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Sure, Lionel Messi is a soccer superstar, but he’s also a mainstay in the music world, often getting shout-outs in lyrics from artists across the globe.
In fact, Apple Music has a whole playlist of songs that mention him, separated by continent and featuring songs by Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Bad Bunny, Stormzy, Burna Boy and many more.
In new clips from his sit-down interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, shared exclusively via Billboard, the Argentine athlete revealed that he’s “flattered” to be mentioned so often in song lyrics. “My sons also enjoy it and they are surprised to hear my name in a song,” he added of 12-year-old Thiago, 9-year-old Mateo and 6-year-old Ciro. “It’s actually really nice to be part of music from that angle.”
Messi continued, “For me, that is very moving and I am grateful to those who did it because I know that in all the lyrics, they mention me with lots of affection, flattering me for some reason.”
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However, it’s not the music that makes him a “cool dad”; it’s his athletic achievements, from leading Argentina to the World Cup in 2022 to his Inter Miami squad winning the 2023 Leagues Cup after his MLS debut. “My thing is the field,” he says. “When things work out well, and we have a chance to celebrate a title as a group or individually and to be able to enjoy it with them is special for me. … To achieve in this sport and to enjoy it with them, for me, that is the best.”
Messi also discussed his general relationship with music and how much sports and music are intertwined. “We listen to music in our everyday lives or before the matches and after the matches as well. The football environment and the locker room has music constantly,” he shares. “Generally, music is present in everything we do.”
He continues, “I’ve always had that craze of listening to music going to games or listening to music before matches. During my whole career, it’s always been this way. Football and music coexist in a lot of these moments and places.”
Watch the exclusive clip below. Zane Lowe’s full interview with Lionel Messi will be available on Apple Music, YouTube and MLS Season Pass beginning Friday (Feb. 28). Fans can watch Inter Miami and all of Major League Soccer’s 2025 season exclusively on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
From now on, the Yankees will celebrate being the kings of the hill only if they’ve earned it. As announced this week, the Major League Baseball team has decided to end its tradition of playing Frank Sinatra‘s “New York, New York” over stadium speakers at the end of each game, win or lose, now opting […]
Kevin Durant wants rap fans to stop arguing and enjoy the music. Over the weekend, the Phoenix Suns star took to X to share his opinion on J. Cole‘s latest song “Clouds” in a since-deleted tweet. “I don’t care about none of that fake tough guy sh–,” he quote-tweeted over a post sharing the song. […]
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Justin Bieber will make a rare public appearance today, as the singer takes to the ice for a charity hockey game benefitting LA wildfire relief.
Bieber, Ross Lynch, Steve Carell, Taylor Kitsch and Skylar Astin are among the celebrities participating in the event, titled, “Skate For LA Strong: A Celebration to Support the Fire Recovery Efforts in Los Angeles.” Four teams will play in a single-elimination format, with each team’s roster featuring a mix of celebrities and former NHL players, along with first responders from LAFD, LAcoFD and LAPD.
The hockey game will mark one of Bieber’s first official appearances in nearly a year. While the singer has been photographed out and about with wife Hailey — most recently at her Rhode Beauty pop-up in LA — he hasn’t headlined an event since playing a surprise Toronto show during NHL All-Star Weekend last February. Guess hockey brings out the best in Biebs.
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Want to watch Bieber playing in the LA strong charity hockey game? Here’s what you need to know.
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How to Watch Skate for LA Strong Hockey Game
Skate for LA Strong takes place live today, Sunday, February 23 at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. If you want to watch the charity hockey game on TV, the event will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN2, truTV and Sportsnet. In L.A., you can watch Bieber take to the ice on KCAL-TV.
How to Stream Skate for LA Strong Hockey Game Online Free
Want to watch the Skate for LA Strong event online? The NHL charity game is streaming on ESPN+. Log into your ESPN+ account to get a livestream of the event. Don’t have ESPN+? A subscription to the sports streaming service starts at just $11.99/month and gets you a live feed of Bieber’s hockey game in addition to thousands of hours of other live sports and on-demand content.
Don’t want to sign up for ESPN+? Use DirecTV Stream, a live TV streaming service that includes a live feed of ESPN as part of its channel lineup. DirecTV Stream has a free trial that you can use to watch Skate for LA Strong online free without cable. DirecTV lets you stream the hockey game from your phone, tablet, laptop or smart TV.
