When he was a basketball player at Punahou School, President-elect Barack Obama was overshadowed by better players and seldom scored.

But last night, his former Punahou classmates, friends and instructors saw the guy they knew as “;Barry”; win the most important contest of his life.

“;I'm just going to bask in the glory,”; said John “;Squeeze”; Kamana III, Obama's basketball teammate at Punahou. “;This is like the time that we won the state championship in '79, Barry's senior year.”;

By all accounts, Obama was not one of Punahou's academic or sports stars; however, even then there were signs that there was greatness in him.

Punahou School President James Scott called Obama's victory a historic moment for America and the world, and for Hawaii.

“;We are thrilled and honored that a Punahou School alumnus - and son of Hawaii - has been elected to serve as the next president of the United States,”; Scott said. “;At Punahou School, our calling is to foster each student's potential to both reach his or her promise and effect meaningful change in society. President-elect Obama is an inspirational embodiment of that vision.”;

While former basketball coach Chris McLachlin said he did not notice Obama's full leadership potential at the time, in retrospect, he said, the skills were there.

“;His negotiating skills were very advanced,”; McLachlin said, recalling a time when Obama respectfully argued for more playing time on behalf of himself and several other players.

Though Obama made compelling arguments, McLachlin said, he did not get the sought-after playing time.

“;I told him it was not only about him, that he had to consider the whole team,”; McLachlin said.

It was a lesson the president-elect took to heart, said Darin Maurer, who played basketball and graduated from Punahou with Obama.

“;He was just on the news telling an ESPN reporter about the impact that Coach McLachlin had on him,”; Maurer said. “;I think his time at Punahou marked him and helped make him who is today.”;

Obama also has received a little help from his friends in Hawaii and elsewhere. Members of the political support group Punahou for Obama helped advance the campaign in Hawaii, said Gerald Chang, who graduated from the school in 1963.

“;For most of the people in the group, the fact that Barack Obama went to Punahou is just the frosting on the cake,”; Chang said. “;Presumably, they support him because they like the position that he has taken.”;

Dan Hale, a former Punahou basketball player and 1981 graduate, said he and others helped campaign by simply sharing the story of his amazing friend.

“;We had to debunk a lot of stories that were out there,”; Hale said. “;He's simply the most genuine person. The smiles are real what you see is what you get.”;

Kamana, who graduated in 1980, said Obama's later success in the political arena is not surprising given his heart on the basketball court and the quality of the lessons learned at Punahou.

“;He played behind me on the team, but he didn't sulk. Because of his competitiveness and heart, he gave the guys a run,”; Kamana said.

Kamana had the chance to come up against Obama on the court again during the candidate's August family vacation in Hawaii and noted that his game had vastly improved.

“;I'm glad he wasn't that good in school or I would have been on the bench instead,”; Kamana said. “;He wasn't a major scorer back then, but obviously he had it in him.”;