MIAMI, FLORIDA – NOVEMBER 02: Former President Barack Obama (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
Barack Obama found the time to take some shots at the New York Knicks.
The New York Knicks have been no stranger to jokes at their expense given the feckless rosters they usually produce year in and year out, but it had to be a shock for them when former president Barack Obama took a completely unprompted shot at them in an interview.
In an interview with Showtime’s Desus and Mero, Obama jokingly referenced a video of the pair playing basketball against New Jersey senator Cory Booker. While they didn’t play that well in the video, Obama still thinks they’re good enough to play for the Knicks.
The Knicks completely redid their roster, so maybe Desus and Mero could sneak onto that squad
New York signed several somewhat noteworthy free agents to new contracts after failing to land Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant in free agency, and Leon Rose is already working on undoing that offseason purge. Bobby Portis and Taj Gibson were tossed aside as the Knicks move forward with a young core of RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, and 2020 first-round pick Obi Toppin. While certainly enticing, this squad will have a hard time getting into the postseason in an improving Eastern Conference.
Even with this rosy vision of a young core that gives them some stability, the Knicks still have some serious holes on this roster, most notably on the perimeter. James Dolan’s 2020-21 bunch likely won’t do much to erase the last few decades of jokes that have come at his team’s expense.
While this squad might be a touch more competitive this year due to the fact the fiery had coach Tom Thibodeau is running the show, this group needs to jell quickly, lest Obama look like a prophet and the same bad voodoo that has vexed the Knicks for two decades comes back to bite them.