Barack Obama recently showcased his sense of humor and pop culture savviness by recreating the famous Key & Peele handshakes. On Wednesday, Barack Obama greeted USA men’s basketball team members ahead of their trip to Paris for the 2024 Olympics. While the meeting was casual, how he greeted the team members reminded fans of a particular Key & Peele sketch. Recall that in 2014, the comedians acted out a bit, with Jordan Peele playing Obama and greeting dignitaries at an event. In the skit, Peele greeted the members differently, depending on race.
While he gave the white supporters a formal handshake, the comedian dapped the black members up. Similarly, Barack Obama’s meeting with the USA men’s basketball team featured the same dap-or-handshake differentiation process. Footage of the interaction showed Obama dapping up LeBron James, Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, and other black players. However, when he approached the white staff member, the 62-year-old returned to a formal handshake. The video of Obama re-enacting the Key & Peele handshakes went viral, sparking a flurry of reactions from fans. Many who figured out what was happening almost immediately couldn’t hide their laughter.
“He knew what he was doing and that makes it even funnier! 😂😂😂,” one fan wrote. A second amused person shared, “Obama for sure watches Key and Peele. He ain’t forget 😂😂😂.” Meanwhile, another fan remarked, “Still funny everytime I see it cause that’s how we are in real life 😂😂😂.” Some fans noted that what was more hilarious was how Obama dapped up the players so hard. “You could probably hear the dap he gave bron from the parking lot 😭,” one fan commented. Another person added, “He made sure them daps hit extra hard just in case Kendrick watching 😭.” Besides the Key & Peele handshakes, others commented on Obama’s personality. According to them, his relatability and down-to-earth personality were something they would always love about the politician.
