Bronny James Is Still A “Laker” But In The G-League Now

Bronny James has been assigned to the NBA’s G-League to play for the South Bay Lakers, NBA reports. Earlier reports indicated LeBron James’ son would play in the development league after being drafted in the second round by the Los Angeles Lakers. After improving in the preseason, the 20-year-old USC shooting guard made history in October by becoming the first father-son pair to play in the NBA. Bronny has been one of the organizaton’s biggest attractions so far. 

Bronny James played in four games since October, including a homecoming against the Cavilers, and averaged 1 point, 0.2 rebounds, 0.5 assists, and 0.2 assists. The number of his jersey is inspired by the late recording artist JuiceWrld. Rich Paul, the agent of LeBron James and Bronny’s agent, claimed that the NBA star played better than most of the brench. Bronny signed a four-year, 7.9 million dollar deal with the Lakers in July – according to ESPN.

Read more: Savannah James Uses Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” For Instagram Story Featuring LeBron & Bronny

Bronny Reports To The “South Bay” Lakers For Development

LeBron’s son heads to the G-League while the icon continues to dominate the NBA as the oldest active player. In his sixth year with the Lakers – 22 years in the NBA – James has averaged 24 points and 6 rebounds. The small forward is on pace to achieve over 40,000 points in the NBA. James led the Lakers to an NBA championship in 2020. 

King James prepared his son well as the newcomer embarks on his rookie season. Before playing against the Sacremento Kings in the season opener, LeBron told his son, “You about ready? You see the intensity, right? Just play carefree, tho. Don’t worry about mistakes, just go out and play hard.” Was Bronny playing in the G-League always the plan? How is LeBron still playing at an elite level? Do we still want the father and son duo to play a whole season together? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read more: Bronny James’ Los Angeles Lakers Debut Gets The Meme Treatment

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Six Of The Greatest NBA Player Cameos In Music Videos Of All Time

NBA players in music videos (1024x450)
Getty Image/Merle Cooper

NBA players and musical artists have always been close with one another. One frequent way that we’ve seen that over the years is music videos, as NBA players have frequently made cameos in them, whether they’re just showing their face for a moment or they’re a main character in the story that an artist is trying to tell.

Today, we wanted to highlight some of our favorite appearances that NBA players have made in music videos over the years. Players from a number of different eras — and songs from a number of different genres — made it on the list, but all of them feature artists making it a point to get some of the biggest names in basketball into their videos.

Kobe Bryant: “Bug-a-Boo” by Destiny’s Child

This wasn’t the only time Kobe linked up with Destiny’s Child — he recorded a verse on a remix of their track “Say My Name.” He does have a cameo in the video for “Bug-a-Boo,” though, as Destiny’s Child — which is trying to get away from a group that is bugging them — dips into a locker room. While going through there, they come across Bryant, who is sitting there and getting ready to play basketball.

Michael Jordan: “Jam” by Michael Jackson

MJ and MJ just had to appear in a music video together at some point, no? The two appear on a basketball court and shoot hoops with one another, and at one point, Michael (Jackson) teaches Michael (Jordan) some dance moves. These might have been the two most famous people in the world when this video came out in 1992, and it’s a pretty remarkable cultural artifact.

DeMar DeRozan: “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar

The newest release on this list, DeRozan was one of the many celebrities who made a cameo in Lamar’s summer anthem that doubled as the high point of his feud with Drake from earlier this year. It turns out DeRozan has known Lamar for quite some time, and while he said he still has love for Drake despite appearing in this video, well, it sure seems like there might be some tension here.

Shaquille O’Neal: “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!” by Master P featuring Fiend, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X & Mystikal

Shaq, as we’ve laid out before, has been in a ton of music videos over the years. His first was the iconic “Make ‘Em Say Uhh!” video, where he sits courtside and looks like he’s having the time of his life as Master P and co. put on a show on the hardwood.

