Travis Rudolph is breathing a sigh of relief after hearing the jury’s verdict on Wednesday. The former NFL wide receiver and Florida State star was on trial on a murder charge in connection with the death of Sebastian Jean-Jacques. He killed Jacques two years ago outside of his home in Lake Park, Florida, behind a domestic violence accusation with his then-girlfriend Dominique Jones.
Rudolph was found not guilty by a 12-person jury on Wednesday. He faced one count of first-degree murder and three counts of attempted murder. The trial lasted for almost two weeks.
“It means everything. I finally got my freedom back,” Rudolph said outside of the courthouse. “I can get back to my life.”
Four men showed up to Rudolph’s home shortly after midnight on April 7, 2021 to confront him about an argument he got into with Jones several hours earlier. The confrontation turned violent and Rudolph pulled a semi-automatic rifle on the men as they were trying to leave in a black Cadillac. He fired 39 shots in their direction and killed Jean-Jacques sitting in the passenger seat of the vehicle. He also wounded Tyler Robinson who was sitting in the back of the car.
The men showed up because of text messages sent by Jones that read “go shoot his sh*t up” after she found text messages from another woman on Rudolph’s phone. She then testified in court in late May that Rudolph wouldn’t let her leave and he became violent toward her. She also testified that she smashed his Playstation and called him a “broke b***h.”
In 2022, Rudolph asked Circuit Judge Jeffrey Gillen to dismiss his case under the Florida’s “stand your ground” law, which establishes that there is no duty to retreat before using deadly force in self-defense to protect against death or great bodily harm, according to the Palm Beach Post. His request was denied, but his claim of self-defense still swayed the jury at trial.
Rudolph posted on his Instagram celebrating his not guilty verdict with Vikings star running back Dalvin Cook. They two were teammates at Florida State from 2014-16.
Despite Rudolph’s joy, everyone was not happy about his not guilty verdict. Brandon Millan claimed to be a friend of Jean-Jacques and took to Twitter to voice his frustrationd.
“Justice was not served. F*** Travis Rudolph. You murdered my friend,” wrote Millan. He deleted the tweet but it prompted a lot of responses. The responses included things like “Dominique Jones got your friend killed” and “he should’ve stayed home.”
Either way, things worked out for Rudolph and he can now move on with his life.
When former NFL running back Le’Veon Bell made the comments that he used to puff it down prior to games, his willingness to mention he did this really didn’t come as that much of a surprise.
In fact, Bell isn’t the only player in the NFL doing so; he’s just the first and probably the last one to tell us about it.
Bell revealed this during a recent appearance on the “Steel Here” podcast. Bell talked about a number of things, but of course this statement stood out.
“Looking back on this, that’s what I did… When I was playing football, I smoked, bro. Even before the games, I’d smoke and go out there and run for 150, two touchdowns.”
Bell’s comments seem to take Pro Football Hall of Famer O.J. Simpson for a loop, and the former Heisman Trophy winning tailback let him know about it in a social media video posted to his page.
In the video, Simpson, who’s been rather opinionated on many different subjects via his social media account over the last year or so, had this to say.
“This morning, I woke up, and I was watching a sports show, and they were talking about Le’Veon Bell, talking about smoking pot before the game.
“I gotta be honest, I’ve never known anybody to smoke pot before a game, and it’s the first time I’ve ever heard of it that a guy smoked pot before he went out on the field.”
While Simpson may have never heard it himself, that doesn’t mean it didn’t happen during the time he toted the mail for the Buffalo Bills. He could’ve just been unaware that some teammates were indulging before hitting the gridiron.
As the loquacious Simpson proceeds to talk about Bell’s very unique patience as a runner, he sounds as if he’s in shock and at the same time in sort of awe at how Bell basically comes to a complete stop, before accelerating through the hole.
“In any event, I cannot believe a running back, Le’Veon Bell, it’s hard to believe that he could smoke pot before he went out there and carried the ball. That just seems like it would slow you down. Your reactions would slow down to the point that you couldn’t be effective, even though I gotta admit he was a very patient runner.”
Bell’s patience as a runner is unmatched, and because of that you can’t really tell if he’s actually moving in slower motion than he normally would. And that’s what makes what he said believable because he runs as if he’s mellowed out but has always been extremely effective in doing so.
Former NBA player Stephen Jackson admitted to playing games “high” and described the effects it had on him.
While Bell’s willingness to reveal this information could be comical to some, if he did have hopes of returning to the NFL, he probably put an end to it with that bold admission.
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson got caught with his hand in the cookie jar as porn star Moriah Mills is letting the world know she thought he was her man. Williamson recently announced he is going to be the father of a baby girl, but the expectant mother is not Mills, and she is not too happy about the double life she claims the Pelicans star has been leading.
Additionally, Mills also claims she might be pregnant, so what once was one now might be two new additions to the Williamson clan. Currently, Williamson has confirmed he is having a daughter with identified only as Ahkeema. The two celebrated with a lavish gender reveal party at a mansion on June 3, and a video she posted Tuesday to YouTube began making the rounds.
In the video, Williamson starts off by talking to his future daughter in a droll tone with a lackluster message that doesn’t seem too reassuring for Ahkeema.
“My baby, you’re going to see this at some point,” Zion says, being embraced by Ahkeema. “I don’t know what the future holds, but Mommy and Daddy loves you. If you don’t know nothing else, know Mommy and Daddy love you to life.”
Aside from the opulent celebration, Ahkeema cheering, and pink fireworks, the message is clear that Zion “doesn’t know what the future holds” in his romantic life.
It’s actually the most excitement Zion has provided for the fans in quite some time.
Moriah Mills reportedly is a 32-year-old OnlyFans model and music artist with more than a million followers on her Twitter, and she is confident that she is in a relationship with Williamson. Since realizing that he is having a baby with Ahkeema, she is going hard on Twitter, alleging that she is in a romantic relationship with the New Orleans Pelicans forward.
“I hate you .. ong #ZionWilliamson looks like you been had a girlfriend and sleeping with other women behind my back. @Zionwilliamson you liar !!!” Mills posted on June 7, which already has over 2 million views.
Then the angry stream of consciousness just kept on flowing.
“Better pray I’m not pregnant too because I’m definitely late @Zionwilliamson.”
“I was with you last week in New Orleans and you couldn’t tell me you had a random thot pregnant after all I’ve done for you @Zionwilliamson.”
“I let you f**k me so many times without condom and this is what u do to me a hood rat that does cpn.”
“I warned you about trapping type hoes @Zionwilliamson and you didn’t listen to me I know the game f**k u and congrats again 🤰 !!! The bill was too high so you had to scrap for crumbs when you couldn’t see me or I was busy.”
Then she went straight for what the commentators think about Zion’s constant weight issues.
