NBA stars critique Barack Obama's game

By John McCormick and Stacy St. Clair, updated

The morning after a romantic Valentine's Day dinner out, President Barack Obama hit the basketball court Sunday to burn off a few calories and visit with some Chicago friends.

The presidential game, which lasted about two hours and was followed by a haircut at an apartment building near Obama's South Side home, was at the University of Chicago Laboratory Schools, according to a media pool report. No word yet on who he played with.

The game came after a Saturday evening meal enjoyed by Obama and his wife, Michelle, at a Gold Coast restaurant owned by Oprah Winfrey's one-time personal chef, Art Smith.

After a three-day weekend at home, the First Family is scheduled leave for Washington from O'Hare International Airport aboard Air Force One about 10 a.m. Monday.

Obama's basketball game was dissected on nation television on Sunday, when CNN's "State of the Union with John King" asked several NBA stars to review his moves.

"He's smart at the game," former Los Angeles Lakers star Earvin "Magic" Johnson said. "First thing up he's passing, nice post pass, nice set up, always looking for the other man."

After another clip, New Orleans Hornets guard Chris Paul took note of Obama's left-handedness and says "lefties always can shoot."

After a three-pointer, King asks whether Obama has enough swagger after sinking a bucket.

"Nah, he's got plenty of swagger," said Phoenix Suns' guard Steve Nash. "Plenty of swagger. You can tell."

Basketball Hall-of-Famer Bill Russell of the Boston Celtics called Obama a "pretty good re-bounder."

Johnson, who attended Obama's inauguration, made clear that he likes Obama's game on and off the court.

"He sees the play before it develops," he said. "That is how he is running the country. I don't want people to say you are linking the president to a point guard. I'm not doing it...What I'm saying is that a point guard got to think five minutes ahead."

White House Spokesman Robert Gibbs had been asked about the importance of basketball to the president during an appearance on King's show.

"There are very few days in which I don't see, at some point in the day, the president either handling or dribbling a basketball," Gibbs said. "I know he's anxious to get out on the court. He is going to play with some friends in Chicago here today. It's been a part of his life for a very long time, growing up in Hawaii and playing with his friends on a playground, and even playing with those very same friends now."

Gibbs said the review by professional players might even be a little intimidating for the nation's most powerful man.

"I can only imagine that if I were to call him now, he would be a little nervous that people like Bill Russell were going to critique his game," he said. "That's pretty serious."

It is a basketball-heavy day for Obama, who will appear in a public service announcement for volunteerism during tonight's NBA All-Star Game.

For their first big date since the inauguration, the Obamas selected Table Fifty-Two, an upscale establishment where the menu features decadent southern fare such as pan-seared catfish, low-country shrimp with stone-ground grits and buttermilk fried chicken. Red velvet cake was the dessert special Saturday evening.

Smith, a renowned cookbook author who served Winfrey for 10 years, greeted the couple as they entered the restaurant while fellow diners applauded and cheered. The Obamas smiled and waved before heading to a private dining room on the second floor, patrons said. Their meal lasted for about two hours according to media pool reports.

"Everyone seemed to be in awe. Everyone's phones opened up," said Brandon Byrne, 22, a Northwestern student who was celebrating Valentine's Day at the restaurant.

"It's crazy. You're eating dinner 30 feet from the most famous person in the world."

Located in the former Biggs Mansion carriage house on Elm Street, the 36-seat main dining room embraces its cottage chic decor with a stone bar, hickory flooring and a pressed copper ceiling. Tables are extremely difficult to secure, with diners making Valentine's Day reservations as early as November.

The Obamas' date destination had become a popular parlor game for Chicago foodies, with some assuming they'd hit old favorites such as Spiaggia or Topolobampo.

Outside Topolobampo, Kimberly Blake Fadim sat in her car waiting to see the president.

"I want him to meet me directly so I can personally deliver my résumé," said Fadim, a sandwich delivery driver who'd like to work for the next secretary of health and human services.

The dinner also offered the Obamas a chance to celebrate passage of a $787 billion economic stimulus package he has made a hallmark of his early presidency. In his weekly radio and Internet address Saturday, the president called the measure "a major milestone on our road to recovery."

The massive spending plan cleared Congress Friday largely along party lines. "I will sign this legislation into law shortly," Obama said during his address, "and we'll begin making the immediate investments necessary to put people back to work doing the work America needs done."

-- Tribune reporter Mary Owen contributed.