Amid the Bradley Beal trade to the Phoenix Suns NBA fans hopped on Twitter to do their favorite thing, go after Kevin Durant for “recruiting” Beal to join him in Phoenix. Durant is the most online superstar in the NBA, and fans know this. He knows it too, which is why it’s hilarious that those fans will never get KD to do the thing they want him to do.
Ever since Durant joined the Golden State Warriors in the summer of 2016 as a free agent, fans have felt some type of way. It doesn’t matter that he led the team to two straight titles as the best player, and would’ve been a third had he not suffered an Achilles tendon tear in 2019. Nor does it matter that the Suns are his second team since leaving the Warriors, fans want him to admit that his titles don’t count the same as others and that he’s somehow a lesser superstar.
Good luck with that.
Durant could choose to engage with the people that praise and show him love on social media but he purposely gets into a back and forth with haters, because they want him to go there and he just won’t.
That Durant, along with Devin Booker, spoke to Beal about being on the Suns is par for the course in the NBA. Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and Andre Iguodala got on a private jet and flew to the Hamptons to court Durant.
Every player in the NBA when there is an opportunity to play with another elite player does what they can to get that player in the door. You need a bunch of really good players to win championships.
Would it be ideal if every team was able to draft and develop their own players into stars and title contenders? Sure. But most teams in the league are poorly run, and that just isn’t possible.
The idea that Durant “runs from the grind” and “real NBA fans” don’t respect him is laughable. It’s all fodder for Charles Barkley and “Inside the NBA” and the myriad of talking head shows that want to discuss players’ legacies every time they sneeze.
Before the 2016-17 season Durant was a league MVP, a seven-time All-Star, six-time All-NBA, four-time scoring champ, made his first 50-40-90 club (did it again in 2023), rookie of the year, and a two-time Olympic gold medalist.
In nine seasons he led the Thunder to the playoffs six times, including three conference finals and an NBA Finals. That’s a Hall of Fame career and all-time before winning championships with Golden State.
But Durant knows that for some none of that matters. That he chooses to engage with that particular segment of NBA fans says something about him. It certainly says something about those fans.
Whether the Suns win the NBA title or not next season, it won’t matter much to how certain fans view Durant, and that’s just the nature of the beast. But if they win 50 games and lose in the second round it will be seen as an indictment on him as a player. That too is the nature of the beast.
Moriah Mills is either a jilted ex-lover or on a plot for extortion, as now she has taken to Twitter to add that she has explicit videos of her with Zion Williamson, and is planning to release them.
Mills, who has gone nonstop on Zion since finding out through social media that he is having a baby with another woman is threatening to release the tapes. She’s going as far as to warn the NBA and New Orleans Pelicans to “trade him now.”
“NBA I have sex tapes of me and @Zionwilliamson and he also has them on his trap phone @NBA @PelicansNBA trade him now he doesn’t deserve to be in New Orleans !!! Sex tapes dropping soon,” Mills tweeted on Monday.
With all the inside details she has already shared of their relationship, it looks like she is down to the last significant receipts and leaves no doubt about what she hopes happens to him.
“You will lose all your endorsements if the sex tapes drop @Zionwilliamson !! You about to be traded and rank be lowered and replaced by trey on @PelicansNBA it’s over for you !!! Fat bust,” Mills ranted in a separate post.
“You @nba career light will be Dimmed once the sex tapes release @Zionwilliamson it’s over for you @PelicansNBA,” she added, advising the Pelicans, repeatedly, to trade Williamson.
Her timing couldn’t have been worse, as media speculation has hinted toward a shaky relationship with the team.
“Trade this man,” Mills wrote. “@Zionwilliamson enough is enough @PelicansNBA !!!!! I’m going to post everything this is the last time you betray me Z the sex tapes.”
Rumors can be traced back to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, who reported the Pelicans’ interest in acquiring G League Ignite prospect Scoot Henderson. The Pelicans currently have the 14th pick, and might be looking to raise their draft choice to an earlier slot by offering one of its two young stars, Zion Williamson or Brandon Ingram.
Then there is the Portland Trailblazers team, which needs another star to place with Damian Lillard, who wants to remain with the franchise.
Zion’s name has been floating in the Dame Dolla conversation with Ringer founder Bill Simmons revealing a potential move on his podcast.
“The Zion thing is a real, real, real, subplot. I had somebody tell me yesterday—that I trust—that he will not be on [the Pelicans] by Thursday.”
The Blazers and Pelicans worked together not long ago when they traded CJ McCollum to the Pelicans ahead of the trade deadline. Zion’s life is in flux, and Moriah Mills is pouring gas on an already-lit BBQ pit of speculations.
When the Carolina Panthers drafted former Alabama Crimson Tide and 2021 Heisman Trophy winner Bryce Young No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL draft, many factors played a role in their decision.
Young’s leadership, his uncanny ability to stay calm amid chaos, and, last but not least, his pure football acumen were all off the charts.
Not one to boast about his talent, the elite but diminutive signal-caller has always been questioned because of his smallish frame.
That hasn’t stopped him one bit from excelling on the gridiron.
As the team concluded its first mandatory minicamp this weekend, many of the veterans lauded Young for his maturity.
The former Mater Dei star left an indelible impression on his teammates.
First it was Pro Bowl edge rusher Brian Burns, who raved about his new QB.
“It’s hard not to like that kid,” Burns said via ESPN’s David Newton. “He’s put quite a stamp on the locker room. He walks around with this kind of — excuse my language — ‘humble but I know I’m the s–t’ type of swag. You know? He’s got it, but he’s humble with it.”
That’s the same quiet confidence that drew Young’s college coach, Nick Saban, to him. It’s also another one of the reasons the Panthers chose him No. 1 overall.
Young, despite his size, has things you just can’t teach, and the bulk of it is from the neck up.
Burns’ response says it all, but for free agent wide receiver signee Adam Thielen, Young’s ability didn’t come as much of a surprise.
“There’s so much talk about him, so there’s not a whole lot of surprise,” Thielen said. “For me, it’s probably been his movement in the pocket, his ability to get the ball out on time but do it in a way that isn’t just, like, sitting in one stagnant spot.
“Sometimes this time of year, it can be easy when you’re not getting hit, no pads on … to just sit there, and no fear, and just throw it around. But you can tell he practices like a game. … That’s been really impressive.
