Barack Obama Surprises Players At NBA Rising Stars Game In Chicago

Former President Barack Obama surprised the NBA Rising Stars teams prior to the game for All-Star weekend. The appearance left the young players starstruck, according to ESPN.

“This could be No. 1,” Pelicans forward Zion Williamson said, explaining that this was one of the best moments of his life. “I don’t want to say it is No. 1 right now because the draft might be 1, but this is definitely top two.

“He said I played great, and I kind of zoned out after that. That was all I needed to hear, to be honest.”

Obama mostly spoke with Williamson and Hawks guard Trae Young. He could be seen chatting with the two for 20 minutes.

“It was crazy being able to stand next to him, talk to him,” Young said afterward. “He basically knew everything about my season, my game. I was definitely asking him a lot of questions. He was just like a regular person — that’s what was crazy. You see all these things on TV and you don’t even realize. He was just talking to me like a regular person.”

Williamson says Obama spent the time discussing specific plays from his time with Duke and how he’s been performing on the Pelicans.