Barack Obama attends Team USA basketball game before Paris Olympics

By Alastair Talbot

05:52 11 Jul 2024, updated 06:00 11 Jul 2024

Team USA‘s Olympic basketball team faced some pressure before their sendoff later this month to Paris, as LeBron James and Co. hooped in front of Barack Obama in Las Vegas. 

On Wednesday, the 44th US President sat front row at T-Mobile Arena to watch some of the best NBA players in action during the Americans’ 86-72 win. He proudly rose pre-game with his hand on his heart for the National Anthem.

Obama, 62, also posed for a selfie with NCAA champion and South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley. 

‘If he isn’t the coolest man on earth… @BarackObama thank you for inspiration and leadership still,’ she wrote on X. 

‘Now please let us borrow @MichelleObama for just 4 short years! First Gentleman is a good look for you!’    

Obama, who sported a relaxed fit at the basketball game by wearing an untucked, white button-down shirt with light khakis and sneakers, was given a third-quarter ovation when he returned courtside from the halftime break. 

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His visit to the USA men’s basketball team went viral on social media for resembling an iconic Key & Peele Sketch from 2014. In the Comedy Central skit, Jordan Peele plays Obama after a presidential address. While greeted by a line of onlookers, Obama formally shakes hands with anxious white fans, while giving hugs and multi-layered handshakes to black members of the audience.

On Wednesday night, the real-life Obama appeared to embody the skit, as a clip on X shows the former president giving casually snappy handshakes, paired with hugs, to Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry, LeBron James, and Anthony Davis. 

After greeting the players, Obama approached the coaching staff with firm and formal handshakes – as the Obama character did with none-black spectators in the skit. 

The latter group included Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.

Obama also sent a message to the players while proclaiming a new title for himself. 

‘It is true I am the Hooper-in-Chief,’ he opened his remarks. ‘I just want to come here to help sent off the soon-to-be gold medal winners. We invented this game and I don’t like it when we don’t win.’ 

The US will face Australia in another exhibition game on Monday before starting its potential journey to win gold with a first group stage game against Serbia on July 28th. 

The Americans will then face South Sudan in their second group game on July 31st before a third one against Puerto Rico on August 3rd.