Thielen’s comments sound like he was saying “BY9,” is as good as advertised. And that means everything to the Panthers, who are in a very winnable division heading into 2023, that means everything.
Earlier this month, first-year head coach Frank Reich saw enough of Young to put him at the top of depth chart.
And before you say it’s only OTAs, that move shows that Young has gotten acclimated to what Reich and the offense wants and needs from their quarterback.
It also proved that Young’s elite football IQ has been on full display since he arrived in Carolina.
And while there will be plenty of rookie growing pains for Young, the Panthers franchise strongly believes they’ve finally found that elusive successor to former MVP Cam Newton. One they’ve been looking for the better part of nearly four long seasons.
That stylin’, profilin’, limousine riding, jet flying, kiss-stealing, wheelin’ n’ dealin’ son of a gun Ric Flair crashed NBA legend Magic Johnson‘s speech at RiseCon 2023 in Tampa, Florida, last week. Is the “Nature Boy” embarking on a new career?
Magic was delivering the keynote speech at the conference in front of 1,500 entrepreneurs and business people hoping to “reach their full potential,” when his longtime friend Flair interrupted the proceedings.
“There’s only one man at the top,” 74-year-old Flair yelled when he hit the stage, as many in the crowd gave their best “woooooo!”
Classic Flair. He knows how to upstage any moment and play to a crowd. That’s what pro wrestling is, whether you’re the favorite or the heel.
“The limousine ridin’, kiss stealin’, wheelin’ dealin’ son of a gun that’s having a hard time holding these crocodiles down, woo!,” he continued.
Flair showed support for Magic by dissing the Laker legend’s longtime rival Larry Bird.
“By the way, I hated Larry Bird. You beat him in college. You kicked his ass in the pros. You’re the man! You’re the man!”
The impromptu Flair visit was organized by Darren Prince, who reps both Johnson and Flair.
This would be an exciting new career for the “Nature Boy.” Imagine him crashing all sorts of keynotes and events, where applicable, doing his wrestling schtick!
There are all sorts of lessons the speakers could weave into their speeches about perseverance, eliminating distractions and the importance of self-confidence. Most of these conferences and events pay their keynote speakers too!
Flair’s pro wrestling career spanned over 50 years and he’s regarded by many as the best of all time. He is officially recognized by WWE as a 16-time world champion (8-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, 6-time WCW World Heavyweight Champion, and two-time WWF Champion). He has claimed he’s a 21-time world champion.
He was the first to hold the WCW World Heavyweight Championship and the WCW International World Heavyweight Championship. As the inaugural WCW World Heavyweight Champion, he became the first person to complete WCW’s Triple Crown, having already held the WCW United States Heavyweight Championship and WCW World Tag Team Championship. He then completed WWE’s version of the Triple Crown when he won the WWE Intercontinental Championship, after already holding the WWF Championship and the World Tag Team Championship.
Flair’s persona and swagger are legendary and he said he first adopted it watching Joe Namath, who was quarterback of the Alabama Crimson Tide.
“It really started when I saw Joe Namath at Alabama,” said Flair on the “Pivot Podcast” in 2022. “I was in high school when I heard he had slept with a hundred girls his freshman year, and I said, that’s my kind of man. I say to this day, if you put Tom Brady, Aaron Rodgers, Peyton Manning all in a room, and Namath is also in that room, who’s the first guy you’d talk to?
“There was nobody like him. He turned that league around, and he doesn’t get enough credit because of his injuries. He just brought so much charisma to sports. I just thought he was it.”
That’s what Flair always understood. The way you sell sports in many ways are through characters and charismatic people. There might be none better than the Nature Boy.
[Note: Screaming hed above does not obscure the fact that we’re two weeks late on this story]
Darez Diggs, brother of NFL stars Stefon and Trevon Diggs, is currently under investigation by police for his involvement in an alleged elevator attack at a Los Angeles apartment complex.
The encounter took place on May 29 and the footage was obtained by TMZ Sports. Darez last played football in 2020 for the XFL with the Los Angeles Wildcats before the league shutdown.
The three brothers were spotted together on Saturday at “Diggs Day” football camp at the University of Maryland. Stefon, the oldest brother, hosted the event.
The Los Angeles Police Department told TMZ they were called to the scene of apartment in Los Angeles for an alleged robbery that involved three men but they had already left the scene.
The video shows Darez and a male, whose identity was not released, exchange words with each other in the elevator lobby on one of the floors of the apartment building.
Then, the man tries to quickly retreat back to the elevator but Darez and two other men followed.
The two men who were with Darez forcibly pulled the male victim off of the elevator and proceeded to go through a bag he was carrying. They also appeared to snatch a necklace from around his neck.
The video footage from inside of the elevator also shows the two men kicking the male victim as he was following to the ground.
Darez barely put his hands on the victim from the footage obtained by TMZ Sports but the two did exchange words during attack.
No arrests were made nor have Darez or the other two men involved been criminally charged as of yet.
Darez, also known as Mar’Sean Diggs, played college football at Iowa Western Junior College, University of Alabama-Birmingham, and Morgan State. The 27-year-old is the middle brother of Trevon and Stefon.
He earned a scholarship to play at Morgan State after graduating from high school in 2013. He only spent one season there before leaving for junior college.
Darez went to Iowa Western and made his mark at the college level. He was a junior college All-American in 2015 with 32 total tackles, four tackles for loss, and four interceptions.
In 2017, the 6-foot-2 safety had one of his best college seasons while at UAB. He appeared in 12 games and made five starts. He recorded 39 total tackles, one interception, and one forced fumble.
Darez followed his stellar redshirt junior season with an even better senior season. He recorded 55 total tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, and two interceptions.
In 2020, he appeared in five games with the Wildcats in the XFL before the league shutdown due to the Covid-19 virus.
Darez has focused on his lifestyle brand called Blue Boii since not returning to the XFL after the league rebooted in 2021.
Lionel Messi may be a South Floridian now, but his rejection of the Saudi Arabia deal was not a total one, as he has netted another bag from his courtship with the desert financiers. The soccer superstar and current Forbes highest-paid athlete has a new deal with the Saudia Arabian tourism authority to soften the image of the Middle Eastern region.
There is more than just soccer that Messi can be useful for the Saudis. He is a face that people can trust, after all.
