Lebron James Latest News
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For the eighth time, LeBron James is BET’s Sportsman of the Year.
James tweeted he was “honored” after winning the award at Sunday’s virtual ceremony, beating out Giannis Antetokounmpo, Kawhi Leonard, Patrick Mahomes, Odell Beckham and Steph Curry.
LeBron has been nominated a record 17 times, and his eight wins are double the amount of any other player since the honor was introduced in 2001. An NBA player has been honored every year
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NBA superstar LeBron James, NFL legend Tom Brady, eight-time Olympic gold medal sprinter Usain Bolt, USWNT forward Alex Morgan, Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky, extreme sports dynamo Shaun White and surfer Kelly Slater will be featured in Apple’s short-form sports docuseries Greatness Code.
You can see the trailer below:
Per Greg Evans of Deadline, the series “spotlights untold stories from the athletes, with the first season containing seven mini-episodes, each examining
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LeBron James‘ interest in the New York Knicks spans more than a decade.
In 2010, the Knicks had their best chance to acquire him. They were flush with cap space after tanking for the express purpose of signing James and other high-profile free agents that July.
Unfortunately for the Knicks, that summer will forever go down as one of the biggest disappointments in franchise history after bungling their meeting with James despite being considered the “favorites” in league circles.
“From everyone I’ve talked to in the know since then, it’s clear that the Knicks were the first choice,” The Ringer’s Bill Simmons said on his podcast. “It was basically the Knicks’ to lose, and they just couldn’t stay out of their own way. The stories are legendary.”
The meeting, which Simmons described as a “disaster,” went so poorly that James did not grant the Knicks a second chance to sit down before signing with the Miami Heat. While the Knicks went all-in on glitz in their presentation—even h
Apple has released a new trailer for ‘Greatness Code,’ a short-form series for Apple TV that examines the pivotal moments of well-known and internationally-celebrated athletes.
Posted to the Apple TV YouTube channel on Monday, the brief trailer offers a preview of what to expect from the full series of “Greatness Code,” when it becomes available to watch on Apple TV+. Taking place over seven episodes, the show will go into detail about an important point in an athlete’s career as told by the athlete themselves.
The trailer suggests that the show won’t be a straight interview with each of the athletes, as it intersperses
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Dwyane Wade gave up $1.5 million of his annual salary to help the Miami Heat make room for Udonis Haslem in 2010, while LeBron James and Chris Bosh each gave up $1 million, according Brian Windhorst of ESPN.
The Heat notably signed James, Wade and Bosh that offseason to help build a team that went onto win two NBA titles and reach the Finals in four straight seasons. However, each sacrificed salary to help build depth on the roster.
The three superstars first agreed to take $1 million less than the max salary to bring in sharpshooter Mike Miller. They then took another hit to keep Haslem, who reportedly had offers of $34 million over five years with both the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks but accepted a five-year, $20.3 million deal from the Heat.
Wade and Haslem each entered the league in 2003 and were teammates for parts of 15 seasons.
The two ha
LeBron James, Tom Brady, Alex Morgan and more examine the signature moments of their careers in the new trailer for Greatness Code, a short form docuseries premiering July 10th on Apple TV+.
The clip opens with James recounting a pivotal 2012 playoff game against the Boston Celtics, a team that had dogged him throughout much of his career up to that point. James would put in one of his mos
LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Usain Bolt are among the variety of star athletes who will discuss the pivotal moments of their careers in Apple’s upcoming “Greatness Code.”
The Cupertino, California tech company unveiled the trailer for its upcoming sports documentary on June 29. Though the show’s new trailer doesn’t delve too deeply into what those untold stories will be, the promise of never-before-revealed experiences from some of the world’s most beloved athletes should be an easy sell to Apple TV+ subscribers. The series’ complete first season will premiere on Apple TV+ on Friday, July 10.
Per Apple, the upcoming short form unscripted series will spotlight the untold stories from some of the world’s greatest athletes and Olympic gold medalists. Season 1 will contain seven episodes, w
(Reuters) – Black power, suffering and the fight for justice took center stage at the BET awards on Sunday, the first Black celebrity event in the United States since nationwide mass protests broke out this month over systemic racism.
FILE PHOTO: 50th NAACP Image Awards – Show – Los Angeles, California, U.S., March 30, 2019 – Beyonce reacts after winning the entertainer of the year award. REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni/File Photo
The show, which celebrates Black excellence in music, film, sports and philanthropy, was filled with speeches, songs, images of protests and the names of dozens of Black men and women who have died at the hands of police in recent years.
Beyonce, who was given a humanitarian award by former U.S. first lady Michelle Obama for her charitable initiatives, urged the Black community to use its vote in upcoming U.S. elections to dismantle “racist and unequal systems.”
“We have to vote like ou
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In case it doesn’t feel like LeBron James‘ “The Decision” debacle happened that long ago, consider this: Now an All-Star in his third year in the NBA, Utah Jazz star Donovan Mitchell was one of the kids sitting in the crowd at the Boys & Girls Club of Greenwich, Connecticut, when James told the world he was joining the Miami Heat.
In an interview with ESPN’s Lisa Salters, Mitchell—who was living in the area at the time—explained what it was like to witness the historic moment life.
“I was staying at a friend’s house and we went up,” Mitchell recalled. “We sat there for about two hours waiting for LeBron to
Nearly 10 years after LeBron James announced his decision to play for the Miami Heat on a live show on ESPN titled “The Decision,” the network revealed Saturday that the idea for the show actually came from a fan.
Nov 1, 2019; Dallas, TX, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (23) in action during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
There have long been rumors that a fan actually came up with the idea, as a person identified only as “Drew” from Columbus, Ohio, proposed the show in a mailbag column published by then-ESPN writer Bill Simmons. That column ran Nov. 26, 2009 — more than seventh months before “The Decision” aired on July 8, 2010.
During “The Decision” broadcast, a then-25-year-old James infamously proclaimed, “I’m going to take my talents to South Beach” — an instant punch
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LeBron James‘ 2010 announcement that he was leaving the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Miami Heat in free agency during a televised special entitled “The Decision” stands as one of the biggest stories in American sports this century.
Ten years later, word has emerged that a Detroit Pistons fan’s mailbag question to then-ESPN writer Bill Simmons served as the inspiration for the show.
Per ESPN’s Don Van Natta Jr., Drew Wagner emailed the following question to Simmons:
“What if LeBron announces he will pick his 2010-11 team live on ABC on a certain date for a show called ‘LeBron’s Choice? What type of crazy ratings would that get?”
Simmons did more than answer the question, however, per Van Natta:
“At the All-Star Game weekend in Dallas in February 2010, Simmons pitched the ‘LeBron’s Decision’ idea to James’ business partner, Maverick Carter; James’ agent at the time, Leon Rose; and James’ advisor, William “World Wide Wes” Wesley. Simmons met with Rose and Wesley. ‘They both loved it,’ Simmons later wrote in an email. ‘I mean, LOVED IT.’ That weekend, Simmons also enthusiastically pitched the idea to several senior ESPN executives.
“Simmons pitched two ideas to his bosses: a 90-mi
If you watched HBO’s Watchmen series, you were possibly surprised to learn about the 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre that unfolded in the Oklahoma neighborhood of Greenwood, known at the time as the “Black Wall Street.” Somehow, one of the biggest incidents of racial violence in the history of America was used to kick off the events of a comic book sequel TV series, but it wasn’t featured in most history books in school. Because of the lack of awareness of this tragic event, LeBron James and his SpringHill Entertainment production banner are teaming with writer/director Salima Koroma to make a documentary about it.
For those of you who didn’t watch HBO’s Watchmen and still don’t know much about the Tulsa Race Massacre, the violent event unfolded from May 31 through June 1 with mobs of white citizens attacking the black residents and businesses of the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Attacks were carried out on the streets and even from private airplanes flown over the 35-square block area that was then the wealthiest Black community in the United States.
Here’s how The History Channel explains the events leading up to the massacre:
On May 30, 1921, a young Black teenager named Dick Rowland entered an elevator at the Drexel Building, an office building on South Main Street. At some point after that, the young white elevator operator, Sarah Page, screamed; Rowland fled the scene. The police were called, and the next morning they arrested Rowland.
By that time, rumors of what supposedly happened on that elevator had circulated through the city’s white community. A front-page story in the Tulsa Tribune that afternoon reported that pol
LeBron James’ investment in Liverpool F.C. continues to pay off.
Liverpool won its Premier League title on Thursday, thanks to an upset victory by Chelsea over Manchester City, ensuring no other club could catch Liverpool in points this season.
James, who celebrated the victory on Twitter, received a 2% sta
As far as pandemic-proof businesses go, a startup for barbershops isn’t exactly the first thing that comes to mind — unless you raised millions just days before barbershops were shut down across the country.
Dave Salvant and Songe LaRon, co-founders of New York-based Squire, a back-end barbershop management tool for independent businesses they launched in 2016, raised a $34 million Series B led by CRV in early March (after raising $8 million in a Series A round led by Trinity Ventures in 2018). Days later, “everything went to zero,” LaRon recalls of their customer base: All barbershops closed.
The cash quickly went from an opportunistic raise to needed capital. Squire waived all subscription fees, created a site for information called www.helpbarbershops.com and launched a way for patrons to buy online gift cards for their favorite shops. One barbershop sold more than $30,000 in just a few days.
After weathering a hard few months, Squire is now enjoying high demand from barbershops preparing to reopen. The company provides cashless payment, a way to make appointments and is experimenting with a virtual waiting room, all features that barbershops post-pandemic are considering. It is currently live in 45 cities.
During shelter-in-place, some of us have been forced to cut our own hair, as shown by virtual haircuts done over Zoom and even a VC-hosted haircut workshop. But a DIY session won’t replace the intimacy of a barbershop.
Barbershops have long served as gathering places for Black and African American communities as a place to chat, be vulnerable and complain.
In recent years, the culture has moved more into mainstream conversation. Today, there is an entire talk show series, produced by LeBron James, where guests chat while getting a cut. In Atlanta, there’s a singular Atlanta barbershop that serves as an informal gathering ground for the city’s top politicians.
“We learned it resonated with men from all walks of life, all races and ethnicities and was really kind of a universal experience. So we saw an opportunity for a tech
LeBron James and Maverick Carter have secured a $100 million USD investment in their new media company, called Springhill Co. Described as an “unapologetic agenda” that will “give a voice to creators and consumers who’ve been pandered to, ignored, or underserved,” the company is comprised of more than 100 employees, “64% people of color and 40% female in an industry that averages 25%,” James says. The major backing came from companies like Guggenheim Investments and UC Investments, Jason Stein’s SC.Holdings and media
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The NBA announced the remainder of its regular-season schedule Friday, and the Los Angeles Lakers will help the league resume the suspended campaign when they play the Los Angeles Clippers on July 30 at 9 p.m. ET.
The Lakers will appear on national television for at least seven of their eight games.
Lakers’ Remaining Regular-Season Schedule
News, Notes and Analysis
The Lakers and 21 other teams will play eight regular-season games apiece in Reunion, Florida, the home of the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex, which will host the matchups in three different venues.
The season has been suspended since March 11 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Players will finish it in a bubble of sorts, cordoned off from society in Walt Disney World in the battle to claim the title.
The Lakers appear to be clear front-runners. The first-place team can sleepwalk to the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed if it beats the second-place Clips in the opener, as
Gig workers around the world have long struggled to gain access to many mainstream financial products and services because of their inconsistent cash flow and lack of substantial credit history. Now, they are emerging as one of the hardest-hit groups from the coronavirus pandemic, as demand for their services plummets under lockdown, cutting into their work hours and pay, and their contractor status locks them out of workplace benefits.
With workers especially in need of innovative solutions to help them through the crisis, the already significant revenue opportunity — estimated by Mastercard to be worth $455 billion by 2023 — for financial institutions (FIs) to cater to gig workers is bigger than ever. FIs also have the chance to forge customer bonds that will outlast the pandemic and to polish brand halos. The combination of the large and underserved demographic and its struggles under the pandemic has led to a flurry of innovation from across the financial services industry, resulting in an emerging and dynamic gig economy financial services ecosystem.
In the Gig Economy Financial Services Ecosystem report, Insider Intelligence explores the size and scope of the gig worker market; gives an overview of companies that started making efforts to serve the gig worker market pre-pandemic; presents some of the earliest-moving companies rolling out pandemic-specific financial services for gig workers; and lastly, outlines how FIs who move into the space during this crisis period can make sure their products have a longer-term val
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Democratic-controlled House approved a bill Friday to make the District of Columbia the 51st state, saying Congress has both the moral obligation and constitutional authority to ensure that the city’s 700,000 residents are allowed full voting rights, no longer subject to “taxation without representation.”
Lawmakers approved the bill, 232-180, largely along party lines, marking the first time a chamber of Congress has passed a D.C. statehood bill. The legislation now goes to the Republican-controlled Senate, where it faces insurmountable opposition from GOP leaders.
Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, the district’s non-voting representative in Congress, sponsored the bill, saying it has both the facts and Constitution on its side.
D.C.’s population is larger than those of Wyoming and Vermont, and the new state would be one of seven with populations under one million, she said. The city’s $15.5 billion annual budget is l
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LeBron James and his business partner have secured $100m (£90m) in investments for their media company which aims to empower black audiences.
SpringHill Entertainment, is headed by the basketball player and his business partner, CEO Maverick Carter. Serena Williams is among those on the board.
It describes itself as a media company with an unapologetic agenda that will give a voice to creators and consumers.
The company is named after the Ohio apartment complex James was raised in.
Funding for SpringHill Entertainment closed in March but was announced on Thursday, according to Variety.
The company is a result of three projects merged together – production company SpringHill Entertainment, digital media company Uninterrupted and the Robot Co, a marketing agency.
Steve Dykes/Associated Press
Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard shouted out Bronny James after LeBron James‘ son named him the top point guard in the NBA:
Bronny listed his five best NBA players (besides his dad) on a Twitch stream Wednesday, with Lillard coming in tops among point guards:
Lillard is a five-time All-Star and four-time All-NBA selection. While most would probably pick Steph Curry to lead their fra
The country is slowly turning over a new leaf, one that will hopefully lead to a racially conscious society that uncovers stories like Black Wall Street and the Rosewood Massacre, which show the sad fate many Black Americans stood in the face of hate while creating wealth. It remains important that these stories be told by the descendants of those whose lives were uprooted and devastated.
It was announced Thursday that LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s media outlet SpringHill Entertainment Company has raised $100 million dollars that will fulfill its mission of “unapologetic agenda: a maker and distributor of all kinds of content that will give a voice to creators and consumers who’ve been pandered to, ignored, or underserved.”
Sixty-four percent of James’ company are people of color and 40 percent are women, which far exceeds the progress of the racial demographics of most media outlets.
Earlier this month, James announced that he is also working on a Black Wall Street documentary to tell the story of how a White mob decimated the Greenwood district in Northwest Tulsa. It was also reported that Russell Westbrook is working on Black Wall Street film, Terror in Tulsa, set to release next year.
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In light of the current racial awakening the country is going through,Thursday an announcement rolled out that New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins is working on docuseries capturing the history of black wealth in this country; a great segue to explain why the racial wealth gap between black folks has existed and continues to exist.
Political policies coupled with white hate crimes have been the biggest obstacles to black economic success in the United States, dating back to when all enslaved people were supposed to receive 40 acres and a mule. Once President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, that promise was no longer on the table. In fact, white folks received those prized possessions instead.
As we all know, during that time the easiest way to stack wealth was land. Just like any investment, the value of that land increased over time. Fast forward to the debilitating Jim Crow era, the New Deal programs, G.I. Bill and many other political policies that completely excluded Black people for the fir
Ted S. Warren/Associated Press
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James believes the NFL still needs to issue a formal apology to Colin Kaepernick.
Speaking to Bloomberg Businessweek‘s Jason Kelly, James acknowledged the NFL is doing a better job of listening to its Black players but that the league should apologize to Kaepernick directly (starting at 1:47):
Goodell released a video statement June 5 in response to a video from several players demanding the league acknowledge Black Lives Matter and “condemn racism and the systematic oppression of Black People.”
Goodell answered those requests and acknowledged the league was “wrong for not listening to NFL players earlier and encour
The King and his longtime business partner Maverick Carter have formed a new company with an unapologetic agenda.
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Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James tweeted there is “no question” the noose hanging in Bubba Wallace’s garage area was an act of hate—even if it was not particularly targeted at Wallace.
James tweeted his agreement with a segment from ESPN’s Jalen & Jacoby in which Jalen Rose and Dave Jacoby agreed the act of tying the noose itself had racial connotations:
NASCAR released a photo Thursday of the noose, which was tied allegedly as a garage pull last year. Steve Phelps, NASCAR’s president, told reporters the sport examined 1,684 stalls at 29 tracks and found the only noose was the one found in Wallace’s garage:
“Given the facts presented to us, we would have pursued this with the same sense of urgency and purpose. Upon learning of seeing the noose, our initial reaction was to protect our driver. We’re living in a highly charged and emotional time. What we saw w
Earlier in June, a conservative journalist named Fiona Moriarity-McLaughlin faced the wrath of Twitter after a video of her seemingly asking a man boarding up a storefront in Santa Monica if she could hold his drill for a photo went viral. It was shared by celebrities including Ava DuVernay and Lebron James, and Moriarity-McLaughlin was doxxed after her full name, home address, and phone number were posted on social media.
In a USA Today essay published this week, Moriarity-McLaughlin, who has since lost her internship with the conservative news site the Washington Examiner, claims that the viral video “misrepresented” the situation and that she is just the latest target of “cancel culture.” I could be wrong here, but don’t you have to actually have some sort of fame or public presence to be “canceled”? Sorry, but I don’t think it counts as a cancellation if your fame only lasted 17 seconds.
Moriarity-McLaughlin claims that on the day the video was taken, she was driving around Los Angeles in the wake of the protests over George Floyd’s murder, wanting to “visit the destruction and document what [she] saw.” After filming clean-up and construction crews, she was allegedly discussing the clean-up with one of the construction workers, who then jokingly handed her the drill for a photo, which she posed for out of politeness. Maybe I’m doing this journalism thing wrong, but don’t journalists usually take photos of their subjects, not themselves?
After the man who’d accompanied Moriarty-McLaughlin to the scene—who she identifies as her father, not her boyfriend as he had been reported at the time—snapped the photo, she continues, “I noticed two activists who had been watching and filming me nearby. They heckled me, called out ‘Bla
LeBron James and longtime business partner Maverick Carter have raised $100 million from backers including Guggenheim Partners and Elisabeth Murdoch. With the funding, James and Maverick are consolidating their trio of media companies into a single entity, SpringHill, which is aiming to serve as a multifaceted platform to empower Black creators and audiences.
The funding was led by Guggenheim; Sister, the production company founded by Elisabeth Murdoch, Stacey Snider and Jane Featherstone; the University of California’s UC Investments; and Jason Stein’s SC.Holdings. The funding closed in March — the day the NBA announced the league was shutting down due to COVID-19 — but was announced Thursday, as first reported by Bloomberg.
James and Carter’s SpringHill Co. brings together their SpringHill Entertainment production firm, digital-media and consumer-products company Uninterrupted and the Robot Co. marketing agency. SpringHill Entertainment is behind NBC’s “The Wall” game show and the upcoming “Space Jam: A New Legacy” sequel, set to bow in July 2021. Uninterrunpted has partnered with WarnerMedia’s Bleacher Report and produced “The Shop” on HBO.
The new SpringHill Co. is led by James as chairman and Carter serving as CEO. Joining them on the board are Murdoch (daughter of media mogul Rupert Murdoch), Guggenheim chief investment officer Scott Minerd, Serena Williams, Apollo Global Management co-founder Marc Rowan, Live Nation Entertainment CEO Michael Rapino, Boston Red Sox chairman Tom Werner and L.A. investment banker Paul Wachter.