“I motivated u to get back in shape I let you f**k me all kinds of ways and film me on your phone @Zionwilliamson and you impregnate a low budget pornstar dna test or I’m done !!!!!!!”
Ahkeema got wind of the tweets and expressed her frustrations with the situation.
“Jealous is such an ugly look on ppl,” Ahkeema tweeted on June 7.
This is drama Williamson didn’t need while he has been highly criticized for not being the player many in the NBA thought he would be by now. Regardless, he is now entering fatherhood, and if it is a package deal with two new mothers it will double his issues en route to becoming the player he wants to become.
Angel Reese has been the hot girl topic of conversation since LSU’s run to the NCAA women’s nasketball national championship. She helped secure the school its first championship ever in basketball for men and women while also making headlines with her bold on-court trash talking. Her stardom grew after she made an appearance in Latto’s new music video for her song “Put It on Da Floor Again.” Cardi B was featured on the song and dropped a bar that said “Ballin so hard could’ve went to LSU.” The video surpassed six million views on YouTube as of June 6.
Now Reese has social media buzzing with a video of her own. She made a splash on TikTok when she posted a video on a flight with the caption describing herself being “flown out” by her new man. The phrase became popular with women of Gen Z. It is used to showcase men who pay for a woman’s flight to come see him in whatever city he is located in. In other words, Reese has found herself a baller, and many believe it is Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders.
Reese posted a video of her on a flight with the caption that read “When I was only supposed to be catching flights not feelings but now Im in first class to see my man.”
The video came just a few weeks after Sanders was spotted partying with Reese in Atlanta. Speculation of the two young college stars possibly being in a new relationship began to run wild on social media. It was pointed out how the two commented under each other Instagram posts a lot recently.
Social media users also suspected Sanders and actress Storm Reid were no longer together. The last time Reid and Sanders were spotted together was back in March when he took a spring break trip to Miami. The two subsequently unfollowed each other Instagram and did the new millennial social media scrub where you take all the pictures down of your ex to let the world know you are available again.
Sanders and Reese would make the most sense, but social media users are speculating that it could NBA Youngboy or college basketball star Cam Fletcher.
“Colorado,” wrote Ryan Fredericks.
Another person wrote, “Mr Saunders? too cute. young love is the bomb.”
Fletcher is a 6-foot-7 junior guard who has spent the past two seasons playing at Florida State. He is originally from St.Louis and played his freshman season at Kentucky. He posted a picture of Reese on his Instagram story with the caption “I love you Girl!”
“St.Louis stand up!!!!” wrote @Nicc.
“First class to Tallahassee is crazyyyy,” wrote @kaykayyyy.
NBA Youngboy fans still believe he has an outside chance, even though Reese disputed those dating rumors.
Only time will tell the public who the lucky man to steal Reese’s heart is, but she is keeping the new relationship a secret for now.
Chris Paul says that his daughter is at the age where kids at her school talk to her about his basketball career. Recently a kid went at the Point God’s daughter for not winning any championships.
“[My daughter] at the age now where at school kids talk crazy to her,” said Paul. “She had a little boy at school that said some reckless stuff to her was like, ‘Your daddy ain’t never gon’ win no championship.'”
Paul was a recent guest on “The Pivot Podcast” with Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder, and Fred Taylor. The conversation was wide-ranging and touched on the NBA veteran’s lengthy career and his quest to win a championship.
Paul has two children with his wife Jada Paul, Chris Jr., 14, and daughter Camryn, 10.
Some 10-year-olds can be particularly cruel with one another and have a way of cutting deep with their words. By this age Camryn is well aware of what her dad does for a living and wants him to win.
Last year Paul told People Magazine about his daughter’s interest in the game.
“During the playoffs last year, she called me … and she was trying to teach herself to dribble between her legs,” Paul said. “And she’s so persistent — I was sort of sitting there coaching her, telling her what to do. Three hours later, she sent me a video, and she could do it!”
Whomever the kid was that was arguing with Camryn, it’s unlikely he’s at home thinking about whether Chris Paul will win any rings. It’s likely a conversation he’s heard from an adult or older sibling or cousin talking about the game and Paul.
Despite never being on a winning NBA Finals team, Paul has played in the championship round and two conference finals. It seems like a form of underachievement for a player as historically great as Paul, but context and luck matter more than people care to admit.
He has been injured at the worst possible times, and that’s luck. Despite everyone wanting to find fault and blame him for the injuries. If you know anything about a barely 6’0″ guard who is one of the great players of all-time, you know he’s insanely competitive and wants to win. If he could will himself to not get injured he would.
Many all-time greats don’t have titles. They are judged for it because that’s what we do in basketball discourse. But they shouldn’t be.
Paul has the second-most career defensive win-shares for a player 6’1″ or shorter in NBA history. The other? John Stockton.
Paul is ninth all-time in total career win-shares. Ahead of Kevin Garnett, Shaquille O’Neal, Oscar Robertson, David Robinson, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, and Kobe Bryant.
He is sixth all-time in career WS/48. Ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, LeBron James, and Magic Johnson.
Paul is a 12-rime All-Star, 11-time All-NBA, nine-time All-Defensive Team, led the NBA in steals six times, and assists five times. He’s a member of the NBA’s 75th Anniversary Team.
He is one of only two players in NBA history with at least 20,000 points, 10,000 assists, and 2,000 steals. The other is LeBron.
Paul may not have any rings, but having him on your team means you are going to win a lot. He just needed a little more luck.
On Wednesday it was reported by Chris Haynes that the Phoenix Suns intend to waive Paul. He will be an unrestricted free agent, perhaps this is the luck he needs to get another shot at a title.
Stephen A. Smith is no stranger to controversy and is at the center of it again. The ESPN analyst usually stirs the pot with his sports takes, but this time he dabbled into the political arena. Smith made an appearance Tuesday, June 6 on “Hannity” hosted by Sean Hannity on FOX, and shared that he would vote for Chris Christie in the 2024 Presidential Election over any Democratic candidate, which includes President Joe Biden.
This is the second jab Smith has taken at Biden’s age. Smith also had comments about the age of Biden on his podcast last Friday. The comments were prompted after Biden latest fall on Thursday during the Air Force Commencement ceremony.
Christie is the former governor of New Jersey and now a Republican candidate for the 2024 Presidential race.
“I think there’s an abundance of people who can do better,” Smith said. he continued, “I’m looking at him and I don’t like what I see. I’m not impressed with what I see, and I’ve been very concerned with what I’ve seen, and the fact that he’s going to be 82 years of age at election time.
“If he were to win the election, then he’d be in the White House until he’s 86 years old,” Smith continued. “I think in the year 2023 it is utterly embarrassing that the liberal side has him as their best candidate. What does it say about you when that is the best candidate that you can give the left? That is ridiculous!”
