LeBron James crowns Jay-Z as the GOAT among rappers hours before fellow billionaire's 54th birthday

LeBron James knows a thing or two about GOATs, as some people have already crowned him as the greatest basketball player of all time. "The King" recognized Jay-Z as the GOAT rapper just hours before the Brooklyn-born artist celebrated his 54th birthday.

In a tweet, James reposted an image of Jay-Z a few hours before the clock hit midnight on Sunday. The Grammy Award-winning rapper was born on Dec. 4, 1969 and went on to become one of the greatest, if not the greatest, rappers in music history.

The LA Lakers superstar showed Jay-Z some love by putting on a goat emoji along with a couple of "rapping" heads as the caption.

For those who don't know, LeBron James and Jay-Z have been friends before the basketball legend went to the NBA. James met Jay-Z a year before he got drafted in 2003 through a mutual friend, Williams Wesley, more famously known as World Wide Wes.

Wesley first met James in 1999 when the future NBA superstar was 15. He then introduced him to Jay-Z, who was the Kid from Akron's idol, in 2002 and instantly became friends.

Fast forward to 2010 when James became a free agent, there were rumors that Jay-Z was trying to convince his friend to play in New York. It didn't happen, as the future four-time NBA champion signed with the Miami Heat to team up with pals Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

On "The Late Late Show with James Corden" back in 2017, LeBron discussed what it feels like to hear his name on Jay-Z's tracks.

"It's always surprising in terms of radio or satellite radio or whatever I'm listening to and I hear my name," LeBron said.

"It's like, 'Rewind that! Lemme see what they're actually saying.' It's humbling, it's cool. ... Any time Jay-Z says my name, it's humbling. He's like my big brother, so he takes care of me."

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LeBron James, Lakers to face Suns in In-Season Tournament QF

LeBron James of the LA Lakers against the Phoenix Suns

LeBron James and the LA Lakers topped West Group A of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament to qualify for the knockouts. The Lakers were ahead of the other group winners New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings, so they were paired against the lone West wildcard, the Phoenix Suns.

The Suns were second in West Group A, losing to the Lakers in the group stage. The two teams have met twice this season, with the Lakers winning both times. They also have won four straight games against the Suns, so they are the likely favorites to move on to a semifinal against either the Pelicans or the Kings.

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