Beno Udrih

A great song can’t be compiled without a lead vocalist. Likewise, a winning basketball team can’t be successful without a lead guard.

So what better way to link music and hoops than by asking Kings point guards Beno Udrih and Bobby Brown their musical preferences?

Last week, the Kings starting point guard, Udrih, admitted he doesn’t have much interest in European cinema. But the same can’t be said for the Slovenian guard’s taste in music.

“His name is Toše Proeski,” Udrih said when asked of his favorite European musician. “He’s actually not a Slovenian singer. He’s a Macedonian singer who passed away last year.”

Proeski was only 27. Dubbed the “Elvis Presley of the Balkans,” he reached a wide range of European audiences.

“He sang all kinds of music,” Udrih explained. “Even though he was raised in Macedonia, he sang in Croatian, Serbian, Italian, Slovenian and English. He was basically connecting all of the ex-Yugoslavian countries together.”

Udrih raved about Proeski’s talent. The late singer’s repertoire included pop, traditional Macedonian and rock music. Proeski even dabbled in classical, training in New York with Luciano Pavarotti’s operatic coach.

The megastar musician was only familiar to audiences from the Balkan region. But the Kings floor leader believed Proeski could have been just as popular in America.

“If he was here in the United States people would probably know about him,” Udrih said.

Although Udrih’s musical taste leans toward his European roots, he does enjoy music from the States. The Kings point guard admires another traditional singer similar to Proeski. Ray Charles, the legendary jazz, blues and soul musician, is one of Udrih’s favorites.

Surprisingly, the 26-year-old nearly brushed shoulders with the piano genius before entering the League.

“My brother was staying with me in a hotel in New York for a couple days,” Udrih said recalling his 2004 NBA Draft experience. “When he had breakfast downstairs, Ray Charles was sitting two tables away from him.”

Unfortunately for the five-year NBA veteran, his chance of meeting the soulful singer was dashed after his brother’s close encounter. Two days later, Charles passed away.

“It was unbelievable because my brother had just seen him,” Udrih said of Charles’ passing.

The Slovenian Sensation clearly distinguished himself as a musical purist. He’s a fan of real instruments as opposed to digital synthesizers.

“I like it when somebody is really performing,” Udrih explained. “I like when it’s really someone’s voice that’s singing and no computers or anything like that.”

Bobby Brown

Brown probably shouldn’t lend his copy of “808s and Heartbreaks” to his point guard companion. Every track on Kanye West’s newest album features the Chicago rapper singing on auto-tune -- computer software that corrects pitch mistakes.

Although the record moves away from West’s usual hip-hop delivery, it falls along the lines of Brown’s preferred music genres.

“I’m a big R&B guy,” Brown said. “I like Hip-Hop too, but not too much of the loud cussing.”

One of his favorite hip-hop artists happens to be New Orleans rapper, Lil Wayne. In fact, the Kings rookie point guard listens to the same track off Wayne’s “Tha Carter II” album as part of his pregame routine.

“I listen to the song ‘Hustler Music’ by Lil Wayne before every game,” Brown said. “On the way to the arena and when I get to the locker room, I listen to that song.”

The rookie point guard was actually fortunate to meet Lil Wayne. But he isn’t the only musical act Brown’s met. In addition, the Los Angeles native has introduced himself to rappers Fabolous and Snoop Dogg and R&B songstress Keyshia Cole.

“I have a friend who puts on concerts,” Brown said of his music industry connections. “And we were backstage and I met all of them.”

One artist Brown’s never rubbed elbows with is the singer who shares his namesake. When asked if he ever listens to R&B singer Bobby Brown, the Kings point guard didn't hesitate when replying, “No.”

And what about the singer’s old pop group, New Edition?

“Nope, never,” Brown said with a grin.

From Toše Proeski to Lil Wayne, the two Kings point guards share an eclectic musical sampling between them. It’s clear both Brown and Udrih know what they like and dislike on the airwaves. Perhaps their decisive choices in music reflect their on-court decision-making ability as well.