Isiah Thomas, Chris Mullin, and David Robinson: “2 Legit 2 Quit” by MC Hammer

One of the biggest music videos of all time — it’s a little more than 14 and a half minutes long, and is absolutely jam packed with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment at that time. Names like Deion Sanders, Rickey Henderson, and Wayne Gretzky make cameos, while the NBA is well-represented with two members of the Dream Team and, uh, a third player who was almost on the Dream Team.

Jimmy Butler: “So Much (for) Stardust” by Fall Out Boy

Easily the most … unique video on this list. It features Jimmy Butler dressed up in what I can only describe as an emo cowboy costume and really committing fully to the bit. (The bit, of course, is “Jimmy Butler dressing like this in a Fall Out Boy video.”) There is no one in the NBA quite like Jimmy, and this video is a pretty good example of why that is the case.

Antonio Brown And Woah Vicky Spark Relationship Rumors Following Peculiar Comments

Former NFL star wide receiver Antonio Brown and social media personality Woah Vicky appear to be suggesting that they are in a romantic relationship. A recent picture of the two together depicted Brown with his arm over Vicky and his head close to hers in a manner that is typically reserved for those in relationships. Woah Vicky, who is a white woman, also took to X (formerly Twitter) to refer to AB as the “realist n***a” she knows. Brown has not run his own X page in some time, but the person who does reposted Vicky’s tweet.

Antonio Brown’s relationship history is a lengthy one. He has children with three women, Chelsie Kyriss, Shameika Brailsford, and Wiltrice Jackson. The latter accused him of abuse in 2019, while he had very public fallouts with the former two. He also dated Instagram model Jena Frumes in 2017, though that relationship fizzled when he reconciled with Kyriss. Brown reportedly dated singer Keyshia Cole for a brief period, though he claims he ended it because she wanted a “serious” relationship. Woah Vicky, who first went viral in 2017 for repeatedly using the N-word and “feuding” with attempted rapper Bhad Bhabie, would be the latest in what has been an interesting dating history for the former star wideout.

Read More: Diddy’s Beverly Hills Mansion Reportedly Not Selling Due To “Ick Factor”

Antonio Brown And Woah Vicky Are Dating?

Of course, the two probably bonded over their love of president-elect Donald Trump. Antonio Brown has been a public Trump supporter for years. He gave then-candidate Trump his full endorsement at a rally in Latrobe, Pennsylvania on October 19. Le’Veon Bell, his former teammate on the Pittsburgh Steelers, joined him on stage. Celebrity endorsements do not seem to have a big effect on presidential elections, but candidates look for them, regardless of their impact. Woah Vicky has vocally supported Trump online, posting many pictures in her “Make America Great Again” hat, though Trump did not bring her on the campaign trail.

Antonio Brown was once a star NFL player, but off-the-field issues prevented him from continuing to play at a high level beyond his 30th birthday (save for a handful of exceptions). He retired from the NFL in April after being off a roster for two and a half years following a broken ankle and the baggage that would have come with signing him. He will one day make the Pro Football Hall of Fame, but it is unlikely to be anytime soon. Maybe, by some miracle, he’ll find what he’s looking for in his post-NFL life with Woah Vicky.

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Fred VanVleet Addresses Drake’s DeMar DeRozan’s Diss

Houston Rocket’s Fred VanVleet commented on new Texan Drake‘s caution regarding the Toronto Raptors hanging Demar DeRozan‘s jersey in their rafters when he retires on Draymond Green’s podcast. Drake’s actions and comments toward DeRozan at Sacramento Kings against the Toronto Raptors last week went viral, with the Raptor’s ambassador claiming he would pull down Demar’s jersey should the team retire it with the organization. “If you put up a banner and, I’ll personally pull it down,” said Drizzy when asked about DeRozan by commentators. 

A trending topic, Draymond asked VanVleet, a former Raptors player before signing a massive deal with the Rockets, if DeMar DeRozan, now playing for the Kings, can have his jersey retired with the Raptors. When asked about DeRozan’s retirement, Fred VanVleet said: “Yeah, I think it should. I think it should. I think that when you look at what he did, you know, especially when you want to give the history of the franchise and what Vince and all of those guys meant at the beginning and what that meant for Canadian basketball.”

