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Luka Dončić is returning to Dallas for the first time since the shocking blockbuster trade between the Mavericks and the Los Angeles Lakers on February 1.
Tipping off at American Airline Center in Dallas on April 9, the injured Mavs team — led by former Laker Anthony Davis — will look to hold their own against a red-hot LA squad with Dončić and LeBron James. Starting at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT, don’t miss this potential NBA Playoff matchup airing live on ESPN and streaming on Fubo, Sling TV and ESPN+.
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So far this season, the purple and gold have received the better end of the trade, with Dončić and James leading the Lakers to the current third seed in the NBA Western Conference, and are now favorites to make it to the finals. On the other hand, Dallas has been struggling with devastating injuries since the trade. After acquiring Davis, he suffered a left adductor strain in his debut game in February. Then, All-Star point guard Kyrie Irving suffered a torn ACL injury leaving him out for the remainder of the season.
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With AD finally back, can the Mavericks take down his former team and teammate, LeBron James? Here’s how you can tune into the the Lakers vs. Mavericks game below.
When and Where Is the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks game?
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks will square off on Wednesday, April 9, at American Airline Center in Dallas at 7:30 p.m. ET/4:30 p.m. PT. The game will broadcast live on ESPN and available to stream on Fubo, Sling TV and ESPN+.
How to Watch the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks Game
To watch the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks game online, Fubo TV offers a seven-day free trial to new users. With the streaming service, subscribers can stream hundreds of cable, network and sports channels with Fubo’s Pro package, which is $84.99 a month for 145 channels such as CBS, ABC, Fox, NBC, FX, TLC, AMC, MSNBC, ESPN, FS1 and Nickelodeon. But you don’t have to sign up right away: Try it out with a weeklong free trial with no commitment to livestream the NBA game online free.
Sling Orange is another affordable streaming choice, especially for sports fans. Watch TNT, ESPN and other sports, news and entertainment channels for just $23 for the first month ($45.99/month afterward). You can also watch local networks such as ABC and NBC, as well as many cable networks, including Lifetime AMC, A&E, BET, Cartoon Network, Fuse, CNN, Food Network and many others.
ESPN+ is the official streaming platform for ESPN, and a subscription includes instant access to games and more exclusive content for $11.99/month. You can save 17% off by purchasing an annual subscription for $119.99/year. There is no free ESPN+ trial, but it does include exclusive on-demand videos and access to content from what was formerly known as ESPN Insider.
A subscription to DirecTV Stream — which comes with ESPN — gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $74.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as NBC, ABC, Fox and PBS, as well as many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
How to Get Last-Minute Tickets to the Los Angeles Lakers vs. Dallas Mavericks Game
Want last-minute tickets to the Lakers vs. Mavericks game? There are plenty of affordable tickets available on Vivid Seats (get $20 off purchases of $200 and over with code BB30), SeatGeek (your first purchases can get $10 off ticket order $250 and with code BILLBOARD10), StubHub and GameTime (score $20 off ticket orders of $150 and over with code SAVE20). Prices vary depending on the city and seats available.
Moreover, you can save $150 off when you spend $500 with promo code BILLBOARD150, or $300 off when you spend $1,000 with promo code BILLBOARD300 at TicketNetwork.com.
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Source: Luke Hales / Getty
Super fans of LeBron James are taking their admiration to new heights with a unique musical genre known as “L&B,” a twist on traditional R&B.
Somebody made an early 2000s type R&B song where the only lyrics are “LeBron James”. 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/APNfve9d4o
— Kevín (@KevOnStage) March 6, 2025
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Taking the term “glazing” to the next level. L&B, or “LeBron and Ballads,” involves fans creatively reworking classic songs, from Michael Jackson’s “Billie Jean” to Young Jeezy’s “Put On,” by flipping the lyrics to praise King James. These fan-made tracks celebrate LeBron’s greatness, often in humorous ways, and provide a fresh take on his legendary status in the NBA. Whether it’s serenading him for his basketball skills, his off-court influence, or his role as a cultural icon, L&B takes fan devotion to a whole new level.
The trend has caught LeBron’s attention, with the NBA superstar admitting that he finds these songs funny, especially after hearing them from his youngest son, Bryce. LeBron has always been known for appreciating his supporters, and this trend only proves how far his influence stretches, inspiring fans to show their love through creativity and humor.
LeBron James was asked about the viral LeBron songs on TikTok. He said they’ve been impossible to not see and that Bryce showed him yesterday that he got a good laugh out of: pic.twitter.com/8Oboj8g0lG
— Jovan Buha (@jovanbuha) April 1, 2025
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The genre is just another way fans are celebrating LeBron’s impact, creating an entirely new form of fandom that blends sports with music in a lighthearted yet impressive way.
