Nick Saban is keeping it real about the factors that led to his retirement. The revelations showcase the innermost thoughts of a very wealthy former collegiate coach who is a borderline hater of the evolution of a game that benefitted him more than any player he’s ever coached.
Alabama took a 27-20 overtime loss to Michigan in the College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl on Jan. 1. If it wasn’t the pivotal moment that made him decide to retire, it certainly was a moment that influenced his decision.
“I want to be clear that wasn’t the reason, but some of those events certainly contributed,” Saban told ESPN about contributing factors to his retirement decision. “I was really disappointed in the way that the players acted after the game. You gotta win with class. You gotta lose with class. We had our opportunities to win the game and we didn’t do it, and then showing your a** and being frustrated and throwing helmets and doing that stuff … that’s not who we are and what we’ve promoted in our program.”
However, Saban, still used to how he usually interacts with players, was even more surprised when he returned to Tuscaloosa after the Michigan loss. His players had turned into businessmen right before his eyes, and the conversations felt more like a hiring interview, except the student-athletes were on the verge of firing him.
“I thought we could have a hell of a team next year, and then maybe 70 or 80 percent of the players you talk to, all they want to know is two things: What assurances do I have that I’m going to play because they’re thinking about transferring, and how much are you going to pay me?” Saban continued. “Our program here was always built on how much value can we create for your future and your personal development, academic success in graduating and developing an NFL career on the field.
“So I’m saying to myself, ‘Maybe this doesn’t work anymore, that the goals and aspirations are just different and that it’s all about how much money can I make as a college player?’ I’m not saying that’s bad. I’m not saying it’s wrong, I’m just saying that’s never been what we were all about, and it’s not why we had success through the years.”
Although the new name, image, and likeness era has changed the power structure, leaving the players to seek out self-interests over team loyalty and collegiate athletic program development, one thing is for sure: Saban can’t keep counting more millions that way.
Ironically, Saban acted alongside Deion Sanders in AFLAC commercials last year. In one commercial, you saw the old and new generation of collegiate coaches, one rich from college wins rooted in a non-NIL system and an old-school mentality and the other with a losing season and a winning personality that brought Colorado University the most notoriety, attendance, and merch sales it has ever experienced.
Along with his son Shedeur Sanders, who led the 2023 faces of the new NIL jiggy era, waving watches in opponents’ faces and getting boots on his Rolls-Royce, Saban unknowingly handed the torch over to Sanders in the only way he unwittingly knows how: during a paid commercial.
How? Because the former NFL athlete was placed on the same commercially viable pedestal as Saban, with only his HBCU championship wins to back him and a slew of transfers heading to Boulder.
Sanders fully accepts today’s reality and makes a brand from it.
That’s the irony of Saban’s perspective on player development: he should get paid, but the kids should wait, have poise, and fall in line. However, his coaching peers don’t even adhere to that mantra. Coach Jim Harbaugh electrified the 2023 NCAA football at Michigan with an undefeated record to winning the national championship, only to leave for the Los Angeles Chargers right after.
Just like the student-athletes, they are chasing both legacy and the bag; however, in Nick Saban’s mind, only student-athletes should wait for their turn to cash in. So Nick Saban did the only thing he could do under the circumstances: bow out gracefully.
Saban’s net worth at the time of his retirement was $93.2 million, earned through a contract extension and salary boost in 2022. He earned $13,142,857 for each national title he delivered for the Crimson Tide, so if any benefitted from the past system it’s him.
Thank you for your service, but now your athletes are taking their talents to South Beach, the mountains of Boulder, and anywhere else, their chances of cashing in on a career that might not yield a professional turn will take them.
Get over it.
San Antonio Spurs rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama recently was locked up by Dillon Brooks and was handed a nasty dose of 45 points by another solid international player not considered the generational world beater that Wemby is projected to be.
Welcome to the NBA, where everybody has skills and drop buckets, and while Wemby is a rookie and his supporting cast is meatloaf, he failed miserably on March 5 in the personal challenge of dealing with a physical center who is aggressive in the paint and will make Wemby work near the basket throughout the entire game.
Wemby is a unicorn, but he’s not equipped physically or skill wise to defend someone who is playing like Moses Malone. That’s not the kind of ball Wemby came up playing, nor what he expects in the NBA. The physicality is to be expected, especially from 7-footers. The constant beating in the paint is not.
Despite Wemby’s blocking ability and quickness around the rim, he’s no Bill Russell.
On the defensive end he couldn’t stop Rockets big man Alperen Sengun, who absolutely took the 20-year-old novice with just 56 NBA games under his belt to school.
Sengun went off in the Rockets’ 114-101 win, finishing with a career-high 45 points, 16 rebounds, three assists and five steals. It was the most points scored in a single game by a Turkish player in league history.
“I mean, yeah, of course [I had extra motivation to play Wembanyama],” said the 21-year-old Sengun, who broke into the league in 2021. “I didn’t play that well against him last game I can say. And I didn’t have many double teams, they just left me one-on-one with Wemby. I just did what I did.”
Wembanyama wasn’t much better offensively, getting held to 10 points on 4 of 10 shooting with 11 rebounds, 7 blocks and six turnovers. Adding insult to injury, Sengun disparaged Wemby’s physical prowess after the game.
“He’s so tall but he’s not that strong yet,” Sengun said. “I was going at his chest and putting him under the rim.”
Wembley was clearly out of his flow, failing to score or attempt a field goal in the second half for the first time this season.
NBA analyst Richard Jefferson dismissed it as a “bad game.” That is definitely true. Wemby had some moments, but for the most part it was one of the worst games of his career on both ends of the floor.
He could be hitting a rookie wall. Having to carry a team that’s tanking while you try to navigate your first season in the NBA is challenging. It’s tiring, and with all of the hype and fanfare that has surrounded the French talent, Wemby has a new NBA baller going after him each night, and they all have mega game.
Remember when Lonzo Ball was getting challenged every night after he was a controversial No. 2 overall pick of the Lakers? He was shredded cheese on some nights. It’s going to happen.
Sengun is an international talent, but less heralded than Wemby. For now, the third-year player from Turkey is not taking any back seats to the NBA’s new darling.
Sengun is averaging 21.3 points per game and 9.3 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and he’s shooting 53.9 percent from the field. He’s gotten better each season since 2022 and he’s also on an All-star trajectory.
So Wemby learned a lesson that your name and reputation doesn’t mean much in the NBA, until you’ve conquered all of your adversaries.
The games have to be played, and that will determine who the superior talent is. These are very beneficial growing pains for Wemby. Every great player has gotten destroyed by another player in a pro game.
The hovering defense by pesky Brooks and the physicality of Sengun seemed to put the leading candidate for NBA Rookie of the Year in a blender. Maybe it’s a blueprint on how to stop the multifaceted big man. Or maybe it’s a necessary step in the ascension of Victor Wembanyama.
Deion Sanders is gearing up for his first Spring season as a member of the Big 12 conference, with his eye on the 2025 NFL draft when his son Shedeur Sanders and protégé Travis Hunter are both projected to be first-round picks.
Hunter, a two-way player, has an opportunity to go in the first three picks if he has a strong junior season. Hunter is a rare talent who can excel on both sides of the ball in the NFL. Sanders, of course, was the same way.
At Florida State and the NFL, Prime Time’s return skills were elite, and he could have played wide receiver in the NFL as well if that opportunity had been presented to him.
Which leads to an interesting question concerning Hunter’s draft position that Sanders addressed on his son Junior’s ‘Well Off Media,’ YouTube channel.
Will Hunter, who had 23 tackles, three interceptions and five pass deflections, be drafted as a lockdown corner? Will he be converted to strictly an offensive playmaker? Hunter scorched defenses with 57 receptions, 721 yards, and five touchdowns in limited duty.