“I’ve always wanted to use the platform of baske
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The guard told ESPN that he decided against joining the Lakers for family reasons.
Bradley’s 6-year-old son, Liam — Bradley and his wife Ashley have three children — has a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses and would have unlikely been medically cleared to enter the NBA’s bubble in Florida.
The NBA season was suspended on March 11 due to the pandemic, and the league recently approved a plan to play out the rest of the season at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando with 22 teams participating.
“As committed to my Lakers teammates and the organization as I am, I ultimately play basketball for my family,” Bradley told ESPN.
“And so, at a time like this, I can’t imagine making any decision that might put my family’s health and well-being at even the slightest risk.”
Bradley has started 44 games for the Lakers this season, averaging 8.6 points per game. The Lakers are the No. 1 seed in the Western Confer
Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis has revealed that three new cover athletes for NBA 2K21 will be announced over a three-day period next week.
In a TikTok video posted by NBA 2K, Davis, the cover athlete for NBA 2K20, teased that three cover athletes for the upcoming yearly release will be announced daily on June 30, July 1 and July 2. More NBA 2K21 information will be released throughout the week, Davis said.
More: EA Play shows off Star Wars: Squadrons, Skate 4, Madden and FIFA | Ninja, Shroud free to stream elsewhere as Mixer shutters | Looking back at some of the best video game sequels
Game developer 2K will take a new so
Ransomware criminals claiming to have siphoned confidential docs on Nicki Minaj, Mariah Carey, and Lebron James from an American law firm are threatening to auction off the info.
The REvil ransomware gang declared it will sell off troves of the paperwork, which it said it exfiltrated from the computer systems of American showbiz lawyer Allen Grubman. Unspecified stolen data about chanteuses Nicki Minaj and Mariah Carey, along with basketball ace Lebron James, will be up for auction on July 1, with a reserve price of $600,000, according to a statement posted to the crew’s Tor-hidden blog seen by The Register.
A post advertising the auction was filled with lurid claims that it would reveal “big money and social manipulation, mud lurking behind the scenes and sexual scandals, drugs and treachery,” as well as “bribery by Democratical Party” [sic].
Infosec biz Emsisoft’s Brett Callow told El Reg an apparent delay between the initial hack and the auction announcement may have been an attempt by the gang to build “anticipation” for the sale in the criminal ma
The Athletic wants to save sports journalists from the struggling print and TV industries.
The site, cofounded in 2016 by Alex Mather and Adam Hansmann, has raised $139.5 million from investors like Comcast Ventures and Bedrock Capital Partners. The Athletic last reported 600,000 subscribers in 2019, doubling its subscribers from 2018, and says it’s nearing 1 million subscriptions. It planned to be profitable this year before the coronavirus shut down live sports and led The Athletic to lay off 8% of its employees, equivalent to 46 journalists.
Business Insider recently spoke with 16 former and two current employees about how The Athletic tries to drive subscriptions, how it measures success, and what makes a hit s
Prominent NBA agent Omar Wilkes has agreed to become the head of basketball for Klutch Sports, clearing the way for Rich Paul to expand his scope as the company’s CEO, sources told ESPN.
Klutch’s basketball division includes All-Star clients such as LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons and Draymond Green, among others.
Wilkes has been an agent with Octagon for eight years, where his clients include Atlanta‘s Trae Young and Cam Reddish, Toronto‘s OG Anunoby and potential No. 1 overall pick Anthony Edwards of Geor
HONG KONG/LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters Breakingviews) – Corona Capital is a daily column updated throughout the day by Breakingviews columnists around the world with short, sharp pandemic-related insights.
The SpongeBob SquarePants balloon makes its way down 6th Ave during the 91st Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., November 23, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
– Movie releases
– Cirque du Soleil
SLOW CLAP. AMC Entertainment is barreling ahead with plans to open its movie theaters in the United States on July 15. Weirdly, boss Adam Aron was nonchalant about customers wearing face coverings until an intense backlash prompted him to reverse course. Guests are now required to don masks nationwide. Yet it may not matter, because cinemas’ glory days are almost certainly past.
Just look at the new releases. True, Walt Disney and Warner Bros are releasing two tent-pole films, “Mulan” and “Tenet,” through cinemas. But others aren’t. ViacomCBS said on Monday that “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” will be distributed in early 2021 on demand and then exclusively through its streaming service CBS All Access. A combination of changing habits and media groups with new digital platforms to promote may play a bigger factor in AMC’s plans than whether or not the guy in the next seat wears a mask. (By Jennifer Saba)
STRINGS ATTACHED. Struggling acrobatics troupe Cirque du Soleil may be getting a lifeline from the Quebec government. The Canadian province, where the high-flying act is based, is prepared to lend $200 million to get Cirque back in motion, Bloomberg reports. But Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, who spent part of his career before politics as an investment banker and finance chief at National Bank of Canada, is making potential recipients work for the money.
It will only be available after Cirque backflips out of its debt restructuring. Fitzgibbon has so far only offered the cash to Cirque’s current shareholders – TPG, Fosun International and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec – so they’d need to secure control from creditors, some of whom already made an offer for Cirque. And to avoid what he called Cirque’s “disaster of
The Western Conference-leading Los Angeles Lakers will be without a starter when the NBA season resumes, as guard Avery Bradley announced Tuesday that he will not join the team next month in central Florida.
FILE PHOTO: Cleveland Cavaliers’ rookie Kyrie Irving (R) dribbles around Boston Celtics’ defender Avery Bradley during the second quarter of their NBA basketball game in Cleveland January 31, 2012. REUTERS/Aaron Josefczyk
Bradley told ESPN that his decision was made out of concern for the health of his 6-year-old son, Liam, who has dealt with respiratory problems. Bradley and his wife have three children.
After a four-month hiatus prompted by the coronavirus pandemic, the NBA will send the top 22 of its 30 teams to the Walt Disney World Resort near Orlando, Fla. Training camp is due to r
Two of the biggest names in sports are coming together to help fight one of this country’s biggest battles.
LeBron James announced on his Twitter Monday night that reigning Super Bowl MVP Patrick Mahomes will join James’ newfound nonprofit organization called “More than a Vote” to help fight against voter suppression.
While James has been a longtime advocate against racial oppression, Mahomes has recently started to become more vocal in calling out these injustices. He was an integral part of the NFL players’ social media video that forced the league to condemn racism and apologize for not listening to its players.
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James started the political organization with his longtime friend and business partner Maverick Carter. The goal of the organization is to thwart systemic and racial voter suppression by “educating, energizing, and protecting our community in 2020.”
The issue is relevant today. In Kentucky, less than 200 voting places will be open for its primary on Tuesday. The state usually has 3,700 polling places open in a normal year. Last Thursday, a federal judge rejected an attempt to increase voting places in the state’s biggest counties.
As a result, the largest county in the state, Jefferson County, that happens to also have the highest black population will have only one polling location. This is also the same county where police killed Breonna Taylor while she was sleeping in her bed.
In addition to closing the polls, inadequate voting resources and voter roll purges have left many voters on the outside looking in.
Voter suppression is nothing new in the United States, this country has stopped black people from voting since its inception. Laws like the Voting Rights Act of 1965 had to be signed to limit the disenfranchisement of black votes almost a century after the 15th amendment was supposed to give black people and other people of color the right to vote.
Now, decades after the Voting Rights Act was passed, some experts are saying that we are seeing a “tidal wave” of voter suppression amongst both black and young voters.
In response to Shelby County v. Holder, a 2013 Supreme Court decision that took away part of the Voting Rights Act, states have been strategic about implementing ways to limit the black vote.
Many states have made it harder for organizations to register people with criminal histories. Others have limited the voices of students at HBCUs and their surrounding communities due to gerrymandering and the elimination of voting sites on these campuses.
More polling site closures in mostly minority communities have led to longer wait times and a more cumbersome voting experience. This leads to many voters not placing a ballot because of time constraints.
Earlier this month, voters in Georgia experienced this first hand when they were forced to wait in lines for hours. In Dekalb County, voting was extended for more than two and a half hours. State voting officials in Georgia said the long wait times were a result of many former po
LeBron James dusted off his old playbook right before the lockdown. Then he showed off some new tricks.
Just days before the NBA suspended its season on March 11, James averaged 32.5 points on 50.0 percent shooting, 8.0 rebounds, and 8.5 assists in consecutive victories against the Bucks and Clippers, the other two title favorites besides the Lakers when the season resumes in Orlando. But more important than his gaudy numbers was how he got them. Instead of resting on defense, LeBron matched up with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard on both ends of the floor.
Facing off against two younger superstars is a different kind of challenge for the four-time MVP at this stage of his career. LeBron (35) has seven years on Kawhi (28) and a full decade on Giannis (25). For the first time in his life, he’s no longer the best athlete on the court. LeBron has to find a new way to win.
The good news for the Lakers is that he has always been more than an athlete. He’s also one of the smartest players to ever play the game. No one learned the lessons of the last decade of postseason basketball more than LeBron, largely because he was the one handing those lessons out.
The best recent example came in the fourth quarter against the Clippers on March 8, when LeBron ruthlessly hunted Lou Williams in the pick-and-roll. It didn’t matter whom Lou Will was guarding. The whole point of the play these days is to target weak defenders like Williams in space—a technique James has mastered.
The Clippers tried to hide Williams on Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Avery Bradley, and Danny Green, but there’s no hiding on defense against LeBron. All three guards screened for LeBron to force Williams into a no-win decision almost every time down the floor. It didn’t matter whether he switched, hedged, or dropped back. LeBron had an answer for everything:
It was a preview of what we would see in a playoff series between the two L.A. teams. Williams, despite being a three-time Sixth Man of the Year and an elite fourth-quarter scorer, would be a massive liability at the ends of games.
Lakers coach Frank Vogel also played a smaller lineup to expose Williams. He moved Anthony Davis to center and played three shooters in Bradley, Green, and KCP around LeBron, making it impossible for the Clippers to help Williams without creating an opening somewhere else. The Lakers have kept those lineups in their back pocket to prevent Davis from getting worn down during the regular season. Their lineups with two traditional big men at the 5—JaVale McGee or Dwight Howard—are far less dangerous because neither can score outside the paint.
The Lakers have another gear they’ve barely showed off. The way Vogel distributed minutes at center in that clash against the Clippers is a better indicator of what he will do in the playoffs than wh
But the uncertainty surrounding so many of the night’s races, as voters wait for their mailed-in ballots to be counted, could be a sign of things to come. The coronavirus pandemic is worsening in many regions, and if it doesn’t improve rapidly ahead of the fall, more states could shift toward absentee voting, meaning hundreds of millions of Americans could be facing a similar wait on election night in November.
The charge didn’t stick and Ocasio-Cortez, who turned her campaign team into a constituent service army during the worst of the coronavirus crisis in New York City, appears poised to cruise to a second term in Congress.
With her overwhelming win in Tuesday’s primary, chatter over a potential challenge to Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer in 2022 is likely to heat up. But in the meantime, Ocasio-Cortez could see her influence in the House Democratic caucus grow if fellow New York progressives Jamaal Bowman and Mondaire Jones, who could be one of the first openly LGBTQ Black members of Congress hold on to their leads in closer, still-undecided races.
“What you all have shown is that a people’s movement here is not an accident, it is a mandate,” Ocasio-Cortez said on a livestream Tuesday night. “This absolutely strengthens us. It’s not just about winning or losing, but so much of this is about how we win. To win with that kind of mandate is transformative, and it tells us that our policy positions are not an accident.”
Caruso-Cabrera, who raised about $2 million, didn’t concede or acknowledge Ocasio-Cortez in a late statement, but urged Democrats to come toget
HONG KONG/LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters Breakingviews) – Corona Capital is a daily column updated throughout the day by Breakingviews columnists around the world with short, sharp pandemic-related insights.
The SpongeBob SquarePants balloon makes its way down 6th Ave during the 91st Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., November 23, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
– Movie releases
– Cirque du Soleil
SLOW CLAP. AMC Entertainment is barreling ahead with plans to open its movie theaters in the United States on July 15. Weirdly, boss Adam Aron was nonchalant about customers wearing face coverings until an intense backlash prompted him to reverse course. Guests are now required to don masks nationwide. Yet it may not matter, because cinemas’ glory days are almost certainly past.
Just look at the new releases. True, Walt Disney and Warner Bros are releasing two tent-pole films, “Mulan” and “Tenet,” through cinemas. But others aren’t. ViacomCBS said on Monday that “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” will be distributed in early 2021 on demand and then exclusively through its streaming service CBS All Access. A combination of changing habits and media groups with new digital platforms to promote may play a bigger factor in AMC’s plans than whether or not the guy in the next seat wears a mask. (By Jennifer Saba)
STRINGS ATTACHED. Bankrupt acrobatics troupe Cirque du Soleil may be getting a lifeline from the Quebec government. The Canadian province, where the high-flying act is based, is prepared to lend $200 million to get Cirque back in motion, Bloomberg reports. But Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, who spent part of his career before politics as an investment banker and finance chief at National Bank of Canada, is making potential recipients work for the money.
It will only be available after Cirque backflips out of bankruptcy. Fitzgibbon has so far only offered the cash to Cirque’s current shareholders – TPG, Fosun International and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec – so they’d need to secure control from creditors, some of whom already made an offer for Cirque. And to avoid what he calle
Avery Bradley has opted not to join the NBA’s restart in Orlando, becoming the first major player to do so. Bradley was a starter for the LeBron James-led Los Angeles Lakers before the NBA was put on hold due to the coronavirus pandemic.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski was the first to break the news on Twitter on Tuesday night. Bradley reportedly cited the well-being of his 6-year-old son as the reason for his decision. As Wojnarowski reports, Bradley’s son, the oldest of three children, “has a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses and would have been unlikely to be medically cleared to enter [the] bubble with his family.”
The NBA’s plans to restart the season at Disney’s Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida seemed promising to begin with, though it has now been met with opposition by a significant faction of the players. Among the players t
Los Angeles Lakers guard Avery Bradley has opted out of playing in the NBA’s Orlando, Florida, restart of the season, he told ESPN on Tuesday.
Bradley, who started 44 games for the Lakers this season, informed team management of his decision. The Lakers will be able to sign a replacement player for Bradley, with free-agent scorer JR Smith emerging as a leading candidate, sources told ESPN.
At the forefront of Bradley’s decision to remain with his family is the well-being of his oldest child, his 6-year-old son, Liam. Bradley and his wife, Ashley, have three children.
Liam Bradley has a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses, and it’s unlikely that he would have been medically cleared to enter the Orlando bubble with h
Los Angeles Lakers guard Avery Bradley has opted out of playing in the NBA’s Orlando, Florida, restart of the season, he told ESPN on Tuesday.
Bradley, who started 44 games for the Lakers this season, informed team management of his decision. The Lakers will be able to sign a replacement player for Bradley, with free-agent scorer JR Smith emerging as a leading candidate, sources told ESPN.
At the forefront of Bradley’s decision to remain with his family is the well-being of his oldest child, his 6-year-old son, Liam. Bradley and his wife, Ashley, have three children.
Liam Bradley has a history of struggling to recover from respiratory illnesses, and it’s unlikely that he would have been medically cleared to enter the Orlando bubble with h
HONG KONG/LONDON/NEW YORK (Reuters Breakingviews) – Corona Capital is a daily column updated throughout the day by Breakingviews columnists around the world with short, sharp pandemic-related insights.
The SpongeBob SquarePants balloon makes its way down 6th Ave during the 91st Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in the Manhattan borough of New York City, New York, U.S., November 23, 2017. REUTERS/Shannon Stapleton
– Movie releases
– Cirque du Soleil
SLOW CLAP. AMC Entertainment is barreling ahead with plans to open its movie theaters in the United States on July 15. Weirdly, boss Adam Aron was nonchalant about customers wearing face coverings until an intense backlash prompted him to reverse course. Guests are now required to don masks nationwide. Yet it may not matter, because cinemas’ glory days are almost certainly past.
Just look at the new releases. True, Walt Disney and Warner Bros are releasing two tent-pole films, “Mulan” and “Tenet,” through cinemas. But others aren’t. ViacomCBS said on Monday that “The SpongeBob Movie: Sponge on the Run” will be distributed in early 2021 on demand and then exclusively through its streaming service CBS All Access. A combination of changing habits and media groups with new digital platforms to promote may play a bigger factor in AMC’s plans than whether or not the guy in the next seat wears a mask. (By Jennifer Saba)
STRINGS ATTACHED. Bankrupt acrobatics troupe Cirque du Soleil may be getting a lifeline from the Quebec government. The Canadian province, where the high-flying act is based, is prepared to lend $200 million to get Cirque back in motion, Bloomberg reports. But Economy Minister Pierre Fitzgibbon, who spent part of his career before politics as an investment banker and finance chief at National Bank of Canada, is making potential recipients work for the money.
It will only be available after Cirque backflips out of bankruptcy. Fitzgibbon has so far only offered the cash to Cirque’s current shareholders – TPG, Fosun International and Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec – so they’d need to secure control from creditors, some of whom already made an offer for Cirque. And to avoid what he calle
Bubba Wallace has the support of two big-time sports figures after NASCAR announced late Sunday that a noose was found in the driver’s garage stall at Talladega Superspeedway.
LeBron James and Dale Earnhardt Jr. were among those to react to the news on social media. Wallace is NASCAR’s lone Black driver in the Cup Series.
Earnhardt will be pulling for Wallace in the rain-delayed GEICO 500 on Monday afternoon.
Hope Bubba wins it tomorrow.
— Dale Earnhardt Jr. (@DaleJr) June 22, 2020
Dale Jr.’s perspective on race is changing through Bubba Wallace” data-reactid=”23″>MORE: Dale Jr.’s perspective on race is changing through Bubba Wallace
James reacted with outrage and encouragement:
Sickening! @BubbaWallace my brother! Know you don’t stand alone! I’m right here with you as well as every other athlete. I just want to continue to say how proud I am of you for continuing to take a stand for change here in America and sports! @NASCAR I salute you as well! ✊ https://t.co/1TwkjVHai5
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 22, 2020
Other reactions within the NASCAR community:
God help us. The level of evil it takes to do something like this is disgusting. This is enraging and heartbreaking all at the same time. pic.twitter.com/FovpeTwINu
— Michael McDowell (@Mc_Driver) June 22, 2020
I’ve been working in my race shop all night.. Around 11:30 at night i washed my hands and got on twitter to see what’s up.. UGH .. I am So Sorry my brother @BubbaWallace has to go through this HORRIBLE situation.. I love you, Bubba. #IStandWithBubba
— Kenny Wallace (@Kenny_Wallace) June 22, 2020
I’m irate after learning about the horrible, racist act committed yesterday at Talladega. Angry.
Bubba Wallace’s fellow Nascar drivers pushed his car to the start-line for the Geico 500 at Talladega, Alabama, to show their support for him a day after a noose was found in his team garage.
The 26-year-old, who is the sole black full-time driver, was overcome with emotion by the show of solidarity.
On the racist incident, Nascar chief Steve Phelps said: “We’re going to use every effort to find who has done this.
“They will be banned from this sport for life.”
The latest round in the Nascar series was moved to Monday from Sunday because of rain. The American, who races for Richard Petty Motorsports, posted a selfie on social media in front of his car with his fellow Nascar drivers standing in unison in the background.
And just before the driver began his race his team communicated to him: “Let’s go shut these haters up.”
The incident involving the noose – a symbol connected to lynching and America’s slave history – is being investigated by the FBI and the US Justice Department.
Meanwhile, Phelps said security had been stepped up at the Talladega Superspeedway, which had already had restrictions imposed because of the coronavirus.
“This is a family that needs to take care of one of its family members whose been attacked,” he added.
Wallace has receiv
Steve Helber/Associated Press
LeBron James sent his support to NASCAR’s Bubba Wallace after someone hung a noose in his garage area Sunday at Talladega.
