It’s no secret that former President Barack Obama has two great loves: basketball and making things unexpectedly intriguing. The man who once ran the world now has his sights set on building the ultimate NBA starting five. But hold onto your basketballs—he’s left out some rather shocking names, including Lakers legends like Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Magic Johnson. Yes, you read that right. It’s almost like leaving pizza off a “Top 5 Best Foods” list. You just don’t do that. But Obama? He went there.
Obama’s Starting Five: Where Kobe Ain’t Invited
In a video posted on X (formerly Twitter, but really, still Twitter in our hearts), Obama revealed his personal “Starting 5” while promoting his docuseries, Higher Ground’s Starting 5. Spoiler alert: there’s no Kobe, no Shaq, and no Magic. That’s like making a superhero movie without Batman, Superman, and Iron Man. Controversial much?
According to Obama, his fave lineup would consist of Michael Jordan (naturally) at shooting guard and LeBron James playing point forward. Nothing surprising so far—MJ and King James are practically basketball royalty. But wait, it gets better.
“I want a little shooting and a little flair,” Obama said. And then—because of course—they’ve got to bring in his “pal” Steph Curry. That’s right, Steph—the man whose three-point range can probably hit a shot from the International Space Station—gets the call. Let’s face it, in this three-point-crazed era, you can’t not have the guy who redefined distance shooting.
For center, Obama’s pick was none other than Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon, who, according to him, “translates well to this game.” I mean, who can argue with a guy whose footwork could make a ballerina jealous?
The final slot? This is where it gets tough. But fear not! After a dramatic pause (which probably wasn’t as long as it felt), Obama selected…Kevin Durant, aka KD, the man who hops between teams faster than most of us can switch between Netflix shows. Ouch. Too soon?
Where’s Kobe? Seriously, Dude.
Now, before all the Kobe stans start storming Twitter (I mean, X), let’s dissect this. Obama invited the 2010 Lakers to the White House after they took down the Celtics. He even paid tribute to the Black Mamba when Kobe tragically passed away in 2020. But when it came time to pick his ultimate squad, Kobe didn’t make the cut. This is the same Kobe Bryant who delivered five championships to the Lakers and won two Olympic golds. Shaq and Magic? Same story. It’s like showing up at a buffet and skipping dessert. Who does that?
The Docuseries That Gets You Courtside
Obama’s docuseries Starting 5 follows the 2023-24 journeys of Jayson Tatum, LeBron James, Anthony Edwards, Jimmy Butler, and Domantas Sabonis. It’s basically a Netflix basketball binge fest where you get to be a fly on the wall, watching some of the game’s greats both on and off the court. So yeah, while Kobe, Shaq, and Magic didn’t make Obama’s ultimate dream team, at least you can still catch LeBron doing LeBron things on screen.
Obama, the NBA Player Who Never Was
Oh, and here’s a fun fact: Obama once dreamed of being an NBA player himself. Yep, during a promo for his other Netflix show Working: What We Do All Day, he admitted his secret childhood aspiration was to dunk on people for a living. Unfortunately, reality hit him harder than a Draymond Green screen—he had “no hops.” Well, Mr. Former President, we feel your pain. Not all of us can ball out like MJ.
Still, something tells me he’s doing just fine without the NBA paycheck. After all, you don’t need hops when you can jump-start international diplomacy.
So, Who Would Win?
Could Obama’s starting five take down a lineup that includes Kobe, Shaq, and Magic? That’s one for the ages, but for now, it’s safe to say the debate is alive and well. So, keep the trash talk coming, folks—after all, basketball is nothing without a little drama. Just ask Obama’s Starting 5.