Messi could earn as much as €22.5 million, about $25 million in three years, by showcasing Saudi Arabia and traveling there, filming commercials, and posting his trips to the Middle Eastern country, per a weekend report from The New York Times. A breakdown of the contract between Messi and the Saudi tourism authority showed that he only has to do a little except post and chill in the country a few times.
The trips will be all-expenses-paid vacations with his family and children to the kingdom, and he will be expected to share images of those trips with a Saudi-approved hashtag. The partnership may have started as far back as May 9, 2022, when Messi posted on Instagram himself laid peacefully on a boat looking at the Red Sea with the caption, “Discovering the Red Sea #VisitSaudi.” Now reports show that there is no bad blood even amid his rejection of the offer to play soccer in the country.
Messi could gain around $2 million for social media posting and $2 million for a certain amount of promotional visits, and he can always uphold the country’s image. It is a real coup for the player that risked bad blood with the country when he rejected their astronomical number to lure him to play there.
However, Saudi Arabia is a country that has faced vast criticism for its human rights record. According to Amnesty International, in 2022, Saudi authorities targeted peaceful protestors. They sentenced them to lengthy prison terms. Human rights defenders were also allegedly harassed in prison and faced arbitrary travel bans following their conditional release; sometimes, courts used the death penalty as punishment for various crimes.
Additionally, the country has a widely known negative track record in discrimination against women.
Per the Saudi Arabi tourism website, the country calls itself the birthplace of Islam, and “in recent years, the Kingdom has undergone a significant cultural transformation, evolving century-old customs to fit the contemporary world we live in today.”
That is the image Lionel Messi brings to a region known for being ravaged by war. He is the pinnacle of global athletic success as a World Cup winner for Argentina last December. However, reports were that his wife was one of the main reasons he didn’t accept the 1.2 billion euros over two years, or 600 million euros per year, from the Saudi Arabian club Al Hilal.
When he didn’t accept, the club even raised their offer to €1.5 billion or an astounding $1.6 billion, per Forbes. Messi’s wife, Antonella Roccuzzo, was not trying to raise their children in Saudi Arabia, and it is obvious why. Now Messi has to face the potential fan backlash for using his brand to wash clean the multiple reported injustices of the country to make it more palatable as a vacation destination.
Is he brilliant for getting another bag or foolish for entering an already “messy” situation? Only time will tell.
The 2023 NBA draft is scheduled to take place on Thursday night at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.
While it’s a foregone conclusion that the San Antonio Spurs will take French sensation Victor Wembanyama with the first overall selection, continuing it’s trend of drafting bigs with the pick (David Robinson, Tim Duncan), after that things could get a little dicey for other players who by all accounts for the most part haven’t really separated themselves from the pack.
That may be the case in some scouts‘ and analysts’ eyes, but with the No. 2 pick the Charlotte Hornets should draft combo guard Scoot Henderson.
The dynamic G-League Ignite product has all the tools to be a star in the league, and he has things in his bag that will allow him to have some early success as he develops other parts of his game.
Henderson and Alabama Crimson Tide forward/guard Brandon Miller are the two most talked-about prospects after “Wemby,” and for good reason.
Henderson’s confidence in himself is sky-high, and the 19-year-old even told reporters during last month’s NBA draft combine that he believed he could go No. 1 overall.
“For sure. I think I have a possibility of going No. 1 and I believe in myself as any competitor should.”
“As a competitor, I want to go No. 1. I want to build that fanbase in San Antonio.”
With Wembanyama sure to go first overall, Henderson did his best to make his case with his words and play at the combine.
Scouts love many of Henderson’s attributes, and The Athletic’s Seth Davis actually spliced some of those together in a montage of their takes on the teenager.
“Absolute specimen of an athlete. He’s a very good midrange shooter, but I don’t think he’s a very good three-point shooter right now. His teammates love playing with him. I hear nothing but good things about his character and his work ethic.
“He’s still very young. He had a lot of up-and-down games where he didn’t really show up and compete. His game didn’t evolve much this year. He has all the tools to be an All-Atar-level point guard. He’s Donovan Mitchell and Derrick Rose. The guy’s a killer.”
Great comparison for Henderson, who similarly to “Spida Mitchell” and former NBA MVP Derrick Rose, will come into the league athletically mature but will need to work on other aspects of his game, mainly his range shooting.
As Henderson has been preparing for the NBA draft, he’s developed a relationship with Steph Curry that will form a “groundbreaking mentorship and strategic alliance.” That alliance will also focus on basketball, business, media and having social impact.
Post Jordan Era In Charlotte
For Henderson, it’s an opportunity to be mentored by one of the all-time greats and get an understanding of what it takes to be a pro.
In his two-year stint in the G-League Henderson averaged, 18.3 points, 6.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds.
He’ll hear his name called within the top three picks of Thursday’s life-changing festivities, and if the Hornets are smart they’ll bring Henderson into the fold as they prepare for the Post-Jordan era.
No, media mogul Tyler Perry did not buy BET. Contrary to reports, Perry has a 25 percent stake in the company which he acquired in 2019 through a production deal with Paramount. BET is a media network under the Paramount Global conglomerate. But if Perry does acquire majority shareholder percentage of BET at some point in the future, there are some sports properties we would like to see.
Yes, HBO made “Soul of the Game” in 1996. It was directed by Kevin Rodney Sullivan and starred Blair Underwood and Delroy Lindo. It was a fine television movie, but budgets for TV properties have gone up exponentially since 1996.
Imagine a five season episodic series that dives into the characters of Frank Leland and Rube Foster. With a hefty budget BET could really tell the story of the “Golden Age” from 1920-1927 and its ultimate demise in 1932.
On the field, the brilliance of the Satchel Paige and Josh Gibson pitcher/catcher tandem. The role of number runner Gus Greenlee and other unscrupulous characters in the league’s success and downfall. All set against the backdrop of a country in between World War I and II, changing economic conditions, and stirring with racism.
That would be a compelling series.
“Hoosiers” has long been seen by certain people as the greatest basketball movie ever made. Let’s just say we disagree, and leave it there.
The movie opens with the Tigers’ semifinal loss in the 1954 IHSAA Men’s Basketball Championship to eventual champions Milan High. The latter were the “heroes” of the aforementioned “Hoosiers.”
