OAKLAND--As the nation prepared to swear in its first African-American president on Monday, Barack Obama’s message of hope and self-sacrifice spread to every corner of the globe, including the NBA, where it inspired Warriors forward Corey Maggette to pass the ball to another teammate. It was only the third time this season Maggette has opted to do so.

“I spent the past couple days following the Obama inauguration ceremonies and I was struck by his message of courage, hope, and self-sacrifice,” said Maggette. “And as I was standing there at the top of the key, contemplating how to get to the basket, it occurred to me that I have teammates who would also like to shoot the ball. I thought ‘Barack Obama would want me to pass this ball.’ The fact that I was triple covered, couldn’t see the basket, and lost my dribble made the decision a little easier. A little.”

Maggette was overcome with emotion as he watched his teammate, Jamal Crawford, catch the ball and drive to the hoop for the score. At that moment he knew the true meaning of the word “sacrifice.”

“You hear the word ‘sacrifice’ bandied about all the time by coaches, politicians and soldiers, but you never know what it means until you learn to give of yourself,” said Maggette. “Sure, I could have shot that ball. Hell, I wanted to shoot that ball, more than anything in the world. But on this day, with this man coming into office, it was about selflessness, courage, and hope. Well not hope, because we’re the Golden State Warriors, but selflessness and courage.”

Crawford, who was on the receiving end of Maggette’s selfless act of charity, wiped away a tear as he watched the replay after the game. According to Crawford, if Maggette can change, we all can change.

“It’s just…I’ve never seen Corey pass the ball before,” said Crawford. “It was such a touching moment for me because I know how hard it is when you’re an elite scorer in this league to pass the rock to one of your teammates. It’s hard, man. And just knowing that President Obama could inspire Corey to change, even for one small moment, tells me that we can all change. I mean, I still don’t plan on passing the ball, but I'll definitely donate some time down at the soup kitchen.”

Warriors coach Don Nelson, who has also been inspired by the recent election, is using President Obama’s speeches to pump up his team before games.

Nelson feels the “We Are One” message could strike a chord for his basketball team.

“Obama’s message of hope, unity, and sacrifice is something that our team can really benefit from,” said Nelson. “And not just the players. The coaches, too. After watching his inauguration speech, I’ve decided to do something I’ve never done as a coach: draw up a game plan. By the way, can anyone tell me where the point guard's supposed to stand?”

Copyright 2009, The Brushback - Do not reprint without permission. This article is satire and is not intended as actual news.