Kevin Durant’s business partner and co-founder of Thirty-Five Ventures, Rich Kleiman, knows a lot about KD that you might not know.
Like how the two have been blazing a trail of business ventures before our eyes but just quietly. However, tonight’s SHOWTIME premiere of their documentary, ‘Basketball County: In The Water” is different. It explores the origin story behind the enigmatic NBA superstar in Prince George’s County, Maryland.
“I actually am always confused a bit when people say that because he did a documentary called ‘HBO’s The Offseason” like 5 years ago,” said Kleiman via phone. “We did something 2 or 3 years ago with YouTube called ‘Still KD’ and we’re doing this documentary and he’s so active obviously on Twitter responding to people.”
However earned or not, the vibe is out there that KD keeps his life a little closer to the vest. Focus on basketball and let the rest be what it is. But Kleiman feels the public does know KD but that they want a version they stylize.
“I think sometimes what it is is that people might not always want Kevin to be who he is, you know what I mean? I think he gives people a pretty good look at who he is, he’s just so real and so authentic and down to earth that when people do get to know him they still feel like he’s closed off. When I feel like Kevin, for a superstar NBA player, has given people a lot. I think in this one what you may see is a little different older voice than you’ve seen in the past and somebody who is not one of the old heads from PG County, so to speak.
“But he’s also incredibly accomplished and he’s in his early thirties and he’s giving back to the community so he can talk in a much more reflective way and I think that’s very nice to see. Because that’s a side of him that I think people do know a bit but don’t really realize the extent that the way he mentors, and leads, and gives back may be a little more understated than others but it doesn’t take away from the kind of work he does, especially in his own community.”
Kevin Durant was one and done at UT but still gives back. pic.twitter.com/jj5b34RzA8
— Mike Barnes (@MikeBarnesMedia) January 4, 2018
Kevin Durant gives back: He's donating $1 MILLION to the Red Cross after yesterday's tornadoes in Oklahoma City. http://t.co/pRKoQIv84b
— CBS Sports (@CBSSports) May 21, 2013
SHOWTIME produced Kobe Bryant’s MUSE which for all intents and purposes is his autobiography. Kobe narrated it, executive produced it and tailored it so the world understood him more. The similarities between Bryant and Durant couldn’t be more apparent on the court and their approach to privacy also reflects similar viewpoints.
“I never got to know Kobe personally so I can only go off of being a fan and from hearing stories from people that did know him Kobe well and the docs that you saw. There’s always the similarity in the commitment to be the best and that sort of assassin type mentality. Outside of that, I wish I was able to get to know him more. I don’t know much more they were similar outside of being competitors. I think in order to get to that level, it’s no different from LeBron or Steph or anyone. Everyone might have a different style in which they do it but the ability to kind of win at all costs and work tirelessly to stay and become the best I think is in most of those guys.”
Still with LeBron James leading the pack of currently active athlete-entrepreneurs, Durant is stepping out there now in the same vein. He’s always been in the space, according to Rich, it’s just been muted.
“I hope if it hasn’t been cemented, it will. I think outside of LeBron who everyone points to as creating an enterprise while you’re playing and doing it to the level he did, I think everyone at this point is aware of Kevin’s hat as a businessman, but I think it will help cement it if it hasn’t cemented for some because I think the audience now during this time period in the world is bigger than it ever has been just in terms of consuming content and I think from that standpoint more people will pay attention and therefore kind of connect the dots.
“But I think KD as a businessman has been told in many publications but it is great that people are paying attention to it because we hear about the lack of ‘I don’t care what people think’ and the ‘moving in silence.’ I think that was part of the last generation. In this time period, being regarded for what you do and getting attention for the success you have I think is very important in inspiring others and then continuing to grow your business. A lot of like ‘what have you done for me lately’ societies. So the more you’re able to show people I think the more opportunity. Then if you take advantage of that opportunity and do things that are special and impactful and continue to give back as well, I think its the perfect storm.”
https://youtu.be/Fe2kkew4NPA
‘Basketball County: In The Water’ explores how basketball shaped the bedroom community of Washington, D.C. and made collegiate and NBA stars. According to Kleiman, it’s just the beginning.
“I think its just a great story,” Kleiman tells The Shadow League. “I think its an incredible story of just how much its basketball and an ecosystem of coaches, and parents, and players that if they put their attention and focus and time towards uplifting one another and being part of a team to have a haven of sort can lead to incredible things.
“It’s not always about becoming Kevin Durant but about using that opportunity to better your life and you can just see the pride of the County and I think its something that’s well needed right now and hopefully its something that the County holds special to them and they feel like we did justice.
UFC Heavyweight Walt Harris has been patiently waiting for this moment.
Unspeakable tragedy hit his family late last year when his step-daughter, Aniah Blanchard was murdered. It threw off his quarter-four fighting plans and sent the entire world in a tailspin.
However, the UFC is back now during the coronavirus pandemic. Harris headlines the third event at UFC’s residency in Jacksonville, Florida against Alistair Overeem where there have been no fans to watch the return of combat sports.
“(In my gym) we kind of made a pact that we would keep everything as clean and sanitary as possible,” said Harris via phone call. “Keep our bodies clean and follow the protocols as far as social distancing out of the gym. Really it wasn’t too hard. We all stayed healthy and made sure we took care of each other during training and we got our work done and put in a good camp.”
Alistair Overeem: 243.5lbs ⚖️
Walt Harris: 264.5lbs ⚖️Our main event will finally meet in the Octagon tomorrow night!#UFCFL | Midnight Saturday | BT Sport 1 HD pic.twitter.com/RKn8ucW9Pm
— UFC on TNT Sports (@ufcontnt) May 15, 2020
Due to the uncertain nature of the pandemic, Harris didn’t know when he was going to fight and had to stay ready for the call.
“Coach was like, ‘all right take a few days and we’re going to dial it back’ and then when we fond out we may fight we dialed it back up and we prayed for the best and it came through. I don’t feel like anything distract my normal progress for going into a fight, I feel like I’m right where I need to be. I feel stronger, faster, and everything so I’m ready.”
With fight dates that kept coming and going, Harris felt like a fight against Alistair Overeem might be his version of Moby Dick’s white whale. It was reminiscent of the fight that still has never materialized with Khabib Nurmagomedov vs. Tony Ferguson.
UFC's Walt Harris Discusses 1st Fight Since Stepdaughter's Death: 'I'm at Peace' https://t.co/gvVkNnjLHU pic.twitter.com/02rJBvVOAg
— Live UFC Stream (@liveufcstream) May 15, 2020
“I really did like for a minute and it was crazy because my coach was joking about how this was like Ferguson and Khabib 2.0., and they kept offering us different people it was just weird but we stayed the course and the main goal was to make sure I was ready. That’s kind of how we approach every fight, we don’t worry who we’re fighting we worry about how I’m going to perform and what I need to be doing so we ready.”
However, Harris is fighting Alistair Overeem this Saturday on ESPN. Overeem is a Dutch mixed martial artist and former kickboxer. He is a former Strikeforce Heavyweight Champion, DREAM Heavyweight Champion, K-1 World Grand Prix Champion. One of only two fighters to hold world titles in both MMA and K-1 kickboxing at the same time.
#UFCFL
Walt Harris -141 x3
Walt Harris TKO/KO +100
Harris Under 1.5 +135
Harris wins in Round 1 +305 x2
Dan Ige +110
Marlon Vera +160
Anthony Hernandez -115
Cortney Casey -150
Rodrigo Nascimento -106I’m all in on The Big Ticket this weekend. pic.twitter.com/ZadXdL0JOO
— Mason Croley (@Mason_Croley) May 15, 2020
“When I’m working in the gym and I’m training and preparing you know I’m a student of the game and I’m a fan of the game so when I’m watching I’m always putting myself in these different situations to see how I would fare. It’s just like a dream come true that I actually get to fight him.
“I remember when I first came in, heavyweights were almost 300 lbs coming in to fight. Now guys are streamlining and the guys are more athletic and they got good striking and they’re more well-rounded so its kind of cool to see the evolution of the sport take place right before your eyes and be apart of it. I think that’s always been the challenge for me is to try to stay ahead of the curve and make sure I’m learning and growing at the pace I need. It’s kind of cool to see everybody trying to get in there and be willing to take these fights and put on some shows for the fans.”
