“You Know We Gon’ Bump That Gelo”: Darius Garland Gives in to the LiAngelo Ball Hype Following Cavaliers Win

Sameen Nawathe | 09/01/2025
Darius Garland (L), LiAngelo Ball (R)

When LiAngelo Ball released ‘Tweaker’ on the 3rd of January, he had no idea how big his song would get. A day after its release, the Cleveland Cavaliers locker room was listening to it. One player was even heard singing along in the background while Donovan Mitchell was giving an interview. The song has taken the sporting world by storm since then. And Darius Garland made sure to celebrate Ball’s hit after the Cavs defeated the Oklahoma City Thunder last night.

In the clash of two teams on massive win streaks, the Cavs emerged victorious 129-122. When speaking to SportsCenter after the game, Garland was asked how the team was planning to celebrate the victory, and if they’d be playing Gelo’s song again.

Garland, who fans had suspected was the background singer in the viral Mitchell video, smiled and said:

“I got the aux. You know we gone bump Gelo. Shoutout my boy Gelo man. He got a banger.”

And the Cavs aren’t the only team to have taken a shine to it. When the Detroit Lions secured the #1 seed for the NFL playoffs, WR Amon-Ra St. Brown posted a video from the team’s locker room where he and a few other players were seen singing and dancing to the song.

The Ball brothers ā€” Lonzo and Gelo ā€” have always dabbled in music. But Gelo’s latest is by far the most successful one. With its catchy lyrics and early 2000s-style beat, the song reminds people of simpler times. That’s possibly the reason for it going viral.

The song has received widespread praise from many other players and fans. And one of the NBA’s premier baller-rappers has also given Gelo his flowers.

Damian Lillard ‘rocks with’ Ball’s song

Damian Lillard is the first name that pops up in any talk about NBA players with successful rap careers. Rapping under the name Dame DOLLA, the Milwaukee Bucks PG boasts nearly 205k monthly listeners. He has collaborated with superstars like Snoop Dogg and Lil Wayne.

Speaking to the press after last night’s win over the San Antonio Spurs, Lillard was asked for his take on the song.

He replied: ā€œI rock with it, man. Iā€™ve been hearing it a lot, it gives me that 2003, 2004 vibe. I rock with it, like I said, itā€™s a slapper. And as an artist, you gotta respect other peopleā€™s artistry, and when something is going, itā€™s going. So, like I said, I rock with it, I respect it, and Iā€™m always happy for other peopleā€™s success ā€¦ Iā€™m happy for him, itā€™s a big record. Youā€™re hearing it everywhere, much love to him.ā€

Gelo’s brother, Lonzo, has also been celebrating the success of the song. Despite being credited as a writer, Lonzo has made it clear that he deserves none of the credit for his little brother’s musical talent. Lonzo just wants credit for the cover art.

Ball’s success with ‘Tweaker’ has even earned the former Greensboro Swarm guard a spot at the Rolling Loud music festival in California on March 15.

Post Edited By: Adit Pujari
Cavaliers

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Sameen Nawathe

Sameen Nawathe is an NBA Editor at The SportsRush. Drawing from his extensive background in editing his university publications, Sameen brings a distinguished level of professionalism and editorial acumen to his position. With over a decade of practical sporting knowledge, he adeptly curates a spectrum of content, ranging from foundational sports highlights to insightful analysis of potential NBA trades. Sameen's passion for basketball ignited with LeBron James, whom he credits for sparking his love for the game. He fondly reminisces about James' 2018 season, which he often describes as "the best display of pure hoops we've ever seen". When he's not immersed in the world of writing or playing basketball, Sameen can be found enjoying Taylor Swift's music or passionately supporting Manchester United during soccer matches.

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