Nine years ago, T.I. put down his microphone to act alongside Denzel Washington in American Gangster. The rapper played Steve Lucas, who has a potential opportunity to join the Yankees' organization, but instead chooses to focus on a career in his uncle Frank Lucas' drug-dealing ring.

We asked T.I. if he felt like a baseball player while portraying Steve.

"Not as much as I did a drug dealer," he answered.

Point taken. Steve Lucas' most notable moment in the film comes when he tells Frank, "I want what you got, Uncle Frank. I want to be you."

Steve is murdered in a shootout near the end of the film, based on the true story of Frank's life.

But at least T.I. got to work on his baseball skills warming up for the role.

"I did train a little bit in pitching just to prepare for the film," T.I. says.

"But I didn't throw a pitch in the film, so I didn't understand why I was training. But, you know, I still got a few pitches in."

Related: CC Sabathia Credits Dave Stewart As Inspiration For Charity Work

T.I. talked to ThePostGame at the Roc Nation Summer Classic Charity Basketball Tournament, presented by CC Sabathia's PitCCh In Foundation, Robinson Cano's RC22 Foundation, Miguel Cotto's Fundacion El Angel and Nick Jonas' Beyond Type 1. He and Fat Joe assisted in coaching Team Sabathia.

More Baseball:
-- Bryce Harper On Meeting Stephen Curry
-- Why Dave Winfield Wants Kids To Play Multiple Sports
-- Tom Glavine: I Could've Played With Wayne Gretzky

-- Follow Jeffrey Eisenband on Twitter @JeffEisenband.