Jermaine Dupri, Lil' Kim, NBA Stars Headline EA SPORTS LIVESTYLE Finals In L.A.

Celebrities, NBA stars, VIPs, gamers and MCs were all at Niketown in Beverly Hills on Thursday night at the first-ever EA SPORTS LIVESTYLE Finals. Jermaine Dupri, Lil' Kim, Swiss Beats, and Power 106's Big Boy hosted the celebration, which included an NBA LIVE 2004 videogame tournament, an NBA LIVE 2004 celebrity tournament, and an eight-person MC battle.

Tayshaun Prince of the Detroit Pistons claimed the NBA LIVE 2004 celebrity championship, outlasting Chris Kaman of the Los Angeles Clippers. The tournament featured Kareem Rush and Luke Walton of the L.A. Lakers, Troy Bell (Memphis Grizzlies), Carlos Boozer (Cleveland Cavaliers), Corey Maggette (L.A. Clippers), Dwyane Wade (Miami Heat), and more.

Brooklyn's Joell Ortiz, 23, won the night's biggest prize - a development contract with Arista Records and a featured spot on the NBA LIVE 2005 soundtrack - when he outlasted L.A.'s Quentin Juarez (aka Yung-Op) in the MC battle. Paul Malbry, a 21-year-old from L.A. began the night by defeating 22-year-old Leonard Waters from New York to be crowned the NBA LIVE champion and earn a cameo in NBA LIVE 2005.

Thursday's LIVESTYLE Finals showcased the best NBA LIVE gamers and unsigned MCs in the country. The 16 finalists (eight gamers, eight MCs) were selected in EA SPORTS LIVESTYLE competitions held last fall in New York (October) and L.A. (November).

NBA LIVE 2004 is out and available on all next generation console systems under the EA SPORTS brand. Visit www.info.ea.com  for more information and images from EA SPORTS LIVESTYLE.

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