He said that his comments were “not a knock against Joe Biden,” but instead “more of an indictment against the Democratic Party.”
On Friday, Smith didn’t hold back on his “Stephen A. Smith Show” podcast. He discussed Biden’s age again after a video went viral of the president falling.
“It’s just my personal opinion; that’s all it is. Take it for what it’s worth. Somebody’s gotta say it, so I’m going to say it. We need a new president in 2024. We need a new president,” Smith said.
He continued, “Without trying to engage in any kind of ageism at all, because I don’t believe in it. There does come a point in time where there are certain jobs you don’t need. It’s not that you don’t need to be working, it’s not that you don’t need to be living your life, it’s not that you don’t need to be living a very vibrant lifestyle or anything like that, but there are responsibilities that are far, far, far more extensive than let’s say the typical 9 to 5 that somebody in their 80s may not need to be doing. I think the presidency is one of ’em.”
Black social media users didn’t hold back their thoughts on Smith’s comments.
“Thought SAS was great when he was on with Will Cain a few weeks back, and I gained a lot of respect for him at that point. All of that respect & goodwill was completely eroded when he couldn’t acknowledge Potato Joe is a spud,” wrote @PCD.
Another user wrote, “At first I was like ‘Yay welcome home SAS I knew you weren’t a full blown looney lefty’ then he lost me by endorsing Chris Christie. Anybody endorsing Christie can’t be taken seriously.”
Smith admitted to being “socially liberal” and “fiscally conservative.” He also admitted that he has voted twice for Christie when he ran for governor of New Jersey, and said he was the only Republican for whom he’s ever voted.
“Strange to make this point…and not mention Trump’s age. And he was also President. But Trump isn’t threatening his tax bracket,” wrote @HarlemJ11.
New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson is going to be a girl dad. The 22-year-old All-Star is expecting a baby girl with his girlfriend, a woman identified as Ahkeema. The couple had a gender reveal party, and shared video of the event on Instagram and YouTube.
The party took place on the grounds of what appears to be a mansion, featuring a chef-prepared dinner, a bar, baby games and tons of blue and pink desserts.
The couple’s guests dined under white tents with the couple sitting at their own table with a heart-shaped rose centerpiece and a sonogram photo.
Guests also left with goodie bags. Lavish gender reveal parties are a thing these days.
The video opens with Zion talking to his unborn daughter.
“You’re going to see this at some point,” Williamson said. “I don’t know what the future holds, but mommy and daddy love you. If you don’t know nothing else in this world, know that mommy and daddy love you for life.”
Ahkeema, whose eyes were fixed on Williamson said, “Awww, you’re so sweet.”
Of course it’s the internet, so people had plenty to say about Zion and Ahkeema.
“At least she’s not white,” wrote one Twitter user, alluding to a reality that many Black NBA players have white girlfriends and wives and have fathered children with white women.
“Congrats. Beautiful black family,” someone posted in the YouTube comments section under the video. The comments section has since been turned off.
If Zion and Ahkeema are happy, why does anyone else care? Let these people live their lives, have their baby and raise the child.
As for Zion’s on-court situation, he’s set to begin a five-year, $194 million contract extension in the upcoming season. No doubt that will buy a lot of diapers and baby supplies.
This past season, Zion only played in 29 games. He has been sidelined since Jan. 2, with a right hamstring strain — and at the end of the season Pelicans’ executive vice president of basketball operations gave a candid update on where the two-time All-Star was, from a health perspective.
“I wish I could immediately pinpoint the answer. I think a big part is on him,” Griffin said. “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.”
Injuries have been a big part of Zion’s four years in the league. He only played 24 games his first season, he ramped up to 61 games the following season, missed his entire third season, and played 29 games this past season.
Despite all of that, he’s been a two-time All-Star, and when he plays is immensely productive. He was in the 97th percentile for EPM this past season and the 96th percentile two seasons ago.
The 2023 college football season is rapidly approaching, and with it we’ll have the highly anticipated debut of Pro Football Hall of Famer Deion Sanders leading the Colorado Buffaloes.
Sanders during his first seven months in Boulder, has been in addition by subtraction mode, as he’s pretty much overhauled the entire roster following the program’s 4-8 and 1-11 seasons the two years prior to his arrival. In doing so, Coach Prime has added some quality talent via the transfer portal and in his first recruiting class.
One of the players to join the Buffaloes recently is Nahmier Robinson, a cornerback from the state of Washington, who’s the son of three-time NBA Slam Dunk Contest champion Nate Robinson, who claims he got $100K from a booster to play football at Washington back in the days.
The younger Robinson will likely join the new-look Buffaloes as a preferred walk-on after spurning the same offer from his dad’s alma mater. Nate was recruited to UW as a cornerback before switching to the hardwood on a full-time basis.
Why Did Nahmier Choose Colorado
Nahmier’s reasoning for choosing Colorado is pretty much the same reason why 2022 No. 1 overall recruit Travis Hunter spurned Power Five programs, including Florida State to play under the tutelage of a brand builder, who also happens to be the greatest cornerback to ever play the game.
That’s what Sanders can use as a selling point to recruits, and it worked again the 2023 recruiting cycle as he flipped No. 1 cornerback Cormani McClain as well.
For Nahmier, who’s about the same size as his dad at 5 feet 9 and 175 pounds, it’s about learning the position from the neck up and becoming more of a technician.
247Sports writer Brandon Huffman broke down what Robinson does well and what he brings to Boulder:
“Robinson has some of the best ball skills in this class, with a number of interceptions and take-aways over the last couple of years. He doesn’t boast great size, but he has tremendous instincts and ability to read the quarterback and break on the ball and break up passes.”
With Sanders and the Buffaloes coaching staff, his size won’t be a deterrent if he can bring those same attributes to the field every day and on game day. One thing Coach Prime showed in his three years at Jackson State is that he plays the guys who prove they belong on the field.
Robinson Had A Very Good Senior Season
Playing at his dad’s alma mater Rainier Beach, a high school sports power in the state of Washington, Robinson shined in his final season. The supremely athletic speedster tallied 36 tackles and five interceptions, helping lead the Spartans to the Class 4A state quarterfinals.
Robinson also helped lead the basketball team to the state quarterfinals.
The Seattle high school is known for its basketball program, with players like three-time NBA Sixth Man of the Year Jamal Crawford and other former NBA players as alumni. In fact, current NBA players DeJountay Murray, Kevin Porter Jr., and Marjon Beauchamp are all former Rainier Beach hardwood stars.
In a shocking — but not so shocking if you think about it — turn of events, the PGA Tour has agreed to merge with Saudi-backed rival LIV Golf on Monday. The agreement to form a new golf enterprise going forward now puts an end to the ongoing contentious litigation between both parties, and it proves once again that everybody has a price.