He can return punts and kickoffs. He’s box office at the next level.
This is a good dilemma for the NFL, but one that will be discussed and analyzed over the next college football season.
Sanders said that the NFL was about to encounter a problem next season with Travis Hunter.
“The NFL got a problem. What are you going to draft him as? He’s got to play both ways ’cause he has value on both sides of the ball. The more you can do in the NFL, that just elevates the bag,” Prime said.
Even at a slim but muscular 6 feet 1 and 181 pounds, Hunter plays big.
One of Prime’s assistant coaches chimed in: “The more you can do. In the NFL right? That just elevates the bag.” A statement that Prime said he “liked.”
Sanders cites Hunter as a rare talent who needs an open-minded and offensive-minded head coach such as Andy Reid, who would know how to safely use Hunter in a two-way capacity.
Hunter would also have to be paid handsomely because he’s executing several different jobs on the field. So the entire scenario surrounding the player who is considered college football’s top talent will develop as the season progresses.
Contemplating Hunter’s worth at the NFL level led to Deion being asked how much he thinks he would have been worth if they had NIL back in his glory days at Florida State in the late 80s.
Coach Prime almost jumped out of his seat when he heard the question.
“What in NIL? or NFL,” Prime said, never giving a direct monetary value. “See, ’cause I’d be in college football, but living an NFL life. I think I did that anyway, honestly.”
“Because I had signed a deal after my junior season with the (New York) Yankees,” he explained, “so I was already getting a (pro baseball) bag and expecting a (NFL) bag at the conclusion of my senior year.”
Sanders says his MLB money kept him and his friends above water. “I used to break all of my teammates off, if they had a need they called Prime,” Sanders boasted pridefully.
Sanders was a two-time leading receiver and a two-time All-America cornerback at FSU. You’re not going to find many players who can execute both positions at such a level.
Those are two of the top three coveted positions in today’s NFL. What would that be worth?
“Nowadays that would be crazy, “Prime said.
In the meantime, Hunter continues to make all of his dreams come true.
EA Sports previously announced it would be offering 11,000 players around the country a $600 NIL bonus, along with a pre-release, free copy of the final product. There have reportedly been over 10,000 players to accept the offer as of the start of March.
Last season’s Paul Hornung Award winner, awarded to the nation’s most versatile college player, is sure to be one of the highest rated players in the game because of his rare two-way ability. Hunter earned All-Pac-12 honors as a specialist and a defensive player.
Coach Prime is still on the recruiting trail and using Hunter’s success as a recruiting pitch for any player who can play two ways. Sanders is one of the few head coaches at Power Five schools that would allow a player to have prominent roles on offense and defense.
Before the annual spring game at Folsom Field on April 27, where Sanders’ Colorado Buffaloes will hopefully unveil the new uniforms, compliments of Nike, Sanders will spend March’s “dead period” on a four-city tour promoting the release of his book “Elevate and Dominate: 21 Ways to Win On and Off the Field.” Sanders has announced four stops on his book tour that includes two major cities.
In addition to the new book, Coach Prime will promote Nike’s anticipated re-release of Deion Sanders’ signature Diamond Turf line this summer.
Most recently, through his company, Prime Time Enterprises, Inc., Sanders filed a trademark for the name “Confidence” to represent a line of men’s care products, including deodorant, shaving cream, bath soaps, and fragrances that he’s launching.
Former NBA superstar Allen Iverson enjoyed a legendary career. The No. 1 overall pick out of Georgetown in 1996, “Bubba Chuck,” as he’s affectionately known, played a leading role in shaping NBA culture during the culture shift in the NBA.
With his signature braids, tattoos and baggy clothes the 6-foot Iverson brought his hard hat nightly, making the Sixers a must-see ticket. Iverson’s toughness, grit and edgy, hip-hop persona was just a part of who he was. He was also one of the most talented and impactful players to ever grace the league.
Upon his arrival to the NBA Iverson was courted by all of the major shoe companies, and although he signed a lifetime deal with Reebok, Jordan Brand was very interested. As with most young Black males growing up during that time, owning and wearing Jordan sneakers meant everything, and Iverson admits he was no different.
Iverson, who is getting his own statue placed on Legends Walk, outside the Philadelphia 76ers arena on April 12th, 2004, admits that he always admired MJ. Jordan Brand pulled out all of the stops.
Sports Illustrated also mentions that as part of the Jordan Brand pitch, that they’d even created a prototype shoe nicknamed the “Bubba Chuck,” which is the name that everyone from Iverson’s hometown of Hampton/Newport News, Virginia affectionately calls him.
That wasn’t enough to sway Iverson who decided to go with Reebok, where he’s now been for 27 years.
“Remember that like it was yesterday because that was a big decision for me,” Iverson told Complex. “Just looking back on it, I feel good about the decision I made for the loyalty from Reebok and our relationship.”
“They [Nike] had a shoe, but I was convinced when I went I in the meeting with Reebok that that’s what I wanted to do. They were great salespeople, and they made me comfortable about getting to where I’m at right now with the company.”
Iverson’s initial deal was for 10 years, $50 million. That deal was upgraded mightily following Iverson’s 2001 MVP season which also included him leading the Sixers to the NBA Finals. After that strong showing Iverson signed a lifetime deal with the shoe giant, one that pays him $800,000 annually and will give him a huge $32 million payout when he turns 55 in 2030.
While he could’ve signed with Jordan Brand, it’s highly unlikely he would’ve received these types of perks, especially at that time. Also, his signing with Reebok allowed him to forge his own way in the sneaker world and create another marketable identity for the brand.
Iverson also recently became the shoe giant’s vice president of basketball division joining the great Shaquille O’Neal, who’s the president.
“The Answer” is what they call him.
Rapper T.I., who is considered a pretty solid lyricist in his own right, recently discussed how watered down the rap game is. The Atlanta artist believes it has something to do with folks thinking they can just do it with no experience, sort of like you hear guys saying they could play basketball professionally, knowing good and well it isn’t that easy.
During his recent appearance on “The Big Podcast With Shaq,” a former rapper and NBA superstar, T.I. went into detail about what he meant.
When asked by the legendary Shaq what he thought about today’s rap music and artists, T.I., whose real name is Clifford Harris, didn’t hold back.
“This generation reminds me of every other generation,” T.I. said. “You got some people who are exceptionally dope, and some people who are just alright. … But it’s a lot more of it to choose from now. I feel that, actually, what they’ve done with music is equivalent to if they were gonna open up the doors to the arena and say, ‘Anybody think you can play basketball come on out the stands out here to the floor. Here you go a jersey, man. Get in the game.’”
The “Motivation” rapper continued, “The thing that happened is there was what we call a paradigm in the industry. It went to a direct-to-consumer industry. Which means you don’t need a distributor. You don’t have to go through Best Buy or Target or Blockbuster. You ain’t gotta do that. You can go straight to the consumer. And the consumer more than likely wants to hear something that reminds them of themselves. Sometimes, too much talent intimidates the consumer.”
Strong words by Tip, who in so many words is saying the consumer is OK with the less talented era of rappers being front and center now. His comparing it to guys thinking they can hoop in the NBA is an analogy you probably wouldn’t try to make, but the premise of what he’s saying it very obvious. The talent drop-off in the game is significant and he’s calling it out.
When you think rap music, some of the names that come to mind are the late great Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls.
Or how about the legendary LL Cool J, Jay-Z and Nas, who is 50 and recently won a Grammy in 2021. Then there’s the Southern flavor of one T.I., OutKast, Scarface and so many others. That’s the rap music I came up on, and today’s rap music just doesn’t compare.
