Basketball fans may never have imagined Snoop Dogg and Matt Bonner mentioned in the same sentence, but here we are. The path of these personalities intertwined before they met because of one thing: basketball, specifically NBA2K.
Years ago, at one of the San Antonio Spurs games, the rapper and music producer joined Bonner and Bill Land in the broadcast booth and dropped a truth bomb nobody saw coming. When Bonner asked Snoop, whose real name is Calvin Broadus, Jr., about the first time they met, the Death Row Records artist revealed that his favorite NBA 2K player was sitting beside him.
"Because you be doing your thing, and you be hitting them threes," Snoop Dogg said. "That's right, man. You know what it is."
It's more surprising that Snoop was looking for Bonner's threes in a video game rather than giving the rock to the superstars and letting them go to work. Kidding aside, the multi-awarded rap artist is a real hoops fan and knows the game all too well.
Ahead of his time
Matt was a stretch four, a power forward who made his living behind the three-point line before it became fashionable. Despite having atrocious overall 2K ratings, the Red Rocket flourished into a real basketball setting and made the Spurs' offense circa 2012 so much better.
For instance, a Spurs and Bonner analysis article over 12 years ago pointed out many things about sweet-shooting veteran's impact on the team:
- He was one of the leaders in the NBA's adjusted +/-.
- Bonner was a net positive in Spurs' different lineups, not only with superstars like Tim Duncan and Tony Parker.
- San Antonio was marginally better on defense and dramatically a better offensive team with Matt on the floor because of the spacing he provided.
It is no wonder that Snoop Dogg and Gregg Popovich loved The Red Mamba .
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Bonner's NBA Career
Matt was no superstar, but he was an analytics darling before analytics became a thing. The Canadian was instrumental in getting wins, and no one would have guessed.
In 12 seasons in the NBA (ten with the Spurs), the former Florida Gator averaged 5.8 points and 3.0 rebounds in 17 minutes a night. He shot over 41% from three on low volume, but that guy would knock that shot down if he was open. Matt was a member of two Spurs championship teams (2007 and 2014) and a key piece in Pop's frontcourt rotation in many others.
As Snoop mentioned, Bonner 'be doing his thing' and made a solid career out of it.
Related: Matt Bonner on the Red Mamba Nickname: “Maybe Kobe Saw Something in Me"
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