Nobody would mistake Michelle Obama for a basketball savant, but the former First Lady has been around hoops long enough to compare the sport to something far more common to everyday life.
Relationships.
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As it turns out, the same qualities that make a great teammate can also make a great partner. And of course, it takes a group effort to make things work.
What do basketball teams and relationships have in common?
Michelle never really played organized sports in her early years, taking a liking to piano and academics instead. However, she was around athletics her whole life, starting with her family. Her brother, Craig Robinson, was a two-time Ivy League Player of the Year and former NCAA Division I basketball coach.
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Additionally, her husband, Barack, was as big a hoops fan as any. The former president even considered basketball a sanctuary growing up. Barack still regularly plays pickup and has an opinion about all things basketball like a true fan.
That’s why, even though she doesn’t play the game herself, Michelle knows what she’s talking about. And like the introspective person she always was, she saw a connection between basketball and relationships.
“I say a relationship is like a basketball team,” Michelle told her brother, Craig, and Angel Reese on the “IMO with Michelle Obama” podcast. “Everybody’s got to able to shoot, dribble, score and defend everybody. You wouldn’t pick your team and be like, ‘I only dribble,’ because you never know what life is going to have before you.”
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“You want a partner who’s bringing what you’re bringing to the table because life happens. Somebody could get sick. Life be life’,” added the former First Lady, sprinkling in some vernacular in there.
At this point, Craig is like all of us. He couldn’t believe that her sister used a basketball analogy in any of their podcast conversations.
She makes a whole lot of sense, though. Michelle reiterates that men and women should be able to do everything, that is, share responsibilities instead of assigning them based on traditional gender roles. A healthy relationship, like a well-oiled machine of a basketball team, isn’t built on one person carrying all the load.
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“I don’t want you (Michelle’s daughters) to ever count on somebody,” she stated. “I’ve seen too many friends who served the role. They did what they were supposed to do and then somebody walked out on them, or somebody died.”
A lesson bigger than basketball
At the conversation’s core, Michelle wasn’t really talking about basketball. The exchange with Angel stemmed from Reese’s admission that it wasn’t easy for her to find a man secure enough to date an independent woman. Independent, in Angel’s case, meant someone who has her own career and pursues her ambitions.
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Michelle imparts a lesson about preparedness. It has nothing to do with gender, but everything to do with making sure both parties are ready if circumstances change. After all, life throws an unexpected challenge every so often.
That’s why Michelle’s hoops analogy extends beyond the basketball floor. The strongest relationships are about having all hands on deck, ready to do what it takes whenever their number is called.
This story was originally published by Basketball Network on Aug 8, 2026, where it first appeared in the Off The Court section. Add Basketball Network as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
