After missing one flight and having a second delayed in New York for more than an hour, UConn guard Kemba Walker earned the right to ask President Obama the one question that had been on his mind for a while.
"I wanted to ask, can you teach me that walk?" Walker said, much to the amusement of his teammates gathered behind him.
"That's a special presidential walk," the president replied. "Maybe in a few years."
The easy banter between Walker and the president was the highlight of Monday's ceremony in the East Room of the White House honoring UConn's improbable 2010-11 championship season. The Huskies finished ninth in a loaded Big East, but reeled off five wins in five days at the conference tournament and then six more in the NCAA tournament behind the brilliance of Walker and the emergence of freshmen Jeremy Lamb, Shabazz Napier and Roscoe Smith.
Even though Obama's bracket finished in the 87th percent nationally in ESPN's contest, the president lamented not having more faith in UConn. Obama had Kansas beating Ohio State in the national title game and UConn falling to Duke in the Elite Eight.
"I have to be honest ? this is a bittersweet day for me," Obama said. "On the one hand, I get to congratulate a great team and a great coach and national champions, but on the other hand, I'm reminded once again my bracket was a bust."
Obama appeared to enjoy UConn coach Jim Calhoun's brief speech, which included a reference to the president's well-known 2008 campaign slogan.
"Who would have thought nine months ago that we would be here?" Calhoun said. "But you know what? Yes, we can. And like you Mr. President, yes we did."
Jennifer Morrison Adrianne Palicki Amanda Righetti Michelle Branch Melissa Howard
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