5 Sports Stars Who Love Electronic Dance Music
With electronic dance music now popular in so many walks of life, it’s no surprise to find that many past and present sports stars love this type of music.
Which big names from the world of sport are most closely associated with EDM?
Rony Seikaly – Basketball
This giant basketball player was born in Lebanon but went on to become one of the NBA’s most iconic centers. After coming to national attention with a stunning college career, Seikaly joined the Miami Heat and went on to set numerous records with his outstanding play in offense and defense over a long career.
His love of music began at an early age, and he started DJing as a teenager. Since then, Seikaly has worked as a DJ and producer of dance music. He’s performed live in huge events all over the planet, released albums, and even started his own record label.
Usain Bolt – Athletics
Bolt retired from competitive sprinting in 2017, but he is still the fastest man in the world. Indeed, his 100 meters and 200 meters records could stand for some time before someone comes along to break them. He also has a number of other records in terms of medal hauls from a hugely successful career.
Bolt has released several dance tracks and has also performed as a DJ. In 2021, he released his first album. Titled Country Yutes, with a mixture of dance, reggae, and afrobeat. The first single released from the album was It’s a Party and it probably isn’t going to be his last.
Shaquille O’Neal – Basketball
Shaq is possibly the most dominating player ever to take part in the NBA. He won four Championships in a career that lasted almost two decades and is still ranked as the 8th highest scorer in NBA history. His powerful slam dunks were so feared that most teams created fouling strategies to try and stop him. During years in a row he was on top of the NBA odds, as you can see here: https://edge.twinspires.com/nba/odds/
O’Neal has released a few rap albums and has become an electronic dance music producer. He also tours as a DJ under the name of DIESEL and has made appearances at clubs and festivals like Tomorrowland and Ultra Music Festival.
Jason Kipnis – Baseball
Kipnis is now a free agent at the time of writing, but he has spent several seasons in the MLB with the Cleveland Indians and the Chicago Cubs. His use of Thief by Ookay as his walk-up song led to fans talking along plastic saxophones to games and caused one fan to record a sax version of the song.
The player came to the attention of music fans when he spoke out in the tribute following the tragic death of Avicii. He also used the song Satisfaction (RL Grime Remix) from Benny Benassi Presents The Biz as his walk-up song for a while.
Rob Gronkowski – Football
Gronkowski has achieved cult status in the NFL, as much for his over-the-top personality as for his performances as one of the best tight ends to ever play football. He joined the New England Patriots in the 2010 draft and moved to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2020. Gronkowski has played in 4 winning Super Bowl sides and he holds the record as the first tight end to lead the NFL in touchdowns during the season.
His musical taste appears to be varied, but he famously danced to Stay by Zedd and hired Diplo, Kaskade, and Rick Ross for his Gronk Beach concert. This event brings together the best dance music with lots of food and drink, for an unforgettable music experience with the larger-than-life football star at the heart of it.
Image Credit: Dan Garcia/On Milwaukee
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