Barack Obama Praises Victor Wembanyama: 'Hard to Take Your Eyes Off Him'

The former president is a huge fan of the San Antonio Spurs' biggest star.

Jan 12, 2015; Washington, DC, USA; President Barack Obama (middle) poses with the San Antonio Spurs during a ceremony honoring the NBA Champion Spurs in the East Room at The White House. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

On a recent episode of The Young Man and The Three podcast, former President Barack Obama had a laid-back conversation with Indiana Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton, where he shared his admiration for San Antonio Spurs superstar, Victor Wembanyama.

Obama, an avid basketball fan and Spurs appreciator, didn’t hold back his praise for the towering 7-foot-4 center.

“It’s hard to take your eyes off Wembanyama when he’s on the court,” Obama told Haliburton. “You’re too young to remember when [Kevin] Durant first came in the league. That was freakish. You just hadn’t seen somebody that tall with that skill set.”

Obama, being the basketball historian he is, also threw it back to the days of Magic Johnson and Larry Bird.

"You’re definitely not old enough to remember Magic [Johnson] and [Larry] Bird," Obama said. "People forget how tall Bird was. Bird was like a legit 6-foot-9 and Magic was 6-foot-9. Those guys were doing things that, up until that point, big men hadn’t done.”

But when it comes to Wembanyama, Obama made it clear—this guy’s an alien.

“He makes the rest of y’all look tiny," he said with a laugh.

Obama's admiration for the Spurs extended back to his presidency, as he recalled hosting Tim Duncan and the Spurs at the White House following their fifth NBA championship in 2014.

Heading into the 2024-25 season, it’s clear who the former president will be keeping his eyes on.

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