Jay-Z Joins The LeBron-DeShawn Feud
LeBron James snickered on Thursday and said, "There is no DeShawn-LeBron rivalry."
He shook his head, laughed and said it again, "There is no DeShawn-LeBron rivalry."
I thought that was it, that this silly feud between DeShawn Stevenson and LeBron James was over. I got a good laugh at the sight of Soulja Boy dancing and doing Stevenson's, "I-Can't-Feel-My-Face," but I thought we'd get back to basketball sooner than later.
I'm a show you how to do this son! (mtv.com)
On Friday, I jokingly asked James if he was going to invite Jay-Z to Game 4 to counter what DeShawn Stevenson did by inviting Soulja Boy to Game 3. James bristled, "No. Come on. We don't. . .I'm not even going to say what I want to say."
Again, I thought, that was it. I was woefully incorrect.
The most ridiculously entertaining and completely ridiculous subplot of this Washington Wizards-Cleveland Cavaliers playoff series has reached another stratosphere, after my moles informed me that hip hop legend Jay-Z made a diss record on Friday about DeShawn Stevenson.
You read that right. Jay-Z, the Jigga Man, H-to-the-Izzo, Mr. Beyonce Knowles, made diss record about DeShawn Stevenson that was played at the D.C. night spot Love on Friday night, according to several witnesses. I have not heard the song or the lyrics but I was told that Jay-Z freestyled over the beat for the track, "Blow The Whistle" by rapper Too Short. The beat is hot, and if you want to know how that beat goes at least, click on this.
This is not a rivalry. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
This is hilarious. Especially when you consider that the only reason Soulja Boy and Jay-Z are mentioned in this series is because James said responding to Stevenson "would be like Jay-Z saying something bad about Soulja Boy." Now Jay-Z is saying something bad about Stevenson. I guess DeShawn won't be playing for the New Jersey Nets any time soon, huh?
When was the last time an NBA minority owner dissed another player in rhyme? My money is on never.
But anyway, witnesses at the club said that the DJ gave the microphone to Cavaliers reserve Damon Jones. Jones allegedly made some unsavory comments about Stevenson and the Wizards, according to people in attendance. And just before 2 a.m., the song was played. It was played five times from what I hear (I feel like a gossip columnist here. I really wish I was writing about basketball, people).
One of the people in attendance at the club was Caron Butler. Stevenson said Butler paged him and told him about the song and was so upset that he walked out immediately. Butler didn't want to talk about it when I approached him Saturday afternoon. "I don't have a comment about that," he said as he walked out of an elevator. "I'm just anxious to play [on Sunday]."
For those expecting Jay-Z to show up for Game 4 at Verizon Center, it's highly unlikely since the newlywed is on tour with Mary J. Blige and they are supposed to be in Chicago. But the song was a hot topic among Wizards' players before practice.
After practice, Gilbert Arenas had a priceless reaction to Jay-Z's verbal onslaught against Stevenson. "It's Hova," Arenas said. "It's the big dog. It's not like it's somebody else. If I had three people to talk about me in a song it would be Jay-Z, Michael Jackson and Prince. And Tupac and Biggie, let's be for real. Jay-Z had the time. That means he sat down somewhere, three minutes out of his time he had to write something."
Stevenson didn't have the best reaction until Arenas convinced him that having Jay-Z mention him in a record was an honor. "Jay-Z doesn't mention too many names," Arenas continued. "There's LeBron, Jordan and a couple of years ago he mentioned Yao and T-Mac. If I'm DeShawn, 'Thank you brother. Appreciate you brother.' "
I heard that Jay-Z. (REUTERS/Jim Young)
What was DeShawn's reaction? He went at James.
"He says he has a lot of swag, but I don't think that's something to do," Stevenson said about James. "This is basketball. I'm not worried about the song. I'm not worried about what he did. But for Damon Jones to get on the mic. And I heard he was saying foul stuff about me and stuff like that, they're taking it beyond basketball to me."
