Basketball
Looking At You Skip Bayless: LeBron James Claps Back At Critics Following Lakers Game 2 Win
Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty LeBron James had time for armchair experts critiquing his performance on the court. Fresh off a stunning Los Angeles Lakers victory over the Denver Nuggets in game two of the Western Conference Finals that saw Anthony Davis nail a buzzer-beating three, James took some time to address his haters. Before the game came down to the defining moment, the Lakers were cruising, for the most part, led by a torrid start by James before he cooled off in the second half, and Davis took over. Critics like professional LeBron James hater, Skip Bayless, didn’t waste time twisting himself into a pretzel to find a way to fault King James for the Lakers almost losing the game. They believe that Bron was trying to get himself out of the pivotal moment and relieving himself of the...
NBA to resume games after player protest, turn stadiums into voting sites
NBA players who boycotted games as part of a protest against racial injustice have agreed to resume the playoffs on Saturday in a deal that includes increased access to voting in the United States presidential election. The league and players association (NBPA) said on Friday. As part of the agreement, the NBA and its players will establish a coalition that will focus on access to voting for the Nov. 3 general election, promoting civic engagement, and advocating for meaningful police and criminal justice reform. “These commitments follow months of close collaboration around designing a safe and healthy environment to restart the NBA season, providing a platform to promote social justice, as well as creating an NBA Foundation focused on economic empowerment in the Black community,” NBA Comm...
Kenny Smith Walks Off ‘Inside The NBA’ Set In An Act of Solidarity With Players
Source: Bernard Smalls / @PhotosByBeanz Following the Milwaukee Bucks decision to boycott their playoff game on Wednesday night (Aug.26), it triggered a snowball effect of protests and reactions. While the world was still in shock following the Milwaukee Bucks decision to not play in response to the shooting of Jacob Blake by a Kenosha, Wisconsin police officer, who has been identified, the Inside The NBA crew had to instantly react. It was very evident once the cameras went live, that the mood inside Studio J was a very somber one. In an unprecedented and powerful act of solidarity, Kenny Smith decided that the moment just didn’t call for him talking about basketball, removed his microphone, and walked off the set. “As a black man, as a former player, I think it’s best for me to support t...
Naomi Osaka Returns To Tennis After Withdrawing In Solidarity With Jacob Blake Protest
Source: Al Bello / Getty Naomi Osaka is returning to tennis after joining the onslaught of athletes who are refusing to play in solidarity with protestors in Wisconsin over the shooting of Jacob Blake and the murder of two peaceful protestors by 17-year old domestic terrorist Kyle Rittenhouse. According to CBS Sports, the young tennis star is returning to the court after initially pulling out in wake of the aftermath of Jacob Blake shooting and murder of two peaceful protestors. After the tweet from the world’s highest-paid female athlete, the US Open warmup announced there would be no play Thursday before resuming Friday. But later Thursday, Osaka told the Guardian newspaper in a statement she would return to the event on Friday to take on Elise Mertens in the semifinals. “I was (and am) ...
LeBron James Has The Perfect Response To Donald Trump Not Watching NBA Restart Games
Source: Kevin C. Cox / Getty LeBron James, who doesn’t bite his tongue when it comes to calling out the nonsense he sees or hears, had the perfect response to Donald Trump not watching him and his NBA brethren play. Following the Los Angeles Lakers getting their tails handed to them by the Oklahoma City Thunder in a 105-86 loss, King James clapped back at the orange menace. Donald Trump said on Wednesday morning during a rambling interview with his buddies at Fox and Friends that seeing NBA athletes exercising their constitutional right to protest by kneeling during the National Anthem makes him “turn off the game.” When asked about how he felt about Trump’s decision to tune out because he is BIG MAD about professional athletes kneeling, James shaded the current occ...
In Jesus Name: Jonathan Isaac Tears ACL Days After Standing For National Anthem
Source: Pool / Getty Jonathan Isaac stood for the national anthem, opting not to kneel in solidarity with his NBA brethren. Now he will be sitting down the rest of the season following a severe injury. In what is being described as one of the most ironic moments ever, Isaac, who didn’t rock a Black Lives Matter shooting shirt and passed on kneeling during the anthem, is out for the season following an ACL tear. Following the unfortunate turn of events on the court, Isaac gave an update to his fans tweeting: “IT IS WELL!!! 2 Kings 4! Thank you for all of your prayers and concerns I’m encouraged. Remember our God is not just a God of the hills but a God of the valleys! (2 Corinthians ch 4 vs 9!) MY COMEBACK WILL BE GREATER THAN MY SETBACK!!!! I STILL STAND IN JESUS NAME!!!!”...
