The daughter of Black American royalty, Malia Obama, recently directed the sneaker commercial for the WNBA’s best player, A’ja Wilson.
The eldest daughter of former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama directed one of the multiple Nike commercials during unveiling the critically acclaimed A’Ones, Wilson’s signature shoe line for the shoemaking behemoth.
A’ja Wilson’s shoe line, A’One, is set for wide release on May 6
Wilson’s A’One Nke shoes have captured the imagination of urbanites nationwide on the eve of the shoe’s public unveiling on May 6.
The new basketball shoes came out after Wilson completed arguably the most outstanding single season in WNBA history in 2024. Wilson broke four major records in 2024, accumulating the most points ever (1021), the highest scoring average of 26 points per game, the most blocked shots in history (98), and the most overall rebounds (451) the game has ever seen.
Wilson was named the MVP of Team USA’s successful campaign to capture the gold medal during the Paris Olympics for her superior on-court prowess. A few months later, Wilson became the second player in history to win the MVP unanimously (Cynthia Cooper won unanimously in 1998).
Finally, after years of collaborative work with Nike creatives, she has been endorsed since she graduated from the University of South Carolina in 2018 and was the No. 1 pick in that year’s WNBA Draft.
Malia Obama’s organic rise in Hollywood’s directing and screenwriting circles
In recent years, Obama has made a splash in Hollywood with her foray into screenwriting and directing projects. After graduating from Harvard University and moving to Southern California, Obama quickly got to work on her dream of becoming a filmmaker.
Actually, Obama interned before graduation, working as a production assistant in 2014 and then joining the writer’s room of HBO’s “Girls” in 2015.
After graduation, Donald Glover hired her for the writer’s room on the limited series “Hive” after Obama had been a writer on the show “Swarm.”
Malia Obama’s short film ‘The Heart’ wins an award
After displaying her skills on those projects, Obama joined Glover’s production company to write and direct the short film The Heart in 2023. The film dealt with the heartbreak of a son mourning the loss of his mother right after he argued with her. The prestigious Toronto International Film Festival and the Sundance Film Festival screened The Heart. It was nominated for three awards and was the 2023 Winner for the Best Live Action Short.