Theodore DiBiase Sr. is a retired professional wrestler who goes by the stage name “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. The line “everybody’s got a price” are the early words in his ring entrance music.
We all know this. Money makes the world go ’round, and there is a dollar amount that will make most people abandon whatever principles and beliefs they think they hold dear.
When LIV Golf began as a startup rival to the PGA Tour in 2021, with it’s inaugural season in 2022, PGA commissioner Jay Monahan was openly critical of LIV’s owners the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF).
“I think you’d have to be living under a rock to not know there are significant implications and as it relates to the families of 9/11—I have two families that are close to me that lost loved ones,” Monahan said in June 2022. “So, my heart goes out to them. And I would, ask any player that has left or any player that would ever consider leaving — have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”
Now look who’s taking “dirty” money from the Saudis and suddenly singing a different tune.
“I recognize that people are going to call me a hypocrite. Anytime I said anything, I said it with the information that I had at that moment, and I said it based on someone that’s trying to compete for the PGA Tour and our players,” Monahan said on Tuesday. “I accept those criticisms. But circumstances do change. I think that in looking at the big picture and looking at it this way, that’s what got us to this point.”
Reportedly, PGA Tour players that did not defect to LIV found out about the merger the same way the public did.
The PIF is the sovereign wealth fund of Saudi Arabia and is basically the personal piggy bank of the Saudi Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, or MBS, as he’s known.
Saudi Arabia has a long and disgusting history of countless human rights violations domestically and abroad, including the murder of U.S.-based journalist Jamal Khashoggi. The $600 billion plus in assets under management in the sovereign wealth fund are in some part from a regime that commits illegal and heinous activities.
Saudis were also believed to have funded the 9/11 terrorists attack on the United States, though the Final Report of the National Commission on Terrorist Attacks “found no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded Al Qaeda.”
Several PGA Tour players defected to LIV Golf, and while some cited the bogus reason of “growing the game,” Harold Varner III, who is sixth in the LIV Golf standings and won the DC event last month, straight up said it was all about the money.
“The opportunity to join LIV Golf is simply too good of a financial breakthrough for me to pass by,” Varner posted on his Instagram account last year. “I know what it means to grow up without much. This money is going to ensure that my kid and future Varners will have a solid base to start on – and a life I could have only dreamt about growing up. It’ll also help fund many of the programs I’m building with my Foundation. I’ll continue to forge pathways for kids interested in golf. This note is a receipt of for that.”
You can disagree vehemently with the idea of sportwashing and detest everything about MBS and the PIF, but everyone has their motivations and reasons for doing what they do. Some of them are even justifiable. But when we are talking about wealth beyond your wildest dreams, everyone’s got a price.
The NBA offseason is already off to a tumultuous start, with plenty of rumors flying around about stars relocating to different franchises, including the likes of Kyrie Irving, Jordan Poole, and now Trae Young.
The 24-year-old Atlanta Hawks star has recently scrubbed his team’s name from his social media pages, and in the weeks immediately following the Hawks’ first-round exit from the playoffs internet speculation was rife that Trae Young wanted to be traded from the Hawks.
With the season over for Trae and Atlanta, these rumors have resurfaced in the form of talk about a potential deal with the L.A. Lakers. Not only did Young appear at a Lakers game during their Western Conference finals series against Denver, but he appeared with Rich Paul, the head of Klutch Sports, the agency that represents Young as well as LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
Though many fans are drawing conclusions about Trae’s actions, he explained himself on his new podcast “From The Point By Trae Young.”
“A lot of people made a lot of things out of me being at games,” Young explained. “I’ve been to a lot of games throughout my years. I’ve always been a fan of the game. … Most of the time I’ve got a friend playing that I’m there watching, like [Michael Porter Jr.] for Denver.”
The speculation also comes because the Lakers are searching for another star point guard after D’Angelo Russell had a lackluster playoff performance while getting swept in the conference finals by Denver.
They’re looking to upgrade the guard position and have looked at the possibility of getting Kyrie Irving, though Irving is reportedly not interested in the Lakers. They are also looking to acquire Fred Vanvleet, a free agent this offseason, and at last Young, who would probably require a king’s ransom of a trade to be bought over to the Lakers.
The Lakers are expected to be very aggressive this offseason as they look to surround their core of James and Davis with more star power on top of their role players such as Rui Hachimura, Austin Reeves, and Jared Vanderbilt, who all proved themselves vital pieces to a competitive Lakers squad.
There are also rumors that Young is open to joining the Lakers. But the Hawks, who are just two years removed from an Eastern Conference Finals appearance wanted to capitalize off of Young’s brilliance by bringing another star to Atlanta to play with him, as well as keep him interested in playing with Atlanta after they made the playoffs by winning both of their play-in games but lost to the Miami Heat in the first round of the playoffs in five games.
Moves like bringing in former Spur Dejounte Murray and hiring coach Quinn Snyder mid-season were also made in an effort to keep their star happy. Still, neither of those moves could prevent them from having a repeat of last season, barely making the playoffs through the play-in and losing to Boston in 6 games.
Young might just be tired of all the scrutiny he gets when the Hawks are doing badly. Atlanta’s core has been together for the majority of Young’s career and he’s had some magical moments.
This team as currently constructed can’t get over the hump. In fact, the franchise seems to be moving backward since 2021. Young wants to be the star and he was given the spotlight, now it seems that he might not want it.
He might feel like a change of scenery is what he needs, and Atlanta isn’t for him. It’s doubtful that the Hawks have intentions of getting rid of their best player, but if this is the beginning of Young trying to force himself out of the ATL, the 2023 season just got more interesting.
The Jacksonville Jaguars are coming off a great 2022 season, the first under Super Bowl-winning head coach Doug Pederson who in year one led the team to a division title and AFC Divisional playoff loss to the eventual Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. If there is a such thing as a good loss that was one, the Jaguars battled the Chiefs for about three quarters before succumbing late in the fourth 27-20.
That heartbreaking loss came on the heels of the third biggest playoff comeback in league history as the Jags overcame a 30-3 deficit to stun the Los Angeles Chargers 31-30. Only the 1993 Buffalo Bills who came back from a bigger deficit — 35-3 — to shock the Warren Moon-led Houston Oilers 41-38, and the 2014 Indianapolis Colts overcame a 38-10 deficit to knock off the Kansas City Chiefs 45-44. For a team with a second-year quarterback to have that type of playoff run it means everything, and heading into 2023 the Jaguars are not taking any of that for granted. In fact they’re using it as fuel for what should be a huge season down in Duval County.