Check out some of the funniest “L&M” tracks below.
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Source: Getty Images / LeBron James / Stephen A. Smith
The LeBron James versus Stephen A. Smith “beef” has become more comical.
In his 22 seasons, LeBron James has given all indications that he gives zero f***s and is clapping back at anyone who he feels did him or his family dirty or has some wild takes.
James has clearly grown tired of ESPN workhorse Stephen A. Smith constantly talking about him, but the final straw was the analyst talking about James’ firstborn son and now Los Angeles Lakers teammate Bronny James, which led to a now-infamous confrontation that Smith can’t seem to stop revisiting.
The Chosen One got Stephen A. Smith in his feelings again after he stopped by The Pat McAfee Show and addressed Smith’s behavior following the incident.
“He’s on a Taylor Swift tour run right now. It started off with ‘I didn’t wanna address it, but since the video came out, I have to,’” James told McAfee, explaining the ongoing beef with the sports pundit, who is now dipping his toes into politics.
James continued, “Never would I not allow people to criticize players about what they do on the court. That is your job. That’s all part of the game. But when you get personal with it it’s my job to not only protect my damn household but protect the players,” James says before imagining the pundit’s reaction to the clip. “He’s going to be smiling from ear to ear when he hears me talking about him. He’s gonna get home and get some ice ream out of the f-cking freezer and sit in his chair in tighty whiteys on the couch. Like, dude, relax.
Stephen A. Smith Says He Would Have “Swung On” James
Of course, Smith would have something to say on the matter, and he responded via his podcast, The Stephen A. Smith Show, where he spent the entire show blasting James, even claiming he would have “swung on” the professional hooper if things got physical.
He also added that he’s pretty sure he would have gotten his “ass kicked” by James if the two were to have thrown hands.
“When he approached me sitting courtside at that game against the New York Knicks, when he rolled up on me I didn’t know he was gonna roll up on me,” Smith said. “I had no idea, but when he said what he had to say I was in no position to give any kind of retort without making a scene. It was during the third quarter, it was fresh out of a timeout, it was him walking to the basketball court. It was on national television, the cameras were rolling and had I done something what do ya’ll want me to do? You want this to be a reincarnation of Chris Rock and Will Smith?”
“And let me state for the record while we bring up that, let me assure you it wouldn’t have gone down like that. I would have gotten my ass kicked because if that man put his hands on me I would’ve immediately swung on him. Immediately. That I’m not going to tolerate,” he continued.
Nobody Believes You, Stephen A. Smith
As expected, everyone is clowning Stephen A. Smith. LeBron James didn’t waste time responding via Instagram, sharing a video of Smith participating in boxing training and looking ridiculous.
James’ Cavaliers teammate, Kevin Love, even got in on the action.
LOL.
Stephen A. Smith is looking quite foolish. You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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Source: Allen Berezovsky / Getty / Stephen A. Smtih
Stephen A. Smith is getting called out for giving his confrontation with LeBron James uncessarry extra life, and those people may have a point.
It’s been 7 days since LeBron James took time to confront ESPN’s loudest and well paid voice Stephen A. Smith about comments he made about his son, Bronny James, during a timeout, and Smith still is talking about it.
While LeBron James has seemingly moved on, Smith has gone on what many are calling a media tour to talk about the situation. Smith waited till a Monday, March 10 epsiode of First Take and later his podcast the Stephen A. Smith Show to speak about the situation because he felt he needed to after video of LBJ checking him went viral.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter annoucing his decision to address the moment Smith wrote, “I didn’t want to have to address this. I wouldn’t have, either, had it not gone viral. Now I have no choice. @FirstTake first at 10am EST. Then….The Stephen A. Smith Show on YouTube! Some things just have to be said.
Hilariously, James former Cavaliers teammate, Kevin Love, clowned Smith’s reasoning for making the moment he claimed he “didn’t wan’t to have to address,” in a quote response writing, “You have no choice? lol Because it went viral? lol You didn’t want to have to? lol You wouldn’t have? lol.”
Following that, the wannabe politcal pundit has spoken about the situation on Sean Hannity’s FOX News show and on a Thursday episode of the Gilbert Arenas podcast where he described James checking him as “weak,” and “some bulls—.”
Users On X Accuse Stephen A. Smith of Going On A Media Tour About The LeBron Moment
Social media is also laying the virtual smackdown on Stephen A., accusing him of going on a “media tour” after James told him to stop talking about his son.
