“Kendrick Blessed Me With That Album”: LeBron James Once Showed Love to K-Dot For His ‘Untitled Unmastered’ Project

The 2016 NBA championship might be the league’s one of the most memorable title series. In the matchup, LeBron James and his Cleveland Cavaliers rallied back from a 3-1 deficit to beat the 73-win Golden State Warriors. But looking back, it looks like King James had some extra motivation entering that post-season, and it happens to be a result of an album drop.

James, a self-proclaimed hip-hop connoisseur, posted a video to the YouTube channel UNINTERRUPTED, in 2016. In the clip, he could be heard talking about “locking in” for the playoffs, and the difficult stretch of games ahead.

While he claimed that he was “excited” about the incumbent post-season, he did confess that Kendrick Lamar’s recent album motivated him further. Shouting out the rapper, James further added,

“A good friend of mine, Kendrick [Lamar] blessed me with that album that just dropped. I lock in and use that as motivation going forward. So shout out Kendrick and Top Dog[ Entertainment].”

The album he referred to in the clip happened to be Lamar’s 2016 compilation album with TDE (Top Dog Entertainment) called Untitled Unmastered. It even appeared on the top of the US Billboard Top 200 list. And while it got Lamar a lot of critical acclaim, it seems to have helped James more.

A few months later, LBJ brought Cleveland its maiden championship, fulfilling his lifelong promise to his city. But James’ relationship with the West Coast rapper has only deepened since he was recently spotted at a K-Dot concert.

LeBron James often shows love to his favorite artist

A year after capturing the 2016 title, LeBron James and the Cavaliers were once again in the mix to win back-to-back championships. In the first round of the postseason, James and Co. faced off against the Indiana Pacers and managed to acquire a 3-0 lead.

Later, during Game 3’s post-game presser, the King was asked if he had the opportunity to listen to Lamar’s new album DAMN. Appreciating the question, James answered,

“I haven’t stopped listening to it since he sent it to me…it hit home for me at times, because even I was a kid growing up in the inner city.”

Fast forward almost seven years and James continues to show his support for the Compton rapper. Recently, he headlined a big list of celebrities at a pop-out K-Dot concert.

Moreover, unlike other events, James seems to have left the family at home, as he could be seen vibing all alone in the crowd. A spectacle that was hard to miss, considering he stood out like a sore thumb in a crowd full of normal-sized attendees.