Obama takes on NBA star Anthony Edwards at basketball, ping pong and Connect Four

18 Mar 2026 • 10:01 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Barack Obama took on NBA star Anthony Edwards in a series of one-on-one sporting competitions ahead of the opening of the Obama Presidential Center in Chicago.

In a video posted on YouTube on Tuesday (17 March), the pair faced each other in basketball, ping pong, and Connect Four, all whilst jokingly trash-talking one another.

The former president and the Minnesota Timberwolves player’s friendly rivalry began in 2024, when the two traded lighthearted jabs as captured in the Netflix docuseries Court of Gold about the 2024 men’s Olympics hoop tournament.

The video was an advert for the $850m project, which is set to open in June. The center includes plans for a museum, Obama Foundation offices, a branch of the Chicago Public Library, and a playground.