“Stephen A going on a MEDIA TOUR to complain about being bitched by Lebron is a different type of bitch made,” a user on X wrote about the situation.
He’s got a point.
We hope Stephen A. Smith has gotten it all out of his system because we are all over it.
You can see more reactions in the gallery below.
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The Los Angeles Lakers vs. the New York Knicks is gearing up to be one of the most exciting NBA games of the week. Tipping off at Crytpo.com Arena in Los Angeles, LeBron James and Luka Dončić will defend their home court against Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. The star power on the court will surely bring Hollywood’s biggest stars courtside, including many musicians who root for the Lakers, such as Snoop Dogg, Flea, Adele, Dr. Dre, Kendrick Lamar, Ice Cube and Lil Wayne.
Since acquiring Luka in a blockbuster trade between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Dallas Mavericks, all eyes have been on the purple and gold. The unexpected duo of Dončić and James has been a gift that keeps on giving for NBA fans. Since the trade, the Lakers are 11-2, climbed up to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference, James was named the NBA Western Conference player of the month and has become the first player in NBA history to reach 50,000 points.
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The Knicks may not be making as many headlines as the Lakers, but the New York squad is just as impressive. Sitting at No. 3 in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks have a deep roster of talent led by Brunson and the newly acquired Towns, and already has 40 wins in the season.
Could this matchup be a preview of a potential NBA finals? Keep reading to learn how you can watch the Lakers vs. Knicks game online.
When and Where Is the Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks Game?
The Knicks and Lakers will square off on Thursday, March 6, at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT. The game will broadcast live on TNT and available to stream on Fubo TV, Max (via Prime Video and Hulu), Sling TV and DirecTV.
How to Watch the Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks Game Online
To watch the Los Angeles Lakers vs New York Knicks game online, Fubo TV offers a seven-day free trial to new users. With the streaming service, subscribers can stream hundreds of cable, network and sports channels with Fubo’s Pro package, which is $84.99 a month for 145 channels such as CBS, ABC, Fox, NBC, FX, TLC, AMC, MSNBC, ESPN, FS1 and Nickelodeon. But you don’t have to sign up right away: Try it out with a weeklong free trial with no commitment to livestream the NBA game online free.
Max will also be livestreaming the Lakers vs Knicks game, starting at $9.99 per month via Prime Video. It’s streamable on smart TVs, smartphones, tablets and on web browsers. However, you’ll need a subscription to Prime Video (or an Amazon Prime membership) to add Max to your account (no free trial available).
Not a member? Sign up for a 30-day free trial to take advantage of all that Amazon Prime has to offer, including access to Prime Video; Prime Gaming and Amazon Photos; fast free shipping in less than two days with Prime Delivery; in-store discounts at Whole Foods Market; access to exclusive shopping events — such as Prime Day and Black Friday — and much more. Learn more about Amazon Prime here.
Sling Orange is another affordable streaming choice, especially for sports fans. Watch TNT, ESPN and other sports, news and entertainment channels for just $23 for the first month ($45.99/month afterwards).
You can watch local networks such as TNT, ABC and NBC, as well as many cable networks, including Lifetime AMC, A&E, BET, Cartoon Network, Fuse, CNN, Food Network and many others.
The Lakers vs Knicks game will also be available on Hulu + Live TV. The subscription gets you access to more than 90 live channels, including Max, and loads of on-demand content that you can stream at home or on the go for $82 a month. With the subscription, you’ll also gain access to Hulu, Disney+ and ESPN+.
A subscription to DirecTV Stream — which comes with TNT gets you access to live TV, local and cable channels, starting at $74.99 per month. The service even offers a five-day free trial to watch for free if you sign up now.
You can watch local networks such as NBC, ABC, Fox and PBS, as well as many cable networks, including FS1, Lifetime, FX, AMC, A&E, Bravo, BET, MTV, Paramount Network, Cartoon Network, VH1, Fuse, CNN, Food Network, CNBC and many others.
How to Get Last-Minute Tickets to the Los Angeles Lakers vs. New York Knicks Game
Want last-minute tickets to the Lakers vs Knicks game? There are plenty of affordable tickets available on Vivid Seats (get $20 off purchases of $200 and over with code BB30), SeatGeek (your first purchases can get $10 off ticket order $250 and with code BILLBOARD10), StubHub and GameTime (score $20 off ticket orders of $150 and over with code SAVE20). Prices vary depending on the city and seats available.
Moreover, you can save $150 off when you spend $500 with promo code BILLBOARD150, or $300 off when you spend $1,000 with promo code BILLBOARD300 at TicketNetwork.com.
