Former President Barack Obama told the Harvard men's basketball team on Friday that the sport taught him "it wasn't just about me" - a lesson he hoped they would carry with them to other, more consequential, endeavors.

"There is something extraordinary about hitching your wagon to something bigger than yourself," Obama said, according to a recap of the meeting that was provided to The Associated Press.

"The odds of any of you being LeBron or Steph, as good as you are, are not as high as the odds of you being extraordinary leaders in health care or business or civil rights," Obama said, referring to NBA superstars LeBron James and Stephen Curry. "I want you to stay focused on winning that long game."