Come see #AlistairOvereem Understands Emotions Surrounding #WaltHarris Fight, But 'It's https://t.co/mIc47GkPf5 #mma pic.twitter.com/AeCyzEBdVk
— Azelle MMA (@AzelleMMA) May 14, 2020
The fact the fight is taking place in Florida and not the mysterious Fight Island that UFC president Dana White has sequestered is still a revelation. The UFC head honcho has the unidentified island on standby in case he needs to do a rogue maneuver around pandemic restrictions.
“When I heard Dana (White) did that man, I texted Dana and was like, “boss, you are quintessential; you are the CEO of bosses.” That’s the biggest boss move I’ve ever seen and I’m definitely hoping to get an opportunity to fight on Fight Island, that would be like a dream come true to be apart of that. That’s historic. I’m trying to go in there and do my thing with Overeem, get in and get out, then turn around and see if Dan will let me fly out to the island.”
Jacksonville here we come! Starved and ready! 😂 #UFCJacksonville @ Homewood, Alabama https://t.co/Ht2ISZvXiq
— Walt Harris (@thebigticket205) May 12, 2020
However, all eyes are on Harris as he closes out the UFC’s trial run back at combat sports.
“It gives us an opportunity to reach another demographic of people who may have heard of it but actually get to watch it and they have no other distractions. There’s no other sports going on and its an honor to be apart of that. I think about that every day when I’m training. I want to put on for the UFC because I’m so proud to be apart of it. I’m so grateful and thankful for everybody in the organization from the top to the bottom. Literally the entire world is going to be tuned in.”
Fighting for more than himself, Harris knows this event is important not just for him but to the world at large. He’s looking to show the fans another athletic level.
“I’ll be successful because it’s my time man. I’m hot as a firecracker right now, I’m in my prime, I’m learning and growing by leaps and bounds…every me is a different me when I step in that cage. I got weapons and I’m dangerous from a lot of different places that I’ve been blessed not to have to show anybody yet. When I’m put in those situations I think that people will have the chance to see a side of me as a fighter that they’ve never seen and I’m on one right now.”
With the world itching for sports return, boxing has been relatively quiet. With the obvious COVID-19 concerns from contact sports, the question is not only when will boxing return but what matches will be made.
However, the world is aflutter about the news that Gervonta “Tank” Davis will face Leo Santa Cruz once boxing returns. The news was first announced by Mayweather Promotions CEO, Leonard Ellerbe, Davis’ promoter.
SHOWTIME Sports President, Stephen Espinoza told us that he’s looking at bringing back events in July and this match is high on the priority list.
“Its going to be one of my highest priorities. Tank and Leo is, I think, a really an intriguing fight. Tank has really burst on the scene and sort of generate a lot of attention and sort of established himself as one of the faces of the sport. But Leo Santa Cruz would easily be his toughest opponent to date.”
https://twitter.com/BoxingKingdom14/status/1260182126470651904?s=20
However, the revenue generated from Davis’ and Santa Cruz’s live gate is too good to pass up. Mayweather Promotions has been traveling Tank to place like Atlanta, Las Vegas and even his hometown of Baltimore. He has sold out arena everywhere and become one to watch in the sport.
With Santa Cruz’s sizable Mexican-American fan base in Southern California, this could be the fight that makes Davis a tangible PPV star. Locations like the Staples Center in Los Angeles is the rumored venue for the event. For Tank, traveling makes sense as the Mayweather Promotions team is steadily building his brand. For Santa Cruz, his fan base and the general hardcore boxing base of Mexican-Americans are there.
“This brings in an additional dynamic because if they were to go immediately without a crowd that is leaving a significant amount on the table. We’ve seen in Atlanta and in Baltimore that Tank sells tickets as well as Leo. That’s why I can’t say that it’s going to be immediate.
“If we can wait a few months and maybe have a crowd that’s there to enjoy the fight in person then all the better. If there’s not a future that is foreseeable, let’s say, this calendar year in which we can have a crowd at that fight then there’s no reason to wait and we should get it done very quickly.”
2020 WNBA Draft No. 1 pick Sabrina Ionescu of the New York Liberty joined “#NBATogether with Ernie Johnson” on May 13 at 7 p.m. ET on the NBA’s Twitter account (@NBA).
The social talk show, hosted by TNT’s Inside the NBA host, features high-profile guests from across the basketball community.
After each show, highlights and clips will also be available via the @NBAonTNT Twitter account. Johnson probes into the lives of guests who often deliver some insightful and surprising anecdotes about their lives.
Ionescu, arguably the greatest college women’s player ever, grew up playing with a lot of boys. Not only did she play with them, but she told Johnson that she’d team up with her brother and would hustle dudes at the local courts for Slurpee money when she was about 10 years old.
Ernie Johnson: “Were you guys really hustling people at the courts?”
Sabrina Ionescu: “Oh, all the time!”
Ernie Johnson: "Were you guys really hustling people at the courts?"
Sabrina Ionescu: "Oh, all the time!"
No. 1 overall pick @sabrina_i20 reminisces on teaming up with her brother to hustle older players for Slurpee money 😂
Full Episode: https://t.co/PDieMvvXiR pic.twitter.com/xrlnPig7di
— WNBA (@WNBA) May 14, 2020
Previous guests have included:
As the sports world tries to navigate the coronavirus pandemic lockdown and figure out ways to safely reopen, here’s an update on several leagues and college conferences and how they are handling and adjusting to the current situation.
NFL’s offseason virtual period extended through May 29. All offseason workouts must conclude by June 26. There are no dates, however, set for opening up team facilities
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis: State open to pro sports teams and Arizona Governor Doug Ducey says pro sports can resume without fans Saturday. Now, teams from states that aren’t planning to reopen have to decide on a potential relocation plans.
The NBA has been shut down since March 12 with 259 regular-season games remaining After a poll of the NBPA, it appears that an overwhelming consensus of NBA players want the season to resume, but not at the expense of the public.
I wanna play 😤 https://t.co/hYoxWcUUln
— Ja Morant (@JaMorant) May 12, 2020
Boston Celtics player Jaylen Brown was on the recent player’s only conference call and talked about this on CNN. According to Brown safety and protecting the brand is the biggest issue.
The bigger debate will be about teams from states that aren’t planning to reopen and if/how they are willing to relocate.
On the league side, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver held a virtual Board of Governor’s meeting on Tuesday and reports say the people in attendance left the meeting feeling extremely positive about the league’s momentum towards resuming play.
UFC Fight Night resumed last night at Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, FL with no fans. It was the second UFC fight held in Jacksonville without fans in the last five days. In a lightweight bout
Glover Teixeira defeated Anthony Smith via KO/TKO in Round 5. Featherweight Brian Kelleher defeated Hunter Azure by KO/TKO in Round 2.
https://youtu.be/MQiieo3eg1M
NCAA President Mark Emmert said on Wednesday that the NCAA would not mandate or oversee a uniform return to college sports. That means he is leaving the decision on when to start playing again up to state officials and university Presidents.
MAC conference has announced major changes to deal with the financial fallout of the coronavirus. The conference is reducing men’s and women’s basketball schedules and conference tournaments and canceling tournaments for 8 sports. No announcement on football as of yet.
The conference is yet to make any decisions on how it will handle the 2020 season. An 11-game regular-season schedule played solely vs conference opponents has been discussed, as none of the universities are a part of the California State university system that canceled most in-person classes for the Fall earlier this week.
San Diego State, Fresno State, and San Jose State are members of the 23-school system.
Speaking on a coaches webinar yesterday, UCLA’s Chip Kelly was asked if that decision will have any effect on his team.
Said Kelly: “Noone has told us that we’re not playing and no one has told us that we are definitely playing. So anything that has come out still doesn’t affect what’s going on with the PAC-12.”
The conference still feels that time is on its side as the other Power 5 conferences haven’t decided anything either. The major adjustments could be made with non-conference games played early in the season such as USC vs Alabama or Oregon vs Ohio State.
There’s also an option for players who are at colleges who won’t be reopening for play to utilize a one-time transfer exception amid the pandemic, but there are specific rules that apply.
Sent a memo to golfers outlining safety protocols for upcoming tournaments. They will include regular COVID-19 testing, designated hotels in every city, chartered flights between events, rules on who can attend and protocols for caddies.
