills On Sled Across U.S. Border
    The U.S. Attorney's office says Cedrik Bourgault-Morin  was apprehended early Wednesday after he crossed the border from Quebec along a railroad line into Vermont

    Quebec Man Charged With Smuggling 82 Kilograms Of Xanax Pills On Sled Across U.S. Border

    Ricky Gervais Guitar Auctioned For $6,000 For Sanctuary That Houses Ikea Monkey

    Ricky Gervais Guitar Auctioned For $6,000 For Sanctuary That Houses Ikea Monkey
    A guitar donated by comedian Ricky Gervais to an Ontario primate sanctuary that houses the Ikea monkey has sold for nearly $6,000.

    Ricky Gervais Guitar Auctioned For $6,000 For Sanctuary That Houses Ikea Monkey