Former President of the United States Barack Obama attended the Los Angeles Clippers vs. Detroit Pistons game on Wednesday evening, March 5, and his appearance was quite a surprise to those sitting in the crowd.
During the game, the Clippers came back after a three-game losing streak, and James Harden and the team pulled off a win over the Detroit Pistons, 123-115. It sure didn’t hurt that Harden gave a stunning, 50-point, four-rebound and five-assist performance, showing Los Angeles his worth.
Obama sat with Clippers owner Steve Ballmer behind the baseline at the game, and the crowd reacted when they learned he was there.
Barack Obama on the Clippers’ Board
Obama is known to be a Chicago Bulls fan, since he’s from the Windy City, but he was a Clippers supporter for the night, sitting next to Ballmer. At the start of the game, Obama was splashed across the Clippers’ Halo Board, and he stood up and waved to the crowd, many of whom were cheering, as show in a video from Tomer Azarly.
Late in the game, cameras flashed to Obama again, and his look was not what one would expect from someone having fun at a basketball game. With about six minutes left on the clock, Harden threw down a major dunk and helped take the Clippers’ lead to six points.
Even after that exciting play, the cameras showed the 44th President resting his fingers on the side of his face, looking like he was thinking about something, lost in his thoughts. A clip of the less than enthusiastic reaction was posted to TikTok via House of Highlights, and fans reacted.
“Bro doesn’t even know he’s there 😂,” one fan wrote.
“Bro wanted to see the Lakers not the clippers 😭,” another said.
@houseofhighlights He couldn’t believe what he just saw! 🤯 #nba #bball #basketball #hoops #obama #harden
James Harden Talks 50-Point Game
Following the game Harden caught up with the press to talk about his monster of a night. When asked if doing 50 points in one night takes a toll on the player, he said that it certainly doesn’t and that he’s done it before. He’s used to competing at that high level.
“No, I can do it. It’s not my first time,” Harden stated after the game, per Joey Linn. “If it’s someone’s first time, it takes a lot of energy. For me, it’s just understanding the game. I see the game within the game.”
Switching gears to Obama being in the audience, Harden joked that Obama could have been the reason why he did so well that night. He also said that he wanted to get a photo with him, but that didn’t work out.
“I wanted my picture with the President after the game, but he left. I guess he wanted to beat traffic,” Harden said. “We’ve got a pretty cool relationship. We’ve met a few times. It’s awesome to see him at the game. He’s probably the reason I played so well.”
The Clippers’ next game is Friday, March 7, against the New York Knicks, while the Pistons’ next one is Saturday, March 8, against the Golden State Warriors.
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