There's a budding rap battle between 2 NBA stars, and other players are taking sides

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Marvin Bagley III and Damian Lillard are pulling no punches in their budding rap battle fought through Soundcloud tracks.

• NBA stars Marvin Bagley III and Damian Lillard are trading diss tracks.
• The feud started after Bagley accepted a challenge proposed by ESPN's "First Take" that the two players battle rap each other on the show.
• Hours after Bagley's appearance on the show, Lillard had already released a diss that fired shots at Bagley, with many NBA stars quickly declaring him the winner.
• Bagley would later respond with a track of his own, further escalating the feud.
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Marvin Bagley III and Damian Lillard are embroiled in a rap battle, and the rest of the NBA is taking notice.

The feud began on Thursday, with Bagley being asked while appearing on ESPN's "First Take" if he'd be willing to trade bars with Lillard.

"Yeah, for sure," Bagley said, simultaneously accepting the challenge from host Max Kellerman and thrusting one upon Lillard. Kellerman asked if the battle could take place on the show, and Bagley remained game.

"On First Take?" Bagley asked. "Whatever, whatever man. I'll do whatever. I make music, it's one of my loves, so we can see."

Within hours, we would see, with Lillard posting a link to a track entitled "MARVINNNNNN???" that went directly at the young Kings big man on Thursday night.

"I can tell this wasn't really what you wanted though," Lillard rapped. "Should've DM'd me again, what you want to know? Say I'm lying, I'll put it out for the public, asking 'bout my third album before the second was published."

Few things cut deeper than threats to make the DMs public.

On Twitter, stars from around the NBA were quick to declare the battle over and Lillard the champion.

But Bagley would respond with a track of his own, with a notably more impressive beat behind it and some especially sharp lines that went after Lillard's shoes.

"Adidas did send some Dames, but I thought they was whack, as soon as I opened the box I sent them s---- right back. I had to hop over to Puma now my pockets is fat."

There's no telling how far the rap feud could go, but with the NBA offseason just beginning, there's plenty of time for both players to get back in the booth in the near future.

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