Obama pitches Bulls for LeBron James

WASHINGTON, May 24 (UPI) -- U.S. President Barack Obama suggested in an interview previewed Monday that Cleveland Cavaliers star LeBron James would fit in well with the Chicago Bulls.

Obama, speaking to basketball broadcaster Marv Albert in an interview to be telecast Tuesday on the TNT Network, put in a plug for his hometown team as James, a free agent as of July 1, decides whether to stay with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the Los Angeles Times reported.

The Cavs were knocked out of the NBA playoffs by the Boston Celtics in an Eastern Conference semifinals series and the fired Coach Mike Brown Monday.

"Like I said, I don't want to meddle," Obama reportedly tells Albert in an interview on the White House basketball court. "I will say this: (Derrick) Rose, (Joakim) Noah, it's a pretty good core. You could see LeBron fitting in pretty well."

Albert told the Times that in the interview, the president said he watches NBA games regularly.

"I asked him how often do you watch," Albert said. "He said he watches when the kids go to sleep and Michelle goes to sleep. He goes into the study and puts on the games and reads."