Barack Obama Compares Mitt Romney To Jeremy Lin, His Team To Miami Heat: REPORT

Throughout his first term, President Barack Obama has become widely known as an avid basketball fan. He has played with some of the best players in the world. He has talked to some of the best coaches in the world. He knows the game and is reportedly a solid, albeit unspectacular, player.

According to an aide, Obama drew on his knowledge to make an analogy about the presidential race.

In a recent New York Times article about Obama's competitive drive, an anonymous aide recalled the president describing the presidential election in NBA terms.

"We’re the Miami Heat, and he’s Jeremy Lin," Obama said according to NYT's source when Gov. Brian Schweitzer of Montana asked if he had what it takes to win the 2012 election against Mitt Romney.

If Obama did say that, he was presumably referencing the Heat-Knicks game on February 23. The Knicks arrived in Miami in the throes of Linsanity but the Heat provided a reality check at AmericanAirlines Arena. Thanks to stifling defense, LeBron James and the Heat forced Jeremy Lin into the worst game of his incredible run. Lin coughed up eight turnovers and shot 1 for 11 from the field, finishing with a mere eight points in a loss.

Lin would never quite regain the brilliance of those middle weeks in February and eventually suffered a season-ending injury. The Heat, meanwhile, went on to win the NBA championship. Of course, Lin signed an extremely rich contract in Houston during the offseason, so he's doing just fine, too.

So, where does this leave us in November?