For starters, the talent level is considerably watered down, and most aren’t rapping, they’re just adding a hook to a dope beat.
Son King Standing On Business In Rap Career?
One of those new-age rappers is King Harris, the son of T.I. who’s had his share of beef with others. For starters, King sounds no different than the kind of rappers his legendary dad is spewing about, and in many aspects he’s only one because of his dad.
King is definitely one of those rappers who T.I. likened to getting a jersey and getting in the game. As of now King does more beefing than actually putting out music. His current verbal squabble with comedian Druski over who started saying “Standin’ on Bidness” first after Druski made a song out of the popular expression.
T.I. is probably saying what so many other rappers of the past wanna say but just have decided to keep quiet.
That’s not how T.I. gets down.
Being Dak Prescott is both a gift and a curse.
The Dallas Cowboys gunslinger is the face of America’s Team and also the bane of the fan base. There is nothing more that the Cowboys faithful want more than another Super Bowl ring, and Prescott has not delivered. So when he reveals his new haircut style, he is eviscerated on social media for his lack of the ultimate prize and is compared to who “Dem Boys” would rather have as QB1: Jalen Hurts.
Prescott’s new look debuted on ‘X,’ and followers, fans and trolls alike felt Dak had an uncanny style resemblance to Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts. Social media didn’t let the Cowboys signal-caller live it down.
‘X’ user Prime set off a blitzkrieg of critiques when the user posted, “He wants to be Jalen Hurts so bad.”
Then, the barrage of slander came after.
“He looks horrible just like his football skills,” user @SophiaA_F1 posted.
“Looks like he could be a Breaking Bad character,” user @elitetakes__ posted.
“Bro wanna be Jalen Hurts so bad,” another user posted, with others posting a horrified “NOOOOO NOOOOO NOOOOOOOOOOOO.”
Dak Prescott’s career as the Cowboys’ main quarterback is currently up in the air. He enters the final year of his contract with no clear understanding of whether he will receive an extension and no communication with his agent.
The team and Prescott’s representative were reportedly present at the NFL combine but have not had any talks to solidify an extension for him with the team.
Prescott signed a four-year, $160 million contract in 2021. His base salary is $29 million, and a $5 million roster bonus is due early in the NFL’s league year. The Cowboys cannot place the franchise tag on Prescott in 2025. He also has a no-trade clause. If the Cowboys cannot reach an extension with Prescott, they can create around $18 million in salary cap space.
However, at this year’s NFL combine in Indianapolis, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made it clear that he does not doubt Prescott will remain a Cowboy.
“What we do there or don’t do [with Prescott’s contract], I couldn’t say at this time, but the main thing is he’s going to be our quarterback,” Jones said at the NFL combine, per multiple reports.
Prescott also expressed optimism that he and the Cowboys would reach a deal.
“I’m definitely confident,” Prescott said Monday to the media after his involvement with a Children’s Cancer Fund event. “Obviously it helps the team. It’s important for the numbers. That is a process. Both sides understand that. Everything’s great. It’ll happen.”
For all the online critics, Prescott was the NFL leader in touchdown passes with 36 last year. He was named second-team All-Pro and among those considered in league MVP voting.
It’s hard being Dak Prescott, but with Jerry Jones’s blessing, it’s not as hard as the fans try to make it.
When the Denver Broncos hired head coach Sean Payton the writing was pretty much on the wall for quarterback Russell Wilson.
After struggling mightily in 2022 under former head coach Nathaniel Hackett in what became Wilson’s worst season as a pro, Payton was brought in to fix Wilson and the Broncos. That relationship never got off the ground and once Wilson was benched, everyone knew that the duo wouldn’t last past the 2023 season.
Following a 1-5 start that saw the defense surrender 70 points to the Miami Dolphins, the Broncos rebounded to finish the season 8-9. Wilson’s refusal to remove his $37 million injury clause for the 2025 season didn’t help matters.
In a press release on Monday the Broncos did what everyone anticipated them to do late in the season. The team announced they in fact are moving in a different direction for the 2024 season, and that doesn’t include Russell Wilson.
“On behalf of the Broncos, we thank Russell for his contributions and dedication to our team and community while wishing him the best as he continues his career,” general manager George Paton and coach Sean Payton said in a joint statement.
Wilson claimed the Broncos had threatened to bench him for the final nine games if he didn’t push back his $37M injury guarantee in his contract. He rejected the request and played seven more games before being benched in what was ‘a footballing decision’, according to head coach Sean Payton.
Had Wilson still been on the Broncos’ roster come March 13, his 2025 salary of $37M would have been guaranteed.
They wanted Wilson gone so bad they’re willing to take an $85-$89 million dead cap hit to do so. That amount is the largest in league history, and even bigger than the two previous highest marks combined.
Wilson will be a coveted free agent because the Broncos are on the hook to pay him $39 million for the 2024 season. That means a team can sign Wilson for the minimum and the Broncos still must pay remaining balance of that huge $39 million payday.
The Steelers, Falcons, Raiders, and Patriots are teams to look out for in the Wilson sweepstakes.
Despite the exaggerated rumors of his demise, Wilson was solid in 2023, passing for 3,070 yards, 26 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. He also improved his passer rating efficiency which ranked 27th in 2022, to eighth in 2023.
Wilson has another bag coming his way. Last week, it was reported that he was shopping his $25 million Denver, Colorado mansion around, in anticipation of being cut.
Wilson and his wife Ciara are accepting offers and giving tours for their Cherry Hills Village mansion. The couple bought the 20,000 sq ft home shortly after Wilson signed his $245M deal following his trade from the Seahawks to the Broncos.
FOX 13 News first reported when Wilson put his Bellevue waterfront estate up for sale back in April 2022, at the staggering price of $36 million, the asking price has since dropped to $26 million.
The Mediterranean-style waterfront estate is settled on Lake Washington and was worth $6.7 million when Wilson bought it from former Microsoft manager Harish Naidu, in 2015.
The Wilson’s also own a home in San Diego with a personal football field on the property for Russ to teach his boys how to be future quarterbacks.
Sports media maven Stephen A. Smith had 30 and over social media in a frenzy when he chose Eminem over Nas as far as their overall consistency and greatness as hip-hop artists is concerned.
During an appearance on the “Connect The Dots” podcast, the ESPN “First Take” host was asked to pick between the two artists. While Smith gave both lyricists the ultimate respect for being elite wordsmiths in rap culture, the talking head from Hollis, Queens, went against his New York ties and touted Eminem as a better overall artist.
“I think Eminem is one of the greatest ever. I also think Nas is one of the greatest ever,” Stephen A said in a clip of the interview that surfaced on social media on Friday, March 1.
“Nas’ lyrics are off the chain, but it requires more street knowledge and just more of a comprehension of the verbiage to really dissect, whereas with Eminem … he gives it to you simple and plain. I’m going to have to say as much as I love Nas, and I do love Nas, I have to give the edge to Eminem.”
Smith is kind of correct. Nas has never celebrated pedophilia, bestiality, drug use, domestic violence, cursed out his mother or offered his daughter to another man in his rap songs. Em is known for such streams of consciousness.
Eminem definitely gives it to us simple and plain. Em’ knocked down barriers for white artists in the very Black art form of hip-hop due to him being an anomaly, like Larry Bird in the NBA 1980s. His ability to compete with Black rappers elevated his popularity and made Em the darling of white, crossover publications who were looking for a rap icon to idolize and iconize.
Nas is the voice of the streets, as Smith mentioned, but also Black culture. So Smith is wrong in that you have to in some way be familiar with street life to comprehend Nas’ lyrics. You just have to understand what being Black is historically. Nas’ music is very relatable, and he has millions of white fans, but he wasn’t born in a trailer park, poor in Detroit. It was a different kind of poverty, in the projects of NYC, with a different kind of oppression.
