"They thought that was hilarious, and they loved it.”
Amir ‘Aura’ Khan never takes the court during games, but at McNeese State University, Louisiana, he’s become a star in his own right.
As a student manager, his job is to handle behind-the-scenes tasks—rebounding shots, cleaning jerseys, and making sure everything runs smoothly.
But a viral moment turned him into an internet sensation and the most talked-about figure in McNeese basketball.
Khan’s rise to fame started with a simple routine.
Before every game, he carries a boom box from the weight room to the locker room, where the players choose their walkout song.
New leader in the clubhouse for coolest basketball manager alive
pic.twitter.com/ma5ocy9oAC— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) February 25, 2025
On February 22, they picked ‘In & Out’ by Lud Foe—a track Khan knew by heart.
As the beat dropped, he rapped every lyric with confidence.
McNeese players Quadir Copeland and Christian Shumate noticed and pulled him to the front of the group.
Soon, the entire team gathered around, hyping him up as he delivered a flawless performance.
When the song ended, the Cowboys charged onto the court and crushed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, 73-57.
Amir Khan said: “I had no idea they would play that song, nor did they have any idea that I knew the song.
“That’s why I think the moment is so special because none of it was planned. They just told me to rap the song and let me do my thing.
“They thought that was hilarious, and they loved it.”
Two days later, McNeese’s assistant athletic director of creative media, Phillip Mitchell Jr, posted a clip of Khan’s rap on X. Within hours, it had five million views and 97,000 likes.
At first, Khan didn’t even know he was going viral.
He admitted: “It was senior night – and for me too, they said the manager would walk out, which was really cool – so I was mainly focused on that.
“I didn’t really process it until Monday night, when I looked on my phone and I saw Barstool Sports tweeting something about the video, I saw College Basketball Content did.
“I saw myself all over my Twitter page and I was like, ‘Man, what’s going on?’ I was just confused by all of it, but I definitely loved all the support from everyone.”
The moment transformed Khan’s role at McNeese.
When asked what song he’d pick for the next game, he chose ‘No Flockin’ by Kodak Black.
The players took his suggestion, and once again, he led the pregame walkout—rapping every word effortlessly.
In the weeks since, Amir ‘Aura’ Khan has become the face of McNeese basketball. He even took the podium for a press conference before head coach Will Wade.
On Selection Sunday, CBS Sports host Adam Zucker acknowledged his impact:
“Keep an eye out for their celebrity manager, Amir ‘Aura’ Khan.”
His newfound fame has led to something unprecedented—Khan became the first student manager to sign NIL deals, partnering with Buffalo Wild Wings, TickPick, and Insomnia Cookies.
Amir Khan and McNeese State are officially going dancing ?
— NBACentral (@TheDunkCentral) March 13, 2025
Despite his growing platform, his focus remains on McNeese’s NCAA Tournament run.
Khan told The Mirror: “Whatever opportunities come from this, I’m definitely going to try to make the most out of it, but also not overwhelm myself to where I’m just focused on that.
“Because honestly, I’m loving all of this and I appreciate all the support and love, but I’m just focused on March Madness.
“I really want this team to win in March Madness – it would mean the world to me.”
McNeese faces No. 5 Clemson on Thursday in Providence, Rhode Island. Khan believes his team is ready to shock the tournament.
“I think it’s the ability to match up with some of the top teams, and we’ve already shown that.
“We went on the road to Alabama, and we were honestly going toe-to-toe with them for a lot of that game.
“We went to Tupelo, played a neutral site game… against Mississippi State, and that game went down to the last second.
“We’ve already shown that we can win on that stage, so whoever we get matched up with we’ll be ready and able to compete with them.”
Khan started as a student manager, but today, he’s one of McNeese’s biggest names.
Whether on the sidelines or on social media, his impact on the team is undeniable.
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