By John Jackson
Chicago Sun-Times NBA/Bulls Writer
WASHINGTON--Usually, teams visit the White House after winning a championship, but the Bulls made the trip Thursday less than 24 hours after one of their worst losses of the season in New Jersey.
Of course, it helps when the President is a big fan.
Players, coaches broadcasters and front office personnel for the Bulls met with and posed for photos with President Obama this afternoon for about 10 to 15 minutes in the Blue Room of the White House.
The Bulls presented the President, a long-time Bulls fan, with a Bulls jersey with "Obama" and No. 44 on the back.
"The President chatted with the players and said he was converting the tennis court out back here into a basketball court and invited them to come and play pick up with him," said David Axelrod, the senior adviser to Obama. "They had a good visit."
WASHINGTON--The Chicago Bulls visited with President Obama at the White House on Thursday. The event was closed press. Here's a read out of the Hoopster-in-Chief meeting his hometown team from the White House press office......
There were players, coaches and folks from the Bull's front office. The President took several photos with them. They took the photos in the Blue Room. Obama staffers Mike Strautmanis and David Axelrod came by to grip and grin.
The President congratulated the team for working hard and making progress this season. He said that he's a die hard Bulls fan. The players and coaches presented him with a Chicago Bulls Jersey that said Obama, and had the number 44.
During the team photo, the President said he wanted to stand next to Ben Gordon because "Ben's not that tall." The team found that pretty funny.
The President told the players that there was a tennis court with basketball hoops out back, and invited them to come for a pickup game sometime this summer.
Below from the White House..
List of attendees:
Player: Deng, Luol AjouPlayer: Gordon, Benjamin Ashenafi
Player: Gray, Aaron Michael
Player: Hinrich, Kirk James
Player: Hunter, Lindsey Benson
Player: Miller, Bradley Alan
Player: Noah, Joakim Simon
Player: Roberson, Anthony
Player: Rose, Derrick Martell
Player: Salmons, John Rashall
Player: Thomas, Timothy M.
Player: Thomas, Tyrus Wayne
Staff: Bickerstaff, Bernard Tyrone
Staff: Bonhotal, Joshua Adam
Staff: Brewster, Sebrina
Staff: Del Negro, Vincent Joseph
Staff: Dukan, Ivica
Staff: Forman, Garth A.
Staff; Funk, Neil Eugene
Staff: Harris, Delmer William
Staff: Holbert, Thomas William
Staff: Julius, Steve
Staff: King, Ronald Stacey
Staff: Ligmanowski, John Francis
Staff: Mandel, Irwin
Staff: Myers, Peter Eddie
Staff: Ociepka, Robert Henry
Staff: Paxson, John MacBeth
Staff: Schanwald, Stephen M.
Staff: Severns, David William
Staff: Swirsky, Charles Thomas
Staff: Tanaka, Jeffrey Kiyoshi
Staff: Tatalovich, Adam Rade
Staff: Tedeschi, Alfred John
Staff: Wennington, William Percy
Staff: Wilhelm, Michael Peter
Guest: King, Alan
Guest: Stein, Sanford
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