Thursday, January 29, 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

    African Boy Mauled By Chimps To Undergo Facial Reconstruction Surgery At New York Hospital

    African Boy Mauled By Chimps To Undergo Facial Reconstruction Surgery At New York Hospital
    Dunia Sibomana was considered the lucky one two years ago when a group of chimpanzees jumped from the trees and attacked him and two other boys as they played near a preserve in their native Democratic Republic of the Congo.

    African Boy Mauled By Chimps To Undergo Facial Reconstruction Surgery At New York Hospital

    Donald Trump's 1st TV Ad Pushes Proposal To Ban Muslims Entering Us; Primary Contests Loom In Weeks

    Donald Trump's 1st TV Ad Pushes Proposal To Ban Muslims Entering Us; Primary Contests Loom In Weeks
    With the opening 2016 primary contest four weeks away, the billionaire businessman is spotlighting his plan to ban Muslims from entering the United States — temporarily and with exceptions, he says — and to build a wall along the southern border. 

    Donald Trump's 1st TV Ad Pushes Proposal To Ban Muslims Entering Us; Primary Contests Loom In Weeks

    Bill Clinton Makes His Debut Solo Appearance On Behalf Of His Wife's 2016 Presidential Campaign

    While Bill Clinton was keen to keep the focus on Hillary Clinton's key campaign platforms, the passing time hasn't shielded him from the ghosts that haunted his own presidency.

    Bill Clinton Makes His Debut Solo Appearance On Behalf Of His Wife's 2016 Presidential Campaign

    FTC announces $2M settlement with game developer Lumosity over brain-boosting claims

    FTC announces $2M settlement with game developer Lumosity over brain-boosting claims
     The developer of Lumosity "brain training" games will pay $2 million to settle federal allegations that it misled customers about the cognitive benefits of its online apps and programs.

    FTC announces $2M settlement with game developer Lumosity over brain-boosting claims

    In Yet Another Alleged Hate Crime, Elderly Sikh Stabbed To Death In US

    In Yet Another Alleged Hate Crime, Elderly Sikh Stabbed To Death In US
    Gurcharan Singh Gill, an employee at local liquor store at Shields Express in West Shields Avenue was at work when he was stabbed to death during broad day light

    In Yet Another Alleged Hate Crime, Elderly Sikh Stabbed To Death In US

    Raccoon That Bit Toronto Cop Last Month Not Rabid, Health Officials Say

    Raccoon That Bit Toronto Cop Last Month Not Rabid, Health Officials Say
    Police received a call last Monday from a store owner for a raccoon that "appeared to be in distress and possibly blind," hanging around a downtown store.

    Raccoon That Bit Toronto Cop Last Month Not Rabid, Health Officials Say