Is there another bust in the making in French basketball sensation Victor Wembanyama?
If his individual playoff struggles are any indication, then Gregg Popovich and the many Spurs legends that are planning to mentor him have some work cut out for them if they expect Victor to lead the struggling franchise back to prominence
Wemby’s first game in the French League Finals was highly unimpressive as the guy touted as a “generational player” finished with 8 points, 7 rebounds, and 2 assists.
This is an unusual stat line for the 7-foot-5 do-it-all big man who normally averages 21.6 ppg and 10.4 rpg.
One could say he just had a bad game, as many superstars do every once in a while.
When looking at his playoff track record, Wembanyama’s scoring has been down the entire French League playoffs. That’s surprising for someone who’s virtually dominated the French League this year with the Metropolitan 97s
Wemby, who is all but locked in as a future San Antonio Spur, has been the consensus No. 1 pick for a while now, and analysts could find little to no flaws in his game aside from his frame and how fragile and skinny he looks, similar to the physique of Kevin Durant. But even with that concern, Wemby has been pretty solid and sturdy.
But after only 8 points in a championship game, some, not many, are calling his ability to perform on the highest stage into question. With a tough loss to top-seeded Monaco, the second-seeded Metropolitan 97s lost 87-67, absolutely getting dominated by Monaco in Game 1 of the finals.
Wemby’s eight points came on 3-for-8 shooting from the field, and the defense on him seems to have picked up pretty well on him.
After a mediocre performance on Monday in Game 2 of the French League Final, there’s still not much to be said about Wemby’s big-game performances. Though he had a respectable stat line with 17 points, seven rebounds, four assists, three blocks, and two steals, his squad still dropped the second game to Monaco 95-88 and is trailing 0-2 in the best-of-five series.
Victor will have to have a huge performance in Game 3 to quash some of the social media hate and keep his team’s championship hopes alive.
Moving on to the NBA, it has already been stated that former San Antonio Spurs legends Tony Parker, Manu Ginobli, and Tim Duncan will be mentoring and training Victor, while he’s under Popovich’s tutelage.
This is a huge thing for the Spurs, because they’re combining some of the smartest and most talented players mentoring into one of the most athletically gifted players we’ve ever seen.
By the time Wemby gets to the NBA and can get some reps under his belt and maybe a year or two of experience in the league, he should be a bona fide superstar.
Tim Duncan and company are going to watch a good amount of film and will help him develop the mindset to be cool under pressure in high-pressure games in the playoffs.
If Wemby can learn from these legends and Popovich and continue to work on his game, fans won’t see many of these playoff meltdowns for the Spurs.
Chicago White Sox shortstop Tim Anderson opened up about his extramarital affair and fathering a child with his mistress on “The Pivot Podcast” with Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor. This was Anderson’s first public in-depth discussion on his struggles, and it’s clear he and his family are still working through it.
“It was a lot of work behind the scenes,” Anderson said. “We went to therapy, just digging into what was it, what caused me to go into these spaces or even that space to even create that. It’s a tough conversation. It’s a tough situation. I feel like we did a lot of work as far as understanding it and showing my love to my wife and to my kids. But it’s something that I’m still going through, trying to master it to get to the point to where I’m okay with walking it and stepping in it, 1,000 percent for sure.”
Anderson had an affair with Dejah Lanee and fathered a son, whom he shared a photo of on Instagram stories earlier this year. The two-time All-Star is married to Bria Anderson and the couple shares two daughters, Peyton and Paxton.
“I made a couple decisions that probably shouldn’t have been made along the way, but I’m open to dealing with them and growing with them. This is what it is. I’m willing to take whatever smoke comes with it, and I just really want to be honest,” Anderson continued. “Really, the most honest I can be with the world, with the people around me and the people I love and just continue to keep stepping by faith, having faith in everything I do and just knowing that all this is going to get better at the end of the day.”
Bria and Dejah got into a social media back and forth over who had the right to claim Anderson as theirs. Bria and Tim have both said they are working on their marriage.
At its core, a relationship is about trust and the participants feeling safe. By having an affair and fathering a child, Tim broke that trust. It’s going to take time for him to re-establish trust with Bria and his kids. If they want a healthy functioning family unit, the work will be ongoing.
The 2019 AL batting champion admitted that the drama surrounding his affair has impacted his play on the field. He’s hitting .259 with a .605 OPS this season. His WAR is -0.3; that’s below a replacement-level player.
“Even just to be right here to talk to y’all, it’s crazy,” Anderson said. “Because when I was first going through it, I didn’t want to be seen. I didn’t want to be talked to, but I still had to go out and play. So that even made it a whole lot tougher on me.”
This is the reality of being a modern-day public figure. Any misstep, flaw, lapse in judgment will be dissected and analyzed for the world to see and judge.
The Miami Heat magical postseason run came to an end on Monday night following their 94-89 loss in Game 5 of the NBA Finals to the Denver Nuggets. They were able to bounce back and make it to the Finals after losing their first game of the play-in tournament. Despite the disappointing end, the Heat still made history by being the first team to make the NBA Finals in the short history of the play-in format. They achieved this goal because of the stellar play of Jimmy Butler, who also is known as “Playoff Jimmy.”
Butler had one of the best postseason performances in the first round but his play dwindled little by little as they advanced through each round. Heat fans may attribute it to an ankle injury he suffered in the second round of the playoffs against the Knicks, but social media is not buying that excuse. Now the artist formerly known as “Himmy” has turned back to Jimmy, and social media is blaming him for the Heat falling short yet again in the Finals.
Butler averaged 37.6 points and 6.0 rebounds per game while shooting 59.7 percent from the field against the Bucks. They were able to put them away in five games, with Butler’s lowest points scored in the series being 25. His 56 points scored in Game 4 of the series was the fourth-most points scored ever in a playoff game. It helped earned him the name “Himmy” on social media.
His first round performance even drew comparisons to Michael Jordan.
Butler even was feeling himself so much during this playoff run that he trademarked “Himmy Buckets” heading into the NBA Finals. Things quickly backfired on him after his poor Finals performance.
Butler fell back to earth in the second round against the Knicks. He averaged 24.6 points per game and shot only 43.2 percent from the field. The numbers were far off from his first-round series and foreshadowed his performance in the conference finals against the Celtics.
He still averaged 24.7 points per game, 7.6 rebounds per game, and 6.1 assists per game in the conference finals. The Heat won a Game 1 in Boston after many doubted them when the Celtics climbed back in the series from a 3-0 deficit. Butler scored 28 points in the closeout game and won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP award.
Things fell completely apart in the NBA Finals. Butler averaged 21.6 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.6 rebounds, which were all playoff lows in his postseason run. Many believe he just choked, but some people on social media pointed out that he was never the same after he rolled his ankle on a collision with Josh Hart against the Knicks.
Butler missed one game and said that it was not an excuse after the Game 5 loss to the Nuggets in the Finals. He turned the ball over with the Heat down 90-89 and less than 30 seconds left in the game.
