LiAngelo Ball's viral hit song "Tweaker" received a stamp of approval from another basketball player-turned-rapper.
Milwaukee Bucks star point guard Damian Lillard, who has released four rap albums and is widely regarded as the best NBA player to try his hand at making music, praised Ball's new track during an appearance on ESPN's SportsCenter following Wednesday night's 121-105 win over the San Antonio Spurs.
"I rock with it, man," Lillard said around the 2:00 mark. "I've been hearing it a lot, it gives me that 2003-2004 vibe. But I rock with it, like I said, it's a slapper."
Ball, who spent two seasons in the G League, became an overnight sensation when "Tweaker" hit the internet. It remains the No. 1 trending song on YouTube Music five days after its official release and has 5.5 million views as of this writing. Players across multiple sports leagues have been seen bumping the song during locker room celebrations.
The viral success of the song garnered Ball a spot on the lineup for the Rolling Loud concert festival in Los Angeles in March. Lillard added that he's happy to see Ball reach new heights through music.
"As an artist, you gotta respect other people's artistry, and when something is going, it's going. So, like I said, I rock with it, I respect it, and I'm always happy for other people's success. That's when you have your success, when you're happy with people," Lillard said. "So I'm happy for him, it's a big record, you're hearing it everywhere. Much love to him."