“Sickening! Bubba Wallace my brother! Know you don’t stand alone! I’m right here with you as well as every other athlete,” James tweeted. “I just want to continue to say how proud I am of you for continuing to take a stand for change here in America and sports! NASCAR I salute you as well!”
NASCAR announced late Sunday night the sport is launching an “immediate investigation” into the matter. ESPN’s Marty Smith reported Wallace, NASCAR’s only full-time black driver, never saw the noose and was alerted to it after a crew member had notified racing officials.
Wallace, who has been an outspoken proponent of the Black Lives Matter movement and led the push in NASCAR’s Confederate flag ban, said he was “incredibly saddened” in a statement:
“Today’s despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism. Over the last several weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the support from people across the NASCAR industry, including other drivers and team members in the garage. Together, our sport has made a commitment to driving real change and championing a commun
Brynn Anderson/Associated Press
Arguably the biggest name in the NFL is joining the King of the NBA in an effort to fight against voter suppression.
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James welcomed Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes to the voting rights group called More Than A Vote and announced that the effort went live on Monday:
LeBron James @KingJames
We live!!! https://t.co/myvC7O9Omi Thank you to every incredible athlete and artist working to help us pull this together. Change doesn’t happen sitting on the sideline. Use our site to register and join our fight against voter suppression. ✊🏾👑 #MoreThanAVote #BlackLivesMatter https://t.co/qcowjYBefW
James said it “means a lot” to have Mahomes join the efforts, and the Super Bowl MVP responded in kind:
The More Than A Vote website explains, “We are Black athletes and artists working together. Our priority right now is combating systemic, racist voter suppression by educating, energizing, and protecting our community in 2020.”
Those who visit the website can check their voter registration and sign up for more information.
This comes after Mahomes and Chiefs safety Tyrann Mathieu spoke to reporters about how they want to lead a voter registration effort. They also said they hav
John Bazemore/Associated Press
Bubba Wallace isn’t going to let racism and acts of hate stop him from smiling or fighting.
NASCAR’s only Black full-time driver embraced some of his supporters following Monday’s Geico 500 at the Talladega Superspeedway and said, “The sport is changing … Whoever it was, you’re not gonna take away my smile” in reference to the noose that was found in his garage stall at the track Sunday.
It was not the only powerful moment involving Wallace on Monday.
The entire field of drivers who participated in the race pushed his No. 43 car to the front of the pack prior to the race in a message of unity and solidarity:
This comes after NASCAR released a statement Sunday saying it was investigating after a noose was found in his driver stall at Talladega. U.S. Attorney Jay E. Town also said the U.S. Attorney’s office for the Northern District of Alabama, FBI and the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division are investigating.
“We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act,” NASCAR’s statement read. “We have launched an immediate investigation, and will do everything we can to identify the person(s) responsible and eliminate them from the sport.”
Wallace released a statement saying, in part, “We will not be deterred by the reprehensible actions of those who see
LeBron James and Maverick Carter‘s UNINTERRUPTED brand has reprised its collaboration with Megan Rapinoe and Sue Bird for Pride Month, introducing a selection of custom hoodies for the occasion.
UNINTERRUPTED’s pieces aim to highlight the LGBTQIA+ community and bring attention to the protection of queer youth, as well as offering support to those who are disproportionately attacked and experience injustices. The brand is also honoring Nigel Shelby, the 15-year-old boy who died by suicide following his experiences with homophobic
Footwear companies around the globe are turning up the heat in the latter half of June, with everything from three-way collaborations to new sneakers from legendary rappers and timeless athletic styles set to drop over the course of this week. Narrowing all of these options to a mere dozen was no simple undertaking, but with all the heat set to hit shelves it was certainly a worthwhile one. Before we get to it in earnest, let’s take a quick primer on what went down last week.
Two Virgils were front and center, one intentionally and one accidentally. The intentional was skateboarder Erik Arteaga (AKA burberry.erry/Bam Margiela), who hit the skatepark to film one of his signature Instagram videos in the unreleased Off-White™ x Air Jordan 4 “Sail.” The accidental arrived by way of Houston Dynamo defender Zarek Valentin, who was sent a black-soled sample pair of the Off-White™ x Nike Air Force 1 “MCA” in a seeding shipment.
Virgil Abloh wasn’t the only big name in streetwear who made noise on the collaborative front: Hiroshi Fujiwara teased a forthcoming fragment design x Jordan Brand Air Cadence and Casablanca revealed it would release a second set of New Balance 327s. We were also given a closer look at the Grateful Dead‘s fur-equipped Nike SB Dunk Low collection and another glance at Neymar Jr.’s Air Max 2090s.
Elsewhere, Sotheby’s announced it would auction off a pair of track spikes handcrafted by Nike co-founder Bill Bowerman, with prices expected to top $130,000 USD. More new styles from Jordan Brand continued to leak out as well, including the Air Jordan 14 “Gym Red” and Air Jordan 3 in “Blue Cement” plus “Fire Red Denim” makeups.
Finally, on the high-fashion front Dior dropped new black and white B23 Slip-Ons with Shawn Stussy’s signature scrawled logo. The Parisian couture house also blessed Daniel Arsham with a pair of its grail staus Air Jordan 1 Low, which the artist unboxed in an Instagram video.
Up to speed? It’s time to get into a dozen of this week’s best releases. Owing to the continued effects of the COVID-19 coronavirus and other current events, there’s still a lot of staggered drops going down so most — but not all — of this week’s list is centered around US arrivals. Check ‘em out below, and head over to our Drops page to see a full list.
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: June 22
Release Price: $90-$150 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Nike Sportswear’s annual celebration of Pride Month is exceptionally strong in 2020, thanks to a trim-but-substantial three-silhouette BETRUE collection. With colorful, meaningful takes on the Air Force 1, Air Max 2090, and ACG Air Deschutz, a sandal that’s one of summer 2020’s sleeper hits, these offerings are some of the best Pride-centric releases in recent memory.
Nike
Nike
Release Date: June 23
Release Price: $225 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: A potent, postponed style that was originally slated to drop at the beginning of June, the LeBron 17 “Graffiti” is a hybrid style that brings a past era of LeBron James’ Nike Basketball footwear into the present. Blending the colorway and style of the famous LeBron 4 “Graffiti” with the modern-day performance of the LeBron 17, this two-era silhouette is sure to delight King James’s legions of loyal fans.
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: June 24
Release Price: $100 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: Another style from Nike Sportswear’s well-received “Team Tones” pack, the Dunk Low SP “Champ Colors” draws both moniker and colorway inspiration from the Virginia Cavaliers. Although it’s indeed a nod to the most recent NCAA Division 1 Men’s Basketball champions, it’s all 1985 in style thanks to a low cut, a supple leather build and vivid, contrasting colorblocking.
Adidas
Release Date: June 25
Release Price: $250 USD
Where to Buy: YEEZY Supply
Why You Should Cop: Kanye West’s adidas YEEZY QUANTUM has been relatively quiet since igniting the sneaker world over NBA All-Star Weekend, but now ‘Ye’s hoop-inspired shoe is reportedly releasing in a “Barium” iteration. Named after an alkaline earth metal that shimmers in either grey or olive green depending on what kind of light it’s under, the “Barium” continues the adidas YEEZY line’s inherently earthy ethos — but in an entirely unique fashion. Various reports have pegged June 25 as the day of arrival.
Bodega
Bodega
Bodega
Release Date: June 25
Release Price: TBC
Where to Buy: Bodega
Why You Should Cop: Centered around a theme and concept of the “new normal,” Bodega and New Balance’s X-Racer “All Terrain” is an appealing, outdoor-inspired sneaker with a rich tale to tell. Poking fun at the advertising agency-driven concept of “urban exploration” and even going as far to reference The Epic of Gilgamesh, the “All Terrain” is perfect for sneakerheads who want a shoe with a story that’s as well thought-out as its design.
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: June 25
Release Price: $250 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: Like its fur-equipped 1.0 counterpart, the Air Jordan 3 “Animal Instinct 2.0” uses undeniably rich materials. Unlike its aforementioned brethren, it’s reptilian in style, swapping out shaggy pony hair for premium printed leathers ranging from croc to snakeskin and more. A steep price point matches its premium stylings, but quality doesn’t come cheap on Air Jordans.
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: June 26
Release Price: $150 USD
Where to Buy: Reebok
Why You Should Cop: Mixing earthy meshes and suedes with fuzzy laces and special branding, Brain Dead’s Reebok Classic Leather is one of June’s most striking Reebok releases, and it was accompanied by an even more standout campaign featuring haunting marionettes. Now, it’s set for a wider release after last week’s Brain Dead-exclusive drop. $150 USD may seem steep for a Classic Leather, but if you appreciate the attention to detail that this pair puts on display it’s an easy pill to swallow.
Nike
Release Date: June 26
Release Price: $170 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: Serving up free-spirited style, the Air Jordan 1 “Tie Dye” brings vivid tie-dyed prints to the AJ1 for the first time ever, then mixes them with light and dark base tones for a summer-ready look. It’s a women’s makeup, but one that’s unquestionably too good for Air Jordan-loving men to pass up. Thankfully, it’ll be available in an extended size run.
Allike
Allike
Allike
Allike
Allike
Allike
Release Date: June 26
Release Price: €85 EUR (Era, approximately $95 USD)/€95 EUR (Old Skool, approximately $107 USD)
Where to Buy: Allike
Why You Should Cop: One may be headquartered in Tokyo while the other takes residence in Los Angeles, but NEIGHBORHOOD and Mr. Cartoon have more in common than you might think. Now, the two have linked up with Vans for an Old Skool and Authentic, centered around an imaginary “Uncle Toon’s Mart” concept. Each interprets this in a different fashion — one with an all-over print, the other with old-school embroidery — but both supply a flair that’s equal parts TYO and LA.
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: June 26
Release Price: $200 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS
Why You Should Cop: First introduced to celebrate LeBron James’ back-to-back NBA MVP awards in 2009 and 2010, the Nike LeBron 7 “MVP” is now set for its first ever retro release. With a varsity jacket-inspired build that features chenille Swooshes, fabric quarter panels and plenty of MVP-centric branding, these shoes are a physical manifestation of LeBron’s greatness, communicated in a way that’s still striking a decade later.
Release Date: June 27
Release Price: ¥17,500 JPY (Men’s, approximately $164 USD)/¥8,000 JPY (Kids, approximately $75 USD)
Where to Buy: atmos
Why You Should Cop: A three-headed collaboration that nods to sneaker culture in Los Angeles and Tokyo alike, the atmos x Sean Wotherspoon x ASICS GEL-LYTE III has been teased for months on end and is finally set for an official release. Covered in Wotherspoon’s signature colorful corduroy and arriving with five interchangeable Tiger stripes plus other patches, these vivid, vibrant, V-tongued sneakers will be available in both men’s and kids sizes.
Nike
Nike
Nike
Release Date: June 27
Release Price: $185 USD
Where to Buy: Nike SNKRS and Foot Locker
Why You Should Cop: Jordan Brand’s Air Jordan 11 Low “Concord Bred,” also known as the “Gym Red,” is an amalgamation of two signature Jordan Brand styles. Elegant yet crisp, these low-cut 11s are perfect for warm weather wear, and stake a solid claim for recognition among the other appealing styles from Jordan Brand’s extensive Summer 2020 release slate.
Keedron Bryant has just signed with Warner Records. The 12-year-old singer garnered wide acclaim when his poignant video about George Floyd went viral. Bryant began singing at the young age of five and has cultivated a distinctive voice, working closely with his mother on songwriting.
Titled “I Just Wanna Live,” the video received nods from the likes of Barack Obama, LeBron James, Janet Jackson and more. Keedron
Editor’s Note: This story was originally published on June 21, 2012. Sunday marks the eighth anniversary of LeBron James winning his first career NBA championship with the Miami Heat.
For a long time, LeBron James had it easy. And that’s what made it so hard.
The NBA hadn’t really seen a player with such a mix of talent, size and a willingness to being the ultimate team player. So much of this was natural. Not just James’ athleticism, either. James had a personality that made him want to be well-liked by his teammates, not just by the public.
Those are the ingredients of a champion. And they were identified early and coveted by every team in the league.
Now James has finally reached that pedestal after nine long years of trying. No one thought it would take this long, especially James himself.
For years, James’ career had been all about potential and the mostly stress-free rewards of acclaim, fame and cash. Then something changed — potential gave way to expectation, and it was a blow to James’ ego and a reputation he was both unprepared for and slow to accept. That burden and the relief from it was what made lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy on Thursday night so liberating.
James didn’t just have to learn the hard way, he had to be hurt the hard way: in front of everyone. He didn’t just have to grow up as a player, he had to do it with millions breaking down his mistakes. It created one of the most fascinating and polarizing plots in history, an arc that finally reached a climax with the Miami Heat‘s NBA Finals victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“I just think it’s a normal process that, not just LeBron, but anybody has to do to learn to be a champion,” said Mike Krzyzewski, James’ coach for Team USA. “But in LeBron’s case, because he’s recognized as one of the great players, he had to learn out in the open. And so a great player will get criticized as he’s learning.”
When James first made the Finals, with the Cleveland Cavaliers in 2007, it was received with commendation, even though he’d played terribly by his standards as the Cavs were swept by the San Antonio Spurs. At age 22, he was ahead of the curve, and excitement surrounded future trips to the Finals. In one of the more memorable moments of James’ early career, he was embraced by Tim Duncan in a hallway after Duncan had won his fourth title.
Holding the O’Brien trophy in one arm and with the other around James, Duncan whispered into James’ ear: “Some day th
(TALLADEGA, Ala.) — NASCAR has launched an investigation after a noose was found in the garage stall of Bubba Wallace, the only Black driver in the elite Cup Series who just two weeks ago successfully pushed the stock car series to ban the Confederate flag at its venues.
NASCAR said the noose was found on Sunday afternoon and vowed to do everything possible to find who was responsible and “eliminate them from the sport.”
“We are angry and outraged, and cannot state strongly enough how seriously we take this heinous act,” the series said in a statement. “As we have stated unequivocally, there is no place for racism in NASCAR, and this act only strengthens our resolve to make the sport open and welcoming to all.”
On Twitter, Wallace said the “the despicable act of racism and hatred leaves me incredibly saddened and serves as a painful reminder of how much further we have to go as a society and how persistent we must be in the fight against racism.”
“As my mother told me today, ‘They are just trying to scare you,’” he wrote. “ This will not break me, I will not give in nor will I back down. I will continue to proudly stand for what I believe in.”
The noose was discovered on the same day NASCAR’s fledgling flag ban faced its biggest challenge. The ban took effect before last week’s race near Miami, but there were only about 1,000 military members admitted into that race.
At Talladega, in the heart of the South, as many as 5,000 fans were allowed in, even though rain postponed the race until Monday and visitors were barred from the infield. No flags were spotted Sunday, but cars and pickup trucks driving along nearby roads were flying the flag and parading past the entrance to the superspeedway over the weekend. A small plane flew over the track Sunday pulling a banner with the flag and the words “Defund NASCAR.”
Wallace’s 2013 victory in a Truck Series race was only the second in a NASCAR national series by an Black driver (Wendell Scott, 1963) and helped push him into the Cup Series, where he drives the No. 43 for Hall of Famer Richard Petty and is forced to scramble for sponsorship dollars.
Wallace, a 26-year-old Alabama native, said he has found support among fellow drivers for his stance on the flag. He noted that in his tweet after the noose announcement.
“Over the last several weeks, I have been overwhelmed by the support from people across the NASCAR industry including other drivers and team members in the garage,
Mike Windle/Getty Images
ESPN will broadcast three specials dedicated to its “This Is SportsCenter” commercials, which have aired since 1995.
Per Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports, Elle Duncan and Steve Levy will co-host the specials Sunday.
The first one is an hour long and dedicated to the ad campaign’s history, and the second special will cover ads featuring star athletes.
The final edition will be a half-hour and focus on mascots’ appearances in the ads.
Per McCarthy, a total of 411
It’s easy to want to pooh-pooh Kyrie Irving.
After all, he’s the guy who made news when he said the Earth was flat — and was serious about it.
He was also the same guy who said, “the hoopla about Christmas. I don’t really get into that. I don’t really necessarily think of Christmas as a holiday.”
Irving also demanded a trade away from LeBron James in Cleveland after winning a title with him.
So we get it. Irving hasn’t always made complete sense or been an ideal messenger.
Enter some NBA players not wanting to finish the season in light of all the protesting and social unrest.
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Irving, the star guard for the Brooklyn Nets, is clear. He doesn’t buy into resuming the season in late July in the Orlando bubble. Irving is concerned that the NBA playoffs will serve as a distraction from the movement that has started in this country after the world watched in horror the murder of George Floyd by a white cop in Minneapolis.
Here, Irving has a point. It’s both valid and important when you consider where we are in the world.
On the grand scale, the basketball season doesn’t mean much. This time, this moment could finally change the country and its treatment of black and brown people for the better. Those that want to cease this opportunity aren’t wrong.
“I don’t support going into Orlando,” said Irving on a conference call with around 80 players, reportedly. “I’m not with the systematic racism and bull——. Something smells a little fishy. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are targeted as Black men every day we wake up.”
Irving is so serious about this point in American history that he reportedly told his fellow NBA brothers that he was “willing to give up everything I have” for social reform.
He isn’t alone. Lakers center Dwight Howard, who has a legit shot as his first title in his career, offered his support in a statement to CNN.
“I a
Jim McIsaac/Getty Images
Several Major League Baseball players including New York Yankees All-Star outfielders Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton as well as Philadelphia Phillies All-Star outfielder Andrew McCutchen co-starred in a video urging fans to “cheer with us” and support the Black Lives Matter movement:
New York Mets starting pitcher Marcus Stroman, Baltimore Orioles outfielder Adam Jones, Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson, Seattle Mariners utilityman Dee Gordon and retired Yankees pitcher CC Sabathia also lent their voices to the video.
The video, produced by Coleture, is similar to one created by NFL stars earlier this month:
LeBron James applauded MLB players for sending a “VERY STRONG” message:
The league released a statement June 3:
The Boston Red Sox released a separate statement June 10 acknowledging racist abuse th
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – MARCH 08: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts between Avery … [+]
Will LeBron James win a title with a third NBA franchise this fall?
The odds are in his favor.
James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers are 2/1 favorites to win the 2020 NBA title at, according to bookmaker.eu.
James is 3-6 in NBA Finals, having won two titles with the Miami Heat and one with his hometown Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Lakers (49-14) are followed by Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks (53-12) at 5/2 and then Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Clippers (44-20) at 3/1.
After the top three favorites come the Celtics (13/1), Rockets (15/1) and Raptors (19/1).
Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans are at 110/1. The NBA made sure to include the charismatic and high-flying Williamson in the restart.
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – MARCH 06: Zion Williamson #1 of the New Orleans Pelicans reacts against the … [+]
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 25: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers guards Kawhi Leonard #2 … [+]
If oddsmakers are correct, the City of Angels will become the likely home of this year’s Larry O’Brien trophy, but while the Lakers remain atop the NBA Championship odds boards, the league’s decision to play out the remainder of the season in a neutral location could actually hand the Clippers a slight advantage.
The Lakers and the Clippers hold the No. 1 and No. 2 positions in the Western Conference respectively, and where seeing plays a pivotal role in determining the Home/Away splits in playoff series, it creates an interesting situation when the two top teams share an arena.
The Clippers and the Lakers both call the Staples Center home, and aside from causing a scheduling headache, the home advantage would likely benefit the Lakers if the two were to meet in the conference finals as the odds suggest.
The two teams have met three times at the Staples Center this season, splitting the two Clippers home games and with the lone Lakers home game going to the Clippers as well.
Make no mistake about it, the Staples Center belongs to the Lakers, and though there were plenty of Clippers fans were in attendance for each of the games, the majority of the crowd sported the purple and gold.
