President Obama is on hand to watch his hometown Chicago Bulls open their season against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Tuesday night.
Obama’s motorcade arrived at the United Center in Chicago shortly after 6:30 p.m. Central Standard Time for the nationally televised matchup on the NBA’s opening night.
Cavaliers star LeBron James reportedly let word slip Tuesday morning that the fan-in-chief would likely be in attendance, but the White House refused to confirm the president’s appearance.
{mosads}The Bulls are Obama’s favorite team.
“I am a big Bulls fan. I think it’s very promising,” Obama said of the upcoming season in an interview with TNT. “You’ve got a new coach, he’s opening up the offense a little bit. The big question is whether they can hold onto the defense with the new offense.”
Asked about the Bulls title chances, Obama called them a “top” team in the NBA’s Eastern Conference and expressed relief they’re not competing in the much more competitive Western Conference.
“I wouldn’t want to be battling it out over — I’m glad my Bulls are over in the East.”
But the president is also close to James, who is one of the biggest stars in sports. Obama praised the two-time NBA champion last December after he was criticized for wearing a t-shirt with the slogan “I Can’t Breathe” to show his support for victims of police brutality.
“You know, I think LeBron did the right thing,” Obama said in an interview with People Magazine. “We forget the role that Muhammad Ali, Arthur Ashe and Bill Russell played in raising consciousness.”
Obama on Tuesday thanked James and other NBA players for participating in his My Brother’s Keeper initiative, which helps young men and boys of color pursue higher education and job opportunities.
James joined first lady Michelle Obama at an event last week in Akron, Ohio, to promote her new higher-education initiative.
“I’m just — man, I love LeBron James, all right?” she told a group of students at the event. “So I would do anything for him, and I would do anything for you all.”
Obama is in Chicago to deliver a speech to the International Association of Chiefs of Police and headline fundraisers for the Democratic National Committee and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
He is watching the game with longtime friend Marty Nesbitt, who runs the foundation tasked with setting up the president’s library in Chicago.
The president last watched James and other NBA stars play during an exhibition between Team USA and Brazil in Washington, D.C., ahead of the 2012 Summer Olympics.
One month after taking office, Obama attended a Bulls game against the Washington Wizards at the Verizon Center in Washington in February 2009. Washington defeated Chicago 113-90.
Updated at 9:17 p.m.