The NBA Finals is one of ESPN's biggest television events of the year, making every aspect of the broadcast important. That includes music choices, as the network has landed on a song to be the soundtrack of the series for the next few weeks.
ESPN has decided to make a new Lil Wayne song the NBA Finals theme, giving the veteran rapper a platform to promote his new album. The 42-year-old is one of the most popular rappers in music and has been at the top of the industry for over two decades.
Here's a breakdown of ESPN's song choice for the NBA Finals between the Thunder and Pacers.
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ESPN's NBA Finals song, explained
ESPN and Lil Wayne teamed up to make "The Days" this year's NBA Finals song ahead of Lil Wayne's new album, "Tha Carter VI," which will be released on Friday. This will be the debut of "The Days," which is the first single on the album and features Bono from U2 on the track.
"Basketball's been in my blood since day one so to team up with ESPN less than 24 hours before the drop of 'Tha Carter VI' for the NBA Finals is an incredible honor," Wayne said, via ESPN. "My music and the NBA are vibin' on the same frequency because it's perfect timing for fans to hear 'Tha Carter VI' on the game’s grandest stage."
The NBA premiered an unreleased snippet from Lil Wayne’s Carter 6🔥🔥
— TheBirdMan (@elbirdleaf) June 5, 2025
Lil Wayne - The Days (ft. Bono)
pic.twitter.com/Yg5IneHGUb
The 42-year-old Lil Wayne is a frequent figure in the sports industry, from his Packers fandom to seeing his songs used on basketball broadcasts. ESPN has used a few of Lil Wayne's songs during the NBA playoffs in the lead-up to the NB Finals.
"Lil Wayne brings the energy, edge, and emotion that define the NBA Finals," Curtis Friends, ESPN's Vice President of Sports Marketing, said in a statement. "Integrating his music into our NBA Playoffs coverage has been a strategic brand flex — amplifying our storytelling and connecting with fans as we showcase today's rising stars on the league’s biggest stage."
Lil Wayne new album release date
"Tha Carter VI," Lil Wayne's 14th studio album and sixth in the "Tha Carter" album series, is set to release on Friday, June 6. The album reportedly has many notable features, including Bono, Kendrick Lamar, Meek Mill, Drake, Nicki Minaj, and Miley Cyrus.
"Tha Carter" first came out in 2004, with the next albums in the series being released in 2005, 2008, 2011, and 2018. The seven-year gap between albums in the series is tied for the most of any gap, but Lil Wayne did release "Funeral" in 2020.