J. Cole Raps About the Intensity of the NBA Playoffs in New ESPN Commercial

Ah, the NBA Playoffs are upon us. On Saturday (April 14), the League kicked off its win or go home round, and did so with a little help from J. Cole.

The Dreamville rapper spits flames in a new commercial from ESPN rapping about the intensity of the playoff round. Rhyming over an unorthodox track, the North Carolina MC weaves his way in and out of the instrumental.

“There’s gold at stake for Golden State/How much weight can King’s shoulders take?" he raps as slow motion visuals of NBA title contenders flash across the screen. "When the odds ain’t great, some fold and break/While greats let the dreams of a ring motivate/Boys become men when post season begin/These lights shine brighter baby, you sink or you swim/To those that got here by the skin of their teeth/The formula's the same now, win and repeat."

Cole's relationship with sports is well-documented, as is evident in his past hooping days and the titles of his early mixtape projects, The Warm Up and Friday Night Lights, and his debut album, Cole World: The Sideline Story. During NCAA March Madness this year, the rapper's song was used for a fun bracket inspired by the college playoff.

In other Cole-related news, Jermaine will be headlining the 2018 JMBLYA Festival next month in Texas.

Check out J. Cole spitting flames in ESPN's new NBA Playoffs commercial below.

Here's the Ultimate Guide to Rappers With Acronyms in Their Name