By Chalien Dantes

Former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama turned heads at the NBA All-Star Game in Los Angeles, where a stray ball even landed in Obama’s lap. The 44th President took a moment to joke and reminisce with Reggie Miller about the 1990s NBA, blending nostalgia with his well-known love for the game.

After the festivities, Obama extended an open invite to the NBA for the opening of his Obama Presidential Centre in June, which will feature a full-length NBA regulation court on Chicago’s South Side. Basketball has been a lifelong passion for Obama, from leading Punahou School in Honolulu to a state championship in 1979, to hosting pick-up games at the White House with stars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Dwyane Wade.

He has even shared his all-time starting five: Steph Curry, Michael Jordan, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Hakeem Olajuwon and remains deeply involved in basketball globally as a strategic partner for NBA Africa.