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Robert Horry Is Confused By What Travis Scott Meant When Dropping His Name In One Of His Early Hits

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Robert Horry has seven NBA championships to his name, but his name has been used in song lyrics way more than seven times.

The former Houston Rocket, Los Angeles Laker, and San Antonio Spur joined Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson’s All The Smoke last week. With around six minutes left in the nearly 90-minute episode, Barnes asked Horry to choose the “best Robert Horry name-drop in a song.”

Horry giggled before launching into his answer(s).

“I’m in so many damn songs,” Horry said. “I remember, we were at a light, and this dude pulls up next to us, and we just happened to have the windows down. We was in Pensacola, Florida, and dude was playing Kevin Gates. Kevin Gates named my name, and it’s a white guy in a Challenger — bopping his head.”

Horry described being in the passenger’s seat as his ex-wife was driving, and the White Man Driving A Challenger in question doing a double-take when Gates dropped Horry’s name in a bar.

“My current wife hates this song. I love this song. ‘Don’t you open up that window,’” Horry added, singing Travis Scott’s “Antidote.” He continued, “My wife, every time, she [says], ‘Is there something you need to tell me?’”

Someone off-camera asked Horry if he’s gotten in trouble with his wife for the song. He confirmed he has not gotten in trouble, but he still might playfully confront Scott about it.

“I met Travis Scott once. He was a huge Rockets fan — still is to this day — and I met him. I almost wanted to say, ‘Man, why you put me in that song? And what you mean by three-peat three h*es the other week?’ It’s just fun, man,” Horry said.

Horry additionally recalled a game in New Orleans during his playing days when he “ran up to Lil Wayne and said, ‘Dude, I’m honored, man, that you even know who I am.” And while his wife might not necessarily be the biggest fan of hearing her husband’s name in racy rap lyrics, he said his kids “are more proud of it than I am.”

Scott’s 2015 seminal hit “Antidote” features Scott rap-singing in the first verse, “I just hit a three-peat / F*cked three h*es I met this week (Robert Horry).”

Last month, Scott previewed his highly anticipated forthcoming album Utopia for the Houston Astros, so at least if one of them is name-checked, he’ll have a heads up. There is no official release date for Utopia, but he’s been slowly testing out songs on the presumed tracklist, including one featuring Bad Bunny.

Watch Horry’s All The Smoke episode above.

Kevin Gates is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

J. Cole Called Caleb Martin And Was ‘So Hype’ After The Miami Heat Beat Boston To Advance To The NBA Finals

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During Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 19, TNT’s Allie LaForce relayed that J. Cole is responsible for Miami Heat breakout star Caleb Martin landing with the team in September 2021.

The Heat pummeled the Boston Celtics, 103-84, in Game 7 of the Eastern Conferences Finals on Monday, May 29, with Martin scoring 26 points and snagging 10 rebounds. Ahead of Miami clashing with the Denver Nuggets in the 2023 NBA Finals, Martin joined The Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz to relish his moment in the sun.

“I’ve had a lot of people reach out, show a lot of love,” Martin said. “Obviously, my mom and my family. [J.] Cole called me right after the game. Everybody knows the story about Cole pretty much now, but Cole called me, and we were talking after the game. He was just so hype — jumping up and down.”

Le Batard then asked Martin whether it’s “legitimately 100 percent so that there’s no way that you’re on the Heat if not for J. Cole.”

“Honestly, I think the chances of me being here without him making the phone call and getting in touch with Caron, it’d be pretty slim to none,” Martin confirmed. “I feel like I definitely probably wouldn’t be here. For sure.”

During a press conference on May 31, Martin also shared that Cole had “called me before I got undressed after Game 7,” and the Dreamville rapper is “definitely gonna be at some games” during the Finals (as shared by Naveen Ganglani).

Martin first signed with the Charlotte Hornets as an undrafted free agent out of Nevada in 2019, but he was waived by the team in August 2021.

The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania broke the news in September 2021 that the 27-year-old had signed a two-way contract with the Heat, and Miami locked him up on a three-year extension last July. That contract has never looked better.

The 2023 NBA Finals tip off in Denver on Thursday, June 1. The entire series will air on ABC.

Watch Martin’s full Le Batard interview above.

Jack Harlow Was Crowned The New ‘Drake Curse’ By Boston Celtics Fans After The Team Lost Game 7 Of The Eastern Conference Finals

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Anytime Drake publicly declares his love for a sports organization, fans of the club brace for the worse. This athletic superstition has been named the “Drake Curse.” But, according to Boston Celtics fans, there’s another rapper people need to be worried about.

