President Obama compares himself to Aaron Rodgers, Michael Jordan

President Obama hosts the NCAA women&#039;s basketball champions

(Image credit: Mark Wilson/Getty Images)

published 17 November 2015

President Obama, GQ's Man of the Year, clearly knew whom he was talking to when being interviewed by Bill Simmons, the founder of Grantland. "It's really aggravating not having you on Grantland," Obama said in the interview, which presumably took place before ESPN shuttered the website for good (speaking of which, Obama, can you do anything about that?). "I go to the site and there’s no Simmons. Come on, man, it's not the same."

But even more than that, the interview was ripe with what Simmons terms "President Obama the Person," the man behind the façade. A man who, it turns out, loves his sports analogies — and doesn't mind comparing himself to some of the best in the game.

"You're like Gregg Popovich," Simmons suggests at one point, speaking to Obama's ability to stay focused in the midst of chaos. Obama pivots, "Yeah. Or maybe [Aaron] Rodgers in the pocket, in the sense of you can't be distracted by what's around you, you've got to be looking downfield. And I think that's a quality that I have — not getting flustered in what's around me."

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But comparing himself to the quarterback with the record for the highest career passing rate in the regular season wasn't the end — then Obama broke out the Michael Jordan analogy, however modestly.

A thing that you're reminded of, watching those old Bulls games, is Jordan had some stinker games in the playoffs. But he would get that out of his mind, and then the next moment comes and he’s right there. He could have a terrible game for the first three quarters and then suddenly go crazy the fourth. Or he might miss a free throw, and then the next play is he's stealing the ball and hitting the game-winning shot. Part of what I try to do — not at the level that Jordan did on the basketball court, but part of what you aspire to as president or any of these positions of leadership — is to try to figure out how to be in the moment, make the best decision you can, know that you're going to get a bunch of them right, but a bunch of times you're also not going to get it exactly the way you want it. [GQ]

Speaking of which — Obama wouldn't mind owning an NBA team. Look out, Jerry Reinsdorf.

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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.