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President And Mrs. Obama Host Annual Easter Egg Roll At White House© GettyImages

Barack Obama admits his dream job was to play in the NBA

Maybe in another life


Jovita Trujillo
Jovita Trujillo - Los Angeles
Senior WriterLos Angeles
MAY 31, 2023 5:44 PM EDT

Barack Obama has achieved many things in his life as a politician, but his younger self may have wanted to be on the court and not in the White House. The former president of the United States recently sat down for a fun interview ahead of the release of his new show on Netflix, “Working; What We Do All Day,” where he admitted that he wanted to play in the NBA when he was younger.

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He published the confessions to his 36.1 million followers on Instagram. “As a kid, I’d tell adults that my dream job was to be an architect. But, secretly I was convinced that I would be an NBA player,” he said with a smile. “I had no hops.”

President Obama And Family host the annual celebration of Easter   Washington© GettyImages
Former NBA star Eton Thomas watches President Barack Obama at the annual Easter Egg Roll 2014

While he never made it to the NBA, thankfully, being president of the United States was his favorite job. “My favorite job perk? Air Force One, Marine One, close second,” he admitted.

Barack also shared his favorite way to relax, and it’s too sweet. “A cold martini, sitting outside if it’s nice, chatting with my wife,” he said sweetly, referencing former first lady Michelle Obama. “That’s the truth.”

A passion for basketball

Barack has often talked about his love for basketball and he played on both the J.V. and varsity teams at Hawaii’s Punahou School in, Honolulu. During his time in office, he installed a basketball court at the White House and regularly played pickup games with staff members, friends, and NBA players. He often used sports metaphors in his speeches and press conferences,

He’s also enjoyed the sport with his family. Barack would often watch games with his daughters Sasha and Malia Obama. 

United States v Brazil   Men's Exhibition Game© GettyImages
Barack and Malia, at the US Senior Men’s National Team and Brazil pre Olympic exhibition basketball game on July 16, 2012