Jags Will Take Another Huge Step Because Trevor Lawrence Will Continue To Ascend
Lawrence, the 2021 No. 1 overall pick, struggled in his rookie season, but it wasn’t his fault: He played for Urban Meyer, who was fired just 13 games into his NFL coaching career. The toxic environment that Meyer created festered until the aforementioned Pederson arrived and took Lawrence and the team to levels not fathomable with Meyer. That led to Lawrence passing for over 4,100 yards, 25 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. A huge difference from year one under Meyer where he passed for just over 3,600, 12 touchdowns and 17 interceptions. Team records were 3-14 in year one and 9-8 in year two.
For most quarterbacks year three is where you typically the biggest jump, and with Lawrence’s skill set and ability it’s easy to see why it’s highly plausible he does it in a big, big way.
In an interview with ESPN’s Michael DiRocco, the former Clemson Tigers star talked about how the offseason has gone, amongst other things.
“It was definitely a different feel in this offseason, being able to unwind and then disconnect,” Lawrence said Monday. “My rookie year didn’t really have an offseason going into the league. Then last year with the coaching change and all that, not sure what was going to happen, and then having coach Doug Pederson hired and trying to learn the system and all that, you really don’t have much of an offseason because you’re trying to figure out what the next step is.”
“To have the same staff, to have a lot of the same players, to have that carryover, and the system being the same, that feels good having that and being able to focus on little parts of my game instead of just making sure I got the installs and know the plan coming into practice,” Lawrence said. “Not having that stress of just learning the playbook, I can just really focus on my game and my mechanics.”
Pederson Believes In His Big Time QB
The Jags offense is very QB-friendly, meaning Lawrence should be even better in it this season than last, when he was very good. Pederson is all-in on his talented 6-foot-6 gunslinging playmaker.
“He’s the key to the offense and makes it work,” he said. “So he understands his role from the standpoint of put the ball in the playmaker’s hands. But now, having a full year of the offense under his belt too, that gives him a lot of confidence. He’s still learning, but he’s now teaching the offense to the other guys.“
The Jaguars offense is loaded with the likes of running back Travis Etienne, wide receivers Christian Kirk, Zay Jones and the return of former Atlanta Falcons star Calvin Ridley from a year-long suspension. Plus talented tight end Evan Engram. In all, the Jaguars have all the ingredients offensively to make some real noise in the AFC, let’s see if they can.
Since the departure of Shannon Sharpe from the popular sports debate show “Undisputed,” many are wondering who will take his place as the counterbalance to the polarizing perspectives of Skip Bayless. One name is starting to percolate to the top: former Philadelphia Eagles LeSean “Shady” McCoy.
“LeSean McCoy is emerging as an early possible contender to succeed Shannon Sharpe as Skip Bayless’ debate partner on ‘Undisputed,'” Front Office Sports reported this week. “The former NFL star turned co-host of FS1’s ‘SPEAK’ is expected to have an extended audition with the irascible Bayless once Sharpe takes his contractual buyout from Fox Sports.”
Two of McCoy’s co-hosts on “SPEAK,” Emmanuel Acho and Joy Taylor, are reportedly also in the running for the “Undisputed” job, in addition to Nick Wright, co-host of “First Things First,” FS1’s morning show airing weekdays.
After joining FS1 last year as an analyst, McCoy is relatively new to broadcast television. However, he has been a staple on the “I Am Athlete” podcast with former NFL wide receiver and former NFL cornerback Adam “Pacman” Jones. McCoy has always had a definitive personality and has been honing his television chops.
McCoy is a two-time Super Bowl champion (LIV, LV), retired from the NFL in 2021, was first-team All-Pro twice, and made six Pro Bowls.
The former Philadelphia Eagles All-Pro running back is widely considered one of the best players in franchise history. He finished his career in Philadelphia as the team’s all-time leading rusher with 6,792 yards.
In his seven years on “Undisputed,” Shannon Sharpe and Skip Bayless have been one of the more polarizing on-air duos. Sharpe and Bayless are legendary for their counter-cultural opposite styles and have been known to engage in heated debates.
More recently, the two were rumored to be in disagreement with each other, which for many was all but confirmed when Sharpe took a short leave of absence from an episode of the show after Bayless made some controversial tweets about Buffalo Bills safety Damar Hamlin in January.
When Sharpe returned, his attempt to explain himself on the show was hampered by Bayless, who interrupted him on-air in an awkward exchange that went viral.
On Saturday, Sharpe tweeted, “Stay tuned for the seeds I’m planting,” along with behind-the-scenes photos of crew members filming Sharpe in gardening clothes. Sharpe, 54, and Fox Sports reached a buyout agreement that will see him end his “Undisputed” partnership with Skip Bayless after the conclusion of the NBA Finals.
The split is not just from Skip Bayless but also from the network in total as Sharpe’s “Club Shay Shay” podcast will also reportedly leave Fox Sports.
“Shannon is poppin’, even more than you, Skip,” former FS1 host Marcellus Wiley said on his “Never Shut Up University” podcast, exposing the “power struggle” between the two media personalities.
ESPN host of the rival sports debate show “First Take” Stephen A. Smith recently offered his support of Sharpe.
“That’s a big loss for the show ‘Undisputed’ because Shannon matters, and I don’t know what his plans are, I don’t know what he’s trying to pursue, I don’t know what he’s after, but if Shannon Sharpe needs me, then I’m happy to be here for him,” Smith said on his podcast, “Know Mercy.”
“And if that includes him wanting to come on ‘First Take,’ the bosses know that is something I would support.”
Dallas Mavericks free agent Kyrie Irving has reached out to LeBron James to gauge his interest in playing in Dallas next season, according to reports. This is just two players who are bored that they aren’t being talked about deciding to do something about it.
When a tweet is sent by Shams Charania, one the NBA’s premiere “news breakers,” it causes a certain ripple effect all across social media, digital media, and linear television.
NBA fans retweet, comment, like and share across all platforms. Then the beat reporters that cover the teams of the players in question start digging and they write a piece or two. Then the talking heads shows make at least a segment, sometimes more out of the “news.”
But nothing is really happening here, besides LeBron and Kyrie wanting to drum up news about themselves and attempt to force their respective teams’ hands.
It is widely known that Charania is plugged into Klutch Sports, the agency founded and run by Rich Paul, who also represents LeBron.
It’s not difficult to make the connection here. Why do Kyrie and LeBron want this information out right now?
Irving wanted a long-term deal last summer from the Brooklyn Nets, who were reluctant to sign him given the All-Star’s unreliability. Once they were at an impasse Irving threatened to opt out of the last year of his deal and become a free agent. The Nets called his bluff and told him he’s free to explore possible sign-and-trade scenarios.
There was always a possibility that a team could talk themselves into acquiring Irving, but when that didn’t happen he opted into the last year of his deal.
The season was barely two months old before Irving found himself engulfed in yet another controversy, this time about the promotion of a film with anti-Semitic messaging.