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Beats By Dre recently released its long-awaiting Powerbeats Pro 2. The high-caliber campaign covers sports and music as it features RZA, LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Shohei Ohtani.
Source: Beats / apple
Saying these are the globe’s biggest superstars isn’t hyperbole since King James is still the face of the NBA, Lionel Messi is a soccer legend and Shohei Ohtani is the MLB’s Japanese wunderkind. As for the Wu-Tang Clan’s Abbot aka The RZA, he serves as the ad campaign’s narrator. THe spot focuses on “The Hearts” aka RZA’s voice and how you better have a whole lot if greatness is on the menu.
As for the Powerbeats Pro 2, the long time coming up to the Powerbeats Pro feature heart rate monitoring (more on that in our forthcoming product review), what it touts as “elite” battery life, active noise cancellation and much more. The ergonomics of the earbuds, which made them some of our favorited, have reportedly been in improved while it also come in our colors; Jet Black, Quick Sand, Hyper Purple and Electric Orange.
Watch the “Listen To You Heart” campaign spot below.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
To help launch the Powerbeats Pro 2 earbuds, Beats assembled the infinity stones of sports icons — LeBron James, Lionel Messi and Shohei Ohtani — for a motivational new campaign titled “Listen to Your Heart.” If that wasn’t enough star power to convince you to grab these impressive fitness-focused headphones and immediately go on a three-mile run, the video also features rap legend RZA as “the heart” narrating throughout.
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Move over, Morgan Freeman: Wu-Tang Clan leader RZA delivers a powerful voice-over highlighting the powerful connection between passion, performance and heart as the video explores the respective journeys of each superstar athlete.
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In a statement launched with the campaign, Messi reveals, “Even though we come from different sports, what connects us is our shared passion to perform at the highest level. This campaign reflects how true power comes from the heart—how we’ve all used that inner drive to fuel our journeys and push ourselves throughout our careers.”
After almost five years since the launch of their original Pro earbuds, Beats have finally released the highly-anticipated Powerbeats Pro 2. The upgraded headphones are more fitness-focused, with a sleeker build and tons of enhanced fitness tech including a heart rate sensor, advanced active noise cancellation, IPX4 water and dirt resistant, 45 hours of battery life, and Apple’s impressive H2 chip, which is also included in the brand’s AirPods line.
Listening to music is still at the heart of these Beats earbuds. The Powerbeats Pro 2 has a redesigned acoustic architecture and upgraded venting to enhance your sound and comfort, alongside personalized spatial audio with dynamic head tracking to fully immerse you in your music. They also feature adaptive EQ that continuously scans your specific ear shape to optimize your listening experience in real time.
“I’ve been a huge fan of the Powerbeats line since it first launched, and seeing it evolve into the new Powerbeats Pro 2 is incredible,” LeBron James says in a statement. “Music has always been a key motivator in my training, and these earphones take an already iconic product to the next level.”
The Powerbeats Pro 2 come in a variety of colors, including jet black, quick sand, hyper purple and our favorite, electric orange. Releasing for $249.99, grab a pair of the new Powerbeats Pro 2 on Apple’s site now.
Beats Powerbeats Pro 2 Wireless Earbuds
$249.99
$249.99
Check out the motivational “Listen to Your Heart” campaign video starring LeBron James, Lionel Messi, Shohei Ohtani and RZA below.
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Source: Noel Vasquez / Getty / LeBron James
LeBron James seemingly had the perfect response to Drake following the rapper’s light jab at him during his first show on his Australian tour.
On Wednesday, LeBron James took to Instagram to express his excitement for Kendrick Lamar’s upcoming Super Bowl Halftime performance.
James shared a clip of an old K.Dot performance that was part of Dr. Dre’s epic medley during 2022’s star-studded Super Bowl Halftime show performance.
“He gone kill that [poo emoji]!!!! Can’t wait *Bart Scott voice,” Luka Doncic’s new running mate said in his Instagram Stories post.
Usually, this wouldn’t mean anything, but now it’s part of the ongoing battle between Drizzy and Lamar. Drizzy is still licking his wounds after “Not Like Us” has declared that anyone who rocked with Lamar and bopped to the Grammy-winning diss record is an enemy, including those he once considered friends like James.
Drake Has Been Taking Numerous Shots At LeBron James
Drake has been taking shots at LeBron James. During the opening night of this Anita Max Win Tour, the Six God changed the lyrics of his song “Nonstop.” In the original lyrics, Drake raps, “How did I go from 6 to 23 like I’m LeBron?”
During his performance on the Anita Max Tour, he switched the lyrics to criticize Bron, rapping, “How I go from 6 to 23 but not LeBron, man?”
