While parts of the NBA fraternity have had a rocky relationship with current US President Donald Trump, one former Commander-in-Chief continues to receive an abundance of admiration across the NBA community – Barack Obama. The 64-year-old was recently spotted at All-Star weekend in Los Angeles, drawing cheers from fans and former players alike. And while expressing his excitement about the event, Obama couldn’t resist reminding everyone that his true loyalty lay with the Chicago Bulls.
In fact, though he did boast about the Bulls’ supremacy over the Indiana Pacers in the late 90s, he did hesitate in tipping his hat to one of the greatest shooters of all time, Reggie Miller.
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Obama knew Miller was a special player
While Chicago did win consecutive titles in 1996 and 1997, the 1998 title run was anything but smooth. Since the beginning of the campaign, there were speculations about coach Phil Jackson, Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen potentially departing at the end of the year, and internal issues with GM Jerry Krause were coming to light.
Meanwhile, the Pacers registered an impressive 58-24 record in the regular season, courtesy of being a top-five offensive and defensive team. And their camaraderie seemed to be improving in the playoffs, as they lost only two games before the Eastern Conference Finals. As a result, many deemed them to be the Bulls’ biggest roadblock.
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Obama admitted that as a die-hard Bulls fan, witnessing the Pacers test his team in a gruesome seven-game series was nerve-wracking, especially when Miller forced Game 7 after knocking a go-ahead, game-winning jumper.
However, in his trademark style, Obama clarified how Miller did end up pushing Jordan to create the necessary space; nevertheless, that moment reminded Obama just how legendary “Uncle Reg” was during his playing days.
So, when the duo had their moment mid-court on Sunday night, Obama made sure to settle some scores with Miller while also embracing his legend as a long-time basketball fan.
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“I always enjoyed us beating Indiana,” Obama told Miller with a subtle smile. “Although I will say that nobody terrified me more than Reggie Miller with a possible three-point shot at the end of a game. You did push off Michael on that one play, though.”
The Bulls did have the Pacers’ number
Historically, during the Bulls’ second three-peat years (1996-1998), Miller was still in his prime and even entered MVP conversations. However, despite the Pacers’ strength, they could not quite over the Bulls’ hump, as evidenced by Indiana never winning a regular-season series against them during that span.
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That being said, the exchange between Obama and Miller was one of the ages, as there was massive love and respect shared between the two. On one hand, the former POTUS was busy boasting about his basketball acumen and knowledge; Reggie clearly did have no issues with the sarcastic jabs that were thrown his way.
Eventually, it is a great sight to witness such celebrities share the spotlight during the 2026 All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Feb 16, 2026, where it first appeared in the Latest News section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.