Jack Harlow threw his support behind the team for the Eastern Conference. But, unfortunately, the Mean Green didn’t pull out the victory during game 7 of the series leading the Miami Heat to head to the NBA Finals. So now, Celtics fans are crowning Jack Harlow the new “Drake Curse” after the team blew their home-court advantage.

Seated courtside in his Celtics-branded varsity jacket, the “They Don’t Love It” rapper quickly became a target on social media. On Twitter, fans flooded the platform with anger, one writing, “Jack Harlow really is the next Drake, bro put a curse on the Celtics right now.”

Another chimed in, tweeting, “I guess Jack Harlow is gonna be the white Drake. Swoop in and curse a team.”

Pointing out the irony in the situation, one fan wrote, “Jack Harlow is giving the Celtics the Drake curse wearing that Celtics jacket..and didn’t he make a song called ‘Tyler Herro,’” after a Heat player.

Some didn’t find any humor in loss, posting, “Jack Harlow, this is your fault. Go curse another team — you lame ass.”

Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie And Myke Towers Name-Drop Basically Every NBA Star On Their New ‘MVP’ Remix

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The NBA Finals are around the corner, but A Boogie With Da Hoodie has already cast his ballot for this year’s breakout player. On the remix for his song “MVP,” the rapper runs a lyrical drill using the name of the league’s biggest stars.

The track produced by GoodJobLarry, MD$, and Ruuben originally featured G-Eazy. However, this go around, the Bronx native drafts Puerto Rican recording artist Myke Towers to trade off bars.

Boogie sets the play as he raps on the first verse, “Bright lights like we at the Garden / On P, don’t get me startеd / Whole team walk in, we thе party / If I can’t make the play, I’ma lob it / If you jump, that’s right on your head / Had to put ’em to sleep, go to bed / I’m a star, dropped fifty and left / From the logo like I’m Steph.”

Towers doesn’t drop the ball when it is his turn, spitting, “I’m ballin’ young like Tatum / So many trophies, I gotta make room / Playoff mode, you gotta stay tuned / I’m a head coach when I make moves / I’m The Joker like Jokić / Easy money like KD / Big brands gotta pay me.”

Listen to the track above.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Fat Joe, Ludacris, Nas, Metro Boomin And More Artists Congratulated Carmelo Anthony On His NBA Retirement

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Carmelo Anthony formally announced his retirement from the NBA after beginning his career as the No. 3 overall pick in the 2003 NBA Draft for the Denver Nuggets — the same draft that saw LeBron James go No. 1.

Melo’s impact was celebrated throughout the music world upon his announcement. Melo’s comments section was predictably full of love from the likes of Juicy J (“Congrats mane!”), Lloyd Banks (“Thanks for everything you’ve done for basketball,” and Rapsody (five rose emojis).

“We’ll done [sic] brother we’ll done [sic] @carmeloanthony Congratulations you deserve all the glory,” Fat Joe wrote to caption an Instagram photo of Anthony during his New York Knicks years.

Nas narrated and reposted an Instagram reel made alongside Jumpman — Fabolous reposted the same reel to his Instagram Story alongside, “Congrats on a hell of a career” — and Metro Boomin simply posted a throwback photo of Nuggets-era Melo posting up the late Kobe Bryant:

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@metroboomin on Instagram

King James might be joining Anthony in retirement sooner than previously assumed after the Los Angeles Lakers were swept out of the 2023 NBA Playoffs by the Nuggets last night, May 22. But for now, it’s about Melo, who ironically last appeared on an NBA court as a Laker during the 2021-22 season.

“I remember the days when I had nothin’ — just a ball on the court and a dream of something more — but basketball was my outlet,” the 10-time All-Star and future Hall Of Famer said in a video posted to Instagram on May 22. “My purpose was strong, my communities, the cities I represented the pride, and the fans that supported me along the way. I am forever grateful for those people and places because they made me Carmelo Anthony.”

He continued, “But now the time has come for me to say goodbye. To the court where I made my name, to the game that gave me purpose and pride. With this bittersweet goodbye to the NBA, I’m excited about what the future holds for me.”

Anthony also explained that he believes his legacy is “more than basketball” and will live on through his son. The video was soundtracked by “All That I Got Is You” by Ghostface Killah featuring Mary J. Blige.

