Red Hot Chili Peppers have a song called “Magic Johnson”.
It’s pretty obvious who that one’s about.
There’s Roy Harper’s When An Old Cricketer Leaves The Crease which references Geoff Boycott and John Snow. A truly beautiful song.
And don’t forget Cheech and Chong’s Basketball Jones. 
Yes, that’s the one. Explains why I couldn’t find it on Google.
I’ll take that bet. I think Jordan’s name has been dropped far more times. You underestimate how much people (rappers) love Michael Jordan.
Puff Daddy- Victory
Ice Cube- When Will They Shoot
Ice Cube- Today Was A Good Day
Joe Budden- NBA
Michael Jackson- You Rock My World Remix
Nas- Can’t Forget About You
Nas- Street Dreams
Five For Fighting- Michael Jordan
Jay-Z- Encore
Jay-Z- Hova Song (Intro)
Group Home- Living Proof
KRS One & Das Efx - Represent The Real Hip Hop
LL Cool J - Rasta Imposter
Big L- Da Graveyard
Fabolous - Why Wouldn’t I
Fabolous- Throwback
Jadakiss - Why
Skillz- Off The Wall
Rhymefest- Brand New
Cormega- Fallen Soldiers
Cormega- Stay Up
Juelz Santana- Down
Juelz Santana- Daddy’s Home
2Pac- Better Dayz
2Pac - Tha Lunatic
DTP- Growing Pains Remix
50 Cent - Gotta Make It to Heaven
Bow Wow- Basketball
QB’s Finest- Our Way
Beanie Sigel- Raw and Uncut
Big Pun- The Dream Shatterer
Clipse - Comedy Central
Drayz- Represent the Real Hip Hop
Twista- Still Feels So Good
Black Sheep- Me & My Brother
The Game- 240 Bars
Big K.R.I.T.- Hometown Hero
Blu- In Remembrance of Me
Chuck Inglish- Pennies (The Cool Kids)
Ghostface- Buck 50
and I stopped bothering to find more (I stopped at G on that list). It’s not even close. Now what do I win?
I also feel that MJ will be #1; he was the predominant athlete for a long interval, and was almost synonymous with both his sport and being the absolute best in a given field… important shit to invoke for any performer in that era who wants to do any kind of boast.
Between his two names, I have a feeling Muhammad Ali/Cassius Clay will be at least second (no disrespect meant toward his preferred name, as Cassius Clay does show up in lyrics). Both Jordan and Ali were name-dropped in a ton of rap lyrics, especially in the '80s/90s, and many regional releases are probably not easily found online. If you dredge the oeuvre of NoI-friendly rappers, you’re guaranteed to find an Ali reference in a song, though a lot of these were cassette releases or mixtapes/mix CDs sold out of car trunks and such.
Well Bob Dylan did that song about Hurricane Carter called “Hurricane.”
And there’s “Sugar Shack” by the ARchies, I"m pretty sure that would have been about Shaquille O Neal if he’d been born then.
Well, I did say Jordan would be the winner in the hip-hop and basketball categories.
And I’ll concede that it looks like he probably wins in overall name-drops. You are hereby awarded TEN (10) Bragging Rights, good now through the end of the month.
I still say Robinson could be the leader in thematic references–songs that are actually about him at some level, rather than just using the name as a rhyme, boast, analogy or time-stamp.
Hyper Crush, “That’s How We Roll”
Eminem flows like Troy Polamalu’s hair on Track 17 off of Recovery
Jonathan Coulton’s song A Talk With George mentions Archie Moore and Sugar Ray as well as the “Rumble in the Jungle”.
And that hockey player is so poor and unnoticed he doesn’t even get mentioned by name here.
Steve Yzerman, btw.
Cos I’m the one with the fat mad skills
and I won’t choke like the Buffalo Bills
Sittin at the pad just chillin
cos Larry Parker just got two million, oh what a feelin
So shake that ngga and pass me the pill
and I’ll slam dunk ya like Shaquille O’Neal
Like it, dig it, maybe and watch that sht
Kick it ‘cause I get wicked
Don’t say nothin’, just listen
Got me a plan to break Tyson outta prison…
Ice Cube, “Wicked”
Actually, Jimmy Gilmer & the Fireballs. The Archies did “Sugar Sugar”.
He’s also got a song about (taking I-76 downtown to) watch the Sixers. Mo Cheeks, Moses Malone, Julius Erving, and Charles Barkley disses Larry Bird.
But finding songs where rappers (white or black) namecheck basketball players is only marginally harder than finding salsa songs with “corazon” in them. Almost easier to list the ones that don’t.
Hold On by Lou Reed mentions Mike Tyson.
Boom Boom Mancini by Warren Zevon mentions several boxers.
“You can have them bimbos
I like my women like Flo-Jo”
Sir Mix-a-Lot, Baby Got Back
Dead?