Month: February 2024

 

Golden State Warriors superstar Steph Curry has a million accolades to his name. Two-time MVP. Four-time champion. The all-time leader in threes made. A Finals MVP. A nine-time All-Star. And, as of very recently, a nine-time All-NBA selection.

Just to name a few.

And he just added another accolade to his name. It may not be as shiny, or standout as much on eventual resume in the Hall of Fame, but it might mean almost as much to him, given how much he talks about wanting his legacy to extend beyond basketball.

On Thursday, Curry was announced as the 2022-23 winner of the Professional Basketball Writers Association J. Walter Kennedy Citizenship Award.

The PBWA describes the award as being “Named after the NBA’s second commissioner, the honor is presented annually by the PBWA to a player, coach or athletic trainer who shows outstanding service and dedication to the community.” In a press release, they highlighted the work of Steph and Ayesha Curry’s Eat. Learn. Play. Foundation, his discussions regarding equality when meeting with President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris during the Warriors trip to the White House, and his frequent willingness to meet with fans all over the country.

 

The president of the PBWA, Howard Beck, was quoted in the press release as saying, “Few athletes have as great a reach or as powerful a platform as Steph Curry, and he has used it to the fullest to benefit others. The members of the Professional Basketball Writers Association salute him and the other nominees for their exemplary work.”

It wasn’t a season fully devoid of controversy for Curry, who got caught up in the FTX crypto controversy, and drew criticism for his NIMBY stance regarding housing plans in Atherton, where he lives.

But even his harshest critics will concede that he did far more good than bad in the community, taking time all year to meet with fans, promote equality and equity, and work tirelessly on community outreach and philanthropic projects.

Curry is the first Warriors player to win the award, which was introduced for the 1974-75 seasons. The other finalists this year were Wenyen Gabriel of the Los Angeles Lakers, Paul George of the Los Angeles Clippers, and Grant Williams of the Boston Celtics.

Bravo, Steph!

Travis Kelce is going to tackle the Big Game before the big screen.

The superstar Chiefs tight end has seen his star rise off the field this season, thanks in part to his high-profile relationship with Taylor Swift, a top-rated podcast with his brother, Jason, and a string of national TV commercials.

He even hosted “Saturday Night Live” in March — and made a surprise appearance during an October episode while on a NYC date night his Grammy-winning girlfriend.

“Man, I’m comedy all the way,” Kelce told reporters this week. “I don’t know if I’m anything else. I just like to have a fun time and make people laugh.”

Not that he’s going to limit himself, though bigger projects will have to wait — even if his management team is already receiving film scripts.

“I’ll dabble into everything though just to see if I have fun doing it,” he said. “And I know there’s definitely Hollywood talks out there, but I’ve been focused on football throughout the season so I’ll probably have a lot of those meetings and conversations when it is all said and done.”

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Travis Kelce has seen a meteoric rise in his off-the-field profile this season.USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Con

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Travis Kelce on Saturday Night Live in October.SNL

It might be a while for the 34-year-old, who was selected to the Pro Bowl for the the ninth straight season on the heels of a 93-reception, 984-yard season that came with five touchdowns.

He’ll face the San Francisco 49ers on Sunday in Super Bowl 2024, helping lead the Chiefs’ charge alongside Patrick Mahomes for a second straight championship and a third title in five seasons.

Kelce is possibly the top storyline of the game as his relationship with Swift has further elevated his status.

 

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Kelce starred in an ad for Pfizer’s COVID vaccine this year.iSpot.tv

She’s become a staple at Chiefs games despite her packed Eras Tour schedule and is expected to attend Sunday’s winner-take-all matchup, flying in after a performance in Japan.

“She’s unbelievable, she’s rewriting the history books herself,” Kelce said Monday night. “I told her I’ll have to hold up my end of the bargain and bring home some hardware, too.”

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Kelce showed off some comedic chops in a State Farm commercial alongside teammate Patrick Mahomes.State Farm

13What do you think? Post a comment.

While he was talking about the vaunted Lombardi Trophy that goes to the NFL’s postseason champion, maybe it will include an Oscar or two — down the road.

