Obama hoops with basketball stars, celebrates 49th birthday

Barack Obama traded passes and scuffles with famous hoopsters like Kobe Bryant and Earvin "Magic" Johnson ahead of a White House barbecue birthday bash.

Washington: Barack Obama traded passes and
scuffles with famous hoopsters like Kobe Bryant and Earvin
"Magic" Johnson ahead of a White House barbecue birthday bash
where the US President treated his friends with seafood from
oil-tainted Gulf of Mexico.

Obama turned 49 on August 4 but spent the day in his
hometown, Chicago without his family. His wife Michelle and
youngest daughter Sasha were holidaying in Spain. His eldest
daughter Malia was away at camp.

With the family returning to the White House, Obama
took time out from the pressures of presidency and spent time
with the likes of Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers), LeBron James
(Miami Heat), Carmelo Anthony (Denver Nuggets) and former NBA
star "Magic" Johnson (Lakers) and had a game of basketball.

Obama`s birthday celebrity game also included retired
NBA All-Star Alonzo Mourning, Derek Fisher of the Los Angeles
Lakers, Carmelo Anthony, Chauncey Billups of the Denver
Nuggets and Maya Moore of the WBA Connecticut Huskies.

Obama`s friends from Hawaii, Chicago, Illinois, and
college joined the president on Saturday at Andrews Air Force
Base for a round of golf.

After playing basketball for two hours at Fort McNair
near Washington, Obama hosted a birthday party for his friends
where shrimps from oil-tainted Gulf of Mexico were on the menu
for the informal meal outside on the South Lawn.

The White House said Obama wanted to send a clear
message to the American people that seafood from the region is
safe despite the BP oil leak.

The seafood industry in the Gulf Coast has been hard
hit by the BP oil disaster.

PTI

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