Flavor Flav, Sandro Mamukelashvili, Lakers
Mar 19, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Rapper Flavor Flav congratulates San Antonio Spurs forward Sandro Mamukelashvili (54) after scoring thirty four points against the New York Knicks at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
No matter where the Los Angeles Lakers play, there always seems to be some celebrities in the building and in the team’s preseason game in Las Vegas against the Golden State Warriors, hip-hop icon Flavor Flav was in attendance. But this wasn’t just a case of Flavor Flav attending a random game, as he is actually good friends with new Lakers forward Sandro Mamukelashvili.
The two have actually been friends since Mamukelashvili first entered the league and the big man was excited that he was going to be at the game.
“It’s always cool to have him. He’s such a great energy giver,” Mamukelashvili said of Flavor Flav. “He always kind of has this positive impact… Like yesterday, he was so hype. We were talking for two hours and he was so hype. He kind of pumped me up. Knew he was coming to the game, so I was really excited.”
Perhaps it was the extra energy Flavor Flav provided that pumped Mamukelashvili up for his biggest highlight of the preseason as the big man drove baseline in the second quarter and threw down an impressive baseline jam that brought the crowd to their feet. And overall, it was another strong showing for Mamukelashvili as he finished with 10 points, seven rebounds and two assists in the Lakers’ loss to the Warriors.
Many may be asking exactly how Mamukelashvili and Flavor Flav came to become friends, and the Lakers forward revealed that as well.
“My financial advisor, he’s a good friend of his,” Mamukelashvili noted. “He came to one of my Summer League games and we kicked it off. Went to a Yankees game together and then we went out to dinner and slowly kind of had this friendship. Even though he’s a lot older, he’s a really cool guy to be around. All the stories he has, the Hip Hop and everything, I’m always asking him about stuff so it’s always cool to listen to him… My rookie year, Summer League, he came to one of my games. He still has my Summer League jersey which is pretty cool.”
A 6’10 basketball player in his mid-20s who grew up in the country of Georgia being good friends with a hip-hop legend in his 60s is not something many would guess. But it just goes to show how people can grow to have a connection with others, regardless of where and how they grew up.
Sandro Mamukelashvili celebrated signing with the Lakers in the perfect way
Mamukelashvili is clearly a hip-hop fan as the big man celebrated signing with the Lakers this offseason by listening to another rap legend who is a known huge Lakers fan.
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