sports
Page: 9
Sure, Lionel Messi is a soccer superstar, but heâs 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 Musicâs Zane Lowe, shared exclusively via Billboard, the Argentine athlete revealed that heâs âflatteredâ to be mentioned so often in song lyrics. âMy sons also enjoy it and they are surprised to hear my name in a song,â he added of 12-year-old Thiago, 9-year-old Mateo and 6-year-old Ciro. âItâs actually really nice to be part of music from that angle.â
Messi continued, âFor 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.â
Trending on Billboard
However, itâs not the music that makes him a âcool dadâ; itâs 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. âMy thing is the field,â he says. âWhen 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.â
Messi also discussed his general relationship with music and how much sports and music are intertwined. âWe 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,â he shares. âGenerally, music is present in everything we do.â
He continues, âIâve always had that craze of listening to music going to games or listening to music before matches. During my whole career, itâs always been this way. Football and music coexist in a lot of these moments and places.â
Watch the exclusive clip below. Zane Loweâs 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 Soccerâs 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 theyâve earned it. As announced this week, the Major League Baseball team has decided to end its tradition of playing Frank Sinatraâs âNew York, New Yorkâ 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. Coleâs latest song âCloudsâ in a since-deleted tweet. âI donât care about none of that fake tough guy shâ,â he quote-tweeted over a post sharing the song. […]
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.
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, âSkate For LA Strong: A Celebration to Support the Fire Recovery Efforts in Los Angeles.â Four teams will play in a single-elimination format, with each teamâs 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 Bieberâs first official appearances in nearly a year. While the singer has been photographed out and about with wife Hailey â most recently at her Rhode Beauty pop-up in LA â he hasnât headlined an event since playing a surprise Toronto show during NHL All-Star Weekend last February. Guess hockey brings out the best in Biebs.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
Want to watch Bieber playing in the LA strong charity hockey game? Hereâs what you need to know.
Trending on Billboard
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. Donât have ESPN+? A subscription to the sports streaming service starts at just $11.99/month and gets you a live feed of Bieberâs hockey game in addition to thousands of hours of other live sports and on-demand content.
Donât 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 Bieberâs 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. Fuboâs free trial includes free DVR so you can record Bieberâs game to watch back on-demand as many times as you want.
In addition to Bieber playing on the ice, todayâs 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 wonât be able to get tickets to the game. Entry to the wildfire relief event is reserved for first responders, firefighters, and their families.
Bieberâs appearance comes on the heels of a cryptic message posted by the singer on Instagram Thursday, where he wrote that, âItâs time to grow up. Changing is about letting go! Today Iâm letting go and remembering the weight isnât on me to change,â he continued. âThe weight is on God. So I give all my insecurities and my fears to him this morning.â
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 âSkate 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 youâre looking for great NBA merch, the Grateful Dead collection doesnât miss. Taking inspiration from the legendary bandâs iconic skull […]
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.
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 Ballâs âoozyâ Puma MB.04 sneakers in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles colorways for Leonard, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello, as well as Kyrie Irvingâs Anta Kai 1 Speed âBag Workâ 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 Jordanâs 40th anniversary with the sports apparel company.
Ahead, youâll 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 âAll-Star 2.0â
Anta
Anta Kai 1 Speed âBag Workâ
Nike
Nike Air Jordan 12 Retro âBlack and Varsity Redâ
Release date: Mar. 1 at 10 a.m. ET
Nike
Nike Jordan 1 Retro High OG âBredâ
New Balance
Bricks & Wood x New Balance 1000
Release date: Feb. 21 at 2:59 a.m. ET
Nike
Nike Ja 2 Scratch âBlack Labelâ
Nike
Nike G.T. Hustle 3 Wembanyama âBlack Labelâ
Nike
Nike Air Jordan 1 High OG âBlack Toeâ
Nike
Nike Air Foamposite One âGalaxyâ
Release date: feb. 21 at 10 a.m. ET
Nike
Nike Dunk Low Retro SE âWe Believeâ
Nike
Nike Air Force 1 â07 LV8 âWe Believeâ
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 EMPIREâs San Francisco studios to celebrate Billboardâs 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 Godâs feud with the Compton rapper last year.
Footage went viral earlier this week when a DeRozan jersey was thrown on stage during Drakeâs Sydney concert, and once he realized who was on the back of the No. 10, Drizzy discarded the jersey in disgust as âRich Flexâ rang off.
Like many DeRozan fans, the Sacramento Kingsâ social media team came to the defense of the teamâs superstar wing with a clip clapping back at Drake.
Trending on Billboard
The video uses Drake launching the DeRozan jersey, but is edited to a Kings fan happily catching it. âthe 916 loves Deebo,â the Kings captioned the video.
Kings fans chimed in defending the Compton native in the Instagram comment section: âDeMar did more for Toronto and Canada than Drake could ever dream of.â
Another added: âSOCIAL TEAM NEEDS A RAISE!â
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.
âNo matter what, when it comes to him, heâll forever have a friend in me and loyalty out of me because he cared,â DeRozan said of Drake in 2021 after leaving the Raptors. âHe was there for me when everything was kind of going crazy.â
However, the relationship looks to have soured when DeRozan appeared in Kendrick Lamarâs âNot Like Usâ video after K. Dot shouted out the hooper on the track. DeRozan also showed up to support Lamarâs Pop Out concert on Juneteenth, where Kendrick performed âNot Like Usâ for the first time live.
DeRozan attempted to play it down the middle even after showing his support for Lamar. âWe love Drake, we always can play him,â he said during an interview last summer. âKendrick been a friend of mine, family. Damn near family, for a long time, for a while.â
Drake wasnât having it, and he proceeded to blast DeRozan and the idea of the Raptors retiring DDâs No. 10 during an appearance on the Raptors broadcast in a game against the Sacramento Kings in November, threatening to âpull it down myselfâ if his number ever went up on a banner.
Watch the Sacramento Kingsâ reaction to Drake spiking DeRozanâs jersey below:
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.
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 leagueâs new round-robin, first-to-40 tournament, Curry scored 12 points in the Team OGs win.
Explore
Explore
See latest videos, charts and news
See latest videos, charts and news
But Curry also stole the show off the court with his choice of threads for the weekend: appearing at an afterparty for his Gentlemanâs 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
Menâs UA Tactical Tech Short Sleeve T-Shirt
Curry sported Under Armourâs âTactical Techâ short-sleeve T-shirt in black. The versatile tee features a lightweight, moisture-wicking fabric, and a âflatlock seamâ construction for a smoother, chafe-free look. Designed for workouts and daily wear alike, the T-shirt comes in a relaxed, loose fit â 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 brandâs 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 âWhat The Bayâ Basketball Shoes from UA.
Getty Images
ALL-STAR SHOES
Curry 12 âWhat The Bayâ 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.