The story picks up next season when the Tigers, led by junior Oscar Robertson dominated the opposition, going 31–1, and winning the 1955 state championship, the first for any all-black school in the nation. The first state championship won by an Indianapolis team in the Hoosier tournament. In 1956, the team went undefeated with a 31–0 record and won a second straight IHSAA Men’s Basketball Championship, becoming the first team in Indiana to secure a perfect season and compiling a state-record 45 straight victories.
Of course Robertson would go on to star in college at Cincinnati and eventually the NBA, becoming one of the greatest players of all time.
This one is cheating a bit, as it is rumored to already be in the works with “Snowfall” actor Damson Idris set to play Paul.
“I am about to play Rich Paul,” Idris said on “The Breakfast Club” last year. “It is time we start cherishing black moguls, and Rich is someone people need to know. This guy has completely changed the game, and I am happy and fortunate to call him a big brother… I can’t wait to honor his story.”
Paul is the founder and CEO of KLUTCH Sports Group, a sports talent management agency with some of the most recognizable names in professional sports on its roster.
His rise to being the founder and head of a top 10 global sports agency is compelling when you consider he spent the early years of his life sleeping on floors and couches. He was running the streets as his mother dealt with the challenges of drug addiction. Paul does not have a college degree and is not a lawyer. Yet he sits across the table from CEOs of Fortune 500 companies and gets deals done.
We haven’t heard much about the biopic since Idris mentioned it in 2022. Projects get started and shelved all the time in Hollywood for a variety of reasons. But if we could get the real story with all the truths behind his upbringing and how he became friends with LeBron James and began his empire, that would be a story worth telling.
On Sunday, the Washington Wizards did something fans have been clamoring for them to do for quite a while. The team traded star player Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns for aging point guard Chris Paul, reserve Landry Shamet, two second-round picks, and pick swaps. The move signals that the Wizards under new front office leadership wants to start fresh. The deal can’t be finalized until the free agency period opens June 30. Until then the Wizards are open to working with Paul if the future Hall of Famer wants to join a contender.
Either way, the Wizards will be rid of Beal and his massive four years and $207 million remaining on his contract. The real kicker in the deal was Beal’s no-trade clause, which gave the three-time All-Star the right to choose where he’d like to play. That clause completely handicapped the Wizards’ leverage and limited what they could receive in turn for Beal.
In the end, the sharpshooter chose Phoenix, where he’ll join Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and for now often disgruntled big man DeAndre Ayton.
In wake of the move Beal now goes from the doldrums of D.C. to the Valley of the Sun, where he instantly becomes a championship contender.
Following news of the blockbuster move, Beal’s agent Mark Bartelstein graciously thanked Wizards owner Ted Leonsis and first-year President of Monumental Basketball Michael Winger for their efforts to get the deal done.
“This was an extremely complicated process with so many different hurdles to get through and Ted Leonsis and Michael Winger were unbelievable partners in making this happen,” Bartelstein told ESPN. “From the day that Ted drafted Brad he has been our side along with [former general managers] Ernie Grunfeld and Tommy Sheppard. They’ve always had Brad’s back in every way and now we have experienced the same thing with Ted and Michael Winger. We are extremely grateful.”
While Beal’s tenure didn’t bear much fruit with the Wizards, he’ll join a roster top-heavy in talent. New Phoenix Suns owner Matt Ishbia has been a pretty busy man since purchasing the team this season. The former Michigan State walk-on under Tom Izzo traded for superstar Kevin Durant in February prior to the trade deadline.
Now he adds Beal, a 29-year-old who boasts career averages of 23.2 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game in his 10 NBA seasons. For the Suns, this is expected to be part of their quest to win a championship, and with Durant, Booker, Beal, and Ayton that’s a great start. The move gives the Suns four max contract players, meaning a huge luxury tax bill is coming, but Ishbia knew that and still wanted to do the deal.
That pretty makes it a championship-or-bust situation in Phoenix, but it’s also something that’s plausible based on the talent alone. How they mesh Beal with the other three will be key, but if you’re first-year head coach Frank Vogel it’s a good problem to have.
Last Tuesday, after seven years, Pro Football Hall of Famer Shannon Sharpe made his final appearance on FS1’s Undisputed. The move came after it was announced in late May that Sharpe was being bought out and leaving the show he helped bring to life in 2016 with Skip Bayless. And, while the reason for the breakup has never been revealed, it happened, and from the looks of it Sharpe and Bayless act as if they should’ve stayed together.
When the announcement was made about Sharpe’s impending departure it was said to be at the conclusion of the NBA Finals. Well that ended on Monday night in Denver with the Denver Nuggets winning the franchise’s first championship in over 47 years of existence. Knowing that Tuesday would be Sharpe’s final show, Bayless says he didn’t sleep at all the night before.
During a recent episode of the “The Skip Bayless Show,” the legendary sports analyst spoke in-depth about how he felt about Sharpe’s departure.
“To sum this up, on this past Monday night, ahead of Shannon’s departure on Tuesday, I did pull an all-nighter because I couldn’t sleep a wink. I tried, and I failed.
“I was keyed up, so worked up, so torn up over what was happening, I just couldn’t go to sleep. The truth is, this past Tuesday, I tried to go to sleep in the afternoon, and I had a hard time even going to sleep even then.”
Between Bayless not being able to sleep, and Sharpe telling him he’s here he “because of him,” during his emotional goodbye, one has to wonder just why they couldn’t make it work any longer.
At some point we’ll eventually hear the real reason why they ended their run together, but until then we’re left here to speculate.
Over the past seven years, Sharpe has become a household name in the sports media world. So for him it’s just a matter of the right situation and opportunity coming along. That could reside in his ever popular “Club Shay Shay” podcast.
As for Bayless, he now awaits his new co-host, which many believe could be former NFL star and Philadelphia Eagles all-time leading rusher LeSean “Shady” McCoy, who’s currently a part of “Speak” on FS1.
Either way it seems as if Sharpe and Bayless both have some regret already.
Being a successful professional athlete comes with as many challenges as rewards, and Miami Heat guard Victor Oladipo is the latest example. Oladipo recently filed a lawsuit against his longtime business manager James B. Henderson, allegedly for defrauding him of $1.3 million.
