JAY-Z has saluted LeBron James’ “greatness” in a video tribute that aired ahead of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game.
After passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the league’s all-time scorer earlier this month, Hov paid tribute to LeBron for TNT on Sunday (February 19) by recognizing his high level of performance over the course of his 20-year career.
“Being able to perform at a high level for a long period of time, you know, that’s excellence,” he said. “Long after you’ve gone, people, they’re looking at your name. That’s what greatness is. There’s not many you can compare LeBron to. 19-time All-Star, a remarkable feat. The all-time scorer, all-time. I mean, what can you say?
“I’ve known LeBron since he was in high school. There was a lot of talk about how amazing he was. We were convinced this guy was super special. He’s been through plenty iterations of the game, and each era, he’s been the best. The chosen one, that’s it.”
JAY-Z spoke more about the significance of the NBA All-Star Game and how the players can let loose playing alongside the best of the best.
“All-Star energy, it’s fun,” he said. “The players, they’re super excited to play with one another. The league is in a great place right now and every team has major stars.
“Amazing, amazing performers. People call it being in the zone, where you can tell someone’s just not there. You know, this thing is happening within seconds. How did he see this person? How did he jump and adjust, mid-air? You can’t help but react watching that.”
He added: “It’s the All-Star Game. The attitude, the swagger, where players get a chance to do things they wouldn’t usually do in a game. All-Star, it’s like a childhood boys energy where everyone’s just happy to play the game that they love.”
TNT‘s clip also featured highlights of the NBA’s biggest stars, soundtracked by JAY-Z’s songs “What More Can I Say” and “Show Me What You Got.”
The respect goes both ways between LeBron James and JAY-Z, with the NBA star naming The Black Album as one of his favorite albums of all time last year alongside Nas‘ It Was Written.
