What Lil Wayne said in heartfelt message to ESPN’s Linda Cohn on night of host’s retirement

Athletes and viewers alike are paying tribute to longtime SportsCenter anchor Linda Cohn as she retires after 34 years, but few might have expected one of the tributes she received.

Rapper Lil Wayne recorded a video tribute for Cohn, surprising the host and bringing a wide smile to her face.

A well-known football and basketball fan, Lil Wayne actually credited Cohn with getting him invested in another sport.

Here's a look at what Lil Wayne said to Cohn.

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Lil Wayne message to Linda Cohn

In a video message, Lil Wayne paid tribute to Cohn while wearing a Carolina Hurricanes jersey. 

"ESPN will never be the same without you," the rapper said, explaining that Cohn's passion for hockey inspired him to become interested in the sport. "It made me get into it just to find out what you was talking about," he said.

Linda Cohn is retiring after 34 amazing years ... and Lil Wayne had to give her flowers before she left 🥹🫶@lindacohn | @LilTunechi pic.twitter.com/jvvUgsfHIK

Lil Wayne is a big-time sports fan. He isn't shy about his Green Bay Packers or Los Angeles Lakers fandom, and he wore a Hurricanes jersey while performing in 2025. Whether Lil Wayne is a Hurricanes fan isn't clear, but Cohn might be the primary reason he now follows along with hockey.

The rapper's tribute was one of many on a night in which Cohn's career was honored:

Here's a closer look at the connection between Lil Wayne and Cohn.

Lil Wayne-Linda Cohn relationship

The message might have surprised Cohn, but she and Lil Wayne developed a friendship over the years. Cohn interviewed the rapper in 2014, and Lil Wayne is a longtime ESPN viewer.

"You always showed me love," Lil Wayne said in his message Friday. "I do the same for you."

Lil Wayne also tweeted his gratitude for Cohn's career:

Congrats Miss Linda!!! One of SportsCenter finest by far, lightyears.
Ya always showed me love and i appreciated every time! Miss Linda Cohn, FLOWERS!

"Love Lil Wayne. He put me in a song," Cohn said after seeing the video message. Here's a snippet from Lil Wayne's song, "Earthquake," which mentions Cohn along with a handful of other ESPN personalities:

See what I'm talkin' 'bout, sweetheart?
You ain't even gotta have John Madden
You ain't gotta have Dick Vitale
You ain't gotta have Lee Corso
You ain't gotta have Stuart Scott
You ain't gotta have Linda Cohn
Know what I'm talkin' 'bout?
You ain't gotta have the staff of ESPN
You ain't gotta have the ABC staff just to speak sports, baby
'Cause I got game, sweetheart

Cohn is immortalized in a Lil Wayne song, and her time at ESPN is immortalized for so many who watched SportsCenter over the years.