Henderson is accused of allegedly investing $1.3 million of Oladipo’s money into a New York City strip club and a Florida condo. The June 16 petition was not reported by design, and it seeks to force Henderson, aka “Jay Belly,” to sit for a deposition to explain his actions. Oladipo wanted to keep it quiet.
Oladipo initially hired Henderson in 2017 to work on building out his investments. However, when Oladipo discovered that Henderson allegedly accessed his Merrill Lynch loan management account in 2020 without his permission helping himself to $330,000, which he put on a condo, Oladipo then fired him.
The betrayal was deep as Henderson allegedly forged multiple checks from Oladipo. Eventually, Oladipo hired a new business manager, and that person found additional unauthorized transactions, including investment into a New York strip club. The latest petition against Henderson comes after he reportedly didn’t attend a previous deposition scheduled last month.
Oladipo wants more than an explanation; he wants his money back. The 31-year-old Oladipo is seeking “no less than” $1,268,748, plus interest from Henderson and $355,070.16, plus interest from Henderson’s Belly Properties.”
Over the years, Oladipo has made bank with over $115 million in career NBA earnings and a $9.45 million player option for next season in his contract.
Before entering the NBA, Oladipo had an exceptional collegiate career at Indiana and went second overall to the Orlando Magic in the 2013 NBA draft. Oladipo has been in the NBA for ten seasons and five teams: the Orlando Magic, Oklahoma City Thunder, Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets, and now the Miami Heat. The two-time All-Star also earned the 2017-18 NBA Most Improved Player award.
Although injuries have stifled his activity to 42 or fewer games in the past five seasons, his Heat team reached the NBA Finals.
According to reports, Oladipo currently has his Miami Beach, Florida, home listed for $9.995 million, a 6,500-square-foot home on Hibiscus Island, a gated community.
Surprisingly, Oladipo was credited as a significant support to Denver Nuggets star point guard Jamal Murray, who battled an injury after tearing his ACL in 2021, only for two years later, to be on a championship team.
After defeating the Miami Heat, an emotional Murray shouted out the ones who had his back on the road to recovery.
“Zach LaVine helped me out a lot with my confidence. Victor Oladipo was hurt back and forth, but he had such a positive mind set talking to me. Klay [Thompson] was brutally honest with me on how it was gonna be. I could see the hurt in his eyes when he talked to me.
“It was less about the words he was saying. I was looking at him and he wasn’t even making eye contact. He was just like, ‘This is just how it’s going to be.'”
The latter are Oladipo’s sentiments against his former manager and the petition: “This is just how it’s going to be.”
2023 NBA Finals MVP Nikola Jokic made it home to Sombor, Serbia, in time for his horse races on Sunday. The Denver Nuggets big man was weary last Monday after his team clinched their first ever NBA title when he was told the championship parade would take place two days later. Jokic is the best player in the world and a champion, but he’s not overawed by the idea of American celebrity.
Thousands of local supporters were on hand at the local horse racing track where Jokic was watching his family-owned horses compete in harness races. There were T-shirts with Jokic’s portrait, some reading “Be the Next Champion” and “Sombor, the Town of Champions,” there were also people wearing Jokic’s No. 15 Nuggets jersey.
Jokic attended with his family and friends but did not speak to local reporters. His father said he wouldn’t be answering questions.
“He told me ‘Dad, I have had enough of publicity during these past few days,'” Branislav Jokic said. “And I believe him.”
This is the reality with Nikola Jokic. He doesn’t want to be a celebrity anywhere. At home or America.
He’s excellent at his job. The best in the world. When he’s doing his job he’ll speak to media as required but anything beyond that is a no.
Jokic has routinely said basketball is something he is good at but it doesn’t define him. There are many other things in his life that he’s passionate about and likes.
We know horses are a big one. According to his father, he wanted to be a horseman.
“He started growing, both in height and in size, and he started to become aware that he could be a basketball player, but he had a great desire in those days,” Branislav said. “He would say, ‘Dad, I want to become a horseman.’ And I used to tell him: ‘Son, become a basketball player first, and you’ll become a great horseman later.”
Being a horseman in Serbia wouldn’t bring anything close to the fanfare being the best basketball player in the world would, and that’s clearly how Jokic would prefer it.
Nikola Jokic was born in 1995 amid the Yugoslav Wars, started by the now deceased politician Slobodan Milošević. Growing up amid that kind of turmoil it would make sense that peace and tranquility would be things that Jokic seeks. The fame and celebrity of NBA life doesn’t align with that.
The league has a bit of a problem on its hands. They would like to promote Jokic, as would Nike. But given his disdain for the spotlight it’s going to take some convincing. Jokic doesn’t owe the public every detail of his life, nor does he need to show up on every commercial.
But he does have a responsibility as the game’s best player, to promote the league and be a good steward. The collective basketball media will need to be better about how they try and connect with him to tell stories and he will have to do a few more interviews outside of his mandatory requirements.
But make no mistake, he’s no celebrity. Nor does he have to be.
Adult content creators and IG models are exposing more and more of their secret lives with NBA players, and the latest one is Hayley Nicole, aka Hayley Murders. One of a set of identical twin erotic content creators, Hayley recently went on the “We In Miami” podcast to keep it real — supposedly — about the craziest experience she has ever had; it wound up being with a Miami Heat player.
“One night, I was at a basketball game,” Hayley said on the podcast. “One of the Miami Heat players actually invited me. We get into his vehicle, and he’s like, ‘Would you be down for a threesome with another girl?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, it’s always been my fantasy.’
“So we arrive (at) his house, and it’s like a really pretty mansion, and the girl, like, I meet her, she’s really pretty, and we all go to the bedroom, and we all start messing around a little bit, and she starts to take off her panties, and she still has her d**k.”
The interviewer asked if Hayley went through with the request, and she confirmed she did, and that’s when it got really interesting.
“So he’s trying to convince me, he’s like, ‘In my eyes, she a woman; she’s beautiful.’ I was like, ‘PL, you know it’s fun,’ because I’m into men and women;’ I was kind of into it a little bit. When she pulled hers out first, it was a pretty nice size, like this,” Hayley said, using her hands as a measuring stick, pun intended. She blushed, asking, “Is that big? I can’t tell.”
What in the threesome? Hayley continued her story.
“It first started off by me giving her a blowjob, and then she started going towards him, and then they were like forgetting about me. I was sucking her t***ies and like grabbing his b***s and grabbing her b***s.”
