Obama gets 12 stitches after 'elbow in the lip'

"After being inadvertently hit with an opposing player's elbow in the lip while playing basketball with friends and family, the president received 12 stitches today administered by the White House Medical Unit," spokesman Robert Gibbs said in a statement.

Obama was given local anesthetic when he received the treatment, Gibbs said, adding that he was given a smaller filament that increases the number of stitches tighter together, to ensure a smaller scar.

An avid basketball fan and player, the US leader often plays with friends including his personal aide Reggie Love, who was involved in the game Friday, according to Gibbs.

Obama has a famous love for the game, and often displays skill on the court that are the envy of many of his compatriots. A game among friends became a ritual for him throughout the long campaign for the White House in 2008.

For his birthday this year he traded passes and scuffles at the White House with a number of the game's current greats, including Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers, LeBron James of the Miami Heat, and former NBA star Earvin "Magic" Johnson.

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