Ciara Shares Sports Knowledge, Reveals Michael Jordan's Influence -- Video

Gino DePinto, AOL

Did you know Ciara is a sports buff? The statuesque singing beauty isn't one of those women who studies a "Football for Dummies" book just to impress a guy. She can actually carry on an intelligent conversation on teams and their respective players without sounding like an airhead. Don't let the blonde hair fool you.

"I love sports because I feel like it runs parallel to what I do, whether it's in the competitive spirit or just the need to perform under pressure," the 27-year-old Atlanta native tells The BoomBox. "I feel like a lot of times, athletes are faced with that challenge.

"I relate to that in so many ways, whether it's getting ready for a performance or knowing that you have a certain amount of time to do something and you gotta show up when it's time. Just that spirit of drive and will and ambition, getting fit for something."

Most fans of the songbird, whose fifth album, One Woman Army, arrives in early 2013, know her for gyrating seductively in music videos not screaming at the TV when a bad play is called. So which teams does she root for on the court and field?

"I don't necessarily have one team in the NFL or NBA," Ciara shares. "It's a very fun time in sports when it pertains to those fields. You have the new era of Cam Newton, Andrew Luck, RGIII [Robert Griffin III], you've got that whole movement. Then you have the Tom Bradys, and the Aaron Rodgers, it just goes on and on. The transition of all of [those players in sports is what] makes a game very exciting to me."

Musically, Michael Jackson is one of her influences but it may come as a surprise t! hat so is lauded basketball player Michael Jordan. The "Sorry" singer expresses her excitement for how the revered "greatest basketball player of all time" has become inspirational in her personal and professional life.

Witness Ciara praise MJ in The BoomBox's exclusive video interview below.

Watch Ciara Talk to The BoomBox About One of Her Biggest Inspirations

See The BoomBox's Guide to R&B for Dummies