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Obama says Kobe is no match for Jordan

President gives his opinion about who greatest NBA player is

Image: Jordan, Bryant
Jed Jacobsohn / Getty Images
Bulls guard Michael Jordan and the Lakers' Kobe Bryant battle on Feb. 1, 1998.
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updated 1:20 p.m. ET July 2, 2009

WASHINGTON - Sorry, Kobe.

President Barack Obama was asked straight out on Thursday: Kobe or Michael?

As in, who's the best? Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, a four-time NBA champion? Or the basketball legend to whom he is most often compared, Michael Jordan, who retired as a six-time champ with the Chicago Bulls and is widely regarded as the best player of all time?

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"Oh, Michael," Obama answered in an interview with The Associated Press.

"I mean, Kobe's terrific. Don't get me wrong," Obama said. "But I haven't seen anybody match up with Jordan yet."

Obama, a basketball fan who hails from Chicago, is certainly no Lakers hater.

He picked Bryant's team to defeat the Orlando Magic in the finals this year, and he was right.

© 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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