Despi
NBA superstar LeBron James is joining forces with other Black athletes and celebrities to launch a new initiative focused on registering and supporting Black voters in the 2020 election. Its success may not only get out the vote, but also launch a new generation of athlete activists that could help save the 2020 election.
The initiative is called More Than A Vote, and it focuses on supporting the registration and turnout of Black voters in the upcoming national election. But as the name indicates, the organization will also focus on educating voters about how to vote and how to respond to efforts of voter suppression. In an interview with The New York Times, James framed the organization’s key focus.
“Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial,” James said. “We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.”
SACRAMENTO, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 01: LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers stands for the … [+]
The 35 year old NBA player isn’t starting the initiative alone. He is joined by fellow NBA All-Star Trae Young, WNBA All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith, and former NBA player and current ESPN Analyst Jalen Rose. The group also plans to enlist other athletes and entertainers to join the initiative and leverage their passion and social media influence for good. The goal is to energize black voters to not only follow the celebrities’ lead, but also to encourage voters to step up and make their voices heard in the up
The aftermath of the Tulsa Race Massacre, during which mobs of white residents attacked black … [+]
Dream Hampton, LeBron James, Russell Westbrook, and several other production companies are in the works of producing content related to one of the most tragic massacres in American history. The Tulsa Race Massacre — also known as the Greenwood Massacre, or the Black Wall Street Massacre — took place on May 31st and June 1st in 1921 when mobs of white residents attacked Black residents and businesses located in the Greenwood District in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Before the riots, Tulsa was referred to as “The Black Wall Street” given the fact that most of the residents who resided in the district ran successful businesses and were some of the country’s wealthiest African Americans. The district was looted and burned by white rioters, and it is believed that as many as 300 people lost their lives in the midst of the riots.
Dream Hampton, who worked as executive producer for the Lifetime docu-series “Surviving R. Kelly”, is also planning to release a miniseries titled Black Wall Street in collaboration with Cinflix Productions. In a statement, Hampton addressed the importance of stories such as what happened in Tulsa to be shared. “Black people from Tulsa have refused to let the Greenwood District Massacre be erased from history. I’m so inspired by their persistence to lift up the stories of w
In life, there are consequences and repercussions.
Some random white kid in California learned that valuable lesson on Sunday, while also giving us all a hearty laugh that we needed after a very long and mentally exhausting week and weekend.
“One of these little motherfu**ing white boys didn’t know where he was going and broke my fu**ing window in my truck. Broke my sh*t. I chased him down and whooped his ass,” Smith said on his Instagram account about the footage that he knew would soon be uploaded confirming the incident.
“This ain’t no hate crime. I ain’t got no problem with nobody who ain’t got no problem with me. It’s a problem with the motherfu**ing system. That’s it. […] He didn’t know whose window he broke and he got his ass whooped.”
Every ounce of New Jersey came out of Smith at that moment, and it was glorious. That was not J.R. Smith, the NBA champion and former Sixth Man of the Year, in that video. That was a man named Earl Joseph Smith III defending his property.
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And while this Smith, and the dude getting stomped out, are the focus of the video, the true star is the unnamed man in the video that turns to the camera and says: “Respect his privacy, please. Come on.”
In 2020, when everything is being recorded on phones, this man dared to believe that a bystander was going to stop filming a former NBA star in the midst of administering some WWE leg kicks.
Whew, we all needed that laugh.
A day earlier, Smith was spotted on a bike ride in Los Angeles with Lebron James and Anthony Davis.
Sunday was also the two-year anniversary of arguably Smith’s lowest moment in his playing career, Game 1 of the 2018 Finals, when he lost track of the score in final the moments of regulation, possibly costing the Cleveland Cavaliers the game against the Golden State Warriors.
James put on one of greatest performances in NBA Finals history with 51 points on 19-32 shooting from the field, grabbed 8 rebounds, and handed out 8 assists.
But all people remember from that game is his reaction to Smith, which gave us one of the greatest memes of all time.
James was so mad that he walked out of the press conference due to being pepper
Unafraid to make controversial comments in the past, LeBron James has become even more vocal in his support of the Black Lives Matter movement since the death of George Floyd, which has sparked 10 consecutive days of protests, demonstrations and riots that have captivated the country.
UNSPECIFIED – MAY 16: In this screengrab, LeBron James speaks during Graduate Together: America … [+]
James, who Forbes previously named the World’s Most Powerful Athlete, has a social media reach that is unparalleled among American athletes.
He has 65.7 million followers on Instagram, 46.3 million followers on Twitter, and 23.9 million followers on Facebook.
Last Saturday, James retweeted a compelling speech from rapper/activist Killer Mike and, on Sunday morning, asked, “Why Doesn’t America Love US!!!!!????TOO.”
Throughout this week, he has used multiple Twitter posts to challenge the news media to provide representative coverage of protests that have been peaceful, as opposed to solely broadcasting those that have included looting or rioting.
On Wednesday, James rebuked Drew Brees (who said he “will never agree with players kneeling during the national anthem), by stating “You literally still don’t understand why Kap was kneeling on one knee??”
LeBron’s most vociferous criticism was directed at Fox News host Laura Ingraham, who had previously excoriated James for speaking publicly, yet came out in support of Brees on her show Wednesday night.
“We are simply F-N tired of this treatment,” said James, and capped his tweet by adding the hashtag, #ShutUpAndDribbleThisPowerfulBlackManComingFullSteam
In 2018, after James had criticized President Donald Trump in an ESPN interview, Ingraham chastised James. “It’s always unwise to seek political advice from someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball,” Ingraham said on her show two years ago. “Keep the political comments to yourselves. …Shut up and dribble.” However, two days ago, with fellow athletes knocking Drew Brees for his comments, Ingraham staunchly defended Brees’ right to speak out and take a controversial stance. “Well, he’s allowed to have his view about what kneeling and the flag means to him,” she told her viewers. “I mean, he’s a person. He has some worth, I would imagine.” Highlighting the hypocrisy and inconsistency in those two statements, James tweeted, “If you still haven’t figured out why the protesting is going on. Why we’re acting as we are is because we are simply F-N tired of this treatment right here! Can we break it down for you any simpler than this right here????”
$41.8 million: In 2015, James partnered with the University of Akron to provide a guaranteed four-year scholarship to the school for students in James’ I Promise program who qualify, which is expected to cost approximately $41.8 million. The I Promise School is an elementary scho
Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
Some NBA players struggled even gaining access to a basketball hoop during the league’s three-month hiatus.
As such, the reopening of team practice facilities was a crucial step in the ability for players to ramp up basketball activities in anticipation of a return to the hardwood.
Players have had the opportunity to work out at their respective facilities, though there are limitations put in place by the NBA so as to ensure a safer environment. This includes allowing no more than four players in the facility at the same time.
Then again, other players—like Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James—have orchestrated private workouts, possibly to allow for more personnel. Unfortunately for James, the NBA is cracking down.
Dave McMenamin of ESPN reported Tuesday the NBA, starting June 23, will prohibit the use of private courts “without prior NBA approval.” McMenamin also said a number of Lakers players “spent the majority of their hiatus playing on private courts rather than at the facility…”
Until then, however, LeBron is getting his runs in with some familiar faces.
James put in some work with fellow Klutch Sports client and Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons on Thursday, though it is unlikely Simmons has been the only invitee.
New Orleans Pelicans guard JJ Redi
Novak Djokovic playing basketball in his video. (Screengrab)
Novak Djokovic has kept himself quite busy during the lockdown — be it a ‘pan’tastic rally of tennis at home or cosplaying his children’s favourite characters. Now, he is trying his hand at basketball.
Ever since the tennis tour came to a halt, the world number one has kept himself busy with fighting the pandemic and pondering over how the lower-ranked players can be helped with a relief fund.
To blow some steam off, the 33-year-old recently tweeted a video of him dribbling with the basketball and making an impressive shot at a court. “Am I ready for a 1:1 @KingJames?” asked Djokovic, tagging NBA star LeBron James in his tweet.
James, a three-time NBA champion and four-time NBA Most Valuable Player, was quick to reply praising the Serbian’s efforts. “Ha! I’m going to say I think you are!! Beautiful follow-thru on that shot buddy!” James wrote.
Ha! I’m going to say I think you are!! B
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Bill Baptist/Getty Images
NBA general managers are already some of the most scrutinized professionals in the sport, so which ones have done the best and worst at their jobs?
While examining a “what have you done for me lately?” role, we’ll only grade GMs on their performance over the past three years (or less, if newly hired).
Did your favorite team’s GM pull off a blockbuster trade in 2009? Won’t be considered here. Did that 2014 first-round pick turn into a bust? The selection will be granted immunity for this exercise. We’re only concerned with recent job performance.
GMs often share duties with other members of the front office, such as team presidents and assistant GMs. While the general manager might not have put the finishing touch on a transaction, all moves by the team will be treated as if they were responsible, for better or worse. Only draft picks, trades and other moves from the summer of 2017 until now count.
Here’s how every GM grades out over the past three seasons.
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David Zalubowski/Associated Press
Three teams—the Chicago Bulls, Denver Nuggets and Detroit Pistons—all either hired GMs after the league went on hiatus or are searching for one.
With Arturas Karnisovas transitioning from GM of the Nuggets to executive vice president of basketball operations with the Chicago Bulls in April, both teams have had to add new front-office members.
The Nuggets replaced Karnisovas with Calvin Booth, the assistant GM in Denver who spent 10 years as a player in the NBA with seven teams.
In Chicago, Karnisovas hired Marc Eversley, most recently the senior vice president of player personnel with the 76ers, to be the Bulls’ newest GM.
The Pistons are searching for a general manager, with senior advisor Ed Stefanski handling most of the duties in the process.
Since neither Booth nor Eversley has had the opportunity to make a transaction, all three teams receive incomplete grades.
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Scott Cunningham/Getty Images
Notable Transactions:
The former assistant GM of the Golden State Warriors, Travis Schlenk has begun molding the Atlanta Hawks into a mini-version of his former champion teams.
Trae Young has flashes of Stephen Curry in his game with his incredible range and tight handles, and shooting guard Kevin Huerter has a similar 6’7″, 190-pound frame to that of Klay Thompson (6’6″, 215 lbs).
Collins was a brilliant pick outside the lottery in 2017 and is already averaging over 20 points and 10 rebounds per game and shooting 40.1 percent from three, with a hefty contract extension likely coming.
We’ve yet to see Capela play a game since a trade from the Houston Rockets, but Hunter and Reddish look like quality starters at least.
Schlenk will ultimately be judged on his passing on Doncic in favor of Young and the draft pick that became Reddish. While Doncic is the greater talent, Young is already an All-Star starter in his second year.
There’s a lot of young talent on this team, but the Luka swap and a poor 20-47 overall record this season hurt his grade a little.
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Tim Bradbury/Getty Images
Notable Transactions:
Danny Ainge has been the GM of the Boston Celtics since May 2003 and probably has the most job security of any front-office employee in the league given his experience in Boston as both a player and executive.
While his tenure has resulted in a 2008 championship and one of the greatest trades of the past few decades (getting four first-round picks from the Brooklyn Nets for an aging Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce), only moves from the past three years count here.
Trading for Irving in 2017 seemed like a home run, even with giving up the Nets’ unprotected first-round pick. Irving battled injuries and displayed poor leadership, resulting in his leaving in free agency just two seasons later. Getting Walker as a replacement in 2019 certainly helped make up for it, however.
Dealing the first overall pick to the Philadelphia 76ers in 2017 couldn’t have turned out any better, as Boston still got its guy in Tatum at No. 3 with an additional first-rounder to show for it.
Hayward was having a fantastic 2019-20 season following his devastating ankle injury in 2017-18 and will most likely pick up his player option next season as well.
While this is still a backcourt-heavy team with holes at power forward and center, Ainge has done a great job of signing big-name free agents and pulling off trades when needed.
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Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images
Notable Transactions:
Sean Marks has turned a broken franchise with few draft picks into a team with a real chance to win an NBA title next season.
Trading for Russell in 2017 was a tremendous move, as it gave the team a go-to star who helped lead Brooklyn back into the playoffs. Moving him for Durant was something Marks had to do.
While a run to the Finals next year with a healthy Durant and Irving would solidify Marks’ grade as a perfect A+, there’s still some crash-and-burn potential.
Irving lasted just 20 games this season before undergoing shoulder surgery, and we’ve yet to see what Durant will look like post-Achilles injury.
For now, Marks has made all the right moves, but his financial commitment to two injury-prone stars will decide his success.
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NBA Photos/Getty Images
Notable Transactions:
While P.J. Washington and Devonte‘ Graham have proved to be tremendous picks for Mitch Kupchak, there’s been some obvious mistakes in his two years running the Charlotte Hornets.
Bridges has been fine, but Gilgeous-Alexander would have been a franchise-changing type player at point guard.
The biggest mistake here was low-balling the best player in franchise history, Walker, while agreeing to give a career 38.0 percent shooter in Rozier almost $19 million per year.
Charlotte is 23-42, has the 28th-best offense in the NBA and is without an All-Star or even a player who looks like a lock to become one.
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Tony Dejak/Associated Press
Notable Transactions:
Cleveland Cavaliers GM Koby Altman was thrown into a tough situation in 2017, managing a trade request from Irving while trying to keep LeBron James happy in the final year of his contract.
While the Irving trade was mostly a disaster, it did lead to Collin Sexton, the team’s leading scorer at age 21.
Signing Love to a mega-extension was a mistake. The rebuilding Cavs don’t want to trade the 31-year-old Love just to get off his contract, but it’s clear both sides know a split is for the best.
Darius Garland was OK as a rookie coming off a major knee injury in college, although Kevin Porter Jr. looks like he could become a star.
Getting Andre Drummond was an odd move, but the NBA’s rebounding leader is still just 26, and Altman didn’t give up anything of value to get him. Hitting on a 2020 lottery pick and moving Love this summer for anything significant would help Altman’s case.
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Glenn James/Getty Images
Notable Transactions:
The Dallas Mavericks have done a brilliant job of restocking the talent base following Dirk Nowitzki’s 2019 retirement.
While Young and Reddish would have been exciting, Doncic looks like a future MVP who already has the Mavericks in playoff position in just his second season. Taking the risk to trade up to get him could go down as one of the best moves in franchise history.
Porzingis looks like a great second option next to Doncic, and at age 24 he should only continue to get better.
Donnie Nelson has also done a great job of filling out the roster around the two stars, with Seth Curry, Maxi Kleber, Dorian Finney-Smith and Boban Marjanovic playing their roles perfectly.
Even with some future firsts tied up from the Porzingis trade, Nelson has this team in line to make the playoffs now and compete for championships in a few years.
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Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images
Notable Transactions:
Bob Myers was the Executive of the Year in 2016-17 after adding Kevin Durant to a 73-win team but has since been hamstrung by KD’s decision to leave and a roster that’s gotten considerably more expensive.
Getting Russell was a big win, especially since the Golden State Warriors didn’t have enough cap space to sign him or any other big free agent outright. While swapping Russell for Andrew Wiggins’ massive contract didn’t make sense, the first-rounder acquired from the exchange could turn out to be quite valuable, especially if it’s moved in a deal for another star player.
Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and Thompson’s contracts are more or less rewards for their years with the Warriors and likely won’t match their production by the end of the deals, but Myers didn’t really have a choice but to re-sign all three.
If the Warriors can flip Wiggins and the Timberwolves pick for another star, the Russell deal will look brilliant. For now, Myers’ performance over the past three years alone has just been OK.
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Bill Baptist/Getty Images
Notable Transactions:
Daryl Morey has been one of the more active GMs in the league since he took the job in 2007, and his trade for James Harden in 2012 was one of the decade’s best.
While locking Harden into a $170 million extension kept his centerpiece out of trade rumors, Morey has spent the past few years trying to find the perfect co-star.
Chris Paul and Harden went as far as the Western Conference Finals, and moving the veteran point guard for Russell Westbrook proved costly. The Houston Rockets have just one more first-round pick they can trade (2022), meaning there are few other means of upgrading the team around Harden and Westbrook.
This is just another really good team in the West that probably still isn’t talented enough to win a title.
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Joe Robbins/Getty Images
Notable Transactions:
Getting Domantas Sabonis locked into a deal for $19.3 million per year was good value for Chad Buchanan and the Pacers given the 24-year-old big man is averaging 18.5 points, 12.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game.
The trade for T.J. Warren was one of the best of the past few years that rarely gets mentioned, as the 26-year-old forward is leading the Pacers in scoring (18.7 points per game) and is on a good four-year, $47 million contract, and Indiana collected a trio of picks simply for taking on his salary.
While the Pacers had to give up three selections (including their first-rounder this year) for a restricted free agent in Malcolm Brogdon, he’s performed well this season with 16.3 points and 7.1 assists per game.
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Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images
Notable Transactions:
The Los Angeles Clippers have undergone quite a makeover over the past few years, trading franchise star Blake Griffin and loading up on draft picks before cashing them in to land Kawhi Leonard and George.
The Griffin trade was painful at the time but has turned out great for L.A. As the Detroit Pistons look to offload the remainder of his $171 million contract, the Clippers used the picks to help reshape the roster.
Giving up that massive haul for George was necessary to get Leonard, moves that could backfire should both opt out of their deals and leave via free agency in 2021. Still, the Clippers have set up an incredible roster and are one of the most desirable locations in the league, meaning there’s little risk either leaves his home city.
Getting quality role players like Ivica Zubac, Marcus Morris and Reggie Jackson have been positive moves as well. The Clippers are only a title away from Michael Winger, Lawrence Frank and the rest of L.A.’s front office getting an A-plus.
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Damian Dovarganes/Associated Press
Notable Transactions:
Why do you even need a content person for influencer marketing?
After all, the influencers are providing the content. You just have to collect their pearls of wisdom, make them look pretty in a PDF, and you’re good to go, right?
I’ll confess, on my first influencer marketing project, I wasn’t quite sure what I was doing there. Over the last few years, however, I’ve come to understand the role that content marketers can play in shaping influencer content.
It’s the content lead’s job to shape the conversation with the influencer. We have to ask the right questions, and provide a structure and framework to elicit thoughtful, detailed responses.
There are a few extraordinary thought leaders who will dash off a thousand-word, amazingly insightful response to the vaguest prompt. But most folks — even those who write for a living — need more to go on than “What is the biggest problem facing our industry?”
The influencers you’re talking to have spent hours of time and effort learning about their subject matter, building an audience with powerful, useful content that provokes action. When you email that list of questions, or sit down for an interview, make sure you don’t leave any insight untapped.
Here’s how we at TopRank are evolving our influencer approach to get at that next-level content.
So you’ve identified the true influencers to your target audience, you’ve developed relationships, and now you’re ready to co-create content together. Before you start, make sure you lay the groundwork for a productive Q&A.
Influencers will take their cue on how to answer based on how you ask the question. If you start with a mile-high question like, “What challenges should leaders be aware of right now?”, you’re likely to get a high-level response, something vague and oracular. That’s not because the interviewee can’t get into specifics — it’s because you didn’t invite them to.
A better approach is to find out the biggest challenges that your industry is facing, pick one, and ask what we should be doing about it: “The latest Gartner report says that 75% of managers don’t have enough donuts in the breakroom. What are the options for HR leaders to fix t
Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James, who once was infamously told to “shut up and dribble” when he talked about politics, is now stepping into the topic in a major way. Along with several other entertainment stars and prominent athletes, he is forming a new political action group aimed at protecting African-Americans’ voting rights and encouraging them to turn out to vote.
The “More Than a Vote” organization will focus on African-American voter registration and ballot casting in November’s elections. Already enlisted in the cause are actor Kevin Hart and basketball stars Trae Young, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Jalen Rose, Draymond Green, and Udonis Haslem, as well as NFL running back Alvin Kamara. James reportedly is also attempting to recruit prominent musicians.