He continued: "Everybody is saying the bad things that I'm saying nationally, but they don't understand why I'm mad. That stuff doesn't come out. I'd rather be the bad guy. People think I'm going at him, but they don't see the little stabs that he's doing."
"When I had Soulja Boy here. It was on the court," Stevenson said. "It was nothing disrespecting him or his family or even foul language."
If you check out Mike Wise's column on Sunday, you'll see the root of Stevenson's beef with James. It started with some comments James made to former teammate Drew Gooden, who conveyed them to his bearded brother DeShawn.
James has grown somewhat irritated with the questions about Stevenson. When asked about him on Friday, he said, "I said what I've had to say and I've moved on. There is no rivalry. Seriously. There is no rivalry. There will never be a rivalry between me and DeShawn."
James went on to talk about his friendship with Arenas, whom he hugged as the players crossed paths on Friday. "Off the court, me and Gilbert are really, really good friends. I'm not going to let some trash talking get in the way of our friendship," James said. "I don't know DeShawn Stevenson at all."
Someone asked DeShawn Stevenson on Saturday why he would call James "overrated." Stevenson said, "I don't like him." When he was reminded that he doesn't even know James personally, Stevenson said, "I know. But he's supposed to be the face of the league and he said some things about me that he shouldn't have said."
It's the Roc!
Stevenson said that his problem is with James, not Jay-Z, even after the song. "Jay-Z is a legend. He'll go down in history. No disrespect to Jay-Z," Stevenson said. "I take it as a compliment. I like his music. I like everything he does. I would never go at a legend."
James was not made available to the media on Saturday.
Stevenson said he is also upset that a D.C. area club would allow a diss record to be played about one of its local players. "We're in D.C. If we did that in Cleveland, they wouldn't do it. So, I'm boycotting Love. Everybody on our team, we're boycotting Love and Park. We're not going no more," Stevenson said. "But I appreciate Jay-Z for giving me the shout out."
At some point, we will write about basketball again.
LeBron James snickered on Thursday and said, "There is no DeShawn-LeBron rivalry."
He shook his head, laughed and said it again, "There is no DeShawn-LeBron rivalry."
I thought that was it, that this silly feud between DeShawn Stevenson and LeBron James was over. I got a good laugh at the sight of Soulja Boy dancing and doing Stevenson's, "I-Can't-Feel-My-Face," but I thought we'd get back to basketball sooner than later.
I'm a show you how to do this son! (mtv.com)
On Friday, I jokingly asked James if he was going to invite Jay-Z to Game 4 to counter what DeShawn Stevenson did by inviting Soulja Boy to Game 3. James bristled, "No. Come on. We don't. . .I'm not even going to say what I want to say."
Again, I thought, that was it. I was woefully incorrect.
The most ridiculously entertaining and completely ridiculous subplot of this Washington Wizards-Cleveland Cavaliers playoff series has reached another stratosphere, after my moles informed me that hip hop legend Jay-Z made a diss record on Friday about DeShawn Stevenson.
You read that right. Jay-Z, the Jigga Man, H-to-the-Izzo, Mr. Beyonce Knowles, made diss record about DeShawn Stevenson that was played at the D.C. night spot Love on Friday night, according to several witnesses. I have not heard the song or the lyrics but I was told that Jay-Z freestyled over the beat for the track, "Blow The Whistle" by rapper Too Short. The beat is hot, and if you want to know how that beat goes at least, click on this.
This is not a rivalry. (Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images)
This is hilarious. Especially when you consider that the only reason Soulja Boy and Jay-Z are mentioned in this series is because James said responding to Stevenson "would be like Jay-Z saying something bad about Soulja Boy." Now Jay-Z is saying something bad about Stevenson. I guess DeShawn won't be playing for the New Jersey Nets any time soon, huh?
When was the last time an NBA minority owner dissed another player in rhyme? My money is on never.
