Barack Obama All-Star Game interview: Former U.S. president discusses NBA's international growth, jabs Reggie Miller

Players and fans complained when last year's NBA All-Star Game was interrupted at multiple points by on-court skits from the "Inside the NBA" crew and comedian Kevin Hart, so the league aimed higher this year.

Between the first and second games of Sunday's All-Star festivities, NBC's Reggie Miller spoke with former U.S. president Barack Obama for a few minutes while Team Stars and Team Stripes prepared for their matchup.

Obama sat courtside with his wife, former First Lady Michelle Obama, at the All-Star Game at the Intuit Dome, far away from the former president's original home of Chicago and his current home city of Washington D.C.

The Obamas are courtside for the NBA All-Star game ⭐️ pic.twitter.com/SasJMU3xlI

Here's a look at what Obama had to say about the NBA and basketball in general on Sunday.

LIVE: Follow updates from NBA All-Star Game

Barack Obama interview

In an on-court interview with Miller at the NBA All-Star Game, Obama praised the NBA's international growth and said basketball is now popular on "every continent."

The former president credited the league's efforts to grow the game with producing international stars such as Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, offering some optimism about the future of the NBA amid criticism over the All-Star Weekend format.

Obama took some time to dish out details about his upcoming presidential library in Chicago, which is set to open in June. Asked specifically by Miller whether the center will include a basketball court, Obama confirmed it will have a full-sized NBA court as the NBC broadcast showed a glimpse of the hardwood with the "O" logo at midcourt. 

Obama, of course, couldn't go without getting a jab in at Miller. When the former Indiana Pacers star asked Obama — a lifelong Bulls fan — if he had a favorite memory from the Bulls' 1990s dynasty, the former president said, "I always enjoyed watching us beat Indiana."

Obama admitted he was "terrified" by Miller's 3-point ability in a close game, but he accused the Hall of Famer of pushing off of Michael Jordan in the 1998 Eastern Conference Finals.

Before the interview, Obama even snagged a loose ball while sitting courtside:

Obama was ready to check in the game lol pic.twitter.com/ebuZcdPAQT

Here's what you need to know about Obama's appearance at the NBA All-Star Game.

MORE: What's the NBA All-Star game prize money?

Why is Barack Obama at the NBA All-Star Game?

Obama is a lifelong basketball fan and roots for the Bulls after growing up in Chicago. He also has a relationship with NBA commissioner Adam Silver, as the two attended an NBA Finals game together in 2019.

The Obamas live in Washington D.C. and aren't known to currently have a home in Los Angeles, but the former president has spent some time in the L.A. area in his post-presidency, even hosting some events in Southern California.

Obama recently appeared on the "No Lie with Brian Tyler Cohen" podcast, which is based in Los Angeles, so he has been in the area for multiple days and took in some of the world's best basketball players on Sunday.