It started last week when Earvin "Magic" Johnson cut a radio ad for Hillary Clinton essentially suggesting that Obama was a rookie who should pay his dues in the league/party:

My rookie year, we won our first game on a last-second shot. I was so hyped. But the captain of my team said, "take it easy rookie, it’s a long season, it’s a long road to the championship." He was right. Winning comes from years of hard work and preparation. Whether it’s winning championships or a president who can lead us back to greatness, I’ll always want the most prepared and experienced person leading my team.

Now, as everyone knows, when it comes to basketball, Barack Obama's
got game.  And, indeed, they tried to play some shut-down D to prevent Magic from scoring points against him:

Magic Johnson Became The First Rookie In 11 Years To Start In The NBA All Star Game And The First Rookie To Win The NBA Finals MVP. "In 77 games Johnson's numbers mirrored those of his days at Michigan State (18.0 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 7.3 apg). He became the first rookie to start in an NBA All-Star Game since Elvin Hayes 11 years earlier." Johnson also became "the first rookie ever to win the Finals MVP Award." [NBA.com, Accessed: 12/18/07]
Johnson’s MVP-Winning Performance in 1980 Playoffs Game 6 Is "The Stuff of Legend," Saved the Team From a Hometown Loss When The Star Abdul-Jabbar Was Injured. "In the 1980 NBA Finals against the Philadelphia 76ers, Johnson's performance in the series-clinching sixth game was the stuff of legend. Abdul-Jabbar was sidelined with a badly sprained ankle sustained during his 40-point effort in Game 5. Up 3-2, the Lakers could wrap things up on the 76ers' home court.

Enter Johnson, the 20-year-old rookie. Assuming Abdul-Jabbar's position at center, Johnson sky-hooked and rebounded the Lakers to victory with 42 points, 15 boards, seven assists and three steals. He even jumped for the opening tap. Johnson became the first rookie ever to win the Finals MVP Award. The stunning effort exemplified his uncanny ability to do whatever the Lakers needed in order to win. In the Los Angeles Times, Westhead said of his amazing rookie: ‘We all thought he was a movie-star player, but we found out he wears a hard hat. It's like finding a great orthopedic surgeon who can also operate a bulldozer.’" [NBA.com, Accessed: 12/18/07]

Though Obama has skills, he's no match for Magic.  But, basketball is a team game.  So, Obama supporter and virtual teammate Kareem Abdul-Jabar rotated over to provide defensive help and told Magic "get that weak-@ss stuff out of here!

The team captain that Magic is referencing: Mr. Abdul-Jabbar, who told the Huffington Post that Magic has it wrong about Obama. "I don't think he's a rookie. He's served as a senator very capably, and he is very skilled in terms of his ability to organize and lead people. And that's what we need right now."

Abdul-Jabbar, who recently authored a book charting the lasting impact of the Harlem Renaissance, said he doesn't fault Magic Johnson for his endorsement. "Mrs. Clinton is not a bad choice, I just think Mr. Obama is the best choice."

But he noted, "Unfortunately, Mrs. Clinton has been at many times a divisive figure, and I don't think that's intentional on her part, but I do think that's the case."

Kareem, of course, is the NBA's all-time leading scorer.  So, of course he played some offense and scored points--at the expense of the Republicans:

Instead, he pointed to Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's false claim that his father had marched with Martin Luther King Jr. as the "most outrageous attempt to use Dr. King's legacy in a very fraudulent way." He also described as "disgraceful" former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee's recent embrace of the Confederate Flag as a political issue.

Abdul-Jabbar saved his sharpest criticism for the Bush administration. "I don't think a country that practices extraordinary rendition and has denied people habeas corpus and has practiced torture, that is not a country I am very proud of," he said. "We need people that can reach out in various directions and make the case for our nation both internally and in terms of foreign policy. I think Obama's the right person to do that."

I think a poster of Kareem dunking over the double-team of Mittens and the Huckster is going up on my bedroom wall.

Coach Pat Riley and Kurt Rambis were unavailable for comment.