Barack Obama Takes Shot At Kobe Bryant At NBA Finals With Michael Jordan Comparison
Former president Barack Obama created a buzz when he attended Game 2 of the NBA Finals in Toronto on Sunday night. While there, the former president even shared a hug with rapper Drake, as The Inquisitr reported. He also spoke with ESPN’s Michael Wilbon about the last time he attended the finals and — as Business Insider reports— used the opportunity to take a jab at Kobe Bryant.
“The last time I was at the Finals, Michael Jordan was playing Gary Payton,” he said. “I was actually telling some young people, and I said, ‘Payton actually was one of those guys who could guard Jordan.'”
“You look at Michael’s percentages in the Finals… He got the points, but he took a lot of shots. He looked more Kobe-esque.”
The former president’s jab is directed at Bryant’s tendency to put up a lot of shots, and was specifically referencing the 1996 NBA Finals between Payton’s SuperSonics and Jordan’s Bulls. Although Jordan scored 27.3 points per game across six games, his average was 41.5 percent from the field — despite taking over 20 shots per game.
Obama’s appearance at Game 2 received a standing ovation and “MVP” chant from the crowd when his face hit the jumbotron. Many fans even suggested that Drake was shown up by the 57-year-old’s appearance.
The chant raining down from the stands of Scotiabank Arena in Toronto weren't for Steph Curry, Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard or any other player on the court. They were for the ex-President sitting courtside. https://t.co/4b18r7dlR3
— CNN (@CNN) June 3, 2019
The ex-president’s appearance also caused many fans to take note of Drake, who appeared to be “on his best behavior” in Obama’s presence. The Canadian rap superstar has a history of stirring up trouble at games — and received a warning from NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, before Game 1, to take things down a notch. Although Drake still caused trouble at the end of the game, it appears that Obama’s presence helped him tone down for Game 2.
As The Inquisitr reported, Obama recently spoke at the VTEX DAY 2019 conference in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and appeared to rebuke President Donald Trump’s administration.
“Nobody was jailed. We made mistakes. We were not perfect. But we maintained integrity and we were able to show that it is possible to achieve great power without corruption.”
He suggested that Trump failed in his promise to “drain the swamp” in Washington, as Trump and his administration have faced many accusations of corruption.
Obama also stirred up some controversy of his own by saying that American gun laws “don’t make much sense,” claiming that anyone can purchase a firearm at any time. His comments were criticized for being misleading and inaccurate, and many pointed to the roughly 300 federal and state gun laws that regulate firearms sales.
