Like the rest of the world, NBA players are currently in the midst of a new journey, and for the ones who are die-hard rap fans, it's still soundtracked by hip-hop.
For the last few weeks, players from 22 teams who decided to complete the 2019-2020 NBA season—initially postponed in March due to the coronavirus pandemic—have been spending their time at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla.'s Walt Disney World Resort. The remainder of the regular season, which will last eight games, is set to resume today before the playoffs start on Aug. 17. The more successful your team is—which is to say, the farther into the playoffs teams go—the longer they will have to stay on the Orlando campus. The season will end no later than Oct. 13. In other words, some of these guys could be there for a very long time.
The NBA players have been shut off from the rest of the world in order for the league to keep the season going, which means a series of testing and other protocols to prevent the entry and spread of the virus was instituted. Being in the bubble—best described as an insulated campus at the sports complex in which NBA players, coaches, team staff and select media members must remain to be tested for coronavirus regularly to ensure everyone remains free of the virus—means players are unable to eat at their favorite restaurants, hit the luminous clubs or go to any of the other spots they might usually frequent. While they get adjusted to their temporary home, they're listening to their favorite rap tunes.
For some players, the bubble has provided time to revisit underappreciated rap classics. The artists other NBA players are tuned in to look like Spotify's Rap Caviar playlist, combining a mix of Billboard Hot 100 mainstays in 2019 and 2020. Between testing, practices and scrimmages in the bubble, players can find themselves being as busy as always. While away from most of their family and friends, they've got their music to keep them company.
Over the last few days, XXL has talked to several players in the bubble about the rap music they've been listening to. See what Damian Lillard, Giannis Antetounkounpo and more NBA players currently inside the Orlando bubble have been listening to below.
Here Are the Rappers These NBA Players Are Listening to in Orlando Bubble