Ice Cube Reveals How the Iconic NBA Anthem “It Was A Good Day” Nearly Never Happened
When it comes to iconic basketball culture, few songs have stood the test of time like Ice Cube’s 1992 hit “It Was A Good Day.” More than just a hip-hop classic, the track has become a staple in NBA locker rooms, street courts, gyms, and just about anywhere the game is played. Yet, what many fans may not realize is that this legendary anthem almost never made it to the studio.
Released as part of The Predator album, “It Was A Good Day” showcased a softer, more reflective side of Ice Cube. While Cube had built his career on gritty, hard-hitting tracks, this song was a refreshing departure. Its smooth beat and vivid storytelling painted a picture of a perfect day in South Central Los Angeles—a day filled with peace, good vibes, and, of course, basketball.
“I just wanted to talk about what a good day was in my small world at the time,” Ice Cube explained in a recent interview with Back In The Day Hoops via Sports Illustrated. “It was your favorite teams winning, playing well on the court, and everything just going your way. I had done a lot of records talking about the hard times. I thought it was time to balance that with a good day. If I’m a reality rapper, then I should talk about all of reality—including the good days.”
And what a day it was—at least in song form. With memorable lyrics like, “Get me on the court and I’m trouble, last week messed around and got a triple double,” and “The Lakers beat the Supersonics,” Cube captured the joy of hoops and harmony. These lines would go on to become some of the most quoted in basketball culture.
However, the song wasn’t immediately embraced by everyone in Ice Cube’s circle. “It was real controversial with my crew because they felt like it wasn’t an Ice Cube record,” he said. “It was too happy. But if I’m having a good day, why shouldn’t I be able to rap about it?”
Eventually, the song received the green light, and the rest is history. Not only did it top charts, but it sparked one of hip-hop and basketball’s most intriguing debates—when exactly was this “Good Day”? Fans have scoured historical NBA box scores to pinpoint the elusive day when all the song’s events could’ve aligned, often focusing on when the Lakers beat the Seattle Supersonics in the early ’90s.
But according to Cube, there’s no specific date behind the lyrics. “It was no particular day,” he said. “It was an accumulation of all the good stuff I could shove into one song—three verses, 16 bars. It flowed. It made sense. It’s what I would’ve summed up as a good day back in 1992.”
Now, more than three decades later, the song remains a cultural touchstone. Whether you hear it in an NBA arena or sung in karaoke with LeBron James, “It Was A Good Day” continues to resonate—and almost didn’t happen at all.