Mr. President: Let me be frank.
Some women are saying you need a time-out. Your men-only basketball games have been scrutinized—and criticized for consistently leaving women out.Your defenders call that charge ridiculous, saying everyone knows that women can play golf with men, but not basketball...which of course only annoys women more. Well, I have a solution. To score some real points with the public, stop arguing and just play ball—with the best. Shoot some hoops with yours truly.That’s right. Today I am declaring myself eligible for the presidential pickup games. Please allow me to present my credentials. I am no stranger to being on court with the boys. In high school and college, I played pickup with guys at Harlem’s Rucker courts and also played in summer leagues with NBA stars from the L.A. Lakers and the Utah Jazz (and I’m still pals with those teams’ then-coaches, Pat Riley and Frank Layden). I was also the first and only female player in the all-male United States Basketball League. I’ve played against the most famous team in the world, the Harlem Globetrotters. I'm fortunate to have been an Olympic silver medalist in women's basketball, and honored to be a member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame. Plus, your right-hand man Reggie Love, the former college basketball star who plays in your games, can vouch for my reputation as a former college player who still has serious skills.
And here’s your PR bonus: Everyone at the Basketball Hall of Fame, the Women's Sports Foundation, the WNBA and the NBA would have smiles on their faces, because it’s always good for sports when new barriers are broken.
I would be honored to get on the court with you, Mr. President, not just to play but also to help you make change. It's what I've done my whole life as a woman in sports and it's what you've done your whole life as a politician and now as our Commander in Chief.
Warmest regards to you, the First Lady and your daughters. If invited to play at the White House, I solemnly vow to protect, preserve and defend the basketball until my team wins. Let me know if I've got a game.
Sincerely, Nancy Lieberman
Basketball Hall of Famer, ESPN Analyst
At the age of 18, Nancy Lieberman became the youngest basketball player in Olympic history to win a medal. Twenty years later, she was still outperforming other top athletes, this time in theWomen's National Basketball Association (WNBA). A Basketball Hall-of-Famer and ESPN broadcaster, she made history by signing a seven-day contract with the WNBA Detroit Shock to play basketball at age 50. To keep up with Nancy you can visit her Web site www.nancylieberman.com or follow her on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/nancylieberman
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