Top NBA Players Who Also Rap

Lillard’s stage name is Dame D.O.L.L.A. and he has performed all over the place, including at the NBA’s 2020 All-Star Saturday night festivities. He has also released three albums to date—yes entire albums.

Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

Kevin Durant hasn’t released enough material to get a feel for how good he actually is a rapper, but we know he’s a big fan of getting in the booth and spitting fire.

Until recently, the most tantalizing aspect of his side hustle was a secret track he recorded with none other than LeBron James. Initially it was deemed lost, but then a snippet was leaked, and eventually, after that, we got the entire song: a real banger entitled “It Ain’t Easy.”

LeBron James**, Los Angeles Lakers**

LeBron obviously needs to make this list given that he’s perhaps the best player in NBA history and released a song in tandem with Durant. But his interest in music extends well beyond that one single.

Look no further than LeBron’s Instagram account for proof. He’s constantly posting stories of himself singing along to well-known tunes, and his comment section has become a place in which artists just send out links to their own material in hopes of being discovered.

Dwight Howard, Los Angeles Lakers

Dwight Howard’s interest in the rap game isn’t as prevalent now, but way back when, he was ultra-serious about it. In fact, when he was still a member of the Orlando Magic, he released an album entitled Shoot For The Stars.

While this makes for a great anecdote, Howard’s musical career isn’t one that’s looked back upon fondly. His album has since been widely panned, and it’s been said, ad nauseam, that he’s lucky it wasn’t released during the social media, otherwise the internet would never let him live it down.

Aaron Gordon, Orlando Magic

It wasn’t until the coronavirus pandemic hit and the NBA was forced to shut down that people realized Aaron Gordon rapped—and that he was serious about it.

During his time away from the game, he released a song called “9 Out of 10,” which was a nod to Dwyane Wade giving him a less than perfect score during the 2020 NBA dunk contest.

Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers

Okay, technically, Victor Oladipo isn’t a rapper. He identifies as an R&B artist. But this counts. He’s an NBA star who not only sings, but who has released an album.

His debut LP was entitled Don’t Sleep and received mostly positive reviews. Even if you’re not into rhythm and blues, you can tell he has flow—and perhaps a second career path once he eventually hangs up his basketball shoes.