…or not. Having watched the NBA All-Star Game this past weekend as part of the largest audience to ever watch a basketball game (let’s put it this way-over 100,000 people saw the game in person; that’s more people than live in the capital of Wyoming), I began thinking of the great on-court talent we all were privy to view. And if they are able to draw in an audience of this size with their athletic finesse, how would they fair in other markets?

It has always been nearly as standard as free throwing shooting practice for the NBA’s elite to drop an album or two worth of tracks in their prime. From Allen Iverson to Jason Kidd to Ron Artest’s tribute song to Afghan women, many of the league’s superstars have cut their teeth at the mixing board trying to cross entertainment mediums. Shaquille O’Neal, more than most players, has seen the greatest success in his rap pursuits: his debut release, Shaq Diesel being certified platinum, a guest spot on a track with Michael Jackson in 1995, and more recently a track included in the film Pineapple Express.

Yet when looking at these would-be “double” celebrities, even in the few names mentioned above, it is easy to prefix the names with “past their prime”. Granted, Iverson and O’Neal still make waves in ESPN news, but the cream of the recent draft crop have been a bit more scarce in the rap game. In the summer of ’08, Nike created the mock rap supergroup Hyperizers featuring Kevin Durant, Rashard Lewis, Andre Iguodala, and Mo Williams for a run of shoe commercials. Closely following on their heels was the announcement from Orlando Magic shooting guard J.J. Redick of his plans to create a hip-hop supergroup and release an LP. But (alas?) little activity has followed from these recent Diaper Dandies and their hype.

And thus I arrive at my plea, more so my observational request, or in actuality my hope for the opposite, that one of the league’s premier players takes their chance soon to crossover to the hardwood floors of recording studios. Dwight Howard, Dwayne Wade, or Gilbert Arenas seem likely candidates (Arenas already has the gun charges on lockdown). Or should I put my hopes in a comeback run of the greatest “never happened” rap duo of John Stockton and Karl Malone. Oh the potential! Let the mailman deliver! With Autotune as prevalent as it is in the pop and hip-hop scene currently, one wonders why its calling hasn’t reached more professional sports stars. Just think, Shaq did it the hard way, without any voice correction software, and sold over a million albums. With all the talent in the league this season, someone can step to the plate and drop some rhymes that are close to on-key and let the magic happen from there.

• The Sonorus