Em grew out of the Dr. Dre and 50 Cent Aftermath camp but transcended the game because of his skills and definitely his skin color. It doesn’t take away from the hits he’s produced and the impact he’s had on changing the culture and opening the doors for other white hip-hop stars.
At least Smith admitted that when at their best, Nas is the superior artist of the pair, but credits Eminem for his “consistency” throughout his career, which Smith says has been attributed as a weak point for Nas over the years.
“Now the best of Nas is better than the best of Eminem. “But [with] Eminem, there’s more consistency to his greatness as opposed to Nas is what I’m trying to say. Which is why I have to give [Eminem] the edge.”
That’s very debatable, because Eminem hasn’t had a hit song of any impact in over 10 years. Nas, on the other hand, has dropped two classic albums in the last three years and several other solo releases in the last half decade. At the 2021 Grammy Awards his album “King’s Disease” secured the Best Rap Album award, marking his first-ever Grammy win after 13 previous nominations.
In fact, the only song of significance that Em has been on recently is in 2021, when the pair collaborated on “EPMD 2” from Nas’ “King’s Disease II” album. Both are icons, but Nas is the originator and father of many styles and success stories in rap from all over the map.
Last year, Eminem kept it real about Nas’ influence on his love for the rap game, praising Nas’ classic debut album “Illmatic” for its impact on the industry.
“I remember The Source gave Illmatic five mics [a perfect score],” Em told The New York Times. “I already knew I liked Nas from ‘Live at the Barbeque’ with Main Source, because his verse on that is one of the most classic verses in hip-hop of all time. But I was, like, ‘Five mics, though? Let me see what this is.’
“And when I put it on, ‘And be prosperous/ Though we live dangerous/ Cops could just arrest me/ Blamin’ us/We’re held like hostages.’ He was going in and outside of the rhyme scheme, internal rhymes. That album had me in a slump, too. I know the album front to back.”
Eminem is always a safe answer when you discuss hip-hop GOATS, because he crossed over immediately in a way that most Black rap artists couldn’t back then. It’s just surprising to hear a supposed Queens, New Yorker question Nas’ consistency or legacy as the king of lyricism.
X tweeters thought so too.
Stephen A. Smith has made a career off inciting people’s emotions with his sports takes. If he had a hip-hop show he would probably be just as successful and emotion-provoking. This recent hip-hop firestorm proved it.
Iowa Hawkeyes star CaitlIn Clark, who just became the NCAA’s all-time leading scorer surpassing the great “Pistol” Pete Maravich, is prepping to lead her team into March Madness.
Following that, she’ll be the unquestioned No. 1 overall pick in this year’s WNBA draft which will be held April 15.
With Clark making “herstory,” there was no shortage of congratulatory praise on social media honoring the dynamic scoring guard.
There was LeBron James:
“CONGRATS @CaitlinClark22 on becoming the All-Time leading scorer!!” he wrote on X.
James made his own scoring history on Saturday night, becoming the first player in NBA lore to score 40,000 points.
Even President Joe Biden chimed in by congratulating Clark.
“Congratulations to Caitlin Clark on making history as the NCAA’s all-time leading. With 3,685 points and counting, you’ve made your school proud,” his team wrote.
Those are the type of messages you’d expect from folks like James and the POTUS. Then there’s Antonio Brown, and his weird and always quirky ways of doing things.
Brown, the former Pittsburgh Steelers All-Pro wide receiver, who’s seemingly always taking shots at other athletes, took to X say this about Clark’s big day.
This is AB’s way of congratulating Clark. Compared to the last time he mentioned her, this is an upgraded quote.
In February when Clark became the all-time leading scorer amongst women, Brown chose to focus on who he thinks she looks like, saying, “B— look like Mel Gibson.”
Gibson’s the movie star of the “Lethal Weapon” series fame.
This is what AB does, so in many facets it’s not all that surprising, but at some point he’s gotta grow up.
In the aftermath of her huge accomplishment Clark did her best to soak it all in. She made “herstory” on her senior day in a 93-83 win over Ohio State and told reporters this following the game.
“I’m so focused on helping this team win and be so great, it’s hard to wrap my head around everything going on,” she said. “I’m trying to soak in the moment.”
Glad to hear her say that, and not feed into any of Brown’s bait attempts to take the focus off of the 54-year-old record she shattered.
With Clark leading the way, the Hawkeyes have the second-best national championship odds, trailing only undefeated 29-0 South Carolina. Clark and the Hawkeyes upset the Gamecocks in last year’s Final Four losing to the LSU Tigers in the title game.
University of Michigan All-American and 2004 Biletnikoff Award winner Braylon Edwards has spent a career bringing pride and respect to his great state. Even in retirement, the prolific former Pro Bowl wide receiver is still making heroic plays.
Edwards is credited with saving an 80-year-old man from a potentially deadly assault in a suburban Detroit YMCA locker room.
According to reports, Edwards stepped in and saved the man’s life while he was under attack by a person 60 years younger.
Police Chief Jeff King of Farmington Hills praised Edwards, who played eight seasons in the NFL, including stints with the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets.
Malik Ali Smith, 20, is being charged with assault with intent to murder, carrying a maximum sentence of life in prison if convicted, Fox 2 Detroit reported.
Police say Smith attacked the 80-year-old man after an exchange of words about music being too loud, around 10:45 a.m. on March 1.
Edwards, who was drafted third overall by the Cleveland Browns in 2005, overheard the commotion caused after the verbal exchange elevated to a physical encounter, and he reportedly stepped in just in time.
“I walk into the locker room after work, and basically, I hear about four rows behind me arguing about music and how it was being played too loud,” Edwards told WDIV-TV. “So, I’m not paying attention.”
“The noise escalates, and then you can hear some pushing and shoving, so you know what fighting sounds like, but once I hear a thud, that’s when I got up and turned around.”
Edwards told WDIV-TV that he was “just minding my business” when the commotion inspired him into action.
“I see the guy for what I was thinking was reaching for a phone underneath the victim, grabs the back of the victim’s head by the hair, and he was about to slam it down on the counter,” Edwards said.
“I didn’t know it was that serious. I mean, the victim probably had a serious concussion by nature, but it wasn’t until I talked to the detective, down in Farmington, who told me that if I didn’t step in… but at the end of the day that’s what you do,” Edwards added.
Due to Edwards’ selfless interference, Smith bolted from the YMCA, but didn’t get far, as police were able to arrest him nearby. Smith is being held on $250,000 bond and has a probable cause conference for March 13 at 1:30 p.m.
Police were sure to credit Edwards for his good Samaritan work.
“This was a vicious, senseless attack,” Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald said, via Fox 2 Detroit. “I commend the witness who intervened, and we will seek justice for this victim.”
Edwards says he thought about his family and never thought twice about the potential repercussions for involving himself in a violent dispute between two strangers.
“At the end of the day, that’s what you do. My mom, my grandmother, my father. In the moment … these are the people that you think about,” Edwards added.
These days Edwards is enjoying retirement with his two sons Braylon Jr., and Maddox, and lives in West Bloomfield, Michigan, handling his investments. In 2020, he released his first book, “Braylon Edwards: Doing It My Way: My Outspoken Life as a Michigan Wolverine, NFL Receiver, and Beyond,” and he’s working on more. Edwards is also involved in the community, as he visits addiction centers, churches, youth homes and middle schools with other athletes to discuss substance abuse and opioid addiction.
Edwards was overwhelmed by the positive reaction to his human deed.
The 6-foot-3 receiver finished his NFL career with 5,522 yards and 40 TDs. His peak season was 2007 with the Cleveland Browns. Edwards had his lone 1000-yard receiving season (1,289) with a robust 16 TDS.