By February both parties were sick of each other and Irving demanded a trade. He wound up in Dallas alongside Luka Doncic. The Mavericks flamed out at the end of the regular season and didn’t even qualify for the play-in in the Western Conference.
Since the playoffs began Irving was seen a few times courtside in Los Angeles. Many NBA stars are in L.A. during their offseason, so by itself its no big deal. But given Irving and LeBron’s history and relationship, alarm bells went off.
Add in the fact that after the Lakers were swept by the Denver Nuggets in the conference finals LeBron’s end-of-season comments he implied retirement might be an option.
“I’m simply not sure if I’ll be back in the fall when the season begins,” James told Bleacher Report. “I have a lot to think about.”
LeBron is under contract next season and has a $50 million player option for the 2024-25 season. He has made it clear that he wants to play with his son Bronny, who would be eligible for the 2024 NBA draft.
Nothing that comes out about LeBron directly or indirectly is done by accident. It is all part of a coordinated plan on his part.
He wants to compete for another championship and he realizes the Lakers need more. This is his way of applying pressure so he can have plausible deniability about being a “shadow GM.”
LeBron wanted Irving last summer and that didn’t happen. The Lakers say they have no interest in acquiring Irving this summer despite being able to open up about $35 million in cap space.
Acquiring Irving would likely require a sign-and-trade because he would not take a discount and wants to earn $47 million per year. All of that plus the new tax aprons in the collective bargaining agreement make it unlikely Irving lands in L.A. Hence the “Hey, Bron would you come to Dallas?” scuttlebutt.
Both players want exactly what they want on their terms, which means it’s not going to happen. But they are exerting their leverage through a familiar playbook.
Kansas City Chiefs star quarterback Patrick Mahomes already has won two Super Bowl championships, and led the Chiefs to three Super Bowl appearances in just five seasons as the team’s starting quarterback.
At the age of 27, and in the prime of his career, Mahomes could win himself a few more of those Vince Lombardi trophies over the next five to seven seasons.
That’s the exact tone teammate and close friend Travis Kelce is spewing.
During a recent episode of FanDuels ‘Run It Back’ show, Kelce spoke very highly of his close friend, the team’s quarterback.
Kelce was asked if he believes the Chiefs are a dynasty, and if led by Mahomes, could they reach the four rings acquired by the Golden State Warriors basketball dynasty.
“I would say, yeah, Kansas City has been a dynasty for quite a while now. Obviously, I’m biased to that, but I think what Coach Reid has done since he’s been here in terms of winning, in terms of the playoff runs and all the division championships and the AFC title appearance —then obviously the Super Bowls — we’re 100 percent a dynasty. But when you put it up against what the Warriors have done, obviously we don’t have as many championship right now so we’ve got some work to do.”
Kelce knows it’s never a bad thing when you and your team are being compared to a team that’s won four championships in nine seasons under head coach Steve Kerr, playing in six NBA Finals series.
Consistent winning at the highest level is never a guarantee, but these five years with Mahomes leading the way has been a streak of winning that most franchises never achieve.
There hasn’t been a time that Chiefs franchise player hasn’t played in an AFC championship game, with all five at home in the friendly confines of Arrowhead Stadium.
That’s one of the reasons Kelce feels his QB is on track to surpass Hall of Famer Joe Montana, who’s tied with another Hall of Famer and Pittsburgh Steelers legend Terry Bradshaw, both of whom have four SB wins.
Of course Tom Brady has seven, a number that’ll probably never be duplicated.
“I think Pat Mahomes is definitely going to find a way to get more than four championships,” said Kelce. “Hopefully I’m still along for the ride by the time he gets there.”
If Mahomes is to reach that number that Kelce is so confidently speaking of, he will have to get a couple of more with Andy Reid at the helm. His offensive mind gives Mahomes a ton of leeway to be himself and make plays all over the field. Kelce’s consistent and clutch playmaking will also be needed.
Secondly, it’s going to take a continued strong front office, which the Chiefs always have.
In addition, Mahomes must avoid injuries, something he’s been able to do over his five years. In his career, he’s made 79 of 80 regular-season starts, and in the postseason he’s made all 14 starts in these games. His durability likely will afford him the opportunity to do so.
Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaren Jackson Jr. was a guest on “Podcast P with Paul George” on Monday and gave an update on teammate Ja Morant. The two-time All-Star guard is currently suspended indefinitely from all team activities over another incident with a gun on social media.
“He’s good,” Jackson said Monday on George’s podcast. “He’s, I think, just growing up with this much attention on you, especially being this young. It’s a lot to deal with. Dude’s great. People always gotta understand that everybody human. That’s my brother though, no matter what. I stand by my brother, and I think that’s the lesson everybody should take away from this.”
The incident that led to Morant’s latest suspension was from a social media video seen earlier last month, where Morant was waving a gun while riding in a car with friends. It is the second time in three months Morant has been seen on social media with a gun.
Morant was suspended for eight games towards the end of the regular season because of three separate incidents where he and members of his party allegedly threatened others. In two of the three incidents a gun was alleged to be present.
The belief is that the league will come down with a pretty severe penalty on Morant once the NBA Finals concludes. Commissioner Adam Silver spoke about the Morant situation before Game 1 of the finals.
“So in assessing what discipline is appropriate, if that’s the case, we look at both the history of prior acts, but then we look at the individual player’s history as well,” Silver said. “And the seriousness, of course, of the conduct. Those are all things that get factored.
“It’s not an exact science. It comes down to judgment at the end of the day on the part of me and my colleagues in the league office. In terms of the timing, we’ve uncovered a fair amount of additional information, I think, since I was first asked about the situation. I will say we probably could have brought it to a head now, but we made the decision, and I believe the Players Association agrees with us, that it would be unfair to these players and these teams in the middle of the series to announce the results of that investigation.”
That suggests that there is more to the story that likely will not benefit Morant. Some have speculated that Morant could get up to a 41-game suspension, which would be half of the regular season.
After serving the original eight-game suspension Silver believed Morant understood the gravity of the situation. Getting into trouble barely a couple months later shows he does not.
Morant is only 23 and the hope is that he will grow and learn from these situations. Dealing with sudden success, fame and riches is not easy. But his continued lack of judgment puts him and by extension the others that depend on him in bad positions.
He’s already facing some of the consequences of that poor judgment.
Team USA is announcing its roster that will compete in the FIBA World Cup this summer. This tournament has always been one where Team USA selects young NBA stars and up and coming stars who will soon feature on Team USA in the Olympics.
A good showing at this tournament will at least get you an invite to the camp.
Reigning Defensive Player of the Year Jackson Jr., All-Stars Anthony Edwards, Brandon Ingram, and Tyrese Haliburton are among the confirmed players this summer.
This would’ve been an opportunity for Morant to show out on the world stage and set him up to potentially be the starting point guard for Team USA next summer in Paris. Instead he’s wondering how long he’s going to be away from the NBA and the game he loves.
