Who Is Michelle Obama's Brother Craig Robinson? Everything to Know

Born April 21, 1962, to secretary Marian Robinson and water plant worker Fraser Robinson, Craig Robinson grew up on the South Side of Chicago. Two years later, on January 17, 1964, he became a big brother to Michelle Obama.

In his memoir A Game of Character, Craig looked back at their humble beginnings in Illinois.

"In reality, I had no clue that we were poor and wouldn't until leaving home for college. But what I did know was that I never had to want for anything that I needed or wished for," he wrote.

Michelle also opened up about their adolescence in a September 2019 post on Instagram.

The former First Lady said, "When I think back to my childhood, I remember moments like this with my brother Craig. We grew up on the South Side of Chicago, in a diverse and changing neighborhood, hanging out with friends from all backgrounds."

Over the years, Craig and Michelle have openly spoken about their relationship as siblings.

In an April 2019 throwback photo on Instagram, Craig expressed his gratitude to his little sister for being his "first pitcher, catcher, and friend."

"@MichelleObama thanks for being such a good teammate! #NationalSiblingDay," he continued in the caption.

Meanwhile, Michelle wrote about her older sibling in her memoir Becoming, saying Craig has been her "protector since the day I was born."

She added, "You have made me laugh more than any other person on this earth. You are the best brother a sister could ask for, a loving and caring son, husband and father."

After receiving full scholarships to several colleges across the U.S., Craig chose Princeton University, where he became the fourth all-time leading scorer in the school's basketball history. He also earned Ivy League Player of the Year honor twice during his tenure with the Tigers.

Following his graduation in 1983 after completing a sociology degree, the Philadelphia 76ers scouted him during the fourth round of the 1983 NBA draft. Craig eventually signed with Manchester Giants in the U.K. and played with the team for two years.

Craig earned his MBA in finance from the University of Chicago Graduate School of Business after returning to the U.S. He worked in several investment banking firms, including at Morgan Stanley.

However, he shifted his career and became an assistant basketball coach at Northwestern University, which paid only a tenth of what he earned in his previous role as a high-ranking executive, according to The New York Times.

"My business success, albeit good — in fact, maybe even grand by some measures — wasn't bringing me the kind of pleasure and joy that I felt when I was coaching," he explained his decision in an interview with Inc. in May 2011.

Craig served as head coach at Brown University from 2006 to 2008. He then coached the Oregon State Beavers until 2014 — the same year he was hired as a college basketball analyst for ESPNU.

In 2016, the Milwaukee Bucks hired Craig as its vice president of player and organizational development, though he left the role after a year to take a similar job with the New York Knicks until 2020.

Currently, he works as the executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

Craig and Janis welcomed two children — Avery and Leslie — before their marriage ended.

His wife, Kelly, gave birth to their first son, Austin, in 2010, and their second child, Aaron, in 2012.

Alongside his executive work, Craig is also busy working on his and Michelle's joint podcast show, "IMO With Michelle Obama & Craig Robinson."

"My brother Craig and I launched the 'IMO' podcast to create a space for people to come as they are, ask honest questions, give their opinions, and have thoughtful conversations about life," Michelle said in a statement.

She continued, "There is no single way to deal with the challenges we may be facing — whether it's family, faith, or our personal relationships — but taking the time to open up and talk about these issues can provide hope."

They launched the podcast in March.

In Michelle's memoir Becoming, she recalled the time she asked his brother to invite Barack Obama to play basketball when she began dating the former POTUS. Craig later explained to the New York Post that their late patriarch told them basketball could help people judge someone's character.

"I realized he wasn't selfish, he wasn't greedy. He showed character on the court," Craig said of Barack. "He called fouls and gave up fouls. You have to trust the guys you're playing with in pickup, they'll make the right call. He did all of that."

He recalled, "I was able to get back to her and say, 'He seems like a pretty good guy.' The best thing about it, I told her, is he didn't just pass me the ball because he was dating my sister."

Although they bonded in basketball, Craig reportedly thought Barack and Michelle's relationship would not last.

He shared on the April 16 episode of their "IMO" podcast, "I've told this story many times about when you first started dating... We don't know who this guy is. We're just like Barack – who's got a name like Barack? And I was thinking to myself, 'It's going to last about a month like most of your relationships.'"

When Michelle said she's had "many long-term boyfriends," his brother responded, "I wouldn't call those guys boyfriends."