Usher is in the midst of a big music year with his forthcoming album, UR, and the corresponding UR Experience Tour, but he's also had a huge year "off the court," so to speak.
The minority owner of the Cleveland Cavaliers was overjoyed when NBA superstar LeBron James decided to return to the organization in July.
The deal meant Usher's franchise will likely go deep into the playoffs this season after several years of turmoil.
"Obviously him coming home was bigger than basketball," Usher told Ebro In The Morning. "And it just so happened to line up that way. I actually had been campaigning that week just to keep my kids motivated. I came up with this thing called #BiggerThan. There were these successful entrepreneurs and pioneers that I put the hash tag '#BiggerThan' next to, and I decided to put his name in there as well."
Keeping up the basketball conversation, Usher referenced the '80s Pistons teams and '90s Bulls teams before coming to a conclusion about his Cavs.
"Cleveland is like swag," he said. "The way they play... the confidence that they play with... It may feel odd because that word is so overly used and bastardized, but swag is kinda what I feel when I look at [Kevin] Love, when I look at Kyrie Irving and when I look at LeBron."
The "Caught Up" singer discussed a myriad of other topics during the half-hour interview, including his protégé August Alsina.
"It's offering that window and offering that opportunity," he said (via Vibe). "I'm still keeping with that. It's what Janet Jackson did for me. It's what Mary J. Blige did for me. It's what Puff, P. Diddy & The Family did for me. So I'm doing the same thing. So it is a bit of mentoring, but also a bit of recognizing that he's at a place where he's growing."
