Ranking President Obama's 20 Best Sports Jokes

Regardless of politics, Barack Obama has been a great president for sports fans, right? He played pickup basketball with LeBron James, golfed with Stephen Curry and advocated for a playoff in college football.

He also told a lot of hilarious sports jokes.

As President Obama's time in office comes to an end, let's look back on 20 of those jokes, taken from championship White House visits, interviews and speeches over his eight years in office.

What makes a good joke? That's completely subjective, of course, but generally jokes are more likely to incite laughter if they are timely, creative and rich with knowledge of the subject matter.

In Obama's case, his jokes usually involved some ribbing. He's not afraid to hurl zingers at legends like Magic Johnson or Michael Jordan, and many of his jokes would be right at home in a Comedy Central roast.

Obama's jokes also display an impressive knowledge of sports situations. That means he either stays extremely in-touch with the sports world, or he's got excellent researchers on staff (probably some of both).  

So, based on that loose criteria, here are 20 of Obama's most memorable sports jokes from his time in office, ranked. 

20. O-Bama, 2016

"You can call me 'O-bama."

Obama's O-Bama joke gets a spot on the list despite its extreme corniness. In fact, this joke was so obvious and so far into dad-joke territory—that's what was funny about it.

The Alabama Crimson Tide football team has visited Obama's White House an outrageous four times. During the final visit in March, the President lightheartedly suggested, "So clearly, I brought you some good luck."

In fact, the best part of the joke was Obama's own reaction to the laughter. He asked the crowd, smiling, "You like that?"

Funny for: That dad-joke appeal 

19. Squirrel Dance, 2013

"Ray retired on top, coming back from a triceps injury, which I believe was caused by that dance he does. But no, I'm not doing that dance. It caused him to miss most of the regular season." 

Retired Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis was famous for terrorizing opposing quarterbacks, but his patented entrance dance also became fairly well-known over the years.

In addition to suggesting the dance could cause injury, President Obama also referred to it as a "squirrel dance" during the Ravens' White House visit after their 2013 Super Bowl title. 

Obama also told the team, "Now, I suspect that these guys are wondering, what kind of introduction is that? No smoke machine. No fire cannons. Obama didn't even tear up chunks of turf and rub them on his suit," per Graff and Hall.

(All those shenanigans are a little ridiculous out of context, right?)

Funny for: It's funny because it's true

18. Dirk Nowitzki's Singing Skills, 2012

"Clearly Dirk is a tough guy, although the most painful thing may have been his rendition of 'We Are the Champions' during the victory celebrations." 

The Dallas Mavericks won the NBA title in 2011, and star forward Dirk Nowitzki sang Queen's "We Are the Champions" at the victory parade. He certainly earned an A for effort, but the rendition wasn't exactly easy on the ears.

President Obama spoke about Nowitzki's toughness—he played his way to Finals MVP despite a finger injury—but also made a pretty funny reference to that celebratory karaoke performance.  

Honorable mention to Obama describing Mark Cuban as a "shy and retiring owner" and calling the entire team his "contemporaries" (old joke!).

Funny for: Calling out the Finals MVP 

17. People Still Hate Christian Laettner, 2015

"When I flip on ESPN and see a documentary about how people still 'hate' Christian Laettner, a guy who played for Duke 23 years ago, I realize, well, maybe I don't have it so bad...or I think this is going to be a long 23 years." 

Christian Laettner is still the butt of jokes more than two decades after his graduation.

Really, while Obama did mention Laettner during Duke basketball's NCAA championship visit to the White House in 2015, he was joking about their similarities. In fact, this joke was funny because of the slight political tie-in. 

For example, Obama also likened himself to Mike Krzyzewski's program in general, saying, "I can relate to this program. Does well in the classroom; won twice in the past four years; know what it's like for people to oppose you no matter what you try to do."