“Jimmy you are not Himmy unfortunately,” wrote @yvngxafricano on Twitter.
Many others also echoed those words with similar tweets that read, “Jimmy is not Himmy.”
Despite the ugly ending for Butler and the Heat, many believed that they could add another big piece and be right back in the finals. Damian Lillard name was thrown out a lot by Heat fans to go alongside Butler and Bam Adebayo. Heat president Pat Riley is one of the best in the game at quickly rebuilding a contender and will be sure to add another piece. The team also will get back a healthy Tyler Herro, who broke his hand in the first round. Victor Oladipo, who tore the patellar tendon in his left knee in the first round, also likely will be back after surgery and exercising his player option for next season.
At least 10 people — including a suspect — were wounded in a shooting early Tuesday that police say may be connected to a fentanyl drug deal that was taking place amid thousands of fans gathered in downtown Denver, turning triumphant street celebrations of the Nuggets’ NBA title win potentially deadly.
Denver chief of police Ron Thomas said officers discovered cash, guns and a substance that appeared to be fentanyl at the scene. Signs that point toward a failed drug deal.
At least 20 shots were fired near the intersection of Market and 20th streets a mile away from Ball Arena where the Nuggets defeated the Miami Heat, according to police. Three of the 10 victims were initially hospitalized in critical condition. All victims are expected to survive after four suffered life-threatening wounds that led to multiple concurrent surgeries, according to city officials.
Two men were taken into custody by the police.
“At least 20 shots were fired. We are still working to determine the motive. There appears to be a drug nexus,” Denver’s public safety director Armando Saldate said.
A local resident thought it was safe to go out and join in the celebration but was jarred by the incident.
“I thought it was safe when I went out last night. We had all that armory that was out there, all the police officers, basically like a military guard,” Denver resident Scott Dangelo told The Denver Post. “I thought it was just more fireworks going off. The percussion kind of startled me… The police officers were dropping down on their knees. I’m live-streaming. Next thing I know the officers dive in and are pointing their weapons. They were pointing to where the shots were. A lady got shot, like, 10 feet away from me. Another person was struck. It was pretty crazy.”
It’s not uncommon for fans to take to the streets in a city after a team wins a championship. Usually it’s just people climbing on street lamps or traffic lights, sometimes there is property damage and the occasional scuffle. But mass shootings don’t usually happen in celebratory moments.
But this is America where we have a prevalence of guns and an obsession with violence. We aren’t halfway through the calendar year and there have already been 291 mass shootings.
This horrific incident puts an ugly taint on what should otherwise be a wonderful celebration for the city and longtime Nuggets fans.
The Nuggets’ championship parade is scheduled for Thursday. No doubt the Nuggets, city officials and the authorities are working to make sure no similar incident occurs.
“There is certainly a potential for danger any time there is a large gathering,” Chief Thomas told the Post. “I know there was celebratory gunfire throughout the city.”
“Celebratory gunfire?” That’s an oxymoron, no?
There should be no reason to fire off guns in celebration. This isn’t the 1850s gold rush and the Wild West.
We should be evolved enough to celebrate in a more civilized manner. Then again, this is sports, which has a way of bringing out our most primal and terrible behaviors.
Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan have launched a new podcast called “Separation Anxiety” that focuses on their “life, love, sex, and 16-year age gaps!” In the first episode Pippen revealed she had Marcus under an alias in her phone because she didn’t want people to find out.
Marcus Jordan’s Alias
“I could never really put you under your name in my phone,” Pippen said. “So I had you under Marc Jacob. I didn’t want anyone to know when you called me.”
There of course is the 16-year age gap. And the elephant in the room. Larsa is the ex-wife of NBA great Scottie Pippen and Marcus is the son of basketball GOAT Michael Jordan, who of course were teammates and won six titles with the Chicago Bulls in the 1990s.
To say that things between MJ and Scottie have cooled over the years is an understatement. Scottie was not happy with his portrayal in “The Last Dance” and has been on a mission to make sure people know how integral he was to MJ’s success.
“I’ve seen Michael Jordan play before I came to play with the Bulls,” Pippen said on “Gimme The Hot Sauce!” last month. “He was a horrible player. He was horrible to play with. He was all 1-on-1. He was shooting bad shots. And all of the sudden we become a team and we start winning.”
Pip has also made sure that anytime he appears in media and is asked who the GOAT is, LeBron James is the answer and he takes a shot at MJ.
It’s down bad with Pip and now that Larsa is with Marcus, he’s definitely in his feelings.
From the outside looking in, it appears that Larsa and Marcus are happy and in love. There are reports that Larsa is ready to tie the knot after thinking she would never find true love.
“I think I might be single forever because there’s no one that’s cute, funny, smart,” Pippen said. “Then when you and I first got together, I was like, ‘Oh, my God, this is the guy.’ This is the guy I prayed for, ’cause I really prayed for a best friend and I feel like I got my best friend.”
Regardless of how real the couple’s love is, this is the internet era and jokes are going to fly. People harp on their age gap and talk about how Larsa knew Marcus as a baby.
Marcus was born in 1991 while his dad and Scottie were on the Bulls. But Scottie and Larsa didn’t get married until 1997. Who knows if they were hanging out like that going on couples dates and spending time at each other’s houses.
Larsa is clear about not meeting Marcus until much later in life.
“[People say] like, I threw your 5th birthday or something,” Pippen said. “Like, no, by the way, I never met you before.”
MJ is a notorious gambler, and maybe he and Scottie weren’t spending time together off the court. If they weren’t, it’s unlikely Larsa and Jordan’s first wife Juanita were hanging either.
The Kansas City Chiefs are fresh off a Super Bowl win that most didn’t believe was possible once the team traded star wideout Tyreek Hill to the Miami Dolphins in March 2022 and it appears that they are re-stocked offensively and ready to make another run.
When Hill bounced to Miami for the bag, it was supposed to be the back-breaking blow that ended the franchise’s dynastic run to Super Bowls.
Well obviously, head coach Andy Reid and superstar quarterback Patrick Mahomes weren’t buying in.
In fact, Mahomes had his best season as a quarterback based on metrics, and while the big plays didn’t come as often, Mahomes grew as a signal-caller, becoming more patient and taking what the defenses gave him and enters next season as the reigning MVP and Super Bowl MVP.
What’s even more impressive is the receiver group Mahomes accomplished that with. Taking All-Pro tight end Travis Kelce’s otherworldly stats (110 receptions, 1,338 yards and 12 touchdowns) and leading wide receiver JuJu Smith-Schuster’s (78 receptions, 933 yards and three touchdowns) out of the equation, the other pass-catchers weren’t overly impressive.
The group combined for 247 receptions, 2,920 yards and 26 touchdowns. With Smith-Schuster leaving for the New England Patriots via free agency, the question once again is who’ll step up and keep the Chiefs train going.
Will it be DeAndre Hopkins via free agency or one of the young talented pass-catchers?
Despite oddsmakers and analysts feeling like Hopkins could be the missing piece to another Super Bowl run, K.C. isn’t gonna overpay for the former All-Pro.
