6 Songs That Embody the NBA’s Most Intriguing Teams

Packed with new storylines, puzzling rosters, and the world’s best basketball players, the 75th NBA season looks to be another one full of excitement and intrigue.

Written by Joshua Troncoso

Photo courtesy of USA TODAY Sports

The NBA is approaching its 75th season, and despite only being a few games into the season, there are just as many dramatic storylines and intriguing teams to watch this winter than ever. While some NBA fans might not like to admit it, the real housewives-esque drama can be just as fun to follow as the actual basketball. This listicle looks at five of the most interesting teams in the league this year and takes a deep dive into the drama in them through song.

Los Angeles Lakers: “Gotta Have It” by Jay-Z & Kanye West

The Lakers remain one of the most marketable brands in basketball, and this off-season was no different. The team’s disappointing loss in last year's playoffs has been quickly forgotten, and now it has nearly overturned its entire championship roster from just two seasons ago. They traded several players for Russell Westbrook, whose playing style clashes with Lakers star players, Lebron James and Anthony Davis. The added veteran makes the Lakers’ roster the oldest one in the league by far (with an average age of 30.9 years) and one of the most confusing as well. Despite this, however, the team still remains one of the favorites to come out of the Western Conference, mainly due to those previously mentioned two players: James and Davis. When the undeniable duo is healthy, these players have shown they can defeat any opponent with ease.

The outstanding teamwork between James and Davis on the court mirrors the incomparable collaboration Kanye West and Jay-Z have brought to the rap game for the past three decades. On “Gotta Have It,” Ye and Jay trade lines, challenging anyone to step to them, even name-dropping LeBron James himself at one point. It’s boastful, in your face, and full of hubris, but their confidence is well earned. Much like Kanye and Jay-Z, Davis and James have proven that they have nothing to fear in the league as long as both of them are on the court.

Golden State Warriors: “Glory Days” by Bruce Springsteen

The once-dominant Warriors of just a few years ago seem like it belongs to the distant past at this point, especially considering the two lackluster seasons the team has had since last reaching the NBA Finals in 2019. Now a key member of the Warriors dynasty, Klay Thompson, returns after tearing both an Achilles tendon and ACL, which caused him to miss two entire seasons. Power forward  Draymond Green has taken a significant step back in his ability to score, and 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala has looked like a shell of himself for two seasons now. Steph Curry ... well, he’s as electrifying as ever, but he’s the exception, not the rule. Expectations are extremely high for a team that failed to qualify for the playoffs and will rely heavily on the play of Thompson, Green, and potentially Iguodala. Can this version of the Golden State Warriors recapture its old glory?

Bruce Springsteen’s 1984 classic “Glory Days” is the quintessential song for reminiscing. The rose-tinted lens through which Springsteen views the moments and people from his past after time has taken its toll on them are the same ones that Warriors fans use when they begin to hype up the current roster. It’s hard to say that all of the Warriors’ best moments are behind them, but they will almost certainly reach the heights of their dominant run from 2014-2019. Springsteen sings with both the sadness and acceptance that fans of Golden State have become all too familiar with; these players are not the same as the ones they fell in love with during the dynasty.

Philadelphia 76ers: "I Hope You’re Never Happy” by Dolly Parton

Perhaps the only team that may rival the Lakers in terms of off-season buzz has been the tumultuous Philadelphia 76ers. The “will-they? won't-they?” trade of Ben Simmons has been the story of the off-season and continues to draw intrigue from every media outlet that covers the NBA. Since the team’s disappointing loss to the Atlanta Hawks in the Eastern Conference Finals, the 76ers has been looking to move on from Simmons, but the question has always been: Where will they trade him and when will it happen? The cloud that this issue has formed over the team has now grown so large that it has begun to actually affect how the 76ers functions on the court. Simmons has now informed the team’s management that he never intends to play for the 76ers again and is simply waiting to be traded.

The bitterness of this situation pairs perfectly with the palpable pettiness of Dolly Parton’s “I Hope You’re Never Happy.” Either the 76ers as a team or Simmons could play the role of Parton in this scenario, as both are intent on seeing each other miserable once they inevitably split. Both the song and the Simmons trade situation radiate such toxicity that it's almost alarming to pay attention to, yet still relatable and fun to follow along with.

