The Minnesota Timberwolves star Anthony Edwards has partnered up with former POTUS Barack Obama to promote his new Presidential Center in Chicago.
They released a promotional advertisement where the duo engaged in what did not seem to be a scripted one-on-one battle, which included making three-point shots, playing ping pong, and Connect Four.
The video shows both Edwards and Obama engaging in a very realistic exchange of trash-talk during the battle. It begins with Edwards texting Obama, asking him to come to his place.
“Be careful what you wish for,” the former POTUS writes before leaving the room, saying he has “unfinished business” with Anthony Edwards.
“You want some of this?” says Obama as he walks into Edwards’ yard. “I see what you got going on with your jump shot,” Edwards responded, hinting that he knows the secret to his efficient shooting.
“I remember you telling me you’re the truth,” Obama said as he recalled their exchange from the 2024 event for Team USA’s 50th anniversary when the two first met.
“I might take this deep, because I’m not sure you have the range for it,” the former POTUS further added as he began the one-on-one battle with the three-point shooting.
“I was making jump shots since—“ Obama said before Edwards interrupted, “before I was born, I know.”
“Before you were even thought of,” the former President hilariously concluded his sentence.
“You ever hit a bank shot?” Obama asked.
“The banks are open on Sundays for me,” Edwards replied. “Don’t just tell me, you’ve got to show me… I don’t want you hurting yourself,” Obama responded with another jab.
In a hilarious coincidence, just shortly after this video was released, the Timberwolves announced Edwards was sidelined for tonight’s fixture against the Suns and is expected to be reevaluated after 1-2 weeks. Not saying the shooting of this video caused his injury, just the timing seems funny to me.
Ant Edwards. President Barack Obama.
It began at Team USA Training camp and turned into a game of one-on-one we didn’t know we needed. pic.twitter.com/bJXdxMXVa7
— Malika Andrews (@malika_andrews) March 17, 2026
“You’ve got to finish what you started, though… Good thing I was born at night, not last night,” said Edwards in a hilarious jab back at President Obama. “I told y’all I’m the truth,” Edwards said while seemingly winning the three-point contest.
“I’m going to crank it up now, though,” Edwards said as they shifted to ping pong. “You’re not the only one who can crank it up,” the former POTUS replied after Edwards missed a shot.
“He’s got that left hand, y’all,” Edwards warned the crew while Obama replied, “I think I got this.” The duo engaged in a hilarious back-and-forth until Edwards seemingly came out on top in this as well.
“I think it goes like you put a blue chip, I put a red chip, but you’ve got to let me win,” said Edwards in jest when Obama asked for a summary of the rules in Connect Four.
But in the final round, it seemed like President Obama got his redemption and defeated the Timberwolves star with his brains at Connect Four. The final cut of the battle showed Edwards sitting with the former President poolside and planning out the next time they would battle.
Obama insists that the battle is on his home turf in Chicago when the Presidential Center opens, making it clear that he did not come out on top in this three-challenge battle with Anthony Edwards.
“Looks like you got two out of three on me this time,” said Obama. “For an old head, though you didn’t do too bad for yourself, you stood up for yourself… You stood up for the community,” Edwards hilariously responded in conclusion of the video.
The Presidential Center in Chicago is an initiative by the Obama Foundation to bring the community together. It is scheduled to open officially on June 19. President Obama has a lot of respect in the basketball community and has cleverly leveraged that to promote his excellent initiative.
