Enter any NBA locker room and the likelihood is players, past and present, will be using thousand-dollar headphones, listening to their favorite tracks. It is an increasingly familiar sight, as these athletes tend to use music to settle their nerves or get them hyped for the task at hand.

From Tupac and Biggie, to Jay-Z and Kanye, to Kendrick Lamar and Drake, most of these music players – whether classic iPods or smartphones – feature a mix of hip-hop, rap, and R&B tracks. However, there are still those who prefer some good gold rock anthems, inspirational songs, or even the occasional pop tunes.

A couple of years ago, Bleacher Report’s Jared Zwerling wrote a feature on a handful of NBA stars and their top 5 songs to listen to during the Playoffs. In the midst of all the profanity-laden diss tracks and hype beats, one song in particular surprisingly made its way into an NBA player’s playlist. Damian Lillard, the high-scoring point guard for the Portland Trailblazers, included Train’s 2009 hit ‘Hey Soul Sister’ as his go-to song.

Billboard, for their part, revealed the rather odd pump-up playlist of players like Andre Iguodala, Jeremy Lin, and Chandler Parsons. Iguodala and Parsons prefer the smooth sounds of Childish Gambino and Sam Smith respectively, while Lin listens to Hillsong United for some pre-game inspiration. To a certain extent, this proves that professional athletes – just like any other human beings – really have a sundry taste in music.

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Part of the NBA’s diverse music culture is the tunes played in between time outs and during quarter breaks. It is one effective way to keep the crowd going even while players are resting and coaches are recalibrating their game plans. The San Antonio Spurs, for instance, released their in-game playlist for the 2016-2017 season on Spotify. Just like the composition of their lineup – mixing in reliable veterans with promising young guns – tracks underlined a blend of current hits as well as a slew of classics. Fans in Texas hear anything from the likes of Skrillex and Calvin Harris, who are fixtures on the Las Vegas club scene, to Bush and Red Hot Chili Peppers, two of the most recognizable bands of the ‘90s. There is even ‘Welcome to the Jungle' by Guns N' Roses, an ‘80s hard rock band that also have impressively penetrated the online market with a licensed slots game on Slingo.

All in all, music plays a huge part in most people’s life. It helps listeners escape from the realities of the day-to-day struggles, helping them focus and get hyped for the future. With the current NBA Playoffs in full swing, expect locker rooms and arenas to be noisier than ever. For more basketball news and features, keep it here on Clutch Points.