The day Bill Clinton became president, Mike Gminski found himself seeking the advice of another seasoned pol, Richard Nixon.

Gminski, the backup center for the Charlotte Hornets, is considering a career in politics or government service when his NBA playing days end."I wrote him about four months ago and asked if I could meet with him for a little career advisement for when I'm through playing basketball," Gminski told the Philadelphia Daily News.

Gminski, a Republican, met with the former president in Nixon's Woodcliff Lakes, N.J., office for 45 minutes.

"When I first started forming my political beliefs, (Nixon) was a guy I that I admired," he said. "Despite all the things that happened, I thought he was a genius in regard to foreign affairs."

And how did the meeting go?

"He's very impressive," Gminski said. "Aside from politics, he's an incredible sports fan. . . . I hope I'm that active when I'm 80 years old."

Gminski, 33, is in his 13th NBA season and hopes to play a few more years before trying to follow in the footsteps of Bill Bradley, a senator from New Jersey.

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