The First Ever Juneteenth Celebration Hosted by the Leader of the Free World on the South Lawn of the White House

President Barack Obama hosted a BBQ for young men on the South Lawn of the White House June 19, 2009. Officially they said the bar-b-que was to mentor young men about the importance of family and community activism. But a ‘que on June 19th? The day Black folks in the U.S. commemorate freeing the slaves in Texas!? Coincidence?! Maybe it was to celebrate Father’s Day Weekend…

You gotta love this President! Especially since y’all know some folks are going to be heated about BBQ’s going down on the White House lawn. He invited several celebrity fathers, influential men, and local teen boys over for some chit chat about the responsibility of men and fathers…and some BBQ! Dwyane Wade, Alonzo Mourning, Etan Thomas, the President of Motorola, the President of Morehouse College, and many other men were in attendance. Chef Bobby Flay was there to get steaks and burgers poppin’ for everybody while the Prez served them up. I'm luvin it!

Old School

Dr. J. looks like he could still get out there and play, but the skin tight leotard is not too flattering for Magic and especially Chucky. This is my second most favorite T-Mobile commercial featuring D Wade and Barkley. My most favorite is when the waitress asks D Wade “is this your dad.” Does anyone know who the old guy walking across in the walker that says, “hang up the phone Barkley!”

Trash Talking with the President

Last Friday, President Barack Obama attended a Washington Wizards/Chicago Bulls basketball game at the Verizon Center in D.C. The president had a beer, signed a few autographs and read the program. But night out didn't stop there. He also exchanged a few playful words with a diehard Wizards fan sitting a few rows back. Yes, that's right, the 44th President of the United States joined in a little trash talk. Awesome

The vocal instigator: Miles Rawls, commissioner of the Barry Farms' Goodman League — a big-time summer circuit in Southeast D.C., which has starred Gilbert Arenas and Kevin Durant, among others NBA stars. It was a blow out Wizards win and not too many people can claim to have taunted a sitting President with the old "Warm up the limo" chant.

Miles Rawls, who has season tickets, like everyone else had heard rumors about the president attending the game. So in anticipation, he went to a local shop to pick up a $15 Obama t-shirt. He showed up at the Verizon Center around 6:25, and was greeted by his usual usher who told him to be on his best behavior because the president would be sitting right in front of you. Rawls has gone after all the stars playing against the Wizards, Kobe Bryant, Dwyane Wade and LeBron James -- "exchanging pleasantries".

President Obama got a somewhat warmer greeting. Rawls shook his hand. He asked "How do you like my shirt, Mr. President?" President Obama said it was beautiful. Rawls told the president he would treasure this moment, and that he was proud of him. President Obama said he appreciated it.

That was before it got heated.

"Once I knew he was a big trash talker, too, about them Bulls, that means the gloves came off", said Rawls. "Heckling and having a good time are two different animals," he explained. "I wasn't heckling the President and I don't heckle the players. I talk about their weaknesses. We were having a good time. He was talking trash and I was talking trash. I couldn't believe he was that laidback and real. I loved it. I wasn't disrespectful," he said. "I know my limits."

For example, he told the President that if he was rooting for the visitors, he was "gonna have to keep it to a low roar, because we're cheering for the Wizards over here." The president repeatedly needled Rawls about the Wizards' habit of letting leads evaporate, especially when the Bulls made a run. “He gave me the high five. We were just supporting each others' team, having a good time."

Rawls said he made at least one member of the President's Secret Service detail laugh. He will, of course, keep the t-shirt, and wants to get the photo autographed; he also hopes to invite Obama to Barry Farms. He said he had an adrenaline rush throughout the entire game, and that it was a "once in a lifetime experience" he won't ever forget.

"Where can you do that, sit there and talk smack with the President of the United States face to face? But he enjoyed it," Rawls added. "Trust me."

Actually, I think what's going on in the pictures; dude is talking smack to the Pres....next the Pres is pointing out and saying "you see that guy up there pointing the high-power rifle at you? That's my Sec Service detail...; then dude says just joking Mr. Pres. and gives him high five (smile).

U.S.A. Olympic Basketball Team Announced

The U.S.A Basketball will be represented by an enormously talented Olympic team this August. NBA Most Valuable Player Kobe Bryant will be heading to his first Olympics, and he’ll have superstars LeBron James and Dwyane Wade with him. They will lead a U.S. Olympic basketball team that was announced Monday and hopes to capture the gold medal in Beijing, China after a third-place showing in Athens, Greece four years ago.

They’ll have plenty of help. They were joined by Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd, Tayshaun Prince, Carlos Boozer, Chris Bosh, Dwight Howard, Chris Paul, Michael Redd and Deron Williams. The team was selected without a tryout. It will have a minicamp this week in Las Vegas and meet there July 20-25 to train and play an exhibition against Canada before heading overseas. The Americans open Olympic play against China on Aug. 10.

Although the Americans captured the gold at the Sydney Games in 2000, they no longer dominate international play as they once did. The talent gap has narrowed and many top NBA players have chosen to not play for the national team in recent years. Now, the U.S. team appears loaded. Then again, the U.S. went 5-3 in Athens and lost for the first time since NBA players started competing in 1992 even though they had James, Anthony, Wade and Tim Duncan. That group got routed by Puerto Rico before losing to Lithuania and Argentina, but this one is confident it will take the gold. It is a deep team that includes one of the best shooters (Redd) and defensive players (Prince). There are role players and scorers, including the two biggest (Bryant and James). Kobi Bryant just won his first MVP and led the Los Angeles Lakers to the finals. LeBron James averaged 30.0 points, just enough to beat Bryant for the scoring title. Those two along with Carmelo Anthony, Jason Kidd and Dwight Howard started for a team that went unbeaten in the Olympic qualifying tournament last year. Eight of the 12 players headed to Beijing played on that team and six played in the 2006 world championships.

The team is lead by Mike Krzyzewski, who warns that “unless we show the respect to the rest of the world that it is the world’s game” there will be no gold medal. “We’re a team already,” Krzyzewski said. “The thing that this program has done is … provide continuity and relationships. … We’ll hit the ground running. Selecting a group of 12 out of the many stars in the NBA is obviously going to leave out a number of outstanding people.”

Phoenix forward Amare Stoudemire withdrew from Olympic consideration, apparently concerned about pushing his body too hard after knee surgery in 2005 and 2006. So did Detroit’s Chauncey Billups, who would have had a tough time making the team given the depth in the backcourt. I personally would have loved to see three point specialist Ray Allen and versatile forward Kevin Garnett on the team.

Dwyane Wade’s season ended in March because of a sore left knee that had been bothering him since surgery in 2007. He started working out in his hometown Chicago in May, and James and Chris Paul joined him to help sharpen his game. Team officials visited recently to see how far along he had come in his rehab and left convinced the 6-foot-4 guard was healthy. They saw him do a few things in terms of explosiveness that showed that he was pretty much back. Trainer Tim Grover assured officials that the Miami Heat star will be completely ready when the team gathers in Las Vegas next month.

“I feel great,” Wade said. And he will feel even better with a gold medal dangling from his neck.