But anyway, witnesses at the club said that the DJ gave the microphone to Cavaliers reserve Damon Jones. Jones allegedly made some unsavory comments about Stevenson and the Wizards, according to people in attendance. And just before 2 a.m., the song was played. It was played five times from what I hear (I feel like a gossip columnist here. I really wish I was writing about basketball, people).
One of the people in attendance at the club was Caron Butler. Stevenson said Butler paged him and told him about the song and was so upset that he walked out immediately. Butler didn't want to talk about it when I approached him Saturday afternoon. "I don't have a comment about that," he said as he walked out of an elevator. "I'm just anxious to play [on Sunday]."
For those expecting Jay-Z to show up for Game 4 at Verizon Center, it's highly unlikely since the newlywed is on tour with Mary J. Blige and they are supposed to be in Chicago. But the song was a hot topic among Wizards' players before practice.
After practice, Gilbert Arenas had a priceless reaction to Jay-Z's verbal onslaught against Stevenson. "It's Hova," Arenas said. "It's the big dog. It's not like it's somebody else. If I had three people to talk about me in a song it would be Jay-Z, Michael Jackson and Prince. And Tupac and Biggie, let's be for real. Jay-Z had the time. That means he sat down somewhere, three minutes out of his time he had to write something."
Stevenson didn't have the best reaction until Arenas convinced him that having Jay-Z mention him in a record was an honor. "Jay-Z doesn't mention too many names," Arenas continued. "There's LeBron, Jordan and a couple of years ago he mentioned Yao and T-Mac. If I'm DeShawn, 'Thank you brother. Appreciate you brother.' "
I heard that Jay-Z. (REUTERS/Jim Young)
What was DeShawn's reaction? He went at James.
"He says he has a lot of swag, but I don't think that's something to do," Stevenson said about James. "This is basketball. I'm not worried about the song. I'm not worried about what he did. But for Damon Jones to get on the mic. And I heard he was saying foul stuff about me and stuff like that, they're taking it beyond basketball to me."
He continued: "Everybody is saying the bad things that I'm saying nationally, but they don't understand why I'm mad. That stuff doesn't come out. I'd rather be the bad guy. People think I'm going at him, but they don't see the little stabs that he's doing."
"When I had Soulja Boy here. It was on the court," Stevenson said. "It was nothing disrespecting him or his family or even foul language."
If you check out Mike Wise's column on Sunday, you'll see the root of Stevenson's beef with James. It started with some comments James made to former teammate Drew Gooden, who conveyed them to his bearded brother DeShawn.
James has grown somewhat irritated with the questions about Stevenson. When asked about him on Friday, he said, "I said what I've had to say and I've moved on. There is no rivalry. Seriously. There is no rivalry. There will never be a rivalry between me and DeShawn."
James went on to talk about his friendship with Arenas, whom he hugged as the players crossed paths on Friday. "Off the court, me and Gilbert are really, really good friends. I'm not going to let some trash talking get in the way of our friendship," James said. "I don't know DeShawn Stevenson at all."
Someone asked DeShawn Stevenson on Saturday why he would call James "overrated." Stevenson said, "I don't like him." When he was reminded that he doesn't even know James personally, Stevenson said, "I know. But he's supposed to be the face of the league and he said some things about me that he shouldn't have said."
It's the Roc!
Stevenson said that his problem is with James, not Jay-Z, even after the song. "Jay-Z is a legend. He'll go down in history. No disrespect to Jay-Z," Stevenson said. "I take it as a compliment. I like his music. I like everything he does. I would never go at a legend."
James was not made available to the media on Saturday.
Stevenson said he is also upset that a D.C. area club would allow a diss record to be played about one of its local players. "We're in D.C. If we did that in Cleveland, they wouldn't do it. So, I'm boycotting Love. Everybody on our team, we're boycotting Love and Park. We're not going no more," Stevenson said. "But I appreciate Jay-Z for giving me the shout out."
At some point, we will write about basketball again.
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