The core of Carlos Arroyo's game begins with a crossover. Like most NBA point guards, he relies on the move to gain separation from defenders and shift his momentum into different directions.
These days, though, the Puerto Rican point guard is mastering a different type of crossover -– the crossover from professional athlete to musical recording artist.
During the last two offseasons, Arroyo has slowly launched his career as a reggaeton artist, periodically releasing singles under his record label, Arroyo Hit Music, to establish a fanbase in the urban, Latin genre.
"It's a passion of mine that I have," Arroyo said. "Music is a world language, like I work out with music. I'm a barber too, so I love to cut hair with music. I practice with music. When I'm at the house, I listen to music. It's in every part of my life."
But Arroyo isn't the first NBA player to go from orchestrating offenses to orchestrating music. In recent years, notable stars like Allen Iverson, Ron Artest, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal have each tried to capitalize on their celebrity status by becoming rap artists.
Of those players, only O'Neal made a successful transition. During his musical career, the Celtics big man released five albums, including his 1993 debut, Shaq Diesel, which went certified platinum.
O'Neal said in order for Arroyo to gain similar credibility in the reggaeton industry he needs to have a genuine passion for music.
"You have to make sure you're real about it," O'Neal said. "Like growing up, on the way to the court, I'm [rapper] LL Cool J and I got on all my [expletive]. When I get there, take all that off, now I'm Dr. J [basketball legend Julius Erving].
"So my advice is, if you ain't been doing it, don't try to do it now and think you're going to get publicity and make money."
Arroyo has already made strides to reach O'Neal's level. Despite strictly promoting his summer single "Se Va Conmigo," which is translated as "She's Leaving With Me," in Puerto Rico, he watched the song reach No. 26 on the Latin Billboards in the United States.
As a result of the song's success on the airwaves, Arroyo expanded his artistic repertoire by creating a music video for the record, a process he said "took a lot of hard work and dedication."
But the former Heat guard and new Celtics ball-handler is already used to putting in hours of effort on the basketball court, which begs the question: What's tougher, preparing to record a music video or preparing to play alongside LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh in Miami, and then Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen and Paul Pierce in Boston?
"Recording the video," Arroyo said without hesitation. "The performance shots and just singing to the camera and moving around a little bit [were tough] and I had to loosen up a little bit because it's something that I'm not used to doing."
Arroyo has also needed to loosen up for the playful beating he's taken inside the locker room.
Since starting his reggaeton career in 2009, Arroyo has played his songs for current and former teammates alike, rendering him a constant target for jokes. Still, they can all agree the humorous swipes are all in jest.
"I got a lot of respect for what he does, man," former teammate and Miami Heat forward Udonis Haslem said. "I can't quite understand [the lyrics], but it sounds good. It sounds like something that can be played at the club and people can dance to."
Said O'Neal: "I hope he goes platinum and all that."
Don't expect any debut albums from Arroyo anytime soon, though. With the Celtics contending for a championship this season, he insists his musical aspirations will take a backseat until next offseason.
When that time comes, Arroyo plans to showcase more of his songwriting skills. Like most reggaeton artists, he wants to gain separation from other heavyweights in the industry and ultimately carve his own legacy.
"I put myself in a situation where I could make good music with good producers," Arroyo said. "That's what so unique about the reggaeton industry, everybody got their own style. I love and respect what all of them do, so I try to just bring my own style."
And it all begins with the crossover.