On Wednesday, Apple announced Greatness Code, a short form documentary series co-produced by LeBron James’ Uninterrupted and Tom Brady’s Religion of Sports and directed by Emmy-winner Gotham Chopra (Facebook Watch’s Tom vs. Time). Greatness Code will debut globally July 10, exclusively on Apple TV+.
Apple describes Greatness Code as “a landmark, short form unscripted series that spotlights untold stories from the greatest athletes in the world.” The first season consists of seven mini-episodes, each examining a pivotal moment that defined a legendary athlete’s career.
Those athletes include three-time NBA Champion LeBron James, six-time Super Bowl Champion Tom Brady, Olympic Gold Medalist and co-captain of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team Alex Morgan, world’s fastest man and eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt, five-time Olympic Gold medalist and 15-time World Champion swimmer Katie Ledecky and 11-time world cham
Fox News host Laura Ingraham attempted to explain to African-Americans on Thursday night that President Donald Trump can empathize with inequality and police brutality due to his “own experience” with federal investigators during the Russia probe.
With protests raging across the nation over the death of an unarmed black man in Minneapolis police custody, Ingraham lectured protesters over the demonstrations devolving into violence and looting.
After chastising the non-Fox media for supposedly fanning racial flames over the police killing and subsequent protests, Ingraham then decided to address the black community as a whole to tell them how they should properly protest the killing of George Floyd.
“Now, I’m not going to pretend for a millisecond to know what it’s like to be a black person in America,” she said. “I don’t. But the only thing I do know is that we all need to do better.”
Reiterating that we need to “do better,” the conservative Fox News host—who once told LeBron James to “shut up and dribble”—said the “real change agents in America are those who stay in their communities and build them up, not burn them down” before invoking a civil rights icon.
“Rosa Parks is a beloved, global symbo
On May 26, the day after George Floyd was killed, 12-year-old Keedron Bryant shared a powerful video where he sang a cappella, “I’m a young Black man/Doing all that I can/To stand.” The song’s lyrics were written by Keedron’s mother Johnetta Bryant. Sharing the video, Bryant wrote, “Just singing what’s on my heart… hope this blesses someone🙏🏾❤️.”
Keedron Bryant’s video was subsequently shared by Barack Obama, Lupita Nyong’o, and LeBron James and it’s been viewed more than 3 million times.
Now, Bryant has signed with Warner Records, who has released a studio version of “I Just Wanna Live,” produced by Dem Jointz. All of th
Ned Dishman/Getty Images
As Brooklyn Nets star Kyrie Irving prepares to help lead a call with rank-and-file members of the National Basketball Players Association on Friday night concerning the league’s plan to restart the season at a bubble site in Orlando, Florida, the guard is apparently at odds with some of his fellow colleagues across the NBA.
Just ahead of the call Friday, ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported on Irving’s reputation as a “disruptor” in some league circles. Wojnarowski wrote:
“Irving is expected to be a significant voice on a call Friday night that’s expected to include a significant percentage of the league’s players, sources said. Irving’s been a leader in sharing his thoughts on race and wealth in America, asking how precisely a predominately black group of NBA players should proceed in this climate of racial transformation in the country.
“Irving has forged a reputation as a disruptor within his NBA career, and that’s emerging again at this crucial moment for the NBA. Irving’s stance has pitted himself against the league’s establishment one more time, including his former Cavaliers teammate LeBron James. There’s significant support to resume the season among the league’s superstars—most of whom are on playoff contenders—and Irving seems to be relishing the clash.”
Woj later spoke to one player who detailed Irving’s message on Frida
Fox News host Laura Ingraham defended Drew Brees’ right to speak out about national anthem protests, … [+]
Update (Friday): Laura Ingraham addressed her comments about Drew Brees on her show Thursday, saying “we are all children of God, regardless of our racial or political differences and therefore must be treated equally.”
Previously:
Fox News host Laura Ingraham admonished LeBron James for speaking out about racial and political issues, infamously telling the NBA star to “shut up and dribble.” Ingraham told James and other outspoken athletes to “keep the political comments to yourselves.”
Ingraham, however, has a different take on Drew Brees, and the immense backlash he’s receiving for saying he disproves of NFL players kneeling during the national anthem. On Wednesday, Ingraham called the criticism of Brees “stalinist.”
What about the two cases is different?
The “stick to sports” argument has always been selective, usually only applying to Black athletes and sports commentators who advocate for racial justice. Case in point: those who eviscerated former ESPN anchor Jemele Hill for tweeting about politics on her personal account — the White House even campaigned for her firing after she had called President Donald Trump a “white supremacist” — often express outrage about Curt Schilling’s dismissal from the network for his offensive postings on social media.
“Stick to sports,” unless you agree with me, and in many cases, look like me.
Ingraham’s wildly contradictory viewpoints on James and Brees highlight this transparent phenomenon. In 2018, the acerbic right-wing pundit eviscerated James for criticism he levied towards President Donald Trump, when the three-time NBA champion told ESPN Trump “doesn’t really give a f— about the people.”
Ingraham called James’ take “unintelligible” and “ungrammatical,” before really laying into him. “It’s always unwise to seek political advice from someone who gets paid $100 million a year to bounce a ball,” she said, per NPR. “Keep the political comments to yourselves. … Shut up and dribble.”
In defense of her remarks, Ingraham said she’s been insulting celebrities in that matter for years, pointing to her 2006 book titled, “Shut up and Sing.”
But yet, Ingraham didn’t tell Brees to “shut up and throw the football.” In fact, she hailed him as a free speech warrior.
In an interview with Yahoo! Wednesday, the Saints QB said he thinks kneeling during the “Star-Spangled Banner” is disrespectful to the flag. “I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country,” he said.
Brees wound up apologizing for his remarks in a lengthy Instagram post Thursday, saying he is “sick” of seeing the way his comments were “perceived.” Notably, Brees did not take back his stance about kneeling during the anthem to protest police brutality, nor acknowledge why his original remarks were problematic.
But in Ingraham’s view, Brees didn’t have to apologize at all, because he has every right to express his viewpoint about social and racial matters — even though he makes millions of dollars for throwing a football, just like James makes millions of dollars for dribbling a basketball.
“I mean, this is beyond football, though,” she said. “This is totalitarian conduct. Th
The 2000s featured a long slate of players holding the mantle of Best Player Alive, but by the end of the decade, the game’s top player was clear. LeBron James seized the throne in 2008-09 and never looked back, dominating the 2010s with a run akin to Michael Jordan. But LeBron wasn’t without significant competition.
James kicked off the decade with Dwight Howard and Dwyane Wade in their primes, and Kobe Bryant was still rolling as an All-NBA talent. Things didn’t get easier as the 2010s continued. Kevin Durant emerged as arguably the best scorer of the century. Kawhi Leonard evolved from an elite complimentary piece to a bona fide star. James Harden, Russell Westbrook and Stephen Curry marked a new generation of superstars, and before long, a certain Greek Freak challenged James’ throne.
So who was truly the Best Player Alive in every year of the 2010s? Check out The Crossover’s selections below:
James’ final year in Cleveland ended with disappointment, but during the regular season, the best player of his era continued to dominate the competition. LeBron finished the year second in scoring, first in PER and first in win shares, guiding the Cavaliers to 61 wins. An Eastern Conference semifinals loss to the Celtics concluded James’ time in Cleveland, at least for a few years. He’d fulfill his promise to bring home a championship before the decade is over.
Honorable Mentions – Dwight Howard, Dwyane Wade
Howard reached the Finals in 2008-09, and he was even better the following year with perhaps the best center season of the 2010s. Howard led the league in blocks, rebounds and field goal percentage, becoming the lone player this century to average at least 18 points and 13 rebounds per game while shooting 60% from the field. Howard paired that efficiency with another dominant defensive campaign as he won his second of three straight Defensive Player of the Year awards. We may be underrating Howard’s Hall-of-Fame career in 2020.
We’re once again stuck with a difficult choice for the No. 3 spot with no shortage of deserving candidates. Kevin Durant won his first of four scoring titles in 2009-10, and Kobe Bryant captured his fifth and final championship. Neither player was as good as Dwyane Wade. Miami’s superstar carried an undermanned Miami team to 47 wins, and he ended the year with top-five finishes in points, steals, PER and win shares. Wade earned first-team All-NBA and second-team All-Defense honors, highlighting his impressive impact on both ends of the floor. Wade in his prime may be the best shot-blocking guard in NBA history. He was pretty spectacular on the other end, too. Wade’s two-way brilliance gives him the nod.
We’ve hit on MVP misfires numerous times in our Best Player Alive series, and the 2010-11 MVP may be the most egregious. No disrespect to Derrick Rose, but giving the award to anyone but LeBron James reeks of either boredom or vengeance. James quickly became a villain upon joining the Heat, though that shouldn’t take away from his superb season. LeBron finished second in scoring and 12th in assists, once again shining as an advanced analytics icon as he led the league in win shares and PER. If there was another deserving candidate, perhaps we’d take LeBron out of the top spot given his disastrous Finals. But in reality, there’s nobody who truly challenged James’ crown as the best player in the NBA.
Honorable Mentions – Kevin Durant, Dirk Nowitzki
We’ll select Kevin Durant as our first runner-up in what will become a theme throughout the decade. Still, even if Durant couldn’t snag the top spot, he was clearly the game’s top scoring threat by 2010-11. KD led the NBA in scoring for the second straight season at 27.7 points per game as OKC sprinted to 55 wins, and he was the top scorer in the postseason before losing to the Mavericks in the Western Conference finals. 2010-11 didn’t mark the peak of Durant’s career by a long shot. He still earned the No. 2 spot in his fourth NBA season.
I truly feel bad for Rose here, who would certainly slide into the top three had Miami–or any team other than Dallas–won the 2011 Finals. But Dirk Nowitzki’s playoff heroics gives him the nod. Both Rose and Nowitzki finished in the top 10 in points per game, PER and win shares. And while Rose’s season ended in a five-game loss to the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals, Nowitzki defeated Miami’s Big 3. He hit a game-winning layup in the final seconds of Game 2 of the Finals, then scored 29 points on 18 shots in a critical Game 5 victory. After nearly a decade of playoff frustration, Nowitzki sealed his legacy with a dominant 2011 postseason.
Greg Nelson/Sports Illustrated
There was little competition for the Best Player Alive here, even as James had yet to truly hit his Miami peak. LeBron won 85 of 121 first-place MVP votes as he scored 27 points per game, and he came through in the clutch after a miserable 2011 Finals. James and the Heat headed Boston down 3–2 in the Eastern Conference finals, with an implosion of the Big 3 possibly on the horizon. James rose to the occasion. He blitzed Boston with 45 points–including 30 in the first half–and 15 rebounds, making 19 of 26 shots. He’d defeat the Celtics two nights later before winning his first ring in a five-game series against the Thunder
Honorable Mentions – Kevin Durant, Chris Paul
Durant falls just short again here. The Thunder couldn’t overtake James and Co. in the playoffs, though that’s no fault of Durant’s. He averaged 30.6 points per game in the Finals on 54.8% from the field and 39.4% from three, continuing an outstanding postseason. It remains a shame Durant couldn’t win his first ring with Oklahoma City.
The Point God continued to shine as the league’s top point guard in his first year with the Clippers, leading the NBA in steals while averaging 19.8 points and 9.1 assists per game. Paul continued to be an advanced analytics darling, and he deserves serious credit for turning around a moribund franchise that registered just one playoff appearance in 14 years. The Clippers never reached the Finals with Paul, but CP3 should be recognized for making Los Angeles’ second team anything other than a laughingstock.
It remains debatable when exactly LeBron hit his peak as a player, but 2012-13 stands as his best statistical season. James scored 26.8 points per game with an 60.3 effective field goal percentage, and he canned over 40% of threes for the only time in his career. James led the way in Miami’s 27-game win streak, and he delivered once again in the playoffs. Ray Allen saved the Heat’s season in Game 6 of the Finals, but don’t discount James’ historic Game 7. He scored 37 points and added 12 rebounds, sealing the victory with a 19-foot jumper with 27 seconds left. James got the monkey off his back in 2012. He sealed his legacy in 2013.
Honorable Mentions – Kevin Durant, Carmelo Anthony
KD told Sports Illustrated he was “tired of being second,” in April 2013, but unfortunately, he would still have to wait another half-decade to seize the mantle of Best Player Alive. Durant shouldn’t be ashamed of finishing behind James, especially at LeBron’s peak. Regardless, Durant continued his historic offensive career in 2012-13, joining the 50-40-90 club as he averaged 28.1 points per game. Durant ceded the scoring title, but he would recapture it one year later for the fourth time in five years.
Carmelo Anthony’s legacy has frankly been disrespected in recent years, and qualifying his production at his peak as empty calories is either ignorant or disingenuous. Anthony was a legitimate superstar as he ne
Nike is no stranger to creating inspirational campaigns for sports fans all across the globe, telling stories behind the blood, sweat, and tears of professional athletes. Now, in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, Nike has released a new clip as an extension to the “You Can’t Stop Us” campaign, titled “Never Too Far Down.”
The clip, which you can watch above, is narrated by NBA star LeBron James, and speaks of those who came back from adversity, offering examples such as Serena Williams, Tiger Woods, Cristiano Ronaldo, Rafael Nadal,
Thousands of Georgia voters waited for up to seven hours in lines that stretched blocks during the state’s primary election on Tuesday, and many left before voting.
The state’s new voting machines did not work, because of either mechanical failure or poor training of poll workers. Many voters came to wait in line after failing to receive absentee ballots they requested to avoid the in-person threat of coronavirus. And many voters left the lines without having cast their ballots.
The worst problems were concentrated in counties and localities with higher Black populations.
Even for a state marred by a recent history of malice and incompetence in its administration of elections, Tuesday’s election was a calamity. It was neither free nor fair, critics said.
The election drew national attention as former Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton tweeted that Georgia’s failure was “voter suppression.”
“Many Republicans don’t want certain people to vote,” former Attorney General Eric Holder tweeted. And L.A. Lakers star LeBron James asked whether it revealed “structurally racist” barriers to voting.
“Yesterday was completely avoidable,” said Nse Ufot, executive director for the New Georgia Project. “It was a direct attack on our democracy.”
“Maybe the Carter Center should send monitors to monitor Georgia elections,” said Jerry Gonzalez, executive director of Georgia Association of Latino Elected Officials, referencing the organization founded by former President Jimmy Carter that monitors foreign elections.
President Donald Trump and former Vice President Joe Biden are expected to be competitive in Georgia in the general election. The state is also in the rare position of holding races to fill two U.S. Senate seats, either one of which could decide which party holds the balance of power in that body.
If the problems revealed on Tuesday recur on Nov. 3, it could throw the entire country into chaos.
The state’s primary election was one of many across the country that have revealed the challenges of holding elections during a viral pandemic, which may remain an obstacle for the November general election.
As have many other states, Georgia consolidated polling places and urged voters to request an absentee ballot. Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger even sent absentee ballot applications to all active voters.
An unprecedented 1.5 million Georgians requested absentee ballots. But thousands did not receive their ballots or had other problems and instead went in person to the limited number of open polling sites.
And Georgia experienced problems that other states have not while trying to adjust to the effects of the pandemic. At some polling sites, voting machines had not even been delivered by the time the polls were supposed to open. At others, unprepared poll workers could not turn them on. And there were too few provisional ballots for voters who suddenly learned their names had been purged from the rolls. Others discovered that they were no longer listed as U.S. citizens.
Georgia’s absentee ballot problem
Hall of fame candidate and current ESPN analyst Paul Pierce listed his top-five NBA players of all time, and LeBron James is not one of them.
During ESPN’s “NBA Countdown” on Wednesday, Pierce said the greatest players in NBA history are Michael Jordan, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Bill Russell, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant. In describing why James was not included on the list, Pierce said he has not helped build up any organization in his career.
“What has LeBron did to build up any organization from the ground?” Pierce said. “I’m talking about these players, top-5 players. Bill Russell built the organization of
Should LeBron James lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the NBA Finals, he’ll be playing basketball in October. However, there’s something even bigger that the Lakers’ star — and some of his friends and colleagues in the sports and entertainment world — are preparing for come November, James announced Wednesday.
James and a collection of black athletes and entertainers are teaming together in a new group geared toward energizing black voters and thwarting voter suppression in cities around the country that could prove critical in the upcoming presidential election.
“Because of everything that’s going on, people are finally starting to listen to us — we feel like we’re finally getting a foot in the door,” James told The New York Times, which reported on the initiative earlier Wednesday. “How long is up to us. We don’t know. But we feel like we’re getting some ears and some attention, and this is the time for us to finally make a difference.”
The nonprofit organization — named More Than a Vote, echoing James’ “more than an athlete” mantra — has a two-pronged mission to not only encourage African Americans to register and vote in November but also expose voter suppression tactics, such as misinformation spread through social media.
More Than a Vote is in its early stages, but it has already identified key states — and major cities within those states — where it hopes to have an impact, a source familiar with the organization told ESPN.
Some of the notable names on board, along with the communities in which they have planned outreach, include Eric Bledsoe (Milwaukee), Draymond Green (Saginaw and East Lansing, Michigan), Trae Young and Alvin Kamara (Atlanta), Udonis Haslem (Miami), Sam Perkins and Stephen Jackson (Houston), Skylar Diggins-Smith (Phoenix) and come
NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from its races and properties on Wednesday, formally distancing itself from what for many is a symbol of slavery and racism that had been a familiar sight at stock car events for more than 70 years.
The move comes amid social unrest around the globe following the death in police custody of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis. Protests have roiled the nation for days and Confederate monuments are being taken down across the South — the traditional fan base for NASCAR.
Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s lone black driv
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Instagram/ Keedron Bryant
A 12-year-old black boy whose song about the fears of being a young African American went viral has been signed by a major US record label.
Keedron Bryant’s song I Just Wanna Live, posted online one day after the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota, is out on Friday.
Warner Records timed the release to coincide with Juneteenth, which marks the end of centuries of US slavery.
The song has already racked up millions of likes.
The soulful track was written by Keedron’s mother and is sung a cappella by him.
It include
Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images
In early April, with the NBA on hiatus amid the coronavirus pandemic and the country desperate for sports to watch, ESPN re-aired Games 5 and 7 from the 2016 NBA Finals between the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers.
While basketball fans across the country tuned in, so too did those who actually played in the game.
Kevin Love, part of a group text featuring Cavaliers who were on the 2016 title team, told Bleacher Report, “We were just breaking down the game and going back and forth and just reliving it.”
“That’s a bond that will really never be broken,” Love continued, now four years after the Cavs took down a 73-9 Warriors team. “It doesn’t feel like that long ago that, you know, we had come back from 3-1 and won away from home and ended that 52-year drought, so that’s something that will always be, you know, right there, top of mind, that you can never take away from us.”
While moments like LeBron James‘ block on Andre Iguodala, Kyrie Irving‘s game-winning dagger over Stephen Curry and Love’s defensive stop on Curry immediately come to mind, a comeback from a 3-1 deficit took far more than just three plays.
Packed into the seven games were little moments that helped Cleveland climb out of what was previously an inescapable hole, and those moments were led by guys not named LeBron, Kyrie or Kevin.
These are the top unheralded plays, players and moments of the 2016 NBA Finals that, while rarely talked about, helped the Cavs take down Golden State.
Richard Jefferson Steps in for Concussed Kevin Love in Game 3
Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images
Following a 17-point, 13-rebound performance in Game 1, Love took an elbow to the head from Harrison Barnes in the second quarter of the Warriors’ Game 2 victory. After he re-entered the game and showed symptoms, the Cavs removed Love for good and diagnosed him with a concussion.
History was repeating itself.
Love had already missed the entire 2015 NBA Finals with a separated shoulder suffered in the first round of the playoffs, and he was in danger of again being sidelined. Although heading back to Cleveland, the Cavs were in a 0-2 hole, even worse than the 1-1 split they had come out of Oakland with a year ago.
