Close X
Saturday, November 30, 2024
ADVT 
International

I'm best suited as basketball commissioner: US president Obama

Darpan News Desk IANS, 31 Jan, 2016 12:42 PM
    He has less than a year left as the US president, but Barack Obama knows one job that he'd really want to take up later -- that of a basketball commissioner.
     
    In an interview to GQ India magazine's February 2016 edition, Obama was asked: "Baseball, football, basketball, all the commissioner jobs open up next year. Which one would you want?"
     
    Given his love for basketball, Obama said: "Well, I'm best suited for basketball. But I cannot believe that the commissioner of football gets paid $44 million a year."
     
    Obama's term ends in January next year.
     
    Talking about the one perk of being president that he's going to miss the most, he said: "So the clear answer would be Air Force One: an amazing plane with an amazing crew, they clear out airspace so you don’t have to wait. And you land anytime, you leave anytime.
     
    "But it maybe Marine One, because even post-presidency, I may be able to round up a private plane sometime, but it’s tough not to have your helicopter waiting for you."
     
    On a serious note, Obama shared that he feels he has a "pretty good handle".
     
    "One thing I learned during the campaign was that I’ve got a good temperament. I don’t get too high and I don’t get too low. I’m able to stay focussed even when there’s a lot of stuff going on around me.
     
    "So there was never a point, even early on - even in the first six months, where we weren’t sure whether we were going to dip into another Great Depression, we weren’t sure whether the steps we were taking on rescuing the auto industry or stabilising the financial system were going to work - there weren’t moments where I thought, 'Sheesh, feels like we’re in over our head'," he said.
     
    The 54-year-old also shared that he "didn't fully appreciate and nobody can appreciate until they’re in the position, is how decentralised power is in this system.
     
    "...A lot of the work is not just identifying the right policy but now constantly building these ever shifting coalitions to be able to actually implement and execute and get it done," he added.
     
    In the interview, by writer Bill Simmons, Obama also spoke about his "guiltiest-pleasure TV show".
     
    While he named "Big Break", he even said: "I do love 'Game Of Thrones'"
     
    The magazine's February issue will hit stands on Monday.

    MORE International ARTICLES

    Burkina Faso Attack Not First Time Canadians Have Faced African Al-Qaeda Terror

    Burkina Faso Attack Not First Time Canadians Have Faced African Al-Qaeda Terror
    OTTAWA — Even though they are responsible for a string of atrocities and affiliated with the grand daddy of terrorist groups, al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb has flown largely under the radar in terms of public perception of extremists.

    Burkina Faso Attack Not First Time Canadians Have Faced African Al-Qaeda Terror

    Race Tightens: Hillary Clinton And Bernie Sanders Clash On Guns, Health Care

    Race Tightens: Hillary Clinton And Bernie Sanders Clash On Guns, Health Care
    Presidential candidates Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders tangled in a Democratic Party presidential debate over who is tougher on gun control and Wall Street and how to steer the future of health care in America.

    Race Tightens: Hillary Clinton And Bernie Sanders Clash On Guns, Health Care

    Canadian Man Detained In U.A.E. Without Charge To Stand Trial On Monday

    Canadian Man Detained In U.A.E. Without Charge To Stand Trial On Monday
    Salim Alaradi, a 46-year-old Canadian of Libyan origin, was running a business in Dubai when he was abruptly arrested in August 2014.

    Canadian Man Detained In U.A.E. Without Charge To Stand Trial On Monday

    Four Family Members Among Canadians Killed In Burkina Faso Terrorist Attack

    Four Family Members Among Canadians Killed In Burkina Faso Terrorist Attack
    Four of the victims were from the same family: Yves Carrier, his wife Gladys Chamberland, their adult son Charlelie Carrier and Yves' adult daughter Maude Carrier, also a teacher.

    Four Family Members Among Canadians Killed In Burkina Faso Terrorist Attack

    6 Canadians Killed In Terrorist Attack On Burkina Faso Hotel

    6 Canadians Killed In Terrorist Attack On Burkina Faso Hotel
    OTTAWA — Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says at least six Canadians have died in an attack on a luxury hotel in Burkina Faso's capital.

    6 Canadians Killed In Terrorist Attack On Burkina Faso Hotel

    Temple Attack In Pakistan Not Because Of Faith: Reema Abbasi

    Temple Attack In Pakistan Not Because Of Faith: Reema Abbasi
    Asserting that Hindus were not persecuted in her country, Pakistani journalist-author Reema Abbasi on Saturday attributed land-grabbing rather faith behind attacks on temples in Pakistan.

    Temple Attack In Pakistan Not Because Of Faith: Reema Abbasi