Eminem song “Kyrie and Luka” explained: Why the rapper released a bonus track named after the Mavericks duo

The Mavericks’ star-studded backcourt, consisting of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, narrowly missed the championship in June, but obviously made a strong impression on Eminem.

The legendary rapper celebrated the release of his first album in four years, “The Death of Slim Shady,” on Friday. The release also included a bonus track titled “Kyrie and Luka,” which quickly caught the attention of basketball fans.

Although “Kyrie and Luka” didn’t make it onto the actual album, the song is another chapter in the rise of the Mavericks’ All-Star duo. There was a lot of uncertainty surrounding the decision to pair Doncic with Irving in 2023, and the uncertainty was even greater when Dallas agreed to a long-term deal with Irving despite missing the 2023 playoffs.

Doncic and Irving proved all doubters wrong last season by reaching the NBA Finals as the No. 5 seed in the West. Now the duo is immortalized in an Eminem song.

Here’s a closer look at Eminem’s new song “Kyrie and Luka.”

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Eminem’s song “Kyrie and Luka” explained

NBA fans might expect a song called “Kyrie and Luka” to be full of basketball references. That’s not quite the case here.

2 Chainz appears a lot in “Kyrie and Luka,” so the best theory might be that Eminem sees the duo of himself and 2 Chainz as a rap version of the Mavericks’ Irving and Doncic duo, considered one of the best in the NBA.

The track contains several basketball references, including a direct mention of Irving.

“Feel like Kyrie, I got this shit under control,” 2 Chainz says about halfway through the song. Irving’s moves are widely considered to be some of the best in NBA history.

The other NBA reference, however, is not Doncic, but Knicks All-Star Julius Randle. “While things are going left, like Julius Randle,” says 2 Chainz shortly before mentioning Irving.

The mention of Randle is not entirely coincidental, as the striker was born in Dallas. 2 Chainz has no direct connection to Dallas, but Eminem has shown affection for the Dallas Cowboys throughout his career, despite being an ardent Lions fan. Still, the song definitely seems to have been written with Dallas in mind.

Eminem is a well-known sports fan. From his strong support during the Lions’ recent playoffs to his infamous interview during a Michigan-Notre Dame football game, his loyalty lies primarily with his home state of Michigan. Eminem has also performed before Pistons games, although understandably he hasn’t been seen as a Pistons fan as much as he has been a Lions fan.

Whether he’s a diehard Pistons fan or not, Eminem seems to have a lot of admiration for the Mavericks’ dynamic backcourt, which was just three wins away from the championship this season.