Top 3 NBA players whose music made it to the Billboard charts

#2 Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard of Team United States poses for photographs with his gold medal during the Men's Basketball medal ceremony on day fifteen of the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games at Saitama Super Arena on August 07, 2021 in Saitama, Japan.

Damian Lillard is known in the music world by his stage name, Dame D.O.L.L.A. He is one of the few NBA rappers who has earned a high level of respect for his music career. He is taking his music path very seriously as he has released two albums, with each project sounding better than the previous.

Dame D.O.L.L.A made his debut on Billboard's Emerging Artists chart at No. 32 on October 28th, 2017, with the release of his sophomore album, Confirmed, just ahead of the start of the 2017-18 NBA season. The album secured over 3,000 unit sales in its first week of release, placing it at No. 72 on the Billboard Album Sales chart.

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The Portland Trail Blazers point guard has a career average of 24.7 points, 4.2 rebounds and 6.6 assists. He put up 28.8 points per game last season and set a record the previous season as the first Portland Trail Blazers player in NBA history to average 30 points after a round-up (actual points per game tallies at 29.96). This saw the Olympic gold medalist beat Blazer legend Clyde Drexler's record of 27.2 points per game. He is the 4th best player to record a 50-point, 10-assist game in postseason history.

#1 Shaquille O'Neal

NBA analyst Shaquille O'Neal arrives at a preseason game between the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Lakers at T-Mobile Arena on October 10, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Lakers defeated the Warriors 123-113.

Shaquille O'Neal is so far the most accomplished NBA Rapper, making his first debut on the Billboard charts in 1993, with his first project, "Shaq Diesel". The album peaked at No. 25 on the Billboard 200 chart on November 20, 1993, and No. 10 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-hop Albums chart, spending two weeks on the chart. Shaq Diesel became a surprise hit attaining the RIAA platinum certification having made a million sales by March 21, 1994.

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In 1994, the NBA superstar released another project titled, Shaq Fu: Da Return, which peaked at No. 67 on the Billboard 200 chart, and also peaked at No. 19 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-hop Albums chart on November 26, 1994. It spent a week on the chart. His third (You Can't Stop The Reign) and fourth (Respect) studio album peaked at No. 82 and No. 58 on the Billboard 200 chart respectively. They also peaked at No. 21 and No. 8 on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-hop Albums chart in the same vein.

The eight-time All-NBA First Team player also has five songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, What's Up Doc? (Can We Rock) peaked at No. 39, (I Know I Got) Skillz (No. 35), I'm Outstanding (No. 45), Biological Didn't Bother (No. 78), and Men of Steel (From "Steel") (No. 82). He also made a splash on the Billboard Top R&B/Hip-hop Singles chart, with five songs peaking within the top 35 rankings.

The Lakers' center had a career average of 23.7 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.5 assists in the NBA. He ended his illustrious career at the Boston Celtics at age 38, averaging 9.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 0.7 assists. Shaq was named NBA Rookie of the Year in 1993, and he has under his belts 4 championship rings - winning three with the Lakers and one with the Miami Heat.