Jumaane Williams (Photo: Facebook)

Brooklyn Councilman Jumaane Williams is one of the biggest Knicks fans in City government and, though he said he had a personal "struggle" over whether to back the newly-arrived Brooklyn Nets, he's sticking with his team. Mr. Williams revealed his decision to Politicker when we asked him about Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz's statement earlier today that Brooklynites who "support, cheer or root for the Manhattan Knicks" are "treasonous."

"It's something I've grappled with....It's very, very tough, but I think I'm Brooklyn enough. Nobody can question my Brooklyn-ness, not even Marty Markowitz," Mr. Williams said. "I've decided this fall to take my talents back to the Garden."

Mr. Williams said the decision was a "struggle" for him because he is a proud, native Brooklynite.

"I'm Brooklyn. I'm Brooklyn. I'm born-and-bred diehard Brooklyn. I believe I reek, smell of Brooklyn wherever I go and I'm very proud of that. And I'm a basketball fan, I've been a Knicks fan for life, so it was a struggle," said the Councilman with an audible sigh. "They're [the Nets] doing their thing now. The colors look good, you know, you see the Brooklyn. It's just tough and I'm sort of sad."

As he wrestled with the decision, Mr. Williams dipped his digital toes in the Nets' waters.

"I've got to tell you, I did try to play with the Nets on my XBox, my 2K13, and I just couldn't do it."

Though he ultimately chose to stick with the Knicks, Mr. Williams said he will give the Nets some support.

"I'm going to root just like the Mets and the Yankees. I'm a Mets fan, but I root for the Yankees when they're not playing the Mets," Mr. Williams said. "I'll root for the Nets when they're not playing the Knicks. I love New York."

In his statement about "treasonous" Knicks fans in Brooklyn, Mr. Markowitz said he might use the "awesome powers conferred upon me as Brooklyn Borough President to pursue "charges" against Knicks loyalists in Kings County. However, Mr. Williams said he hopes Mr. Markowitz will be lenient with him.

"I think he's doing what he's supposed to do as the Brooklyn Borough President," said Mr. Williams. "But I think that some of us that are Brooklyn enough could get a pardon and I think I'm one of those."

(Photo: Getty)

President Barack Obama has a pre-election ritual where he plays a friendly game of basketball as the votes are cast. Today was no exception and the president hit the court this afternoon as voters across the country cast their ballots in what he has referred to as "my last election."

According to tweets from Alexi Giannoulias, a longtime friend of Mr. Obama's and a former Illinois State Treasurer, Mr. Giannoulias and Chicago Bulls great Scottie Pippen joined the president's team to face off against former Obama body man Reggie Love and Secretary of Education Arne Duncan.

Mike Ramos, a childhood friend of Mr. Obama's from Hawaii, and Martin Nesbitt, who befriended Mr. Obama in Chicago, were reportedly in on the action too, as was Bulls veteran Randy Brown, Sam Kass, who serves as Assistant Chef and Senior Policy Advisor for Healthy Food Initiatives at the White House, and Michelle Obama's brother Craig Robinson. Mr. Giannoulias tweeted that  Bulls alum Randy Brown was also involved. It wasn't immediately clear which team these players were on.

Nevertheless, based on a recent tweet from Mr. Giannoulias, Mr. Obama's team apparently came out on top.

"What a day! 'Coach Obama' coached us to victory! Great win, way to play, Pip!" Mr. Giannoulias wrote.

Now we'll have to see how well the president does off the court.

Update (5:17 p.m.): More details from the pool: 

The two five-player teams played four 12-minute quarters. Referees were brought in to call fouls. Each team had substitutes, though Giannoulias did not know exactly how many. The Potus team won by “like 20,” with a score of “like 102, 105, 108 or so to 80-something.”

“It was a lot of fun,” Giannoulias said. “We won. I scored more points than Scottie Pippen, which was my dream come true.”

Giannoulias said Potus “played very well" but did not say how many points he scored. Giannoulias scored 32, he said, and Pippen 21.

Giannoulias declined to identify the game’s other participants.

