Barack Obama being a die-hard basketball fan has never been a secret. The former POTUS grew up in Chicago, Illinois, which is one of the richest basketball cities in the nation. He loves game not only as a fan but also as a competitor. In fact, during the NBA offseason, Obama would hold private pickup runs consisting of politicians and even some of the NBA’s biggest stars.
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Recently, Obama has made the headlines for his collaboration with Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards. The pairing certainly drew some attention, given Edwards’ unfiltered nature is in stark contrast to Obama’s well-put-together personality. The two went on to shoot some hoops and compete in a game of table tennis.
It’s rare to see someone of Obama’s status present himself in such a chilled out manner. However, Carmelo Anthony revealed that’s just how the former president is at heart. After all, Anthony himself has played with and against Obama on a few occasions.
“He had pickup games,” Anthony revealed at 7 PM in Brooklyn. “It’s fun. The fact that you invited me to come play up there with you.”
There’s no confirmation whether this specific session in 2010 was Anthony’s first time making an appearance at Obama’s private runs. Nonetheless, he vividly remembers what it was like when he received his first call to join the president on the court.
“I got the call like, ‘Yo, Obama is doing a basketball game. He said he needed a shooter and said he wants you. You have to be there.’ I got summoned,” Anthony said.
Whatever Anthony had planned got thrown out the window following Obama’s request. After all, if the president tells you he wants to play basketball with you, how could you decline? He was pleasantly surprised to find out he wasn’t the only NBA talent present at the runs.
“I think Bron was there. We had some older guys like Alonzo Mourning. Guys that he had a real relationship with, and then he invited some of the younger guys. We were just having a good time,” he added.
Vibes were incredibly high, but so was the competitive energy. Anthony knew from the grapevine that Obama had game, but seeing it firsthand confirmed his speculation.
“A young kid might try to expose him, but he can play. He can hold his own,” Anthony proclaimed.
That’s extremely high praise from one of the greatest NBA players of all-time. Unfortunately, we won’t ever receive footage of these games, although they would make for excellent content.
