Drake's best basketball lyrics, ranked
Drake has found himself in a battle with Kanye West. This beef with Kanye is not new, but this isn’t a music site. This is a basketball site, and Drake’s love for basketball is not new, either. So instead of getting caught up in subliminal shots and sneak dissing, we’re going to go back through Drake’s discography to look at all of his basketball references and figure out which line is the best.
23. “Oh, triple double, Russ face” — Can’t Have Everything
I don’t understand this line in the slightest, I looked it up and there’s nothing explaining it. Let’s get through these first ten bad Drake basketball lines and then get to the good ones.
22. “Rookie of the year, ’06 Chris Paul shit” — Ignant Shit
This is just too easy. It’s early Drake, before he had everything figured out. This one just doesn’t land like the rest do.
21. “When I shoot my shot it’s the Kawhi way, it’s goin’ in” — Pain 1993
I don’t like this one because it’s not specific to Kawhi. He could have used any basketball player that had a two-syllable name. Drake probably realized that he hasn’t really ever mentioned Kawhi in a song. I don’t like it.
20. “Draft Day, A. Wiggins” — Draft Day
This would have been an awesome line if Wiggins panned out to be a superstar like he was supposed to… but he didn’t, and neither did Johnny Manziel, which makes this song look really bad 7 years later. Great sample, though.
19. “Mutombo with the bitches, you keep gettin’ rejected, WOO” — Jumpman
‘Way too easy of a line, took no effort to think of, WOO!’
18. “Golden State running practice at my house, n****, what am I about?” — Summer Sixteen
This is a weird one, because there was no need to throw it in the song. You’ve already told us that you’ve got a bigger pool than Kanye, we would assume you have a basketball court, Drake!
17. “I’m on my King James shit, I’m tryna win here again” — 5 AM In Toronto
5 AM In Toronto is one of Drake’s absolute classics, I’d say it’s top 10 of all time for him. But he finishes the song with this… I just don’t like it.
16. “Chi-Town, Chi-Town, Michael Jordan just had text me, WOO” — Jumpman
For as much as Drake raps about Michael Jordan, this is the worst line of them all. It’s supposed to be him bragging about his fame, but it doesn’t land.
15. “I get boxes of free Jordan like I play for North Carolina” — 10 Bands
Nothing to think about with this one. He gets shoes for free. Awesome.
14. “Been flowin stupid since Vince Cater was on some through the legs, arm in the hoop shit” — Weston Road Flows
This is the best of Drake’s worst basketball lines, because all of the forces at play show up in the same line. The song is about how Drake’s been rapping for a long time, how he loves Toronto, and how he’s the greatest, and he says all of that using a Raptors metaphor.
13. “H-Town my second home like I’m James Harden” — No New Friends
I like this line because it’s self aware, Drake has spent his entire career shouting out Houston just as much if not more than Toronto, and to sneak a line about the infamous Harden trade in a feature is an impressive feat.
12. “This shit a motherf*****’ layup/I been Steph Curry with the shot/Been cookin’ with the sauce/Chef Curry with the pot, boy” — 0 To 100
I remember hearing this and getting so hype when I heard it for the first time, but now it’s just ehh to me… seems like such a basic reference that he’s gotta get docked for it. Would have been a top five line at the release of 0 to 100, that song was awesome. It felt like Drake was on top of the world.
11. “Now me and Kobe doing shots the night before the game/Still drop 40 with liquor in my system” — Views
Any time Drake references Kobe, you have to pay attention. Especially when he’s talking about getting drunk with him on his off nights. This came out after Kobe’s last season, so it could have happened.
10. “Shaq postin’ up on n***** that I used to have posters of” — Used To
Only a decent line out of context, but in this case he’s talking about himself as Shaq. Drake used to idolize some of the most famous artists, but now he’s among them.
9. “I get a ring and I bring it home like I’m Cory Joe” — Charged Up
This proves that Drake pays attention to basketball, that is, if he wrote this line. Cory Joseph won a title with the Spurs in 2014, and then signed with his hometown Raptors.
8. “How I go from 6 to 23 like I’m LeBron?” — Nonstop
Took me a long time to understand what this meant. At first I was like, why is he talking about LeBron’s jersey numbers, but I get it now. He went from the 6 (aka Toronto) and now he’s 23 (aka Jordan, aka the GOAT), just like LeBron has also elevated himself to similar status. Well played, Drake, you got me.
7. “My city love me like DeMar Derozan” — Lemon Pepper Freestyle
It seems as if Toronto stays loyal to who represents them, and DeMar Derozan was one of the faces of the Raptors for years — they still cheer for him, even if he’s on another team, and Drake feels the same love.
6. “I took the team plane from Oracle/Mama never used to cook much/Used to chef KD/Now me and Chef, KD/Bet on shots for 20 Gs” — Free Smoke
Super strong wordplay from Drake here, referencing how he grew up with Kraft Dinners and now his fame has allowed him to become friends with NBA superstars like Steph and KD. It’s swift enough where you wouldn’t pick this up on a first listen.
5. “Shout out to KD we relate, we get the same attention/It’s raining money, Oklahoma City Thunder/The most successful rapper 35 and under” — Weston Road Flows
More Drake and Kevin Durant lines, but there’s none better than this. It’s wild how the discourse on both Drake and KD has shifted — they’re two of the most talented of their generation but they constantly feel like they have to prove it, and Drake calls that out here.
4. “MJ in every way, I just don’t fade away” — 9
This took me a few listens to really appreciate. Michael Jordan’s signature fadeaway made him the GOAT, but Drake is the goat because he’ll never fade away.
3. “Boomin’ out in South Gwinnett like Lou Will/6 man like Lou Will/2 girls and they get along like I’m/Like I’m Lou Will, I just got the new deal” — 6 Man
Lou Williams once had two girlfriends at the same time — who were okay with it. That’s legendary. On a song called 6 Man, his shoutout to Lou Williams would become prophetic — he’d go on to win three 6th Man of the Year awards. Incredible.
2. “Hittin’ like that 30 on my jersey, man, I’m gifted” — Still Here
At this point, Drake’s love for Steph is well-documented. But for Drake to compare his ability to make hits to Steph Curry’s ability to his threes, is to call himself the greatest of all time. And in my opinion, it’s true. In my 21 years of life, there’s been nobody as captivating as Drake, and nobody as fun to watch as Steph. Bonus points for a perfect comparison.
1. “I might go DeMarcus Cousins, out in public”
This is an all-timer. The best basketball references are just specific enough where only a certain faction of fans get them. To go DeMarcus Cousins out in public is to be wild, disrespectful, and righteous. It’s also hilarious to imagine Drake walking around with the same ferocity that DeMarcus Cousins used to have when he thought he was fouled.