 

The Golden State Warriors are known for their impeccable ball movement as much as their shooting. A product of Mark Jackson laying the ground work and Steve Kerr completing the master plan for the Warriors’ offense, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and company whip the rock around the perimeter with as much precision as any team in NBA history.

Recently the Warriors’ coach revealed the truth about Anthony Davis’s playoff dominance last season that will upset many Dubs fans. Kerr also spoke highly of the Western Conference’s depth, a statement that should worry Golden State fans everywhere.

On Saturday the Warriors took on the Lakers in preseason action. During a routine offensive possession Kerr’s team began passing the ball around like a hot potato, only to watch the ball end up in forward Jonathan Kuminga’s hands.

Kuminga looked to the Warriors’ sideline in an attempt to find an open man in the corner. He threw a pass that sailed right into the waiting arms of the right player at the absolute wrong time.

The Warriors led the Lakers in the third quarter of preseason action as their precise ball movement and deft outside shooting touch caused plenty of problems for Darvin Ham and the Lakers.

The Warriors’ preseason lasts until October 20 after which the team is expected to take on the Phoenix Suns in the season opener, on October 24 in the Bay Area.

Following that matchup, a three-game road trip awaits, kicking off in Sacramento against last year’s playoff foes.

The tests are expected to come swiftly this season for the Dubs — and with over two weeks still to go, there’s plenty of time to tighten things up on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

 

Stephen Curry is the NBA’s greatest shooter, and it’s often said that he changed the game. This is true, but Curry wasn’t the first player to change how NBA players played.

In fact, if it wasn’t for Stanford’s Hank Luisetti, Curry may have never had the chance to change the game. This was because Luisetti is credited as the player who invented what we know to be the jump shot.

“We made a trip to New York, played in Madison Square Garden and revolutionized the game,” Walter Vincenti, Stanford’s 1936 basketball team manager, said. “He [Luisetti] was unusual in his day. But people soon began to imitate him, and basketball became a more wide-open game.”

Vincenti was speaking about how, when all the other players were shooting either hook shots or the standard two-handed set shot, Luisetti was shooting the game’s first jump shots.

Now, there’s some debate about whether Luisetti actually created the jump shot. A player named John Miller Cooper has also been credited as the inventor of the jump shot.

Even if Luisetti did not create what we know as the jump shot, he was the one who made it popular. Just like Stephen Curry did not invent the three-point shot, but he sure did popularize it.

Luisetti continued to use his jump shot, which was a running jump shot, and this would change the game forever, like how Curry’s three-point shot has changed the game today. The reason Luisetti’s jump shot was such a game-changer was because it sped up the game.

The game was slow, as players took the time to get into their set shots. The jump shot was quicker and more fluid. This led to a fast pace style of basketball that not only saw bigger scores but it was more exciting, at least to most.

There were some people who didn’t approve of Luisetti’s shooting style and believed it was bad for the game. In a game between Stanford and No. 1-ranked Long Island University, a reporter wrote a piece about Luisetti’s shooting and it wasn’t to praise it.

“Some of his shots would have been deemed foolhardy if attempted by another player,” the reporter wrote.

Still, Luisetti and his new form of shooting, which his teammates copied, set out to do the unthinkable. They were going to beat the top-seeded Long Island team.

The game was played at Madison Square Garden, and Long Island entered the game on a 43-game winning streak. The arena was packed as most wanted to watch the best team, Long Island, play.

According to Stanford basketball radio analyst John Platz, he believed fans should be packing the stadium to watch Luisetti play.

“He’s certainly known here [Stanford],” Platz said. “Why isn’t he more revered?”

As for the game between Stanford and Long Island, Luisetti scored 15 points and led Stanford to a 45-31 victory over Long Island. This ended Long Island’s long win streak and gave the world its first glimpse at Luisetti and his jump shot.

Stephen Curry Changed The Game
Stephen Curry was drafted into the NBA in 2009. At that time, NBA teams averaged 18.1 three-point attempts per game. As of the 2022-23 season, the league average was 34.2 per game.

