15 NBA players and their rapper counterparts
By Wes Goldberg
14. LeBron James and Drake
No basketball player represents his hometown quite like LeBron James. Northeast Ohio is folded into nearly everything this billion-dollar man does on and off the court. There is also a certain earnestness LeBron has. He wants not only to give something back to Cleveland, but also to elevate it onto the culture map, getting a star like Kevin Love and notorious partier like J.R. Smith to call The Land home.
Similarly, The 6 runs through Drake’s blood. Everything The Boy does is rooted in Toronto, from who he signs to his OVO label to pages on pages of lyrics to album covers. Drake and his city, like LeBron and his, can never be separated.
And as if that weren’t enough, Drake and LeBron are on the same love-em-or-hate-em polarizing ish. Both do nearly as much off their stage as they do on it, and each have aspirations of being more than rapper/player and becoming moguls.
LeBron is more than a basketball player. Drake is more than a rapper. They have both become two of the biggest celebrities in the world, their worth–measured in both dollars and culture currency–stretching beyond what they call an occupation.
Oh, not to mention that both have spent a significant time in Miami. 305 to my city!
Next: 13. Kawhi Leonard