According to reports, the Chiefs and Hopkins were close to a deal, but when the Baltimore Ravens gave Odell Beckham Jr. $15 million guaranteed and as much as $18 million with incentives, that deal fell through.
K.C. instead opted to spend that money on former Tampa Bay Buccaneers swing tackle Donovan Smith, adding more depth to their offensive line.
Ending negotiations with Hopkins also was a direct signal that the franchise believes in its young receivers, mainly former New York Giants first-round pick Kadarius Toney and last year’s second-round pick Skyy Moore, who both scored touchdowns in KC’s 38-35 Super Bowl win over the Philadelphia Eagles in February.
Chiefs GM Brett Veach even indicated last month that they believe Toney can be their No. 1 wide receiver.
“He’s predominantly been a guy that is a slot receiver, returner, runner — a gadget guy, if you will — but I don’t know if there’s a limit because he has a vertical game,” Veach said. “I don’t know it his collegiate team at Florida was one that vertically pushed the ball down the field, and his time early on in New York, I don’t know if they were a team really vertically pushed the ball down the field.”
Despite Toney’s injury history and lack of experience, having played in just 12 games with the Giants before arriving midseason last year, they believe in his ability.
Can he be the guy? Veach was asked.
“It’s a fair question to ask. Has he ever played with a quarterback that likes to push the ball down the field? We have a lot of high hopes for him,” Veach said. “He was a first-round pick for a reason. There’s a reason why we traded for him and we felt like he was first-round talent.”
Toney reportedly has looked good in OTAs, a good sign for the Chiefs.
Opposite of Toney will likely be Moore, who showed flashes last season, but struggled to adjust to the NFL game. Never easy for rookies, but even tougher when coming to a team that’s championship ready. The level of difficulty for these talented pups won’t change in 2023, but both have been showing signs that they’re ready to ascend.
Just this past week Reid praised the former Western Michigan Broncos star for his being ready and really connecting with Mahomes.
“Skyy has worked real hard this offseason. He looks like he’s on the same page with Patrick Mahomes,” Reid said in his press conference. “In these camps, he’s doing a real nice job. Let’s keep on advancing as we go — and he’ll do that because he’s wired right to do that.”
Chiefs also selected the supremely talented Rashee Rice from SMU in the 2023 NFL Draft and he’s got all the tools to help right away.
All of these factors and an influx of young, promising receivers makes adding D-Hop a luxury at the right price, not a necessity.
The death of former Olympic sprinter Tori Bowie left unanswered questions when she was found dead at her Orange County, Florida, home last month but the autopsy report obtained by NBC News revealed Bowie died from complications related to giving birth.
The 32-year-old Olympic sprinter burst onto the scene at the 2016 Rio Games, where she won a silver medal in the 100 meters, a bronze in the 200 meters, and gold in the 4×100 as the anchor leg.
The Orange County Sheriff’s Department conducted a wellness check on May 3 and found Bowie dead. The Orange County Medical Examiner’s Office said that there was evidence of her “undergoing labor crowning” at the time of her death and she was discovered to be eight months pregnant, according to NBC News.
The autopsy stated that Bowie died from natural causes and authorities said there were “no signs of foul play.” The autopsy also found that respiratory distress and eclampsia contributed to her death. According to the Mayo Clinic, eclampsia is the onset of seizures or a coma related to preeclampsia, which is a high blood pressure disorder that can occur during a pregnancy.
“Eclampsia can happen without any previously observed signs or symptoms of preeclampsia,” the Mayo Clinic states on its website. “Signs and symptoms that may appear before seizures include severe headaches, vision problems, mental confusion or altered behaviors. But, there are often no symptoms or warning signs.”
According to CNN, the maternal death rate rose to 1,205, which was a significant increase from 861 total deaths in 2020. The rates among Black women were twice as high compared to white women.
Bowie is a native of Sand Hill, Mississippi, and was reportedly always an athlete. She ran track and played basketball in high school. Track became her first love and she was able to earn a scholarship to the University of Southern Mississippi.
While in college, she won the 2011 NCAA championship in the indoor and outdoor long jump competitions. She was also a three-time All-American in college.
After the 2016 Rio Olympic Games, Bowie finished first in the 100-meter sprint at the 2017 World Championships in London. Her last race was in June 2022.
Bowie’s management company, Icon management, first broke the news of her death on their Twitter account.
Icon Management described Bowie as “very enthusiastic with a sparkling personality.” Members from the track community like her former coach Craig Poole and three-time Olympic long jump gold medalist Brittany Reese expressed their sympathy on social media for Bowie at the time of her death.
The Denver Nuggets won their first NBA title in franchise history on Monday night, defeating the Miami Heat 4-1 in the best-of-seven championship matchup.
Nikola Jokic was named Finals MVP and head coach Michael Malone said the team is not satisfied, they want more. Are the Nuggets poised to be the NBA’s latest dynasty?
Let’s start with the world’s best player. Jokic is 28 and just led the entire playoffs in total points, rebounds, and assists. The first time that’s ever been done. He is under contract for the next four seasons, and has a player option for year five. He’ll be 32 at the end of that deal and with a game not dependent on explosive athleticism, he should age well.
His running mate Jamal Murray is 26 and came off an excellent Finals run, averaging 21 points, 6, rebounds, and 10 assists per game on 45/39/92 shooting splits. He is under contract for the next two seasons and will be an unrestricted free agent in 2025. Nuggets general manager Calvin Booth knows how critical Murray is. Expect him to sign a long term extension next season.
With Joker being from Serbia and Murray from Canada via a Jamaican-born father, they should be considered among the greatest international tandems of all time. Shaq and Kobe, LeBron and Wade/Kyrie, MJ and Pippen, Magic and Kareem, Bird and McHale, Splash Brothers. They were all American-born players. Products of the 50 states. Tony Parker (France) and Manu Ginobili (Spain) were a great tandem but neither were first options at any point of their careers. They got the bulk of their glory by coming up big in the playoffs for. Spurs dynasty that won five rings on the back of Top 10 all-time player Tim Duncan.
Michael Porter Jr., despite his struggles in the Finals, is also an integral part of the Nuggets core. He’s 24 and under contract for the next three seasons, with a partially guaranteed fourth. If he’s able to stay healthy, he’s shown that he is an excellent offensive weapon and someone who can impact the game when his shots not falling. Like he did in these Finals.
Aaron Gordon has two more years left on his deal and a player option for a third year.
He’s 27 and was second on the team this year in EPM. He’s an elite defender as demonstrated all postseason guarding Kevin Durant, LeBron James, and Jimmy Butler.
Offensively he’s a capable shooter, and knows how to cut and play off of an elite passer like Jokic.
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope is the only starter not in his 20s. At 30 and with one year plus a player option left on his deal, KCP proved to be the tall, rangy defender the Nuggets needed. He made incredible defensive efforts and is a very good three-point shooter.
Assuming health and luck, which you cannot guarantee, the Nuggets are poised to repeat next season as champs and have already been installed as the Las Vegas favorites. They are elite offensively and proved they can grind with anyone defensively. Plus they have that Jokic guy. Did we mention him?
