Barack Obama wants Bill Simmons to know he’s good at sports

Let me start by saying that I’m not big on politics. Never have been, never will be.

I don’t really care enough because at the end of the day, it’s all about getting votes and moving on, and not too many politicians ever really make a difference. Look no further than Tommy Carchetti in “The Wire,” — arguably the greatest TV series of all-time, but we’ll get back to that later.

But there’s something likeable about this Barack Obama guy. He’s on my short list of dream interviews Rihanna was right there until recently, still trying to wrap my brain around this Chris Brown reunion.

Yesterday, the President sat down with Bill Simmons for a wide-ranging interview. The full transcript is posted on Grantland.com. Anyway, we diced down the important parts for you:

» Everyone knows Obama is a huge hoops fan. Heck, he fills out a National Bracket every year for March Madness and installed a basket at the White House. No shocker here then, Obama told Simmons that he stays up late to watch the West Coast NBA games. “I do have League Pass on my iPad,” Obama said. And no, he doesn’t charge it to the White House.

» Did Obama start Linsaity? He won’t take credit for that, but he did say he has been following Jeremy Lin since his days at Harvard. His Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, was captain of the Harvard team and the two took a “recruiting trip” to watch Lin play.

» Obama owns the record for welcoming the most championship-winning teams to the White House. Still, nothing would please him more than to host his hometown Chicago Bulls as NBA world champions. He feels it could happen – in another five years. “Well, I’ve got another five years here,” Obama joked.

» The commander-in-chief also admitted to playing a little one-on-one with Clippers guard Chris Paul and a game of HORSE with former UConn star Maya Moore. Obama said he beat Moore in HORSE, although she was dressed in “high heels and a skirt.” Meanwhile, he claims he showed off his cross-over move on Paul. “My crossover is solid,” Obama said.

»The best of the rest: Obama said throwing out the first pitch is one of the most stressful things he’s ever done; Obama sometimes serves as a sit-in coach for his daugther’s basketball team on Sundays; Obama called Michael Jordan the best ever (duh); Obama gave Blake Griffin advice on his game by advising him not to hesitate on those 12- to 15-foot jumpers; and Obama called Omar Little the best character on “The Wire.” Said the President: “It’s got to be Omar, right? I mean, that guy is unbelievable, right?”