Jay-Z has tracked the progress of NBA superstar LeBron James since he was a high school basketball phenom, witnessing his wins and losses on the journey to becoming the NBA’s all-time scorer.
The Hip-Hop mogul paid tribute to the four-time MVP ahead of the 2023 NBA All-Star Game. Earlier this month, Lebron James broke Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s almost 40-year record to become the NBA’s all-time scorer.
Hov celebrated the Lakers star during a video played for Sunday night’s (Feb. 19) All-Star game in Salt Lake City, Utah, the 19th of James’ career.
Jay-Z Celebrates LeBron James
“Being able to perform at a high level for a long period of time, that’s excellence,” Jay-Z declared. “Long after you’re gone, people may look at your name and like, ‘That’s what greatness is. There’s not many you can compare LeBron to a 19-time All-Star, a remarkable feat.
“The all-time leading scorer, all-time! I mean, what can you say? He’s been through many iterations of the game and in each era, he’s been the best. ‘The Chosen One’ and that’s it.”
After giving LeBron James his flowers, Jay-Z shared his excitement at seeing the strength of the league as a whole.
The players, they’re super excited to play with one another,” he added. “The league is in a great place right now. Every team has major stars, amazing, amazing performers.”
Check out the tribute below.
Jay-Z’s tribute to LeBron 👑 pic.twitter.com/ViihQrHKKM
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) February 20, 2023
Jay-Z isn’t the only Hip-Hop superstar to pay tribute to LeBron James. Officials paused the game between the Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder on Feb. 7, when the Lakers forward scored the 38,388th point of his career. Drake, Kendrick Lamar, and Snoop Dogg joined other celebs, including Rihanna, in a video recognizing the historic achievement.
“Thank you to the Laker faithful. You guys are one of a kind. To be able to be in the presence of such a legend and great as Kareem means so much to me. It’s very humbling,” said LeBron James during a speech at the Crypto.com Arena.