What NBA players are listening to
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DIME Magazine / Special to FOXSports.com
Posted: 4 hours ago
You can't go into an NBA locker room these days without seeing headphones all over the place. Copping the hottest albums and trading playlists — for ballers, music is a necessity.
We wanted to get a first-hand look at what's bumping in the NBA these days, so Dime Magazine checked in with the Phoenix Suns, Denver Nuggets and a handful of other NBA players to see what everyone is listening to.
Phoenix Suns
Quentin Richardson: "Music's very important to me," Richardson says. "I listen to music all the time. Taking a shower, chilling, playing video games, in the car, everywhere."
Of course, his fiancee Brandy is at the top of the list of artists. He has all of her albums downloaded and has a "B-Rocka" (Richardson's nickname for Brandy) playlist.
Brandy aside, Richardson listens to a lot of old-school artists including Al Green, Anita Baker and Barry White. He also has Enya "because of Brandy. She loves Enya." R. Kelly and Tupac are among his other favorites.
Of course Quentin Richardson's fiancee Brandy is on his music list. (Andrew D. Bernstein / Getty Images)
Shawn Marion: "Anyone who knows me knows I'm a music fanatic," Marion says. "Music is my everyday life. I gotta have music, whether it's a CD or an iPod, I gotta have something."
Marion says he has more than 6,000 songs downloaded.
Marion rocks a lot of hip-hop — Jadakiss, The Game and R. Kelly — but he also enjoys soft rock and alternative music, including Elton John, George Michael, Creed, Avril Lavigne and Kylie Minogue.
Joe Johnson: The majority of Johnson's music is by "Down South" artists, as he likes to stay true to his Arkansas roots. His favorites include Ludacris, T.I., Lil' Wayne and Nelly. JJ also likes to keep it old school with Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson and Johnny Taylor.
Steve Nash: Like Richardson, Nash signed with the Suns as a free agent last summer. But unlike Richardson, Nash isn't permanently tethered to his music. "I like to read on the road, so I don't bring my iPod very often," Nash says.
Nash, who was born in South Africa but grew up in Victoria, British Columbia, likes music from all ends of the earth. He listens to Brazilian and Latin music, along with classic rock from the Rolling Stones and David Bowie.
Amare Stoudemire: "I love music, but I'm not obsessed with it," Stoudemire says. "It's a relaxing thing and it's good to listen to when you're alone or when you're chilling with your buddies."
Stoudemire often listens to music in his hotel rooms on the road. Since the rooms are almost always equipped with CD players, he brings his Tupac Shakur library to help him get both relaxed and hyped. Stoudemire says Tupac is "all I listen to."
Coach Mike D'Antoni: While his players mostly listen to hip-hop and R&B, D'Antoni favors a wide range of music. "Michael McDonald to Toby Keith to Five for Fighting to Bruce Hornsby," D'Antoni says. "Then there's Phil Collins and James Taylor."
Of course, D'Antoni listens to Brandy too. "Because of Quentin," D'Antoni says. "I gotta have that."
Denver Nuggets
Marcus Camby rocks a ton of classic 70s and 80s songs, plus current hip-hop, R&B and even some Alan Jackson. (Garrett Ellwood / Getty Images)
Now that the Nuggets are out of the playoffs after a first-round loss to the Spurs, they'll have plenty of time to dig in and get their play lists updated. But here's what they have been listening to.
Marcus Camby: "Every day I listen to music," Camby says. "You spend a majority of time in a hotel room. There's only so much SportsCenter you can watch."
He rocks a ton of classic 70s and 80s songs, plus current hip-hop, R&B and even some Alan Jackson. "I'm an East Coast Guy, so I probably have the most East Coast music on the team."
Carmelo Anthony: Anthony has two separate playlists, one with "old school" music and one with "new school" songs. His old school favorites include artists like Ray Charles, Marvin Gaye, Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, Gladys Knight and Kenny G.
'Melo's new-school favorites include Jadakiss, Method Man and Jay-Z, and he's quick to point out: "I don't have any country or heavy metal."
Bryon Russell: "Music is life. Life is Music. Music calms the nerves," Russell says. "Whenever we go on road trips, I have to have it. Even if it's a one day trip."
Russell listens to a ton of oldies. "The O'Jays, The Isley Brothers, Club Nouveau, you name it, I got all that," Russell says." The old-school stuff is side-by-side with plenty of Snoop, Xzibit, Jadakiss and Fat Joe.
Rodney White: White might have the most intriguing mix of all of his Nuggets teammates. "Gospel and Christian songs, R&B rap — the whole variety."![]()
Some of White's favorite musical choices are Sade, Marvin Gaye, Lenny Kravitz, a lot of old-school music and Michael Jackson's entire library.
What are other players listening to?
