From Mary J. to Miles Davis: Inside NBA Legends’ Playlists
From locker room anthems to late-night jazz, NBA legends and cultural figures share the songs that move them, and settle the Kobe versus Shaq rap debate.
Slick Rick and Doug E. Fresh performing at the All-Star Weekend Okayplayer House event on Feb. 13, 2026.
Photo by Kaushik Kalidindi for Okayplayer.
If All-Star Weekend is about the game, the locker room is about the music.
In between appearances and performances, Okayplayer asked NBA legends and cultural figures what’s currently in their rotation, which song is a slam dunk and which rappers are overdue for the illustrious Hall of Fame induction.
The answers spanned decades.
Five-time NBA All-Star Tim Hardaway keeps it classic with R&B trailblazers — New Edition, Bobby Brown, Teena Marie, Frankie Beverly. His pump-up track: Eric B. & Rakim’s “Paid In Full.” His Hall of Fame rapper? LL Cool J. “He had some hard beats,” Hardaway says.
NBA champion Spencer Haywood keeps Miles Davis’ “Milestones” on repeat, especially the John Coltrane moments. For pre-game motivation? James Brown.
Four-time NBA All-Star Shawn Marion has Leon Thomas in rotation alongside Wale’s newest release, everything is a lot. His locker room choice before tipoff? DMX’s “Slippin’.”
Former 76ers star Jumaine Jones leans Southern, naming T.I.’s “Let ’Em Know” and Juvenile’s “B.B.B.” as current favorites. Before games, though, it was Mary J. Blige who kept him grounded and centered. “She helped me not get too excited,” he said.
Former NBA star and current associate head coach of the Sacramento Kings, Mike Woodson, prefers Charlie Wilson, The Gap Band and Donny Hathaway. Back in his day, locker rooms weren’t blasting music the way they do now. Still, The Notorious B.I.G. makes his list — alongside Jay-Z, Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur.
Former NBA player Ivano Newbill opts for evening jazz when the lights go down, but gives credit to Run-D.M.C. and Tupac for what they communicated in their music during their eras.
Debbie Allen is chasing melody right now. “I’m listening to old school because I need to hear some melodies,” she said, running through Mariah Carey, Alicia Keys, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind & Fire and Bill Withers — before adding Bad Bunny and Kendrick Lamar without hesitation. “I have a very eclectic taste,” Debbie quipped.
LA County Supervisor Holly J. Mitchell gushed that she’s studying Bad Bunny more closely after his Super Bowl halftime performance. For Hall of Fame rappers? Kendrick Lamar and Queen Latifah are at the top of her list.
And actor Sung Kang kept it foundational: Biz Markie, Big Daddy Kane and Doug E. Fresh deserve their Hall of Fame flowers.
Across generations, genres and eras, one thing was clear: basketball may define the weekend, but music shapes the mood.
Whether it’s Mary J. calming the nerves or James Brown firing you up, the soundtrack always tells its own story.
