John Wall was cementing himself as a superstar in the league prior to his Achilles injury that has kept him out of basketball for over a year. In that time, Bradley Beal has emerged as a star for the Washington Wizards but he hasn't been enough to give them a winning record. With this in mind, Wizards fans have been anxiously awaiting Wall's return which will come next season.

Recently, Wall was on the "All The Smoke" podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, where he spoke about wanting to get back onto the court. As he explains, teams have been talking a lot of trash towards the Wizards and he wants to start getting revenge on people. In fact, upon return, he thinks he will be better than he was before.

It feels like forever ago now but back in February, the Memphis Grizzlies traded Andre Iguodala to the Miami Heat after a half-season of holding out. Iguodala had been dealt to the Grizzlies the Golden State Warriors and it was clear that he had no interest in playing with the young guns down south. Iggy claims the team allowed for him to sit out although, during an interview on the “All The Smoke” podcast, Ja Morant explained that it was much deeper than that.

As the rookie told Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Iguodala felt like the team simply wasn’t good enough and that they weren’t worth his time. While Iguodala is in a good situation in Miami, it’s important to note that the Grizzlies are in a playoff spot right now.

“Coming in, when they said he was going to be on our roster, I was very excited having a vet like that in the locker room with us,” Morant said. “Me coming in that first year, I was looking forward to learning some stuff from him and he was saying he wasn’t going to play with us or whatever happened. Like you said it’s a business, all different stuff going around, somebody said he said we weren’t good enough so in my head I was like it is what it is.”

While Iguodala’s feelings towards the Grizzlies may have been harsh, they make sense considering he wants to finish his career with an NBA title. Don’t get us wrong, the Grizzlies will be great for years to come. However, for an aging veteran, they aren’t the best landing spot. At least not right now.

Ja Morant was killing it in his first year in the NBA, prior to the suspension of the season due to the Coronavirus. If and when the league resumes, Morant's Memphis Grizzlies will be in a playoff spot which is something no one would have predicted at the beginning of the season. With that being said, Morant has been impressing a lot of people, including some of the most well-established artists in the entire world. On a recent episode of the "All The Smoke" podcast, Lil Wayne praised Morant for being one of the best young players in the entire league.

Morant was made aware of this praise and took to Twitter with one word: "Love." Clearly, Morant was surprised by the shoutout although he was incredibly happy to receive it, nonetheless. 

Lil Wayne is one of the greatest rappers of all time and when he isn’t writing new songs and recording new music, he can be found watching live sports. Basketball is easily one of his favorites and it is well-documented that he is a huge fan of the Los Angeles Lakers. Recently, Wayne went on the “All The Smoke” podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes where he spoke about his love of Kobe Bryant and a whole range of other topics.

Sticking to sports, Wayne was asked about who are some of his favorite players in the NBA right now. As a Lakers fan, Wayne made sure to acknowledge LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the entire Lakers bench. From there, he spoke about a plethora of veteran players, as well as some young guns were thrown into the mix.

The aforementioned veterans were Chris Paul, James Harden, and Russell Westbrook. From there, Wayne spoke about two of the league’s standout rookies, Ja Morant and Zion Williamson. Wayne was particularly impressed by Ja Morant who was making the Memphis Grizzlies look like a bonafide playoff team.

With Wayne’s comments in mind, it’s clear that he is paying attention to the next generation of players. If you get name-dropped by Wayne, you must be doing something right.

Kobe Bryant’s death still comes as a shock to many people throughout the sports world. The Los Angeles Lakers legend won five NBA titles throughout his career and was seen as someone who was immortal. Even two months after his passing, fans are still trying to wonder why such a tragedy would happen. Bryant had numerous adoring fans, including many in the music industry. One of those fans was none other than Lil Wayne.

Wayne was on the latest episode of the “All The Smoke” podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes. During the episode, the former NBA stars asked Wayne to speak on Kobe and how he felt about him. As Wayne explains, he believes Bryant is a true GOAT and that he got to see with his own eyes just how great Kobe is. For Wayne, Kobe surpasses Jordan because he never truly experience MJ up close.

“I met Kobe when he was playing and I got to see the way he took everything super seriously,” Wayne said. “He’s going to shake your hand harder than you will ever shake his hand.” Wayne also recounted the time they sat down to talk and Kobe knew all of the lyrics to one of his verses. It was then that Wayne knew Kobe was a different type of competitor and that he was one of the most impressive people he had ever met.

As Wayne states, Kobe was one of the most competitive players ever and as a competitive MC, Wayne appreciated what Kobe brought to the table. Both men are legends in their own fields and it’s cool to see the mutual respect they had for one another.