Read more: DeMar DeRozan Mocks Drake Once More After Mean-Mugging At Raptors-Kings Game

Drake May Not Think So, But Fred Vanvleet Thinks DeRozan Can Be Retired In Toronto

Drake and Demar’s issues stem from the Compton-bred basketball star’s appearance in the music video for the Drizzy diss track “Not Like Us” by Kendrick Lamar. In previous interviews, Demar shared that he appeared in the video because of his West Coast roots but did not have an issue with Drake. Many believe that Drake lost the iconic clash against Kendrick Lamar with “Not Like Us,” which spawned an Amazon-presented concert that united Los Angeles hip-hop. Demar responded to Drake’s comment about retirement after the game by saying, “He going to have a long way to climb to take it down.”  

VanVleet played for the Raptors from 2016 to 2023. Traded to the Rockets in 2023, Drizzy made headlines trolling Fred during a regular-season game against the Raptors. Drake refers to Fred as his “look-alike.” Hip-hop shared mixed reviews of Drake’s antics towards the basketball stars. Do you think Demar will retire in Toronto? Will the 6 God seriously rip down the jersey if Toronto hangs it in their rafters? Share your thoughts in the comments section below, and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read more: Joe Budden Calls Drake A “B*tch” For His Beef With DeMar DeRozan

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Vivek Ranadive Jumped In The DeMar DeRozan-Drake Beef With A ‘They Not Like Us’ Shirt For Raptors-Kings

vivek ranadive
Twitter

The Toronto Raptors traveled to Sacramento to take on the Kings on Wednesday night in a game that has suddenly given us a little spiciness off the court. Sacramento went to Toronto on the night of Vince Carter’s jersey retirement ceremony last week, which was the first time that DeMar DeRozan played in front of Drake since he appeared in the music video for Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us.”

While DeRozan, in the immediate aftermath, said he has tons of love for Drake despite his cameo in the video, Drake expressed that he doesn’t want to see DeRozan get his number retired in Toronto when his career comes to an end, and DeRozan seemed to have a lot of fun responding. And on Wednesday with Drake’s beloved Raptors in town, Kings owner Vivek Ranadive decided to show some support to his star forward by wearing a shirt with the words “THEY NOT LIKE US” on it.

The Kings picked up a 122-107 win on Wednesday to move and 5-3 on the season. All five starters scored in double-figures for Sacramento, with DeRozan leading the way with 27 points on 11-for-21 shooting. It is unclear if he was motivated by the fact that the team’s owner showed up and wore a shirt that trolled Drake, but I’m sure at least part of him appreciated it.

Stephen A Smith Reveals If He’d Ever Consider Running For President

During his recent appearance on The View, Stephen A Smith discussed the results of the 2024 U.S. Presidential Election and made an interesting revelation about his own potential future in politics. The personality was asked whether or not he’d ever consider running for president, and while he admits he’s not exactly qualified, he said he might consider it under the right conditions.

“If you came to me and you told me I had a legitimate shot to win the presidency of the United States of America, I would definitely consider it,” he explained. “But I would be independent because I don’t like either side and I’m not gonna be bought and paid for. I’m gonna do what’s in the best interest of the American people, whatever that may be.”

Read More: Stephen A Smith Channels Ice Cube In Fiery Response To Kevin Durant’s “Clown” Comment

Stephen A Smith Claims He’d “Definitely” Consider Running For President If He Had A “Legitimate Shot To Win”

Smith may be open to considering running for president, but he also pointed out that he’s happy with his life the way it is, and truly has “no desire to be a Congressional figure.” As for his take on the results of the election, he couldn’t help but praise Donald Trump for pulling out a win despite the circumstances. “Donald Trump’s return to the White House is the greatest comeback probably in American history,” he said on his show yesterday. “Thirty-four felony counts, two impeachments — I can’t count the number of mistakes that he has made. When he departed in 2020 after the insurrection at the United States capital, we all thought he was finished, he was done.” 