The blessings are sure to keep coming in light of his latest heroic act.
Gilbert Arenas has exploded as one of the leading voices among former NBA players turned basement podcast stars. Arenas, like many of these podcasters, uses his NBA success to make outlandish and shocking takes and then discredit any pushback.
To be honest, Gil’s Arena podcast has serious comedic and entertainment value, and you can’t dispute that Arenas has experienced all sides of NBA life.
This particular episode featured former NBA players Rashad McCants and Kenyon Martin, as the list of eyebrow-raising takes continues to mount.
It’s a formula that’s working for Arenas, and his latest rant speaks to the explosion of offense in the NBA, the lack of defense and how European players taking over the game is to blame.
“I know what they can do. Get rid of all Europeans,” Arenas said during a recent episode.
Arenas was not known for his defense, especially at the height of his career in the NBA, where he was notorious for long-range bombing and had an uninhibited green light during his years with an average Washington Bullets squad who faced early eliminations in four playoff appearances.
Gil had a four-year prime, from 2003-4 to 2006-07 season in which he averaged 25.7 points per game and made three NBA All-Star teams.
During his 11-year career, he’s played against and with plenty of European players and for some reason, he says they are the reason why NBA defense has become almost non-existent.
His theory behind this accusation is even more intriguing. Gilbert took the baton from Martin, who mentioned that top players in general are finding ways to circumvent college before advancing to the NBA, and college is where many defensive and team principles are taught.
Then Gilbert ran up the ratings with his take.
“You go to college to learn defense. What college do Europeans go to? They have no athleticism,” Arenas repeatedly shouted over a chorus of snickers and disbelief. “They have no speed, no jumping ability. They are a liability on defense. They are 150 Euros in the league today… name the top defenders. None! Just Rudy [Gobert] and the Greek Freak. Other than that, they are offensive players.”
As far as international players who can flat out defend, he left out Joel “The Big Camerron” Embiid, who is a tough defender, but not European. French rookie sensation Victor Wembanyama has definitely asserted himself as a defensive force in the league.
Phoenix Suns center Jusuf Nurkic, from Bosnia, grabbed a team-record 31 rebounds in a loss to the OKC Thunder on Sunday night.
He was reckless in how he expressed it and very demeaning, but Gilbert isn’t totally crazy with this take.
With the exception of the aforementioned Embiid, Gobert and Greek Freak, who all rank in the top 10 of Ranker’s best NBA defenders list, you won’t find another European-born player until you get to Atlanta Hawks Clint Capela, who is from Switzerland and known for his shot-blocking and rebounding prowess.
Most of the NBA European stars are actually offense-based players, but not because they didn’t attend U.S. colleges as Arenas said and Martin suggested. A change in league rules, philosophy and culture has also contributed to this, as Arenas also notes.
“The NBA took away aggression,” Arenas said. “They took away aggression to open up the EuroLeague. When they first started getting here, it was too rough for them. They didn’t make it. Eventually, they softened the rules. They didn’t soften the rules for the Americans. They softened the rules to open up internationally.”
Arenas’ assessment isn’t far-fetched to some basketball purists. The elevation of Giannis and Luka Doncic and Embiid and Nikola Jokic and a host of other European stars has the American hoops contingent stressing the future of the game and blaming the NBA for purposely manipulating it to enable European players to do what they do best.
Let’s make one thing clear. Arenas averaged 1.6 steals throughout his career, but he was emphatically recognized as a one-dimensional player and a high-volume gunner, low efficiency guy.
He shot 42.1 percent for his career from the field and 35 percent from three-point range, averaging 5.6 attempts per game. The way he gave it up on the court is perfectly crafted for the current style of play that he is criticizing.
“So when they say the Euros are going to run the league in the next five years, why do you think that?” Arenas asked. “More threes, passing, cutting — this is not our league, this is not the American style, this is the Euro style. Drive in, suck the defense in, pass the ball to the three-point line.”
Which sounds like a description of how the Golden State Warriors won four championships over the last decade. He conveniently decided to leave out the main culprit when it comes to this obsession with three-pointers and motion offense.
Arenas is right about another thing. The game is changing, and league brass has decided that fans want points and will probably never return to 80 and low-90 scoring outputs. Regardless of what kinds of adjustments the league makes to rules that inhibit the defender, don’t expect the physicality to reach the level of 30 years ago.
And to be frank, the NBA has been trying to make the league more international and it has devoted a tremendous amount of time and effort over the past three decades helping to develop basketball programs in African and China and Europe and other parts of the globe. The Euro stars of today may be seen as outsiders by guys like Arenas, but they are products of the NBA corporate mission, the first sons of international expansion.
So rather than a calculated ploy to eliminate American-style hoops and American-born players, the NBA is capitalizing on the moment and doing everything it can to advance the game and keep it as a revenue-generating gold mine.
Arenas doesn’t have to like it. You’ll probably find few ballers who played in the ’90s and 2000’s that embrace this style of NBA, where scoring is the highest it’s been across the league since 1970. Defensive brilliance has become the least-promoted aspect of the sport.
On the flip side, American coaches have been raving about the fundamentals, shooting prowess, work ethic and intelligence of Euro players for years. While criticizing AAU hoops, parents, coaches and highlight culture as determinants to the development of the game here in the states. That might have something to do with it too, Mr. Arenas.
The Euro explosion is here, and American players will have to adjust to the changes or continue to lose spots in the league to international talents. The NBA has a firm grasp on the international market, and it doesn’t benefit the league to do anything to ensure that American players compromise a certain percentage of league roster spots.
The U.S. will always have its elite talents, players who are top 5 in the game. Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum and Minnesota Timberwolves youngster Anthony Edwards look like future faces of the league. The list goes on. Americans still have the highest selling jerseys in the U.S., so there’s still hope.
But allowing more hand-checking or encouraging more post-play and less threes isn’t going to stop Luka Doncic or Nikola Jokic from dominating the game, and, let’s be honest, in situations like this, you have to consider the source.
Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James has continued to play at a high level and accomplish things that have never been done before.
King James’ latest historical conquest happened during the Lakers’ 124-114 loss to the Denver Nuggets. In the loss, James became the first player in NBA history to reach 40,000 career points.
The latest milestone is just the tip of the iceberg for James in his illustrious career.
Even in James’ greatness not all has been sound on the home front as it pertains to his track record with head coaches. That’s reportedly no different under second-year sideline stalker Darvin Ham whose moves, or lack thereof, have been questioned.
That’s also reportedly caused James to do his own thing on the floor more often than not.
Per Lakers Insider Anthony Irwin, James has frequently overruled Ham’s play calls and run his own plays. A source recently told Irwin this about that dynamic.
“He sits in the huddle and gets his rest/water, rolls his eyes as Ham speaks, and waits for the huddle to break,” the source told Lakers Daily Anthony Irwin. “If Ham ever draws up a play, as soon as the huddle breaks James will tell everyone else on the court with him f— all that and calls a play, his own play.”
If you watch Lakers games, hearing that isn’t all that surprising, as you can see James’ demeanor and actions in and out of timeouts at times. It’s also no secret that at every stop of his career James has always been the system, so him calling his own number or changing plays isn’t too unfamiliar either.
Often times you can see James in the huddle telling Ham and others what he thinks will work, and more often than not he’s correct.
As it pertains to James and his coaches in the past, you could almost tell when a coach’s time was up. When James wasn’t feeling a coach there’s usually been a move made. That didn’t happen in Miami, where James gave Heat team president Pat Riley a not-so-subtle nudge to replace Erik Spoelstra with himself, which Riley quickly shot down, and even mentioned in his book “The Soul Of Basketball.”
