Basketball Kurtis Blow

When it comes to the nexus of Hip Hop and the NBA, Kurtis Blow’s ode to the league from 1984 remains unsurpassed. The song is a tribute to the game and its players, with shout-outs for the legendary like Bill Russell and Rick Barry as well as those who were in the league at the time (Larry Bird and Moses Malone). And while many rap songs are filled with NBA references – from early hip-hop dudes such as Big Bank Hank getting his color TV to watch the Knicks to Ice Cube’s great day when the SuperSonics beat the Lakers and young global rappers like Joe Budden honoring Drazen Petrovic or Action Bronson repping Arvydas Sabonis – Blow’s anthem remains the best of them all.

This song was the first to establish a strong connection between basketball and hip-hop. From block parties and park jams to MCs coaching and the likes of Ice Cube’s fledgling BIG3 league, basketball has been hip-hop’s favorite sport since Blow’s 1984 anthem.

It’s a connection that’s only grown stronger over the years, with current NBA superstars such as Kobe Bryant, Shaq and Allen Iverson and LeBron James joining the ranks of rap legends. There’s a reason: The same rhythm that it takes for an MC to flow and deliver their vocals is the same rhythm needed to hit a basket or to dribble a ball.

The connections between Hip Hop and the NBA continue to this day, with the likes of DJ Khaled saluting the league’s greatest legends in his hit “I Love Basketball.” And as for Kobe crashing into the Hall of Fame, that’s a decision that’s almost certainly unanimously supported by everyone who knows and loves basketball.