"There've been a couple of plays where you see him go down and you're just like, oh, man. That could be bad," said Reggie Love, Obama's 26-year-old personal aide, who played basketball and football at Duke University.
Regulars include Love, King and Arne Duncan, chief executive of Chicago Public Schools, who played professionally in Australia. Marty Nesbitt, the treasurer of Obama's campaign, often plays, along with Whitaker, the Harvard friend who is now executive vice president at the University of Chicago Medical Center, and John W. Rogers Jr., founder of investment firm Ariel Capital Management.
Players say Obama chatters throughout the games, razzing those who miss a shot -- Love is a favorite target -- or calling out strategies.
Chris Duhon, a guard for the New York Knicks who has played pickup ball with Obama in Chicago, recalls a game where he trapped the Illinois senator on the court and forced a turnover.
Duhon needled him: "You're supposed to be the point guard. You can't get in those situations!"
A few plays later, Duhon got trapped and gave the ball up. Obama trash-talked him right back.
"He's very vocal. He's talking throughout the whole game," said Duhon, who went to school with Love and remains a close friend.
Obama, 47, has been playing most of his life. He played on a high school team that won the state championship, though he was not a starter.
Teammates at Punahou School in Honolulu recall a teenage Barry Obama who was bulkier and flashier than today -- a player who liked to drive the lane and take double-pump shots.
Friends say his game has evolved since then. Less dazzle, more thought. He moves without the ball in hopes of getting open, and looks to pass to the man cutting toward the basket.
But he has the same competitive drive.
"He's got a killer instinct," said Duncan, who is 6-foot-5 and played on Harvard's basketball team. "There are a lot of folks who play for the workout or because it's something to do. Barack plays to win."
Still, Obama's skills are open to debate. A natural lefty, he can shoot layups with his right hand. Players say he can execute a cross-over dribble, switching the ball between his left and right hands to throw off the defender.
Duhon: "The form looks good, but he doesn't always make the shot."
