Corie Blount Says He’s the Reason Pac & Dr. Dre Wore Bearcats Gear

A small moment on the UC’s Let’s Reign podcast unlocked a whole era for Bearcats fans.

Former UC big man Corie Blount popped up on the show and casually confirmed what a lot of people have believed for years: Cincinnati Bearcats basketball had real cultural pull in the ’90s, even in hip-hop.

During the conversation, Dan Hoard asked Blount if he was “responsible” for Tupac rocking the Bearcats “C paw” warmup pullover in one of the rapper’s most circulated photos. Blount said he didn’t personally hand Pac the jacket, but made it clear the connection wasn’t random either.

According to Blount, he was “the reason all those guys were wearing it,” crediting his California roots and the fact that he was always repping UC & the Raiders during the height of the N.W.A. era. Around that same time, Dr. Dre was also seen on Yo! MTV Raps wearing a Bearcats hat… Another blink-and-you-miss-it moment that tied UC basketball to hip-hop history.

Fans immediately flooded the comments reminiscing about that stretch of Bearcats basketball; it was an era when the program felt larger than the city and the gear was fly, fresh, and everywhere.

Blount was a big reason why. The 6’9” power forward/center helped lead Cincinnati to the Final Four in 1992 and the Elite Eight in 1993, becoming a key piece of one of the most respected runs in program history. He went on to be drafted 25th overall by the Chicago Bulls in 1993 and carved out an 11-year NBA career, playing everywhere from Chicago and L.A. to Phoenix, Philly and Toronto.

Long before NIL deals and tunnel fits, Bearcats hoops was already moving culture.

• 5 Songs With “Met Gala” in the Title
• LeBron James Jokes About The Bronny James, Will Anderson Jr. Lookalike Chatter, Calls NFL Player His ‘Fourth Child’
• Inside Teyana Taylor's 'Dirty Rose' Pre-Met Gala Party — The No-Phones, All-Fantasy Party That Was The Hottest Ticket In Town!
• Contract Clause Conflict: Nia Long Reportedly Challenging Lionsgate Over 'Michael' Pay Gap With Male Costars
• Red Carpet Rundown: Top Celebrity Met Gala Looks That Oozed ‘Fashion Is Art’
• Tina Knowles Shares Wisdom on Legacy, Motherhood & Self-Care at Her Legacy
• Colman Domingo Hosts 2nd Annual ‘Put That Sh*t On’ Pre-Met Gala Party, Gabrielle Union, Heidi Klum & More Stars Attend
• Go, Granny! Karrueche & Deion Sanders Send Internet Into Heart-Eye Hysterics With Sweet Smooching Video
• Rihanna RIHacts To Angela & Pinky’s #RHOA Read-Off, Hints Charles Oakley’s Wife Won The Dallas Dinner Duel, Pinky Says She’s Unbothered
• A Houston Mother Humiliated Her Son For Hurting A Cat

Corie Blount Says He’s the Reason Pac & Dr. Dre Wore Bearcats Gear was originally published on rnbcincy.com