Basketball fan-in-chief US President Barack Obama gave British Prime Minister David Cameron a front-row seat to the top college tournament on Tuesday, taking his European partner to an election swing state for a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) tournament game.
The two leaders sat near one end of the court at the University of Dayton Arena for a “First Four” matchup between Mississippi Valley State and Western Kentucky, a gesture of goodwill during Cameron’s official visit to the US.
The setting created the image of two buddies, dressed in casual clothes, eating hot dogs and enjoying the NCAA tournament, one of the US’ premier sporting events.
Photo: Reuters
Cameron, who enjoys tennis and cricket, but had never been to a basketball game before, said during a halftime interview on truTV that Obama was “giving me some tips. He’s going to help me fill out my [NCAA tournament] bracket.”
Obama replied: “And he’s going to teach me cricket.”
Cameron marveled at the speed of the game and, in the end, got to see a spirited encounter.
Mississippi Valley State had pulled away, but Western Kentucky made a valiant comeback, winning in the final seconds 59-58.
In a courtside interview with sportscaster Clark Kellogg, Obama said he wanted to take Cameron to “the great state of Ohio,” saying that many foreign leaders only get the opportunity to visit coastal cities like New York, Washington and Los Angeles.
“The heartland is what it’s all about,” Obama said.
Obama seemed to relish courtside for a basketball game, his favorite sport.
He frequently pointed to some of the activities on the floor, appearing to explain the game to his British counterpart.
Early in the first half, two young women arrived with hot dogs for both leaders, along with a bottle of water for Obama and a Coke for Cameron, who spread ketchup on his hot dog.
The president regularly plays pickup basketball and keeps close tabs on his favorite NBA team, the Chicago Bulls. In a recent interview, the president said he gets League Pass on his iPad, letting him watch out-of-market NBA games on his tablet computer.
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