During the admission, the host asked, “So what were you doing while she was like pounding him?” Hayley never denied that the unnamed player didn’t get a “pounding,” leaving many to assume the player enjoyed all potential elements of the encounter.
Now Twitter is on the hunt to figure out who the player is that had the unique experience. Miami is a place known for its sexy atmosphere and nontraditional viewpoints. Like Las Vegas, the area is a hotbed for erotic entertainers, adult content creators, and models of all types, so the only surprise for many was that it was a Heat player engaged in the threesome.
Hayley kept the player’s name out of the conversation, unlike some recent scandals that have swirled around players like New Orleans Pelicans Zion Williamson. The young star recently was outed by multiple women for having a few romantic interests, with a baby on the way, without any of them knowing. The graphic details released by Moriah Mills, one of Williamson’s alleged romantic interests, have cast a negative light on an already lackluster career.
The Miami Heat recently lost their 2023 championship run against the Denver Nuggets after a Cinderella season. Now the hunt for the mystery threesome player is the new Heat hunt.
Basketball Hall of Fame member Bob Huggins has stepped down as head coach of the West Virginia men’s basketball team, in the wake of an arrest for driving under the influence. It was the second incident in two months to put a spotlight on the two-time NCAA Final Four coach. Where does Huggins rank among the all-time greats?
“My recent actions do not represent the values of the University or the leadership expected in this role. … I have let all of you — and myself — down…I am solely responsible for my conduct and sincerely apologize to the University community — particularly to the student-athletes, coaches and staff in our program,” Huggins said.
Huggins was arrested last Friday in Pittsburgh after police observed a black SUV blocking traffic with a “flat and shredded tire” and the driver’s side door open, according to a police report. Police reports say Huggins was given a field sobriety test, which he failed.
All of this on the heels of what was to be a three-game suspension beginning next season, a $1 million salary reduction and sensitivity training for using a homophobic slur during a radio interview last month.
It’s been an ugly ending on a tenure that was otherwise good.
Huggins was named the head coach at his alma mater, WVU, in 2007. He led the Mountaineers to a 345-203 win/loss record, 11 NCAA tournament appearances, five sweet 16 appearances, and a Final Four in 2010.
In his 41 totals seasons as a head coach at WVU, Walsh, Akron, Cincinnati, and Kansas State he amassed a 935-414 record. He trails only Mike Krzyzewski and Jim Boeheim for most wins by a Division I men’s basketball coach.
Huggins is an excellent coach but a flawed man. He shouldn’t be judged by his worst public failings, yet here we are.
Unfortunately when you are the head coach of a team, the responsibility for getting
“On behalf of West Virginia University, we share our appreciation for his service to our University, our community and our state,” a WVU statement read. “During his time as a student-athlete, assistant coach and head coach, Coach Huggins devoted himself to his players, to our student body, to our fans and alumni and to all West Virginians. His contributions will always be a part of our history. In the days ahead, we will focus on supporting the student-athletes in our men’s basketball program and solidifying leadership for our program.”
Huggins could be empathetic and devoted but also cruel. For every player hurt in one of his Final Four runs that he consoled in front of crowds, there were countless others who were treated less than.
He’s a Hall of Fame coach. What he’s done his entire career with three big-time programs is remarkable. No, he’s never won a national championship. But a Big East tournament title and four Conference USA tournament titles is pretty good.
WVU is expected to cast its net far and wide in recruiting its next head basketball coach.
The Dallas Cowboys haven’t been to the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl since the 1995-97 season. Over that 28-year time frame the team is just 5-12 in the postseason, and during the Dak Prescott era, (2016-present) they’re just 2-4, with season-ending losses to the San Francisco 49ers occurring the past two seasons.
Despite having one of the most complete rosters in the NFL since 2016, the Cowboys have continually come up small when it matters most. While the sport is the ultimate team game, the play of $40M-per-season quarterback Dak Prescott hasn’t been good enough to elevate his team further in the postseason.
That has many, including FS1 personality and Philadelphia Eagles all-time leading rusher LeSean “Shady” McCoy, believing the Cowboys can’t win a Super Bowl with the aforementioned Prescott under center. During a recent segment on “Speak” on FS1, Shady was adamant that he has no belief in Dak to take the Cowboys to the promised land:
“Absolutely — not! [laughs] Are you kidding me? Listen, when I watch the Cowboys play, and I’m always like, ‘What is their real issue? Why can’t they win big games? And I automatically go to the quarterback. When I watch the Cowboys they have a top-five defense, right?
“They have a player that’s the closest to LT [Lawrence Taylor], right? Micah Parsons. They go out and get a guy like Stephon Gilmore, top-five cornerback, in my opinion. Trevon Diggs, you already have him over there to hold things down.”
McCoy makes some valid points, although we haven’t seen the Cowboys defense just yet with the newly acquired Gilmore, who won NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. He’s also reaching a bit by saying Parsons, who’s extremely talented, is the closest thing we’ve seen to the great LT. That’s not true, as Parsons is more comparable to former Denver Broncos great and future Hall of Famer Von Miller.
LT was one of one.
For good measure, the 2022 Cowboys defense finished tied for third in the league with 54 sacks.
On the offensive side of the ball, the Cowboys also don’t have a shortage of talent. McCoy, being a former offensive player himself, talked at length about their weaponry.
“Then we go to the offensive side. Let me think about it. So, they have All-Pro wide receivers. Cee Dee Lamb, and then they go acquire Brandin Cooks. He’s a thousand-yard receiver, a speed burner. The backfield, you got Tony Pollard, Pro Bowl running back.
“What else do you need? Because every time I watch the Cowboys when they lose, it’s the quarterback’s fault. You can’t replace him. Owe him so much money. He’s the guy there. So, if I try to pick a position, it has to be Dak Prescott.”
Once again Shady makes some valid points as they pertain to the offense. It’s not all on Dak; others haven’t held up their end of the deal as well. But when you’re paid like an elite QB you need to play like one when it matters most, and Prescott has never done that in the playoffs, outside of last season’s wild card win at Tampa, when he was outstanding. He followed that performance up with a dud of one in the divisional round loss to the Niners.
