Why Music and Basketball Have Always Shared the Same Soundtrack
From locker rooms and warmups to highlight reels and All-Star Weekend, here's how music became basketball’s unofficial language.
Tyrese Maxey #0 of the Philadelphia 76ers warms up ahead of their NBA game against the Toronto Raptors at Scotiabank Arena on January 11, 2026 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.
Photo by Cole Burston/Getty Images.
Music and basketball colliding worlds was no accident. Just think about how the NBA hypes up the crowd during games. More often than not, it’s a mainstream rap record blasting through the speakers. Or when behind-the-scenes footage surfaces from locker rooms, the background is almost always scored by hip-hop. Even New Orleans rapper Rob49 name-dropped Indiana Pacers’ Tyrese Haliburton in his infectious single “WTHelly,” joining a long lineage of rappers weaving basketball references into their bars — from Drake shouting out LeBron James to Jay-Z immortalizing Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Allen Iverson in verses. If you look at basketball-focused films, there’s almost always a soundtrack attached, too. There’s an unofficial union between the two — music and basketball.
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Inside locker rooms, music decides the rhythm before the coach’s strategy does. Songs loop during pre-game warmups, post-practice recovery, strength training and even travel days. It’s almost a guarantee you’ll see a player with headphones in as they walk through the tunnel. Certain tracks become synonymous with specific moments: playoff runs, rivalry games, comeback seasons. And for players, the soundtrack is less about hype and more about focus, comfort and mental preparation.
That relationship extends onto the court, impacting coaches, arena staff and fans alike. Highlight reels rely on music to contextualize movement, to amplify athletic execution and elevate moments into cultural memories. A crossover or dunk might be impressive on its own, but paired with the right song, it becomes something replayed, shared and remembered. A viral moment, if you will.
Hip-hop and R&B, in particular, have walked alongside basketball’s evolution. Both emerged from environments where expression, competition and presence mattered. As the league expanded globally, so did the sounds surrounding it. Locker room playlists now pull from regional scenes, international records and legacy tracks that once lived on vinyl or cassette — a reflection of how the game and its players exist across generations and geographies.
Music also plays a role in how players connect with one another. Teammates bond over their favorite songs, whether it’s of all time or for the moment. And veterans put younger players onto records as well. Sound has become a common language across the league, spanning across age, background and status.
NBA All-Star Weekend sits at the center of that ecosystem. While it’s framed as a celebration of basketball excellence — watching each team’s star players share the same court — it functions just as much as a cultural gathering point. Athletes, artists, executives and creatives move through the same rooms, listening to the same music, engaging in the same conversations. The line between who shapes the game and who shapes the culture becomes nearly invisible.
That overlap is where Okayplayer has always focused its attention.
The Okayplayer Lounge, taking place during All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles, is an extension of that perspective. It’s a space that reflects how music and basketball actually intersect — not as parallel industries, but as cultures that constantly influence style, nuance and legacy.
Music and basketball don’t just coexist; they move together. In locker rooms, in arenas and in the moments that define how both are remembered.
Tickets for the Okayplayer Lounge are available now.
Friday, February 13, 2026 | Los Angeles
