NBA Stars Who Took Their Talents to the Mic
Explore how NBA stars like Kobe Bryant, LiAngelo Ball, Damian Lillard, & more have transitioned from the basketball court to the music studio, achieving varying levels of success in their rap careers.
LiAngelo Ball: From Hoops to Hip-Hop
LiAngelo Ball, who raps under the name "G3," recently went viral with his hit song Tweaker. The talented shooting guard and small forward also reportedly signed a groundbreaking record deal.
According to ESPN’s Shams Charania, the deal is reportedly worth up to $13 million, with $8 million guaranteed, and grants Ball full ownership of his music and record label. The agreement, said to involve Def Jam and Universal Music Group, allows Ball to retain ownership of his Born2Ball Music Group label.
LiAngelo, the middle child of the famous Ball brothers, shares the spotlight with older brother Lonzo Ball, a Chicago Bulls guard who has also dabbled in music, and younger brother LaMelo Ball of the Charlotte Hornets. Although LiAngelo attended UCLA, he never appeared in an NBA regular-season game, but played in the G League from 2021 to 2023.
Adding to his growing musical career, Ball was announced as part of the Rolling Loud California lineup. He’s slated to perform on the festival’s opening day in March at the Hollywood Park Grounds, sharing the stage with artists such as A$AP Rocky, YG, Larry June, and BossMan D-Lo.
Kobe Bryant: From Courtside to Studio Mic
In 1999, Sony Records signed Kobe Bryant along with his rap group Cheizaw, hoping to capitalize on his rising fame as a rookie Lakers star. During this time, Bryant immersed himself in the music scene and landed collabs with major hip-hop and R&B acts of the era.
He appeared on a remix of Destiny’s Child’s hit “Say My Name” in 2000 and worked with renowned artists like 50 Cent and Nas. However, as his NBA career took off and he became a key figure in the league, his focus shifted away from music.
In 2000, Bryant debuted the lead single for his planned album, K.O.B.E, during the NBA All-Star Game. Unfortunately, the track received poor reviews. Despite the lukewarm reception, Bryant continued working on the project when time allowed.
Ultimately, progress on the album stalled, and Bryant was released from his record deal towards the end of 2000, ending his brief foray into hip-hop.
Chris Webber: The Beatmaker Behind the Ball
As a teenager, Chris Webber idolized rappers and dedicated over a decade to honing his craft as a writer, rapper, producer, and record label owner.
Shortly after being traded to the Washington Bullets (now Wizards) in November 1994, Webber appeared on BET’s Rap City, where he announced plans to start a record label with DJ Kay Gee from Naughty by Nature. Soon after, the talented power forward began making appearances on major label releases.
Webber launched his own record label, Humility Records, in 1997 and further solidified his presence in the music industry.
In 1999, Chris Webber released a rap album called 2 Much Drama featuring notable cuts like “Gangsta Gangsta (How U Do It)” with Kurupt and “Nuttin’ ta Do” featuring Redman.
After graduating from the University of Michigan, the NBA Hall of Famer spent part of the summer in New Jersey collaborating with Kay Gee. Around this time, he learned how to make beats and garnered producer on Nas’ “Surviving the Times” (2007) and “Blunt Ashes” (2006) under the moniker C-Webb.
Allen Iverson: A Cautionary Tale
Another NBA legend who ventured into rap was Allen Iverson, also known by his rap alias, "Jewels-40." However, his brief stint in music is often remembered as a cautionary tale.
In the 2000s, the then-76ers star signed a record deal with Universal Records and prepared to release his debut album. The project was derailed when the album’s lead single, “40 Barz,” sparked significant controversy due to its homophobic and misogynistic lyrics.
Both NBA Commissioner David Stern and the Martin Luther King Jr. Association for Nonviolence criticized Allen Iverson for the controversial lyrics in his song “40 Barz.”
"The lyrics that have been attributed to Allen Iverson's soon-to-be-released rap CD are coarse, offensive, and antisocial," Stern stated at the time.
In response, Iverson agreed to revise some of the lyrics on the album, which was initially titled Non-Fiction and slated for release in February 2000. However, due to the demands of the basketball season, he was unable to return to the studio during the winter and spring, further delaying the project.
Iverson faced disciplinary action from the NBA and was ultimately dropped by Universal Records, effectively ending his rap career before it began.
Shaquille O’Neal: The Most Successful Basketball Rapper
NBA supernova Shaquille O’Neal is arguably the most successful basketball player to transition into music. Shaq signed a record deal with Jive Records and released his debut studio album, Shaq Diesel on October 26, 1993. The album peaked at #25 on the Billboard 200 and eventually went platinum.
Between 1993 and 1998, Shaq released three more albums, each landing in the Billboard Top 100. During this time, he collaborated with prominent artists like RZA, Method Man, Ice Cube, and even The Notorious B.I.G..
Shaq teased a fifth studio album slated for release in 2001, but the project was ultimately shelved by his record label. After a long hiatus from music, spanning 2001 to 2019, he made a surprise comeback by collaborating with Lil Jon.
In recent years, Shaq has shifted his focus to music production and DJing. In 2023, he released his first electronic album in collaboration with Monstercat Productions and has made appearances at various electronic music festivals, further showcasing his versatility as an artist.
Dame D.O.L.L.A (Damian Lillard): A Trailblazer in Rap
Basketball player-turned-musician Damian Lillard has been a lifelong rap fan. The former Trail Blazers star and current Bucks point guard has shared in interviews that he began rapping as a child to bond with older family members who were rappers themselves.
In 2015, Lillard began taking music more seriously, starting a social media trend called 4BarFriday, where participants were challenged to post four rap bars every Friday. The following year, on October 21, 2016, he released his debut studio album, The Letter O. The album reached the Billboard charts, peaking at 119 on the Billboard 200.
Since then, Lillard has released several more albums, though they didn’t achieve the same commercial success. While his music has sometimes been the subject of memes among fans, Lillard has collaborated with notable artists like Lil Wayne and Snoop Dogg.
According to TMZ Sports, several record labels showed interest in signing him, but instead of signing with an established label, he launched his own imprint called Front Page Music.