Not many NBA players are as familiar with the White House as Michael Jordan. The Chicago Bulls legend has visited the presidential estate six different occasions, representing each of his NBA championships. He would’ve never guessed that his paths would cross with someone, who would seem as just another ordinary person, but would then connect him to the family of the 44th President of the United States.
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Nowadays, when the offseason comes around, various NBA players travel outside of their team’s market to prepare for the next season but Jordan didn’t leave Chicago once the season concluded. He remained in Illinois and vicariously trained to improve his abilities.
Former American president Barack Obama and his wife, Michelle Obama also grew up in Chicago. It would be many years before Jordan would cross paths with the first Black American president. However, he would meet the former First Lady’s brother, Craig Robinson on the basketball court.
“My first encounter with Michael Jordan came playing in the Chicago Summer League,” Robinson said on All The Smoke. “I held my own and we weren’t always guarding each other, but that was five-on-five.”
Robinson was quite the basketball player back in his heyday. The 6-foot-6 forward had a stellar four-year collegiate career at Princeton, which led to the Philadelphia 76ers selecting him with the 93rd overall pick in the 1983 NBA Draft.
Unfortunately, he would never officially play an NBA game but held a great relationship in NBA circles. Many years after their first encounter, Jordan and his infamous trainer, Tim Grover, didn’t forget Robinson.
“Once he retired and he was coming back, he needed some guys who knew the game, that he could quietly start working out with,” Robinson revealed. “Grover knew us, and he got me, John Rogers and Arne Duncan.”
Believe it or not, Robinson was essential in Jordan’s conditioning drills leading up to his return to the NBA with the Washington Wizards. Robinson and company may not have been NBA talent, but they weren’t any slouches. That didn’t impact Jordan’s unwavering killer instinct.
“He cooked me,” Robinson proclaimed. “It was so funny because he was very serious about what he was doing. You would think that somebody who is the greatest of all time would be taking it easy on some guys who are trying to help him get in shape. It was not like that.”
Over 20 years later, Robinson vividly remembers one specific moment while attempting to guard Jordan.
“We were working on some stuff, and then an elbow right to the ribs. Let me be prepared next time. Elbow to the neck. Finally, I got one on him, where he fouled me and I made it and fell. He was like, ‘Craig, are you okay?’ I said, ‘Yeah, I appreciate it.’ He’s like, ‘Then get the f*** up'” Robinson recalled.
Jordan may have been 38 years old at the time, but his attitude remained the same. Eventually, once Jordan got in shape, actual professional players replaced Robinson and company in those intense workouts.
Robinson has lived quite the life. He is the only person who can say they’re related to a former President of the United States and proclaim they shared the same court as the legendary Michael Jordan.