You can also stream Bieber’s charity NHL game online free through Fubo. Fubo is another live TV streamer that includes ESPN, and the service is currently offering a week-long free trial that you can use to livestream Skate for LA Strong free. Fubo’s free trial includes free DVR so you can record Bieber’s game to watch back on-demand as many times as you want.
In addition to Bieber playing on the ice, today’s event will also feature musical performances from Kaskade, Jordan Davis and Lauren Spencer-Smith. Danny DeVito, Snoop Dogg, Will Ferrell, Al Michaels, Cobie Smulders, Hannah Stocking, Vince Vaughn and Andrew Whitworth will serve as honorary coaches for the four teams.
L.A. Strong Skate Hockey Game Tickets
While this is a must-see event for many hockey fans and music fans, you actually won’t be able to get tickets to the game. Entry to the wildfire relief event is reserved for first responders, firefighters, and their families.
Bieber’s appearance comes on the heels of a cryptic message posted by the singer on Instagram Thursday, where he wrote that, “It’s time to grow up. Changing is about letting go! Today I’m letting go and remembering the weight isn’t on me to change,” he continued. “The weight is on God. So I give all my insecurities and my fears to him this morning.”
Justin Bieber is among the stars set to participate in a benefit hockey game aimed at raising funds for those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. Actor Steve Carell and musician Ross Lynch will join the Canadian superstar as they lace up for “Skate For LA Strong: A Celebration to Support the Fire Recovery Efforts […]
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes. If you’re looking for great NBA merch, the Grateful Dead collection doesn’t miss. Taking inspiration from the legendary band’s iconic skull […]
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During NBA All-Star Weekend, the best of the best in pro basketball flocked to the Chase Center in San Francisco to show off their talent and skills for fans. Additionally, there are a number of premium sneaker drops from some of the top players in the NBA, including Ja Morant, Kyrie Irving, Victor Wembanyama, LaMelo Ball and others.
We rounded up the best of the best sneaker drops from Nike, New Balance, Puma and other brands. A few of them available now for purchase, while others come out within the new few weeks.
Some of the big standouts in 2025 are LeMelo Ball’s “oozy” Puma MB.04 sneakers in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles colorways for Leonard, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello, as well as Kyrie Irving’s Anta Kai 1 Speed “Bag Work” sneakers that were inspired by plastic takeout bags.
There are even a few Nike Air Jordan drops, with the Jordan 1s and Jordan 12s, that celebrate Michael Jordan’s 40th anniversary with the sports apparel company.
Ahead, you’ll find out picks for the best sneaker drops during NBA All-Star Weekend.
Puma
Puma x LaMelo Ball x TMNT MB.04
Nike
Nike Kobe 6 Protro ‘All-Star 2.0’
Anta
Anta Kai 1 Speed ‘Bag Work’
Nike
Nike Air Jordan 12 Retro ‘Black and Varsity Red’
Release date: Mar. 1 at 10 a.m. ET
Nike
Nike Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘Bred’
New Balance
Bricks & Wood x New Balance 1000
Release date: Feb. 21 at 2:59 a.m. ET
Nike
Nike Ja 2 Scratch ‘Black Label’
Nike
Nike G.T. Hustle 3 Wembanyama ‘Black Label’
Nike
Nike Air Jordan 1 High OG ‘Black Toe’
Nike
Nike Air Foamposite One ‘Galaxy’
Release date: feb. 21 at 10 a.m. ET
Nike
Nike Dunk Low Retro SE ‘We Believe’
Nike
Nike Air Force 1 ’07 LV8 ‘We Believe’
Aside from basketball, the Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers are the go-to shoes for a number of celebrities and top recording artists in pop culture for decades, such as Travis Scott, J Balvin, Teyana Taylor, Kid Ink, Common, Justin Timberlake, Paloma Mami and many others.
Want more? Shop more basketball sneakers below.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, Billboard and EMPIRE came together at EMPIRE’s San Francisco studios to celebrate Billboard’s second annual Sports and Music issue, honoring some of the most powerful people operating at the intersection of the industries of sports and music. The issue, which features EMPIRE founder/CEO Ghazi on the cover, as well as a […]
Drake has remained at odds with Sacramento Kings star DeMar DeRozan ever since the former Toronto Raptor seemingly sided with Kendrick Lamar during the 6 God’s feud with the Compton rapper last year.
