"The energy, edge and emotion": Single from Lil Wayne's Tha Carter VI soundtracks the 2025 NBA Finals

Lil Wayne is releasing his upcoming studio album Tha Carter VI in less than 24 hours, but ESPN has already debuted one of the singles in its latest campaign for the NBA Finals. The GRAMMY-winning rapper's unreleased song, "The Days" has been featured in the recent ad campaign by ESPN for the finals, which will begin tonight, June 5, between the Oklahoma City Thunders and the Indiana Pacers.

And Lil Wayne is making the best of it.

Lil Wayne talks about his love for basketball

Lil Wayne is an avid fan of basketball, and it's something fans have known for a long time. He has been part of the NBA All-Star Games as well, and now, he is letting the fans a glimpse into his upcoming album, which will be released on June 6, by letting one of the singles become the soundtrack of the NBA Finals. Talking to Rolling Stone, the rap legend said:“Basketball’s been in my blood since day one so to team up with ESPN less than 24 hours before the drop of ‘Tha Carter VI’ for the NBA Finals is an incredible honor.

My music and the NBA are vibin’ on the same frequency because it’s perfect timing for fans to hear ‘Tha Carter VI’ on the game’s grandest stage.”

With fans gearing up for the NBA Finals, starting tonight from June 5, Lil Wayne is taking the opportunity to drop the single in the grandest way possible. Fans are already shaking their heads to the best of "The Days," and it's sure to turn into a banger.

Lil Wayne is big on sports, especially basketball

This is not Lil Wayne's first collaboration with sport, or even basketball so to say. He is the co-founder of Young Money APAA Sports Agency, a company that represents quite a few NBA players as well.

Curtis Friends, Vice President of Sports Marketing at ESPN, spoke of the energy and emotion that Lil Wayne has always brought to the sport of basketball.“Lil Wayne brings the energy, edge, and emotion that define the NBA Finals. Integrating his music into our NBA Playoffs coverage has been a strategic brand flex – amplifying our storytelling and connecting with fans as we showcase today’s rising stars on the league’s biggest stage.”

His other tracks, “I Am Not a Human Being,” “Uproar, ” and “Glory (Remix),” have also been played during the playoffs this season. And now as his words, “I ain’t getting younger, but I’m getting better/ No time to waste that’s another man’s treasure/ They say every dog has hit day,” blares through the speakers alongside U2 crooning “These are the days,” NBA fans will get to enjoy the best of both worlds packed into one.Also Read: “I’ve never run from my goals”- OKC Thunder’s star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander gets emotional as he reflects on his NBA dream