The challenge comes with keeping the entire roster together with the new CBA and the stiff penalties for going above the second tax apron.
Bruce Brown was critical for the Nuggets all playoffs long and had a big-time performance in Game 4. He’s made $6.4 million this season and has a player option for $6.8 million next season. He is almost certainly going to opt out and look for a bigger payday. The Nuggets don’t own his Bird rights and thus can’t pay him what the open market will (likely four years, $60 million).
That means Christian Braun, who is on his team-friendly rookie deal is the likely candidate to fill that spot. He will have to develop as a shooter and have a move for if and when defenders close out hard. He’s a very good athlete and will need to continue to get better at reading the game on both ends.
Jeff Green is 35 and an unrestricted free agent. He was very good off the bench for this team but he’s aging. Can the Nuggets get similar production from young players Peyton Watson and Zeke Nnaji?
The margins will be where the Nuggets determine how long they can keep the core together. Getting excellent contributions from players making a combined $26 million (KCP, Brown, Braun, and Green) is the key to avoiding the second tax apron.
It will mean letting guys go who want more money and making sure your draft picks develop into productive playoff players while they are on team friendly deals. Also, winning the title means the Nuggets will have their choice of the best of the veteran ring chasers.
Last Saturday the Phoenix Mercury and star Brittney Griner were harassed by a Blaze Media YouTube personality at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. The man, described by the WNBA as a “provocateur,” shouted questions at Griner while filming her and her teammates. The WNBA approved charter flights for Griner this season, given her recent release from a Russian prison. It’s unclear why she wasn’t flying chartered on Saturday.
“Given her special situation, the WNBA approved charter flights for BG for the 2023 season,” a league spokesperson said. “We informed the Phoenix Mercury earlier this year to move ahead with any arrangements they felt were appropriate and needed, including charter flights.”
Griner was arrested and detained in February 2022 when she was returning to Russia to continue her overseas basketball season. Russian customs officials said they found vape canisters with cannabis oil in her luggage, which she later acknowledged in court while saying she had no criminal intent and had packed them in haste.
Last August, she was sentenced to a nine-year prison term but in December was freed through a negotiated prisoner exchange between the United States and Russian governments.
Russia agreed to a prisoner exchange for convicted arms dealer Viktor Bout aka “Merchant of Death.”
Bout is a former Soviet military translator who used multiple companies he controlled to smuggle weapons from Eastern Europe to Africa and the Middle East during the 1990s and early 2000s. He reportedly broke embargoes in the name of weapons sales and war profiteering.
As reported by The Economist in 2008, “[Bout] struck deals with a remarkable axis of ne’er-do-wells: supplying weapons and air-transport to the Taliban, abetting despots and revolutionaries in Africa and South America, aiding Hizbullah in Lebanon and Islamists in Somalia. He also found time to supply American forces in Iraq, perhaps al-Qaeda too, and maybe even Chechen rebels.”
Alex Stein, the right-wing YouTube personality who harassed Griner and her teammates, was seen and heard asking if the prisoner swap was a fair exchange. He also asked if Griner slept with Putin to get released. This man is an idiot and did what he did for clout and to rile up his base of supporters.
But what if this was one of the more rabid members of his base of supporters who saw Griner and decided to escalate the situation? Don’t act like we haven’t seen people commit acts of violence in the name of right wing zealotry.
This incident does raise the issue about WNBA teams flying commercial as opposed to charters like their male counterparts. We know all the arguments about the WNBA not being nearly as profitable as the NBA.
But if ratings and interest are up and the league is considering expansion, it should invest in the safety and well being of its players.
Many of these teams are run by the billionaire owners of the NBA teams in the same city. Let these insanely wealthy people foot the bill. New York Liberty owner Joe Tsai has said he would pay for his team to have a charter.
“[I]n times like that, we don’t want to throw phones or yell and say things back, so we kind of have to take it,” said Griner’s Mercury teammate Brianna Turner. “I guess you live and learn, but I don’t know … if it happens again, what do we do next?”
It’s on the W now. What will you do next, to ensure player comfort and safety?
Boston Celtics legend Paul Pierce has been a pretty busy man the past couple of years.
The 2008 NBA Finals MVP has had no shortage of scratch-your-head moments since 2021.
While Pierce’s actions have been funny to some, others find them to be embarrassing, a troubling cry for attention even.
One of those people who believe it’s embarrassing is ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, who called out the former Kansas Jayhawks star for his actions that in his opinion have become a bit of a sideshow.
During a recent episode of his “The Stephen A. Smith Show” podcast, the host of “First Take” host basically pleaded with Pierce to shape up and stop all the unnecessary stuff.
“I never enjoy this type of stuff, but I have no choice,” Smith said on his show. “Y’all might find it funny, but I don’t. I find it kind of sad, to be honest with you. You’re a champion. You know the game of basketball. Let me tell you something about Kevin Garnett. He’s serious as a heart attack. The brother takes all work serious. He don’t joke around. He don’t mess around. He don’t shortcuts with anything he does. But that’s his brother, his teammate, his friend, and he ain’t gonna say much on camera. I’d love to know what he said to him off camera, because Garnett ain’t one to tolerate that kind of nonsense.”
On Friday as the two former Celtics legends and champions prepared to commentate and livestream NBA Finals Game 3, Pierce appeared on the show drunk or inebriated. But what he did next was the real shocker, he introduced his girlfriend for the day to KG who couldn’t help but laugh and look shocked. Pierce says he got her from the rent-a-girlfriend site where you can rent girlfriends daily.
That’s what SAS is talking about when he said embarrassing and not funny.
That also comes on the heels of Pierce being fired from ESPN in 2021 for being on Instagram Live with strippers dancing while he and his friends were drinking and smoking. No way that was gonna stand with ESPN being under the Disney umbrella.
But it’s becoming a consistent theme for Pierce as pertains to his actions, and Smith felt it was time to call it out.
Recently named one of the NBA75, Pierce has accolades for days, but Smith believes his actions could affect his status going forward if the 10-time NBA All-Star doesn’t change his ways.
Pierce isn’t committing any crimes. He’s an adult and has the right to live his life as he sees fit, as long as he’s not infringing on anyone else’s safety. But the buttoned-up, corporate talking head known as Stephen A. is obviously bothered by Pierce’s carefree lifestyle.
“That’s the imagery you want? Stephen A. said. “That’s how you want us to see you, this champion, who was an elite player and scorer? Please stop. You mean too much to the game of basketball, bro. You mean too much to the game of basketball for us to see you like that. And whether he admits it or not, you’re too important. You’re too valuable. You matter too much. We care about you too much to also watch you allow yourself to put Kevin Garnett in that position by acting like that. It’s embarrassing. Come on, bro. You better than that.”
Some may say Smith is overreacting, but he makes some valid points. Let’s see if Pierce adheres or continued his pattern of awkward behavior.