It’s the one-year anniversary of the first time in history that the NBA’s Players Union partnered with one of its players in the business space.
**********************************************************
NBA Hall of Famer, TV analyst and business mogul Isiah Thomas III is at it again, pushing the boundaries of business and expanding the path to future success for African-American hoop stars turned entrepreneurs.
Born and raised on Chicago’s West Side, Thomas’ professional career spans more than three decades in business, sports and entertainment. The former point guard is Chairman and CEO of ISIAH International LLC, a holding company with a diverse portfolio of business ventures and investments. For over 35 years he has invested in, owned and operated a laundry list of new and existing businesses, with a specialization in startups and rebuilds.
His most recent business, Isiah Imports, which is the exclusive owner and importer of CHEURLIN and Cheurlin Thomas Champagnes, is his most groundbreaking accomplishment to date.
Sharing #CheurlinChampagne with my old #friends at @celtics #BostonGarden @NBATV @DetroitPistons @horizonbeverage pic.twitter.com/QHUFFYqu5p
— Isiah Thomas (@IsiahThomas) October 31, 2018
With his latest venture, Thomas has changed the game again, as he’s the only African-American in this space, one who actually owns 100 percent of his company in a white-dominated champagne business.
“Cheurlin has been in the states for three years now and our first event was actually the Democratic National Convention,” Thomas told The Shadow League on Tuesday before announcing a partnership between Cheurlin and the National Basketball Players Association. “I partnered with the Cheurlin Family to make our champagne.”
Thomas describes this latest venture as both highly rewarding and challenging.
“Let’s put it this way” Thomas chuckled… “I’ve gotten more “No’s” than I have “Yes'”…any startup can be tough. There hasn’t been any ownership in this space so resistance is expected. People of color have represented and owned brands but never actually owning the champagne and the company.”
The Cheurlin Starting Line Up!
#champagne #cheurlin1788 #nbaplayoffs pic.twitter.com/pZJSbzxCgk— Cheurlin Champagne (@Cheurlin1788) May 3, 2019
A wine and champagne enthusiast, Isiah wanted great tasting champagne without the added sugar found in most brands. His research revealed France’s champagne growers pay homage to nature focusing on soil, topography and climate. Isiah concluded that artisanship was the answer and the future of champagne.
His pursuit led him to the Cheurlin family who has crafted France’s finest champagnes since 1788. Confident they were the region’s best producer of champagne – an alliance was born. From the vineyard in Celles-sur-Ource, the Cheurlins have leveraged the optimal climate and fertile grounds of historic Champagne, France to produce award-winning champagnes that generations have enjoyed.
Thomas has already has garnered awards for his product, winning Champagne Producer of the Year in 2017 and 2018 at the New York International Wine Competition.
In 2018, Thomas and the Cheurlin Family crushed the competition, winning two double gold medals for their CHEURLIN Spéciale (Brut) and Cheurlin Thomas Célébrité (Blanc de Blanc), as well as a gold medal for their Cheurlin Thomas Le Champion (Blanc de Noir) and silver for their CHEURLIN Rosé de Saignée.
But what differentiates Cheurlin from other champagnes is the health value.
“When you can see the amount of success we have had and the quality of the product…it speaks for itself,” Thomas said proudly. ” Once people taste it they get real champagne… no sugar. They don’t get the headaches that they normally experience. They don’t get sick, no hangover. Our champagne is truly unique. The quality of the champagne has definitely helped us in 14 states and five countries.”
Three years ago, Thomas and Cheurlin ventured into the U.S. market to more rave reviews. Thomas’ portfolio of rare champagnes rated 90 plus and above, meaning he also has one of the highest quality products here in the United States.
Maintaining his role as an adviser to current and former NBA players, and sharing the legendary business acumen that has garnered him a wealth of riches, Thomas has announced a partnership with Cherurlin, the NBA Players Association and THINK450, to tip-off the week of the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago.
Thomas, NBPA Executive Director Michele Roberts and THINK450 President Payne Brown will lead a discussion that will cover new business updates from the NBPA and THINK450, and provide an overview of this groundbreaking and exciting partnership with ISIAH Imports and Cheurlin Champagne.
“Seeing former players like Isiah succeed in the business world is an achievement our union desires for all of our current and former members,” said Roberts. “We hope this partnership will inspire more players to follow their passions off the court and to continue to invest in themselves as entrepreneurs.”
It's called Think450 because there are 450 players in the NBA and they plan to tell each one's story.#HS18 pic.twitter.com/hpfKNcCMs6
— Hashtag Sports (@HashtagSports) August 28, 2018
“This is a first-of-its-kind partnership,” said Thomas. “For athletes in business or going into business this lays the foundation for the new generation to do business with a union that they trust. I am excited about this partnership and all that we can accomplish together.”
The venture is another of Roberts’ bold power moves that helps empower NBA players and allows them to capitalize on their brand beyond their salaries.
“Being a former NBPA President myself, I just thought it was a natural partnership for us to be in business together,” said Thomas.
Thomas’ hookup with Roberts and the NPBA is the first time in history that the union has partnered with one of its players in the business space. THINK450 is the arm of the union that represents the players and their marketing and licensing deals.
“Having access to their marketability and branding… and them being involved in the space as equity partners I thought was a unique and strategic partnership to have,” Thomas said.
The deal ensures that players benefit from the business as well.
“Players have equity in his business,” Thomas explained. “Every time they are drinking or celebrating with their own champagne and product they are making money with it as opposed to spending money on someone else’s product.”
Thomas says the deal was a complicated one that took them almost a year and a half to work through the legalities and complete.
“So you have to credit Michele Roberts with being the driver to make this happen for all of us,” Thomas insisted.
There are no limits to dreaming in business but those which we self-impose.
Isiah Thomas III is proof of that.
There are three things that we know about Swizz Beatz.
He is a monster at music production.
He is well-connected socially and professionally.
He is a hell of a curator.
Beatz, along with friend and music producing peer, Timbaland, created the live “battle” platform Verzuz. The brand creates official song-for-song challenges with well-matched recording artists.
The day before Mother’s Day, the duo staged its first iteration of the popular online competition that featured female artists. The Queen Edition featured Jill Scott vs. Erykah Badu who, for the first time, showed their mutual respect and admiration for each other.
https://youtu.be/IawGS1eXvio
For a world where liner notes are a thing of the past, many found out for the first time that Erykah Badu wrote Jill’s “A Long Walk”. Before you could process that fact, it was revealed that Scott wrote the hook for “You Got Me” which was sung by Badu for The Roots.
The night was gilded with a flurry of blue checks commenting on the historic IG Live battle. Badu Vs. Scott boasted Michelle Obama, Spike Lee, and Janet Jackson among the 700,000 viewers it amassed at one point during the live session.
With those numbers the GRAMMY winners surpassed the viewership figures of the previous record-holders (Babyface vs. Teddy Riley) by well over 200,000 viewers.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_OSnidnQga/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
But it also placed a counterpoint on an industry that is evolving out of the hands of the power brokers. Verzuz, like SoundCoud and other music industry disruptors, is changing the way the music industry operates.
The love spilled over to digital charts as some of the ladies’ most coveted entries from their respective discographies shot up iTunes charts.
Scott and Badu boasted multiple entries on the real-time R&B iTunes charts.
Favorite Badu albums, ‘Mama’s Gun’ and ‘Baduizm’ take two spots in the lower top 10. Jill’s debut album – ‘Who is Jill Scott?’ soared to the chart region’s upper half, however, they both occupy positions in the lower top 20.
These best the numbers of some of today’s top-sellers and the surge in sales and boost in streaming could spell a re-entry on R&B album charts upon Billboard’s refreshing next week. These albums are both twenty years or more old and signal a life jacket for older artists and those who can no longer tour.
During a time when a global pandemic has rearranged the way we are doing business, Swizz Beatz and Timbaland are leading the vanguard.
Topps “Project 2020” commissioned 20 popular artists across the world to re-imagine 20 iconic cards from the past 70 years.
The first numbers are in, and with three Mike Trout cards and three of Derek Jeter among the top seven sellers, more than 232,000 cards have been purchased by fans among the first 66 issued.
Showing the diversity of talent and styles among the eclectic artists, cartoonists and pop culture influencers creating the masterworks, the top nine selling cards are from nine different artists.
