The 10 Best San Antonio Spurs name drops in hip hop

Shaquille O’Neil, Damian Lillard, Lonzo Ball, and even the best point guard in San Antonio Spurs' history, Tony Parker, have all dipped their feet into rapping on top of their dedication to the NBA. If you believe a single word Kevin Durant says, then all NBA players want to be rappers. 

This year’s Celebrity All-Star game had four hip-hop artists, and rappers are always mentioning their favorite NBA players, so I guess the envy goes both ways. Usually, those mentions are saved for big-name stars or flashy players. Despite a 20-year run of dominance, the San Antonio Spurs are not particularly flashy, and even the best players did not attract much off-court attention.

That doesn’t mean they weren’t recognized by some of music’s greatest stars, though. From David Robinson, Tim Duncan, and Parker, the Spurs have gotten their share of love. Even some role players made the cut. For the sake of this list, songs entirely dedicated to Spurs will be excluded.

Sorry, Tory Lanez. Great song about Tim Duncan, but that’s less of a shoutout and more of a tribute. I also did not scour the depths of Spotify, so some lesser-known artists are almost certainly excluded. If you’re a budding rapper who likes the Spurs and feel excluded, hit me up and I’ll give your music a shot. 

#10: Kyle, “iSpy” - “I'm just like DeRozan, if I shoot it, it goes in”

"iSpy" by Kyle isn’t exactly the lyrical undertaking I would usually want to include in this list, but let’s face it, this song is a feel-good blast that can save a party from certain demise. Featuring Lil Yachty, I don’t think iSpy is winning any awards, but it got up to #4 on the US Billboard charts, so there’s that. 

In all fairness, this song was released two years before DeMar DeRozan ever played for the Spurs, and the latter part is comical at best. DeRozan is a lot of things, but a knockdown shooter isn’t one of them. This was the first Kyle song I ever heard, and I just assumed he was Canadian because otherwise, this line is more of a joke than anything. But, since the song is just a ton of fun, it makes the cut. 

#9: Nas, “Street Dreams” - “She got me back living sweeter, fresh Caeser, Guess, David Robinson’s, Walle moccasins” 

Is this about David Robinson, Spurs icon, or David Robinson, British watchmaker? It depends on who you ask. Sure, Nas is listing the finer things in life like designer clothes and fresh salad, but it’s worth noting that when this song came out, Robinson was sidelined with a foot injury. After serving his Naval obligation and then heading straight to the NBA, maybe Nas thought Robinson was also enjoying the finer things during his unexpected vacation season. 

This is the oldest song on the list. Sorry, George Gervin, but the rap artists of today have moved on to current stars. Nas is an all-time great, and any top-ten list would be incomplete without him.