New Orleans Pelicans: “Where’s the Catch?” by James Blake

The New Orleans Pelicans won the draft lottery two years ago and secured the first overall player, Zion Williamson. While the Pelicans have not made the playoffs since then and have now hired their third head coach in three years, Zion has emerged as one of the most talented rising stars in the league, and his size makes him borderline unstoppable offensively. The future certainly seems bright for the team, but there have been rumors that Zion might prefer to play elsewhere, namely New York, before his rookie contract is even up.

The hidden feelings of unease and suspicion that something must be wrong is well-captured in James Blake and André 3000’s “Where’s the Catch.” The song details Blake’s hesitancy to believe that his current relationship can be as good as it seems. Throughout the song, there is also a sense that the singer might be projecting his insecurities about abandonment, and the same could be said of the Pelicans. Just two seasons ago, a different generational power forward, Anthony Davis, requested a trade from New Orleans to head to a bigger market where he would have better marketing opportunities. With their past experiences with star players, and some of the recent news about Zion’s discontent with the team, a sense of paranoia and impending dread has set in the minds of the Pelicans’ fanbase. 

Portland Trail Blazers: “When the Spell Is Broken” by Richard Thompson

After yet another disappointing loss to a hobbled Denver Nuggets team in the first round last year, All-NBA point guard Damian Lillard may have his sights set on joining another team if the Trail Blazers fail to build a team around him that can compete for a title. Lillard has expressed his intention to remain loyal to Portland, and that adversity and failure wouldn’t change that. But that was years ago, and the Blazers and Lillard have continually fallen short and failed to bring in other stars. Lillard is likely to stay for this season at least, but everyone in Portland knows that this marriage is going south, and there’s not much that they can do about it now.

The doubt that both Lillard and Portland have about their future together is reminiscent of the doom that Richard Thompson expresses in the heart-wrenching “When the Spell is Broken.” The song is about knowing that the words or actions once used to repair a relationship are now useless. The hope that was once present in the beginning in the relationship has been weathered down by broken promises and time to a smooth flat stump. Thompson has seemingly accepted that there is no salvaging this relationship, and the Trailblazers are likely to come to that same conclusion after this year.

Brooklyn Nets: “Palmolive” by Freddie Gibbs & Madlib (ft. Pusha T and Killer Mike)

The Brooklyn Nets’ second round series against the eventual champion, Milwaukee Bucks, was arguably the most entertaining series of the entire playoffs last year, as it was filled with great performances from Kevin Durant and a heart-pounding overtime finish in game seven. This majority of the series was played without the Nets’ starting guard Kyrie Irving, as he suffered an ankle injury early in game four, and with primary ball handler James Harden severely hobbled with a hamstring injury. Now, assuming that its stars stay healthy, the Nets should be far and away the favorite to win the Finals this season. Now all that remains to be seen is if the three of them will ever see the floor, given Irving’s unwillingness to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Without receiving at least one dose of the vaccine, Irving is in non-compliance with New York City’s vaccine mandate for professional athletes. Yet another wrinkle that this potentially unstoppable team must overcome.

The three-headed-monster of Durant, Irving, and Harden carries itself with such confidence and assurance that it will reach that goal this season, and for good reason. Freddie Gibbs, Pusha T, and Killer Mike reflect that same nerve on “Palmolive,” rapping about past experiences and the things they're capable of with bundles of braggadocio. In this exercise, Brooklyn Nets head coach Steve Nash could play the role of producer Madlib, pulling the strings from behind the scenes, and making sure that all three voices meld together seamlessly. 

Every NBA season is an ever evolving opera of intertwining storylines. Fans and the media alike spend every moment making sense of every teams on and off court performances and weaving together narratives that act as companion stories to the actual sport. These are just a few of the more intriguing pieces of drama happening around the league so far this season, but it likely won’t stay this way for long in the fast and fickle world of the NBA. These five songs will clue you into how some of that drama might sound!