(Photo: Getty)

President Barack Obama, like his rival Mitt Romney, regularly visits New York City. Today, Mr. Obama is hosting a basketball fundraiser with Michael Jordan and other basketball stars. Annoyed that Mr. Obama is hosting yet another fundraiser while the economy still isn't fixed, the New York State Republican Party sent out a press release letting everyone know that they're not happy about it.

"ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER FUNDRAISER," blared the title of the statement, with Chairman Ed Cox explaining, "Once again, we're happy to welcome President Obama back to New York, where unemployment in both New York City (9.6%) and New York State (8.9%) remains above the national average, for yet another swank, star-studded fundraiser for his reelection campaign."

"While President Obama spends his day shooting hoops with Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Carmelo Anthony, his administration continues to throw bricks when it comes to job creation and economic growth," he added.

Of course, Mr. Obama, who's growing further and further behind Mr. Romney in the fundraising race, isn't going to stop any time soon. But that doesn't mean Mr. Cox is going to stop declaring Mr. Obama the "Campaigner-in-Chief" each time the president visits the Big Apple, as he is wont to do.

Today's event, at least, might put a tiny dent in Mr. Romney's lead. The "Obama Classic," featuring Mr. Jordan, Carmelo Anthony, Patrick Ewing, Sheryl Swoopes, Kyrie Irving, Alonzo Mourning, and others, is expected to net at least $3 million.

View Mr. Cox's full complaint below:

Albany, NY...August 22, 2012 -- Today New York GOP Chairman Ed Cox released the following statement regarding President Obama's latest celebrity fueled fundraiser:

"Once again, we're happy to welcome President Obama back to New York, where unemployment in both New York City (9.6%) and New York State (8.9%) remains above the national average, for yet another swank, star-studded fundraiser for his reelection campaign.

"While President Obama spends his day shooting hoops with Michael Jordan, Patrick Ewing, and Carmelo Anthony, his administration continues to throw bricks when it comes to job creation and economic growth.

"Today also marks the 16th anniversary of President Clinton signing bipartisan "welfare to work" requirements into law, which Obama unilaterally dismantled last month. Welfare reform demonstrated that government policies can best help those in need by promoting work and personal responsibility over government dependence.

"In one fell swoop, Obama undermined one of the most celebrated bipartisan achievements of the 1990s in an election year handout to his liberal base.

"It's an insult to Americans on welfare who are looking for an opportunity to build better lives for themselves and a kick in the gut to the millions of hard-working middle-class taxpayers struggling in today's economy - working more for less but always preferring self-sufficiency to a government handout.

"Mitt Romney has promised to rescind Obama's executive action and make clear that work requirements are not optional.

"Governor Romney's plan for a stronger middle class will rely on the hard work and ingenuity of the American people - not more directives and dollars from Washington."

Ben Jacobs had high expectations for Donald Trump's new Super PAC.

The Trump Super PAC will be the classiest Super PAC in all of Atlantic City

—
Ben Jacobs (@benhjacobs) May 24, 2012

Congressional candidate Samuel "Joe The Plumber" Wurzelbacher was under seige.

The twitter trolls are out in force : ) #tcot #jtp

—
Joe the Plumber (@Joe4Congress12) May 23, 2012

@delrayser thought Newt Gingrich's Hardball appearance needed a disclaimer.

Newt Gingrich is not an accredited zoologist. He is simply an enthusiastic young man w/a 6th grade education & love for all God's creatures.

—
  (@delrayser) May 24, 2012

Chris Cillizza of the Washington Post had a wonky take on the American Idol finale.

RESOLVED: Phil Phillips is the most famous doubled named guy this side of Boutros Boutros-Ghali.

—
The Fix (@TheFix) May 24, 2012

Actor Don Cheadle didn't have the chance to avenge his recent basketball loss to President Obama when they saw each other in California last night.

(Disclosure: Donald Trump is the father in law of Jared Kushner, the owner of Observer Media Group)

President Obama playing basketball at the White House Easter Egg Roll last month. (Photo: Getty)

AMC News reporter Jacob Soboroff said his sources tell him it was a three on three game and actor Don Cheadle was also on the court. Mr. Cheadle responded to Mr. Soboroff's Tweets about the game with a winking emoticon.

