Music and Sports Intertwined...

In the Hip-Hop culture music and sports go hand-in-hand. You almost can’t have one without the other.  Music is intertwined with sports. There is a mutual respect between rappers and athletes and they each support each other in their own way. In fact, they respect each other so much that things can get ugly when one doesn’t acknowledge the other. For example, Lil Wayne was sitting courtside at the New Orleans Hornets vs. the Miami Heat game this season and was publicly upset that Lebron James and Dwayne Wade did not greet him. Wayne later reported to rolling stones his feelings toward James and Wade.

“Them n—s never speak to a n—. They don’t chuck me the deuce or nothing. N—- spent all that money on them f—– tickets … Come holla at me. We sit right by them little bitch-ass n—-. At least come ask me why I’m not rooting for you.”

This isn’t the first time there has been beef between rappers and athletes and it won’t be the last.


 Athletes want to be rappers and rappers want to be athletes, but we all know how that has gone in the past. Drake said it best in his song "Thank me Now." “I swear music and sports are so synonymous cause we wanna be them and they wanna be us."


”Rapper Master P’s NBA career was over before it started. Bow wow and Romeo claimed they would be NBA stars by now.  NBA stars Shaquille O’Neal, Kobe Bryant, Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Jason Kidd, and Chris Webber all pursued their rap careers.  How did that go? Let’s just say I hope EVERYONE keeps their day job.

Legacy- Buying vs. Building a Championship

Everybody wants to be associated with a winner. In sports, the ultimate goal is a championship ring or a trophy. Some of the best players get overlooked when talking about "the greatest of all time" if they don't possess that championship milestone. Charles Barkely, Reggie Miller, Patrick Ewing, Karl Malone, all considered the best. The best to never win one that is...Magic Johnson, Larry Bird, Bill Russel, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West and unarguably the best player to ever play the game Michael Jordan, these elite group of guys are unquestionably the legends of the game. Why? Because they have the hardware, the rings and trophies, CHAMPIONSHIPS!


The Lakers ruled the 80s and the Bulls ran the 90s. These teams built championships, had early struggles and overcame adversity. As of late it seems as if teams are no longer "building" championships. Now they're buying them. Getting the best group of guys together on one team. Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen join forces with Paul Pierce in Boston and have instant success, no real struggle. An all-star line up, instant championships. More recently, Chris Bosh left his team in Toronto to join Dwayne Wade in Miami. Lebron James decided to "take his talents to South Beach". He has been criticized so much for this. Lebron left his hometown in Cleveland where he was considered the only true "star" on the team. While he was there they were perennial contenders, the best regular season record in the league. When playoff time came around they would come out short, facing teams that had multiple all-star caliber players. His impact on that organization was tremendous, they went from first, to worst after he left.


At the end of the day all people (fans) care about is wins and losses...Kobe Bryant got into some legal troubles with an alleged rape conviction. He lost his endorsements, and a majority of his fans. Then he won back to back championships and Finals MVP awards. Now he's back on TV, has a shoe deal and people glorify him again.


Leaving a team, not finishing your career where you started...does this hurt the legacy for guys like Chris Bosh and Lebron James? It didn't hurt for Kevin Garnett or Ray Allen, as Ray went on to not only be an NBA champion but also the all time 3 point leader in history. 


Is the risk worth the reward? Well, If Bosh, Wade and James have success in Miami and can win that championship it would do nothing but solidify them as some of the best players EVER. What elite list do you think they want to be associated with? The Barkley, Ewing, Malone list? Or the Michael, Magic, Larry list? That's a no brainer. Joining forces with the best to win does NOT hurt your legacy. Without the championships there is no legacy.