Obama tells tennis story on podcast with Springsteen

There's a new podcast in town and it stars an unlikely duo: 44th U.S. President Barack Obama and "The Boss" Bruce Springsteen. Their show, called "Renegades Born in the USA" launched on Spotify on Monday, and the very first episode includes an anecdote about tennis.

Their discussion in "Outsiders: An Unlikely Friendship" is about two men from very different worlds reflecting on the pandemic, the political unrest and racial issues plaguing the country. The second episode, titled "American Skin: Race in the United States" also dropped on Monday.

"On the surface, Bruce and I don't have a lot in common," the former President says to kick things off. "He’s a white guy from a small town in Jersey. I’m a Black guy of mixed race born in Hawaii with a childhood that took me around the world. He’s a rock n’ roll icon. I’m a lawyer and politician–not as cool."

About 40 minutes into the episode, former President Obama brings up a memory from his tennis-playing days in Hawaii. Growing up on the island, he was more sheltered from racism but not entirely saved from "day-to-day ignorance and slights," as he calls them.

He was 11 or 12 years old in the 1970s and had entered in a local tennis tournament.

"And I was not a great player, but I was good enough to be in some tournaments, and I remember running my finger down to see where my name was on the seeding," the former President said. "And the tennis pro, who was basically the coach of the tennis team at this high school, he says, 'Better be careful. You might rub off on the chart, and make it dirty.'"

The young Obama challenged the tennis pro, who tried to brush off the comments as a joke. The incident has stuck with the 59-year-old for decades.

The former President is a big basketball and tennis fan, with a court for each sport on the grounds of the White House. His daughters have taken lessons, his family has attended the US Open, and he, himself, has hit around with the likes of Caroline Wozniacki at the annual White House Easter Egg Roll.

Obama and Springsteen's ongoing conversation on the podcast sheds light on some very important issues, while also showing how much they have in common despite their apparent differences.