Funny for: The self-deprecation 

16. Hope and Change, 2016

"Welcome to the White House and give it up for the world champion Cleveland Cavaliers. That's right, I said 'World Champion' and 'Cleveland Cavaliers' in the same sentence. That's what we're talking about when we're talking about hope and change." 

Of course President Obama made a joke about J.R. Smith's shirt during the Cleveland Cavaliers' championship White House visit in November, but perhaps even better was his reference to his own campaign slogan.

The Cavs won the NBA title for the first time in franchise history in 2016, knocking off the 73-win Golden State Warriors and cementing LeBron James' legacy as a hometown hero.

As for Smith, the President had already razzed him about his post-title shirtless antics, telling Cavs coach Tyronn Lue on the telephone in June, "Tell J.R. and everybody to put on a shirt, though," per Rohan Nadkarni of SI.com.

Funny for: Putting the Cavs down while building them up 

15. Charles Barkley out of His Seat, 2016

"That was a good shot. It was like a Christian Laettner shot. It was like a Jimmy V running up and down the court shot. Charles Barkley apparently jumped out of his seat, which he doesn't do very often these days."

Villanova won the NCAA men's basketball tournament this year in dramatic fashion. Kris Jenkins sank a buzzer-beater as time expired to win a nail-biter over the North Carolina Tar Heels.  

And yet, when the Wildcats visited the White House in May, the most memorable comment from President Obama wasn't just about the shot, it was about the shot and NBA Hall of Famer and TNT analyst Charles Barkley.

The shot did, indeed, have Barkley up out of his seat in shock and jubilation.

Funny for: Razzing a legend (and it won't be the last time)

14. Aaron Rodgers Trade, 2011

"What I'm thinking is I think we should initiate a trade to send (Packers quarterback Aaron) Rodgers down to the Bears." – After receiving a Green Bay Packers ownership certificate, per Mark Kass of the Milwaukee Business Journal.

President Obama makes no effort to hide his affinity for Chicago sports teams. So, of course, when a Chicago rival comes to town on a championship visit, he's got to remind folks where his allegiances lie.

For example, when the Super Bowl champion Green Bay Packers visited the White House in 2011, Obama joked that perhaps quarterback Aaron Rodgers would be better suited in a Chicago Bears uniform. (Oooh, burn, Jay Cutler.) Packers fans didn't like the joke, but you can't fault the President for loyalty. 

Honorable mention to Obama's allegation the Packers were "coming to my house to rub it in" and question, "What are you going to do—go to (Mike) Ditka's house next?"

Funny for: The seemingly unintentional Cutler burn 

13. David Beckham's Underwear Line, 2012

"In fact, it is a rare man who can be that tough on the field and also have his own line of underwear. David Beckham is that man."

The Los Angeles Galaxy visited the White House in 2012 to celebrate their 2011 MLS Cup victory. At that time, a certain British heartthrob was still on the team.

President Obama took the opportunity to roast David Beckham on everything from his age to underwear ads. Check out the POTUS dropping that sports and pop culture knowledge.

On Beckham's age (then 38 years), Obama said, "We have a young up-and-comer on the team, a guy named David Beckham. I have to say I gave David a hard time—I said half his teammates could be his kids. We're getting old, David. Although you're holding up better than me."

Funny for: That pop culture knowledge 

12. Hunter Pence Signs, 2015

"Hunter Pence eats pizza with a fork."

President Obama (aka his staff) leaves no stone unturned when conducting research for timely sports jokes.

Consider his crack about Hunter Pence in 2015. The San Francisco Giants visited the White House after their 2014 World Series championship, but Obama couldn't resist roasting one of the team's most interesting players.

During the 2014 season, a few clever New York Mets fans made headlines with their confusing, yet oddly hilarious signs about Pence's alleged parking and eating habits.   

Obama evoked one of those fantastic signs during Pence's visit. Granted, Obama didn't so much author this joke as repeat it, but still. Funny stuff. 

