Earlier this week, Los Angeles Lakers rookie guard Lonzo Ball ruffled some feathers among the hip-hop loving community when he donned a hoodie with Nas’ Illmatic album cover photoshopped with Ball’s face on it as the design while entering the Madison Square Garden for a matchup with the New York Knicks.
Ball’s subtle jab at the hip-hop icon was apparently noticed by Nas, as the rapper fired back with a subtle shot himself, congratulating the Knicks for the win.
But if Ball thought that getting away from New York would also mean that he’d leave the issue behind, boy was he proven so wrong Thursday night.
While warming up for a game against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the crew at the Quicken Loans Arena made it a point to engulf the stadium with Nas songs in a clear trolling of Ball.
The Cavs themselves, however, proved to be the biggest bane for Lonzo Ball and the Lakers, as they sent Los Angeles to its second-straight loss with a decisive 121-112 home victory.
If anything, at least Ball didn’t play all that bad, scoring 13 points and dishing out 11 assists in a losing effort. Plus, he went 3-of-8 from beyond the arc.
The Lakers will take a long rest before hitting the court again next Monday against the Golden State Warriors at home, where he’ll likely be hearing songs that are more to his liking.