WASHINGTON (AP) -- Sorry, Kobe.

President Barack Obama was asked straight out on Thursday: Kobe or Michael?

As in, who's the best? Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant, a four-time NBA champion? Or the basketball legend to whom he is most often compared, Michael Jordan, who retired as a six-time champ with the Chicago Bulls and is widely regarded as the best player of all time?

Obama told The Associated Press that Bryant is terrific, but he hasn't seen anyone as good as Jordan.

Obama, a basketball fan who hails from Chicago, is certainly no Lakers hater. He picked Bryant's team to defeat the Orlando Magic in the finals this year, and he was right.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)