Chris Paul, just like many other players in the NBA, had to get tested for the Coronavirus after it was revealed that Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz got it. Paul was given a clean bill of health and is currently at home resting comfortably. In fact, he was recently on the “All The Smoke” podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, where he spoke about his experiences.

As he says, testing was actually quite the harrowing experience. Paul was tested and then got on a flight home from Oklahoma. When he got to his house, he couldn’t even go inside because he had no clue if he was positive or negative. Paul says it took three hours before he got his results back although, in the meantime, he had to sit out in the driveway.

“When I left Oklahoma to come [home], I hadn’t gotten my [COVID-19 test] results back. So I got back to my house, I hadn’t seen my kids since All-Star Weekend. Couldn’t go in the house, though,” Paul said. “I sat in the driveway for three hours because I hadn’t gotten my test back. I could see my kids, but I couldn’t go touch them…That was tough in itself.”

Paul went on to say that everything that’s going on is crazy and that he hopes to be back on the court sooner rather than later, if possible, of course.

NBA players are going through a hard time right now and Paul is no different. As fans, we are feeling that itch for sports, as well.

Paul Pierce is considered to be a legend in Boston. He helped the team win a title in 2008 and while his hot takes get him in trouble, there is no doubt he is a respected player around the NBA. Pierce was drafted tenth overall by the Boston Celtics in 1998 although he was projected to go much higher. While speaking to the “All The Smoke” podcast, Pierce admitted that he actually wanted 

“The Clippers was the number one pick, and I was like, ‘Ooh, I wanna go home and play,’” Pierce said. So I worked out for them, and then I asked them for a second workout… I was projected to go No. 2 to the Vancouver Grizzlies. Clippers wanted a big man, they picked [Michael] Olowokandi.”

Pierce went on to explain how he felt while he saw himself slipping in the draft. As you can imagine, it wasn’t a very good feeling.

“The Draft comes, and I just slipped. I’m an All American, I’m a top 5 player in college, I’m up for National Player of the Year, so I’m wondering why is it that I’m slipping. I’m slipping in the draft,” Pierce explained.

While Pierce didn’t get drafted high, there is no denying things ended up working out for him.

Paul Pierce has lived an interesting life. When you’re an NBA player, this should be standard. However, some experiences tend to be a lot more traumatic than others. Back in 2000, Pierce was viciously stabbed at a nightclub in Boston after speaking to a woman. Details on what happened are pretty scarce but now, Pierce is opening up about how he felt in the aftermath of the attack. 

The NBA champion was on the “All The Smoke” Podcast with Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson where he spoke about the traumatic experience and how he had to move around differently for years. In fact, Pierce had to carry a gun on him for protection.

“People don’t know this, but I actually carried a gun for two years right after that,” Pierce said. “I was so paranoid. Like, I kept it in the car, I had it on me, I was so paranoid after that. I was just like, I couldn’t be in crowds. Something like that happens to you, man, it’s traumatic. I was like to the point of like, losing it.”

Luckily for Pierce, he had basketball to fall back on and was able to live his life normally. He is looked at as a hero in Boston and while his recent hot takes have resulted in various memes, there is no denying Pierce belongs in the Hall of Fame. 

If there is one thing to take away from this, it’s that basketball is a huge unifier. 

DeMarcus Cousins started his career with the Sacramento Kings and while he had some dominant seasons, he had a tumultuous relationship with his head coach, George Karl. The Kings never had much success with Cousins as their star but he definitely made them watchable. Cousins’ stressed relationship with Karl was certainly a major storyline over the past decade and now that Cousins is on a different team, he can speak freely about his tenure with the struggling franchise.

During an appearance on the All The Smoke podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Cousins was asked about his relationship with Karl and what his true thoughts were on the head coach. Based on his answer, it’s clear that he doesn’t exactly have the fondest memories of the man.

“One of the worst coaches I’ve ever had,” Cousins said. “Incredible mind. He’s just the worst coach. It’s just everything that comes with it.” Despite the negativity, at least Cousins had at least one compliment for his former coach.

As of right now, Cousins is without a team although he has been working out with the Los Angeles Lakers while he rehabs his ACL injury. It appears as though the team could sign him in the offseason once he gets healthy although that remains to be seen.

DeMarcus Cousins hasn't played a single game for the Los Angeles Lakers this season although he has been front and center for much of this success. As a result, Cousins has gotten to know LeBron James first hand and can confidently speak to the superstar's character. In a recent appearance on the All The Smoke podcast with Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes, Cousins talked at length about LeBron and his thoughts on the NBA legend.

As he explains, Cousins never expected LeBron to be so down to earth especially since he only knew him as more of a corporate guy. However, playing with LeBron has allowed Cousins to understand just how real LeBron is and that he's a guy who gets things done. Cousins strongly believes LeBron is one of the most well-liked guys in the NBA and that he should even run for president someday.