As of now, Ham, who led the Lakers to the Western Conference Finals in his first season despite being in the play-in, seems to have the Lakers brass on his side.
Per The Athletic, Ham has the ear of team owner Jeannie Buss, which matters most:
“While Ham has issues to resolve both in his locker room and elsewhere within Laker Land, he has the continued support of owner Jeanie Buss.”
Unlike the situation with former coach Frank Vogel, Buss was known to believe the former coach was largely to blame for the failed integration of Russell Westbrook and ultimately green-lighted his April 2022 firing as a result. All signs point to the Lakers’ most important decision-maker standing by the coach, who is in the second-year of a four-year deal.
This sounds good, but only time will tell come the playoffs and how the Lakers fare with James a free agent at season’s end.
Music mogul Kanye West is always in the news, albeit through his back-and forth-with ex-wife Kim Kardashian or him and his half-dressed new wife Bianca Censori somewhere walking around barefoot.
Ye’s always entertaining takes on world events, race and money add to his global appeal.
In Ye’s latest hiccup he was caught red-handed in the DMs of Mikaela Lafuente, who happens to be the girlfriend of influencer Bryce Hall.
Hall is a popular social media influencer and bareknuckle boxer who’s made his fame on Tik Tok with 24 million followers and over 3 million subscribers to his YouTube channel. Hall is calling out West for creeping in his lady’s personal DMs and not inviting him.
In the DM Ye invites Hall’s lady to just hang out and listen to some of his new music.
“Back in Cali? Wanted to see if you wanted to hang out and listen to the new album.”
Lafuente, an Instagram model who very likely knows Ye from the past quickly declined the offer saying this in response.
“Nope, thank you.”
Her response was short and sweet, almost giving off vibes that she’s pretty familiar with Ye.
While Hall seemingly laughed it off, in a tweet he also said West is his next challenger in the ring.
“My bare knuckle opponent for the LA show is Kanye btw…. we’re just hyping the fight a bit, stay tuned.”
Don’t know how serious Hall is about that, or he could just be sending a warning to Ye for jumping in his girlfriend’s DMs.
Every so often Ye calls out his ex-wife Kardashian for something he feels she isn’t doing right as a parent.
The latest is having the couple’s children attend Sierra Canyon School in Chatsworth, California, which has many A-list celebrities children as students. That’s not befitting for Ye who went on a rampage last week telling Kardashian:
“Kim take my kids out of Sierra Canyon now. It’s a fake school for celebrities that are used by the system.”
Interesting words from Ye, who’s become known for these type outburst now that he and his ex-wife are co-parenting.
But in the meantime it sounds like Hall might want a piece of Ye.
The love affair with Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic continues. His coach Jason Kidd has already said he’s in the same atmosphere as Bron, Kobe and Michael Jordan, and “better than Dirk Nowitzki ever was.”
The accolades and praise continue to roll in, despite the fact that his team is only a seventh seed (35-24) at this point of the season. Luka’s been an offensive nightmare, averaging a league-high and Jordanesque 34.3 points per game.
With no championship hardware or even an NBA Finals appearance to truly assess him as an all-time great, Luka has managed to elevate in stature, and now one former NBA player, Rony Seikaly, is putting Doncic ahead of the GWOAT (Greatest White Player Of All Time) Larry Bird.
Seikaly, a former Miami Heat center, says Luka is so dominant that you can’t compare him to just one player. Seikaly, the 1990 NBA Most Improved Player, thinks that Doncic is a mix of two of the most influential and iconic white players of all-time.
“He’s Larry Bird 2.0…Luka Doncic is a more modern version of the way Larry Bird played. I’m talking about him as a basketball player and a pure talent, not in terms of wins and championships… I think Luka is a combination of Bird and Pete Maravich.”
Seikaly says he’s that and then some.
“Luka Doncic is one in a million,” said Seikaly in an interview with Talkbasket. “I think that he’s the best white player to ever play the game, regardless of being European. Period.”
Larry Bird is one of the greatest players to ever do it and one of the most popular and transcendent players in NBA history. He was also born in French Lick Indiana, the heart of middle America.
A common discussion surrounds Luka’s ranking among the best European players to ever grace the league. The growing consensus is that he’s already at the top of that mountain at the tender age of 25.
Bird wasn’t the fastest player and didn’t seem to have tremendous physical attributes, but he was insanely skilled, intelligent and had a nasty streak that drove his winning ways. Luka’s the same in many ways.
Bird came into the league, won Rookie of the Year, and the Celtics improved by 32 games in his first season. Eventually he would go onto win three titles and lead the Celtics dynasty against Magic Johnson and the Lakers on numerous occasions.
Together, Bird and Magic helped transform the NBA into a huge business, an appealing brand and must-see sports TV. Both Bird and Pistol Pete Maravich were legendary shooters who could hit from any spot on the court, similar to Luka.
They were methodical but creative assassins who could also provide flair, despite their lunch pail appearance. Luka uses his 6-foot-7 frame to destroy smaller guards and passes like a refined floor general.
If you pull up enough highlights, you’ll see him bomb away like Bird, make acrobatic shots like Pistol and talk junk, which is something nobody did better than Bird.
Pistol let his hooping do the talking. He was busy breaking every traditional basketball law, a one-man circus. Like Luka, he never met a shot he didn’t like.
The similarities are surely there. Luka represents the evolution of the white NBA player. How couldn’t other international players such as Siekaly, who starred at Syracuse in the golden days of the Big East, not think highly of him.
Seikaly also played with some of the most talented guys in hoops history during his 12 NBA season (1988-1999) in the heart of the MJ era. He also saw prime Magic and Bird and the birth of Kobe..
Throughout that time, Seikaly, from Beirut, Lebanon, saw plenty of international stars enter the NBA. So, he’s witnessed and competed against the best of the best; from Toni Kukoc to Draven Petrovic and Detlef Schrempf, you name them.
Seikaly acknowledged the stars of the past, but none, he says, has risen to the top of the game like Luka is positioning himself to do.
“When I heard about Luka Doncic playing for Real Madrid,” added Seikaly. “My first thought was: ‘He’s playing in Europe.’ When he won the Euroleague with Madrid, I was like: ‘Wow, this kid is really good! I wonder what he will do in the NBA.’ Then he came in and started playing exactly like he was playing in Europe — and even better. The game comes very easy to him.”
Winning a championship in the NBA isn’t easy for anybody, but Luka’s 73-point outburst earlier this season is proof that he’s emerging as an iconic bucket-getter. His defense still leaves much to be desired.
Larry Legend wasn’t a supreme defender, but his hustle game was crazy, and he made defensive stops when needed and he never was accused of loafing or taking plays off. He also was a force on the boards.
It’s clear that Luka already owns Europe and the hearts of those who have skin in the game when it comes to promoting his greatness. He ranks high among NBA superstars, not because of his color or nationality, but because of his insane ability.
But since Seikaly brought it up, once Luka wins a title or two, he might surpass Bird as the greatest white player ever. He still needs a signature moment or narrative.
Kansas City Chiefs wide receiver Mecole Hardman should still be reveling in winning his third Super Bowl in five seasons and making the game-winning touchdown reception in the team’s 25-22 overtime win over the San Francisco 49ers last month. For the most part Hardman has enjoyed all the love that’s come with the win and his catch that cemented this Chiefs team as a dynasty.
But not everyone is happy for Hardman, and after the speedy former Georgia Bulldogs wideout made some comments about his short tenure with New York Jets in 2023, Jets All-Pro cornerback Sauce Gardner seemed to insinuate that Hardman gave opponents the Jets game plan.
In a now deleted post on X, Gardner made some strong accusations towards Hardman, who was reportedly very unhappy during his short stay with the Jets to begin the 2023 season.