The NBA Finals have taken center stage over the last few weeks, but with them now finished the league is expected to lay down the punishment for Memphis Grizzlies star point guard Ja Morant.
The former Murray State Racers star and 2019 No. 2 overall pick is once again in hot water for brandishing a handgun in a social media video. It was Morant’s second time in two months doing so, and it was even more surprising than his first incident considering he was still dealing with the blowback and fallout.
Many celebrities and former gangsters, current gang members and former gangster rappers turned community advocates have told Morant to focus on being an NBA star, and not the image he’s been trying to portray with his social media antics.
One person who’s been pretty vocal on the matter from the jump is rapper Cam’ron, who likens Morant’s situation to something similar that he dealt with back in the day.
In an Instagram post, Cam shared photos of himself at Navarro Junior College in Texas, after he finished a promising high school hoops career, and he even explained how that came to an end.
“I was on some bull sh*t in college,” Cam’ron said. “I got kicked out for pistol whipping a n-gga. Which I don’t condone lucky I had a plan B and C. Ja don’t be me you can’t rap!!! lol as you can see it’s a little blurry but it was still the set.”
Strong words from Cam’ron, who was once one of the better high school players in all of New York City. He grew up in the same building as former Providence star God Shammgod.
He and teammate, good friend and fellow rapper Ma$e, aka Mason Betha, even led their high school team to the state championship game at MSG with a win over former NBA star Stephon Marbury’s Lincoln High School squad. Although they lost the title game, it catapulted Cam’ron to go on to the next level, where he eventually screwed up his chances at furthering his career on the hardwood.
This isn’t the first time Cam, who now has a voice as a rising street sports analyst, has spoken his peace on Morant.
In March, Cam likened Morant’s first incident to “Gary Coleman Syndrome.” Cam even questioned what Ja’s supposed “healing process” was about following the fallout.
“The f*ck is a healing process?!” He asked on his “It Is What It Is” podcast. “See, you know happens on some G sh*t, and I’m not being funny or none of this sh*t because they’ll say we insensitive because we grew up in another era.
“N-ggas gotta stop playing with this mental health sh*t, for real. When n-ggas ain’t doing sh*t right, n-ggas is running to that. ‘You know what? I bugged out and my brain ain’t working right.”
In 1999, Cam’s label Untertainment was sued for the planned album cover of his 2000 release “SDE,” which stood for Sports, Drugs and Entertainment.
The cover depicted a handgun in the NBA logo of a dribbling player.
It is rare when an IG model runs to social media to tell the world she is not dealing with an NBA player romantically, but that is precisely what Miami influencer, YesJulz did to clear the air. She claims to have dealt with rumors of being the side piece of LeBron James for years, and she wants the world to know that it is not going down like that.
“Here’s a fact: I have never in my entire life been alone with LeBron James, period. There is nothing that ever went on there. Clearly, we were friends. I was working in Miami…one of the most popping party promoters in Miami; the Heat was winning, I was a go-to person. I started working with them through Maverick Carter, so I was around, and they supported me.
“Do you think that somebody that is married would tweet and take pictures with and be around and bring somebody that they like doing something with around their family and wife? Common sense.”
However, with the way the internet has been set up, common sense isn’t common and many not only pursue married celebrities but are successful in hooking up with them. YesJulz did admit to a relationship with someone in LeBron’s circle, but who?
“It wasn’t LeBron. Did I have relations with somebody he’s friends with or knows? Did I end up going on dates and trying my hand with someone that was around him at the time? Yeah, I did. We were friends,” YesJulz continued. “We tried dating for a little bit, had a great time, ended up not taking it further than that, and then remained friends. Sorry.
“I have the utmost respect for Savannah. Love her, think she’s amazing. (I’ve) had enough of this stain being put on my name. Joe Budden, all these people just insist that how I got where I was today. It’s nothing to do with my work ethic, nothing to do with the ability that I have to execute better than most of these men out here…just that I have a fat a**.
“Like Lord knows how many opportunities and checks I’ve missed out on simply because dense, gossiping hating a humans want to make up these narratives about me that make it seem like I’m a woman that’s sleeping with a married man whose wife I know.”
YesJulz is a social media influencer and the founder & CEO of 1AM Media, a self-proclaimed “female-founded and operated powerhouse entertainment company” with a creative marketing agency, digital radio station, and management company. The rumor that she has been LeBron’s side chick has swirled around her for almost ten years now, returning to his days as the star player for the Heat. James won two championships there, and like any hot sports moments, the city went up, and so did YesJulz’s opportunities.
However, unlike the popular trend of outing secret trysts with ballers, describing graphic portions of their sexual lives, or shaming them on social media, YesJulz wants the world to know she respects the James family. The fact that she wouldn’t even name who she dated within James’ circle is even rarer.
With Zion Williamson being dragged by a slew of IG models and a former porn star for revenge or clout, the trend leans toxic, but in this case, LeBron and Savannah James are safe. Pay attention, Zion.
LeBron James has accomplished a lot his 20 years in the NBA except for one thing. NBA fans have always wondered why James never participated in the Slam Dunk Contest during the NBA All-Star weekend, and they finally have their answer. He has hinted and teased at the idea for years but never actually followed through.
He recently gave an explanation about why that was never on his to-do list entering the NBA.
James impressive NBA résumé is near perfect. He appeared in 10 NBA Finals, won four NBA titles, won four regular season MVP awards, four NBA Finals MVP awards, and sits at the top of the NBA all-time scoring list. He never competed in a Slam Dunk Contest like many other NBA legends.
The 38-year-old recently was asked why he never competed by Bally Sports senior writer Brandon Robinson, and he finally gave NBA fans an explanation.
“I don’t think it was something I wanted to accomplish in my career; it’s not a goal of mine and it never was coming into the NBA to be a part of the Dunk Contest, you know?” James told Bally Sports. “Making the NBA All-Star Team was, being the league MVP, winning Defensive Player of the Year, winning NBA Championships…? Those were some goals of mine. The NBA Dunk Contest was never a goal of mine so, it wasn’t something that I had too much passion for.”
James achieved everything he sought out to do but also added another accomplishment he never expected to his list of achievements. Media members and NBA fans believed his choice of not participating in the dunk contest has similarly discouraged the younger generation of NBA players from entering the competition.
The one chance fans thought they’d have to see him compete was in the 2011 contest. In 2010, James guaranteed he would enter the contest the next year when he spoke with Cheryl Miller during an interview.
Fans clammored at the opportunity to see a modern day version of Michael Jordan versus Dominique Wilkins type matchup in the slam dunk contest. It is clear that the 38-year-old will not be participating at this point.
The thought of the NBA dunk contest being completely thrown out has been floated around but nothing is concrete. The format changed from individual to team style in 2014 to create a new buzz but the idea didn’t last long. The contest once had winners such as Wilkins, Jordan, Vince Carter, and Dwight Howard. It is now in search of a new star to emerge to give the contest new life.
