10 Times Rappers Threw Shade At NBA Players Feat. Quavo, Pop Smoke, Lil Uzi & More
| LAST UPDATE 12/01/2021
Ex-Los Angeles Lakers forward Kyle Kuzma got hip-hop fans talking when he addressed the "shade" rappers throw at NBA players: "The amount of shade rappers throw at NBA players in their music is sickening lol." (There's a lot.)
Scroll to see 10 of the boldest lyrics from Quavo, Pop Smoke and others…
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10. Lil Uzi Vert vs. Manu Ginóbili
Four-time NBA champ Manu Ginóbili started his career with the San Antonio Spurs with a full head of hair. 16 years later, he had little. Lil Uzi flipped Ginóbili's baldness into a punchline for being old on his 2016 track "Baby Are You Home." Uzi better hope he never loses his own hair!
9. Quavo vs. Kendrick Perkins
Storied big man Kendrick Perkins only played one game during his final season with the Cleveland Cavaliers. He even got into a shouting match against Drake in the 2018 playoffs, inspiring Quavo to defend his boy with these "F**k 12" lyrics: "Every time your b***h phone rings she workin' / Get no playin' time, Kendrick Perkins!"
Though Perk later called Quavo's raps "trash," the two would settle their feud on ESPN's First Take.
8. Veeze vs. Tony Snell
Detroit rapper Veeze went viral about a year ago with his loosie "Law N Order," which samples the iconic theme music from the TV series. Nine-year NBA veteran Tony Snell catches a stray shot near the end, as Veeze mutters, "My lil' n***a Black and ugly, shoot like Tony Snell." Bruh!
7. J. Cole vs. Shane Battier
Few disses are as demoralizing as "lame." This is how J. Cole described former NBA player Shane Battier despite the fact he won two titles with the Miami Heat. Cole's favorite college team is the North Carolina Tar heels, so some fans believe he dragged Battier because he played for rival Duke.
6. Tyler, The Creator & Mac Miller vs. LeBron James
LeBron James' on-again, off-again baldness has taken hits from both Tyler, The Creator and Mac Miller. Tyler's joke on 2011's "Martians vs. Goblins" with The Game and Lil Wayne is hard to miss: "Fall back like Lebron's hairline against the Mavericks, he lost."
Mac likens his long friendship with rapper Sir Michael Rocks to "'Bron 'Bron's headband" being pushed far back to cover his receding hairline.
5. Sada Baby vs. Eric Bledsoe
Only a true basketball fan would know that former Bucks guard Eric Bledsoe is jacked, yet not the most aggressive player out there. On "Mobsters," Detroit's Sada Baby nods to this contrast, making fun of someone who looks strong but acts softly. "He got muscles for no reason, Eric Bledsoe!"
4. Kendrick Lamar vs. Marcus Camby
Marcus Camby was a defensive monster throughout his 17-year career. But by the time Kendrick Lamar dropped his debut album 'Section.80,' his engine was running low, leading K.Dot to use Camby as a punchline for being "washed up" on the banger "Ronald Reagan Era."
3. Pop Smoke & Smino vs. Paul George
Where were you when Paul George snapped his leg during a 2014 Team USA scrimmage? The injury made an imprint on everyone who bore witnesses, such as a pair of aspiring rappers: Pop Smoke and Smino.
Pop's refrain is assertive: "I break legs like Paul George!" Smino smoothly flexes his talent on the stage: "Hit the stage, break a leg like Paul George!"
2. Lil B vs. Kevin Durant
Kevin Durant is an active hip-hop fan, often shouting out his favorite artists online and in interviews. But he didn't like Lil B's off-the-top style and labeled him "wack" in 2011.
So, Lil B placed "the Based God curse" on him and dropped an entire diss track called "F*** KD," taunting him and requesting a one-on-one game. Lil B lifted the curse when KD joined his Golden State Warriors and won two 'ships.
1. Benny The Butcher, SahBabii & Money Man vs. Ben Simmons
Since being drafted #1 overall in 2016 by the Philadelphia 76ers, Ben Simmons has made just 5 three-point shots. Now, his notoriously bad jumper is a go-to reference point for artists from Benny The Butcher ("S.E. Gang") to SahBabii ("Switch") to Money Man ("On The Go"), as they've all dropped his likeness to drag those hesitant to "shoot."