There are so many similarities between the rap game and basketball. In both areas of expertise, people are ultra-competitive. Personalities are larger-than-life and usually, everyone is on a mission to prove that they're the greatest of all time. Of course, not everybody will be crowned the king at the end of the day. Still, there are plenty of parallels that we can discuss when comparing the NBA to rap. Damian Lillard, who also goes by Dame D.O.L.L.A. in music, stopped by our office recently to discuss the lines drawn between both professional careers, naming the most direct artist examples to identify the strongest hoopers in the game.
It all starts off with Gucci Mane, who Dame would compare to Paul Millsap. Throughout his career, Millsap has been a vital part of any team he's been on. Sometimes he's the star and other times, he allows space for his teammates to do the talking. Another comparison that makes total sense is Lillard's Russell Westbrook-Travis Scott note. The two entertainers have huge personalities and they love to electrify the crowd. If you've ever raged at a La Flame concert or seen Russ clock in one of his many triple-doubles, you know what I'm talking about.
When it comes to classifying himself, Dame was unafraid to give himself some big shoes to fill in. "I think I'm J. Cole," he said. "Because J. Cole, like as an artist, is at the top. But he don't appeal to everybody. I think his style is just genuine and he's a real solid person. I think that's who I am. Being a solid person and being the best in your career but everybody don't respect it like they might respect other artists."
Find out who Dame compares Kendrick Lamar and Drake to in the video above.