Coming off of his career-best 37 touchdowns and just ten interceptions in 2021, it was believed that Dak would be even better in 2022. But Dak broke his thumb in Week 1 of the season missing the next four games, and when he returned he wasn’t anywhere near the efficient QB he’d been throughout his career. He set a career-high for interceptions with 15 and, even threw two costly ones in the playoff loss to the Niners.
While the thumb was still not all the way healed, it doesn’t change the fact that in his team’s biggest moments he once again failed to come through.
With the majority of the top QBs in the AFC, this is as good a year as ever for Prescott to lead the Cowboys to places they haven’t been in nearly 30 years.
Is he capable? We’ll soon find out.
The New Orleans Pelicans have had discussions with other teams about the possibility of trading away 2019 No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson, per reports. The supremely talented but oft-injured freak of nature has only played in 114 of a possible 318 NBA during his four-year NBA career.
When he has been available the 6-foot-7 and 285-pound forward has been virtually impossible to guard, averaging 25.8 points and seven rebounds per game on nearly 61 percent shooting. Great numbers, but the old adage is your best ability is your availability, and Zion just hasn’t been available for his team. As if his not being available wasn’t already a huge deal, now Zion’s name is in the news for his personal life.
Last week he revealed that he was expecting a baby with a social media named Ahkeema. That didn’t sit too well with OnlyFans personality Moriah Mills, who reportedly has been seeing the former Duke star and was just as surprised as the rest of us when the baby announcement was made.
She’s made it her job to call him out on social media and put all of their business on front street. Either way you slice it, it’s not a good look for Zion or for the team with all the issues surrounding their franchise player.
This and other factors have led many to believe the team could be shopping Zion in an effort to get the No. 2 pick in next week’s draft. If the alleged rumors come to fruition, the reports are the team would like to draft point guard Scoot Henderson, who’s a projected top-three pick.
With the rocky relationship between Zion and the team stemming from his unwillingness to do the things to help alleviate injuries, to his saying he’d play when he was right mentally, and now this off-the-court drama it may be time to cut bait and move on.
With just one week before the NBA Draft, on Friday ESPN NBA insider Brian Windhorst dropped a bombshell of a report. In the report he talked about the lack of a relationship between Williamson, the team and his teammates.
Never a good thing to hear something like that, but “Windy” took it further, adding this.
“From what I’ve been told, Zion has not been around the team much so far this summer,” Windhorst said on ESPN’s “Get Up.” “But that is not different from the way he’s operated in the past — that he hasn’t made it a priority to be around the team as much. He’s sort of worked out on his own. What I’d say is that there’s definitely not the type of relationship between that you’d like to have between a star player and a team here.
“And also, he doesn’t have as strong of relationships with his teammates, from what I am told, as you’d like to see. Now, that’s not a prerequisite for success, but as you look to try to build bonds moving forward that is something to consider.”
Windhorst said a lot, and from the sounds of it not much of is any good. Would the Pelicans trade a talent like Zion?
If the team did trade Zion the belief is they’d like to trade for the No. 2 pick in next week’s draft. A move like that would team Williamson with dynamic Hornets All-Star point guard and 2021 NBA Rookie of the Year LaMelo Ball. And with Michael Jordan reaching agreement to sell the team, landing Zion would be a home run hit for the new ownership.
As of now we’ll have to wait and see how this plays out, the Hornets should also be leery because the belief is Zion really wants to play in a big market, not in places like New Orleans or Charlotte.
Ever since the NBA champion Denver Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals last month, the trolling by Nuggets head coach Michael Malone has been pretty steady. While the trolling may be a little bit much for some, others believe it was warranted in some aspects. For starters, Lakers superstar LeBron James decided to tell the world that he had to think about if he’d return for what would be his 21st NBA season, at age 39.
It is a valid question, and James’ response seemed to rub some folks the wrong way. Mainly, because it took the luster off of what the Nuggets had just accomplished, a sweep over the Lakers, a team many had beating them and advancing to the NBA Finals. The aforementioned Malone, who seemed irked by all the attention the Lakers were given before, during and now after the series, decided to let it be known he wasn’t happy when his team had just swept them out of the playoffs.
The Nuggets completed a sweep of the Lakers on May 22, and ever since James hasn’t been heard from much. But on Friday, the four-time NBA champion took to his Instagram, and sent out a sort of indirect, but direct message.
“In Europe for the last few weeks minding my business, and I hear I’m on your mind that much huh??? I mean I guess I see why. But Wave the flag on these lames!! Please make being player cool again cause the lame machine is at an all-time high. Enjoy your light but just know I’m the SUN. I stay on forever.”
Malone, who was once an assistant with the Cleveland Cavaliers during James’ first stint with the team, had a little fun at James’ expense following the Nuggets’ first NBA title clinching win. During an appearance on the “Pat McAfee Show,” Malone told McAfee and his co-host this….
That was just the beginning for Malone and the Nuggets who had a little more fun at LBJ and the Lakers expense during the team’s championship parade on Thursday. That’s when team studio analyst Vic Lombardi, introduced a pretty lathered up Malone like this.
“He came into this world as the son of a coach, but in these playoffs, he became the Lakers’ daddy!”
Seems like Malone was sick of the disrespect heard all season and playoffs. And then to see James sort of steal the spotlight after being swept, Malone wasn’t for it, and he’s let it be known every single opportunity he’s been given.
Next season’s Nuggets and Lakers matchups just became a little more spicy.
Inaugural rosters for the HBCU Swingman Classic, following last year’s announcement of the event by Hall of Famer Ken Griffey Jr. and the MLB-MLBPA Youth Development Foundation. With the annual All-Star event for baseball student-athletes from Division-I programs at historically Black colleges and universities, Griffey Jr. is excited about giving back to the game.
“My dad gave back to baseball,” Griffey Jr. told MLB Network’s Harold Reynolds on Friday. “It’s now my turn.”
The festivities will take place during MLB All-Star week in July at T-Mobile Park, home of the Seattle Mariners, the franchise Griffey Jr. played with for the majority of his legendary career.
The game will be played between two teams made up of HBCU student athletes and the teams will be managed by former Major League managers Jerry Manuel and Bo Porter. The coaching staffs will also include: Hall of Famer and HBCU alumnus Andre Dawson’ two-time World Series Championship manager Cito Gaston; three-time All-Star and two-time World Series Champion Ken Griffey Sr. and former MLB players Rickie Weeks Jr., Marquis Grissom, Marvin Freeman, Vince Coleman, Lenny Webster and Trenidad Hubbard, who are HBCU alumni.
