These 20 athletes are surprisingly good musicians

We promise that when you hear NFL giant Jordan Maliata flawlessly belting out songs like "Wanted Dead Or Alive" by Bon Jovi on The Masked Singer with such conviction (and precision), it'll leave you speechless. He later shocked watchers when he switched genres with another breathtaking performance of "Classic" by MKTO. 

You may know Damian Lillard as the NBA All-Star scoring buckets alongside the legendary Giannis Antetokounmpo, while others may recognize him as Dame D.O.L.L.A. The athlete has released four studio albums under the moniker, with his latest, Don D.O.L.L.A., in August 2023. 

Wayman Tisdale is more than just a three-time All-American at the University of Oklahoma and an NBA giant for teams, including the Indiana Pacers, Sacramento Kings, and Phoenix Suns. He can also play one heck of a bass line. Tisdale's music career kicked on in '95 with his debut album, Power Forward. His 2001 release, Face to Face, hit No. 1 on Billboard's contemporary jazz chart. 

Listen, Kobe Bryant does it all. During a 2016 interview, the Lakers legend revealed he learned to play Beethoven's Moonlight Sonata on piano as a gift to his wife, Vanessa. And get this — he did it all by ear. "Sitting down and taking lessons would be too easy," he said in this story. "So I taught myself by ear."

Chris Webber of the Golden State Warriors, Philadelphia 76ers, and Detroit Pistons played in the league from '93 to 2008. Also during that time, he produced hip-hop beats for rappers, including two for one of the greats, Nas. He also appeared on the track "Webber" from Naughty By Nature's Grammy Award-winning project, Poverty's Paradise. 

Patty Mills , currently of the Atlanta Hawks, revealed in a 2020 post to X, formerly Twitter, that he spends some of his free time shredding his guitar for himself and friends — especially his homie, Giannis.

What can't this man do? He released four studio albums between '93 and '98, with his first, Shaq Diesel, going Platinum for selling over one million records. His last project, Respect, hit No. 58 on the Billboard 200 and No. 8 on the Top R&B Albums chart. 

They don't call him Coach Prime for nothing. Deion Sanders' 1994 release, Prime Time, was his debut album, which peaked at No. 70 on the Top R&B Albums chart.

Professional hockey player Matt Lashoff began his music career after releasing his debut album, Living On Heart , in 2011. Years later, in collaboration with the Vegas Golden Knights NHL team, Matt released Stronger Together to support victims and first responders of the 2017 Las Vegas shooting.

Believe it or not, NHL player Brian Trottier strums the strings just as well as he dances on ice. Although no official albums are available for streaming or purchase, he's been known to serenade a crowd or two during some of his games. 

Although Matt Duchene hasn't released any studio albums or singles, the NHL player dabbles in music, playing guitar and singing country music around bars in Nashville. He's also played a special performance with country singer Thomas Rhett in Loveland, Colorado. 

Victor Oladipo shocked us all as Thingamajig on the wildly popular competition series The Masked Singer . The NBA star flawlessly sang songs like "Easy" by the Commodores and "Ordinary People" by John Legend, ultimately placing fifth. But his loss isn't too disappointing. The point guard finished behind some powerhouse performers like Seal, Adrienne Bailon-Houghton from The Cheetah Girls, and Wayne Brady. 

Baseball legend Barry Zito has been playing guitar since 1999 and released his first EP, No Secrets, in January 2017. He put his singing skills to the test in Season 3 of The Masked Singer, placing fourth behind Bow Wow, Jesse McCartney, and Grammy winner Kandi Burruss.

Although he wasn't belting out smoothy falsetto notes like his pal Victor, Lonzo had a fun run on The Masked Singer, performing songs like "I Wish," "Money Maker," and "Lean Back."

Not talked about too much, Oscar De La Hoya's 2000 album of the same name has a few hidden gems listeners may enjoy. In addition to its Grammy nomination following its release, the project was certified Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2006 for selling over one million copies. 

This two-time Olympic Gold medalist blew watchers and the judges away during her stint on The Masked Singer in 2020. She sang songs by Fergie, Patsy Cline, Dua Lipa, and Rihanna.  

Nick Swisher, who played for teams like the White Sox, Yankees, Guardians (formerly known as the Indians), and Braves, also dabbled in music and launched his first album in August 2011. The 12-track project, titled Believe , featured special appearances from fellow ball players Bernie Williams and Barry Zito. 

Former New York Yankee player Bernie Williams has quite the music resumé. He's released two albums, The Journey Within and Moving Forward , with the latter containing collaborations from Bruce Springsteen, Jon Secada, and Dave Koz. Plus, he snagged a Latin Grammy Award nomination for his work shortly after.  

This Cincinnati Bengals player turned popular country musician with his charting albums Turning for Home and Twilight Town. His 1990 hit, "Walk on Faith," snagged No.1 on the Hot US Country Songs chart.

Roy Jones is another professional boxer-turned-rapper. Along with his solo records, Round One: The Album, and singles, "Y'all Must've Forgot" and "Battle of the Super Powers," he formed his own group, Body Head Bangerz, who released the snappy tune, "I Smoke, I Drank" in July 2004.