Headline: Recent Dating Rumors of Austin Reaves and Taylor Swift Officially Makes Him A Hollywood Star, Lakers GM Rob Pelinka Now Will Have to Offer at Least $100M to Keep the Rising Star
Austin Reaves officially can be dubbed a star. Rumors floated around he was spotted with pop star Taylor Swift at an Arkansas bar earlier last week. Those rumors ran wild on social media, and his brother had to intervene to let the world know that they were not true.
The 6-foot-5 guard went from undrafted bench player to a star during the Lakers’ postseason run to the Western Conference finals. The team did a complete makeover of their roster by shipping Russell Westbrook to the Utah Jazz and acquiring D’angelo Russell and Rui Hachimura in two other trades at the NBA trade deadline. Head coach Darvin Ham also inserted Austin into the starting lineup, and the team took off.
Now Reaves’ off-the-court life has taken off as well, according to the social media rumors.
The dating rumors mean Austin is officially a star in a city filled with stars. It is one thing to play in the NBA, but it’s something entirely different when you play for the Lakers. Magic Johnson, Wilt Chamberlain, and even the late great Lakers owner Dr. Jerry Buss embodied the Hollywood lifestyle.
Buss embraced the term ‘Showtime’ and took the phrase to a whole new meaning. He encouraged the Hollywood stars to sit courtside during games and he brought the nightlife vibe to NBA games. He also made being a Lakers girl the premiere job by revamping the image of them in the 1980s.
Now Austin has former Lakers’ legends to thank for the recent dating rumors. Spencer Reaves delivered a series of tweets to shut down the rumors.
“People believe everything huh (laughing emojis),” Spencer wrote.
Ron Thompson responded, “I just wanna know what bar he took her to.”
“Austin going to the bar is the most unrealistic part of this whole thing,” replied Spencer.
The dating rumors might not be true, but the contract rumors could be. Austin is in line for a big payday after he finished the 2022-23 season strong. He averaged 13 points, three rebounds, and three assists per game in the regular season.
His numbers rose in the postseason to prove to Lakers fans that his regular season was no fluke. He averaged 16.9 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game in the playoffs.
The Lakers, who own Reaves’ Early Bird rights, are allowed offer him at most a contract for four years that is worth a little over $50 million. Other teams could potentially offer him as high as $98 million. Should this happen, the Arenas rule would allow the Lakers to match Reaves’ offer with a heavily backloaded contract that has most of the money in the final two years of the deal.
The Indiana Pacers, Houston Rockets, and Detroit Pistons all have the most money to spend this offseason. Rockets are focused on bringing back James Harden. The Pistons could be a sleeper team to sign Austin, which will be a nice piece to add to their young and talented roster. As for contenders, the Grizzlies could see him as a replacement for Dillon Brooks. He brings better shooting, more production, and less drama to a young team in search of a new identity.
He certainly will be the most sought after non-star player this offseason, and the Lakers will have to make a competitive offer to keep him in Hollywood.
Pro Football Hall of Famer Jerry Rice is widely considered the greatest wide receiver to play the game of football. The former Mississippi Valley State legend holds so many records he’s also in the GOAT debate for greatest football player ever regardless of position.
Rice, the three-time Super Bowl champion, and one-time Super Bowl MVP, also holds NFL records for most receptions (1,549), most receiving yards (22,895), most receiving touchdowns (197), most total touchdowns (208) and most total yards (23,546). Those are just some of the accolades the former San Francisco 49ers, Oakland Raiders and Seattle Seahawks legend accrued over his illustrious career.
Enough to just make fans go WOW for all that he accomplished on the gridiron. During his 20-year NFL career, Rice became the father to four children, three with his first wife Jacqueline. His oldest is his daughter Jaqui, who was born in 1987.Another former Super Bowl MVP, Julian Edelman, has the distinction of once dating the NFL legend’s first-born.
During a recent appearance on former NBA star Gilbert Arenas podcast, “Gil’s Arena Podcast,” co-host Josiah Johnson asked Edelman how was it dating Rice’s daughter.
As Edelman talked about how the two became an item, he mentioned that they were first childhood friends who both eventually attended Woodside High School in California. There they struck up a young romance, attending things such as prom together.
Johnson asked Edelman what it was like dating Jaqui and being around Rice.
“So dad can be extremely protective, obviously, with their daughter so I want to know what was your relationship like with Rice growing up. Did he [expletive] with you at all? Was he like …?”
Edelman’s reply is pretty normal for any boy dating a man’s daughter.
“Terrified, Terrified,” Edelman quickly replied.
Edelman continued, “I remember the first time I went over. Jerry came out with his chain on, no shirt, six packed up and just gave me a head nod. And that was like the last time we talked in like two years. It was tough. It was scary.”
“I was terrified, and I have a little girl now, so I understand, you know,” Edelman added. “so you kind of get it. A little punk, little kid coming into the house thinking he’s a dating a daughter and stuff. But I’ll tell you one thing, when Jerry wasn’t there I was putting on his Super Bowl rings and everything.”
Now that he has a daughter of his own Edelman sees why dads are so protective over their daughters. Edelman also says the family as a whole are great people.
“The family was awesome,” Edelman said as the laughter quelled a bit. “They were all cool and, uh, you know, still friends to this day. And then when I got to, you know, it was crazy, when I got to the league we developed a relationship. It became cool. I still see him at the [Kentucky] Derby here and there. I see him out and about, and he’s been real cool as of late.”
“But when we were kids, I fully get it, I get a Jerry, you know daughter, but it was, I’m still a little nervous thinking about it, you know? It’s Jerry Rice. He’s a GOAT.”
The way Edelman tells it their relationship got better after Edelman became a star wideout in the league and he was away from Rice’s daughter.
It’s highly unlikely that any NFL receiver will ever have the career that Rice put together, but for Edelman, who was once an option quarterback in college, he turned himself into a great big-play receiver for the Patriots.
The former Kent State signal-caller ended his 12-year career with 620 receptions for over 6,800 yards and 36 touchdowns. He culminated that career by being named Super Bowl 53 MVP, it was the last of his three Super Bowl wins as a member of the Patriots.
Edelman can always say he dated the daughter of Jerry Rice, and he has a Super Bowl MVP just like him as well.
Floyd Mayweather’s exhibition run left on Sunday as his “fight” against John Gotti III ended with an in-ring melee. The event, which took place at the FLA Live Arena in Sunrise, Florida, pitted the undefeated boxer businessman against the grandson of one of the most notorious mafia bosses in American history, John Gotti.
As expected, criminality erupted after referee Kenny Bayless called off the fight at the beginning of the sixth round, with Gotti III pushing the ref away and going after Mayweather. After Mayweather cruised effortlessly through five rounds of action, the two trash-talked while Gotti was peppered with punches.
When it got too heated, and veteran referee Kenny Bayless had difficulty separating them from clinches and getting them to focus on fighting and stop jawing at each other, it was the road to an abrupt finish.
Bayless stopped the fight early in the sixth round based on the ongoing trash-talk, but Gotti didn’t have it. He began swinging wildly at Mayweather after the bell. Mayweather defended himself and covered up before his team jumped in the ring and pushed back the raging bull in Gotti.
