"I'm going, I don't know who this is from, but I'm showing up” – 3x NBA champion shares he was a skeptic over an invitation from the White House, says it was intense to play against Obama surrounded by security

NBA players have been invited to the White House on occasion for different events. Dwyane Wade recounted when he played with former US president Barack Obama.

Every year, NBA champs visit the White House, regardless of who the president is. During his two tenures, Obama hosted seven NBA teams.

Adding to that, Obama was known to host several pickup games with NBA stars in the White House. Most of the events were to celebrate his birthday. In 2010, he invited several players to celebrate his 49th birthday, including Wade.

On "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon," Wade was asked about Obama's game. The conversation started with Wade playing with several celebrities, including Adam Sandler. Wade said the former president's game was "legendary," before explaining how he got the invitation.

"I played a pickup game with President Obama on his 49th birthday. It was, like, a cryptic e-mail that came through. I didn't really know if I was just showing up and then somebody was playing a trick on me or was it actually, like, president's birthday and we were going to hoop.

"All it said was, 'Show up to The White House and bring your sneakers.' And I was like, 'I'm going. I don't know who this is from, but I'm showing up.' But, he's actually, he's not bad. He's a lefty. As smooth as he is, that's how smooth his game is."

Wade also highlighted how everyone was scared to get physical with Obama because of the presence of his Secret Service agents, despite his approval. However, he said that Joakim Noah was the only one who played the way the former president wanted.

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Barack Obama has continued to show interest in the NBA and offered support

President Barack Obama sits courtside as the Chicago Bulls take on the Cleveland Cavaliers

Obama's love for basketball has continued to grow. The 44th US president used his platform to provide support for the NBA and has continued to do so even though he is out of office.

Last year, he joined newly-launched NBA Africa as a strategic partner. In a speech, he buttressed the impact of the league and how it can be used to promote opportunity and gender equality and empowerment across the continent, and cultivate a love for basketball.

In 2020, Obama was instrumental in convincing the players to end their strike and resume play. Following in the footsteps of the Milwaukee Bucks, several teams chose to boycott games to protest the police shooting of Jacob Blake.

Through a phone conversation with Chris Paul and LeBron James, Obama convinced the players to resume the playoffs. Before the call, the season was hanging by a thread as players were ready to forfeit the rest of the playoffs. The move was an attempt to force franchise owners to take action and lend their voices to ending police brutality.

In the GOAT debate between James and Michael Jordan, Obama has always been Team Jordan. He acknowledged James' greatness but said there might be a bias because he watched MJ while growing up.