Peter Okereke
Although the San Antonio Spurs and Victor Wembanyama lost the 2026 NBA Finals to the Knicks who clinched their first championship in 53 years, former President Barack Obama is still a huge believer in the Frenchman.
In an interview with “All the Smoke” podcast recently, Obama discussed Wembanyama and shared his candid advice for the reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year.
“He’s got to figure out what his go-to move is, he’s going to have to put on some weight, he’s got to work on his conditioning, because you could tell he got tired, partly because it just looks to me like playing defense today is so much harder because you have to close out everything,” the former president said.
Victor Wembanyama was spread thin by the New York Knicks. He would be standing in the paint, but then have to close out on three-pointers. So, Obama thinks that by improving on his body, the Spurs can reach their full potential with him.
Barack Obama heaps high praise on Knicks’ Jalen Brunson after Finals heroics
Elsewhere in the same interview, Obama crowned NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson the “King of New York.” He couldn’t stop raving about the star guard who led the Knicks as captain to their title win over San Antonio.
“It’s the toughness and endurance and mental fortitude of that guy,” Obama said. “You just felt like, ‘I’m going to keep coming and I’m not going to doubt myself and not going to let my team doubt myself.’ And for a second-round draft pick, who was a champion, who was a winner, you didn’t see it coming.”
The former president also compared Brunson to Stephen Curry, another star guard who is considered undersized. Obama then said that Brunson “has the heart of a champion.”
Barack Obama also praised OG Anunoby, who won Game 4 with his iconic tip-in, saying, “I’m trying to think of a better series from somebody who’s never been an All-Star, and it’s hard to think of one, right? Where, through the whole playoffs, he was just a rock.”