When both entourages eventually entered the ring, chaos erupted.
The 46-year-old Mayweather easily won all five rounds, which frustrated Gotti. However, after the melee, Gotti and his family took to social media to take the altercation to an ugly place.
“Punk b***h @floydmayweather you my enemy for life,” Gotti III posted over an image of the in-ring brawl on his IG story.
Then his sister Nicolette went to Instagram and threatened Floyd’s daughter Yaya Mayweather. It was not readily clear to why, but she took it into a racist area and included a shot toward Yaya’s baby’s father, rapper NBA Youngboy.
“Floyd Mayweather your daughter was ran through by an animal with 12 different baby mamas-your little circus animal-your all a pack of zoo animals…I swear on my kids I’m coming for your daughter, it may be 2 years, 3 years from now but I’m coming.”
The online threats, mixed with the in-ring disobedience of the referee’s order to stop fighting, looks like an assault and threat charge in real life.
However, the pay-per-view exhibition hosted on the Zeus Network makes it hard to tell entertainment from reality. The leading digital video-on-demand entertainment network claims to stream original premium subscription video programming generated by the world’s most popular social media influencers. Bottom line, this wasn’t just a boxing match, it was a spectacle.
Mayweather, who retired from professional boxing with an undefeated record of 50-0, was competing in his seventh exhibition fight. Before Sunday, he most recently dominated former reality TV star Aaron Chalmers in February. Mayweather has monetized the exhibition game in the streaming era, earning vast sums of cash and fighting various social media influencer-based opponents.
After the in-ring altercation, both sides too k the smoke outside and somebody from the Mayweather camp got his butt kicked by members of the Team Gotti.
Gotti was competing in his third boxing match and entered the fight with a 2-0 record. He also has a professional MMA record of 5-1. The 30-year-old grandson of American crime boss John Gotti has also fought mixed martial arts and boxed. In MMA, he got off to a 5-0 start with four knockout wins, but a unanimous decision loss to Nick Alley was the last time he was in the cage.
Since then he has been putting his focus and energy into boxing. He’s 2-0, with his latest win just five months ago in January when he beat Alex Citrowske at the Mohegan Sun Casino. Now he has to worry if there will be a suspension for defying a referee’s orders.
Gotti may never become a contender on the world stage, but he now has exhibition infamy on his boxing résumé.
In December, when Deion Sanders left Jackson State to become head coach at Colorado, most knew right away that certain players would follow him to Boulder.
Mainly, son Shedeur, who’ll be the Buffaloes starting quarterback. Sanders’ other son Shilo stayed at JSU to finish his degree, which he recently received this spring. The hard-hitting safety is now fully entrenched with the Buffaloes following his transfer.
And then there’s Sanders’ prized recruit at JSU, 2022 No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter who shook up college recruiting when he chose an HBCU over 17 Division I Power Five offers.
Hunter did his best to keep some sort of intrigue when he entered the portal in December. Some even suggested that his hesitance to immediately follow Deion into the mountains meant that he wasn’t going to Colorado with Coach Prime and his close friends Shedeur and Shilo.
While it seemed like a foregone conclusion that he’d up in Boulder, other schools had to try their hand, and from what Deion is saying a weak institutions of higher learning offered the former star at suburban Atlanta’s Collins Hill High School a bag to lure him to their programs.
During Coach Prime’s interview with 247Sports, not only did the Pro Football Hall of Famer respond to comments made by Pitt Panthers head coach Pat Narduzzi about how Sanders used the portal to completely overhaul his roster, he also talked about Hunter at length and how committed he is to him and the Buffaloes program.
“People offered Travis Hunter a bag. About $1.5M to try to lure him and buy him out of the transfer portal. But Travis is not that kind of guy the can be bought. He isn’t built like that. Travis is a relational young man that is built on relationships and stability. And that’s what he wanted and desired.
“That is why he decided to ride and stay with us. I cannot wait until they see what he is capable of doing in these next couple of years. Because he will be a top-five or top-three pick after his junior year. But the sky’s the limit, he is going to play both ways and he is a vital part of the offense and the defense, and he wants that.”
Hunter is an elite talent, as he proved in high school and during his freshman season at JSU.
In fact, the minute Sanders was able to land Hunter, the belief was JSU gave Hunter a huge NIL deal, which both Sanders and Hunter vehemently denied.
Blessed with elite athleticism and elite speed, Hunter has been likened to Pro Football Hall of Famer Charles Woodson, who’s the only defensive player first to win the Heisman Trophy.
Woodson also played both ways helping lead the Michigan Wolverines to their last national championship 1997.
Woodson then added a DPOY award and Super Bowl title during his NFL career, strictly as a cornerback and even some safety late in his career.
Now, TSL not saying Hunter is gonna accomplish all that, but he’s got immense ability.
But when you accumulate 3,600 yards receiving and 46 touchdowns in your high school career against elite competition, then flip to cornerback and tally 19 interceptions and five pick sixes, well, that is a whole other level.
If his health holds up, Hunter could be in for some big time seasons in Boulder over the next couple years. And there’s no price tag that will get him to leave the bins he’s built with the Sanders Family.
Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy announced the first team in their new TGL team golf venture this past week, the Los Angeles Golf Club. The club is owned by tennis legends Serena and Venus Williams, along with Serena’s husband Alexis Ohanian. But how will the TGL, which is operated in partnership with the PGA Tour, deal with this new team format now that the Tour has merged with LIV Golf and is backed by the Saudi Sovereign Wealth Fund?
Last Monday, the PGA Tour agreed to merge with Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf to create a new entity. The deal also includes the PGA European Tour aka DP World Tour.
What this means is that the Saudi Arabian Sovereign Wealth Fund aka Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund, which is controlled by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, essentially owns professional golf.
Before the LIV PGA merger, PGA commissioner Jay Monahan was an outspoken critic of LIV and its Saudi backer. Woods and McIlroy’s TMRW Sports golf venture was seen as the PGA Tour’s answer to the team golf element that LIV was promoting.
Now that all of golf is under one umbrella, what does that mean for Woods and McIlroy’s tech golf venture?
The TGL seems to be placing a heavy emphasis on building identities with specific cities, separating it from the franchises of LIV Golf. How is this all going to work without confusing golf fans?
TMRW Sports, a business venture formed by Woods, McIlroy and Mike McCarley, is betting big on the power of technology to revolutionize the game of golf and make the sport more accessible to younger fans.
The Sports Business Journal reports TGL “will pit three-person teams of current PGA Tour players against each other in prime-time televised Monday night broadcasts. The contests will be hosted within an arena seating 1,500 to 2,000 ticketed fans that is being built on 10 leased acres at Palm Beach State College’s campus in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.”
“We’re honored to welcome Alexis, Serena, and Venus as one of TGL’s original six team ownership groups,” said McCarley in a statement last week. “Alexis and Serena have been a part of the TMRW Sports family as investors and their enthusiasm, along with Venus, for what we’re building with TGL has been infectious. Serena and Venus represent an important part of not just TMRW Sports and TGL’s mission of access to sports for kids and families, but also an important part of the spirit and purpose of LA Golf Club.”
