Barack Obama as Philadelphia 76ers Owner? Why Not?
By Bret Stuter
As the current Chief Executive ponders life after the White House, Barack Obama is facing a myriad of options. Perhaps one of the most unusual, and rewarding, vocations after politics is ownership of one of the NBA’s most talked about teams, the Philadelphia 76ers
It’s been a rough period on the political front. It’s been a rough period on the NBA front. But perhaps there is a silver lining in the clouds, a silver lining for the current President Barack Obama and his first family.
Perhaps he may seek ownership of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Not satisfied, I then firmly told the leader of the free world, "You should buy the Sixers." He looked at me & smiled, "It could happen."
— Michael H. Weber (@thisisweber) August 3, 2016
Not only did the President not blink at the suggestion, but he answered back nonchalantly as though its a concept he’s contemplated before. The possibility of Barack Obama left Mike Weber almost giddy with delight:
If one day President Obama leads an ownership group to buy the Sixers it would be the greatest turn of events in Philly sports history.
— Michael H. Weber (@thisisweber) August 3, 2016
Ownership of the Philadelphia 76ers is no stranger to the headlines in DC. In fact, it’s been in the news there just four short months ago. It was a topic of a well timed April Fool’s joke about the sale of majority ownership to Will and Jada Pinkett Smith. The ruse went of so well, that it caught the attention of the Washington Post’s Des Bieler, who tried his best to placate the fictitious story interpreted as straight fact.
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In the end, Josh Harris remained majority owner, he worked with Jerry Colangelo to hire his son, Bryan Colangelo, and essentially force Sam Hinkie to seek NBA opportunity elsewhere.
In the aftermath, the Philadelphia 76ers did manage to land the very coveted first pick of the 2016 NBA Draft, and used that selection to bring Australian Ben Simmons to the team. Ben Simmons is a very gifted basketball player. His size alone makes him ideal for the front court. His basketball IQ makes him ideal for the back court. But his passing and ball handling makes him ideal for the point. Talent such as Simmon’s is hard to ignore, even by the President of the United States.
Met President Obama last night & we talked 76ers: "Been a tough few years. But I really like @BenSimmons25. It's about to get a lot better."
— Michael H. Weber (@thisisweber) August 3, 2016
Stranger things happen in life, and the trajectory of the Philadelphia 76ers right now is all indicators pointing way up. To be honest, there is quite a bit of “feel good” karma about the team right now, having made plans to be a start-up business incubator for the Camden and Philadelphia regions.
The Philadelphia 76ers investing in the community is the type of positive story that falls to the back pages. There is little more than a few tweets from an established screen-writer to link the President to the Philadelphia 76ers at this point in time. But noteworthy is the fact that Barack Obama knows the 76ers and is endorsing the future of the franchise and Ben Simmons. Also noteworthy is the fact that the Philadelphia 76ers remain relevant to the NBA, and to the nation.
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After all, not many NBA teams come up in conversation with the President. We know the Philadelphia 76ers do.