Leading the way are three Trout entries, with Ben Baller’s (@benballer) eclectic interpretation of the superstar’s 2011 rookie card selling 34,950 copies, more than double any other card in the set of 66 issued to date.
Fucci’s (@FucciArt) Trout posted 16,430 sales, while Andrew Thiele’s (@ArtekNYC) effort netted 13,199 purchases. The Derek Jeter 1992 work by King Saladeen (@Kingsaladeenart) is the fourth-highest at 9,873, with Jacob Rochester’s (@jacob_rochester) 1989 Ken Griffey Jr. checking in at 9,356 units.
Baller’s eye-catching Trout design, which features a charcoal background with a hint of angel wings in the background, a metallic Angels classic interlocking C-A logo and bejeweled “trout” name in lowercase across the bottom, is one of four cards of the three-time MVP issued to date.
The four have accounted for a total of 67,510 sales to date.
“We couldn’t be more pleased with the reaction by collectors, artists, players and baseball fans in general to the first cards that these world-class creators have produced,” said Jeff Heckman, Global Director of Ecommerce. “What is most exciting is that, of our top 16 sellers, 14 are from different artists. And every single card has had at least 1,000 cards sold, a tribute to their great work across the board.”
In the spirit of its popular “TOPPS NOW” program, two Topps “Project 2020” cards are issued daily on weekdays via the Topps.com website. The cards are only available for a 48-hour period from the time each is introduced. Interest in the program and the cards continues on the upswing, as most of the top 20 sellers have been issued in the past three weeks.
The cards in the Project 2020 offering include: 1952 Willie Mays; 1952 Jackie Robinson; 1955 Sandy Koufax; 1959 Bob Gibson.
1980 Rickey Henderson; 1989 Ken Griffey Jr; 1969 Nolan Ryan; 1984 Don Mattingly; 2001 Ichiro; 1992 Derek Jeter; 1992 Bowman Mariano Rivera; 1982 Topps Traded Cal Ripken; 1983 Tony Gwynn; 1975 George Brett; 2011 Updates Mike Trout; 1987 Mark McGwire; 1990 Frank Thomas; 1985 Dwight Gooden; 1955 Roberto Clemente and 1954 Ted Williams.
This Friday, SHOWTIME premiere’s BASKETBALL COUNTY: In The Water, a documentary about Kevin Durant‘s Maryland hometown.
Viewed as a basketball hub for its many professional ballers that emerged from the region, this is Durant’s moment to showcase not only where he is from but more of who he is.
We spoke to Stephen Espinoza, President of Sports and Event Programming, Showtime Networks Inc., about the film chronicling the majority-black county that acts as the bedroom community of Washington, D.C.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fe2kkew4NPA&feature=youtu.be
“It was particularly interesting because obviously its near D.C., but its not a particularly urban environment. It is a mix of rural, urban and has a wide range of different demographics,” said Espinoza. “So the fact that it is a hot bed of talent merits investigation. I mean the big question is: where did this come from? When we were presented with the project that was what we sort of tasked Kevin, Rich and the filmmakers with.
“Let’s not just catalog all of the talent that comes from PG County, but let’s dig into how this happened, how did things develop. What are the societal and cultural factors that led to this phenomenon right now? To their credit, they dug in and they gave us answers.”
Welcome to PG County, where greatness lives.
Watch #BasketballCounty: In the Water Friday 9PM ET on @Showtime.@KDTrey5 @VicOladipo @QCook323 @MarissaC_25 @MarkelleF @richkleiman @35Ventures pic.twitter.com/oIlage5ZIJ
— SHOWTIME SPORTS (@SHOsports) May 13, 2020
Through archival footage that tells the narrative of the region, “Basketball County” In The Water” shows that this area and its prodigious basketball acumen has been hiding in plain sight.
“It’s not just as simple as, ‘hey, you know, sometimes these things go in waves and you have a generation of great talent that grows up together,’ said Espinoza. “There’s been several generations of talent and it’s clearly more than just luck and random chance and I think that’s the most interesting part of this doc. Digging in to who are the people that made it so, what are the societal and cultural factors though were not intended to result in basketball talent, inevitably did lead to what we see today.”
🔥🔥🔥 RT @SLAMonline: DeMatha. Dyckman. AAU. It didn’t matter cause Markelle Fultz was about his buckets. Catch “Basketball County: In the Water” on @SHOsports on May 15. #BasketballCounty pic.twitter.com/6xZtu573M1
— Bobby (@B_DUYILEINC) May 13, 2020
Durant, along with his manager/agent Rich Kleiman are the Executive Producers of the film. For Durant, who many feel can be truculent with the media, this is a bit of a coming-out-party for his origin story.
“So I think this is a way of Kevin beginning to share the private parts of his personality. It’s a window into part of his upbringing, part of the factors. I think, Kevin, maybe that’s a project that he’s got, holding it from the past. Maybe he’s still getting comfortable with the concept. But there is a fair amount of personal revelations here. He did set out to tell a larger story, not the Kevin Durant story, but the story of the environment that helped create Kevin Durant.”
However, the documentary is more about what factors in the County led to a proliferation of professional basketball stars. He enlists friends that also made it to the pro’s to round out the narrative.
Only two days until #BasketballCounty airs on Showtime at 9 PM EST!
Some local appearances include @TTOBasketball President/Coach Keith Stevens, @DeMathaHoops HC/alumnus Mike Jones, NBA standouts Adrian Dantley and @WaltTheWizard42, basketball Mr. Do-it-all @DCRick_, and more! https://t.co/92IgRgslb1
— DMVHoopHouse (@dmvhoophouse) May 13, 2020
“When you’re telling a story about Victor Oladipo and Quinn Cook and Michael Beaseley and Kevin Durant and Adrian Dantley, and you’re including those guys in the project itself, obviously every one of them is going to be committed to an accurate portrayal of what they went through.
“So this is as real and as authentic as it gets and Kevin made it clear from the very start, he was doing this project because he is very personally invested in the area. Not just in the timeframe in which he grew up, but like many other of the PG County stars, on from continuing to develop kids there who might become basketball stars. But more importantly are going to become productive members of society.”
SHOWTIME is not new to the athletic storytelling business. In fact, it is now a hallmark of their content offerings. From Allen Iverson to Kobe Bryant’s MUSE, SHOWTIME has been invested in athletes telling their own story through their voice for a long time.
https://youtu.be/oFNKP5VzsNw
“The Iverson project didn’t cover every single issue or every single event in A.I.’s life. But it was A.I. telling his story and his version of some very controversial and difficult events in his past in his own words. Going all the way back to Lawrence Taylor, his career in his words. Kobe’s career in his words. Ron Artest battled with mental health while he was playing in the NBA, in his own words. With that comes certain responsibilities and certain challenges.”
The documentary tackles community leaders and others who were influential in the lives of these players. Even when the story doesn’t have a neatly packaged ending, the film still shines the light on the realities behind the successes.
https://twitter.com/JayCRIII/status/1260375859820707841?s=20
“So when it came to, for example, the Curtis Malone story, and, Curtis is a figure that was very influential to a lot of the young men’s lives and young women as both a father figure and someone who was a huge supporter of youth basketball. But in order to tell the Curtis Malone’s story, you have to tell the whole story and it includes something which, you know, personally having not been familiar with the story was an unexpected twist at the end. I don’t want to spoil it for anybody who hasn’t seen it yet, but it was critical that I think we approach it objectively and completely, to tell the whole story.
“You know, this isn’t just the good part. This is everything that’s relevant. Everything that happened, everything which helps us understand the environment that we’re describing.”
There’s been unprecedented elevation and success for women in sports the past two years. The list of women executives in the front offices of pro teams and those holding leadership titles of significance in sports organizations and conferences – from human resources to the coaching sidelines — is steadily increasing.
The WNBA made former Deloitte CEO Cathy Engelbert its first-ever commissioner and has since negotiated a new, historic CBA. Former WNBA player Swin Cash was named Vice President of Basketball Operations and Team Development of the New Orleans Pelicans, placing her among the NBA’s highest-ranking female executives.
Former NHL executive Jessica Berman was named deputy commissioner of the National Lacrosse League – the first time a woman has held this title in a male sports league.
We’ve acknowledged the advancements being made in MLB and the NFL as well.
