Wizards shooting guard DeShawn Stevenson further expounded upon the beef he and LeBron James have going on, which seemed to have started last Thursday when the two started yapping at each other just before tip-off and escalated to Stevenson telling reporters that LeBron was "overrated."

Stevenson said James said something to Drew Gooden about the Wizards guard back before Cleveland traded Gooden to Chicago. And Gooden -- Stevenson's best friend, who is also in a $20,000 beard-growing contest with D-Steve -- passed the message on.

"He said something about me as a player and a person," Stevenson said last night. "I don't understand, we're all in the same profession. There's no need to talk bad about anybody."

Stevenson got the best of James in last Thursday, when he frustrated him with lockdown defense that resulted in 9-for-22 shooting by King James, who finished with 25 points.

James responded to the "overrated" claim earlier this week by describing him commenting on Stevenson as Jay-Z stooping to respond to trash talk from Soulja Boy, likening Stevenson trash-talking him to Soulja Boy.

A member of the Orlando media asked Stevenson if he would rather face the Magic or James and the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs, and Stevenson seized the opportunity to exchange another jab with LeBron.

"I'd say Cleveland. LeBron James? Boo! I hope we play Cleveland because I'm have Soulja Boy's there sitting in courtside seats wearing a DeShawn Stevenson jersey. Maybe [James] can have Jay-Z there since LeBron's all in his [shorts] anyway. Tell him to be his own man."

Then Stevenson added one last parting shot: "And tell LeBron to cut that beard off and stop copying me."

He then collected his belongings and sauntered out of the lockerroom singing Soulja Boy's "Crank Dat"

Ah, the drama. Here's to hoping the Wizards grab the fifth spot and Cleveland stays in the fourth spot!

-- Mike Jones