Lil Wayne opened the 2023 ESPY Awards this week with a performance of his hit single “A Milli” — but with a twist.
The Young Money rapper took to the stage at the Dolby Theater in Los Angeles on Wednesday night (July 12) to perform his classic 2008 Tha Carter III cut.
Instead of reciting all the original lyrics, though, Lil Wayne decided to put a fresh, sports-themed spin on the song while wearing Marc Jacobs x Dr. Martens boots.
Weezy name-dropped LSU’s Angel Reese, Buffalo Bills’ Damar Hamlin, the NBA’s most recent No. 1 draft pick Victor Wembanyama, Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders and NBA legend Dennis Rodman.
“Thank you,” Lil Wayne said following a roar from the audience. “Welcome to the 2023 ESPYs. Thank you for your time, I appreciate you.”
The crowd was full of famous faces from both sports and music including Quavo, 2 Chainz and Mike Tyson.
Some of the night’s big winners included Nikola Jokic winning Best NBA Player, the Kansas City Chiefs winning Best Team and A’ja Wilson winning Best WNBA Player.
Elsewhere, Patrick Mahomes took home Best NFL Player, Shohei Ohtani was named Best MLB Player, Connor McDavid claimed Best NHL Player, Jon Jones was crowned Best UFC Fighter and Lionel Messi scored Best Soccer Player.
LeBron James accepted an award for the Best Record-Breaking Performance after becoming the NBA’s all-time leading points scorer earlier this year. During his acceptance speech, he announced he won’t be retiring ahead of the upcoming season.
“I don’t care how many more points I score or what I can or cannot do on the floor,” he said. “The real question for me is: can I play without cheating this game? The day I can’t give everything on the floor is the day I’ll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today.”
James previously hinted at retirement by saying he had “a lot to think about” after his Los Angeles Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the Western Conference Finals.
“We’ll see, we’ll see what happens going forward,” he told reporters. “I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just for me, going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about. Appreciate it.”
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