26 Athletes Who Are Also Musicians

This list contains information about athletes who are also musicians, loosely ranked by fame and popularity. Several famous baseball players, boxers, and NBA all-stars are also musicians. Some of these athletes' albums flopped, while others are Grammy-winning musicians. One famous athlete even learned to play guitar from some of the greatest guitarists in the world.

Who is the most famous athlete who is also a musician? Kobe Bryant tops our list. In the late-1990s, NBA player Kobe Bryant released a rap album entitled K.O.B.E. Shaquille O'Neal released four rap albums in the 1990s. His debut Shaq Diesel was certified platinum in the U.S. Besides being a champion boxer, Oscar de la Hoya is also a Grammy-nominated singer for his eponymous 2000 CD.

Tennis player John McEnroe sang and played guitar in The Johnny Smyth Band. He learned to play guitar from Eddie Van Halen and Eric Clapton. Barry Zito plays guitar, and he co-wrote the song "Butterflies," which was featured in the film A Thousand Words. Chris Webber released the rap album 2 Much Drama, and he also produced two tracks for Nas.

Are you surprised that so many professional athletes are also musicians? Share your thoughts in the comments section.