https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V80fQngCK-s&feature=youtu.be
I take it straight to the basket is just part of the custom lyrics for the platinum hit song “Classic” by Malcolm Kelley and Tony Oller of MKTO which was reimagined for ESPN2’s WNBA regular season coverage. Debuting during tomorrow’s doubleheader (Indiana at Atlanta, 8 p.m. ET; Chicago at Los Angeles, 10 p.m.), the song will be used in game broadcasts throughout the remainder of the regular season.
Part of the choir:
One of a kind
live in a world that has become plastic
One of a kind
I take it straight to the basket
Verse (changes in bold):
Baby you’re in class and baby you’re sick
I never met a girl like you until we met
A star in the 40s, a centerfold in the 50s
Made me trip like the sixties
Hippies Queen of the disco
A dream of the 70s and the best of the 80s
Hepburn, Beyoncé, Marilyn Manson
Girl you’re timeless, so classic
Baby we’re in class and baby we’re sick
You’ve never seen competitors play like this
‘Cause we’re flying from the ground, we’re soaring to the edge
And we never give up, we never give up
I have the will to win, it’s time to show and prove
Just like Leslie, Staley and Swoopes at the hoop
Anything can happen from summer to fall
and now it’s getting hotter and hotter so we play every day
The duo met in 2010 while filming the Nickelodeon television series “Gigantic,” and later formed under the name MKTO, which stands for their initials combined.
“Kate Leonard and the production team were looking for a song that fit perfectly with the WNBA-themed ‘Summer Hoops’ initiative,” said the ESPN music director. Kevin Wilson. “Columbia Records presented the song to us and we thought it would be a perfect fit for this project. The band and producers used the suggested lyrics and gave us exactly what we were looking for.
First row I sat down with Kelley and Oller to get their take on working with ESPN and the WNBA on the project.
What were you hoping to capture with your rendition of the ESPN-WNBA theme from “Classic”?
MK: We want to be able to play our feel-good song and have everyone moving and partying in the arena.
What do you think your music will be like on ESPN?
HAS: I think it’s awesome that our music is on ESPN. We put a new spin on “Classic” especially for the WNBA, it’s an incredible feeling and I can’t wait for them to hear it!
What would be on your ESPN bucket list for MKTO music to be featured on?
MK: Really, having the song on ESPN, period, is something we can take off the bucket list, and we thank you guys. We love going to games or watching them on ESPN, and hearing our favorite songs, so if you can be “Classic”, then that’s crazy.
What two things should ESPN viewers know about MKTO?
HAS: We both love sports and video games, especially “NBA2K”.
What are your favorite sports to watch and who are your favorite teams?
HAS: We are really fans of all sports. We watched the NBA Finals and Malcolm’s team was the Lakers. He used to go to WNBA Sparks games with my aunts, so it would be nice to be able to listen to the song while they were there.