“We ain’t gon talk about how our offense game plan got leaked against the Eagles.”
Hearing things like this are never good, it goes back to the integrity of the game, and if Hardman is someone found to have done such a thing he should be dealt with accordingly.
During an appearance on “The Pivot” podcast, Hardman talked about how the Jets offense had “no standard.” On Friday he took to X to deny any wrongdoing.
“It’s the lies and how they handled me. I didn’t like it at all,” he mentioned on during his appearance on podcast. “You can’t do that to a player. A player that you paid at that. … I play one play, oh hell now. Something got to shake, bro, like, what we talking about, bro.”
Hardman was a free agent signing by the Jets for one-year, $4 million. He only played 28 total snaps before he was traded back to the Chiefs in October, the only other team he’s known.
Gardner wasn’t the only Jets player to call about Hardman for his actions as a teammate until his October trade. Punter Thomas Morestead spoke to what he believed was Hardman’s issue with the team.
“Getting beat out by a rookie free agent after being guaranteed millions of dollars is tough to deal with. Entitlement is a killer of opportunity. You have to earn it every year,” he wrote on X.
ESPN NFL analyst Louis Riddick had this to say about the controversy while speaking live on “First Take” from the NFL combine.
“For something like this, if this were true, and Andy Reid had any idea about it, I find it very hard to believe that he would invite Mecole Hardman back on his football team.”
Stephen A. Smith took things a little further, claiming that if it is true, Hardman’s career will be over, and he should face legal action.
Hardman denies everything. He just caught the game-winning TD in the Super Bowl. It could be jealous Jets trying to smear his name because he left the team and found Super Bowl glory. Just the rumor of Hardman possibly leaking game plans has Jets GM Joe Douglas on high alert.
“I’ll just say those are comments that definitely resonated with us.”
We shall see.
Paul Pierce has remained in the public eye since losing his television gig by staying active on the podcast scene and dropping hot takes based on his experience as one of the Top 75 players of all time.
Pierce, one of the Boston Celtics “Big Three” along with Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen, went down in Game 1 of the 2008 NBA Finals with what appeared to be a severe leg injury. The Truth was escorted off the court in a wheelchair while Boston fans held their collective breaths.
However, just minutes later he returned to the court, befuddling fans and analysts. Why would he need a wheelchair if he could hustle back so quickly?
In 2019, Pierce apparently, finally revealed the truth: It had nothing to do with an injury. Pierce says he pooped in his pants and faked the injury to get off the court and to the bathroom.
In his own words, “I have a confession to make; I just had to go to the bathroom.”
It was a bombshell revelation at the time as everything about that situation always seemed off. Pierce was able to help lead the Celtics defeat their arch nemesis Lakers and Kobe Bryant for the franchise’s first NBA title in 22 years. It’s also their last championship run.
With the podcast industry flooded with first-hand accounts and personal versions of all kinds of past NBA moments and drama, this award-winning podcast was the perfect time for Pierce to correct the narrative, which has become a running joke on social media.
Pierce has been the victim of some jokes and memes, some showing him with poop stains on the back of his shorts. Pierce has decided to recant his story of why he was in a wheelchair and reveal the real truth on the “All The Smoke” podcast.
Pierce claims that he was really hurt.
“So we get to the back there, the doctor’s like all right, jump on the training table. Now I’m on the training table. It’s moving back and forth, side to side. I’m feeling some discomfort in it. Then I stand up, I put pressure on the knee. I get on my tippy toes. I jog in place. It’s still sore but my adrenaline is flowing. Ain’t no way I wanna miss. If I wasn’t limping, I was like I could do it.”
“So I said go get me a knee brace. I’m jumping up and down, doing some squats. By the way, I have a high threshold for pain. I was stabbed 11 times and came back to play all 82 games that season. … So If I had to go to the bathroom or sh*t on myself, you think that would only take two minutes (to clean up).
I’m putting the knee brace on, and it was painful.”
Pierce then proceeded to taunt Lakers fans, claiming that they try to clown him about the incident because he “bust the Lakers’ ass” in the playoffs.
“Just to set the record straight,” Pierce said. “I dealt with a meniscus strain that whole summer. I couldn’t even work out for the first six weeks. Didn’t get surgery, but no, whoever started that rumor. … Yeah I said in the NBA finals coverage that I had to go to the bathroom.”
Pierce insists he was just messing around with the bathroom story.
“I’m joking. It’s the Finals,” Pierce insisted. “We are trying to win a championship and you think I got time to do some fake sh*t walking off the court, C’mon man. Let’s be real.”
This story sounds more like what people assumed happened. The expression on Pierce’s face as he got carted off in a wheelchair was not constipation, but concern. In any event, it is all a part of some very fond memories for Pierce and a Boston Celtics franchise still searching for an 18th NBA title.
The world asked for it, and Ryan Garcia delivered.
The infamous sparring footage of a young Devin Haney versus Gervonta “Tank” Davis in the Mayweather Boxing Club, also known as “The Doghouse.”
Now that the receipts have been shown, Devin Haney looks like the recipient of a patented Tank beatdown, and we’re talking about practice.
“Never did they post a chopped up edited video,” Haney posted on X, after the video dropped. “16 years old & in there holding my own. We bet AB pops & he honored it & paid! Ryan we watched u quit we are not the same & never will be tune in April 20th I’ll show it!”
Devin Haney claims he was 16 years old when the sparring match happened. That would mean that Gervonta Davis was either 19 or 20 years old because he was born in 1994 and Haney in 1998.
With Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the ring during the fight and in front of a full-blown audience, the fight was tantamount to sanctioned child abuse. That Adrien “AB” Broner’s father was even betting on it shows how much of a bloodsport boxing can become.
Haney’s next opponent, Ryan Garcia, released the footage as part of his online trash talk campaign after the two have had heated press conferences in New York and Los Angeles. The fight was not what Haney wanted initially, as he and his very vocal father, Bill Haney, have been clamoring for a fight with Gervonta Davis for years.
In the fight hype on social media, Bill and Devin constantly expressed how he got the better of Tank in the sparring, leading many to believe that the younger Haney was even more of a phenom. With the footage circulating, it is clear that although Devin held his own, Tank Davis is nothing to play with.
Haney has quickly risen to become one of his generation’s most successful young boxers. His back-to-back wins over George Kambosos, Jr. to become the undisputed lightweight boxing champion of the world in George’s backyard of Australia solidified Haney as a star.
Since then, he has moved up weight classes after he couldn’t solidify the fight with Tank Davis. He has controversially beaten Vasiliy Lomachenko at lightweight and Regis Prograis at super lightweight, taking his WBC title.
Many see comparisons to his former mentor, Floyd Mayweather, Jr.’s early career as “Pretty Boy Floyd,” and his flashiness came along with his skills. As the youngest boxing promoter in California history, Haney wears his wealth on his chest in diamonds that rival his former mentor’s. However, with an estimated net worth of $6 million, he has a long way to go before he catches up to “Money.”
It might be advisable to leave Tank Davis alone to stay in the undefeated column.
The Kansas City Chiefs are fresh off winning back-to-back Super Bowls, three in five seasons.
KC is known for its rabid fan base that packs raucous Arrowhead Stadium weekly in one of the greatest homefield advantages in the league. The fanbase has plenty of characters who want to be top fan.
No one stands out like superfan Xaviar Babudar, who became popular for wearing a gray wolf suit to Chiefs home games.
Not only had Babudar become known at Chiefs games, the superfan has also made his mark at banks across seven states.
Babudar went on a prolific bank-robbing spree, hitting up 11 different banks across those seven states. He then attempted to launder the money through various casinos.
After months of evading the authorities, Babudar was captured in July, and he recently pleaded guilty to those crimes. He now faces a maximum of 50 years in prison.