The novelty of hiring women to prominent positions in men’s athletics and the overall hiring gains for women at the intercollegiate and professional levels isn’t sustainable without solid pipelines of female candidates and progressive decision-making by hiring managers. Preparing these women for opportunities and training them on how to navigate what is still a male-driven, often chauvinistic corporate landscape in America is just as important.
Toner, founder of TONE Networks, a video-based learning and leadership development platform designed to empower tomorrow’s female leaders, partnered with the Atlanta Braves — one of the first sports teams to embrace executive coaching and development geared towards women’s advancement — and implement a dedicated program to encourage their female employees’ growth.
Toner, a nationally recognized multimedia expert and the CEO of ChartOne Media, a SaaS platform, sought to create a way to empower women in all areas of their lives in accessible and entertaining ways, so she launched TONE Networks in October 2017.
Through TONE Networks, Braves employees have 24/7 access to the resources they need to lead, manage, and progress in their positions.
Toner, who immigrated to the United States from Ireland with her family at an early age, had a successful corporate career before starting Tone and hooking up with DeRetta Coles Rhodes, PHD, Senior Vice President Human Resources with the Atlanta Braves organization.
The daughter of educators, Rhodes was an honors student and accomplished debater with sights set on law school when her family moved from Kansas City to Douglasville, Ga., just prior to her senior year of high school.
Rhodes stood out as one of only a few African-Americans at the school, and it proved to be a turning point in her life.
Rhodes later became the first African-American to speak at her high school’s graduation ceremony. The experience of standing out as both a minority and a female in the small community shifted Rhodes’ perspective.
“I think what it did for me was it made me feel like ‘OK, I’m always going to have to show up a certain way,’ ” she told facs magazine. “I use the term ‘body bag’ because when people look at you, that’s the first thing they see: the body bag you sit in. When they get beyond what they see, maybe they’ll understand a little bit of who I am.”
Toner had similar experiences as she scratched her way up the corporate ladder, enduring all of the pitfalls that impede women from achieving success in a male-dominated industry.
She studied accounting at Villanova and made her mark in the cable industry where she was a known as a talented and “aggressive” senior executive for more than 20 years, with nine years at Cablevision and additional time spent at AMC Networks where she ended her tenure there as the SVP of New Media Development in the era when new media was in fact new.
Her experience is impressive, as is her commitment to serve and help people.
The Shadow League spoke with Gemma about her goals with TONE (which provides an online library of 1,000+ videos featuring top experts and career coaches) as well as the progress she’s seen regarding female empowerment and where there is still a need.
Gemma Toner: TONE Networks is a virtual leadership platform designed for women. My objective was to help women get access to experts and executive coaches that are quite frankly reserved for a very small percentage of the population. I wanted to democratize access and find a way to help as many women as possible move forward in their careers and personal lives.
Toner: Baseball was the first to say yes. We found the right fit, at the right moment, with the right leadership
Because we are a learning and leadership platform, we have a library of over 1000 microlearning videos, we host live stream events, which are opportunities for women to tap into experts in all different types of areas of our lives: career, work-life, mind and body
We work with companies that are looking to manage their pipeline of human resources, talent, and employees… so we ended up working with the Atlanta Braves because they understood the power of coaching and what it could do and they wanted to offer it to all of their women employees.
Toner: There’s been plenty of studies. It’s better for business, having more diverse opinions and ideas yield better productivity and better results. It’s not only the right thing to do it’s the smart thing to do if you want to run your business and grow and be as competitive as possible.
Toner: I was not that great of an athlete but I worked in corporate America and had the advantage of having sponsors, mentors, and access to expert and executive coaches. I realized that not everybody gets that and I wanted to find a way to get women access to that.
Why did I create a software content and data company that caters to women? Well, because I want women to succeed and I recognized the gap in the marketplace, that there weren’t resources designed for women and that also we needed to find a way to get as many women as possible access to a way that can help them forward their careers.
Toner: My family immigrated to Long Island, NY from Belfast Northern Ireland when I was very young so I consider myself to be a New Yorker. I think what influenced me most was watching and seeing my parents’ story of coming to this country and living out the American Dream. But in order to achieve that everyone needs help along the way and I had it instilled in me very early on to help others.
Toner: Oprah is someone who has done it all and gives back. My journey’s been inspired by people who are successful in whatever they do. Also, Melinda Gates. These women are widely successful, but also use the benefits of their success to help others.
Toner: My goal is to continue the momentum. I think there’s progress being made but the challenge for myself and my company is how can we accelerate that by providing companies with resources that help women become more supported and move up in those environments.
Whether it’s specific to executive coaching or confidence or speaking out in meetings.Or women with strong opinions being discouraged and misinterpreted. All of those are topics that we address and handle at TONE. Work-life balance, stress, etc…and sports being an industry that’s male-dominated, we certainly help provide a resource that’s designed for women while helping companies build communities within their own companies of prepared women.
Getting women to support and help each other as well. The type of companies we work with are the kind of companies that see this as important. They are holding themselves accountable if you will, so I’m very grateful to be working with sports teams.
As the sports landscape changes and diversity is embraced and recognized as a powerful business tool, experienced corporate CEOs like Gemma Toner will play a large role in teaching, inspiring, and developing future women leaders and pioneers.
Today is a watershed day in sports history.
The NCAA conducted a conference call explaining how the committee they put together to deal with the possibility of student-athletes finally cashing in on their name, image and likeness, will allow that to happen.
The NCAA will allow the free market to operate, athletes can cash in on name, image and likeness. https://t.co/FktpibFMJR pic.twitter.com/9JCsI95KCO
— Dan Wetzel (@DanWetzel) April 29, 2020
The NCAA said today that it supports a proposal that allows college athletes to sign endorsement contracts and receive payments for other work provided the schools they attend are not involved in any of the payments. They will allow athletes to appear in advertisements, but they wouldn’t be allowed to “reference the school they attend or use any of the school’s logo or branding in the advertising.”
The new ruling is, of course, more extensive than that, but that’s the skinny of it.
Game on, with the branding of amateur athletes.
This has been a long and arduous battle between student-athletes and the NCAA, who has refused to adjust with the times, forcing some of the best high school talent to go overseas or seek other leagues rather play under the oppressive claw of the NCAA.
Ed O’Bannon was at the top of his game, leading the UCLA Bruins to a National Championship while earning Most Outstanding Player in the NCAA Tournament. He went on to be drafted by the then-New Jersey Nets with great fanfare.
That, unfortunately, was the pinnacle of his NBA experience as a three-year career in the league was mostly filled with discussion about what he was supposed to be due to really bad knees, poor player development, and loss of confidence.
But in 2009 O’Bannon agreed to allow himself to become the lead plaintiff against the NCAA and the Collegiate Licensing Company in a lawsuit alleging the violation of the Sherman Antitrust Act after his image and likeness were used in the NCAA Basketball video game from EA Sports.
This resulted in a $40 million settlement to be given to nearly 100,000 current and former collegiate athletes whose likenesses were used in EA Sports video games since 2003.
"I hate to break it to you, but the purity of amateur sports — out the window."@Ed_OBannon has a lot to say about the #NCAA. pic.twitter.com/mvV0R6CiNW
— The Players' Tribune (@PlayersTribune) February 26, 2018
However, the age of lawsuits being filed by exploited student-athletes against the NCAA appears to be over. With the ability to brand themselves and the ability to bypass college for viable monetary opportunities in the G-League, the game is officially changed.
Just as this ruling comes down, 5-star point guard Daishen Nix decommits from UCLA to enroll in the NBA’s new G League Pathway program. Nix is the No. 6 rated Point guard among 2020 ESPN 100 recruits (No. 20 overall player)
So far 3 Top ESPN 100 5-star prospects have shunned college to enter G League Pathway Program; Nix, Jalen Green, who is a potential No. 1 pick in the 2021 Draft and Isiah Todd who was previously committed to Michigan.
NBA insider Woj spoke about the reaction around the NBA:
“Two things…this is what the NCAA said it wanted when Condoleezza Rice’s commission said that one and done should be eliminated, players who don’t want to be in college basketball should have a legitimate option out there…now it’s with the G League professional pathway program
The NBA would prefer to have one-and-done finished, they have not agreed with the Player’s Association on how that would look and a deal that would allow players to go right into the NBA, so this is really a bridge program and what’s changed is the money.