The Golden State Warriors weren’t able to defend their 2022 NBA championship, falling to the Los Angeles Lakers in a hard-fought series in the Western Conference semifinals. Many believe the root of the struggles this season was a preseason punch by team leader Draymond Green to the face of then-rising guard Jordan Poole.
That was something the team never seemed to overcome, but according to head coach Steve Kerr that wasn’t the biggest reason for the team’s failure.
While appearing on “The Draymond Green Show” following Sunday’s Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Kerr talked about what he believes ultimately led to the Warriors’ demise in 2022-23.
After the Heat lost Game 1 on Thursday, they didn’t sulk or let it hang over, and that’s where the term “Heat Culture” was dubbed.
That had Kerr speaking pretty highly of the players who didn’t play well in Game 1 but were locked in for Game 2 no matter how many minutes they saw on the floor. Kerr says that resilience played a huge role in why they won Game 2 and stole home court advantage heading back to Miami.
“None of those guys on Miami are sitting there saying ‘Well, I didn’t play’ or ‘Man, they put in so-and-so.’ They’re just all about winning,” he said. “And you know this from our groups that we’ve had, when you have that championship mentality every guy’s bought in. Every guy’s just trying to win. Nobody cares about any of that stuff. You don’t go into the locker room saying well, I should’ve played more. You just want to win.”
“And that’s the beauty of finding that magic when you have a championship team, is that everybody’s bought in and it makes the decisions for the coach really simple,” Kerr added. “You just go with your gut and go with whoever is playing well.”
Kerr, the head coach of four championship teams with the Warriors, also won five championships as a player with the Chicago Bulls and San Antonio Spurs. He’s seen it from both ends of the spectrum, as a player first and now as a coach.
Kerr’s remarks seemed to be aimed at young players like Jonathan Kuminga. Kuminga, the freakishly athletic wing, didn’t see much playing time during the playoffs. In fact, he even voiced his frustration in an emotional interview with C.J. Holmes of The San Francisco Chronicle.
“It’s tough going through this season and being in the game most of the time and then things just flip out of nowhere without you knowing what’s going on.” Kuminga told Holmes.
Kuminga even talked about how hard it was to lock in when your playing time is so choppy after being steady most of the season. During the season JK averaged 21 minutes while scoring just about ten points and grabbing four rebounds per game. That changed drastically in the playoffs to roughly six minutes and just barely two points per game.
Don’t tell that to Kerr, who coaches with the old-school, Lute Olsen, Phil Jackson and Gregg Popovich approach of players earn minutes or they don’t play.
Moses Moody Seemed To Buy In, So Kuminga Really Has No Excuse
Just like Kuminga, third-year guard Moses Moody didn’t see a lot of playing time many nights during the season. But when his number was called in the playoffs, he was more than ready, as the former Arkansas Razorbacks star averaged 14 solid minutes per game.
While Moody only scored six points per game, he made timely shots and played stellar defense. His 53/59/91 shooting splits are indicative as to how locked in he was when called on, which earned him some stripes in and around the organization as a core piece of their future.
Kuminga just needs to mature. He’s still only 20 years old, and he knows he can give the Warriors some much-needed pop from an athleticism and physicality standpoint. But he first must prove it in practice and know what he has to do when he’s in the game. Has to earn the trust of the coach and his teammates in the playoffs, where things happen much faster and there isn’t a lot of time to get a player up to speed.
In today’s edition of, “Who is Latin music star Shakira is dating?” we have Lewis Hamilton, the Formula 1 star who’s also a minority owner of the Denver Broncos.
After being seen getting on a boat with Hamilton at her swanky $20 million South Beach mansion following last month’s Miami Grand Prix, the Queen of Latin Music arrived in Spain over the weekend for the Spanish Grand Prix.
Reports are she brought as many 19 suitcases to Barcelona, meaning there could be some fun going on in the country’s capital after the race. And why else would she be at the Spanish Grand Prix if she isn’t dating Hamilton, a seven-time Formula 1 champion racer?
Shakira Linking With Lewis Hamilton?
The hookup shouldn’t be a surprise, as the British-born Hamilton and Colombian-born Shakira have been seen together over the last few months. In fact, earlier this year, during an interview Hamilton blurted out that “I need to find myself a Latina.”
So if we’re reading between the lines, maybe Hamilton already had something in the works with Shakira. Who knows, but one thing for sure and two things for certain, the two seem to be an item.
Rumors Of Shakira Not Taking Tom Cruise’s Advances Have Picked Up
With Shakira and Hamilton now looking like an item, reports have surfaced that she shut down “Mission Impossible” star Tom Cruise. The aforementioned Cruise reportedly showed interest in the Latin music star after the two stars spent some time together at the Miami Grand Prix.
An insider with insight on how Cruise moved in an attempt to get Shakira’s attention following the Grand Prix race said this.
“Tom is an all-or-nothing character, he goes from 0 to 100,” the insider said of the superstar. “His friends have gently advised that he’s do well to dial it back.”
Shakira recently parted ways with her husband of 12 years, Gerald Pique.
And with that relationship in the rearview mirror, she seems totally focused on seeing where things go with Hamilton.
Shakira Was Also Linked To Jimmy Butler
After posting a video of herself at a Miami Heat playoff game about two weeks ago, rumors began to swirl that Shakira and Jimmy Butler were somehow intertwined. That picked up even more steam when the two followed each other on Instagram.
As quickly as it became a thing, it went away just as fast. Shakira lives in Miami and could’ve just been enjoying the home team in the NBA playoffs. But in typical social media fashion, a follow and a follow back must mean something is going on. Or she could just be fabricating some promotion for the new music she released this year and her 2023-24 tour dates she has coming up.
It’s pretty clear that people are extremely interested in who Shakira is dating, and anytime she has any contact with a male, the headlines are going to be buzzing.
Bronny James is sure to be a hot prospect and will end up on a lot of team’s draft boards for the 2024 NBA draft. Before he takes the next step though, he will have to prove himself on the college level. Many are convinced he will carry the legacy of his father LeBron James but there are also plenty of naysayers.
Kenny Smith is one of those naysayers.The two-time NBA champ recently appeared on “Big Boy TV” and shared his doubts about Bronny’s chances of making it to the NBA.
Bronny announced his commitment to USC in early May, and many have speculated that he will only be there for one year. LeBron has declared he wants to play with Bronny at the next level and become the first father-son duo to play together in the NBA.
Smith believes that Bronny’s path to the NBA is not as easy as it seems. The topic of LeBron hinting at retirement after the Lakers were swept by the Nuggets in the Western Conference finals was brought up and the conversation shifted to him waiting on Bronny to make the NBA.
