Michelle Obama’s brother, Craig Robinson, didn’t believe she and Barack Obama would become the power couple they are.
The former first lady, 61, and Robinson, 62, recalled their dating histories on the Wednesday, April 16, episode of their “IMO” podcast. Robinson revealed that he used to test out his sister’s romantic interests by taking them to play basketball.
“What my dad [Fraser C. Robinson III] would say is, ‘You can really tell a person’s character by how they play pick-up basketball,’” he explained. “And the reason is, you can see how hard a person works. You can see if they’re the type of person who talks trash.”
Craig recalled his initial reaction to Michelle beginning her relationship with Barack, 63, in 1989, sharing, “We don’t know who this guy is. [We’re] just like, ‘Barack, who’s got a name like Barack?’ And I’m thinking to myself, ‘It’s going to last about a month,’ like most of your relationships did.”
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Craig added that their late mother, Marian Robinson, was happy that Barack was “tall,” adding, “I said to myself, ‘Well, it’s too bad it’s not going to last.’”
Craig noted he wasn’t planning to play basketball with Barack until Michelle urged him to. “At first I said, ‘No way. I am not doing your dirty work for you. If he turns out to be a bad dude, I am not going to be the one to say [it],’” he shared. “And you said, ‘Come on, please.’ And I finally acquiesced. And so, we went and obviously, we had a great time playing.”
Aside from learning that his now-brother-in-law was “tremendously left-handed, so he couldn’t go right at all,” Craig said the most important thing he learned was that Barack was a “team player.” He said, “[Barack] fit in with the people. And so, I was able to report back to you, ‘Everything was fine,’ and the rest is history.”
Michelle and Barack tied the knot in 1992. They went on to welcome daughters Malia and Sasha in 1998 and 2001, respectively, before Barack was inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States in 2009. He served two terms, leaving the White House in 2017.
Earlier this month, Michelle addressed speculation that she and Barack are heading toward divorce after more than 30 years of marriage. “That’s the thing that we as women struggle with — disappointing people,” she shared during the April 8 episode of Sophia Bush’s “Work in Progress” podcast. “I mean, so much so that this year people were, they couldn’t even fathom that I was making a choice for myself, that they had to assume that my husband and I are divorcing.”
She went on to note that if actions don’t “fit into the stereotype of what people think we should do,” they will be “labeled as something negative and horrible.”
Barack previously proved that their relationship is stronger than ever by sharing a sweet birthday tribute for his wife via X. “Happy birthday to the love of my life, @MichelleObama,” he wrote alongside a snap of them enjoying a dinner date on January 17. “You fill every room with warmth, wisdom, humor, and grace – and you look good doing it. I’m so lucky to be able to take on life’s adventures with you. Love you!”
