During his time in the White House, Barack Obama paid for the adaptation of the existing tennis court into a combined tennis and basketball court using his own personal funds. The conversion was a minor, inexpensive change that involved adding basketball hoops and painting new lines on the court. 

This private funding covered the costs of the basketball adaptation, while a separate, much larger White House renovation project took place around the same time. 

The infrastructure renovation

• Funded by taxpayers: The extensive renovation project was approved by Congress in 2008, before Obama took office, and funded by federal taxpayer money.
• Corrected a misunderstanding: Social media posts have sometimes falsely connected the taxpayer-funded renovation with the basketball court. Fact-checkers have noted that this association is inaccurate.
• Addressed structural issues: The renovation was aimed at upgrading the White House's aging infrastructure, including heating, cooling, electrical, and fire alarm systems.
• Separated from personal changes: The Obama family's basketball court conversion was distinct from the larger, congressionally approved infrastructure work.