Some of the artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Earl Sweatshirt Needs NBA Reporters To Ask Jimmy Butler An Important Question About His Hair

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At this point in the NBA Playoffs, many questions still remain. After the Denver Nuggets finished their sweep of the Los Angeles Lakers, who will they play in the Finals? Will LeBron James really retire after his playoff exit? Will the Miami Heat, who are currently up 3-0 against the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals, complete a sweep of their own? Earl Sweatshirt has a different sort of basketball question on his mind at the moment, though.

Yesterday (May 22), the rapper tweeted, “all I ask is that one of you interviewers in this post season please ask jimmy wtf was on his mind when he did the fake dreds.” He added, “salute to the underdog of sorts but also we can’t just forget and forgive this easily.”

In case you missed it: Last summer, Miami’s Jimmy Butler debuted a new long-haired look, one that was very different from his usual style. He even wore it during Media Day, so his 2022-23 player photo on sites like Basketball-Reference features the hair, even though he didn’t end up sticking with the look for too long.

Earl’s question probably won’t come up any time soon for a couple reasons: It’s not exactly a timely topic anymore, and Butler has already answered it. Back in September, he told reporters, “I’m just messing with stuff to make the internet mad. That was my goal this summer and it worked.”

Earl Sweatshirt is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

J. Cole Actually Helped A Key Miami Heat Contributor Get Signed By The Team, Apparently

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Caleb Martin contributed 18 points off the bench for the Miami Heat in their dominant 128-102 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals on Sunday night, May 21. In the Heat’s 111-105 Game 2 victory, Martin torched the Celtics for 25 points, and he bucketed another 15 in the series’ opening matchup (another Heat win).

The eighth-seeded Heat are one win away from perhaps the most improbable NBA Finals appearance in history — certainly in recent memory — and we learned during TNT’s Game 2 broadcast that Martin was just one J. Cole call away from Miami last summer.

“We found out some interesting facts about Caleb Martin and how he got to this point,” TNT sideline reporter Allie LaForce said during the second quarter, as captured by Bleacher Report. “We were talking to [Heat head coach] Erik Spoelstra before the game, and he said a week before camp started, J. Cole — yes, J. Cole, the rapper — called assistant coach Caron Butler and said, ‘My guy Caleb Martin is available.’”

LaForce continued, “Coach Butler passed on the information to Erik Spoelstra. He said, ‘Could he come? We’re scrimmaging tomorrow.’ [Martin] showed up, impressed everyone, became a two-way player, and ever since, was a huge part of the starting rotation until they had to decide to sign him full-time. It was a match made in heaven from day one.”

Martin went undrafted in the 2019 NBA draft, signing that summer as an undrafted free agent with the Charlotte Hornets. The Nevada product inked a multi-year pact with the team by that October (as relayed by the NBA at the time), but Martin was waived in August 2021.

Miami signed Martin to a two-way contract in September 2021 (as first reported by The Athletic’s Shams Charania), which blossomed into a three-year extension worth up to $20.4 million come last July.

Undrafted players Martin, Duncan Robinson, Gabriel Vincent, and Max Strus have contributed impressively to this magical Heat playoff run led by six-time All-Star Jimmy Butler.

J. Cole could also be worth a look this coming offseason. The Dreamville rapper (and nasty hooper in his own right) has experience playing professionally in the Basketball Africa League and the Canadian Elite Basketball League.

Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals is slated to tip off at 8:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday, May 23, from Miami’s Kaseya Center. The potential elimination game will be broadcast on TNT.

Lil Wayne Had A Sage Reaction To The Ongoing Ja Morant Gun Controversy: ‘Do Y’all Know That Boy?’

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It’s the playoffs and the Nuggets are up 2-0 over the Lakers, but it seems all anyone can talk about this week is Ja Morant and his ongoing inability to avoid being caught on camera showing off guns. Not only are sports commentators weighing in (that’s their job, after all), but even rappers like GloRilla and Vic Mensa are also sharing their thoughts. The latest hip-hop artist to contribute to the discussion is Lil Wayne, who had a much more patient outlook than many observers.

Appearing on Showtime’s All The Smoke podcast hosted by Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson (two of Morant’s finest forebears in the “NBA troublemaker” category), Wayne gave a considered, empathetic take, putting himself in Ja’s shoes and lending him the benefit of the doubt. Here’s the blockquote:

The best I could do is remember when I was younger and my homies, my squad, my n****s around me, at the age where they don’t have money. I’m the one with the money, and I don’t even know how much money I’ll end up with, but I’m the one with some money in my pocket — I know I got a bright future.

