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Barack Obama had to undergo bizarre test with wife Michelle’s family when they first began dating

Home> Celebrity

Updated 14:12 16 Jul 2025 GMT+1Published 15:17 30 Apr 2025 GMT+1

Barack Obama had to undergo bizarre test with wife Michelle’s family when they first began dating

Michelle Obama's brother worried the test would make Barack 'look bad and be talked about'

Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard Kaonga

While Barack Obama might be one of the most recognizable individuals in the world, there was once a time where he was a law student attempting to woo his future wife.

For some people, Barack and Michelle Obama are the epitome of relationship goals, being both successful in their fields and regularly still looking smitten with one another.

It hasn’t always been sunshine and rainbows however and Michelle has previously spoken of a pet peeve she had to learn to deal with when it came to the pair dating.

Speaking on her podcast earlier this year, she admitted that the future president had a knack for being late and getting ready when they are meant to be leaving.

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However, before they even got to this point in the relationship, Michelle wanted her future husband to meet her family, and for them to weigh in on him.

So, Barack had to jump through a few hoops - as well as shoot some - before the relationship could progress.

The pair have been together now over 32 years (Photo by PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)
The pair have been together now over 32 years (Photo by PAUL J. RICHARDS/AFP via Getty Images)

According to Michelle’s brother, Craig Robinson, he had to test out Barack to see what kind of person he is with a game of basketball.

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Michelle has previously said that her father and brother have insisted they could always tell a person’s character based on the way he played pickup basketball so when things were getting serious with Barack, she wanted Robinson to do just that.

Speaking on Kelly Ripa's podcast, Let's Talk Off Camera, recently and recalling when she asked him, he said: “She said, 'Please, you gotta do this for me. I really like this guy. I wanna know what you think.'"

Mind you, Robinson wasn’t some casual hooper either and has quite the resume... two-time Ivy League Player of the Year on Princeton University's basketball team, drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers (although he would not play in the NBA and would play internationally for two years).

Robinson continued: “The guys I played with are like real dudes, real basketball players.

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"You take a guy who can't play that well around, he's undoubtedly going to look bad and be talked about.”

Michelle's brother praised her future-husband for how he conducted himself during a game of basketball (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)
Michelle's brother praised her future-husband for how he conducted himself during a game of basketball (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Speaking of Barack’s attitude during the game, he said: “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.

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“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."

Now while this maybe isn’t the best method to check if a person is suitable partner for your sibling.... Barack and Michelle have been married for over 32 years so maybe there is something in it.

Featured Image Credit: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Topics: Barack Obama, Celebrity, Sex and Relationships, US News, Michelle Obama, Podcast

Gerrard Kaonga
Gerrard Kaonga

Gerrard is a Journalist at UNILAD and has dived headfirst into covering everything from breaking global stories to trending entertainment news. He has a bachelors in English Literature from Brunel University and has written across a number of different national and international publications. Most notably the Financial Times, Daily Express, Evening Standard and Newsweek.

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