What will Barack Obama do next January when his term in office is up and he returns to regular civilian life has been a topic of discussion in Washington. It was the topic of the best skit during the White House Correspondents dinner this year.
One thing that could happen — minority ownership of an NBA team. From ESPN’s story:
According to press secretary Josh Earnest, becoming an NBA owner might be an option.
Earnest said Wednesday that the president, well known for being a big fan of Chicago sports teams, has “discussed” being part of an ownership group for an NBA franchise. Earnest added that Obama would pursue the opportunity “potentially ... under the right circumstances.”
This is not new, Obama told GQ last year he has fantasized about being a part owner and helping put together a team. Which, by the way, is not what minority owners do. They get to be closer to the process, they get great seats for games and write a lot of checks, they are kept in the loop on things, but they don’t get to make decisions. (Which is why minority owners in all professional sports are often unhappy; these are people with money who get to make the call in virtually every other aspect of their life, but not with this expensive hobby.)
I wouldn’t be surprised if this happens some day. My guess is Obama would clear the NBA’s background check process. But I would be shocked if Jerry Reinsdorf let him buy a piece of the Bulls.