Funny for: Those signs were hilarious 

11. Derek Jeter's Age, 2016

"I mean, for a baseball player, you were old, man. Let's face it. I mean come on man, we saw you trying to run those bases."   

In a rare, probably unscripted moment, President Obama called Derek Jeter old during a June interview for the Players' Tribune.

The President and New York Yankees legend were chatting about retirement, and Jeter lamented the fact that professional athletes are generally dubbed "old" by the time they turn 30. 

Jeter retired in 2014 at the age of 40. Much was made of his waning speed and defensive range, but let's not forget his league-leading 216 hits and .316 BA during his age-38 season in 2012.

Funny for: The spontaneity 

10. Celebrating Phil Kessel, 2016

"We are here to celebrate an extraordinary achievement: Phil Kessel is a Stanley Cup champion!" 

It was a long road to the Stanley Cup for Pittsburgh Penguins right winger Phil Kessel. After years of disappointment with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Kessel was traded to the Penguins in 2015. The very next season, he hoisted the Stanley Cup.

It was a big storyline. Kessel said, per Mike Zeisberger and Michael Traikos of the National Post, "Who could have dreamed a year ago this could have happened? This is unreal."

President Obama was not naive to Kessel's history and used it to open his remarks when the Pens visited the White House in October.

Funny for: The surprise factor 

9. Situation Room Plans Golf Outing, 2013

JIM WATSON/Getty Images

"

We face major challenges. March in particular is going to be full of tough decisions. But I want to assure you, I have my top advisers working around the clock. After all, my March Madness bracket isn't going to fill itself out. And don't worry — there is an entire team in the Situation Room as we speak, planning my next golf outing, right now at this moment.

"

– At the 2013 Gridiron Club Dinner, per the Associated Press (via the New York Daily News)

Like many Americans, President Obama fills out an NCAA tournament bracket each year (and, as most folks, experiences varying degrees of accuracy). He also enjoys the occasional round of golf.

But does he enjoy these things too much? Dana Milbank of the Miami Herald wrote in 2014, "Obama's golf habit needlessly hands his critics a gimme."

At the annual Gridiron Club Dinner in 2013, Obama used golf and March Madness to sarcastically clap back against his critics. Point, POTUS. 

Funny for: The thick sarcasm 

8. Popovich's Contractual Obligations, 2015

"I want coach to know that he is not contractually obligated to take questions after the first quarter of my remarks." 

San Antonio Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich is a media darling—despite his clear disdain for media interviews.

President Obama tapped into this nugget of trivia during the Spurs' visit to the White House in 2015 following their 2014 NBA title.

Proving Pop is a magnet for joke material, POTUS also said, "I was considering having the vice president cover these remarks so I could stay fresh for State of the Union… taking an example off Pop who sits his stars sometimes."

Funny for: Knowledge of Pop's media preferences 

7. Legion of Boom, 2014

"I considered letting Sherman up here to the podium and giving him the mic. But we gotta go in a little bit." 

The Seattle Seahawks handled the Denver Broncos to win Super Bowl XLVIII in demanding fashion, 43-8. Front and center was the team's heralded defense led by cornerback Richard Sherman and the secondary, nicknamed the "Legion of Boom."

In addition to his status as an All-Pro corner, Sherman is also famous for speaking his mind. Who could forget his now-famous "I'm the best corner in the game!" rant in 2014?

President Obama poked fun at Sherman individually but also the unit as a whole, adding, "Of course, I don't need to tell you how outstanding the Seahawks are because they did a pretty good job of describing themselves. You may have heard of the Legion of Boom."

Funny for: Stealing the spotlight from Sherman 

6. Steve Kerr in the Building, 2016

"It is rare to be in the presence of guys from the greatest team in NBA history. So we're pretty lucky today, because we've got one of those players in the house: Steve Kerr, from the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls!" 

President Obama managed to roast the entire Golden State Warriors roster in one fell swoop during the team's White House visit in February.