Earlier this year, Smith even expressed interest in debating Trump, insisting that he’d have it in the bag. “I would love to be in a presidential debate,” he told Howard Stern in January. “I’d eat him alive. I wouldn’t run for the presidency, but I’d debate Trump any day of the week. Any day of the week. Name the time and place and I’d show up.” What do you think of Stephen A Smith claiming he’d consider running for president of the United States? Do you think he should or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Kevin Durant Slams “Clown” Stephen A Smith Amid Leadership Criticism

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Le’Veon Bell Exposed For Allegedly Sliding Into Trans Sex Worker’s DMs After Anti-Trans Tweet

Le’Veon Bell is certainly no stranger to voicing his political opinions online. Recently, however, this backfired on the athlete when he decided to use his platform to spread anti-trans rhetoric. Earlier this week, he was letting his supporters know some of the reasons he decided to vote for Donald Trump. “I don’t want my daughter to have to compete or share a locker room with men,” he wrote.

For obvious reasons, his tweet rubbed several social media users the wrong way, including a trans sex worker named Lex. She wasted no time firing back and did so by exposing Bell’s own alleged DMs to her. In the messages, he allegedly asks her if she ever visits L.A., asks for her number, and more.

Read More: NLE Choppa And LeVeon Bell Have Serious Beef Over Duck Shoes

Le’Veon Bell’s Tweet Backfires

“Spewing this rhetoric when…& yes this was on my nsfw page he knew I was a doll lol,” Lex alleged in her caption. Before allegedly exposing Bell, she told her followers she’d be putting all of the Trump-supporting men who’ve slid into her DMs on blast. “Outing all DL men including celebrities that ever hit me up and post about Trump idgaf,” she wrote. She also shared that she was nervous about another one of her posts, but described being fed up with celebrity men.

“Nervous to post what I did but I have dealt with so many celebrity men over the years and protected them on behalf of danger of myself and embarrassment of them but to see them being so vile like they don’t fantasize about us constantly,” the post reads. At the time of writing, Bell has yet to respond publicly to Lex. What do you think of Le’Veon Bell getting exposed for allegedly sliding into a trans woman’s DMs after posting an anti-trans tweet? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Le’Veon Bell On Fighting Jake Paul: “Nowhere Near The Same Caliber Of Athlete As Me”

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Raygun Confirms Retirement From Competitive Breakdancing After Controversial Olympics Performance

Australian breakdancer Rachael Gunn, better known as Raygun, sparked a great deal of controversy with her performance at the Paris Olympics. Overall, many social media users accused her of making a mockery of the art and argued that she should have never been allowed to compete in the first place. Evidently, the viral backlash really got to her and even forced her to reconsider her future in breakdancing.

During a recent appearance on The Jimmy & Nath Show, she announced that she’s done with competitive breaking for good. According to her, the hate she received for her inclusion in the Olympics took all the fun out of competing and ultimately led to her decision to quit. She added that while she’ll no longer be competing, she’ll still continue to dance in the privacy of her own home.

Read More: Raygun Causes Viral Confusion By Claiming World No. 1 Ranking For Breakdancing

Raygun Explains Her Decision To Quit Competitive Breakdancing

“I don’t think people should feel crap about the way they dance,” she explained. “I still break, but I don’t compete. I’m not going to compete anymore.” Raygun’s announcement comes just a couple of months after she issued an apology to the breakdancing community for her controversial performance. “I am very sorry for the backlash that the community has experienced,” she said during her appearance on the Australian talk show The Project. “But I can’t control how people react. Unfortunately, we just need some more resources in Australia for us to have a chance to beat world champions. Historically, unfortunately, we haven’t had the best track record of winning world championships, so I don’t think that’s just on me.”

What do you think of Raygun announcing that she’ll no longer compete after her viral performance at the Olympics? Do you think she made the right decision by quitting or not? Share your thoughts in the comments section down below and keep an eye on HNHH for more updates.

