About the song
A story for this song hasn’t been added yet.
Words from the artist’s archive
NOT MY LEAGUE lyrics
Artist-supplied lyric sheet, matched by title. The sheet may differ from this released performance. Production notes and alternate promotional cuts are omitted.
Read the lyric sheet
Intro
Seventy-two million watched him take that final shot Twenty years later, tell me what we got? Used to clear my schedule, now I don't even check the score This ain't the league I fell in love with anymore
Verse 1
Ninety-eight Finals, Jordan versus Stockton and Malone Twenty-nine million tuned in, glued to every zone Game Six pulled seventy-two mill—that's history written Highest rated game ever, man we were all smitten Regular season averaging near three mill a night Stern had the marketing locked, every matchup felt right Then MJ retired, viewership dropped forty percent All-Star weekend lost its magic, wonder where it went
Pre-chorus
One point five to one point nine, that's the range now Compared to three million then, tell me how We let the culture slip through fingers like the rock Something broke inside the game and I can't find the clock
Chorus
NOT MY LEAGUE NO MORE Stars sitting out, what am I paying for? NOT MY LEAGUE NO MORE Three-point contest every night, lost the war
Verse 2
Load management killing the product, Silver said it's too far All-Stars played seventy-nine back in 'oh-three, now they dodging the car Sixty-four games average now—that's almost twenty missed Bought the ticket for Giannis, got told he's on the list Shaq said Curry changed the game but made it kind of boring Thirty-seven threes a game now, everybody scoring Where's the Showtime Lakers, Phoenix running fast? Knicks defense, team identity—all stuck in the past
Pre-chorus
League Pass blackouts got me watching bootleg streams Twenty-five a month but can't see my home team Subscriptions piled high, still missing half the games Hodgepodge of passwords, it's driving me insane
Chorus
NOT MY LEAGUE NO MORE Stars sitting out, what am I paying for? NOT MY LEAGUE NO MORE Three-point contest every night, lost the war
Bridge
Seventy-six percent of Black fans still ride for the game Forty-four of white Americans don't feel the same Average viewer's thirty-seven, younger demos gained But the OGs who built this—we just feel the pain
Verse 3
Seventy-seven billion dollar deal just signed the line ESPN, NBC, Amazon—money's fine Season down two percent, early numbers crashed by twenty Holiday games saved the stats, but the stands ain't plenty NFL dipped two, college ball dropped seven NHL fell thirteen—cord-cutting's the weapon But something hits different when your first love walks away The NBA ain't dying—it just ain't mine today
Pre-chorus
Demographics shifted, I'm not the target no more But I still remember how it felt before When every game was sacred, every Finals was war Now I'm just a ghost watching from the floor
Chorus
NOT MY LEAGUE NO MORE Stars sitting out, what am I paying for? NOT MY LEAGUE NO MORE Three-point contest every night, lost the war
Bridge
Maybe I'm the one who changed, maybe time moved on Maybe what I'm mourning is the youth that's gone But when I close my eyes I see MJ's last dance And I'd give anything for just one more chance [Chorus] x2 (Full energy, layered vocals, ad-libs added) NOT MY LEAGUE NO MORE (yeah, yeah) Stars sitting out, what am I paying for? (paying for) NOT MY LEAGUE NO MORE (no more) Three-point contest every night, lost the war NOT MY LEAGUE NO MORE Stars sitting out, what am I paying for? NOT MY LEAGUE NO MORE Three-point contest every night, lost the war
Outro
Eighteen point seven rating... twenty-two point three share... Seventy-two million witnesses to the GOAT's last game We'll never see those numbers again But the memories? Those live forever
Inside the recording
Seventy-two million watched him take that final shot Twenty years later, tell me what we got?
One point five to one point nine, that's the range now Compared to three million then, tell me how
Eighteen point seven rating... twenty-two point three share... Seventy-two million witnesses to the GOAT's last game
Excerpts from artist-supplied lyric files matched by title. Lyric sheets may differ from the released performance.