The NBA’s willingness to pay between $250K-$500K for the elite players… which is much better than the previous program that paid $125,000 and you have to go through the rigors of a hectic G-League travel schedule.
This benefits both sides. The NBA gets its elite prospects in an environment that they can control and maybe in a year or two, who knows what college athletics will look like (as far as top tier talent) because the G-League Pathway program is now a training ground for future NBA players.”
The rub had always been that the NCAA gave itself permission to profit off the likenesses of players while forbidding them from doing so themselves. The hypocrisy was so thick a nose-less man could smell the stench a mile away. Something had to change.
https://twitter.com/BrandonTierney/status/1255570063689691136
People called Lavar Ball crazy for calling out the hypocrisy and shielding his kids from it. Certain conservative types lashed out at LeBron when he called the NCAA exploitative because Bron never went to college. The committee’s ruling proves that the NCAA has been doing it wrong all along and now the players who are good enough, smart and enough and marketable enough can benefit from their brands without the NCAA restricting their self-advancement and development.
That’s the true college experience. Shackles off.
The UFC returned last Saturday and it virtually saved the combat sports starved masses.
After several Coronavirus-forced delays, UFC 249 took place at the Vystar Veterans Memorial Arena in Jacksonville, Florida without fans. It featured two title fights: Henry Cejudo defended his bantamweight crown by defeating the former champion, Dominick Cruz, then retired from the sport.
In the main event, Justin Gaethje took the lightweight crown by finishing Tony Ferguson and becoming the interim UFC lightweight champion. This was a major upset as Ferguson was the betting favorite going in and his original opponent was current lightweight champion, Khabib Nurmagomedov.
However, even without an audience, the event delivered, much to the delight of fight fans. It also re-lit the fight fire under Conor McGregor. The Irishman took notice of Justin Gaethje’s spectacular performance and decided to goad him into a battle.
Justin, there is no danger in a man that hugs legs, we all know. Try and dance around what the real threat is here all you want.
I am going to fucking butcher you.
Your teeth. I’m going to put them on a fucking necklace.
Speak on my skills as a father?
You are fucking dead.— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 11, 2020
Nurmagomedov is stuck in his native Russia due to travel restrictions to stem the spread of the novel coronavirus COVID-19.
Although Dana White confirmed after UFC 249 that Gaethje and Nurmagomedov would unify next, McGregor is looking to shift the energy his way. Knowing that McGregor has his own unofficial set of rules within the UFC, the possibility of this happening is definitely 50%.
Without me this whole ship sink.
Never forget that! #BigYachtsy— Conor McGregor (@TheNotoriousMMA) May 13, 2020
However, the bigger impact is that combat sports is back and fighters are agitated by each other. This is when you know we are getting back to a safe space in the fight culture. When fighters begin starting problems to get a match made, life is good.
BACK ALREADY! 👏
➡️ #UFCJAX coverage begins at 6pmET with first fight at 7pmET on ESPN+ pic.twitter.com/XJenOg7OhJ
— UFC (@ufc) May 13, 2020
Wednesday, tonight, the second iteration of the UFC return takes place back in Jacksonville as they have commandeered the venue for three straight shows. Tonight’s event is one to bolster the UFC light heavyweight ranks and features a main event showdown between Anthony Smith and Glover Texiera.
This is a direct attempt at keeping continuity for current light heavyweight champ, Jon Jones.
In addition, the third event is this Saturday featuring a heavyweight showdown between Walt Harris and the legend Alistair Overeem.
I got the chance to talk to Walt Harris as he readies for his Saturday #UFCJAX main event. We discussed what it took for him to continue fighting following the tragic loss of step-daughter Aniah Blanchard. Thank you so much for the time, @thebigticket205! #UFCJacksonville https://t.co/E51ouB9FLh
— Tom Albano (@thomasjalbano) May 13, 2020
Harris’ step-daughter Aniah Blanchard went missing in October 2019 and was later discovered killed. This has fueled Harris’ take-no-prisoners attitude and he feels he has a lot to prove.
However, Overeem is a living legend that is a global Dutch kickboxing and MMA star. His last outing in December 2019, led to a horrific fifth-round knockout by Jairzinho Rozenstruik and a dramatic split lip. He will undoubtedly be on the rampage to turn his last loss around.
The UFC took a risk by becoming the first organization to bring back fights. Even though we are still in the infancy of sports’ return, the UFC has given us all something to look forward to.
Baseball has gone from the No. 1 sport for Black folks in America (remember Jackie Robinson breaking the color barrier in 1947?) to a sport that is considered “white” or “Hispanic.”
The prevailing thought is that baseball turned its back on Black people long ago and vice versa. The man who is often blamed for this is Michael Jordan, whose presence and talent on the basketball court changed sports marketing forever and helped make hoops the specialty sport of the Black athlete.
There are other factors that have contributed to MLB going from 18.7 percent Black in 1981 to the 8.4 percent we have today. There are socio-economic and race factors that make it deeper than Jordan, but his love for baseball as a kid, and his eventual ascension in hoops has become the blueprint for Black athletes in 2020.
The Last Dance Episode 7 taught us that despite his dominance as the basketball GOAT, Jordan admirably attempted to give back to Black baseball what he stole from it by mesmerizing and brand-washing the sports world into steering black kids towards hoop goals instead of diamond dreams.
Shortly after his father’s tragic murder, while taking a nap on the side of the road in his Lexus following a golf outing, Jordan retired from the game and decided to fulfill his father’s lifetime dream of seeing his son play pro baseball.
Now, kids of today might not understand why the greatest basketball player in the world would want to play baseball, but when MJ was coming up in the 70s, baseball was the sh*t in the Black community. There was endless inspiration for kids of color, from Jackie Robinson and Hank Aaron and Willie Mays and Willie Stargell to Ken Griffey Jr. and all of the Hall of Fame players that dominated the game of baseball in the 60s, 70s, and 80s.
Yup, once upon a time, Black kids wanted to play baseball just as much as basketball — probably more. Jordan’s brother said that the family thought MJ would become an MLB player when he was an adolescent. Somewhere along the line, destiny took hold and six titles and a GOAT status later, the rest is history.
Jordan’s brief baseball career with the Birmingham Barons, a Double-A minor league affiliate of the Chicago White Sox, however, is an important piece of his legacy. For a couple of months, MJ took his star power and shifted the eyes of the sports world back onto Black baseball.
On April 8, 1994, at the Hoover Met, Jordan made his official professional baseball debut wearing No. 45, his old Laney (North Carolina) High number. Jordan drew a record crowd of 10,359, as well as 130 members of the media.
The media circus was on and with all eyes on MLB, which was embarking on an inevitable strike-shortened season, Jordan brought Black people and an NBA-style swag back to baseball — if only for a moment in time.
Anyone who plays the sport of baseball knows how hard it is. Even when you are one of the best to do it. It’s a game designed for failure with unwritten rules and etiquette that attracts a certain kind of athlete. Balancing swag, emotion and a conservative mind state is the beauty of baseball.
For Jordan to start his career with a 13-game hitting streak and then fight through the trials and tribulations of adjusting to offspeed pitches and carve out a respectable season in pro baseball, is truly an understated success story that’s overshadowed by a career bursting with accolades and incomparable excellence on the court
And who knows? If Jordan decided to continue to chase his MLB dream, he might have gotten a call up from the White Sox one day. It’s hard for people to believe, but Jordan had great potential and as soon as he touched down with his minor league team, he convinced everyone that he wasn’t there to be a sideshow but to compete as a baseball player.
The 31-year-old Jordan, who hadn’t swung a bat since he was 17-years-old, batted .202 with three home runs, 51 RBI, and an impressive 30 stolen bases. He also rocked out with the Scottsdale Scorpions in the 1994 Arizona Fall League, batting .252 against elite prospects in baseball
Veteran MLB manager Terry Francona, who led the Boston Red Sox to the franchise’s first World Series in 86 years, was Jordan’s minor league manager at the time.
“He had it all,” Francona said one morning during spring training in Goodyear, Arizona. “Ability, aptitude, work ethic. He was always so respectful of what we were doing and considerate of his teammates. Granted, he had a lot to learn. I remember once, we’re up 11-0 against Chattanooga and Michael doubles. Then he steals third! I’m pantomiming an apology to Pat Kelly, the other manager, and he’s laughing. After Michael comes in, ‘I’m like, ‘What are trying to do, get us killed?’ And he says, ‘Well, in the NBA, when you’re up by 20, you try to go up by 30.’