Major League Baseball has seen a steady decline in Black players over the last few decades, an event like this and a push by the league and Griffey Jr. can be something that pays dividends in the years to come.
The HBCU Swingman Classic along with the Hank Aaron Invitational are both aimed at improving the game’s diversity.
As the son of a MLB player, Griffey Jr. had some advantages that these HBCU student athletes don’t, and this is a way to pay it forward. Though ultimately it’s about talent. If you’re elite, some organization will find you.
“It gives an opportunity for these guys to be seen; plus, they want to continue their baseball career like everybody else,” Griffey Jr. said. “This is an opportunity for these guys to be out there on a big stage, to have some fun with some guys who played the game at a high level and learn some things.”
Players were selected from: Alabama A&M University, Alabama State University, Alcorn State University, University of Arkansas-Pine Bluff, Bethune Cookman University, Coppin State University, Delaware State University, Florida A&M University, Grambling State University, Jackson State University, University of Maryland Eastern Shore, Mississippi Valley State University, Norfolk State University, North Carolina A&T University, Prairie View A&M University, Southern University and Texas Southern University.
During the game, Griffey Jr. will spend time in the dugout of both teams and the players will have the opportunity to ask questions and get advice on anything they want.
“You can always stay in the game that you love and help the next generation,” Griffey Jr. said.
Griffey Jr. knows the game inside and out and was a world-class player as a high-school teenager. He can breakdown the mechanics of the baseball swing as well as anyone and has a pretty good one to emulate.
Memphis Grizzlies star Ja Morant is awaiting his punishment from the NBA for brandishing a firearm for the second time in just about two months. Morant, who’s the Grizzlies franchise player, was suspended for eight games, and even attended counseling in Florida following his first incident.
While his second infraction caught everyone by surprise, including NBA commissioner, who seem completely befuddled by Morant’s stupidity.
Many others have tried to offer the troubled Grizzlies star some sound advice. And then there’s others like rapper Cam’ron who issued a stern warning to Morant telling him don’t be like him, because Morant can’t rap. But per FS1’s Skip Bayless, the Dipset rapper wasn’t the only MC hoping to get a message to Morant. Bayless’ good friend and former Cash Money rapper Lil Wayne was hoping to do the same, and more.
During a recent episode of “The Skip Bayless Show,” the “Undisputed” co-host mentioned that Wayne reached out to him about hopefully getting the two together.
That never happened, but, per Bayless, that wasn’t because of a lack of the talk show host’s effort, but rather because Morant never responded.
“He texted me, Hey, could you connect me with Ja? I can help him. I’ve been there, I’ve done all this. I’ve wound up in prison, Rikers island. I know where you can go wrong, and I know what’s right,” Bayless said of Wayne’s offer.
“In the end, I just hope Ja doesn’t turn out to be one of those people you just can’t reach, you just can’t fix, you just can’t save,” Bayless said.
Bayless even mentioned that Wayne would jump on a plane to Memphis in a “heartbeat,” to meet with Morant in an effort to help him.
Wayne was in a situation himself in 2010 when he pleaded guilty to a weapons possessions charge. The popular rapper spent eight months in prison for the offense.
Ten years later, the then-38-year-old Wayne had repeated the mistake and found himself pleading guilty to a federal weapons possession charge in December 2020. Wayne avoided prison on the new charge when he was pardoned by Donald Trump just before the former president left office.
The morning of Game 1 of the NBA Finals, the aforementioned Silver talked about Morant and his unfortunate situation. While the league is likely to suspend him, Silver didn’t want to make the announcement of what the suspension will be, in an effort to keep the focus on the two teams playing for the championship.
While that was understandable, hearing Silver say they’d found some other things as well was very telling. It probably means Morant is set to miss a significant amount of time in the upcoming season.
Sometimes Antonio Brown leaves football at his own request, but he was forced out this time. The Albany Empire football team that Brown became part owner of in March, will no longer be part of the National Arena League.
It was reported on Thursday that the Albany Empire lost its membership because of unpaid dues. The two-time champs failed to meet their noon deadline.
The NAL said in a said in a statement that an emergency conference call was held to discuss Albany Empire’s failure to pay league mandated dues. Teams reportedly must pay for one-seventh of the league’s operating budget each month. The team’s payments were overdue and the league also fined Brown $1,000 for disparaging public comments, which he refused to pay.
Brown reportedly paid the league dues in April but not in May.
“After exhausting all avenues, the NAL board of owners have decided unanimously to terminate the membership agreement of the Albany Empire. The decision was reached after an emergency conference call of the members in good standing to discuss the Empire’s failure to pay their league mandated and overdue assessments,” the statement read in part. “Each team is responsible to pay for 1/7 of the league’s operating budget via monthly assessments starting in April. The Empire’s owner, Antonio Brown, was also fined $1,000 for Conduct Detrimental to the League for his recent public comments. Mr. Brown refused to pay that fine.”
Brown was set to play in their upcoming home game on June 17. The game was canceled and the league said that it will adjust the remaining of their league wide schedule with the departure of the Empire.
Brown is known to ruin everything he gets involved with and always having chaos around him. He has embarrassed the mother of his kids on social media, made Mike Tomlin look foolish for constantly giving him passes for his actions in Pittsburgh, forced the Raiders to release him, and quit on the Buccaneers by storming out of MetLife Stadium.
He took personal shots at Brady on social media, was wanted by police in April for unpaid child support, and was sued by Jeweler Suki International for not paying a $1 million tab.
He displayed that same toxic behavior as a owner. The team got off to a terrible start this year by only winning one game of the seven they have played.
Coaches and players also have departed the franchise because Brown failed to pay them in April. Damon Ware, former coach, said that the non-payment was the reason he and several other people from the organization left. The team’s starting quarterback Sam Castronova accused Brown of being crazy on Instagram before departing the team.
“This dude is crazy,” Castronova wrote under an Instagram post.
Eddie Brown, Antonio’s father and an arena league legend, responded by saying “I know.” Eddie is the team’s vice president and also failed to stick around. He attended the first two games and was never seen again.
Now, Brown has compared himself to Michael Jordan after the news broke of his team being kicked out the arena league.
He also tweeted a screenshot of a conversation between his former players about him.