Footage went viral earlier this week when a DeRozan jersey was thrown on stage during Drake’s Sydney concert, and once he realized who was on the back of the No. 10, Drizzy discarded the jersey in disgust as “Rich Flex” rang off.
Like many DeRozan fans, the Sacramento Kings’ social media team came to the defense of the team’s superstar wing with a clip clapping back at Drake.
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The video uses Drake launching the DeRozan jersey, but is edited to a Kings fan happily catching it. “the 916 loves Deebo,” the Kings captioned the video.
Kings fans chimed in defending the Compton native in the Instagram comment section: “DeMar did more for Toronto and Canada than Drake could ever dream of.”
Another added: “SOCIAL TEAM NEEDS A RAISE!”
DeRozan spent the first nine years of his NBA career in Toronto, where he grew a close friendship with Drake, before being shipped off to San Antonio.
“No matter what, when it comes to him, he’ll forever have a friend in me and loyalty out of me because he cared,” DeRozan said of Drake in 2021 after leaving the Raptors. “He was there for me when everything was kind of going crazy.”
However, the relationship looks to have soured when DeRozan appeared in Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us” video after K. Dot shouted out the hooper on the track. DeRozan also showed up to support Lamar’s Pop Out concert on Juneteenth, where Kendrick performed “Not Like Us” for the first time live.
DeRozan attempted to play it down the middle even after showing his support for Lamar. “We love Drake, we always can play him,” he said during an interview last summer. “Kendrick been a friend of mine, family. Damn near family, for a long time, for a while.”
Drake wasn’t having it, and he proceeded to blast DeRozan and the idea of the Raptors retiring DD’s No. 10 during an appearance on the Raptors broadcast in a game against the Sacramento Kings in November, threatening to “pull it down myself” if his number ever went up on a banner.
Watch the Sacramento Kings’ reaction to Drake spiking DeRozan’s jersey below:
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Steph Curry stole the show at the 2025 NBA All-Star Game over the weekend, taking home the Kobe Bryant MVP Trophy after leading Team OGs to a 41-25 victory over the Global Stars. Part of the league’s new round-robin, first-to-40 tournament, Curry scored 12 points in the Team OGs win.
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But Curry also stole the show off the court with his choice of threads for the weekend: appearing at an afterparty for his Gentleman’s Cut Bourbon, the Golden State Warriors point guard showed up in a washed oversized bomber and cargo pants from Cali-based menswear label, Nahmias, paired with Bottega Veneta shoes and an Under Armour T-Shirt. Yes, the king of mixing high-fashion with fast-fashion paired his $3,500 outfit with a $25 tee.
ATHLETE-APPROVED
Men’s UA Tactical Tech Short Sleeve T-Shirt
Curry sported Under Armour’s “Tactical Tech” short-sleeve T-shirt in black. The versatile tee features a lightweight, moisture-wicking fabric, and a “flatlock seam” construction for a smoother, chafe-free look. Designed for workouts and daily wear alike, the T-shirt comes in a relaxed, loose fit — Curry tucked the shirt in for a more tailored appearance.
What we like: Under Armour says the main body fabric is made from at least 90% recycled polyester. The site has five colors of the T-shirt available online, with a generous run size of small to 5XL. Shop it here.
Curry has long been a fan of Nahmias, the namesake label of LA-based designer Doni Nahmias, having wore the brand’s street, surf and sports-inspired pieces on a number of occasions, from courtside to tunnel walk. As for Under Armour, Curry has been a long-time ambassador for the brand, with his own line of Curry shoes, apparel and accessories. For the NBA All-Star game, Curry took to the court in a pair of custom Curry 12 ‘What The Bay’ Basketball Shoes from UA.
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ALL-STAR SHOES
Curry 12 ‘What The Bay’ Basketball Shoes
The Curry Flow 12s are quickly selling out online but you can still find them on sites like StockX starting at a bid price of $143 here.
As for Curry, this Golden State Warriors start the second half of the season this week, hoping to make a playoff run. The Warriors are currently 10th in the Western Conference standings.