Obama and Derek Jeter talk retirement, childhood
Though he's a staunch Chicago White Sox supporter, the president was happy to sit down to talk with the New York Yankees' former star shortstop, Derek Jeter.
"It was a charmed career," the president said, complimenting Jeter, who spent his entire career playing for the Yankees.
Earlier this month, Jeter sat with the president in the Roosevelt Room at the White House to discuss topics such as childhood, strength, advice for your younger self and retirement. They even teased each other about aging, their body condition and expectations versus reality.
The full eight-and-a-half minute video was released Wednesday by The Players' Tribune, a sports site founded by Jeter.
President Obama started off the video joking that if Jeter had met him when he was 10 years old, he would have called him "fat."
"Chubby?" Jeter queried.
Describing his preteen self, Obama grinned and said, "I was husky, and I was kind of a smart-alecky kid."
"I can't say at 10 years old I was exceptional," the president said. "I bet you were one of those kids that was like always the best athlete even at 10, and everybody was like, 'Oh, Derek...' All the little girls had crushed on you and all of that."
"No, no, no," chuckled Jeter in response. "I would like to lie to you on camera, but no, that's not the case."
"I was living in Hawaii at the time and there weren't that many black kids there, so part of what I was trying to figure out at 10 years old was, you know, what kind of role models do I have for myself because my father wasn't with us," President Obama said.
President Obama referenced basketball stars Julius Erving and Walt Frazier as some of his childhood role models.
"Shaft -- I'm dating myself," the president said, referring to the character John Shaft, from the 1971 film "Shaft." And, he added, "Even at that age I loved Dr. King."
Jeter talked about his father and said, "My dad would constantly brag about how good he was in baseball, so when I was younger I wanted to be a baseball player."
The two also discussed the president's initiative, My Brother's Keeper, set up two years ago to help young people stay on track, and Jeter's charitable organization, Turn 2 Foundation, which strives to end drug and alcohol addiction of America's youth.
"Find what you're passionate about," President Obama said. "Success will come from you putting your all into that passion."
The president's biggest regret as a teenager: "goofing off" and not enough time "hitting the books."
"At 15, I was not the most responsible young man," President Obama said. "I loved basketball, but outside of basketball I was getting by on charm and wit, but not taking my schoolwork as seriously as I could have. When I think back now and say, 'If I have just invested the time..."
"Things would have work out better for you," Jeter laughed as he completed the president's sentence.
"You know, I might have made something of myself. Doggonit!" President Obama responded.
Inevitably, the topic of retirement came up between them -- Jeter said his favorite part about retirement is sleeping in, and he asked the president what he was looking forward to as he looks at the impending end of his term in a few months.
"Listen. You're pitching and I'm catching, because that is my intention as well," the president said. "I'm going to catch up on some sleep."