Read More: Raygun Argues She’s Still The Best Breakdancer In Australia

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Joe Budden’s Co-Host Goes After Lil Wayne For Acting “Entitled” About The Super Bowl Halftime Show

Joe Budden and his podcast co-hosts discussed the legitimacy of Lil Wayne’s grievances with the NFL after the rapper claimed to have the headlining spot at the Super Bowl Halftime Show “ripped” from him during his appearance at Lil WeezyAna Fest 2024. Despite the next Super Bowl taking place in Wayne’s hometown of New Orleans, Kendrick Lamar will be performing at the event.

“I don’t like when he says this was snatched from me. I don’t like that… We never saw anything where they said you had the Super Bowl. So, what is snatched from you? It was assumed by you and a lot of your fans and a lot of the public,” Ice said on the show. “… That’s not snatched away. That’s entitlement.”

Read More: Lil Wayne Claims Super Bowl LIX Halftime Show Was “Ripped Away” From Him

Lil Wayne Performs During Lil WeezyAna Fest 2024

NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – NOVEMBER 02: Lil Wayne performs during Lil. Weezyana Fest 2024 at Smoothie King Center on November 02, 2024, in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Erika Goldring/Getty Images)

From there, Budden countered that he believes Wayne’s assumption must be based on something behind the scenes. “I think he definitely spoke to Hov or somebody on that board that’s in charge of that, I think they may have told him– laid out a guideline of things that the person they pick has to accomplish and do. I think he might’ve went about trying to check some of the things off that list and maybe he didn’t like how he found out the news that Kendrick was performing.”

The Joe Budden Podcast Discusses Lil Wayne

Check out The Joe Budden Podcast’s full discussion about Lil Wayne and the Super Bowl Halftime Show below. As for Wayne’s initial comments, he said on stage at the festival: “I told myself I wanna be on stage at the Super Bowl in front of my mom and I worked my a** off to get that position. It was ripped away from me but this moment right here… they can’t take this away from me.” Be on the lookout for further updates on Joe Budden on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Lil Wayne Dragged Into Family Conflict Over His Daughter Reginae & Her Mother’s Brother

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23 Rap Lyrics That Reference LeBron James From 2003 To 2024

lebron_rap_lyrics(1024x450)
Getty Image/Merle Cooper

LeBron James is in his 22nd season in the NBA, and has been part of the national basketball consciousness since he was, at least, a junior in high school. His presence as one of the most prominent figures in basketball hasn’t just meant he’s been part of the sports conversation for the last quarter century, but he also became the reference point for basketball in the music world as well.

Similar to Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, Shaquille O’Neal, and Allen Iverson, LeBron has been regularly mentioned by artists in the hip-hop world and beyond. You can find hundreds if not thousands of songs that name-drop LeBron, both positively and negatively, and here we wanted to look at 23 notable examples of LeBron’s impact on the music world by way of the lyrics that shout him out, starting from 2003 all the way to 2024.

“Gangsta Sh*t” — G-Unit (2003)

I keep a holster on my shoulder like I’m John Wayne/Shooting these n****s lights out like LeBron James

One of the first LeBron mentions on a track came early in his rookie year in 2003, when Young Buck says he’s shooting like LeBron, which I have to note is a little funny given shooting was the one thing LeBron rather famously wasn’t very good at as a rookie.

“Gettin It In” — Jadakiss ft. Kanye West (2004)

N****s tryna figure out, since Kan’ came/Who the rookie of the year, me or LeBron James?

Kanye West, fresh off the release of “College Dropout” earlier that year, boasts his rookie season is as strong as LeBron’s in his verse on this Jadakiss track.

“Dough Is What I Got” — Lil Wayne (2006)

When it comes down to this recording/I must be LeBron James if he’s Jordan/No, I won rings with my performance/I’m more Kobe Bryant of an artist

Lil Wayne wouldn’t release “Best Rapper Alive” until 2008 on Tha Carter II, but his remix of Jay-Z’s “Show Me What You Got” two years prior asserted that position in the midst of his iconic mixtape run. To illustrate that fact, he made a reference to LeBron but became one of the first artists to use that as a bit of a jab, saying he’s more Kobe than LeBron because he “won rings with my performance.” I’m not sure what the first RINGZ argument was to be used against LeBron, but I have to imagine Lil Wayne doing so three years into James’ career was one of the earliest.

