Ten Questions with John Legend

NBA.com's John Hareas caught up with singer/songwriter John Legend, who will perform at halftime of the 58th NBA All-Star Game on Feb. 15 in Phoenix.

Your organization, the Show Me Campaign, which is aimed at assisting extreme poverty in villages across Africa, is starting to show real results. What's your plan to raise awareness during All-Star in Phoenix?

I'm proud to have the opportunity to highlight our work with the Show Me Campaign. I believe that we can mobilize people to think outside of themselves and become part of the global community. In these tough economic times, people are understandably tightening their belts, but I believe -- now more than ever -- that we need to continue to think about those that are less fortunate and do what we can to make a difference in their lives.

You'll be performing "If You're Out There" at All-Star. Talk about that song's relevance, especially with what's currently going on in this country?

The song was written as a call to action. I want to inspire people to get involved. It was originally written as a rallying cry for the Show Me Campaign, but we knew that it also was perfect for the Obama campaign, so we lent the song to them as well. I believe Obama's message is one of shared sacrifice and collective, grassroots action. That is the message of this song as well.

Will Dwight Howard repeat as Slam Dunk champ? If not, who do you like: Nate Robinson, Rudy Fernandez or Rudy Gay?

He's [Howard] obviously a dynamic player. He has a great chance of repeating. I'm glad the Slam Dunk contest is exciting again. I grew up watching Dominique and MJ go at it and I'll never forget those contests.

You grew up in Ohio, so how did you become a Lakers fan?

I always was a huge Magic Johnson fan. I loved the way he played and his mentality. He could be flashy and he could score whenever he needed to, but he was a team leader before anything else. He knew how to make his teammates play to their highest level, and he made passing look so cool.

Select your all-time NBA team.

Point Guard: Magic Johnson

Shooting Guard: Michael Jordan. It's tough leaving Kobe out of this, but Jordan is still the greatest of all time.

Small Forward: Larry Bird. Lebron is about to take over that slot, but for now I'll keep it with Larry because he won so many championships.

Power Forward: Tim Duncan. He has so much skill and he's a quiet leader with the rings to show for it.

Center: Shaquille O'Neal. At his prime, he was so dominant.

Sixth man: I don't believe in the sixth man award really. So I wouldn't pick a player who was an actual sixth man during his career. I would just bring Kobe or Lebron off the bench since I want them on this team anyway.

Head Coach: Phil Jackson. No need to explain.

In addition to yourself, a lot of NBA players threw their support behind President Obama's campaign. Did you come across any players in your efforts?

I don't think I ran into any players campaigning.

Barack Obama is the first president not only to be a basketball fan, but also to play regularly. Talk about basketball as the new national sport now that Obama's taking office.

I'm excited. I've always thought of basketball as a very inclusive sport because you can play it in any neighborhood across the country, no matter your income level. Everybody always thinks of Barack as pretty cool because of his demeanor and his speaking style, etc., but I think the fact that he can really play basketball has a lot to do with it too. When he made that impromptu jump shot on CNN that one time, it was perfect.

While on the campaign trail, President Obama played basketball as a way to blow off steam. How will playing the game help him deal with the pressures of being President?

It's always good to sweat a little bit and be competitive on the court to get your juices flowing. I think it'll be good for him. I wonder if he'll really replace the White House bowling alley with a basketball court. I like bowling a lot, so I could go either way. Given his bowling score in the Pennsylvania primaries, he may want to practice for the next campaign!

If President Obama invites you to play at the White House, how would you approach the experience?

I would do anything they need me to do, of course. Hopefully the event won't be too stuffy. I think they're gonna make the White House more fun and less stodgy.

On your Web site, you show behind the scenes of the "We Are One" concert at the inauguration. What was the highlight of that experience?

I think being up on stage for the finale with all the other performers and the president and his family was the highlight. We were all excited to be there. It was cool seeing the stars get star struck.

Visit John Legend's Web site at www.johnlegend.com.