“How much did the NBA pay Jeanie?”: Ice Cube’s son baffled by LA Lakers U-turn on hanging In-Season Tournament banner

Before the LA Lakers became the NBA In-Season Tournament champions, it was reported that the organization wouldn't hang a banner in their rafters if they won the tournament. However, it appears that the organisation has had a change of heart, as reported by The Athletic's Shams Charania.

Prominent rapper Ice Cube's son O'Shea Jackson Jr. was caught off guard by the news and expressed his sentiments on X (formerly known as Twitter). Jackson Jr. joked that the NBA might have paid Jeanie Buss to hang the banners on the rafters.

The Lakers reportedly intended to continue their tradition of hanging banners only after winning the end-of-season NBA championship. However, the assumption around the Lakers' change in decision is that the NBA wants this tournament to be taken seriously by all teams.

Here's what O'Shea Jackson Jr. had to say on X:

"How much did the nba pay Jeanie to hang that bulls**t," Jackson Jr. tweeted. "Ain’t no way all those reports said we wasn’t hanging it and then all of the sudden we change our mind? That s**t is hanging this year. And if it’s gone next year then we’ll know what was up. But if Jeanie hanging it. Then that s**t count boy! Woooooooo"

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The LA Lakers went undefeated in the NBA In-Season Tournament

Throughout the years, the LA Lakers have established themselves to be one of the most dominant teams in NBA history being tied with the Boston Celtics for having 17 championships each. However, after winning the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament (IST), some could argue that the Lakers are now the top team in league history.

The IST's initial phase kicked off with a group bracket. LA was grouped up with the Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, and Portland Trail Blazers. The Purple and Gold faced all four teams and won every single game to advance to the quarterfinals.

In the quarterfinals, the Lakers went up against the Suns, who were LA's toughest opponent throughout the tournament. Kevin Durant and the Suns didn't make it easy for LeBron James and LA as the Lakers barely made it out in a 106-103 victory.

After beating Phoenix in a fierce battle, LA moved on to the semifinals to face the New Orleans Pelicans. The Lakers easily dispatched the Pelicans in a 133-89 victory and moved on to the championship game.

Facing the Indiana Pacers in the finale, the LA Lakers seemed a stronger outfit on paper. However, there were many who backed the Pacers to pull off an upset. Ultimately, Anthony Davis, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves defeated Indiana 123-109 to become the first IST champions in NBA history. The Lakers ended up with a perfect record of 7-0 to conclude the tourney.