So many questions remain unanswered. Will Woods and McIlroy’s TGL accept money from the Saudi’s? How do the Williams sisters and Ohanian feel about the presence of the Saudi’s?
“We see tremendous opportunities to leverage technology to bring golf closer to its fans and to provide an immersive and interactive experience that will captivate both seasoned golf enthusiasts and new fans,” said Ohanian in a press release. “To wit, my wife Serena and I are delighted that Olympia has taken a liking to golf, so I’m proud to announce that they’re both owners in this club as well – as is the little one on the way! This is another piece of the legacy I’m building with my family, and I hope LAGC can become a part of many other families’ lives too.”
For now all of this remains unclear but at some point there needs to be a clear explanation of what these entities are and how they’re related.
Don’t call her Moriah Mills, because “Moriah” has retired from pornography but not from doxxing New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson. The disgruntled ex-lover is doubling down on her crusade against the power forward, going on another extended rant against him on Twitter.
The expose now has turned to the entitlement Moriah has toward what she feels she is owed and what he has supposedly given her so far.
Moriah tweeted a screenshot of what she purports is a $20,000 wire transfer to her account from Williamson with the caption, “Get in my way when I’m tryna save mine fu @Zionwilliamson.”
She complained in another tweet on Saturday that, “You know you been trapped @Zionwilliamson that’s why you switch all your banks up your really F**ked up big time.”
Moriah feels that Williamson owes her a residence since she canceled her place to move to New Orleans per his request.
“My condo better be ready in two week[s] @Zionwilliamson,” Mills tweeted Saturday.
“And you’re right I’m mad @Zionwilliamson this entire situation has you spending all types of unnecessary money that bm is toxic,” she said in another tweet.
“He gone fly others b***es out regardless it’s not my problem anymore I already had a convo I know what time it is !!” said another, but they kept on coming.
Moriah will not be satisfied until the world knows how she feels and is setting up what looks like a claim for support and damages.
“I didn’t get played I got lied to which is my issue @Zionwilliamson gifted me every time I saw him very nicely I have no complaints he always gave me gifts of what I asked for. it’s just he betrayed my trust having a baby on me. He a old soul that’s why he dated older women it’s all good. Played is if you didn’t get any type of gift I’m a women at the end of the day not stupid !!!” Mills tweeted.
Previously, Moriah shared screenshots of her Snapchat conversations with Williamson; he seemed to offer her a personal fund for a move to New Orleans.
From stating that Williamson “ate my a** last week” to scolding him for not getting a DNA and putting her life in danger with unprotected sex, Moriah’s emotional instability is affecting the perception of Zion.
The fact that he only played 29 games last season due to injuries saw him widely criticized for what many called his lack of discipline and not working out as expected as a professional athlete.
Once a third woman, digital creator Yami Taylor, mirrored Moriah’s allegations tweeting on Friday that she, too, has been involved with Williamson, a new vision of Zion’s life emerged amid the layoffs.
Back in April, Pelicans vice president of basketball operations David Griffin told the media that it is on Zion to prepare better. However, Griffin also said that the team needs to do what is necessary to help their young star get back on the court.
“I wish I could pinpoint the answer, I think a big part is him,” Griffin told reporters. “I think there is a lot he can do better. And he would, I think, tell you that.
“I think we need to do a better job examining the whole situation top to bottom a little bit better. I think putting him in the best position to succeed is important. And I think his participation is a big part of that.”
It’s safe to say that Mills wants Zion to feel the same pain she claims to have felt when he had a baby with the next woman. And her unwillingness to handle the situation more discreetly might have begun a domino affect of all of the side pieces ZIon had and who know, there might be more coming down the pike looking for their five minutes of fame.
Summer is almost here, and as the 2023 college football season approaches, there isn’t a bigger story at The Shadow League than what’s already taken place at Colorado, and what their first season under Pro Football Hall of Famer and two-time Super Bowl champion Deion Sanders will look like.
Since his arrival in December, Sanders has been busy overhauling a Buffaloes roster that went 5-19 in the two seasons prior to his hiring, including 1-11 in 2022.
From day one, Sanders, the walking sound bite, has been adamant that he was gonna make wholesale changes, and that he did in bringing in over 48 transfers, and having 58 transfer out of Boulder. Sanders’ approach rubbed some folks the wrong way, including Pitt head coach Pat Narduzzi who last month questioned Sanders for his actions.
During last month’s ACC meetings, Narduzzi told 247Sports this;
“That’s not the way it’s meant to be. That’s not what the rule intended to be. It was not to overhaul your roster. We’ll see how it works out but that, to me, looks bad on college football coaches across the country.
“The reflection is on one guy right now but when you look at it overall — those kids that have moms and dads and brothers and sisters and goals in life — I don’t know how many of those 70 that left really wanted to leave or they were kicked in the butt to get out.”
Sanders took advantage of a rule that allows first-year head coaches to cut players from the football roster, although the school is still on the hook for their scholarships.
While it took Sanders a bit to respond, the one-time NFL DPOY did so in a recent interview with the aforementioned 247Sports.
“What was his situation when he came to Pitt? He had a different situation than me,” Sanders told 247Sports when asked about Narduzzi’s criticism of his roster overhaul.
“He is not mad at me, he is mad at the situation in football now that allowed his best player to leave a year ago. He’s not mad at me, he’s using me to shoot bullets at another coach who he has an issue with. I don’t know who he is; if he walked in here right now I wouldn’t know him.”
Sanders is speaking of former Pitt Panthers wide receiver and 2021 Biletnikoff Award winner (top receiver in CFB) Jordan Addison transferring to USC to play for Lincoln Riley ahead of the 2022 season. That still stings a bit, because Narduzzi also lost his quarterback, Kenny Pickett at the same time as he entered the NFL draft, being taken 20th overall by the neighboring Pittsburgh Steelers. During the 2021 season Narduzzi’s Panthers won the ACC championship as well.
Also when Narduzzi took over in 2015, he inherited a team that had just played in a bowl game, losing to the Houston Cougars 35-34 in the Armed Forces Bowl.
When you make as many changes as Sanders has there’s no way the teams will mirror one another from a talent standpoint, and that’s why the moves were made at such a high volume. It was about upgrading the talent on the roster, and Sanders feels as if he and his coaching staff have done just that.
“Apples and oranges. You can’t compare the two. You are talking about a situation in which you inherited a team that was 1-11. And everyone knows there are gonna be some changes. I don’t understand how you would think the coaching staff is the only thing that deserved a change.
“Now when you rid of the entire coaching staff, you think you are going to keep all the kids? That doesn’t make sense to me. And that just doesn’t make sense whatsoever when the previous staff was responsible for securing those kids. That’s no the way this game is played with us.”
Coach Prime is doing it his way. Sept. 2 in Fort Worth, Texas, versus national runner-up TCU is where we’ll see if all the changes begin to pay dividends in between the lines.
