LOS ANGELES (AP) — Snoop Dogg arrived at the Intuit Dome hours before tipoff, well before most fans filled the arena and even before some players.
Snoop wore a gray suit, a black turtleneck, a peacock pendant on his chest, and purple Chuck Taylor sneakers with gold laces, a nod to his lifelong loyalty to the Los Angeles Lakers. He didn’t pose. He’s waiting for his moment to shine as an NBA analyst alongside Reggie Miller and Terry Gannon, during the second half of Peacock’s recent broadcast of the Golden State Warriors’ game against the Los Angeles Clippers.
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As AP reporters followed him through the arena for a full, behind-the-scenes look at his preparations — including time in the green room before the broadcast — Snoop made it clear this was not a cameo.
Snoop, who won a global audience during the 2024 Paris Olympics, said: “If NBC thought I was here to compete, I’m sure they wouldn’t give me the opportunity. It’s not about me, it’s about what the sport needs right now.”
In recent months, Snoop has emphasized his ease with live, improvised performances on major television stages. He went on to work on NBC’s “The Voice,” performed on Netflix’s Christmas NFL broadcast, went viral at the Snoop Dogg Arizona Bowl, and gave a speech and interview at Sunday’s Golden Globe Awards, where Amy Poehler and Stephen Graham praised his presence. The visibility coincides with a deepening relationship with NBCUniversal, which continues to expand his role in sports and entertainment through next month’s Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina, including NBA coverage.
Before the game on January 5, Snoop participated in production meetings and participated in coaching meetings with Steve Kerr and Tyronn Lue. He lingered around the Golden State Warriors locker room, occasionally dancing as his own music blared inside, and waited patiently to interview Warriors star guard Stephen Curry hours before the game.
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Snoop’s approach resonated with the players he covered.
“He can find his way anywhere in any environment,” Curry said. “It’s so cool to see all the different versions of Snoopy.”
How Snoopy made his presence felt on the biggest stage
Even before tonight, Curry had seen Snoopy’s ability to move freely between worlds. The sharpshooting guard recalled seeing Snoop around Team USA during the Paris Olympics, seamlessly blending into the basketball environment while also communicating with players off the court with ease.
“He caught me off guard early on because he gave me three very simple basketball questions,” Curry said of Snoop’s Warriors-Clippers pregame interview. “Then I heard him talk about it on the radio. … He’s a great addition.”
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Whether Snoop is on a global broadcast, in the mainstream media, or on the sidelines, he’s seeing what’s going on in the room in real time. That feeling reappeared in the Arizona Bowl, when he took a deep kickoff during the interview and lost a shoe but kept the ball. It was a spontaneous moment that quickly went viral and showed why he continues to resonate in live settings.
Moments like this help explain why Snoopy’s influence continues to grow. He will be part of NBC’s coverage of the upcoming Winter Olympics, further expanding its reach in sports, entertainment and audiences across generations.
Miller, who played 18 years with the NBA’s Indiana Pacers, said Snoopy’s versatility and seriousness are noticeable even behind the camera.
“He’s real,” Miller said. “The questions he asked in coaching meetings, he asked insightful questions to Steve Kerr and Ty Lue. He could have sat back and listened. No, he got his hands dirty.”
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Gannon echoed that sentiment.
“He didn’t just show up and say ‘I’m here,'” he said. “He put in the work and the effort. So the broadcast was seamless.”
How Snoop is building a bridge between gaming and a wider audience
Snoop said he studied legendary announcers, especially the late Chick Hearn, who served as the Lakers’ play-by-play announcer for more than 40 years. The rapper views his character as someone who has a deep knowledge of basketball but comes from outside of a traditional broadcasting pedigree.
“Even though I’m a well-known celebrity, I represent ordinary people,” he said. “The NBA has evolved to a place where it deserves to have someone like me who understands the game, knows the game, can talk about the game and bring new audiences.”
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Snoopy’s point of view was immediately apparent as soon as it aired.
He criticized the Warriors’ Draymond Green for taking and missing too many three-pointers while praising his ability as a point forward. He noted that Curry was still able to play despite hurting his ankle in the third quarter. He called the on-court chemistry “cookies and cream, like they were opening a cookie shop,” called Curry “Stephisticated,” and used “two chicken nuggets” to highlight the scoring burst.
When Warriors head coach Steve Kerr was ejected for disagreeing with a referee on a goalie call, Snoop’s bold personality punctuated the moment, chanting “Inglewood” as the crowd cheered inside the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
“When the lights come on, that’s when I shine the brightest,” Snoop said.
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What’s next for Snoopy?
Snoop said he welcomes more opportunities to serve as a broadcaster for NBA games and sees the analyst role as a natural extension of a career built on curiosity and evolution. He’s eager to immerse himself in the Winter Olympics, where he’ll once again be an NBC reporter and join Team USA as an honorary coach.
He will serve as an ambassador and supporter for U.S. athletes in the lead-up to and throughout the Games. He will also host an event with Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard during next month’s NBA All-Star Weekend.
“I feel like I’m improving as a well-rounded entertainer,” Snoop said. “That’s part of entertainment, being able to bring people into things that they may or may not be interested in. I’d love to do more of this.”
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Snoopy is definitely living a simple dream: show up, do a good job, and be open to what comes next.
“When you take ownership of who you are,” he said. “You understand that you are not one-dimensional. You evolve.”