July 16 / Administration of Barack Obama, 2012 Interview With Mark Jones of ESPN2 During a United States-Brazil Men’s Basketball Game July 16, 2012 Mr. Jones. President Obama, I want to ask able talent, and Kobe is a competitor, so you you, first of all, your thoughts on the first half expect him to do a little trash talking whenever of play. It was a little bit more competitive the opportunity arises. maybe than some people thought. Mr. Jones. You’re a big basketball fan. Ev- The President. Well, you forget how many erybody knows that. And you’re involved in Brazilians are in the NBA now. Between Nene coaching your daughters. We saw the U.S.A. and Varejao and Barbosa, they’ve got a good Women’s National Team win by a big margin team. So it took a while for our guys to kind of earlier tonight. How would you characterize get into rhythm, but we’re so much deeper that your experience in coaching your two daugh- over time you get a sense they’re going to wear ters? them down. The President. Well, first of all, I want to Mr. Jones. Predictions for the second half? congratulate the women’s team. They’re going The President. I don’t think it will be close in to be as dominant, if not more dominant, I the second half. think in the Olympics. And wonderful young Mr. Jones. No. U.S.A. Basketball, Mr. Presi- women; they’re great role models for my dent, has undergone a culture change. They daughter. And I had a chance to say hello to bottomed out a little bit in 2004 with the them before this game started. Bronze, and then Coach Krzyzewski came As you know, coaching kids, your heart is aboard and really turned it around. Your out there on the floor with them. I get more thoughts on that process. excited than I ever got when I was actually The President. Well, obviously, Coach K is playing, watching Sasha or Malia play. They’re one of the greatest coaches of all time. He really enjoying it, and to see them improve and knows how to bring together folks to think like start playing as a team always is great satisfac- a team. And obviously, the talent that we’ve got tion. at this point is unbelievable. So there’s no rea- What you want to see in your kids, even if son we shouldn’t bring home the Gold. We just they’re not going to be professionals, is just have to stay focused. taking something seriously, learning how to put One thing I’m happy about is to see how a lot into it and seeing them get something out hard everybody is playing. You really get a of it. sense of how proud they are to represent the United States, and I think they’re going to con- Mr. Jones. For your 49th birthday you had duct themselves really well in London. an all-star cast of players come to the White Mr. Jones. One of the subjects of great de- House for a much-celebrated pickup game. bate of late, started by one Kobe Bryant, was Who’s coming to the next birthday party pick- the fact that he feels that the present constitu- up game? tion of the team would beat the 1992 original The President. Well, this summer these guys version. Your thoughts on that. Can you weigh are busy. [Laughter] So they need to focus on in on that argument for us? the Olympics. But it was one of the most fun The President. You know, this is a genera- events that we’ve had. tional thing. I was around in ’92. I was a Bulls Mr. Jones. Did your team win? fan, so I’ve got to go with the original Dream The President. We actually had four teams, Team. And I suspect that Michael and Sir and my team did not win. I did not stack it. But Charles and others would point out they were LeBron and Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul and probably never down at any point in any of a whole bunch of folks—Derrick Rose—came. their games. But this is a great team, unbeliev- We had three pros and two amateurs on each 1032 Administration of Barack Obama, 2012 / July 17 team, and it was a lot of fun. Then we had a National Basketball Association’s Washington barbecue at the White House afterwards. Wizards; Anderson Varejao, center, NBA’s And we did it in front of wounded warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Leandro Barbosa, so it gave them a chance to see up close and guard, Indiana Pacers, in their capacity as personal some of the greatest basketball talent. members of the 2012 Brazilian Olympic men’s And the guys could not have been more gener- basketball team; Michael W. Krzyzewski, head ous—signing shoes and jerseys and everything. coach, Kobe Bryant, guard, LeBron James, for- So really enjoyed it and these are all some ward, and Chris Paul, guard, 2012 U.S. Olym- great guys. pic men’s basketball team; Michael Jordan and Mr. Jones. Thanks a lot for joining us, Mr. Charles Barkley, members of the 1992 U.S. President. The President. Really enjoyed it. Thank you, Olympic men’s basketball team; Dwyane Mark. Wade, shooting guard, NBA’s Miami Heat; and Mr. Jones. Back to you guys. Derrick M. Rose, guard, NBA’s Chicago Bulls. The transcript was released by the Office of the NOTE: The interview began at 9:03 p.m. at the Press Secretary on July 17. A portion of these Verizon Center. In his remarks, the President remarks could not be verified because the au- referred to Nene Hilario, forward and center, dio was incomplete. Remarks at a Campaign Rally in San Antonio, Texas July 17, 2012 The President. Hello, San Antone! Hello, maps. And Illinois, like Texas, is a big State, so Texas! Well, thank you so much. Everybody I’d have to travel all across the State, and you’d have a seat. Have a seat. It is good to be with go from urban neighborhoods to rural commu- all of you, good to be back in San Antonio. nities, suburbs. You’d meet folks from every Couple of people I want to acknowledge walk of life: Black, White, Latino, Asian, Na- who helped to make this day possible. First of tive American. all, your outstanding mayor, Julian Castro. And wherever I traveled, what I discovered Somebody whose name I know you’re familiar was that there was a common theme to every- with because we are in the Henry Gonzalez one’s story. If I met an elderly couple, I’d think Convention Center, a great friend, outstanding back to my grandparents and how my grandfa- leader, great Congressman, Charlie Gonzalez ther fought in Patton’s army in World War II is in the house. Another fighter for working and my grandmother worked on a bomber as- people, Lloyd Doggett is here. One of my na- sembly line. And when my grandfather came tional cochairs and just a great friend and a back home, he was able to attend college on great advocate—and a really good actress the GI bill, and they were able to buy their first too—Eva Longoria. And finally, our Futuro home with an FHA loan. And I’d think about Fund cochair and a wonderful friend and sup- the distance they’d traveled from the small porter, Henry Muñoz. towns in Kansas where they had been born. Now, this is my last campaign. It’s true, I’m And if I met a single mom, I’d think about term limited out. [Laughter] And that got me my mother, who had to raise me and my sister thinking about some of my first campaigns. I basically by herself, with some help from my know that Charlie and Julian and others, they grandparents, because my father had left, so think back to your first campaigns. And back that I didn’t even know him, and how she had then, I didn’t have Air Force One. [Laughter] to work and go to school and look after her Didn’t have a motorcade, no helicopter. I did kids. But with the help of grants and scholar- the driving myself, and we didn’t even have ships, she was able to get an outstanding edu- MapQuest—[laughter]—I’d have to unfold the cation and, more importantly from her 1033.