“Make Tha Trap Say Aye” — OJ Da Juiceman ft. Gucci Mane (2008)

Banana donk Chevy interior like the Lakers/LeBron James wrist when I’m f**kin’ with that caper

What did OJ Da Juiceman know in 2008 when he referenced the Lakers and LeBron James in back-to-back lines??? An aside, OJ Da Juiceman is an underrated Atlanta artist, and this isn’t even his best NBA reference off this album (“Nah Ming” is a classic).

“Empire State of Mind” — Jay-Z ft. Alicia Keys (2009)

Me? I gotta plug Special Ed, “I Got It Made”/If Jeezy’s payin’ LeBron, I’m payin’ Dwyane Wade

Probably the LeBron reference that pops into most people’s heads first when it comes to a rap lyric. By this point, LeBron had passed Michael Jordan in terms of being synonymous with the number 23 in pop culture. The reference is to Jeezy’s “23, 24” in which he says “I used to pay Kobe (24), but now I pay LeBron (23)” in the chorus, with Jay-Z noting that if Jeezy’s paying 23, he’s just paying Dwyane Wade (3). I have to say, there’s no way this was a profitable venture for Jay-Z’s plug if he was getting bricks for $3,000. Also, in hindsight, it’s kind of wild Jay-Z put this bar down a full year before LeBron left Cleveland for Miami to play with Wade.

“Dead Presidents II” — J. Cole (2009)

I’m nothing like these ho-like rappers, my whole life practice/To be the one, what’s it like to be LeBron

Another artist who has frequently made mention of LeBron (and plenty of other NBA stars), J. Cole compares himself to LeBron with shouldering expectations to be the greatest in this track off 2009’s “The Warm Up”.

“Popular Demand” — Clipse ft. Pharrell and Cam’Ron (2009)

Used to have this white b**ch, she looked like Madonna though/Heard that she f**king LeBron, but s**t, I don’t know/Like that, Bron-Bron? I had that long time ago

As mentioned in the intro, not every LeBron reference was the most positive and this was the time where LeBron fatigue had set in a bit. This one, however, had nothing to do with James’ failures to land a ring by 2009, but instead Pusha T offered up some allegations of impropriety in what I have to imagine is one of LeBron’s least favorite mentions he’s ever gotten.

“Gotta Have It” — Jay-Z and Kanye West (2011)

West: Sorry I’m in pajamas, but I just got off the PJ/And last party we had, they shut down Prive
Jay-Z: Ain’t that where the Heat play? (Yup)/N****s hate ballers these days (Yup)
West: Ain’t that like LeBron James?
Jay-Z: Ain’t that just like D-Wade? Wait

We probably could’ve pulled 23 references about LeBron just by these two, but in their triumphant track off “Watch The Throne”, Jay-Z and West go back-and-forth with a shoutout to the two stars of the Miami Heat at the time.

“Martians vs. Goblins” — The Game ft. Tyler, the Creator and Lil Wayne (2011)

Fall back like LeBron’s hairline against the Mavericks…he lost

Leave it to Tyler, the Creator to have one of the funnier bars about LeBron James, making both a hairline joke and a Heat losing to the Mavs in the Finals joke all in one line on this track with The Game.

“Believe It” — Meek Mill ft. Rick Ross (2012)

I ball hard like LeBron James/And Rozay D-Wade n****

The LeBron/Wade pairing made for a lot of song references in their time in Miami, this time with Meek Mill comparing he and Rick Ross to the Heat duo — these two also are frequent LeBron name-droppers.

“Timber” — Pitbull ft. Kesha (2013)

Club jumpin’ like LeBron now, Voli/Order me another round, homie

One of the biggest songs in terms of popularity to feature a LeBron reference, courtesy of Mr. Worldwide (formerly Mr. 305), who shouts out the then Heat star in one of his biggest hits.