While honoring the Dubs' 2015 NBA title, POTUS just couldn't resist a nod to his beloved Chicago Bulls, of which Warriors coach Steve Kerr was once a player.

Obama also praised NBA MVP Stephen Curry in particular when he said, "[Stephen Curry] is a pretty good shooter. Heh. For those of you watched the game against the Wizards last night, he was, to use slang, he was clowning." 

Obama got dad jokes. 

Funny for: The "Oh, I see what you did there" factor 

5. Peyton Manning's Endorsements, 2016

"You basically can stack your whole household with stuff this guy is selling." 

Of course President Obama gave the crowd an "Omaha" when the Super Bowl 50 champion Denver Broncos visited the White House in June.

But the better Peyton Manning joke came at the expense of the former QB's many commercial endorsements. Jon Heath of Broncos Wire reported Manning makes just as much money slinging goods as he did playing football.

To be fair, Obama also said of Manning, "I'm so pleased to be able to host Peyton. Anybody who's been a football fan has watched what has been a Hall of Fame career."

Funny for: Manning is in a ton of commercials 

4. Yelling at Mario, 2014

"With that, I think we should take a picture, but we should make it quick, before one of these guys starts yelling at Mario." 

Former Miami Heat point guard Mario Chalmers has taken a lot of heat (pardon the pun) from teammates over the years. In fact, last year Alysha Tsuji of For the Win created a timeline of instances of teammates picking on him. 

President Obama picked up on the trend when the Heat visited the White House in 2014, in celebration of their 2013 title.

Perhaps this is what POTUS was referring to?

Funny for: Poor Mario Chalmers—guy can't catch a break

3. The Guy from 'Space Jam,' 2016

"

Today, we celebrate extraordinary Americans who have lifted our spirits, strengthened our union, pushed us towards progress. I always love doing this event, but this is a particularly impressive class. We've got innovators and artists … public servants, rabble rousers, athletes, renowned character actors, like the guy from Space Jam.

"

It takes one bold dude to make fun of Michael Jordan, the GOAT, legendary trash-talker and iconic competitor.

POTUS rose to the challenge during the 2016 Presidential Medal of Freedom ceremony, at which Jordan was honored.

Obama got in several jokes about the Hall of Famer, including the Space Jam zinger and a reference to the famous Crying Jordan meme.

It's worth noting, however, Obama also praised Jordan and said, "There is a reason you call somebody 'the Michael Jordan of.'"

Funny for: Its boldness and reference to a 1990s sports movie classic 

2. Rahm Emanuel Zinger, 2013

"We were originally going to let Corey Crawford say a few words ... but we need to keep this event family-friendly. You guys have been hanging out with Rahm Emanuel too much." 

The Chicago Blackhawks have visited Obama's White House three times—in honor of championships in 2010, 2013 and 2015.

One of the President's jokes in 2013, however, stands out among the rest for its bite and political tie-in.

Blackhawks goalie Corey Crawford made a profanity-laced victory speech (NSFW) at the team's 2013 rally in Chicago. Obama touched on that along with the foul-mouthed tendencies of his former chief of staff (and current Chicago mayor) Rahm Emanuel.

Well played, POTUS.

Funny for: That perfect parallel 

1. Roasting Magic Johnson, 2010

"I do want to point out that six of them came with the Bulls. You remember that, Magic?"

President Obama loves talking about the Michael Jordan-era Chicago Bulls. (What Chicago fan doesn't?)

So Obama was particularly jazzed to meet Phil Jackson. Jackson—the former Bulls coach who presided over two three-peats—visited the White House in 2010, then as head coach of the 2009 NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Obama lauded Jackson for his then-10 (now 11) championships as a coach and scorched Hall of Fame Laker Magic Johnson in the process.

Not only did Obama hit Johnson with a verbal zinger, but he also reenacted Jordan's iconic switch hands layup, used against Johnson's Lakers in the 1991 NBA Finals.

Funny for: Spontaneity, roasting a legend and a pantomime