President Obama regularly plays basketball with his staffers and White House guests. He also sometimes coaches his daughter Sasha's team. Mr. Clooney is an avid basketball player and has a reputation for hosting pickup games in Hollywood. Last night's fundraiser was held in a tent on the basketball court Mr. Clooney maintains at his home.

We reached out to the White House to get the roster of players involved in today's game and find out who won. As of this writing, we have yet to receive a response.

The president departed Los Angeles about a half hour ago. Reno, Nevada is the next stop on his Western fundraising journey.

Bruce Ratner (Photo: Getty)

Real estate developer Bruce Ratner, one of the co-owners of the soon-to-be Brooklyn Nets, appeared with Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz at a press conference today to announce a plan to fill 2,000 jobs at the team's future Kings County home, the Barclays Center. The Politicker took the opportunity to ask Mr. Ratner why he chose to stick with the same name the team had during its years in New Jersey and Long Island rather than coming up with a Brooklyn-specific moniker. We also asked Mr. Markowitz, Brooklyn's most visible booster, whether he was disappointed the team wasn't getting a new name in honor of the borough. Mr. Markowitz literally leapt behind the podium before Mr. Ratner had a chance to answer.

"I'll answer the first part, as long as the first part of the name is Brooklyn the rest of it ..." Mr. Markowitz said giving a dismissive gesture with his hand. 

When he got the chance to speak, Mr. Ratner concurred that having Brooklyn be the first part of the name  was the most important thing.

"There was a lot of discussion about it and, first of all, Marty said the first important thing, the primary brand is Brooklyn, Brooklyn, Brooklyn. It really is," Mr. Ratner said. "Second, I think there was a lot of debate and surveys were taken and I think the results came out that there was a legacy to the Nets. They do have a legacy. There are a lot of fans that followed them for years that are in the region, it's not like we're moving to the West Coast or something. ... A lot of work was done and research was done to make a decision to keep it the Nets."

A spokesman for Mr. Ratner told us the decision was made by the team's majority owner, Russian billionaire Mikhail Prokhorov, shortly after he purchased 80 percent of the team in 2010. After the press conference we asked Mr. Ratner if the team's third co-owner, rapper Jay Z, who owns a small stake in the Nets, had any name suggestions.

"I can't talk about that," Mr. Ratner said.

The new logo and uniforms for the Brooklyn Nets will be unveiled at a press conference Tuesday, however a purported photo of the new team crest surfaced on the sports site Deadspin yesterday.

Jumaane Williams (Photo: Facebook)

Jumaane Williams made the best April Fool's day prank we've seen so far this year from any New York politician . The Brooklyn Council member, who has emerged as a sharp critic of the Bloomberg administration since being elected in 2009, issued a prank statement today announcing he was "signed by the New York Knicks to a ten day contract." Mr. William's press release claimed he was asked to join the team "shortly following the announcement that starting point guard Jeremy Lin would be out for the remainder of the regular season."

"It will be far easier to win an NBA championship than to convince Mayor Bloomberg to restore budget cuts to our youth and seniors," Mr. Williams said. "The Garden may be missing 'Linsanity' over the next several weeks, but I hope to bring some 'Jumaanity' of my own."

In his statement Mr. Williams noted the fact he has been "a Knicks fan my entire life."

"Any way that I can help our push to the playoffs will be extra special," Ms. Williams said.

Mr. Williams concluded his statement by admitting it was an April Fool's day joke.

"Happy April Fool's Day, New York City!" he said.

(Photo: Getty)

After a press conference announcing a dean for the city's new tech campus, Mayor Michael Bloomberg fielded multiple questions about his enthusiasm level for New York Knicks sensation, Jeremy Lin.

Mr. Bloomberg was hardly enthusiastic when asked whether he's in the throes of the famous "Linsanity" gripping fans throughout the five boroughs.

"Do not own a sports team, that's my only advice," he concluded after comparing the Knicks most recent records to the Nets'.