“His son is at USC [speaking of LeBron] and he has to go through a process to possibly get into the NBA that is very hard to get to and people forget. Sevenrt-five years of basketball, Big, there’s only been 5,100 players that touch a floor!” Smith said on the podcast. “So to be waiting on your son to be one of those 5,100, that doesn’t even make sense either. Like, he’s not waiting on his son. He’s hopefully wishing his son will make it.”
Despite what Smith says, he is still not an NBA owner or general manager. He won’t be making any personnel decisions for a team and is only giving his opinion.
According to Yahoo Sports, Bronny was listed as the 24th overall prospect in their way-too-early 2024 NBA mock draft. He was listed as a second round prospect in the NBA Draft.net 2024 mock draft.
He has yet to play a second on the college level but showed rapid improvement each year while in high school. According to 247 sports, he was ranked as the 27th overall high school prospect. He was a McDonald’s All-American and was named to the Nike Hoop Summit roster. His rapid improvement is why scouts believe he will be drafted in 2024 if he decides to come out but how much he improves will determine where he will be drafted.
Bronny will be playing alongside No. 1 overall 2024 prospect Isaiah Collier. Both freshmen play the guard position, but Bronny is viewed more as a combo guard who can play on and off the ball. The two players will surely challenge each other in practice daily and will have other highly competitive teammates around them.
Four-star power forward Brandon Gardner, Bronny’s former Sierra Canyon teammate Kijani Wright, and transfer D.J. Rodman, son of Dennis Rodman, will all be on the roster for the Trojans next season as well.
On Monday’s “First Take” episode there was a moment between Stephen A. Smith, and NBA analysts JJ Redick and Kendrick Perkins. Redick and Smith clowned Perkins after they claimed he was “moaning” into his microphone.
“Perk, is that you moaning in my ear over and over again?” Redick asked, while appearing to adjust his ear piece.
“Yeah I know, I was getting ready to ask that,” Smith chimed in. “You sound like you have sleep apnea, Perk. Are you alright?”
“Oh my God. Are you OK?” Redick asked. “It’s a gross noise man. It’s a gross noise.”
Because ratings and going viral are the goals of the show, Perkins went back at Redick and Smith.
“Yeah that’s me,” Perkins said. “It’s not groaning, it’s me being disgusted.”
The trio were ostensibly debating the nuances of Game 2 of the NBA Finals between the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets.
Smith called out Perkins for being “disrespectful.”
“You don’t have to sound like you got sleep apnea on live television,” Smith said again. “You can disguise it a little bit. I mean, that’s very disrespectful.”
According to the Cleveland Clinic, sleep apnea is a disorder that causes you to stop breathing while asleep. Your brain tries to protect you by waking you up enough to breathe, but this prevents restful, healthy sleep. Over time this condition can cause serious complications.
Being overweight can be a factor in developing sleep apnea. Perkins is on the heavier side, maybe not quite overweight. But still, a large man who could potentially be suffering with the sleep disorder.
But that doesn’t appear to be the case. Perkins took it all in stride and went back at Smith.
“Hey look, I came on here already knowing… that the peanut gallery was going to be against big Perk anyway. I came on here ready for the smoke,” said Perkins. “So that’s fine. You and JJ can team up. … I’m sitting right here. I’m not going nowhere.”
That is a classic “First Take” bit. Nothing to see here, folks.
As far as “analysis” of the game, Perkins did make an interesting point about Nuggets’ head coach Michael Malone who not only called his team out publicly during an in-game interview, but also in his postgame press conference. He cited their lack of effort and intensity and being disappointed in their approach.
“Let’s talk about effort,” Malone said. “This is the NBA Finals. We are talking about effort. That’s a huge concern of mine. You guys probably thought I was just making up some storyline after Game 1 when I said we didn’t play well. We didn’t play well.
“Tonight, the starting lineup to start the game, it was 10-2 Miami. Start of the third quarter, they scored 11 points in [just over two minutes]. We had guys out there that were just, whether feeling sorry for themselves for not making shots or thinking they can just turn it on or off — this is not the preseason, this is not the regular season. This is the NBA Finals. That, to me, is really, really perplexing, disappointing.”
Perk said he understood the need to hold his team accountable, but asked who is holding Malone accountable for the team not being ready?
“Michael Malone is calling out his team, but who’s calling out Michael Malone?” asked Perkins
The Nuggets’ lack of effort in Game 2 was alarming. We will see how they respond in Game 3 on Wednesday.
Who knew this Shannon Sharpe Skip Bayless breakup would take on the life it has. During the NBA Finals game 2 postgame on NBA TV, Charles Barkley found a way to continue taking shots at Skip Bayless.
“Apparently if you work with a damn idiot, they’ll buy you out,” Barkley said, referencing Sharpe’s contract buyout. “So I just want y’all to know, I’m open to the buyout.”
Barkley joked the “idiot” he works with isn’t Shaquille O’Neal or Ernie Johnson on TNT’s “Inside the NBA,” but rather Kenny Smith.
All in good fun for Chuck, who routinely goes after Bayless whom he’s called a “fool,” “idiot,” “dummy” and likely some other names not suitable for this post.
As a former athlete, Chuck is critical of the way Bayless attacks LeBron James in particular and the way the “Undisputed” co-host has built his brand.
But this is where we are. Bayless is a carnival barker. This is what he does. The more people like Barkley come at him and hate watch, it solidifies that Bayless is doing the right thing. He’s giving the people exactly what they want: A villain. He’s happy to do that while raking in about $8 million per year.
Last year, after another Barkley quip that he would kill Bayless, the FS1 personality said his wife Ernestine was legitimately worried.
“My wife Ernestine has believed for 15 years that Charles Barkley is nothing but a sick individual,” Bayless said. “To her, he is just pure evil, that he is depraved, that he is a scumbag and she fears that one day, Charles will somehow … inspire some other nut to end my life. And this haunts her, this hurts her, because she believes that in the end, Charles Barkley would have my blood on his hands.”
A little dramatic, no?
You should never joke about death or killing someone. Barkley started saying macabre things about Bayless over 10 years ago.
“Listen, if I could get Skip Bayless in a room, you’d need DNA to find out who he was,” said Barkley in 2013.
In 2017, while he was a guest on “The Dan Patrick Show” Barkley said they should set up a pay-per-view event with him and Bayless for ratings.
“You know what we should do for ratings? If I get a disease and I’m gonna die, how about you get Skip Bayless in here and I’ll kill him live on national television?” said Barkley.
It’s obvious Barkley doesn’t like Bayless, but all of this back and forth over sports opinions is ludicrous.
We all love sports but to take it to this level over bad takes? What are we doing?
If you want to watch Bayless say stupid things, go right ahead. But if you’re just going to get emotional about it and angry, you’ve done it to yourself. You don’t have to participate in the farce if you don’t want to.
