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Chris Paul reacted to Barack Obama's accusation that he crossed over the Los Angeles Clippers' point guard during his birthday celebration.
“For my 49th birthday, I organized my own little NBA All-Star game,” Obama explained to a group of students via his Obama Foundation. “LeBron [James] came and [Dwyane] Wade, Derrick Rose, and Chris Paul. And so we had three pros and two amateurs on each team. I hit a game winner, man. I hit a three, I crossed over Chris.”
Everyone in the room began laughing which prompted Obama to respond: “You’re acting like I’m lying. Chris Paul’s a friend of mine. You want me to get him on the phone?” Obama said, as the kids continued to laugh.
The Clippers point guard responded in the comment section, writing: “If you don’t have the film…it never happened!!”
In addition to Paul, Carmelo Anthony, Joakim Noah, Bill Russell, and Magic Johnson, were in attendance at the birthday celebration for the then-president, according to ESPN. The event was at a gym in Fort McNair that is in close proximity to the White House.
Obama has always shared his love for basketball as he played the sport in high school and was known for playing when he was in the White House. He took his love for the game into film when he and wife Michelle Obama executive produced Netflix's Starting 5 docuseries. The limited series followed Domantas Sabonis of the Sacramento Kings, Jimmy Butler of the Miami Heat, Anthony Edwards of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics, and LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2023-24 NBA season.
Last year, he shared who would be in his personal starting five lineup.
“I’m from Chicago. So MJ, Michael Jordan, at shooting guard,” Obama said.
Next, he shared where he would put LeBron. “I’d put LeBron at point forward,” he explained. “A bunch of times he’d be bringing up the ball and he’d distributing.”
“I want a little shooting and a little flair so I’m going to put my friend Steph Curry into the mix because we’re in the three point era and he is the greatest shooter of all time, bar none,” Obama said of Curry.
“At center, I’m going to put Hakeem “The Dream” Olajuwon whose game I think translates to today's game,” Obama noted.
“This last spot is tough,” he began. “I’ve got to go with Kevin Durant, KD, who may be the most efficient effective scorer in the history of basketball.”
As for Obama playing basketball, he shared that he is no longer doing pick-up games.
“I have hung ‘em up,” Obama said on the Ways to Win podcast last year.
“I played all the way through the presidency,” he said, adding that he last played in November 2016, two months before he left office.
He recalled that the last time he played it was a memorable game as he pulled out all the stops.
“Man, I played great that day. I was raining down threes, and had this spin move, finger roll for the win. I was just firing on all cylinders,” he said.
“At the end of that, I said this is the devil talking, and the next time I play … my Achilles [tendon] is gonna pop, and I’m gonna be in a boot for six months. I’m stopping right now. And I have not played since,” he exclaimed.