Woke King, LeBron James Keeps The Focus On Breonna Taylor During 1st Post Game Presser
Source: Jonathan Bachman / Getty When the NBA first announced that it was coming back, some players were worried resumed play would take away the focus from social justice matters. LeBron James and other players are making sure that is not the case. LeBron James returned to NBA action Thursday (Jul.23), and he definitely didn’t look like he was home just chilling. Following limited work that saw the King score 12 points and dish out 5 assists in during a tune-up game against the Dallas Mavericks, James made it very clear that his focus is not just on winning a chip, but calling for justice for Breonna Taylor. Bron demanded that the officers who took Breonna Taylor’s life after executing a no-knock warrant be brought to justice while answering a basketball-related question. “First of all, I...
WNBA’s Maya Moore Welcomes Home Man She Sacrificed Season To Help Free From Prison
Source: John Atashian / Getty Minnesota Lynx star Maya Moore is known for being on the front lines to fight against social injustice, so when her longtime friend was finally released from prison after being wrongfully convicted—the WNBA icon rejoiced. According to published reports, Jonathan Irons, who was sentenced to a 50-year prison bid for a crime he didn’t commit, was embraced by the WNBA. star, who sacrificed her 2019 season, as he walked out of a Missouri penitentiary on Wednesday (Jul 1) nearly four months after a judge overturned his conviction on charges of burglary and assault. “I feel like I can live life now,” Irons said. “I’m free, I’m blessed, I just want to live my life worthy of God’s help and influence,” Irons said. “I thank everybody who supported me — Maya and her ...
Novak Djokovic, wife recover from coronavirus
Novak Djokovic and his wife Jelena, who last week both tested positive for coronavirus following his exhibition tournament in the Balkans, have now tested negative, his press service said Thursday. Neither the 33-year-old player nor his partner felt any symptoms, the statement said. The couple had been self-isolating since returning to Belgrade from Zadar in Croatia, the town which hosted the second leg of Djokovic’s ill-fated Adria Tour. Four players — Djokovic, Grigor Dimitrov, Borna Coric and Viktor Troicki — tested positive for the virus after the event which saw little social distancing and packed stands. The world number one’s coach Goran Ivanisevic also contracted COVID-19. Players had embraced across the net, played basketball and even danced in a nightclub during the week of the f...
NBA Will Paint ‘Black Lives Matter’ On Courts When Play Resumes: Report
Source: Michael A. McCoy / Getty When the NBA restarts, the league will definitely make sure to remind viewers that ‘Black Lives Matter.’ According to reports, the NBA will paint ‘Black Lives Matter’ on NBA courts when the action tips off at ESPN’s Wide World of Sports at Walt Disney World in Orlando. The NBA’s players have been very outspoken following the death of George Floyd while he was in police custody. Some players led by Kyrie Irving and Avery Bradley were worried that playing basketball would be a distraction to fight for social justice. Viewers can expect to see ‘Black Lives Matter’ “inside the sidelines of all three arenas at Disney World in Orlando, ESPN reported Monday.” USA Today further reports ‘Black Lives Matter’ will be on two sides of each court, in front of the b...
Teyana Taylor & Iman Shumpert Are Expecting 2nd Daughter: “We’re Very Excited”
Source: Robin Marchant / Getty Teyana Taylor and Iman Shumpert have announced that their family is growing. On Friday (Jun 12), Teyana Taylor released the video for her latest single, “Wake Up Love” a collaboration track featuring her NBA star husband Iman Shumpert. Directed by Taylor and frequent collaborator Rafael Gutierrez serving as director of photography, the visual for her latest release features the happy couple and daughter Junie happily jumping into bed. As Junie excitedly pushes Iman’s hand away from Teyana, the plush white comforter sweeps back revealing Teyana’s baby bump, breaking the news that the couple is expecting another daughter. “We’re ready, and we’re very excited,” Taylor said in an interview with PEOPLE Magazine. “Iman is super excited, Junie is ecstatic — I’m talk...
Spike Lee and Ray Allen Working on He Got Game 2
Jesus Shuttlesworth may hit the court again. In a new interview with The Encore, director Spike Lee discussed the possibility of a sequel to 1998’s He Got Game. He even has a new player in mind: New Orleans Pelicans forward Zion Williamson. “We were trying to, B.C. not ‘before Christ’ but ‘before corona,’ try to get a meet and greet (with Zion),” Lee explained. “Ray [Allen] and I were going to go to a home game in New Orleans. So, I’m still for it. The story is murky in my mind, but the material is so rich.” So would Williamson. Last year, the 19-year-old player expressed interest to Esquire, saying: “I would wanna be in the sequel to He Got Game, I would definitely want to be, like, in the Part 2 of that movie.” This isn’t the first time talk of a sequel has popped up. Allen spoke to ESPN...