My homies, they ain’t on a payroll. They my homies, they live good when they with me. When I gotta go to work and all that, they gotta go back to being who they gotta be. So I’m saying that to say, they in them streets and I was aware of that. So if I was going through something at that point in time, something public what slime going through, I could imagine the rebellious attitude I would have if my homies is egging that attitude on.

In response to the oft-made point that Ja comes from a decent family, not the gritty streets he appears to want so desperately to appeal to, Wayne had one question: “Do y’all know that boy? ‘Cause I don’t.”

I know him from dunking and jumping, and I only started knowing him when I started paying attention to him in his last year of college. He come from a town with 3,000 people. Like, what? What y’all expect? Y’all gave him $200 million. I just said, a town with 3,000 people. You expect him to be responsible? Now we tripping. That’s magic. ‘Cause I could tell you now, I come from a real well-raised, beautiful mother, nice, you know what I mean? My mama would bust her ass to make sure everything around me was nice, and I still was a knucklehead. I shot myself. And that young man, I could imagine if I came from a f*cking place with 3,000 people and I became who I am.

Morant himself issued a statement earlier this week, saying, “I know I’ve disappointed a lot of people who have supported me. This is a journey & I recognize there is more work to do. My words may not mean much right now, but I take full accountability for my actions. I’m committed to continuing to work on myself.”

And while folks blame everything from Ja’s choice of friends to his love for rap music, let us not forget that the US is a nation with more guns than people, where many states continue to refuse common-sense legislation to prevent the frighteningly common mass shooting incidents that have plagued us since a national ban on assault weapons was repealed. So, let’s keep some perspective, yeah?

HER Is ‘Grateful’ For ‘The Journey’ In Her Soaring Ballad, Helping ESPN Soundtrack The 2023 NBA Playoffs

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Courtesy of RCA Records/R&CPMK

HER (real name Gabriella Wilson) knows about winning trophies. She’s well-positioned to earn EGOT status. All that’s left is a Tony Award, which she’ll have a shot at as a member of the production team of Here Lies Love, debuting on Broadway this summer.

So it’s fitting that HER’s newest single, “The Journey,” is helping ESPN soundtrack its coverage of the 2023 NBA Playoffs. It had been included as an unreleased track, but as of Thursday, May 18, it’s her first solo release since 2021’s Grammy-nominated Back Of My Mind album.

One week ago, HER teased the single with an Instagram video of her listening back to her vocals in the studio with live strings instrumentalists recording. “ITS THE VOCAL AND STRINGS FOR ME,” she captioned the post. “I can’t wait for you to hear what I’ve been working so hard on.”

She took to Instagram again with a clip of the polished version earlier this week. “THE JOURNEY… It hasn’t been an easy one. But I’m grateful for it all. Ready for the next chapter… I’ll share more soon,” the five-time Grammy winner wrote.

“‘The Journey’ has been included within various in-game ESPN production elements, including vignettes voiced over by HER,” a press release explained. “The vignettes and additional production elements outline, through the song lyrics, the unique paths through the NBA Playoffs for all 16 teams.”

The field is down to four. The 2023 NBA Playoffs continued with the Denver Nuggets topping the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals on Tuesday, May 16, and the Miami Heat claiming Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals over the Boston Celtics on Wednesday, May 17. Whichever team hoists the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy will still have a ways to go to catch HER.

Listen to “The Journey” below.

Vic Mensa Delivered A Rap About Ja Morant And Guns Before Getting Serious About The NBA Star’s Situation

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Vic Mensa was recently spotted in New York City, according to TMZ. As the outlet caught up with him, Mensa delivered a freestyle alluding to star Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant.

“My mama keep telling me to stop, I can’t / the second time they caught me with that gun: damn, I feel like Ja Morant,” he rapped.

The lines refer to Morant brandishing a gun on social media two times, resulting in a suspension. While Mensa used the situation as inspiration for some bars, he then offered benedictions for Morant and noted that he hopes Morant can grow from the situation.

“I think God blessed Ja Morant, man,” said Mensa. “I pray that that brother gets it together and he figures it out because he’s too brilliant and so talented. He’s got a gift, he’s got a real gift. So, I don’t want to see him have to go down that path because he’s so good.”

Morant has faced much scrutiny for showing off his guns on social media. Chandler Parsons, who played for the Grizzlies from 2016 to 2019, suggested that Morant endure a year-long suspension. Mensa, however, continues to show support for Morant.

“I think God blessed him,” said Mensa. “I’m not gonna say anything to disparage him. There’s enough people doing that.”