From Jordan to LeBron: Ranking Jay-Z's best sports references

One of the greatest rappers of all time -- or the greatest in many eyes -- Jay-Z is still out here adding to his legacy. This weekend, for instance, he's taking his stadium show to Los Angeles to bless the West Coast with more of his live greatness. The show is going to be full of trademark Jay hits. It'll also be full of sports lyrics, because if there's one thing Hov knows, it's sports. From deep dives into Michael Jordan history to NASCAR, scrambling quarterbacks and everything in between, a Jay-Z album might have more sports references than "SportsCenter" does. With such a robust history of sports references, we decided to rank his 10 best, most unexpected and clever. As they say, "the list is fluid." 10. "And I sport fly s--- I should win an ESPY" - "Party Life" (2007) This is a little bit of bias, so pardon us. Jay-Z shouting out the ESPYS is just pretty cool. Now he just needs to pull up and host or perform one of these years. When he does, he has our full permission to rap this exact lyric. Heck, he could even win an ESPY for the reference alone. -- David Dennis Jr. 9. "It's Hov tradition, Jeff Gordon of rap/ I'm back to claim pole position, holla at ya boy" -- "Never Let Me Down" (2004) If there's one NASCAR driver who's going to get referenced in rap songs, it's going to be Jeff Gordon. His rap credentials are certified. It doesn't get more certified than a nod from Hov. As always, there's a double meaning here. In 2004, Jay had taken his short-lived retirement, and this was his claim that he's back to lead the way like he never left. Well, he kind of never did. -- David Dennis Jr. 8. "You cats is home screaming the fight's on/ I'm in the 1500 seats, watching Tyson/ Same night, same fight/ But one of us cats ain't playing right/ I let you tell it" -- "I Love The Dough" (1997) One of rap history's great what-ifs is how much more music Jay-Z and his close friend the Notorious B.I.G. could've made if the latter hadn't been slain in 1997. The Mike Tyson reference here calls to mind Jay and Roc-A-Fella Records' 1995 trip to Sin City to watch Tyson's first post-prison fight against Peter McNeely. This same fight would also live in another Jay-Z classic, "Can I Live." -- Justin Tinsley 7. "I don't even know y'all name/ I'm too big for ya, the rap LeBron James" -- "Blow The Whistle" (2008) Let this next sentence marinate. LeBron James has been playing in the NBA so long that Jay-Z once defended him against ... DeShawn Stevenson and Soulja Boy. Too $hort's "Blow The Whistle" was already a cultural classic and party anthem well outside The Bay by spring 2008. With Jigga jumping on the track, and the subject matter being LeBron during the NBA playoffs, the reach went nuclear. We never did get a response track from Soulja and DeShawn, though. In case you're wondering, too, The King averaged 30 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in a six-game, first-round defeat of Washington. -- Justin Tinsley 6. "I told you '96 that I came to take this s--- and I did/ Handle my biz, I scramble like Randall with his/ Cunningham, but the only thing runnin' is numbers, fam" -- "Heart of the City" (2001) Jigga held you down six summers, damn. Sorry, just had to finish that line. Among the quarterbacks of the past 50 years, one of the most underrated is still Randall Cunningham. He's one of the most beloved forces in Philadelphia Eagles history. He put together a historic season in 1998 with the Minnesota Vikings alongside Cris Carter and a young rookie named Randy Moss. And, yes, the dude could scramble and make all kinds of plays with his legs. On Hov's timeless classic from a quarter century ago, Cunningham's mention lives on in musical bliss. -- Justin Tinsley 5. "I'ma stay winnin', rock the custom drop Bentleys/ Never eat at Denny's and party like Lil' Penny" -- "Who You Wit II" (1997) Two of the best things Chris Rock ever did were "Everybody Hates Chris" and voicing Lil' Penny -- the charming, boisterous figurine that helped make Penny Hardaway a marketing darling. It's a reference you had to live to really appreciate. But, Hov, what's your beef with Denny's? You ever been there at 3 a.m. after a night of partying? Don't knock it until you try it! -- Justin Tinsley 4. "More than a street legend, homie, it's Hova/ More than a relief pitcher, I'm the closer/ The Mariano of The Marriott/ If money talks, the whole world's about to hear me out" -- "Go Crazy" (2005) Being a legend in New York City is unlike being one anywhere else on the planet. Young Jeezy was the hottest rapper on the planet, and with his seminal 2005 classic "Thug Motivation 101," Jay couldn't resist temporarily pausing his "retirement" to get on the remix of one of the project's standouts. And, buddy, he delivered an absolute masterclass, equipped with a nod to the legendary New York Yankees closer Mariano Rivera. -- Justin Tinsley 3. "Worry I'm not the Mike Jordan of the mic recordin'/ It's Hovi Baby, you Kobe, maybe, Tracy McGrady/ Matter fact you a Harold Miner/ JR Rider, washed up on marijuana/ Even worse you a Pervis Ellis" -- "Pump It Up (Freestyle)" (2003) If there's one thing Jay-Z is going to do, it's belittle his rap competition by making sports comparisons. This one is particularly nasty, as he tossed out these insults to Joe Budden -- over the beat of Joe Budden's song. Here's some lore, as the kids say: Joe Budden was supposed to be one of rap's next big stars, and his big single was "Pump It Up." Jay had heard the rumblings and wanted to remind everyone that he was still king of the mountain. So while dropping this freestyle over the "Pump It Up" beat, he made it known he was one of the GOATs and Joe was, well...all respect to Pervis Ellis. -- David Dennis Jr. 2. "Jiggaman is Diesel when I lift the 8 up" -- "Lyrical Exercise" (2001) This one gets a healthy nod simply for the fact it took us so long to even understand what was going on here. The song, "Lyrical Exercise," is full of double entendres as he relates gym workouts to, well, any number of violent or illegal activities. For instance, "I spot ya, I lift the weight of ya watch of ya arm" is pretty straightforward. This lyric, though? Is not. At first blush, it's about holding up a weapon. However, it's actually a reference to this picture of Shaq (Diesel) lifting up teammate Kobe Bryant (No. 8). Whoa. It took the internet more than a decade to put this together, too. -- David Dennis Jr. 1. "I ball for real/ Y'all n---as is Sam Bowie/ And with the third pick, I made the Earth sick/ MJ, Him Jay, fadeaway perfect" -- "Hola Hovito" (2001) Leave it up to Jay-Z to offer some real draft analysis in the middle of a verse. Of course, this is a reference to one of the biggest NBA draft blunders of all time when the Portland Trail Blazers picked Sam Bowie over Michael Jordan in 1984. And the rest, as they say, is history. Jay is making the comparison here that all these other rappers are busts and he's the real MJ. -- David Dennis Jr.