J. Cole Apologized To This NBA Veteran For 13-Year Old Lyrics

The apology J. Cole issued to Kendrick Lamar over his Might Delete Later album diss track apparently wasn’t the only time he’s apologized over his lyrics.

During a recent episode of former NBA champion Shane Battier’s Glue Guys podcast, the Duke alumni and Miami Heat role player recalled on a chance encounter with Cole over a decade after he notoriously dissed him on his debut album.

To make a long story short, Battier explained that he merely perceived the sneak diss Cole levied against him on the Cole World: The Sideline Story track “Rise and Shine” as catching a common “stray” shot from rappers randomly. He even appeared to give Cole the benefit of the doubt over the bar, which he says likely stemmed from the Dreamville MC’s diehard, fandom and support for his alma mater’s rival, University of North Carolina.

For those who may have forgotten the 13-year-old lyrics, it goes something like this: “We in two different games, you playin’ patty cake/Brother you’re lame, you’re Shane Battier.”

Remarking on the impact of the lyrics, Battier started off by explaining how his son’s 16-year-old friends either know him from the game NBA 2K or from Cole’s lyrics on the track.

”I caught a stray,” Battier said. “I never met the guy. You know I figure he’s a Carolina, we used to beat Caroline on the reg [regular]. So I’m like, He’s probably mad. But you know what, I probably am lame. So like I owned it, I didn’t care.”

As Battier continued, he explained how the lyrics created a life of their own throughout the past decade, making him a target for trolls on social media platforms.

According to Battier, Cole ended up going out of his way to apologize for his lyrics in the most direct way possible earlier this year.

While eating dinner in Miami, Battier says a waiter told him Cole wanted to speak with him, to which he obliged. In addition to being surprised by Cole’s larger-than-life stature, he reveals he was impressed by how humble and thoughtful the MC was.

”I’m like, ‘Who’s bullshitting me here?’” He said. “Like there’s someone yanking my chain. Like ha ha very funny. I get it guys. I’m lame. And sure enough I go around the corner and J. Cole was way bigger than I thought in real life, basketball like 6’5, he’s a big dude.

“And he’s like, ‘hey man, I was praying for this moment, that we would have this moment to where I could say, you know what man my bad I was young.’”

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