This was not the only time Drizzy expressed his distaste for James. In his song “Fighting Irish Freestyle,” the Canadian Hip-Hop star seemingly criticized the Los Angeles Lakers superstar and DeMar DeRozan for attending Lamar’s epic Pop Out concert.
Fighting Irish is a nod to LBJ’s high school basketball team.
“The world fell in love with the gimmicks, even my brothers got tickets / Seemed like they loved every minute / Just know this shit is personal to us, and it wasn’t just business.”
James tried to show no love lost on his end, rocking a pair of The Boy’s Nike Air Force One sneakers with “Love you forever” etched on them, adding the infinity emoji to the post.
Meanwhile, Drake is still big mad and recently rocked a bullet hole-filled hoodie to signify all the shots he took and that he’s still here despite the “Not Like Us” kill shot.
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Source: Cole Burston / Getty / Drake
Drake still feels a way about everyone realizing he got his a** handed to him by Kendrick Lamar.
Not feeling the love stateside, Drake took his OVO Force 1 to Australia, where he is currently on his Anita Max Win Tour, showing his Australian fans some love because he hasn’t been down under in years.
Initially, Drake was supposed only to do seven shows, but due to popular demand, The Boy hiked that number up to 16 and will see him hit the stage in Perth, Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, and Auckland.
On night one, Drizzy has folks talking because of the interesting way he decided to address the massive elephant in the room, his battle with Kendrick Lamar, who is coming off an epic night at the Grammys where he swept, winning all categories he was nominated, including Song of The Year and Record of The Year for what many are calling the greatest diss record of all time, “Not Like Us.”
The “God’s Plan” crafter stuck to his concert formula of walking through the crowd to begin the show, but this time, he wore a bullet hole-riddled hoodie that hilariously was emitting smoke from the back, signifying all the shots he took, but also adding that he’s still here, while walking out to “Over My Dead Body.”
By the end of his performance, Drake reminded everyone who he was and that he was still alive despite Kendrick Lamar bodying him. “My name is Drake. I started doing music in 2008. I come all the way from Toronto, Canada. The year is now 2025, and no matter what, Drizzy Drake is very much alive.”
Drake Is Still Salty About LeBron James Attending The “Pop Out”
During his performance, Drake also let us know he is still very salty about LeBron James being at Kendrick Lamar’s “Pop Out” concert and professing his love for “Not Like Us” during the Paris Olympics.
While performing “Nonstop,” Drake changed the lyrics, “How I go from 6 to 23 but not LeBron, man.”
We are sure Drizzy will take more pot shots during his tour, until then you can see reactions to this stunt in the gallery below.
2. Pretty Much
4. Pretty Much
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Source: Katelyn Mulcahy / Getty / Luka Doncic / Anthony Davis
You know a trade is wild when social media has to check to see if Shams Charania’s account was hacked.
The entire sports world was left stunned last night when ESPN NBA Insider Shams Charania posted a megaton of tweets on X, formerly Twitter, announcing, in a mind-blowing move, that the Dallas Mavericks were sending all-star guard Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a three-team deal for big man Anthony Davis.
“The Dallas Mavericks are trading Luka Doncic, Maxi Kleber and Markieff Morris to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis, Max Christie and a 2029 first-round pick, sources tell ESPN. Three-team deal that includes Utah,” Charania wrote in a post X.
The news came just hours after the Lakers smoked the New York Knicks in the Garden on Saturday night.
Davis did not play, but Max Christie did log minutes in the Lakers victory.
The news was so mindblowing that Charania had to follow up to ensure followers his account was not hacked and that the deal was indeed real.
Charania said the deal was made “in the shadows,” with Anthony Davis and LeBron James not even knowing it was going down.
“This deal materialized in the shadows … LeBron James had no idea this was coming. Anthony Davis had no idea this was coming. I’m told Luka Doncic is still stunned about this trade,” Charania said on ESPN.
LeBron James did chime in, responding to a post on CBS Sports’ official X account that he “had grown frustrated with Anthony Davis,” clapping back at the report, “You a fkn lie!!!”
NBA Players Were Left In Shock
As you can imagine, NBA Xitter, hell, everyone reacted to the news with shock. Luka Doncic is coming off a year that saw his Mavericks reach the NBA Finals, and he was pretty much cemented as the Mavericks guy for the foreseeable future.
Bruh!
You can see more reactions to the news below. This upcoming week will be an interesting one for the NBA.
1. Accurate
3. Also accurate
9. You called it
12. Kendrick Perkins had something to say
18. D-Wade Is A Fan of the chaos