MSNBC's Brewer baselessly claimed Obama "seemed to take a shot at -- potentially -- his rival, Hillary Clinton" during discussion of basketball

Summary: MSNBC anchor Contessa Brewer introduced a report about Sen. Barack Obama's appearance on HBO's Real Sports by saying, "[T]he Democratic presidential hopeful talked about how basketball shaped his life. And he seemed to take a shot at -- potentially -- his rival, Hillary Clinton." Brewer did not include the fully context of Obama's comments, which makes clear that he was not "tak[ing] a shot at" Clinton.

On the April 16 edition of MSNBC Live, anchor Contessa Brewer claimed that on the April 15 episode of HBO's Real Sports, Sen. Barack Obama "seemed to take a shot at -- potentially -- his rival, Hillary Clinton," and aired a video clip of Obama on Real Sports saying: "You can tell something about people from how they play basketball. For example, people who keep on shooting even though they have no jump shot. You can tell that there's a certain self-delusional aspect to their game, right? That says something about who they are." Immediately after airing the clip, Brewer said: "Well, now, he didn't say who he was actually talking about there. Hmm." However, Brewer omitted the full context of Obama's comments, which makes clear that he was discussing a basketball game he played with Craig Robinson, the brother of his wife, Michelle, and how the way Obama played basketball helped convince Robinson that Obama was a "good guy."

In the Real Sports segment, Gumbel stated of Obama: "He wouldn't reclaim his hoops roots until some years later, in law school at Harvard, where he began what would become an almost religious devotion to pickup basketball. It was a good thing, too, for it was around that time that Obama began courting a young lawyer named Michelle Robinson, who wanted her new man to take a special Robinson family test." Gumbel then aired a clip of Craig Robinson stating, "She had heard my father and I popping off about how you can tell a guy's personality on the court. She said, 'You know, I think I like this guy. Would you take him and play basketball and see what kind of guy he was?' " Moments later, Gumbel aired a clip of Obama saying: "I think apparently I passed to Craig often enough that he concluded I was a good guy." Gumbel then asked Obama, "Do you believe you can tell a man's character from watching him on the basketball court?" Obama replied: "No, but I do think that you can tell something about people from how they play basketball. For example, people who keep on shooting even though they have no jump shot. You can tell that there's a certain self-delusional aspect to their game, right? That says something about who they are."

From the 4 p.m. ET hour of MSNBC Live on April 16:

BREWER: We already know that bowling isn't his sport, but Barack Obama is more at home on the basketball court. On HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, the Democratic presidential hopeful talked about how basketball shaped his life. And he seemed to take a shot at -- potentially -- his rival, Hillary Clinton.

OBAMA [video clip]: You can tell something about people from how they play basketball. For example, people who keep on shooting even though they have no jump shot. You can tell that there's a certain self-delusional aspect to their game, right? That says something about who they are.

BREWER: Well, now, he didn't say who he was actually talking about there. Hmm.

From Obama's appearance on the April 15 edition of HBO's Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel:

GUMBEL: After Punahou, Obama left Hawaii for college and a new life on the mainland, during which time he says he completely lost touch with his first love. He wouldn't reclaim his hoops roots until some years later, in law school at Harvard, where he began what would become an almost religious devotion to pickup basketball. It was a good thing, too, for it was around that time that Obama began courting a young lawyer named Michelle Robinson, who wanted her new man to take a special Robinson family test.

ROBINSON: She had heard my father and I popping off about how you can tell a guy's personality on the court. She said, "You know, I think I like this guy. Would you take him and play basketball and see what kind of guy he was?"

GUMBEL: Craig Robinson, a former basketball star at Princeton, was Michelle Robinson's brother and would become Barack Obama's brother-in-law.

ROBINSON: I'm being asked to pass judgment, and all I could think of was that he was going to come out throwing elbows and being a selfish jerk and I'd have to report back and that's the end of it.

GUMBEL: Did he know why he was out there?

ROBINSON: No, no. See, that would have messed the experiment up if he knew. He had no idea. He just want -- my sister's like "You know, he fashions himself a basketball player. Would you take him out and see what he can do?"

GUMBEL: How did he behave out there? What did he show you?

ROBINSON: He was quietly confident. He could play. He knew the game, so he wasn't selfish. He passed the ball when he should. So I had good news to report back.

OBAMA: I think apparently I passed to Craig often enough that he concluded I was a good guy.

GUMBEL: Do you believe you can tell a man's character from watching him on the basketball court?

OBAMA: No, but I do think that you can tell something about people from how they play basketball. For example, people who keep on shooting even though they have no jump shot. You can tell that there's a certain self-delusional aspect to their game, right? That says something about who they are.

—S.S.M.