Obama mourns Washington Wizards owner and AIPAC leader Abe Pollin

U.S. President Barak Obama on Wednesday spoke of his sadness at the death of Abe Pollin, the Washington Wizards owner and leader of the pro-Israel lobby AIPAC, who died Tuesday at 85.

"Michelle and I were deeply saddened to hear about the passing of Abe Pollin - a giant in the world of professional sports and someone I was proud to call a friend," Obama said in a statement.

"Abe was a man who knew that being an owner wasn't just about winning championships, although his teams had plenty of success. It was about helping young athletes become good people as well as good players. And it was about being part of a community."

Pollin was also a longtime leader in the American Israel Public Affairs Committee, the pro-Israel lobby, which extended its Wizards owner's family and friends.

"As a member of AIPAC's board of directors and friend of many of our country's most influential policy makers and elected officials, Abe never missed an opportunity to stress the importance of America's special and unbreakable bond with the State of Israel," the organization said.

No details were disclosed, but Pollin - the NBA's longest-serving team owner - suffered from progressive supranuclear palsy, a rare brain disorder that impairs movement and balance.

Born to a Jewish family in 1923, Pollin and his family moved from Philadelphia to the Washington area when he was 8. He graduated from George Washington University in 1945 and went to work in his family's construction business. He started his own construction company in 1957.

Pollin and two partners bought the Bullets in 1964 for a record $1.1 million, a mere fraction of the salary of today's NBA stars. He bought out his partners four years later and moved the team to the Washington suburbs when the Capital Centre opened. He also acquired an expansion NHL franchise, the Capitals, for his new building. The Bullets, since renamed the Wizards, won the 1978 NBA title.

Pollin's ultimate coup - getting Jordan back into the NBA - was a plan that didn't pan out exactly as planned. Basketball's biggest name spent three and a half seasons in Washington, the last two on the court after deciding to come out of retirement as a player. But his domineering personality overwhelmed the organization and made losing even more miserable.

Jordan expected to return to his job as president of basketball operations and repurchase his ownership share after playing his final game, but Pollin parted ways with No. 23 during a stormy 20-minute meeting in May 2003.