New Boston Celtics assistant coach Sam Cassell has quite the resume. He won three NBA championships in his time as a pro, including one with the Celts back in 2008. He was an All-Star, an accomplished Florida State Seminole, and earned All-NBA Second Team honors in 2004. As such, Cassell brings experience, toughness, and wisdom to Boston’s bench.
A less relevant but equally compelling part of Cassell’s history may be his place in the world of hip-hop.
Rapper Jadakiss referenced Cassell in the 2001 song “Put Ya Hands Up,” cementing the point guard’s place in the culture. At the time, Cassell was playing for the Milwaukee Bucks, and Jadakiss apparently took notice. On the third single from his album Kiss the Game Goodbye, Jadakiss delivers the now iconic line, “imma get Bucks like Milwaukee, cuz like Sam I Cassell,”
Will the Cal alum retire wearing the green and white? https://t.co/9sjxKD8gGu
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 8, 2023
According to ESPN’s Eric Rosenthal and Jeff Rosenthal, this single line was a revelation. The connections between the NBA and hip-hop run deep, but commercially and in pop culture there was limited synergy. Such a specific reference underscored Jadakiss’ love for basketball and lyrical genius.
“In the rap world, in the slick-talker world, it was a no-brainer,” Jadakiss told ESPN. “Far as reaching all the way over to basketball culture and all that, that made it much better that I was able to build a bond and a relationship with the actual person that I was talking about in the rhyme.”
Hip-hop is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year. Like the NBA, its place in culture continues to grow and morph to this day. And the intersection of the two is also strengthening.
“Rappers always loved basketball,” Jadakiss said. “They love all sports, but basketball is just that one special connection between artists and the game.”
Brown cannot be traded to any team in the NBA even if all parties agreed it was for the best due to the terms of his new supermax contract extension. https://t.co/DxAc6r2VCh
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) August 8, 2023
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