NBA champion challenges Obama speech to Michigan voters amid hotly contested Senate race

Former NBA champion and current Milwaukee Bucks forward Kyle Kuzma on Saturday pushed back on former President Barack Obama’s complimentary remarks about Sen. Elissa Slotkin, D-Mich., and Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed.

Obama was attending a rally in support of El-Sayed, who is taking on Mike Rogers. The former president raised the possibility of El-Sayed and Slotkin forming a “power duo” in the Senate, noting El-Sayed and Slotkin’s religious beliefs. El-Sayed is Muslim and Slotkin is Jewish.

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Ryan Rollins of the Milwaukee Bucks celebrates his basket with Kyle Kuzma during the first half of an NBA game against the Philadelphia 76ers, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

Kuzma, a native of Flint, Michigan, wrote on X that the last thing Michiganders care about is the religion practiced by their representatives in Washington.

“This desperate pysop (sic) is unbearable to watch in Michigan. I’m so sick of listening to her,” Kuzma wrote. “In Michigan, one in four black people lives below the poverty line and the message is that we are talking about the Muslim/Jewish duo.

“The last thing Michiganders care about is the issue of religious identity. And on top of that, Michigan is a state where the Muslim and Jewish population is 1 percent. What are we talking about.”

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Former President Barack Obama, center, joined by Democratic U.S. Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed, left, and Democratic gubernatorial candidate and Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, raise their hands during a campaign event at Cass Technical High School, Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)

The elections will take place on November 3 and they will soon be played in Michigan.

A September 30 Fox News poll found that Michigan voters were concerned about both candidates as Election Day approached. At the time, El-Sayed held a one-point lead over Rogers.

To return to Kuzma’s point, those who participated in the Fox News poll at the time said the cost of living was extremely important in their vote for Senate. President Donald Trump, immigration and U.S. policy toward Israel were also considered extremely important to voters.

Abdul El-Sayed, Democratic candidate for U.S. Senate from Michigan, speaks with reporters during a student meet-and-greet at the Michigan Theater in Ann Arbor, Michigan, August 26, 2026. (JEFF KOWALSKY / AFP via Getty Images)

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Rogers previously lost to Slotkin in 2024 for Senate. Trump won the state by less than two percentage points.