While NBA players are busy playing basketball during the regular season, they get to have some spare time during the offseason. Although a lot of players have basketball as their passion, some of them also have an interest in music. Because of this, it’s not a surprise that some of the most notable NBA players try out their hand as a singer or rapper. For this piece, let’s take a closer look at 10 NBA players who became musical artists.

Kobe Bryant

Regarded as one of the players in the GOAT conversation, Kobe Bryant made waves as a basketball player by winning five NBA championships, two Finals MVPs, and one MVP. He was certainly an unstoppable scorer, equipped with a Mamba Mentality, especially in the clutch. But while his basketball career was decorated, Bryant also explored his passion for music.

Bryant released an album called Visions. The album was headlined by the track called K.O.B.E. The main track also featured Tyra Banks in its music video. Unfortunately, K.O.B.E. didn’t take off as Columbia Records put a halt to the album’s release.

Shaquille O’Neal

If there was a player that inspired Bryant to try his hand at rapping, it was his former teammate Shaquille O’Neal. Although Shaq was a dominant center on the hardwood that won four NBA championships, O’Neal is also pretty successful off the court. Apart from his successful business ventures, O’Neal has released four studio albums as a rapper.

In fact, O’Neal’s debut album Shaq Diesel became certified platinum. The album featured some notable tracks such as I’m Outstanding, What’s Up Doc?, and many more tracks that did relatively well.

Tony Parker

Tony Parker is one of the best international players to showcase his wares in the NBA. He won four NBA championships and one Finals MVP during his stint with the San Antonio Spurs. But while Parker was a stellar guard in the NBA, that didn’t stop him from making time for music.

In 2007, Parker released his debut album called TP. Among the songs in the album, Premiere Love was arguably the most successful. The track reached the ninth spot on Billboard France’s digital song sales chart.

Damian Lillard

As the face of the Portland Trail Blazers, Damian Lillard has put it upon himself to help bring the franchise an NBA title. While that hasn’t happened yet, Lillard has worked with his own label Front Page Music in making some notable songs. As of this writing, Lillard has released three studio albums including The Letter O, Confirmed, and Big D.O.L.L.A. He is set to release another album called Different On Levels The Lord Allowed.

Metta Sandiford-Artest

While Metta Sandiford-Artest has been known for his defensive tenacity and role at the Malice at the Palace, Artest never shied away from carving out a career in rap. In 2006, Artest released My World, which featured rappers such as P. Diddy, Mike Jones, and many more. His other notable albums include Diamond Wave and Metta-tation: Streets and Ball.

Marvin Bagley

Selected as the second overall pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, injuries have prevented Bagley from shining as a lottery pick on the hardwood. But while his basketball career isn’t panning out the way it should, Bagley does have some potential in becoming more successful in music. In fact, Bagley proclaimed that he was the best rapper in the NBA.

Bagley has released some notable singles such as P.V.O, Look at Me Now, No Debut, and many more. He also has an album called Big Jreams, which was released to the public in 2019.

Kyrie Irving

While Kyrie Irving has yet to make a nose dive in starting a music career, he has shown some interest. In the wake of Kobe Bryant’s tragic death, Irving has spent time in the studio to craft his rapping skills. Nevertheless, we saw a glimpse of it when he recorded the track Ridiculous to promote the film, Uncle Drew, which he starred in.

But for now, we might not see Irving make waves in music as he chases his second NBA championship with the Dallas Mavericks.

JaVale McGee

Although JaVale McGee was initially the poster boy of the Shaqtin-a-Fool, he has relatively redeemed himself after winning three NBA championships, two with the Warriors and one with the Lakers. Apart from a successful NBA career, the same can be said for his career in the musical industry.

McGee served as one of the important figures in writing the song Available from Justin Bieber’s album, Changes. Aside from assisting the established singer, McGee has also released an album of his own in 2018 called Pierre.

Victor Oladipo

Victor Oladipo certainly made an impact in the NBA during his stints with the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, and the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, injuries have slowed him down. But while he certainly has the talent to showcase on the NBA hardwood, Oladipo also has huge potential to shine as a musical artist.

Aside from displaying his voice, on The Masked Singer, Oladipo has also released his own album called V.O.. Furthermore, some of his notable singles include Lights On, One Day, Songs For You, Rope a Dope, and etc.

Lonzo Ball

Aside from Victor Oladipo, another NBA player who showcased his musical talent in The Masked Singer was Lonzo Ball. Although Ball has been a steady guard for the Chicago Bulls, his love for music is undeniable. In fact, in 2019, Ball released more music than free throws in that year. Furthermore, with Ball’s rapping getting some recognition by 2 Chainz, he might have a career to look forward to after hanging up his basketball sneakers.