"Surprised he's not fighting" - NBA fans react as Pistons big Isaiah Stewart drops his new song before playoffs

NBA: Detroit Pistons at Philadelphia 76ers - Source: Imagn — NBA fans react as Pistons big Isaiah Stewart drops his new song before playoffs - Image source: Imagn

Ahead of the Detroit Pistons’ first-round matchup with the New York Knicks, Isaiah Stewart gave fans a sneak peek at his long-teased track on Instagram — and the reactions rolled in fast.

The track, teased last month by Pistons sharpshooter Malik Beasley, features dancehall and Jamaican vibes, with Stewart — under his musical alias Big Stew — lending vocals alongside Yxng Levy on a song titled “Big Dawg.”

Fans online had plenty to say once the snippet dropped, many poking fun at Isaiah Stewart's reputation for being quick to scrap.

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“Surprised he’s not fighting anybody,” one said.

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“No pun intended this might be a HIT,” another commented.

“Ngl I don’t even fw Stewart but this is good,” another said.

Some leaned into the humor, tying their comments to Stewart’s on-court altercations over the years:

“This slaps lowkey,” one said.

“1st round knockout,” another said.

“Bro just raps and gets techs for a living,” another said.

In the 2024-25 season, Stewart racked up career-highs in disciplinary stats — four flagrant fouls, 14 technicals and three ejections — while averaging 6.0 points, 5.5 boards and 1.7 assists across 72 games, helping Detroit clinch its first playoff appearance since 2018-19.

How did Isaiah Stewart fare vs New York Knicks in the regular season?

Detroit Pistons center Isaiah Stewart and New York Knicks big Karl-Anthony Towns - Source: Imagn

Detroit and New York faced each other four times this year, with the Pistons coming out on top in three. Their lone loss came in the November opener, a lopsided 128-98 blowout in favor of the Knicks. But the Pistons bounced back strong, winning the next three meetings — 120-111 in December, 129-119 in January and 115-106 just last week.

Isaiah Stewart played a limited role in those games, averaging 3.8 points, 3.0 rebounds and 1.3 assists across the four matchups.

His best game came in January, when he logged seven points, four boards and two blocks in 28 minutes. In December, he contributed six points, five rebounds and two steals in 23 minutes.

He tallied just two points in 16 minutes in their first meeting, and went scoreless in the most recent clash.

Game 1 of the Pistons-Knicks first-round series will be at 6 p.m. ET on Saturday at Madison Square Garden.

About the author

John Ezekiel Hirro is an experienced NBA and WNBA journalist at Sportskeeda, with over five years in the field as a news correspondent, sports writer, and Editor-in-Chief. His sports writing career began in high school, where he garnered numerous accolades, including being named the national sports writing champion in 2016.

He earned his journalism degree from the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines in 2024 and served as the Editor-in-Chief of The Varsitarian, the university's official student publication, for four years—the longest in history.

A passionate basketball enthusiast, he became a fan of the OKC Thunder during the Russ-KD-Harden era. Russell Westbrook, his all-time favorite athlete, impressed him by stepping up as MVP after Kevin Durant's departure. His current favorite players include Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren, who he believes are the future of the OKC franchise.

He excels in game analysis and rapid news story turnaround, drawing inspiration from the journalistic styles of Woj and Shams. He emphasizes thorough research to ensure accuracy in his articles. One of his most memorable moments is Russell Westbrook breaking Oscar Robertson's record with his 42nd triple-double and securing a 106-105 victory over the Denver Nuggets with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer. Outside of writing, he enjoys listening to music and creating Spotify playlists.

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Edited by John Ezekiel Hirro