Sunday, Nov. 9, 2008

NEW YORK (AP) From NBA superstar LeBron James to tennis sisters Venus and Serena Williams, the election of Barack Obama as America's first black president struck a special chord with many U.S. sports figures.

The Williams sisters embraced Obama's victory during the WTA Tour's season-ending tournament in Doha.

"America is a wonderful place. I love my country, and I love living there. I love my passport. But also it's a country that almost since its beginning, it was supposed to be a place where people were escaping intolerance. It became a country that was really intolerant of different minorities and skin colors," Venus said.

"My dad grew up in Louisiana, a place where he was called 'boy' and shown no respect. Where he couldn't say anything. His mother was a poor sharecropper," she said. "So I think it's amazing that America has the opportunity to have someone who is a minority of mixed race or whatever you want to call it."

Serena saw it the same way.

"I was just thinking about everything, thinking about Martin Luther King and Malcolm X and all the pioneers. . . . All of these people, Arthur Ashe, who led the way for us. It's amazing," she said.

James, meanwhile, arrived at Wednesday night's NBA game between his Cleveland Cavaliers and the Chicago Bulls wearing a T-shirt with the president-elect's likeness on the front.

James contributed $20,000 to a committee supporting Obama, participated in an early-voter registration rally and hosted a free concert with rap star Jay-Z to support the Illinois senator.

James recently met Obama when they both were on David Letterman's television show. The Cavaliers' franchise player liked that Obama played basketball in the hours leading up to his election.

"They say that's a ritual for him, like me coming in early and getting a massage before the game," James said. "It got him prepared. The speech was, wow. If it takes basketball for him to say things like that, then let him do it."

NBA commissioner David Stern called Obama's election "inspiring and transformational."

Moments after Obama was declared the winner over Republican John McCain, the Boston Celtics finished off a victory at the Houston Rockets.

"I thought it was really interesting right after the game, the guys were celebrating Obama's victory more than we just beat the Rockets on the road. I thought that was really cool," Celtics coach Doc Rivers said.

Craig Robinson, who coaches the men's basketball team at Oregon State university, had a special rooting interest: His sister, Michelle, is Obama's wife.

Robinson was in Chicago for the celebration Tuesday night and was back in Oregon for practice Wednesday.

"It doesn't get much better than that," he said.

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