When we talk about the recent Super Bowl halftime show, we talk about the enthralling halftime show of Kendrick Lamar. Yes, even eclipsing the marquee sporting occasion in itself. The Grammy award-winning rapper is very much the ‘talk-of-the-town’! And among his many admirers is the NBA veteran. Not so surprising, is it? Jamal Crawford couldn’t contain his excitement and took it to social media. He left a message to the world about how he now sees the rapper ‘differently’.

The internet has chosen to take sides on their reviews, with some criticizing it as ‘the worst halftime performance ever’. But Jamal is pretty clear on where he stands. The former LA Clippers player resonated with the message that Lamar conveyed to the entire world.

Earlier, Jamal contributed to the hype when Lamar was announced as the performer for the halftime show. With Lil Wayne getting snubbed and some criticism emerging from all quarters, Jamal made his stance clear. With only three words “Only one KDOT”, the former NBA player announced his hype for the rapper. Moreover, his declaration remained intact after the performance. In the words of Crawford himself:

“The only star I’ve ever seen play the Super Bowl, and not do all their “hits”. Thinking different!👑 Kendrick. Respect bro!” In a press release, Lamar stated, “Rap music is still the most impactful genre to date. And I’ll be there to remind the world why. They got the right one.” And obviously, his words echoed with admiration! Lamar proves the people who believed in him right. In the show, the hip-hop star didn’t just perform his greatest hits but also stayed true to his character. He proudly showcased his roots and what he stands for. And appreciation didn’t stop flowing in his direction.

The Grammy-winning rapper headlined the Super Bowl with his commanding stage presence and song choices. He performed not only hits like HUMBLE, DNA, and Squabble Up but also other lesser-known ones. But the highlight is on “Not Like Us”. The track is a ‘diss’ towards Canadian rapper Drake. There were speculations about whether he would perform the song or not. When he finished singing his collaborative piece “All the Stars” with SZA, Uncle Sam called it “what America wants”. He rebutted the claim by hitting the stage with the not-so-nice and calm” diss track. As expected, the audience in the stadium was up in raptures as they joined the rapper in singing the song.

The history of Kendrick and the NBA goes all the way back

Remember the 2014 NBA All-Star Weekend in New Orleans, Louisiana? That’s right! In between the points and rebounds, Kendrick gave a stellar performance for the audience with only two songs ‘m.A.A.d city’ and  ‘B*tch, Don’t Kill My Vibe’. As expected of K Dot! Notably, he headlined the Saturday night. Not bad for a debut stage at the NBA, right?

Another legend who is Kendrick’s big fan? Yes, the legend himself. The LeBron James. He has always hyped up K Dot even before Kendrick solidified his spot in the music industry. So, of course, he absolutely loved the Super Bowl halftime show. Talk about loyalty!

Let’s be real here. Not every artist has the ‘magic’ to mesmerized a large-scale crowd with their performance. His poetical lyrics, narrative and commentary-style performance keep the audience engaged and captured the hearts of many. All in all, a cultural reset! He justified the title of being the ‘first solo hip-hop artist to headline the Super Bowl halftime show’. So, Jamal Crawford’s comments are totally justifiable. On top of everything, we are even fed with a new meme. What more can we ask for?