When you hear the name Ben McLemore and the word mixtape used together, you might assume a YouTube highlight reel awaits: 3-pointers, drives to the rim and dunks in transition.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tPY_E_nwL08
However, [SB Nation site Sactown Royalty reports McLemore has plans for a different type of mixtape this summer][1]. The former Kansas shooting guard wants to release a mixtape of rap tracks.
Sacramento’s starting 2-guard already has two songs posted on YouTube — [listen to them at SactownRoyalty.com][2] (as long as you don’t mind lyrics that would come with a PARENTAL ADVISORY label).
McLemore told SB Nation’s Blake Ellington he began rapping while attending KU, in Lawrence, and he just considers it a hobby.
> “I want people to hear my music to see
> what they think about it,” McLemore
> said. “I’ve got some nice feedback.”
The 6-foot-5 22-year-old certainly realizes basketball will take him farther than the rap game. [He showed improvements in his second year in the league][3] while also standing out as someone who gives back to the community.
So don’t wrongly assume his passion for hip-hop means he’s putting hoops on the back burner.
> “This upcoming year, I want to make
> another leap,” McLemore told SB
> Nation. “I’m going to work hard this
> summer, it’s just the type of player I
> am.”
McLemore, who began playing for new Kings coach George Karl late in this past season, also said he’s excited about what will be his third year in Sacramento.
> “I think my skill set and his system
> collapse together. It fits perfect in
> what he’s trying to do with this
> program,” he told SB Nation.
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*- Keep up with the production of all the ‘Hawks in the NBA [daily at KUsports.com][4].*
—
*- [Follow @BentonASmith on Twitter][5].*
[1]: http://www.sactownroyalty.com/2015/6/11/8763931/ben-mclemore-releasing-mixtape
[2]: http://www.sactownroyalty.com/2015/6/11/8763931/ben-mclemore-releasing-mixtape
[3]: http://www2.kusports.com/weblogs/hawks_nba/2015/may/12/ben-mclemore-shows-improvement-in-year-2/
[4]: http://www2.kusports.com/news/mens_basketball/hawks_nba/
[5]: https://twitter.com/BentonASmith