With Love officially ruled out for Game 3, the Cavs turned to 35-year-old Richard Jefferson to start in his place.
The 6’7″ forward allowed Cleveland to play smaller and faster, beating Golden State at its own game. The Cavs opened up a 20-point first-quarter lead and never looked back, winning 120-90 as Jefferson finished with nine points, eight rebounds, two assists and two steals while shooting 57.1 percent from the floor.
Rather than allowing his team to experience a crushing 0-3 deficit, Jefferson came up big when the Cavs needed him most and helped save the series.
Dahntay Jones Keeps Cavs’ Momentum in Game 6
Andrew D. Bernstein/Getty Images
Near halftime of Game 6, the Cavaliers held a 54-38 lead over the Warriors when Jefferson fouled Klay Thompson, drawing his third whistle of the game.
Jefferson had already started two games in the series for a concussed Love. Now, with Love back, he was the team’s most important reserve. Cleveland was down to the end of its bench and was forced to put in veteran Dahntay Jones.
Jones had spent most of the season in what was then known as the D League, signing with the Cavaliers as a veteran presence at the end of the year for a postseason boost. Just weeks after playing for the Grand Rapids Drive, Jones was sharing the floor with James and Curry in the NBA Finals.
Golden State went on a mini 5-0 run to cut Cleveland’s lead to 11 before Jones stole the momentum back.
He caught a pass from James while cutting to the basket, finishing through a foul by Draymond Green and capping off the and-1. Seconds later, he drew a second foul on Green when both went for a loose ball, giving the Warriors’ All-Star power forward his third foul of the half
Although the Class of 2020 wasn’t able to have in-person commencement speeches due to COVID-19, several celebrities, now including The Simpsons, have given graduating students some virtual congratulations.
The Simpsons family members Homer, Bart, Lisa, and an especially exhausted Marge, all appeared in YouTube Originals‘ Dear Class of 2020 livestream via a preprepared video conference. “Well, the job is to be inspirational, and there are plenty of good things: the air is cleaner than ever,” the always optimist
MINNEAPOLIS — Two days after a black man in Minnesota died after being pinned by police, the University of Minnesota announced that it will limit its relationship with the Minneapolis Police Department.
School president Joan Gabel made the announcement Wednesday in a letter that was sent to students, faculty and staff members, writing that the university no longer will use local officers to assist at major events, including Golden Gophers football games.
George Floyd, 46, died Monday night while in Minneapolis police custody. A bystander’s video showed officer Derek Chauvin, who is white, kneeling on the handcuffed Floyd’s neck, even after Floyd pleaded that he could not breathe and stopped moving. Two other Minneapolis officers held Floyd down while a fourth officer stood nearby and interacted with bystanders who pleaded with the officers to get off Floyd.
All four officers involved in the incident were fired Tuesday. On Wednesday, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey demanded criminal charges for the officers.
Protests were held in the city Tuesday and Wednesday.
“Our hearts are broken after watching the appalling video capturi
Apple TV+ will soon have a new offering for sports fanatics in “Greatness Code,” a short-form documentary series that tells the untold stories of the world’s greatest athletes.
The first season, set to premiere exclusively to Apple TV+ on July 10, will feature seven episodes that examine a pivotal moment in an athlete’s career. Season one will feature three-time NBA champion LeBron James, six-time Super Bowl champion Tom Brady, U.S. Women’s National Soccer Team co-captian Alex Morgan, and Olympic gold medalist snowboarder Shaun White.
Also featured are eight-time Olympic champion Usain Bolt, f
Who will be the most important and exciting players to watch when the NBA returns next month?
The league is set to restart action on July 30 in Florida with eight seeding games for each of 22 teams before a potential play-in series and then the standard playoffs. LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard will look to repeat historic playoff performances, while Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler and Anthony Davis headline a class of players looking to make deeper postseason runs than ever before.
Our experts break down the players who matter most in each conference, the first game they want to see in Orlando and the promising stars most likely to have a breakout performance.
MORE: Inside the NBA’s 100-page safety plan
Andre Snellings: Milwaukee Bucks vs Philadelphia 76ers. The 76ers are talented enough to compete for a championship, but they haven’t played at that level for most of the season. Will they come back at their best, with Joel Embiid rested and Ben Simmons healthy? If so, the Bucks are the perfect measuring stick.
Nick Friedell: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Portland Trail Blazers — a possible play-in game before the play-in games, featuring Zion Williamson and Damian Lillard. Watching those two go back and forth would be a lot of fun, especially given how important it would be in the standings.
Kirk Goldsberry: Los Angeles Lakers versus LA Clippers. LeBron vs. Kawhi. These guys will likely battle for the Western Conference crown, so let’s see a preview right away.
Bobby Marks: I want to see an elimination game off the bat, so I’ll choose either the Orlando Magic vs. the Washington Wizards or the Memphis Grizzlies vs. the Phoenix Suns. The Wizards and Suns will be in desperation mode right away, giving these matchups high stakes immediately.
Tim MacMahon: You can never go wrong with Lakers vs. Clippers, now that Kawhi Leonard and Paul George give L.A.’s other team a pair of franchise players. This has become the NBA’s premier matchup, and it’s surely a West finals that the league office would love to see. It would also probably be the first Lakers-Clippers matchup in which the Lakers didn’t have home-court advantage.
Friedell: Jimmy Butler. The All-Star swingman has already established himself in the league, but I really expect him to perform well in the bubble. His game and personality are suited well for an all-basketball, no-frills environment. I don’t think he can carry the Miami Heat all the way out of the East, but I do think he’ll have some great performances under these circumstances.
MacMahon: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander‘s talent isn’t exactly a secret. He was the centerpiece of the massive haul the Oklahoma City Thunder received for Paul George and he hasn’t disappointed, averaging 19.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game. He was solid in the playoffs for the Clippers last season in a smaller role, and he’ll likely leave no doubt that he belongs high on the list of the league’s rising stars once the Thunder’s run in Orlando ends.
Marks: Victor Oladipo. By the time he steps on the court in late July, Oladipo will be a year and a half removed from right knee surgery. While he struggled after his return — shooting 39% from the field and averaging 13.8 points — the former All-Star was finding his footing when the season was interrupted. He has the talent to help Indiana surprise teams in the East.
Snellings: Nikola Jokic has played at a star level for a few years now. When he’s on, he’s a true rarity, a walking triple-double who can run the offense from the center position. His recently slimmed physique sug
Massive protests against racism sparked by the police killing of George Floyd are having a ripple effect across American society, with multiple sectors facing a reckoning over their treatment of minorities.
From business to sport and media to education, AFP takes a look at the companies, organizations and personalities that are standing in solidarity with the Black Lives Matter movement against racial injustice.
– Sport leads the way –
Basketball star LeBron James was one of the first to condemn Floyd’s death at the hands of a white Minneapolis police officer on May 25.
He later announced that he planned to found a charitable organization that aims to help black Americans vote in the presidential election on November 3.
Fellow NBA legend Michael Jordan said that he would donate $100 million to groups fighting for racial equality and social justice.
NFL stars Tom Brady, Dak Prescott and Drew Brees and NBA coaches Steve Kerr and Gregg Popovich were among more than 1,400 people from America’s largest sports leagues who submitted a letter to US lawmakers demanding an end to police immunity.
In one of the biggest shakeups, NFL boss Roger Goodell admitted the league had been wrong to silence peaceful player protests.
He later encouraged teams to sig
Roger Federer has won 20 Grand Slams in his career. (Source: File Photo)
Roger Federer is the world’s highest-paid athlete for 2020 as the Covid-19 pandemic knocked football’s Lionel Messi off top spot, according to the annual Forbes list released on Friday.
The Swiss tennis great, owner of a men’s record 20 Grand Slam singles titles, earned $106.3 million in the last 12 months, including $100 million via endorsements, to move up four places and become the first player from his sport to top the list.
Footballers Cristiano Ronaldo ($105 million), Messi ($104 million) and Neymar ($95.5 million) and American basketball player LeBron James ($88.2 million) rounded out the top five.
“The coronavirus pandemic triggered salary cuts for soccer s
Ramona Shelburne
Adrian Wojnarowski
National Basketball Players Association executive director Michele Roberts said the players she represents spent the weekend discussing how they could best use “our obvious influence — either by playing or not playing — to make sure we enhance and move this movement forward” rather than distracting from it.
After nearly 100 NBA players participated in a Friday night call, in which Brooklyn Nets guard and NBPA vice president Kyrie Irving made a case against resuming the season in Orlando, Florida, in late July, Roberts said players have spent the weekend considering how the league’s return might affect the Black Lives Matter movement.
“It’s not a question of play or not play,” Roberts told ESPN. “It’s a question of, does playing again harm a movement that we absolutely, unequivocally embrace? And then whether our play can, in fact, highlight, encourage and enhance this movement.
“That’s what they’re talking about. They’re not fighting about it; they’re talking about it.”
Several players on the call Friday said they were considering sitting out the remainder of the season in order to focus on social justice issues, or because they were uncomfortable with the proposed plans to resume the season with 22 teams in a campus-like environment in Orlando, sources said.
Others argued that the NBA can bring more attention to the movement by playing and using the league’s platforms afforded them once the season resumes.
For example, Roberts has mentioned to several players that one of the most powerful examples of athletes using their platform to protest and promote social change came in 1968, when American sprinters John Carlos and Tommie Smith raised black-gloved fists while on the medal stand at the Summer Olympics.
In order to be on the podium for that iconic moment, Roberts said, both men had to run — and earn a medal in — their 200-meter race.
As such, Roberts said she has urged each player to make his own decision about whether it feels appropriate or comfortable to play, because it is such a personal decision for each player.
ESPN’s reporting with players, agents, the NBPA and league officials over the weekend found no indication that the NBA’s return is in jeopardy — or that there’s even a significant group of players ready to sit out.
There are expected to be some
Wizards point guard Isaiah Thomas, who has experienced tough hip injuries during his nine-year professional career and whose sister died suddenly in 2017, hears from Eric almost every day. “Four or five times a week, in the early morning, he’ll send me a voicemail or a video,” Isaiah tells me. “It just makes me want to get up and go and grind. When I was rehabbing, I had a lot of down days, and he texts me and says, ‘Make sure your energy is at a 10, because you can control that. It’s contagious. It makes things happen.’ ”
Across the ranks of pro athletes, Thomas counts a wide spectrum of stars as friends. Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, Cavaliers guard J.R. Smith, Patriots linebacker Kyle Van Noy, the Spurs’ Bryn Forbes, the Nuggets’ Gary Harris, and Lions wide receiver Kenny Golladay. He’s aware that part of the reason athletes respect him is that he doesn’t treat them like gods. (He also isn’t paid for his one-on-one work.) ?
Migos‘ unfettered creative streak continues. Following the LeBron James-sampling “Taco Tuesday” and “Racks 2 Skinny” singles, the trio has served up a new lyric video for the latter track, offering a new perspective on their newest single.
Produced by Migos’ frequent associate DJ Durel, PVLACE and Gunboi, “Racks 2 Skinny”
We all remember LeBron James for his numbers and performances. 12 years ago today, there is a particular incident that a few might recall. Back in 2008 Eastern Conference Semifinals, LeBron yelled at his hyper mother, asking her to calm down in the stands.
The Boston Celtics had finished the season with a record of 66-16. They were going quite strong, and midway found Cleveland Cavaliers in the semifinals of the Conference standings. Celtics had acquired Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen that season and things were going their way.
In semifinals Game 4, Paul Pierce took to LeBron with full power. He fouled young James and the two went juggling towards the stands. LeBro
LeBron James indisputably ruled the world of basketball in 2010 after securing a second straight NBA MVP award and leaving the Cleveland Cavilers to join the Miami Heat. To celebrate this momentous time in the King’s career, Nike cooked up an exclusive LeBron 7 “MVP,” a lauded style that’s now set for its first-ever re-release.
From toebox to heel, the “MVP” is refined, elegant, and packed full of special details — in short, bringing together all the best attributes of early 2010s Nike Basketball product. It’s reminiscent of a letter jacket in its construction, thanks
Akron, Ohio, the hometown of LeBron James; the seat of the U.S. tire industry; the 127 largest city in the U.S.; and the home of America’s first toy company, is now the latest site of a global experiment in whether cities can use behavioral economics to help foster good citizenship.
Thanks to the work of the city’s deputy mayor for integrated development, James Hardy, Akron is the first city to roll out services from an Israeli-based company called Colu. A startup backed by just over $20 million in financing from American and Israeli investors, the company has developed an app-based rewards service that cities can roll out to provide perks to users.
In Akron’s case, the initiative rewards points for shopping at local businesses that can be redeemed for discounts at those stores. The initial effort, which includes a platform for businesses to market directly to the app’s users, focuses on businesses owned by women and minorities (a response to the movement for racial justice that has sprung up in the wake of the murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis).
Akron is the first city of what Colu founder Amos Meiri expects to be a nationwide rollout throughout the U.S. The company a
You’re more valuable when you’re negotiating with a built-in fanbase.
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The NFL draft, which happened April 23rd through April 25th, played out in an unprecedented way. For the first time in its history, the draft was done virtually.
And while the media and NFL fans were focused on top picks in the first round, there were some fans wondering what team would draft former USC swide receiver Michael Pittman Jr.
Some football enthusiasts have been following Pittman Jr.’s career since his college days, but there’s a growing fan base who has gotten to know him primarily through his YouTube channel and social media presence. Through his content, Pittman Jr. has developed an audience of people interested in behind-the-scenes insights into what it’s like to fulfill a lifelong dream of going pro.
These fans will want to know more as Pittman Jr. goes through the transition from college to the NFL, playing for the Indianapolis Colts. People who are not necessarily fans of the Colts will pay attention to what the team does this year because of their interest in Pittman Jr. They may even buy Pittman Jr. jerseys and other Colts merchandise. Pittman Jr.’s built-in fanbase increases his value to the team, which can play a part in his future salary negotiations.
Pittman Jr. knows that deeper connections with an audience is the first step in turning many of them into a potential customer base. And he’s not the only one; these days, a lot of pro athletes are building deeper connection-focused brands through the content they’re publishing.
Even after their time is over with a
Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images
There is reportedly friction between players about restarting the NBA season, but Los Angeles Clippers star Patrick Beverley believes LeBron James holds the power:
The NBA announced a plan to restart the 2019-20 season with 22 teams on July 30 in Orlando, Florida, after the season was initially suspended in March because of the coronavirus. Union team reps reportedly approved the deal with a 28-0 vote, according to Marc Stein of the New York Times.
Players have since voiced their frustrations about the restart, with Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving reportedly holding a call with about 100 players asking them not to participate, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Among the concerns from players are the injury risk after a long layoff, the restrictions within the Orlando “bubble” and the idea of detracting from
Marcio Jose Sanchez/Associated Press
While there has been hesitation among some players to compete in the NBA‘s restarted season in Orlando, Florida, Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has incentive to finish the year.
“LeBron is going to make sure those games [in Orlando] are played, because he knows they could have a huge impact on his legacy,” an Eastern Conference executive told Tim Bontemps of ESPN. “He knows picking up one or two more titles is the potential tipping point, and he’s determined to go for it.”
The Lakers led the Western Conference with a 49-14 record when the season was suspended in March. According to Caesars Palace, they are the favorite to win the 2020 NBA title with +180 odds ($100 bet wins $180).
James has an incredible resume of individual accomplishments, including 16 All-Star selections, four MVP awards and the third-most points in NBA history. He’s also helped take his teams to the NBA finals nine different times.
What separates him and other stars in the conversation for the greatest of all time is championshi
The NBA season is scheduled to resume on July 30, but some players are having reservations about returning to action. On Sunday, Los Angeles Clippers guard Patrick Beverley came out and proclaimed that if LeBron James says he’s playing, then everyone is playing.
“Hoopers say what y’all want. If @KingJames said he hooping. We all hooping. Not Personal only BUSINESS,” Beverley tweeted.
Beverley’s comment comes after Kyrie Irving recently called for players to boycott the season as not to distract and take away from the ongoing Black Lives Matter movement.
“I don’t support going into Orlando,” Irving said. “I’m not with the systematic racism and the bullshit. … Something smells a little fishy. Whether we want to admit it or not, we are targeted as black men every day we wake up.”
Irving went on to add that he’s “willing to gi
Los Angeles Lakers’ LeBron James (AP File Photo)
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James is starting a group with other black celebrities to work to prevent the suppression of the African-American vote, a person familiar with the matter said on Wednesday.
James’ group, More Than a Vote, will be focused on educating and protecting black voters as well as energizing more to show up at the polls for the November 3 U.S. elections, according to the person who declined to speak publicly about the campaign.
“We feel like we’re getting some ears and some attention, and this is the time for us to finally make a difference,” James told the New York Times, which first reported the news.
James and other celebrities expected to participate – including basketball
The LA Lakers superstar and emerging activist is taking on his toughest opponent yet: the disenfranchisement of black votersFrom his 2012 tweet that declared #WeAreTrayvonMartin to his shirt reading I CAN’T BREATHE before a 2014 game to his opening of a publi…
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Gregory Payan/Associated Press
Bronny James, the son of NBA legend LeBron James, is already considered one of the top prospects in the 2023 recruiting class, but he has room to rise.
ESPN released its recruiting rankings for the class of 2023, and James was listed as a 4-star prospect and the No. 24 overall player. He was given a grade of 89, which is the highest of the 4-star prospects.
James was a secondary contributor as a freshman on a loaded Sierra Canyon team with plenty of veteran players. He figures to see a larger role in the coming seasons as he becomes an upperclassman.
ESPN recruiting director Paul Biancardi compared Bronny to his famous father and said the young James has a better jump shot than LeBron did at the same time. He said they are at a similar position when it comes to passing and vision, although he noted Bronny still has some catching up to do when it
LeBron James has started a non-profit organization, supported by a group of other prominent black athletes and entertainers. Titled “More Than a Vote,” the initiative is aimed at getting African-Americans to register to vote and cast their ballot in November, the New York Times reports. It is also aimed towards combatting voter suppression across much of the country.
On Monday, James held a virtual press conference with fellow black athletes Jalen Rose, Skylar Diggins-Smith, Draymond Green, Udonis Haslem, and Alvin Kamara to announce the initiative. Kevin Hart is said to also have pledged to the cause.
More Than a Vote comes at a time when many people of color reported they had to stand in line for hours to vote in the primary elections earlier this week. A fact that James describes as “structurally racist.” He said, “Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial. We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.”
As the country gears up for presidential elections, it’s important to understand how black people and other minority groups are disenfranchised by voting systems.
Spurred by the death of George Floyd, a Black man in Minnesota who was killed by a white police officer, NBA superstar LeBron James said Wednesday that he’s launching a new initiative with a group of other renowned African American athletes and celebrities aimed at protecting Black voting rights.
James told The New York Times in an interview that Floyd’s death convinced him that he needed “to get out and do a little bit more” to empower and inspire African Americans across the nation to vote in the November election — and also to draw attention to efforts to suppress the votes of minority groups.
“Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial,” James said of the initiative, dubbed “More Than a Vote.” “We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.”
Jeff Chiu/Associated Press
Los Angeles Lakers All-Star LeBron James, Atlanta Hawks point guard Trae Young, Phoenix Mercury point guard Skylar Diggins-Smith and other black athletes and entertainers came together to form a voting rights group called More Than a Vote, according to the New York Times‘ Jonathan Martin.
The group’s aim is to protect the voting rights of African Americans while also amplifying “their voices in this fall’s presidential election.”
Rachel Nichols @Rachel__Nichols
“Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial. We’re going to give you the background of how to vote & what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.” – Lebron James to @jmartNYT on his new cause: https://t.co/KPni0czijo
“Because of everything that’s going on, people are finally starting to listen to us—we feel like we’re finally getting a foot in the door,” James told Martin on Wednesday. “How long is up to us. We don’t know. But we feel like we’re getting some ears and some attention, and this is the time for us to finally make a difference.”
