“Kobe Bryant has 3 times more name-drops than Michael Jordan!”: How the Lakers legend is a pop culture staple despite his untimely death

NBA legend Kobe Bryant tops the list of NBA players whose names have been dropped the most in songs. The Black Mamba’s mentions are double of any other athlete on the list.

Sports personalities being mentioned in music albums are no secret. In the past as well we have seen hip-hop icons such as Drake, Kanye West, and Snoop Dogg drop names of NBA superstars such as LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Kobe Bryant in their tracks.

Some of these basketball stars have even collaborated with these rap moguls. The most recent being, 2x NBA champion and Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard’s cameo in Drake’s latest track WAY 2 SE*Y.

The list doesn’t extend to NBA players only. Soccer stars such as Lionel Messia and Cristiano Ronaldo have considerable mentions too. Some of the other sporting legends whose names have been dropped include Mike Tyson, Usain Bolt, and Tiger Woods.

Also read: “Vince Carter was more gifted than even Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal!”: Matt Barnes heaps some incredible praise onto the shoulders of the former Raptors star

A surprising statistic reveals, soccer players, having more mentions than basketball players. The concluded list below gives us an inside into players who are the most popular in the music industries around the globe.

Which NBA players have been name-dropped in the most songs?

The list below is a detailed study on the no of times an athlete’s name has been mentioned in songs.

1. Kobe Bryant, 1,147 
2. Lionel Messi, 553 
3. Michael Jordan, 439 
4. Mike Tyson, 407 
5. Cristiano Ronaldo, 280 
6. Diego Maradona, 270 
7. George Best, 269 
8. Muhammad Ali, 236 
9. Neymar, 230 
10. Tiger Woods, 221 
11. Zinedine Zidane, 216 
12. Usain Bolt, 216 
13. Jim Brown, 203 
14. LeBron James, 188 
15. David Beckham, 182 
16. N’Golo Kanté, 160 
17. Stephen Curry, 119 
18. Magic Johnson, 114 
19. Michael Phelps, 112 
20. Babe Ruth, 107
21. Ronaldinho, 104 
22. Bo Jackson, 94 
23. Tom Brady, 94 
24. Larry Bird, 84 
25. Reggie White, 84 
26. Luis Suárez, 73 
27. Chris Hoy, 56 
28. Jerry Rice, 55 
29. Mesut Ozil, 51 
30. Eric Cantona, 47

Lakers legend and 5x NBA champion Kobe Bryant tops the list by a landslide with 1,147 mentions. The second NBA player with the most no of name drops is Bulls legend and 6x Finals MVP Michael Jordan.

Soccer players are not far away, with Lionel Messi cementing the second position, with 553 mentions and Cristiano Ronaldo with 283 mentions.

The other NBA superstars on the list with maximum votes are LeBron James and Stephen Curry. While King James sits at the 14th position with 188 votes, the former unanimous MVP Steph Curry is at the 17th position with 119 votes.

Also read: “I don’t agree with the LeBron James and Kevin Durant approach of switching teams!”: When Kobe Bryant expressed his displeasure on superstars wanting out of bad situations

Some other honorable mentions include boxing legends Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali with 407 and 236 name drops respectively. Golf legend Tiger Woods has 221 name drops, while Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt has 216 mentions.