The same reporter persistently asked Mr. Bloomberg about Linsanity later in the press conference. As she threw out the question for the second time, Mr. Bloomberg playfully quipped, "Way to go."

"I listen to Bloomberg radio in the morning and I have a smile on my face when I hear the Knicks won and I think it's great that he's one of the members of the team," he responded. "He's the star at the moment, everybody's attention is at him. But there's a whole team of players and they all have to participate for the team to win."

He also took exception to some of the hysteria surrounding Mr. Lin in the media.

"The thing I found the most strange is some sports column that said 'He came out of nowhere,'" Mr. Bloomberg finally stated. "If Harvard University is 'nowhere' in this country, we have a really big problem."

Watch Mr. Bloomberg reflect on Linsanity below:

Larry Seabrook (Photo: Facebook)

Federal prosecutors are preparing to retry Bronx Councilman Larry Seabrook in June on charges of bribery, money laundering and fraud after a mistrial in December. In the meantime, Mr. Seabrook doesn't want to talk about the case against him.

"Oh, I'm not going to talk about that," he told The Politicker after Comptroller and likely 2013 mayoral candidate John Liu's State of the City address at City College today.

However, our conversation with Mr. Seabrook didn't end there.

We pressed on and asked the councilman if he felt confident about his chances of acquittal.

"I'm not going to talk about that," he said.

Mr. Liu is also dealing with legal troubles, one of his fundraisers was indicted yesterday on fraud charges for allegedly using a system of "straw donors" to funnel $16,000 in illegal contributions to Mr. Liu. Both Mr. Seabrook and Mr. Liu have come under fire in the press for their scandals. We inquired whether Mr. Seabrook felt they have been mistreated by the media.

"John Liu had a fantastic speech, it was a fantastic speech, a good speech of what John Liu has had," Mr. Seabrook said. "I won't make those decisions about that, you're a better judge of that than me, but John Liu had a fantastic speech."

Mr. Seabrook may have enjoyed Mr. Liu's speech, but he's not ready to endorse Mr. Liu or any of the other probable 2013 mayoral candidates.

"I haven't even thought about that," he said.

Though he clearly wasn't in a chatty mood, there was one topic Mr. Seabrook was glad to discuss. We asked what he thought about Jeremy Lin, the Knicks point guard who recently sparked a seven game winning streak, citywide media frenzy and was a major motif in Mr. Liu's speech.

"I think he's a fantastic, phenomenal player and he shows what teamwork is all about," Mr. Seabrook said. "You win when you do teamwork in basketball."

John Liu

Embattled Comptroller and likely 2013 mayoral candidate John Liu started off his State of the City address today with a "shout out" to pioneering Chinese-American New York Knicks phenom Jeremy Lin.

"I'd like to give a shout out to someone who is not here in body, but he's on everybody's minds, a guy who's been carrying the Knicks for the last couple of weeks; Jeremy Lin," Mr. Liu said to a huge round of applause. "A Harvard graduate, he's on the cover of Sports Illustrated and the guy gets great headlines in the New York Post. I've got to get some tips from him."

Mr. Lin sparked a media frenzy after coming off the bench to lead the Knicks on a seven game winning streak. His rise has included a series of memorable front pages in the city tabloids.

Mr. Liu hasn't received such favorable press coverage and has been a near daily target in the tabloids.  His speech came against the backdrop of new developments in the fundraising scandal that has damaged his once-promising mayoral ambitions. Yesterday, one of his supporters, Xing Wu  "Oliver" Pan, was indicted on federal fraud charges for allegedly employing a system of "straw donors" to illegally funnel $16,000 to Mr. Liu's campaign committee.

Mr. Liu proposed a series of new initiatives in his speech including a hotline, 2-1-2 NO-WASTE, city employees, contractors and residents can use to report waste. At the end of his remarks, he brought up Mr. Lin once again as evidence the city should be willing to try new approaches.

"You never know what potential can be unlocked when new stuff is given a chance," Mr. Liu said. "Just think about what Jeremy Lin has achieved, which would have been unimaginable just a couple of weeks ago."