Young added: “If people my age see that I’m going out and I’m voting and I’m talking, maybe the next 21-year-old will.”
In February 2018, Fox News host Laura Ingraham told James to “shut up and dribble” after the three-time NBA champion criticized President Donald Trump:
Those comments re-emerged last week when Ingraham said New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees was “allowed to
NASCAR banned the Confederate flag from its races and properties on Wednesday, formally distancing itself from what for many is a symbol of slavery and racism that had been a familiar sight at stock car events for more than 70 years.
The move comes amid social unrest around the globe following the death in police custody of George Floyd, an unarmed black man in Minneapolis. Protests have roiled the nation for days and Confederate monuments are being taken down across the South — the traditional fan base for NASCAR.
Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s lone black driver, called this week for the banishment of the Confederate flag and said there was “no place” for them in the sport. At long last, NASCAR obliged.
“The presence of the confederate flag at NASCAR events runs contrary to our commitment to providing a welcoming and inclusive environment for all fans, our competitors and our industry,” NASCAR said. “Bringing people together around a love for racing and the community that it creates is what makes our fans and sport special. The display of the confederate flag will be prohibited from
WASHINGTON — The N.B.A. superstar LeBron James and a group of other prominent black athletes and entertainers are starting a new group aimed at protecting African-Americans’ voting rights, seizing on the widespread fury against racial injustice that has fueled worldwide protests to amplify their voices in this fall’s presidential election.
“Because of everything that’s going on, people are finally starting to listen to us — we feel like we’re finally getting a foot in the door,” Mr. James said in a phone interview on Wednesday. “How long is up to us. We don’t know. But we feel like we’re getting some ears and some attention, and this is the time for us to finally make a difference.”
The organization, called More Than a Vote, will partly be aimed at inspiring African-Americans to register and to cast a ballot in November. But as the name of the group suggests, Mr. James and other current and former basketball stars — including Trae Young, Skylar Diggins-Smith and Jalen Rose — will go well beyond traditional celebrity get-out-the-vote efforts.
Mr. James, 35, said he would use his high-profile platform on social media to combat voter suppression and would be vocal about drawing attention to any attempts to restrict the franchise of racial minorities.
“Yes, we want you to go out and vote, but we’re also going to give you the tutorial,” Mr. James said. “We’re going to give you the background of how to vote and what they’re trying to do, the other side, to stop you from voting.”
He made no mention of President Trump, whom he has sharply criticized in the past, but he repurposed Mr. Trump’s slogan to hail America’s beauty, explaining, “We want to be beautiful once again.”
The new organization represents Mr. James’s most significant foray yet into electoral politics.
He has long said that he believes his greatest legacy will come from his off-the-court achievements. He has poured millions into his native Ohio, helping to underwrite college tuition for low-income students to attend the University of Akron and even opening his own school in the city for children in third through eighth grade.
He has also delved into entertainment, starting a media production company with his close friend Maverick Carter that has produced an HBO series, “The Shop,” in whi
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The US state of Georgia has ordered an inquiry after its primary election was marred by claims of voter suppression.
Within minutes of polls opening on Tuesday, long queues formed in the city of Atlanta, with some residents waiting hours to cast their vote.
Some areas also reported shortages of the new voting machines and a lack of back-up paper ballots.
Voters were choosing candidates for November’s general election, for which the primary is seen as a preview.
US President Donald Trump and his Democratic challenger Joe Biden are expected to compete hotly for Georgia in the forthcoming battle for the White House.
Nevada, South Carolina, West Virginia and North Dakota also voted on Tuesday amid the coronavirus pandemic and unrest unseen since the 1960s.
Voting sites saw queues grow immediately after opening on Tuesday, in part because of social distancing. But the delays were also due to severe technical issues that made it impossible for some locations to cast any ballots.
Atlanta’s Democratic Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms took to Twitter in the morning to report that residents across the city and some suburbs were turning up to find that voting machines “are not working”.
“If you are in line, PLEASE do not allow your vote to be suppressed,” she continued, amid reports that frustrated residents were leaving. “PLEASE stay in line.”
Georgia Congresswoman Lucy McBath also alleged “voter suppression” was the reason for the massive delays, tweeting: “Unacceptable. Our citizens have a right to vote. Plain and simple.”
Before voting was finished for the day, Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger, who is in charge of state elections, opened an investigation into the way voting was conducted in Fulton and DeKalb counties.
In an interview with WAGA-TV, he called the situation “unacceptable” and promised “to determine what these counties need to do to resolve these issues before November’s election”.
Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, who is like Mr Raffensperger a Republican, has also called the state legislature to investigate the voting issues.
Mr Raffensperger said the problems were due to a variety of factors, including the lack of experienced poll workers who stayed away over fears of the coronavirus.
This is Georgia’s first election with a new $104m (£81m) voting system, which introduces pape
Kathryn Riley/Getty Images
As they look for a potential third star to play alongside LeBron James and Anthony Davis, the Los Angeles Lakers might turn their sights toward Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal.
During an appearance on Complex’s Load Management podcast, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium reported the Wizards will likely extend a supermax extension to Beal, but it’s not immediately clear if he would re-sign. Charania added that the Lakers have shown interest in the two-time All-Star “at different points.”
Beal is under contract through the 2021-22 season and has a $37.3 million player option for 2022-23.
He told The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears in March he envisioned potentially ending his career with the Wizards:
“Wanting to have my jersey retired in Washington one day played a factor in me re-signing. Every night we walk into that arena, there’s five names up there. Those are some of the five greatest to ever touch a basketball. To be on pace to breaking the records that I am now and to be here for eight years already, that’s special. And coming into the prime of my career, you don’t know how much longer you have.
“For me, I look at Kobe, I look at D-Wade [Dwyane Wade], I look at Dirk [Nowitzki], U.D. [Udonis Haslem], how they can stay in one situation for a long time.
“I hate change. If it happens, it happens. But if I can control it, I will finish in D.C.”
Of course, circumstances can change
The NBA will crown an NBA champion for the 2020 season after all. The league is set to return July 31 inside Walt Disney World’s ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. 22 teams qualified for the league’s restart in Orlando. There will be eight regular-season games—plus a potential for a play-in tournament for the postseason—and playoffs to conclude the 2020 season, which was suspended on March 11 due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Before the season restarts, let’s rank the top-10 NBA teams headed for Orlando.
Al Horford joined the Philadelphia 76ers on a hefty four-year pact, but the results have been underwhelming thus far. The five-time All-Star has been shifted to the second unit in favor of Shake Milton. According to The Athletic, Milton is expected to remain in the starting lineup upon resumption of the season. The second-year guard displayed flashes of greatness.
Shake Milton balled out for a career day:
♨️ 39 Pts (career-high)
♨️ 14-20 FG
♨️ 7-9 3-PT FG pic.twitter.com/zb1fsQWFKX— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) March 1, 2020
Part of the reason Horford signed with Philadelphia was to play power forward, rather than center. However, the 34-year-old is not as quick as he once was and has struggled to guard opposing 4’s. It’s clear now that Horford is noticeably less effective playing next to superstar center Joel Embiid. In fact, the only time Horford sustained a strong stretch of play since joining Philadelphia came when Embiid went down with an injury.
Despite Horford’s woes, the 76ers are dangerous because of their defensive excellence. All-Star guard Ben Simmons is in the discussion for Defensive Player of the Year, leading the 76ers to the sixth-best defensive rating in the league.
Bam Adebayo, a first-time All-Star, has been one of the most pleasant surprises across the entire NBA.
Players to average 15+ PPG, 10+ RPG, 5+ APG, 1+ BPG in a season:
Kevin Garnett 3x
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar 2x
Giannis Antetokounmpo 2x
Larry Bird
Bill Walton
Chris Webber
Demarcus Cousins
💥BAM ADEBAYO💥 pic.twitter.com/gcL5Q3da4L— NBA Central (@TheNBACentral) March 23, 2020
The duo of Adebayo and Jimmy Butler is an underrated 1-2 punch. Coupled with the emergence of rookies Tyler Herro and Duncan Robinson, the Miami Heat should not be overlooked.
There are, however, two areas of concerns. First off, the Heat went 27-5 at home but just 14-19 on the road this season. Miami could be the squad most adversely impacted by Orlando’s neutral site.
The Heat should also be worried about its lack of success after trades for veterans Jae Crowder and Andre Iguodala. They had a mediocre 7-7 record after acquiring Iguodala and Jae Crowder. Four of those seven defeats came to the lottery-bound Hawks, Cavaliers, Timberwolves and Hornerts.
Despite trading franchise icon and former MVP Russell Westbrook and All-Star Paul George in separate blockbuster deals, the Oklahoma City Thu
Microsoft’s AI news editor might be new to its job, but it’s already proven it can match its human rivals in one common skill: an inability to distinguish between people of color.
According to The Guardian, Microsoft software used to replace the human journalists running news site MSN.com confused two mixed-race members of British pop group Little Mix.
In an MSN.com article headlined “Little Mix star Jade Thirlwall says she faced horrific racism at school”, the software mistakenly picked a photo of Thirwall’s fellow band member Leigh-Anne Pinnock.
MSN.com has since replaced the incorrect image. The outlet’s remaining human staff have been warned that the software could automatically publish the Guardian’s article again, and told to remove the story when it does. However, they were also informed that their AI overlord could overrule their attempts to delete it.
[Read: Speech recognition technology is racist, study finds]
Thirwell slated the mistake on her Instagram, noting that the two band members were so frequently confused that it’s become a running joke.
“@MSN If you’re going to copy and paste articles from
The Webby Awards may have had to cancel the in-person ceremony amid the coronavirus pandemic, but the 24th annual awards show goes on virtually with the “WFH: Webbys From Home.”
Hosted by Patton Oswalt, the live-streamed celebration on Tuesday, May 19, upholds the traditions of the Webbys (the hallmark 5-Word Speech will live on), while acknowledging challenges created by the pandemic. This year’s event is specifically dedicated to individuals and organizations using the internet in response to COVID-19.
Jimmy Fallon, Tom Hanks, Cardi B, LeBron James, Greta Thunberg, Lil Nas X, Dolly Parton, Celine Dion, UNICEF, HBO’s “Game of Thrones,” Malala Yousafzai, Ronan Farrow and Trevor Noah are among the 2020 Webby Award winners announced Tuesday by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
The Webbys also announced their Special Achievement honorees, celebrated specifically for using their internet platform to uplift the community during the pandemic. Avi Schiffmann, a 17-year-old who helped launch the first tracking database of COVID-19, was named Webby Person of the Year. Also dubbed Special Honorees are Kristen Bell, “Some Good News” hosted by John Krasinski, Miley Cyrus (for “Bright Minded: Live with Miley”), DJ D-Nice (Webby Artist of the Year), Swizz Beatz and Timbaland (Webby Crush the Internet Award winners for their Instagram Live Verzuz battles), Chef Massimo Bottura, Google Classroom, Invisible Hands, Shopping Angels, the Black Fairy Godmother Simone Gordon, Swab Squad, Trevor Bedford and Dr. Tatiana Prowell, as well as Webby Voice of the Year honoree ?
Chris Elise/Getty Images
LeBron James had a lot at stake going into this season after missing the playoffs last year. He has had a great regular season, but this year’s MVP plays in Milwaukee. However, leading the Los Angeles Lakers to an NBA title will help James reclaim an unofficial title: the best player in the world.
The best player in the world is not always the NBA MVP. If that were true, Michael Jordan would have more than five MVP awards. James held the title for a long run during his time in Cleveland and Miami, but his grip began to loosen.
Kevin Durant did not win an MVP trophy during his time with the Golden State Warriors, but he was still looked at as the best in the world. Even last season, after bringing a championship to Toronto, Kawhi Leonard was considered the best in the world despite not having won a league MVP trophy yet.
It seemed as though the torch was slowly being passed from James to the next generation. He remained a top-five player, but the best in the game became a debatable subject.
This season, James has set out to get that title back.
The Lakers have been great throughout 2019-20, on pace for a 63-win season before the suspension of play due to COVID-19. They were playing their best basketball at that point. They had won 12 of their last 15 games, with big wins over the L.A. Clippers, Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets.
James was carrying the team through all of it. He played in 14 of those 15 games, averaging 28.2 points, 10.2 assists and 8.4 rebounds while shooting 36.9 percent from three. Taking his game to another level, James has been attacking the basket at every opportunity he finds.
Overall this season, James is shooting 34.9 percent from deep, but he is finding his range and making defenses pay if they
The owner of a Minneapolis grocery store that George Floyd had just left when he encountered the police said his employee called him crying after witnessing an officer press his knee into the man’s neck.
The employee was “crying, telling me ‘Mike, Mike. What should I do? The guy can’t breathe. They’re killing him,”http://news.yahoo.com/” Mike Abumayyaleh, the owner of Cup Foods, told NBC’s Gabe Gutierrez.
“I said, ‘Call the police on the police. And make sure it’s recorded.’ And she did that.”
Full coverage of George Floyd’s death and protests around the country
Floyd, who was black, died Monday after a white Minneapolis police officer responding to a call about a forgery pressed his knee onto his neck for at least eight minutes. The incident was captured on video.
“Please, please, please, I can’t breathe,” Floyd begged as he was pinned to the ground. “My stomach hurts. My neck hurts. Please, please. I can’t breathe.”
Abumayyaleh was not at work the day of the incident but said Floyd was a regular at his store and he never had an issue with him in the past. On the day of the incident, Abumayyaleh said Floyd came in with a man and a woman.
The man tried to use what an employee suspected was a counterfeit $20 bill but an employee caught it, gave it back to the man and they left, Abumayyaleh said. Roughly 10 minutes later, Floyd came back in the store and used a suspicious $20 bill, according to the owner.
The employee didn’t immediately notice and Floyd left but the employee followed protocol and called the police. Floyd was still outside the store when officers arrived.
“What took place outside after that was not
Mark J. Terrill/Associated Press
The 2019-20 NBA season looked like it could be a return to glory for the Purple and Gold.
While LeBron James’ first year with the Los Angeles Lakers did not go as planned, Rob Pelinka and Co. went out and got Anthony Davis to be James’ co-star in the offseason, surrounding the superstar duo with a slew of key role players.
The Lakers were thriving as a result. Los Angeles stampeded to a 49-14 record in their first 63 games, including an 8-2 mark after the All-Star break.
James was playing at an MVP level and Davis was a candidate for Defensive Player of the Year. Veterans like Dwight Howard and JaVale McGee were thriving in their roles as defensive stalwarts, while Danny Green and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope offered much-needed spacing.
Not to mention, the Lakers were holding off a number of contenders at the top of the Western Conference. They looked like one of the top contenders to win the NBA title.
Of course, the coronavirus pandemic threw a wrench in L.A.’s momentum.
The current suspension of play has lasted nearly three months, and it took multiple months before teams were allowed to conduct individual workouts at their respective faciliti
Update: After Drew Brees faced considerable backlash for his comments regarding players kneeling during the national anthem and “disrespecting the flag,” he issued an apology. In response to that, Donald Trump tweeted that the New Orleans Saints quarterback “should not have taken back his original stance on honoring our magnificent American Flag.”
Hours later, Brees posted the following letter, addressed directly to Trump, to Instagram. “Through my ongoing conversations with friends, teammates, and leaders in the black community, I realize this is not an issue about the American flag. It has never been. We can no longer use the flag to turn people away or distract them from the real issues that face our black communities,” he wrote.
“We did this back in 2017, and regretfully I brought it back with my comments this week. We must stop talking about the flag and shift our attention to the real issues of systemic racial injustice, economic oppression, police brutality, and judicial & prison reform. We are at a critical juncture in our nation’s history! If not now, then when?”
He continued, “We as a white community need to listen and learn from the pain and suffering of our black communities. We must acknowledge the problems, identify the solutions, and then put this into action. The black community cannot do it alone. This will require all of us.”
Read his post below.
It took Drew Brees three attempts over multiple days, b…
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(NEW ORLEANS) — Drew Brees apologized Thursday for comments that were “insensitive and completely missed the mark” when he reiterated his opposition to Colin Kaepernick’s kneeling during the national anthem in 2016, drawing sharp criticism from fellow high-profile athletes and others in the wake of George Floyd’s death.
Los Angeles Lakers great LeBron James, New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins and former NFL player Martellus Bennett were just some of the high-profile athletes to criticize Brees on their Twitter feeds.
Brees, a New Orleans Saints quarterback who won the Super Bowl in the 2009 season, was asked Wednesday in an interview with Yahoo to revisit former NFL quarterback Kaepernick’s kneeling during the national anthem before games to bring awareness of police brutality and racial injustice.
“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States,” Brees began, adding that the national anthem reminds him of his grandfathers, who served in the armed forces during World War II. “In many cases, it brings me to tears thinking about all that has been sacrificed, and not just in the military, but for that matter, those throughout the civil rights movements of the ’60s, and all that has been endured by so many people up until this point.”
Many athletes have repeatedly said the kneeling was not about disrespecting the flag or the military but instead about police brutality.
Derek Chauvin has been charged with second-degree murder in the killing of Floyd, a Minneapolis black man who was handcuffed as the officer pressed a knee on Floyd’s neck for several minutes.
In an Instagram post Thursday, Brees said he was apologizing to his friends, teammates, New Orleans, the black community, the NFL community and “anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday.”
“In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country,” he wrote. “They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy. This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my ch
Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James has spotted a difference in FOX News’ coverage of his past political statements versus remarks recently made by New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees.
CHANGE!!! #ShutUpAndDribbleThisPowerfulBlackManComingFullSteam💨💨💨💨💨
— LeBron James (@KingJames) June 4, 2020
In a February 2018 airing of “The Ingraham Angle,” host Laura Ingraham criticized James and fellow NBA star Kevin Durant for their comments about President Donald Trump’s leadership, exhorting the athletes to “shut up and dribble.”
Earlier this week, the 41-year-old Brees was asked how the NFL should respond to athletes who demonstrate their opposition to police brutality and racism by kneeling during the national anthem, a gesture that came to national prominence in 2016 in large p
Brett Martel, The Associated Press
Published Thursday, June 4, 2020 3:35PM EDT
Last Updated Thursday, June 4, 2020 11:18PM EDT
NEW ORLEANS – Drew Brees now realizes he’d fallen out of touch.
His contemporaries drove that home when they pilloried him this week for repeating a long-held conviction he’d always felt comfortable expressing.
In the wake of the police killing of George Floyd, Brees repeated his opposition to kneeling during the national anthem. And the biting backlash that followed prompted the Saints’ star quarterback to issue a public apology Thursday in which he acknowledged he totally “missed the mark.”
When Brees expressed his position on the anthem three years ago, he was one of many voices in a crowded conversation. But when he repeated it Wednesday, he learned in humbling fashion how times have changed.
The intensity and frequency of protests stemming from Floyd’s killing less than two weeks ago have signified that wider segments of the U.S. population view police brutality and racial injustice as matters of greater urgency.
“I recognize that I should do less talking and more listening,” Brees wrote in the apology posted on social media. “When the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen.”
In 2017 many teams opted for anthem compromises that did not involve kneeling, even as they sought to carry forward former San Francisco quarterback Colin Kaepernick’s protest of the same social issues that now surround Floyd’s killing. Many teams opted to remain standing with locked arms, reminiscent of civil rights protests. The Saints, Brees included, chose to kneel moments before the anthem and then stand as it began.
This week the same sentiment during a Yahoo Finance interview drew widespread condemnation. A number of high-profile athletes, including LeBron James, as well as several current and former teammates, teed off. Critics saw Brees‘ take as tone deaf amid ongoing emotional protests around the country that sometimes have devolved into violent and destructive riots.
Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins called Brees “part of the problem,” in a video he posted on social media.