During his crime spree Babudar accrued more than $800K, and he reportedly even used some of the funds to purchase an autographed painting of quarterback Patrick Mahomes which he bought at a charity auction.
As a result of his conviction Babudar must relinquish the portrait and pay over $532K in restitution.
“His violent crime spree across the Midwest and beyond traumatized bank employees and victimized financial institutions in seven states,” U.S. Attorney Teresa Moore said in a statement. “The defendant tried to conceal hundreds of thousands of dollars in stolen cash by using it to gamble online and in casinos, but the odds caught up with him. With today’s conviction he will be held accountable for the full scope of his criminal conduct, including his attempt to flee from justice.”
Babudar’s attorney seemed excited his client accepted the plea deal which reportedly dropped 17 of the 20 charges.
“Today was big day for Xavier Babudar,” Matthew Merryman said. “He took responsibility for his actions. He stood up in court, humble and repentant, and admitted what he had done. Moving from 20 charges down to three charges, it was an opportunity. Xaviar Babudar would never physically harm anyone.”
The lawyer continued his speech in front of the court making football analogies to describe the judicial process.
While he didn’t harm anyone during his 11 bank robberies, the mental anguish Xavier brought on those bank employees is enough.
Hearing Merryman say that is strange, as there’s no way to remove that part of what Babudar did during his acts of thievery.
Despite being behind bars at Leavenworth federal prison, which is just about 40 miles from downtown Kansas City, Babudar didn’t miss one down of the Chiefs’ Super Bowl season. The bank kleptomaniac was able to listen to his favorite team on the radio as they made their run to another Vince Lombardi Trophy.
From the looks of it, Babudar should get comfortable doing that, because he’ll likely be keeping up with the Chiefs via radio transmission for the rest of Patrick Mahomes’ career.
Texas Longhorns star T’Vondre Sweat is a 366-pound defensive tackle who clocked a 5.27 in the 40-yard dash at the 2024 NFL combine.
Every now and then you see something at this exhibition of pure athleticism that defies logic and opens your eyes to fact that you’re witnessing the evolution of athletic greatness.
The crazy part about it is that Sweat, who won the Outland Trophy as the nation’s top interior lineman and was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year, was listed at 6-4 and 362 pounds and he says he played at a comfortable 365 all season.
With a frame that massive, despite his success on the field as one half of college football’s most formidable defensive tackle combo alongside Byron Murphy II, Sweat is always asked about his weight.
It’s the never-ending conversation, but Sweat is rated as the third-best defensive tackle in the draft, behind Murphy and Johnny Newton of Illinois.
The dynamic talent is projected as a late first-round or second-round pick, for a reason.
He’s fleet of foot for sure, which enhances his profile as a player who commands double-teams, clogs the middle and frees up opportunities for other playmakers to feast on the QB.
Sweat warned everyone prior to his amazing feat, that his 40 time was going to shock some folks.
“When I run this 40, I’m going to shock a lot of y’all,” he promised reporters prior to running.
Most of them laughed it off.
Until he ran.
“That’s freakish, freakish,” said ESPN analyst Damien Woody, who was known to pack on the pounds in his NFL playing days.
His co-host Mike Greenberg gave it an analytical twist to put the feat into perspective.
“At 366 pounds and you run a 5.27, if you just do it pound for pound … it would be like an 180- pound person running a 2.59. If a corner ran 2.59 in the 40, he’d go first (in the draft). Thats how fast he was moving.”
The man they have been calling “Loaf, Big Loaf, Meatloaf. Anything loaf,” since his multi-sport days, has met with pretty much every NFL team during the combine or at the Senior Bowl in January.
This 40 time that is all the rave should put to rest any questions about his agility. But NFL teams will still be concerned about whether or not Sweat will have the motor to turn up on offensive linemen in the fourth quarter of games.
In college, that wasn’t a problem and Sweat disputed any opinions to the contrary.
“A hundred percent, I can,” said Sweat, whose NFL idols are Ndamukong Suh and Fletcher Cox, (combined 25 years in the league).
“I mean, as you saw this past year, I did what I had to do. Y’all will see what I do at the next level.”
What he does is fly and having a defensive tackle with that kind of speed is a luxury most NFL teams don’t have. Also, Sweat isn’t some unknown player or hidden gem. In fact, he’s bringing some attention and glamour to a position and body type that traditionally doesn’t get that admiration from football fans.
He can also catch TDs if called upon to do so. He’s different.
For the naysayers who continue to ask why the NFL combine is needed, well, there’s your answer. Sweat will be remembered for his 40 time at the NFL combine for the rest of his career. His moment is already a part of NFL history, and he hasn’t even been drafted yet. Ten years from now, it could be a worthy footnote in the story of an NFL legend.
Lil Rod’s new lawsuit levying disturbing accusations against Diddy are dominating the social media discussion right now.
This lawsuit includes a laundry list of allegations involving violence, harassment, and drug use.
Diddy has been under a firestorm of lawsuits and unconfirmed accusations since he settled a lawsuit with his former girlfriend Casandra “Cassie” Ventura, who accused the Bad Boy CEO of various crimes, including trafficking during her relationship with him.
More and more people have jumped on the bandwagon, and this latest suit is causing collateral damage and its spreading all over into rapper Meek Mill’s social media feed.
So much so that former Pittsburgh Steelers wide receiver Antonio Brown, of all people, is taking shots at Mill for being implicated in Diddy’s growing mess.
AB commented on a specific part of this Diddy lawsuit, where Meek Mill was alluded to as one of the rappers that was both involved in and knowledgeable of certain unconfirmed crimes.
“What was Dreams & Nightmares really about [crying-laughing emoji],” the ex-NFL star wrote on Twitter. “Nah FR #CTESPN.”
While Meek dismissed all of the speculation in a barrage of tweets, that didn’t stop X users from circulating the #FreakMill hashtag.
Meek is clearly a polarizing artist, and it seems like everybody has an opinion.
Even Brown, who always has something to say, as he is one of those uninhibited X users, where anybody can get it from him on any given day. He’s attacked everybody from Tom Brady to Gisele Bündchen to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell to R&B stars and the co-owners of his Arena Football League team.
Brown, a teammate of Brady’s on the Patriots and Buccaneers from 2019-21, went at the retired star most recently on Wednesday, responding to a Page Six article about how Brady reportedly accepted that his ex-wife Bündchen’s relationship with her jiujitsu trainer, Joaquim Valente, began “years ago.”
After initially quote-tweeting a Page Six tweet with the hashtag CTESPN (a mocking of both CTE and ESPN)
Brown quote-tweeted an old tweet with photos of he and Bündchen hugging after the Buccaneers won Super Bowl LV, writing:
“Did AB know Already,” with a winking face emoji.
He was on to his next victim, Meek Mill, less than 24 hours later.
Social media of course, got a kick out of Brown’s tweet as he joined the fray with his two cents on Meek Mills’ emerging drama.
Every interaction that Meek has ever had with Diddy is now being scrutinized and used for public entertainment.
In his suit, Lil Rod unleashes a host of unsavory allegations at Diddy.
Though their names had been redacted, one of them is described as “a Philadelphia rapper who dated Nicki Minaj,” while the other is said to have “performed at the Super Bowl and had a successful Vegas Residency.”
Due to the well-publicized past relationship between Minaj and Mill, social media users immediately began speculating.
Of course, nothing has been proven and we don’t even know if Lil Rod is telling the truth.
This is really a no-win situation for Meek, who in his tweets has tried to use the situation as promotion for his new independent album that dropped this week.
Diddy’s allegations are from women and men, and he’s wisely laying low and undoubtedly strategizing with his team.
Which is probably what Antonio Brown should do.
