NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA-

Athletes and mega-stars flocked to The Big Easy this weekend to party like rock stars at festivities around town celebrating the NBA All-Star Weekend at Smoothie King Center.

Celebrities that could be spotted at various drinking holes around town included rappers Nicki Minaj, Drake and Lil Wayne.  NBA Owner and Shark Tank star Mark Cuban made his appearance as well.

Most escaped festivities without incident, however, that’s not so true for one mega-star after an encounter with NBA bad-boy Meta World Peace.

Hunger Games star and Academy Award winning actress Jennifer Lawrence and her friend, Brendan Kelly of Louisville, Ky, were attending a party at the Maison Club in downtown New Orleans when they ran in to Meta World Peace.

According to a witness who was at the club at the time, Kelly, originally from Flint, Michigan, jokingly said to World Peace, “You’re lucky I wasn’t at the Palace back in 04!” referring to the Malace in the Palace in which Meta, then known as Ron Artest, ran into the crowd and assaulted fans.

World Peace, who appeared to be highly intoxicated at the time, did not find the joke funny and snapped back. “You better get your boy, Hunger Games, before I choke his ass.”

Lawrence, who is well known for her outspoken nature, snapped back.  The tension mounted and looked to get very ugly before a friend of World Peace stepped in to calm him, but not before Meta was able to get in a few nasty words of his own.  Several witnesses at the club reported to have heard Meta call Jennifer a “dirty bitch” as they walked away.

Meta World Peace could not be reached for comments.