“LeBron James” — Yo Gotti (2013)

I’m LeBron James, you a f**kin rookie

There are a lot of songs that name-check LeBron but Yo Gotti was one of the first major artists to release a song with James’ name as the title, using his name as a main part of the chorus.

“Bitch Better Have My Money” — Rihanna (2015)

Pay me what you owe me/Ballin’ bigger than LeBron

Rihanna was once a regular courtside at NBA games and a noted LeBron fan, so it came as little surprise when she mentioned James in the opening verse of her 2015 hit single.

“Sleep Walking” — Migos (2015)

I’m a fool with the rock like LeBron James

For a time there were few groups that were more prevalent at NBA games and All-Star Weekends than the Migos, and Offset led off their 2015 track with a LeBron mention in the opening verse.

“Trap Trap Trap” — Rick Ross ft. Young Thug and Wale (2017)

Renzel got me all day, I’m Kyrie, he LeBron James

By 2017, the references to James and a fellow star teammate had flipped from Dwyane Wade and LeBron to Kyrie and LeBron, which pops up in another Rick Ross track, this time in Wale’s verse.

“Nonstop” — Drake (2018)

Catch me cause I’m gone (Outta there, I’m gone)/How I go from 6 to 23 like I’m LeBron?

Another artist with plenty of references to LeBron in songs through the years, Drake’s 2018 hit is probably the biggest with a LeBron mention, as he plays off both of LeBron’s numbers from Miami and Cleveland (and L.A.).

“RNP” — Cordae ft. Anderson Paak (2019)

Cordae: I bought a Moncler coat for the times we were broke
Paak: I’ma wear it in the summer on LeBron James’ boat

This might be one of my favorites because it has nothing to do with basketball, it’s just Paak flaunting that his life is dope enough he might get invited to hang out on a yacht with LeBron.

“Disco S**t” — 03 Greedo and Kenny Beats ft. Freddie Gibbs (2019)

Dope game, brought the kilos on the plane/23, LeBron James, got my package on the airline, yeah, now

A decade after Jeezy’s “23, 24” and Jay-Z’s “Empire State of Mind”, LeBron remained the go-to reference for the number 23 in rap, as Freddie Gibbs proved again on his verse here.

“Está Cabrón Ser Yo” — Bad Bunny and Anuel AA (2020)

LeBron James, cabrón, yo juego toa’ la’ posicione’/Michael Phelps tirao’ pa’ atrá’, nadando en mi’ millone’

LeBron’s influence in the music world isn’t stateside, as he has been regularly mentioned by Puerto Rican superstar Bad Bunny, including in this 2020 track (along with Michael Phelps).

“All In” — Lil Baby (2020)

I go LeBron when it’s crunch time, it ain’t no holdin’ me

One thing you notice when you lay these lyrics out chronologically is how the narrative around LeBron changed constantly. If someone had rapped “I go LeBron when it’s crunch time” in a song in, say, 2009 it would’ve had a wildly different meaning than in 2020 when Lil Baby said it boastfully.

“Dynamite” — BTS (2020)

Sing-song when I’m walkin’ home/Jump up to the top, LeBron
Further cementing LeBron’s status as a global superstar, he found his way into one of the biggest K-Pop hits with a reference in the opening verse of BTS’ massive 2020 hit.

“The Scenic Route” — Dr. Dre ft. Rick Ross and Anderson Paak (2021)

Ross: In them funny pants, I had a gun in mine
Dre: LeBron James numbers, go ‘head, analyze ’em

By 2021, LeBron had climbed to the top of most pages in the NBA’s record books which Dr. Dre referenced in his boastful track going back-and-forth with Rick Ross.

“Meet The Grahams” — Kendrick Lamar (2024)

Hey, LeBron, keep the family away, hey, Curry, keep the family away

The most sinister of the LeBron mentions comes on Kendrick Lamar’s scathing diss track on Drake from this year, in which he leaves no doubt his feelings on the Toronto star and warns LeBron, Stephen Curry, and others to “keep the family away.”