Later Wednesday night in New Orleans – where Brees could seemingly do no wrong – marching protesters could be heard slandering the quarterback. Videos appeared on social media of people burning Brees‘ No. 9 Saints jerseys.
Marc Morial, the National Urban League president and former New Orleans mayor, said in an email to the AP that while he has grown to respect Brees over his many years with the Saints, he found the quarterback’s comments to be “thoughtless.”
“The events of the last few weeks have lent weight to the argument that it is the subject of the protest, rather than the method, that makes many Americans uneasy,” Morial said, adding that he appreciates Brees‘ willingness to reconsider his words and hopes it “leads to a productive dialogue among his peers.”
While the apology was a first step, time will tell how well the 41-year-old Brees can repair relationships as what could be his final NFL season nears.
New Orleans linebacker Demario Davis, an outspoken advocate for racial justice, suggested during a CNN interview that Saints players would be able to accept Brees‘ apology.
“That is a form of true leadership,” Davis said. “That’s taking ownership. What we had hoped the first time was that Drew would elaborate more on racism and the sentiments of the black community. He admitted he missed the mark.
“For him to come out and say `I missed the mark, I’ve been insensitive but what I’m going to start doing is listening and learning from the black community and finding ways that I can help them.’ I think that’s a model for all of America.”
Saints receiver Michael Thomas also said on social media that he accepted Brees‘ apology.
But this isn’t the first time Brees‘ has found himself on the defensive for the way he chose to express hi
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CNN’s Ryan Nobles tells us more. “},{“title”:”Avlon: Why it matters that former military leaders spoke out”,”duration”:”03:05″,”sourceName”:”CNN”,”sourceLink”:”CNN.com”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/politics/2020/06/05/john-avlon-reality-check-trump-military-newday-vpx.cnn/index.xml”,”videoId”:”politics/2020/06/05/john-avlon-reality-check-trump-military-newday-vpx.cnn”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200605090743-john-avlon-home-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/politics/2020/06/05/john-avlon-reality-check-trump-military-newday-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/”,”description”:”CNN’s John Avlon explains the significance of former military leaders speaking out about President Donald Trump’s threat to use the military on protesters.”,”descriptionText”:”CNN’s John Avlon explains the significance of former military leaders speaking out about President Donald Trump’s threat to use the military on protesters.”},{“title”:”Barr defends use of force at White House protest”,”duration”:”00:58″,”sourceName”:”CNN”,”sourceLink”:”https://www.cnn.com/”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/politics/2020/06/04/barr-use-of-force-white-house-protest-sot-vpx.cnn/index.xml”,”videoId”:”politics/2020/06/04/barr-use-of-force-white-house-protest-sot-vpx.cnn”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200604135932-01-barr-presser-screengrab-0604-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/politics/2020/06/04/barr-use-of-force-white-house-protest-sot-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/”,”description”:”Attorney General William Barr u003ca href=”https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/04/politics/william-barr-news-conference-george-floyd/index.html” target=”_blank”>defendedu003c/a> the use of force on peaceful protesters outside the White House, saying that difficulties with relocating authorities earlier in the day had forced the clash.”,”descriptionText”:”Attorney General William Barr u003ca href=”https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/04/politics/william-barr-news-conference-george-floyd/index.html” target=”_blank”>defendedu003c/a> the use of force on peaceful protesters outside the White House, saying that difficulties with relocating authorities earlier in the day had forced the clash.”},{“title”:”Lemon: The people’s house has become the people’s fortress”,”duration”:”03:02″,”sourceName”:”CNN”,”sourceLink”:”https://www.cnn.com/”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/politics/2020/06/04/white-house-security-perimeter-fortress-acosta-lemon-tsr-bts-vpx.cnn/index.xml”,”videoId”:”politics/2020/06/04/white-house-security-perimeter-fortress-acosta-lemon-tsr-bts-vpx.cnn”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200604140343-02-white-house-fence-0602-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/politics/2020/06/04/white-house-security-perimeter-fortress-acosta-lemon-tsr-bts-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/”,”description”:”CNN’s u003ca href=”https://www.cnn.com/profiles/don-lemon-profile” target=”_blank”>Don Lemonu003c/a> calls the White House a “fortress of fear,” after workers constructed additional fencing along the complex amid protests over the death of George Floyd. “,”descriptionText”:”CNN’s u003ca href=”https://www.cnn.com/profiles/don-lemon-profile” target=”_blank”>Don Lemonu003c/a> calls the White House a “fortress of fear,” after workers constructed additional fencing along the complex amid protests over the death of George Floyd. “},{“title”:”Retired general: I’m glad I don’t have to advise Trump”,”duration”:”02:36″,”sourceName”:”CNN”,”sourceLink”:”https://www.cnn.com/”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/politics/2020/06/05/trump-protests-former-joint-chiefs-chairman-intv-burnett-ebof-vpx.cnn/index.xml”,”videoId”:”politics/2020/06/05/trump-protests-former-joint-chiefs-chairman-intv-burnett-ebof-vpx.cnn”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200605003345-gen-richard-myers-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/politics/2020/06/05/trump-protests-former-joint-chiefs-chairman-intv-burnett-ebof-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/”,”description”:”Retired four-star Gen. Richard Myers said during an interview with CNN’s u003ca href=”http://www.cnn.com/profiles/erin-burnett-profile” target=”_blank”>Erin Burnett u003c/a>that he’s u003ca href=”https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/04/politics/trump-protests-former-joint-chiefs-chairman-cnntv/index.html” target=”_blank”>”glad” he doesn’t have to advise President Donald Trumpu003c/a> as the President threatens to use the military if violent protests continue.”,”descriptionText”:”Retired four-star Gen. Richard Myers said during an interview with CNN’s u003ca href=”http://www.cnn.com/profiles/erin-burnett-profile” target=”_blank”>Erin Burnett u003c/a>that he’s u003ca href=”https://www.cnn.com/2020/06/04/politics/trump-protests-former-joint-chiefs-chairman-cnntv/index.html” target=”_blank”>”glad” he doesn’t have to advise President Donald Trumpu003c/a> as the President threatens to use the military if violent protests continue.”},{“title”:”Retired general: I was horrified watching Trump’s photo op”,”duration”:”02:49″,”sourceName”:”CNN”,”sourceLink”:”https://www.cnn.com/”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/politics/2020/06/04/retired-general-john-allen-trump-george-floyd-amanpour-vpx.cnn/index.xml”,”videoId”:”politics/2020/06/04/retired-general-john-allen-trump-george-floyd-amanpour-vpx.cnn”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200604134515-john-allen-amanpour-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/politics/2020/06/04/retired-general-john-allen-trump-george-floyd-amanpour-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/”,”description”:”General John Allen, former commander of US forces in Afghanistan, criticizes President Trump and his actions following the death of George Floyd.”,”descriptionText”:”General John Allen, former commander of US forces in Afghanistan, criticizes President Trump and his actions following the death of George Floyd.”},{“title”:”Former Defense Secretary Mattis: Trump tries to divide us”,”duration”:”04:51″,”sourceName”:”CNN”,”sourceLink”:”https://www.cnn.com/”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/politics/2020/06/03/james-mattis-statement-trump-protests-starr-ebof-bts-vpx.cnn/index.xml”,”videoId”:”politics/2020/06/03/james-mattis-statement-trump-protests-starr-ebof-bts-vpx.cnn”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/190904175128-james-mattis-august-2018-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/politics/2020/06/03/james-mattis-statement-trump-protests-starr-ebof-bts-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/”,”description”:”Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis issued a statement calling President Trump the first president in his lifetime that “does not try to unite the American people” as nationwide protests continue over the death of George Floyd. “,”descriptionText”:”Former Secretary of Defense James Mattis issued a statement calling President Trump the first president in his lifetime that “does not try to unite the American people” as nationwide protests continue over the death of George Floyd. “},{“title”:”Hear James Clapper’s warning about America “,”duration”:”01:57″,”sourceName”:”CNN”,”sourceLink”:”cnn.com”,”videoCMSUrl”:”/video/data/3.0/video/politics/2020/06/04/james-clapper-warning-to-america-nr-vpx.cnn/index.xml”,”videoId”:”politics/2020/06/04/james-clapper-warning-to-america-nr-vpx.cnn”,”videoImage”:”//cdn.cnn.com/cnnnext/dam/assets/200604121618-james-clapper-0604-large-169.jpg”,”videoUrl”:”/videos/politics/2020/06/04/james-clapper-warning-to-america-nr-vpx.cnn/video/playlists/this-week-in-politics/”,”description”:”Former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper warns of the “worrisome” characteristics of instability he is seeing in the US following President Donald Trump’s threat to deploy military force to states.”,”descriptionText”:”Former Director of National Intelligence Ja
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees apologized on Thursday following backlash to his comments “that kneeling during the playing of the national anthem is a sign of disrespect.”
“I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday. In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused,” Brees wrote on Instagram.
“In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country. They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy. This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my character. This is where I stand:
“I stand with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality and support the creation of real policy change that will make a difference. I condemn the years of oppression that have taken place throughout our black communities and still exists today.
“I acknowledge that we as Americans, including myself, have not done enough to fight for that equality or to truly understand the struggles and plight of the black community. I recognize that I am part of the solution and can be a leader for the black community in this movement. I will never know what it’s like to be a black man or raise black children in America but I will work every day to put myself in those shoes and fight for what is right.
“I have ALWAYS been an ally, never an enemy.
“I am sick about the way my comments were perceived yesterday, but I take full responsibility and accountability. I recognize that I should do less talking and more listening…and when the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen.
“For that, I am very sorry and I ask your forgiveness.”
When asked Wednesday by Dan White
After facing widespread and immediate backlash Wednesday for his comments about peaceful protest during NFL games, New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees has issued a public apology.
“I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday. In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused,” Brees said in an Instagram post. “In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country.
“They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy. This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my character.”
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees maintains that kneeling during the playing of the national anthem is a sign of disrespect.
Asked about the potential of players returning to the form of protest against police brutality and anti-black racism, first used in 2016 by former San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick, in the wake of nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd by Dan White of Yahoo! Finance, the 41-year-old Brees said he still considers it an act of disregard for the sacrifices of those in the military and the civil rights movement.
“I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America or our country,” Brees said. “Let me just tell you what I see or what I feel when the national anthem is played and when I look at the flag of the United States: I envision my two grandfathers, who fought for this country during World War II. One in the army and one in the Marine Corps, both risking their lives to protect our country and to try to make our country and this world a better place. So every time I stand with my hand over my heart, looking at that flag and singing the national anthem, that’s what I think about. And in many cases, it brings me to tears thinking about all that’s been sacrificed and not by just those in the military for that matter, but those throughout the civil rights movement of the ’60s and everyone and all that’s been endured by so many people up until this point.”
Entering into his 20th NFL season and 15th with the Saints, Brees acknowledges that things need to change in the United States, but that standing for the anthem can be a sign of togetherness.
“Is everyt
Laura Ingraham’s got your back, Drew Brees.
While the New Orleans Saints quarterback came under intense fire this week for reiterating his opposition to taking a knee during the national anthem, the Fox New host defended him by saying “he’s allowed to have his view about what kneeling and the flag mean to him.”
Not everybody was
New Orleans Saints quarterback Drew Brees attracted backlash Wednesday from across the sports world, including from a teammate, when he reiterated his stance that he will “never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America” during an interview with Yahoo Finance.
An emotional Malcolm Jenkins, in a video that has since been deleted from social media, said that he was “hurt” by Brees’ comments and that they were “extremely self-centered.” The Yahoo interview featured Brees’ first comments in the wake of George Floyd’s death last week.
“Our communities are under siege, and we need help,” Jenkins said in one of the videos on Instagram. “And what you’re telling us is don’t ask for help that way. Ask for it a different way. I can’t listen to it when you ask that way. We’re done asking, Drew. And people who share your sentiments, who express those and push them throughout the world, the airwaves, are the problem.
“And it’s unfortunate because I considered you a friend. I looked up to you. You’re somebody who I had a great deal of respect for. But sometimes you should shut the f— up.”
Jenkins, a safety who agreed to a four-year deal with the Saints in March, later clarified his decision to take down the initial video.
“I recorded a few videos when thinking of how to respond to Drew Brees, I don’t take any of it back-I meant what I said-I removed the 1st video because I knew it be more about the headlines,” he wrote. “I want people to understand how those of us struggling with what’s going on feel.”
Jenkins, who appeared on CNN on Wednesday, was not alone in sharing his thoughts. Brees’ remarks on the flag drew a sharp rebuke on social media from Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers and San Francisco 49ers cornerback Richard Sherman, among other NFL players, as well as from Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James.
Rodgers also posted on Instagram, with a photo of himself and his teammates locking arms during the national anthem, writing, “A few years ago we were criticized for locking arms in solidarity before the game. It has NEVER been about an anthem or a flag. Not then. Not now. Listen with an open heart, let’s educate ourselves, and then turn word and though
Breaking News
Drew Brees is begging for forgiveness over his comments about the NFL kneeling protest … saying, “it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused.”
The New Orleans Saints QB has been under heavy attack from teammates and even LeBron James — claiming his condemnation Tuesday of NFL kneelers is misguided and wrong.
In fact, people chanted “F**k Drew Brees” in New Orleans — and some people set Drew’s jersey on fire in the streets.
Who dat nation has a message for #drewbrees – we stand with #georgefloyd 💪🏾 #whodat #malcolmjenkins #michealthomas #whodatnation 🇺🇸🇺🇸🇺🇸🔥🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/wYgNBdCcKl
— Straight Boosta (@ezypicz) June 3, 2020
@ezypicz
Here’s Drew’s statement in full.
“I would like to apologize to my friends, teammates, the City of New Orleans, the black community, NFL community and anyone I hurt with my comments yesterday.”
“In speaking with some of you, it breaks my heart to know the pain I have caused.”
“In an attempt to talk about respect, unity, and solidarity centered around the American flag and the national anthem, I made comments that were insensitive and completely missed the mark on the issues we are facing right now as a country.”
“They lacked awareness and any type of compassion or empathy. Instead, those words have become divisive and hurtful and have misled people into believing that somehow I am an enemy. This could not be further from the truth, and is not an accurate reflection of my heart or my character.”
“This is where I stand … “
“I stand with the black community in the fight against systemic racial injustice and police brutality and support the creation of real policy change that will make a difference.”
“I condemn the years of oppression that have taken place throughout our black communities and still exists today.
I acknowledge that we as Americans, including myself, have not done enough to fight for that equality or to truly understand the struggles and plight of the black community.
“I recognize that I am part of the solution and can be a leader for the black community in this movement.”
“I will never know what it’s like to be a black man or raise black children in America but I will work every day to put myself in those shoes and fight for what is right.”
“I have ALWAYS been an ally, never an enemy.”
“I am sick about the way my comments were perceived yesterday, but I take full responsibility and accountability.”
“I recognize that I should do less talking and more listening…and when the black community is talking about their pain, we all need to listen.”
“For that, I am very sorry and I ask your forgiveness.”
Of course, Brees had said Tuesday — “I will never agree with anybody disrespecting the flag of the United States of America.”
It seemed Brees missed the point of the kneeling protest — which is to put a spotlight on police brutality and racial injustice.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Ed Reed scolded Brees on Wednesday night for his comments … repeatedly calling the QB a “straight sucka.”
@20twentyer / Instagram
But, the most emotional backlash came from his Saints teammate and friend, Malcolm Jenkins … who told Drew point-blank to “shut the f*ck up.”
A Santa Monica area influencer was caught borrowing a worker’s drill to stage a photo-op outside a boarded-up shop damaged by the previous night’s looting. Toting a photographer/boyfriend, the woman hands the drill back to a worker and climbs into a Mercedes-Benz and scurries away, pronouncing “Good job, guys, BLM!”
She has been identified as Washington Examiner intern and UC Santa Barbara student Fiona Moriarty-McLaughlin, and she has shut down her accounts @FactsWithFiona. But she has been for
Climbing machines offer a great workout — so much so that they’re the preferred workout of L
According to Deadline, LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s SpringHill Entertainment production company is set to produce a documentary on Black Wall Street and the Tulsa race massacre of 1921, with Bad Rap’s Salima Koroma directing. This year marks the 99th anniversary of the massacre, and for those who aren’t familiar with it (or who missed HBO’s Watchmen, in which it played a crucial role), it involved a group of white rioters on the ground and in airplanes completely destroying 35 blocks of a large and wealthy Black neighborhood in Tulsa, Oklahoma referred to as Black Wall Street. Deadline says 36 deaths were reported at the time, but modern estimates put it closer to 300.
This announcement comes as protestors are filling the streets in cities all over the country to demonstrate against racial injustice and police violence, a fact that is obviously not lost on Koroma, who tweeted about how “the fabric of this country is soaked in racism and today, 99 years later, we’re still fighting for change.” Deadline’s story doesn’t mention a potential release window, but next year seems like a safe bet given the timing of the 100th anniversary.
Also, this is the second production about Black Wall Street to be unveiled today, with Surviving R. Kelly executive producer dream hampton announcing a Cineflix miniseries this morning about Tulsa Mayor G.T. Bynum’s search for the mass graves con
The NBA’s return-to-play plan, which includes a likely 22-team field competing in Orlando, Florida, in regular-season games and a play-in tournament to decide postseason berths, is expected to pass in a Thursday board of governors vote.
The Memphis Grizzlies and Orlando Magic were holding the No. 8 seeds in their respective conferences when the league was suspended on March 11, but it looks like they will have to compete for their spots in the postseason when the season resumes.
Our experts break down what they’re most excited for in a play-in tournament, debate who has the most at stake and share their bold predictions for the playoffs.
MORE: When will the NBA return? Latest updates and big questions
Kevin Arnovitz: We’ve been openly debating the merits and drawbacks of a play-in tournament for years, and now we’ll finally have a pilot program to measure its value. We’ll find out whether this product is something players and fans respond to and something broadcast partners are intrigued by. If it works, it could generate a significant amount of revenue for the NBA in the next broadcast deal, which consequently might afford the league the chance to shave a few regular-season games off the schedule.
Kevin Pelton: How wide open it might be in the West this year. Despite the 3½-game lead the Grizzlies enjoyed in the race for eighth, all six teams that might be invited to Orlando are separated by barely a point per game in terms of differential, from the minus-0.8 mark for the New Orleans Pelicans to minus-1.9 for the Sacramento Kings.
Mike Schmitz: I’m interested in the viability of a play-in tournament every season moving forward. If all goes well, starting the playoffs with a quick-hitting tournament to determine back-end playoff slots could be a great way to hook viewers early, providing more of an NCAA tournament feel that would surely be welcomed by the sports betting community.
Andrew Lopez: I like the idea that the NBA is allowing itself to experiment at this point, but so many questions remain. How many times will Washington have to beat Orlando (or Brooklyn) to get the eighth spot in the East? What will happen in the race for No. 8 in the West? Is this something the NBA implements moving forward? The time for experimentation is now, so let’s get wild.
Royce Young: The novelty of it. Bringing the win-or-go-home mentality of the NCAA tournament to the NBA could produce games like we haven’t really seen before. There’s a fine line between feeling gimmicky and feeling energized, and a play-in tournament will walk it. But if it adds intensity and weight to early postseason games, it could bring the kind of moments typically reserved for a Game 7.
Arnovitz: Philadelphia and Boston have a rich history and contrasting styles, schemes and personnel. If Ben Simmons returns healthy for the Sixers, the matchup would be an unusually strong one for a first-round series.
Schmitz: Mavericks-Clippers. I’m fascinated to see how Luka Doncic — the third-most efficient isolation player in the NBA (minimum 200 possessions) — will fare against elite wing defenders Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in his potential playoff debut. Mismatch nightmare Kristaps Porzingis was also starting to hit his stride before the hiatus. This one has far more star power than your traditional 2-7 matchup.
Pelton: Boston-Philadelphia. Coming into the season, I think the expectation was tha
