Once upon a time, before Barack Obama became one of the most recognizable people globally, he was simply a law student trying to win over his future wife, Michelle.
For many, Barack and Michelle Obama represent the ultimate relationship goals. Both have achieved great success in their careers and continue to appear deeply in love with each other.
However, their journey hasn’t always been smooth. Michelle has previously shared a pet peeve she had to cope with while they were dating.
Earlier this year on her podcast, she revealed that Barack had a habit of being late and would often start getting ready when they should have already left.
Before reaching this point in their relationship, Michelle wanted Barack to meet her family and sought their opinion on him.
Barack had to go through a few challenges—and even play some basketball—before their relationship could move forward.
Michelle’s brother, Craig Robinson, decided to assess Barack’s character through a game of basketball.
Michelle has mentioned that her father and brother believed they could gauge a person’s character by how they played pickup basketball. When things got serious with Barack, she asked Robinson to evaluate him.
On Kelly Ripa’s podcast, Let’s Talk Off Camera, Robinson recalled Michelle’s request: “She said, ‘Please, you gotta do this for me. I really like this guy. I wanna know what you think.'”
Importantly, Robinson wasn’t just any basketball enthusiast. He was a two-time Ivy League Player of the Year at Princeton University and was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers, although he played internationally instead of in the NBA.
Robinson explained: “The guys I played with are like real dudes, real basketball players.
“You take a guy who can’t play that well around, he’s undoubtedly going to look bad and be talked about.”
Reflecting on Barack’s demeanor during the game, Robinson stated: “He was absolutely appropriate.
“In pickup basketball, it’s not officiated so you have to call your own call, so you can tell if a guy’s got some integrity, and he did that the right way.
“He took shots that he should take, and he passed the ball when he should. So I could tell he was unselfish.
“The best part was that he didn’t just pass me the ball all the time because I was his girlfriend’s brother.
“I report back to Mich and said as far as I can see, he seems like a really decent dude.”
While this method might not be the most conventional way to assess a potential partner, Barack and Michelle have been married for over 32 years, indicating there might be some truth to it.