Vince Carter, Nets: Well, I listen to all types of music from hip-hop to R&B to jazz to rock and I try to keep them all in heavy rotation. As for jazz though, I love old school and new school stuff, like Miles Davis and even Kenny G.
Kirk Hinrich, Bulls: "I got everything from Aerosmith to Guns 'n Roses, Creed, hip-hop."
Nazr Mohammed, Spurs: "Crunk Juice, Usher, T.I. And I just bought the new Trick Daddy."![]()
Kareem Rush, Bobcats: "R&B and hip-hop. I'm a big Jay-Z fan, Eminem fan, huge John Legend fan, huge Maxwell fan. I always gotta go with my classic Maxwell for the ladies. I mess with The Game — he's hot.
Ben Gordon, Bulls: "I got pretty much every genre except rock and roll, and country. The last CD I bought was 50 Cent's new album."
Jerome Williams, Knicks: "Beenie Man, Usher, Snoop. Ya know, Snoop's my cousin. He's in the Dogg Pound too."
Tyson Chandler, Bulls: "The Game. That's my boy."
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..that's a lot of song there, MarionMarion says he has more than 6,000 songs downloaded.
....so, anybody here knows Duncan's playlists?
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I think that Tim has said that he listens to rap/hip hop but I'm not sure what in particular.
The Spurs officially have a real center.Nazr Mohammed, Spurs: "Crunk Juice, Usher, T.I. And I just bought the new Trick Daddy."
Congrats, Spurs fans.
Ah ha
Okay
Wassup
Shutup
Ooo I see another fan...
and i read somewhere he likes raggae music? forgive me, but i don't even know what a kind of music raggae is.....
BTW, it seems the NBA had second thoughts on banning players from using iPods since that Vince Carter's incident. Maybe bec. Vince made some remarks on Duncan using of it too?
I also believe Duncan likes Raeggae...
I think there was an interview at one point during the season that the ESPN Crew asked him what kind of music he had in his ipod..
He answered all those three...
If I remember correctly.
The iPods are still banned in the official warmup period. They always have been.
Why? Did I miss this ? I think I had seem Tim use one while warming up...
if Duncan likes music, certainly the "kid" of the team Parker likes, too! But i didn't see Parker w/ an iPod before.
okay iPods are only allowed in the locker rooms![]()
They are allowed to listen to headphones/iPods in warmups, just not in the official 20-minute warmup period right before the tip -- because it goes against the NBA's dress code or something to that effect.
Of course, D'Antoni listens to Brandy too. "Because of Quentin," D'Antoni says. "I gotta have that."i hope it's not mandatory, coach...
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Q listens to Enya? He is officially a
Enya makes great fishing music.
I think duncan is listenin to bad boys bad boys what you gonna do, wht you gonna do when we come for you...
Alright Shawn Marion and Kirk Hinrich listen to Creed. But someone should tell them that they are now the new and improved with new singer Alter Bridge. They are better than Creed.
Indeed.
I actually have a Tim Duncan mix CD. A friend of mine used to work at a detailing shop. Tim brought one his cars in and the guys made a copy of the CD that was in the player.The mix is called "Def Jam Recordings 1995-2001". I'm not familiar with les and artists, but I do recognize most of the songs. Among them are:
Pop Goes The Weasel - 3rd Base
Fight For Your Right - Beastie Boys
Party Up - DMX
Fight The Power - Public Enemy
I'll be happy to make anybody a copy.
Someone doesn't know what Raggae is? What's the world coming to when Bob Marley's music is no longer even recognized...
I'm encouraged to see there is so much "old school" music being listened to. Marvin Gaye was one of the best...died way too young and tragically.
I thought there'd be much more rap and hip-hop listened to. There's still way too much of it...but, this article is encouraging, and hopefully, it's on the decline.
It's hard to call something music, when the majority of it nobody's even playing an damned instrument! Poetry with a drum track is the best I could call it.
With apologies to poets...and to drummers.
@ Timvp.
Never though I would hear that a Spurs center listens to Dirty South music. Nazr doesn't look the type either.
"Get back mother er you don't know me like that"
I thought there'd be much more rap and hip-hop listened to. There's still way too much of it...but, this article is encouraging, and hopefully, it's on the decline.
It's hard to call something music, when the majority of it nobody's even playing an damned instrument! Poetry with a drum track is the best I could call it.
Granted I don't know much about Reggae, but isn't that just singing over a very simple drum type beat? Now isn't the time nor the place to get into an argument about music, but is absolutely amazing to me how Hip-Hop is hated by so many in this forum, particuly a basketball forum.
Most forms of music originated specifically to express thoughts, ideas, etc.
Why is it always assumed that music has to be some complex form of instrumentaion?
Some people might tend to prefer good beats or instrumental work -- some prefer their music to have strong vocals/lyrics.
I would think someone named Duncan would like Hip-hop and rap because people are always sayin'....
"Yo Yo".
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