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Did Barack Obama spend $376 million for the White House basketball court? Here's the truth
Claims that Obama spent $376M of taxpayer money on the White House basketball court are false. No records show budget earmarked for the 2009 court.
Amid President Donald Trump's ambitious $200 million plan to demolish the White House East Wing and install a ballroom in its place, a claim about the basketball court built at the White House by President Barack Obama has gone viral. Against Trump's mega project, some social media users are claiming that Obama spent $376 million of taxpayers' money to build the basketball court.
However, the claims are false, as, first of all, the basketball court built by Obama in 2009 was likely privately funded, and second, the exact amount that was spent on the basketball court has not been disclosed. However, the estimated costs were far below the whopping figure being touted in the viral posts. Building high-end basketball courts costs somewhere between $50,000 and $200,000 in today's market.
Located on the South Lawn of the White House, the full-sized basketball court in existence since 2009, was originally a tennis court installed in the 1950s when Dwight D. Eisenhower was the US President. Obama revamped a part of the court and installed basketball equipment so that both tennis and basketball could be played there. Markings, along the lines of the NBA, were later installed.
Obama reportedly played basketball with his staffers after work hours at the court. Plus, when basketball stars like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, and other guests from the basketball world visited, they often visited the court.
Who Funded Obama's White House Basketball Court?
Obama modified the tennis court to accommodate both tennis and full-court basketball by adding hoops and court markings—no major demolition or new building was involved. However, the exact official cost of this adaptation has not been publicly disclosed by the White House or verified by government sources.
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As for the funding, no evidence shows that taxpayers' money was used by the Obama administration to fund the court. No budget documentation from 2009-2016 includes an earmark for new court construction. On the other hand, some posts claim that the court was privately funded either by the Obamas or their donor. But even that is unconfirmed.
A statement from the Obama White House archives, about the court reads: “Shortly after taking office, President Obama had the White House tennis court adapted so it could be used for both tennis and basketball. The White House has had a smaller outdoor court since 1991, but the adapted tennis court allows enough room for a full court game of basketball."
