Former President Barack Obama recently kicked it with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on the All The Smoke podcast, pulling up to the brand-new Home Court facility at the Obama Presidential Center on Chicago's South Side. The guys chopped it up about everything from his early days of community organizing to his lifelong love for hoops, navigating his biracial identity, and what life has been like since leaving the White House.

Looking out at the state-of-the-art facility, Obama took a trip down memory lane. He talked about moving from New York to Chicago at 25 to work with local churches after the steel plants closed. He packed up a janky used car and took a job making just $ 13,000 a year, plus car expenses. The area is deeply personal for him—it is where he met his wife, Michelle Obama, where his daughters were born, and where he laid the groundwork that shaped his entire life. He said the whole point of building the center is to give back to the South Side by creating a hub where neighborhood kids can access a first-class gym, a public library, educational resources, and even a recording studio to learn about careers in music and sports.

When the conversation shifted to basketball, Obama opened up about how the game was his safe harbor growing up in Hawaii. He did not have his father around—having met him only once, for a month, when he was 10 years old—so he lacked a clear male role model at home. While his mother and grandparents always kept a positive image of his father alive, hoops became the place where he found community. On the court, everything was equal and based purely on whether you could play. Since there were not many men around who looked like him, he looked to TV icons like Walt Frazier and Julius Erving to learn how to carry himself on and off the court.

Barnes, who is also biracial, asked Obama about navigating his identity. Obama noted that Hawaii's diverse mix of cultures shielded him from many typical mainland pressures. But when he moved to the mainland, he had to figure out how to just be himself without trying too hard to fit into a specific box. He remembered a college buddy from East St. Louis checking him for giving another peer a hard time for not acting "street" enough. It was a major lesson in realizing there is no single way to be Black and that authenticity matters most. He even laughed about taking Michelle to his grandmother's rural village in Kenya for the first time, where his African relatives looked at her and asked which of her parents was white, showing how distinct the Black American experience truly is.

As expected, the guys had to talk some modern NBA. Obama showed love to the New York Knicks for locking up the championship in Game 5, saying he was happy for all his long-suffering Knicks-fan friends. He raved about Jalen Brunson, praising his mental fortitude and sheer endurance. He pointed out how rare it is for a 6-foot-1, second-round draft pick to put a team on his back and win it all, comparing Brunson's championship heart to guys like Stephen Curry, Isiah Thomas, and Chris Paul, who defied the physical toll of dominating the paint at that size.

Obama also offered praise to the young San Antonio Spurs core. After seeing Victor Wembanyama live at the All-Star game, Obama admitted he had never seen anyone that big move with so much fluidity. He noted that once the young star adds some weight, sharpens his conditioning, and locks in a go-to move, the sky is the limit—especially with the defensive demands of closing out on three-pointers in today's game. He also gave props to young guards Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper for playing with a fearless game face, noting that even though they are still babies—five years younger than his youngest daughter, Sasha—their future is incredibly bright. He did admit, though, that he still loves 1990s basketball the most, back when Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls ruled a much more physical, paint-packed game before the heavy three-point era took over.

The guys also asked about the transition to life after the presidency. Obama kept it real, saying his first order of business was making up a massive time deficit with his wife. He acknowledged the unique double standards and heavy pressure placed on Michelle as the first African American first lady, so getting back to family time and travel was huge. He does not miss the formal ceremonies or the daily tie, but he does miss the "foxhole" camaraderie of tackling massive, high-stakes decisions with a tight-knit team.

He visualizes his life now as transitioning from a player to a coach. Inspired by his late mother-in-law, Marian Robinson, who always reminded him that talent is everywhere but opportunity is not, he is focusing his foundation on uplifting the next generation of leaders so they do not feel isolated.

Finally, Jackson asked how he manages to stay so calm and take the high road when the current administration keeps his name in the news. Obama laughed it off, saying he obviously occupies a suite "rent-free" in the current leader's head. He explained that when he was in office, he never had time to worry about his predecessors because the job demands total focus on the American people. He revealed that he never watched cable news or browsed social media while president, choosing instead to block out the noise to keep a healthy feedback loop. His biggest piece of advice for the youth? Stop worrying about what other people think, because letting critics get to you means letting them control your happiness.