“I do think with another 1,000 at-bats, he would’ve made it. But there’s something else that people miss about that season. Baseball wasn’t the only thing he picked up. I truly believe that he rediscovered himself, his joy for competition. We made him want to play basketball again.
“And he made me a better manager.”
On March 18, 1995, after a 17-month hiatus from hoops, Jordan announced his return to the NBA with two-word fax: “I’m back.” The next day — more than a year after his retirement from the game — Jordan was back on the floor with the Chicago Bulls to take on Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers.
He would go on to win three more champions in 96, 97, and 98 and solidify his basketball legacy. But his impact, courage and ambition as an athlete are undisputed and his brief, unexpected and bizarre dive into the world of baseball is another cultural win.
If anything, he let young Black kids know that you don’t have to choose one sport over the other. He almost immediately helped change perceptions about baseball in Black communities that had strayed from the spot. And undoubtedly inspired many to embrace the sport again, or at least find out why it was so damn popular to their fathers and grandfathers. The most revered basketball God on the planet played baseball and he didn’t lose any cool points for it.
As baseball plans to restart its delayed season soon, MLB conducted a COVID-19 antibody study involving players and staff from 26 of MLB’s 30 teams. Just 0.7% of Major League Baseball employees tested positive for antibodies to COVID-19.
The small number of positive tests came as a surprise. Study leaders say they expected more positive results.
Researchers received 6,237 completed surveys from employees of 26 clubs. The tests were administered in mid-April. About 70% of those who tested positive reported being asymptomatic, 2.7% had a fever, 14% had a headache and 0.9% had temporarily lost their sense of smell or taste. Of those who tested positive 8% reported a cough, compared to 9% who tested negative.
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford, one of the study’s leaders, said the prevalence of the antibodies among MLB employees was lower than for the general population during testing in New York, Los Angeles, the San Francisco area, and Miami.
Lead researcher Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: "I was expecting a larger number of people to test positive."
Details from @molly_knight for @TheAthleticMLB ⤵️
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) May 11, 2020
“I was expecting a little bit of a higher number,” Bhattacharya said. “The set of people in the MLB employee population that we tested in some sense have been less affected by the Coronavirus epidemic than their surrounding communities.”
Bhattacharya said the low number of positive tests showed there is still a long way to go in the pandemic. “It’s very clear,” Bhattacharya said, “that the epidemic is still in the early stages throughout the country.”
While the percentage of Los Angeles Angels employees with positive tests was the highest among teams, the error margin is too high to draw results because just 123 tests were included from the team.
With all of that in mind, on Monday, the league’s 30 team owners agreed to a restart plan, which they will present to the MLBPA today.
Of course, settling the money issues will be top priority. Super agent Scott Boras has urged players to consider the 50/50 split a no go. MLBPA boss Tony Clark has been critical of the proposal already and will not revisit the revenue share issues after having agreed to terms on prorated salaries several months ago
As he should.
A more pressing issue will be player safety as some MLB players have expressed and raised a number of issues that need to be addressed. Washington Nationals pitcher Sean Doolittle said that he is concerned with the proposal and it still raises some issues that need to be addressed such as “health protections for players, families, staff and stadium workers.”
Amidst reports emerging that our union and owners will discuss the proposal tomorrow, here are my thoughts as a player with a young family: pic.twitter.com/qiOl5HlaOd
— Trevor Williams (@MeLlamoTrevor) May 11, 2020
There are still some serious issues to address before baseball can get going, but this is at;least a start. Any sport, however, that doesn’t include the fans is really wack.
Quibi has released the trailer for Blackballed, a powerful documentary series that examines race in America through the lens of one of the most explosive events in recent sports history – the Donald Sterling expulsion.
https://youtu.be/u2thAcrvmts
Now, for the first time, Chris Paul, Doc Rivers, DeAndre Jordan, Adam Silver and JJ Redick, along with some of the biggest names from the worlds of sports, politics, business and media, explain how they asserted their power, leading to the most definitive and unprecedented punishment in sports history.
BLACKBALLED highlights the five days during the 2014 NBA playoffs, when the LA Clippers led an unprecedented movement of athletes to hold racism accountable.
BLACKBALLED is directed by Michael Jacobs and executive produced by Chris Gary and Ryan Simon, Sam Widdoes and Peter Cambor for District 33, Will Packer and Kelly Smith for Will Packer Media, and James Widdoes.
Premieres on May 18 only on Quibi.
We are all still mourning Kobe Bryant’s death, but the brother of pilot Ara Geroge Zobayan, is trying to protect his family’s estate and says that Island Express (the helicopter company) should have never let the helicopter leave that morning and they — along with the seven passengers — were responsible for what happened.
In an answer to Vanessa Bryant’s wrongful death lawsuit against the estate of pilot Ara Zobayan, Berge Zobayan argues in an answer that his brother “bears no responsibility” for the high-speed helicopter crash that killed Bryant, 41, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and six others on a morning of blinding fog on January 26th.
In fact, Zobayan has the audacity to say that it was the passengers who are at fault.
Any injuries or damages to plaintiffs and/or their decedent were directly caused in full or in part by the negligence or fault of plaintiffs and/or their decedent, including their knowing and voluntary encounter with the risks involved, and that this negligence was a substantial factor in causing their purported damages, for which this answering defendant bears no responsibility,” the representative said.
According to Zobayan, the NBA star accepted the risks of flying in a helicopter, so his family has no right to money from the pilot’s estate.
“This negligence was a substantial factor in causing their purported damages, for which this answering defendant bears no responsibility,” the filing argues.
Vanessa Bryant filed her wrongful death claim in February, naming Zobayan and the helicopter company who owned the chopper, Island Express, as defendants.
https://twitter.com/GlenKendallEsq/status/1232052680379510785
The lawsuit alleged that Island Express was only certified to fly under visual flight rules, meaning with adequate visibility, and that foggy conditions the day of the tragedy should have grounded the chopper before it slammed into a hillside in Calabasas, Calif.
Island Express had not yet answered the complaint as of Monday morning, according to an online docket.
“On information and belief, the pilot in command, Ara George Zobayan, was required to fly only in conditions that he could navigate visually,” Vanessa Bryant’s 72-page complaint said.
The day of the tragedy, Zobayan “failed to properly monitor and assess the weather prior to takeoff” and “failed to abort the flight when he knew of the cloudy conditions,” the lawsuit filed in Los Angeles County Superior Court said.
“Zobayan attempted to maneuver the helicopter up and forward to clear the clouds, then entered a turn sending the helicopter into the steep terrain at approximately 180 mph,” the paperwork said.
The company “knew or should have known” that Zobayan “had previously been cited by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for violating the visual flight rules (VFR) minimums by flying into an airspace of reduced visibility,” the lawsuit said.
With the victims and pilot unable to speak for themselves, all we have left is speculation and whatever the investigation revealed. While it’s understandable that the pilot’s brother is not only trying to protect his kin’s estate, trying to blame the victims is classless.
Little Richard, the true King of Rock ‘N’ Roll, grew up in Macon, Georgia, the product of a religious upbringing that connected him to the church where he was touched by the musical hand of God.
He was an energetic and wildly flamboyant music legend, who rose to fame in the 1950s with hits like “Tutti Frutti,” “Long Tall Sally” to “Good Golly Miss Molly” and a unique style that earned him the distinguished title of “architect” of rock ‘n’ roll.
Selling 30 million records worldwide and joining the first crop of genius artists to be inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1986 throughout his career speaks for itself as well.
https://youtu.be/LVIttmFAzek
Richard passed at the age of 87, the musician’s son Danny Penniman confirmed to Rolling Stone on Saturday. His cause of death is unknown and comes on the heels of the death of music mogul Andre Harrell who passed at 59.
Lil Richard was asked by Rolling Stone in 1990 whether or not he believed he invented Rock ‘N’ Roll. Richard replied:
Well, let’s say it this way. When I first came along, I never heard of any rock & roll,” he said. “ I only heard Elmore James, Muddy Waters, Sonny Boy Williamson, Ruth Brown and Roy Brown, Blues.”
