LeBron James "Can't Wait" for Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl performance

LeBron James, arguably the single most recognizable athlete in the world, is pumped up for the Super Bowl. A well-documented fan of all sports with a particular affinity for the NFL, LeBron is no stranger to the gridiron. He even played at a high level in high school and was rumored to transition to the National Football League when the NBA was experiencing a lockout.

This time, however, his excitement transcends sport, given that Kendrick Lamar will be performing at the Super Bowl’s Halftime Show. Not only is the West Coast rapper currently at the top of “music mountain,” but he also hails from Los Angeles, where James famously plays for their Lakers squad.

Their shared status as Los Angeles icons and champions for growth and change in their city has garnered mutual respect between the two, with LeBron previously attending Kendrick’s hometown shows in 2024. Through an Instagram story, King James expressed his excitement about Kendrick’s set.

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Kendrick’s Set

While this year will be the first time Kendrick will be the show’s lead act accompanied by SZA, it’s not his first Super Bowl appearance. At Super Bowl 56 in Los Angeles, he was featured in a halftime show that also boasted hip-hop legends Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg, Eminem, Mary J. Blige, and 50 Cent. Off the heels of releasing his GNX album, fans eagerly await his upcoming performance’s setlist.

While “Not Like Us” and “Squabble Up” are no-brainers to include, the internet is abuzz regarding whether we’ll get more of his new material, a throwback show, or, ideally, a performance that walks the fine line between the two. It is assumed, however, that perennial favorites like “Poetic Justice,” “Loyalty,” Money Trees,” and “All the Stars” will all be a part of the upcoming set.

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LeBron vs Drake?

LeBron and Drake were famously thick as thieves before his beef with Kendrick began. Drake would regularly attend games, praise LeBron via socials at every major milestone, and even include him in a complimentary fashion in a number of his lyrics over the years. For his part, LeBron would extend the same love and support back to Drizzy, and their relationship came across as genuine. Not just one curated for the media given their respective statuses.

However, in 2024, a potential rift between the two became a topic of conversation. There were murmurings for some time, but there was no real evidence of any tension between the two. It should be noted, however, that the usually outspoken James, while neutral on the topic, had not voiced his support for Drake amidst the beef. Then, he attended Kendrick’s “Pop Out” Tour show in June.

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Things seem to get extremely icy between the two from this point on. What happened behind the scenes is anyone’s guess, but later, and maybe symbolically in October, the OVO rapper unfollowed LeBron on Instagram.

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Drake goes Rogue

Fast forward to earlier this week when Drizzy seemingly took a shot at James while performing in Perth, Australia, as part of the Anita Max Win Tour.

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In the fan-captured video, Drake switches up some lyrics on chart-topper “Nonstop.”

“How I go from 6 to 23 but not LeBron, man,” he raps on the updated version.

LeBron has yet to make any public comments regarding this ongoing situation. Unfortunately, this will only continue to elevate the chatter and outside noise.