After naming Chicago schools boss Arne Duncan as his choice to be secretary of education, President-elect Barack Obama said, “I think we are putting together the best basketball-playing Cabinet in American history.” Oh. Really. Well, how might an all-NBA/WNBA Cabinet look?

A potential roster

• Attorney general

Shaquille O’Neal. A onetime special deputy sheriff of Maricopa County, Ariz.

• Commerce

Charles Barkley. Who better than the “Round Mound of Rebound” to help the country come back?

• Labor

Sheryl Swoopes. After giving birth, returned to win WNBA title.

• Agriculture

Robert Traylor. Who else but a man known as “The Tractor”?

• State

Michael Jordan. Known around the world.

• Transportation

Patrick Ewing. Who traveled more?

‘Court’ appointments

Here are some of the members of Barack Obama’s real “basketball Cabinet” — a lineup of friends and family he plays hoops with — and their stats:

• Arne Dundan

Position: U.S. education secretary nominee

Height: 6 foot 5

Hoops career: Co-captain at Harvard, where he was all-Ivy League and an Academic All-American and played four years of pro basketball in Australia

Scouting report: “I did not select Arne because he’s one of the best basketball players I know.” –Barack Obama

• David Axelrod

Position: Senior adviser to the president

Height: 6 foot 2

Hoops career: Met his future wife, Susan Landau, playing basketball in a coed league in Chicago’s Hyde Park

Scouting report: “(O)n the basketball court, teammates say that if you pass him the ball you are lucky to see it again.”– Tim Shipman, the Daily Telegraph of London

• Craig Robinson

Position: Head men’s basketball coach, Oregon State University (and Obama’s brother-in-law)

Height: 6 foot 6

Hoops career: Two-time Ivy League player of the year at Princeton, played two seasons of pro ball in Britain and former head coach at Brown University

Scouting report: “I passed to Craig often enough that he concluded I was a good guy.” — Obama

• Reggie Love

Position: Obama’s personal assistant

Height: 6 foot 4

Hoops career: Was on Duke’s 2001 NCAA championship basketball team and 2004-05 team captain

Scouting report: “Those are All-ACC hands right there.” — Obama, after throwing a bag of caramel corn to Love at the Iowa State Fair

• Alexi Giannoulias

Position: Illinois treasurer

Height: 6 foot 2

Hoops career: Played point guard at Boston University and a year of professional ball in Greece

Scouting report: “Barack was between Alexi and the basket. Alexi lowered his shoulder and took him out.” — Fellow pickup player Eric Whitaker

• Eric Whitaker

Position: Obama family friend, adviser

Height: Not available

Hoops career: Played at Grinnell College

Scouting report: “(Whitaker) and I played basketball together when he was getting his master’s in public health at Harvard, while I was in law school there.” –Obama