Basketball Lyrics

[Chorus]
They're playing basketball
We love that basketball
They're playing basketball
We love that basketball

[Verse 1]
(Now rapping basketball -- Number 1, Kurtis Blow)
Basketball is my favorite sport
I like the way they dribble up and down the court

Just like I'm the king on the microphone
So is Dr. J and Moses Malone

I like slam dunks, take me to the hoop
My favorite play is the alley-oop
I like the pick-and-roll, I like the give-and-go
'Cause it's basketball, uh, Mister Kurtis Blow

[Chorus]
They're playing basketball
We love that basketball
They're playing basketball
We love that basketball

[Verse 2]
I used to go to dinner, then take the girl
To see Tiny play against Earl The Pearl
And Wilt, Big O, and Jerry West
Play basketball at it's very best
Basketball has always been my thing
I like Magic, Bird, and Bernard King
And number 33, my man Kareem
Is the center on my starting team

[Verse 5]
I get the ball and then I go and play
Like a superstar in the NBA
The forwards, the centers, and all the guards
The ones you see on the bubblegum cards
Me and homeboy would go one-on-one
'Cause playing the game is a lot of fun
Sit by the TV and watch 'em all
'Cause Kurtis Blow is rapping basketball

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About

Genius Annotation

Kurtis Blow’s 1984 single (lyrics by William Billy-Bill Waring) is a high-spirited ode to his favorite sport and its star players. We’re gonna go ahead and pretend that the Lil Bow Wow version of this song never happened.

Crazy Fact: The drum sounds in this song are mixed with the sound of a basketball being dribbled on the studio floor.

See here for a superb oral history of the song.

Q&A

Find answers to frequently asked questions about the song and explore its deeper meaning

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