He’s a rapper, an actor, and soon-to-be professional basketball player? Dave East is a man of many talents. The Def Jam artist revealed to TMZ Sports that he’s considering making a play for the NBA and trying out for the New York Knicks team. A proud born-and-raised New Yorker, East said that the Knicks are the only team on his mind.
“I might,” the 31-year old said when asked if he would try out for the NBA. “It’s gotta be the Knicks though. It’s gotta be in New York.” The rapper’s pursuit of a professional basketball career isn’t too farfetched, in fact, he had a successful career as a college basketball player.
His years playing in the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU) as a teenager against current NBA players Ty Lawson, Greivis Vazquez, and Kevin Durant, who he developed a close friendship with, led the rapper to division one scholarship offers from the University of Richmond and Towson University. East ended up playing for the Richmond Spiders but later transferred to Towson where he also didn’t last too long due to his deteriorating relationship with the school’s coach.
Soon after leaving Towson, East traded in his basketball sneakers for a mic and a studio booth and hasn’t looked back since — until now. His 6-foot-5 frame definitely increases his chances of playing in the league and he wouldn’t be the first rapper to make the switch; Master P famously played for the Toronto Raptors and the Charlotte Hornets in 1999 and 1998, respectively.
If luck is on the Harlem rapper’s side and if the NBA trade rumors are true, East could very well end up playing with his friend Durant and prized point guard of the Boston Celtics, Kyrie Irving.
