Former US President Barack Obama’s visit to the US men’s basketball team went viral for resembling an iconic Key and Peele parody from 2014.
In the comedy’s central sketch, Jordan Peele plays the role of Obama after giving a presidential speech. As he greets a row of spectators, he proceeds to formally shake hands with white fans while giving multi-layered hugs and handshakes to black audience members.
On Wednesday, the real-life Obama appeared to embody the sketch as he sent the NBA’s all-star team to the Paris Olympics later this month.
The viral clip shows the former president giving casual, quick handshakes, accompanied by hugs, to Anthony Edwards, Steph Curry, LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
After greeting the players, Obama approached the coaching staff with firm, formal handshakes, just as Obama’s character did with non-black spectators in the sketch.
Barack Obama went viral for looking like an iconic Key & Peele skit while meeting with Team USA.
The latter group included Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra and Golden State Warriors head coach Steve Kerr.
Several users were quick to point out the clip’s uncanny resemblance to the skit. Reposting the video, Barstool Sports wrote that “Obama brought out the old Key and Peele playbook.”
“This is literally exactly how the skit went down. Wow!” one user wrote.
“Word for word, bar for bar,” said another.
“He knew exactly what he was doing,” commented a third, while a fourth asked: “Does life imitate art or does art imitate life?”
However, Obama continued to deliver a message to the players and proclaim a new title for himself.
The former US president called himself “Hooper in Chief” during his remarks to the team.
The star-studded team includes LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Steph Curry and Jayson Tatum.
Americans belong to the same group as Serbia, South Sudan and Puerto Rico.
“It’s true that I’m the Hooper in Chief,” he began his speech. “I just want to come here to help send off the soon-to-be gold medal winners. We invented this game and I don’t like it when we don’t win.”
“If they play as a team, our talent will be unmatched. I am confident that they will win gold again and represent us as they deserve around the world.”
The Americans will open the group stage against Serbia on the 28th. They will then face South Sudan on the 31st and Puerto Rico on August 3.
