“Folks just blast me into that shit” was Polo G’s reaction after learning that his likeness had been recreated in NBA 2K23 by fans. Though the rapper himself wasn’t too impressed with how he looked, there is no better way to pay tribute to him. After all, it is no secret that Polo G is a certified NBA aficionado. From coming to LeBron James’s defense against Dillion Brooks by incorporating the lyrics, “If he a lame like Dillon Brooks, I take him straight off the roster,” into his song to featuring Michael Jordan’s Ferrari 550 Maranello in another of his songs, Polo G’s liking for the sport knows no bounds. While he himself never chose to gave professional basketball try, he knew whose spot he would have occupied if he did.

Polo G was the main guest on the recent episode of Angel Reese’s newly released show. When discussing NBA comparisons, the rapper did not have to think for long before putting up Kawhi Leonard’s name. After all, having indulged in basketball himself, though on a casual level, Polo G was aware of his strengths and weaknesses. From what he observed, he could relate to no other athlete’s playing style better than that of the two-time NBA champion.

“I’m probably quiet, just like him. I’mma play defense; I’m pretty long, my arms long, so I’m pretty decent on defense. And like, I got a decent mid-range (shot)” said Polo G. Putting out an “ok” with a smile on her face, Angel Reese certainly seemed to believe that the rapper may hold the potential.

While the rapper has never reportedly competed against Kawhi Leonard, the two have collaborated together, far away from the basketball court. As part of his first music album released back in 2021, the then LA Clippers player teamed up with Polo G. Accompanying the duo were other renowned members of the rap world like NBA YoungBoy, Lil Uzi Vert, Gunna, etc. In a statement, Leonard believed that the collaboration for ‘Culture Jam’ was a way that “merges basketball and music together.” By following along the same lines as Shaquille O’Neal, Leonard created another basis through which he could relate to Polo G. Not bad for a duo who claim to have a ‘quiet’ personality.

If the rapper feels that he can rise to the same level as Kawhi Leonard, then he has certainly made efforts to ensure that. Back in December 2022, Polo G was captured working out alongside popular basketball trainer Lethal Shooter. Along with working on their jump shots, the duo also made quite a few 3-pointers from the standard range used by NBA players. Prior to that, the rapper had uploaded a video of himself going up against YK Osiris and defeating him by a 10-0 score.

By putting himself on the same pedestal as the 6x NBA All-Star, the 25-year-old once again displayed how close he holds basketball to his heart. On top of that, if the rapper had ever forgotten to give out his thoughts on the growing popularity of women’s basketball, the interview with Angel Reese was the perfect place to do so.

Polo G credits Angel Reese for his growing interest in WNBA games: “What y’all had going on in college”

The comparison about Paul George wasn’t the only inner thought that Polo G chose to make public during the interview. Over the course of the 30-minute interview, before he could make the comparison, the rapper took a moment to confess, “I ain’t going to lie. It, it’s really like, like I’ve been hip to women’s basketball, but it’s like like what y’all had going on in college what really shed more of a light on it to make watch it way more than I did, you know.” Angel Reese certainly appreciated the compliment, as he let out a slight aww as the rapper was speaking.

The popularity around women’s basketball, especially in college, has certainly been on another level during the last few years. While much of it continues to be credited majorly to now Indiana Fever rookie Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese also played a significant role in the same. Alongside the LSU Tigers, and the Maryland Terrapins before that, the 22-year-old impressed upon fans and analysts through her athleticism and her stats, averaging 18.6 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 1.9 assists over the course of four seasons. She defeated the Clark led Iowa Hawkeyes to secure the 2023 NCAA championship trophy.

While Reese wasn’t able to repeat the same success against Clark in 2024, ESPN reported that the finals game had accumulated over 12.3 million viewers, with the peak audience number reaching up till 16.1 million viewers. If that isn’t enough to generate interest, then what is?

Have you ever come across a clip of Polo G playing basketball? If yes, would you place him on the same pedestal as Paul George? Let us know in the comments down below.

Before you go, remember to check out this crossover between BG12 and Georgia Bulldogs star Silas Demary Jr.