Lil Wayne opened at one of the biggest nights in the sports industry, setting the stage for LeBron James to make a huge announcement. The $160 million-worth hip-hop icon captivated the audience with an electrifying rendition of his 2008 smash hit A Milli.

Lil Wayne gives his tribute to sporting legends

Lil Wayne was given the honor to open at the ESPYS 2023. And he did it in the way he knew best. The rapper gave a twist to his 2008 smash hit A Milli, weaving in references to the legends of the sports world. The whole stage went red as Lil Wayne stepped on. With an edit of sports’ world-bests on the screen behind him, he kicked off his performance acknowledging LSU star Angel Reese. He sang, “And I’m over New Orleans like an Angel, Reese.”  The attendees of the event soon caught on to the sporting theme as Lil Wayne continued to flip the lyrics.

The rapper then turned his attention to Damar Hamlin. He wished him well and mentioned how well the Buffalo Bills standout had recovered from having a cardiac arrest on the field earlier this year. Even the NBA’s latest entry, the San Antonio Spurs‘ Victor Wembanyama, got a shout-out from Lil Wayne.

He rapped, “We pop ‘em like we coaching Wembanyama.” 

Listen to his rendition:

“I’m over New Orleans like an Angel…

Reese in the pencil and leak on the sheet

Of the tablet in my mind

God is good Damar Hamlin doin fine”

Them edits were 🔥 https://t.co/kYdKJ3c2OX

— Muhammad_Mike_E  (@JusCallMe_Mikey) July 13, 2023

Lil Wayne had the whole crowd fired up. However, he wasn’t the only artist with musical tributes. H.E.R. also performed, mesmerizing the audience with her performance of The Journey, a captivating power ballad. Hers was a tribute to the 30th anniversary of basketball coach Jimmy Valvano’s legendary speech at the inaugural ESPYS in 1993.

It was a night for the books, particularly for LeBron James.

LeBron James puts an end to his retirement rumors

LeBron James, after the Los Angeles Lakers‘ loss against the Denver Nuggets in the Western semi-conference finals, hinted that he might be retiring from the league in a post-game interview. He said, “We’ll see what happens going forward. But I don’t know I’ve got a lot to think about.” This was all it took for the NBA world to spark up rumors about his future. Furthermore, the 38-year-old didn’t address his retirement rumors after the interview, piling on ambiguity.

But when he did address it, he did it in the most LeBron way. He gave a speech while accepting his award for the Best Record-Breaking Performance of the Year.

He said, “The day I can’t give the game everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”

What a guy!

What are your thoughts on the explosive night? Let us know in the comments below!