An Indifferent Tourist Becomes an Enthusiastic First Fan

BEIJING, Aug. 10 It was a wild scene in the corridor underneath the basketball arena, as President Bush and virtually his entire immediate family showed up to give a little pre-game encouragement to the all-star collection of NBA players who make up Team USA. Daughter Barbara smiled as she posed for pictures with LeBron James, and dad and former president George H.W. Bush hugged Kobe Bryant.

For his part, the president put his arms in with the rest of the players and chanted "1-2-3, U-S-A!"

Afterward, Bush watched the U.S. men shellack China in the opening game of the Olympic men's competition, paying close attention and clearly delighting in spectacular dunks by Bryant and James. When a referee made a questionable traveling call near the end of the first half, Bush threw up his arms in dismay.

In the run-up to the Summer Olympics, Bush made it clear that he was looking to have a little fun during his four days here. A president who has famously sprinted through many foreign trips with little attention to sightseeing blocked out large amounts of time to watch games, attend practices, and otherwise hang out with a large retinue of friends and family accompanying him on his final presidential tour through Asia.

As it happened, events of the world did intrude: The outbreak of war between Russia and Georgia demanded presidential attention, even during events that were supposed to be about fun, or at least pageantry. Bush was spotted Friday night during the Opening Ceremonies engaged in a vigorous conversation with Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin. At the basketball game Sunday night, he could be seen in a serious conversation with former secretary of state Henry A. Kissinger; it did not appear to be about round ball.

But work aside, including a few meetings Sunday with President Hu Jintao and other leaders, Bush appeared to be enjoying himself immensely as he played First Fan over the weekend, making his way around Beijing to attend different events and practices involving U.S. athletes.

On Sunday, Bush was in the crowd, cheering and waving the American flag as Michael Phelps smashed the world record in the 400-meter individual medley. Afterward, Bush, his father, first lady Laura Bush and daughter Barbara met the swim team in the basement of the aquatic center, posing for pictures and glad-handing.

"God, what a thrill to cheer for you!" Bush gushed.

Later in the day, after dinner at the U.S. ambassador's house, Bush took in the basketball game. He was accompanied by Chinese Foreign Minister Yang Jiechi, a longtime friend of the Bush family who served as the senior Bush's interpreter during a 1977 tour of Tibet.

Over the past three days, Bush also went on a mountain bike ride on the Olympic course, visited the women's softball team (where he declined the coach's invitation to take a few practice swings) and watched the U.S. women whack the Czech Republic in basketball. Laura Bush seemed a bit bored, yawning on several occasions; she was perhaps tired after her early-morning private tour of the Forbidden City, the former imperial palace in the middle of Beijing. On Monday, Bush is planning to take in a practice baseball game between the United States and China, before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington.

No doubt the weirdest moment of the weekend came Saturday morning when Bush visited the Chaoyang Park beach volleyball venue. The president was joking and posing for pictures and generally having a good ol' time with star American beach volleyball players Kerri Walsh and Misty May-Treanor.

At one point the bikini-clad May-Treanor turned her back to the president, bent over and seemingly invited the president to pat her somewhere on the backside -- a beach volleyball custom.