“I really feel from the bottom of my heart that I am the inventor. If there was somebody else, I didn’t know (them), didn’t hear them, haven’t heard them. Not even to this day. So say I’m the architect.”
There was a self-entitled movie — an underground Black classic — made about Richard’s life in 2000. Richard’s character was masterfully played by the actor Leon.
Artists, celebrities, and appreciators of iconic American figures flocked to social media to show their respect.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_-FhsoFy7D/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
Fellow rock pioneer Jerry Lee Lewis said in a statement, “It is with a heavy heart that I ask for prayers for the family of my lifelong friend and fellow Rocker ‘Little Richard.’ He will live on always in my heart with his amazing talent and his friendship! He was one of a kind and I will miss him dearly. God Bless his family and fans. Rest In Peace, my friend.”
Losing a talent and innovator of this magnitude can never be replaced and Lirrlt Richard leaves a void that is almost impossible to fill. Architects of sounds, pioneers, and unabashed musical geniuses don’t come around often.
Richard learned from artists before him, who were robbed of their music, royalties and style. He broke barriers and opened up financial opportunities for Black music artists to follow.
The legacy Little Richard leaves is already embedded in our culture from the fashion to the swag to the talent. Music as we know it is an extension of the creative juices that oozed from the architect of music’s most influential and widespread sound.
Rest In Power to a titan of the game.
According to USA Today, a group of distinguished current and former athletes and coaches are calling for the FBI and Department of Justice to investigate the death the shooting death of 25-year-old Ahmaud Arbery, who was heinously hunted and gunned down at the hands of father and son killers Gregory and Travis McMichael.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_0RZ-3jEwe/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
It took 74 days and hella media pressure for the men to be arrested on Thursday night and charged with murder and aggravated assault, according to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_68MinDuph/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
In a letter dated Friday (May 8) and written on Players Coalition letterhead, the group asks Attorney General William Barr to intervene in the case, which has caused a firestorm of emotions and outrage from the African-American community, particularly because the incident happened on February 20th and the men were not immediately charged due to what the tweet describes as “conflicts of interest and inaction amid local authorities.”
Today should've been Ahmaud Arbery's 26th birthday. Instead, our nation is mourning. Because of the local conflict of interest, @playercoalition, other athletes, and I are urging Attorney General Barr, to have the FBI and the DOJ investigate this tragic death. We need action. pic.twitter.com/2qG8lih6A4
— Anquan Boldin (@AnquanBoldin) May 8, 2020
Via USA Today: “The letter is signed by 64 athletes and coaches, including several members of the Players Coalition, which was founded by NFL players in 2017 to address areas of social and racial inequality (in the midst of the Colin Kaepernick blackballing catastrophe.)
It also includes signatures from an assortment of other notable names in the world of sports, including Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, New Orleans Saints safety Malcolm Jenkins, New England Patriots wide receiver Julian Edelman, Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr, Hall of Fame safety Aeneas Williams and NFL executive vice president Troy Vincent.
“We must strive to achieve the lofty but basic promise of equal justice, a promise on which our democracy depends,” the group writes in the letter. “Having the DOJ intervene in this case and lead the investigation immediately will help us move toward that goal.”
In the letter to Barr, the coalition of players and coaches argue that federal intervention is necessary because Gregory McMichael used to work for the local police department, ensuring it “can never be independent.” The group also claims that local prosecutors only called for a grand jury, which it describes as “the bare minimum,” after an outcry from activists and politicians.
“A grand jury isn’t enough,” the Players Coalition also tweeted.”For people to put faith in our justice system, the FBI must get involved w/ the DOJ’s Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division like they did for Rodney King, the Danziger Bridge shootings, and Parchman prison where local officials fell short.”
The former marketing agent of New Orleans Pelicans rookie Zion Williamson, Gina Ford, filed in court documents that Zion received impermissible benefits from several sources, including Nike and Adidas. Ford wants all guilty parties to admit what they did.
Attorney Daniel Wallach tweeted her request for admission to these rules infractions.
NEW: Zion Williamson’s former marketing agent has served requests for admission in their lawsuit asking him to admit that he received “money, benefits, favors or other things of value” to attend Duke University and to wear and/or use Nike and Adidas.
Wow. That escalated quickly. pic.twitter.com/59gWX5bNKX
— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) May 10, 2020
Sounds like somebody (Ford) is obviously scorned or got cut out of a deal and now wants to blow up Zion, Duke, Nike, Adidas, and any other company that may have broken bread with the rookie prior to him gaining pro eligibility.
Honestly, I doubt anyone will care because Zion generated billions for TV, Duke, college basketball, and everyone else during his one season at Duke, which he wouldn’t have even attended if there was one and done rule. He got nothing financially out of it and almost hurt himself in the process when his sneaker exploded and was forced to miss significant time during the season.
Let’s be real. Zion deserved to get paid and if he had to do his one fake year in college, we had to kind of figure that he wasn’t just going to Duke to build his brand. His brand was pretty much built upon entering Duke. They probably had to present him with some kind of monetary package to get him to go there.
If you are under the impression that these young kids just want to go to Duke because Coach K there or its Duke then you’ve been living in a bubble. And Nike and Adidas are all business. They definitely don’t respect the NCAA rules when a player like Zion, who can generate millions for everyone is on the market.
More details will surely surface on this subject, but it sounds to me like somebody is angry that they got cut out of some paper and have decided to snitch.
On Friday, Tekashi 6ix9ine released a new record and apparently set a social media record.
After dropping his new song, “Gooba,” the federal informant took to Instagram Live for his long-awaited return. He discussed testifying for the government against his former gang associates last year and he is proud of it.
https://www.instagram.com/tv/B_8HkpSARRQ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
With a rant that included an opening set featuring two women and 6ix9ine dancing to reggae group Inner Circle’s famous song “Bad Boys”. He also brandished a pair of handcuffs cementing his tongue-in-cheek stance on government cooperation.
However, he set an Instagram Live record with two million people tuning in, according to reports.
What was most striking was the hubris displayed during the Live session. From flaunting newly purchased jewelry to naming all of his high end cars, he became the poster boy for post informant success.
“Why ya think ya can compete with me? And I ratted stoopid STILL the king you mad,” he wrote.
https://www.instagram.com/p/B_8ce7JDoos/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link
He blamed his former crew for trying to kidnap his mother and kill him. He alluded to one of his former gang associates with having an affair his child’s mother. He also said that they beat him up and stole “millions of dollars” from him.
These were his unrequested admissions to why he violated the “street code.”
“I snitched, I ratted,” he said, “but who was I supposed to be loyal to?”
Immediately, the hip hop vanguard railed against the perceived support for 6ix9ine. With 2 million viewers, whether through curiosity or plain fandom, it is the new sign of support.
On Twitter, rapper Bobby Shmurda began trending. People were clamoring for the same level of support when he is released from prison. Shmurda was sentenced to seven years in prison in 2016, however, he might be free by the end of the year.
How meek mill watching 6ix9ine live get 2 million views from his fake account #6ix9ine #Tekashi69 pic.twitter.com/pxfJuMtpus
— kool$ (@xdesiarx) May 8, 2020
In December 2019, Tekasi was sentenced to two years in prison (with credit for time served) after pleading guilty to nine racketeering charges. In April 2020 he was released early to home confinement due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
In October 2019, TMZ reported that he scored a record deal worth more than $10 million while he was still behind bars.
https://twitter.com/Rap__insight/status/1258559363452715008?s=20
In short, a strict cultural taboo has been broken in hip hop and how normalized it becomes is only telling of the rift. Is snitching bad when it saves lives?
No.
But how does hip hop reconcile with its biggest fear staring them in the face defiantly, calling you “stoopid?” Undoubtedly, like when emo-rap came out and other variations, the audience will choose what it likes. Trends will be trends and the older generation and hip hop culture purists will balk at the newest “it” thing.
But Tekashi hits at hip hop’s core belief system and working with law enforcement for anything except community change is not tolerated.
The true reckoning will be how many limits Tekashi tests. The self-proclaimed King of New York has returned and in his music video he brought a cartoon rat’s head with him.
With #Gooba 6ix9ine is back and doesn’t shy away from trolling himself. We missed you #Tekashi69
– He calls himself Rat
– Shows his tracker on ankle pic.twitter.com/ubumeBdc4s— DUNKI (@SRKsEvilFan) May 8, 2020