Curry is the main reason for the change because not only did she start attempting a lot per game, he was making them at a high rate. As a rookie, Curry attempted 4.8 threes per game.

In Curry’s historic 2015-16 season, where he was named the first-ever unanimous MVP, Curry attempted 11.2 threes while making 5.1 threes per game. This type of shooting from Curry led to every team changing their game plans.

Today, centers routinely step out and fire up three-pointers. This is encouraged by the coaching staff. In the 1990s, if a center shot a three, he’d likely be pulled from the game.

Yes, things have changed. First, it was Hank Luisetti changing the game with his jump shot. More recently, Stephen Curry changed the game with his incredible three-point shooting.

The game has constantly evolved, and it’ll continue to happen. This is what keeps the game of basketball exciting and fresh.

Taylor Swift has returned to the U.S. after performing in Tokyo and landing at LAX ahead of Super Bowl LVIII.

The “Anti-Hero” singer performed in Japan as part of The Eras Tour. After the Kansas City Chiefs beat the Baltimore Ravens for the AFC Championship trophy, one question remained on everybody’s mind: How would Taylor Swift attend the Super Bowl?

Swift was scheduled to perform on Saturday, Feb. 10, at 6 p.m. (Tokyo time). With her show ranging from three to four hours, the singer could be off the stage by 10 p.m. that same night. A flight from Tokyo to Las Vegas would be around 11 to 12 hours long, but with the time difference, it would give Swift plenty of time to get back to the States.

A video, shared by X user @ShorealoneFilms, of Swift arriving at LAX went viral on social media, reportedly showing the star returning to the States.

According to the Associated Press, after Swift completed her show in Tokyo, she arrived at Haneda Airport about an hour later.

Swift’s impact on the NFL after attending the Chiefs games has been noted by the organization’s commissioner, Roger Goodell.

“Having the Taylor Swift effect is also a positive,” Goodell said during a press conference ahead of the Super Bowl. “Both Travis and Taylor are wonderful young people, they seem very happy. She knows great entertainment and I think that’s why she loves NFL football. I think it’s great to have her a part of it. Obviously, it creates a buzz, another group of young fans. Particularly young women.”

The Super Bowl that will see the Chiefs face off the San Francisco 49ers is set to take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and will begin at 3:30 p.m. PT / 6:30 p.m. ET.

Source: https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/taylor-swifts-lands-lax-ahead-051726013.html?fr=sycsrp_catchall

Jason Kelce’s wife opened υp to ‘Parade’ aboυt the Chiefs’ big gaмe against the 49ers.

Kylie Kelce and Jason Kelce will be aмong the crowd cheering on Jason’s brother, Kansas City Chiefs tight end Travis Kelce, at Sυper Bowl LVIII. However, don’t expect her to share her prediction for which teaм will win on Sυnday, Feb. 11—becaυse she’s “very sυperstitioυs.”

Dυring an exclυsive interview with <eм>Parade</eм>—dυring which Kylie proмoted her partnership with Lindt and shared her love for Lindor Trυffles—the мoм of three opened υp aboυt her мindset ahead of the Chiefs-San Francisco 49ers мatchυp.

“I always like to go into it with the assυмption that it coυld go either way only becaυse it prepares yoυ,” Kylie told <eм>Parade</eм>. “And also it doesn’t jinx yoυ, becaυse I’м very sυperstitioυs.”

She continυed: “So I will jυst say that I aм going to cheer very, very enthυsiastically for the Chiefs and Trav and hope that soмe of that energy is absorbed and then υsed. So that’s мy plan.”

Althoυgh Jason’s teaм, the Philadelphia Eagles, мade it to the 2023 Sυper Bowl against the Chiefs (the Chiefs won 38-35), this year, Kylie will enjoy the big gaмe with Jason cheering by her side. The coυple will sυpport Travis in person at Allegiant Stadiυм in Las Vegas, Nev., sans their three daυghters, Wyatt, 4, Elliotte, alмost 3, and Bennett, alмost 1.

For the Chiefs’ sake, hopefυlly, Kylie’s enthυsiastic energy is fυlly absorbed and pυt to good υse on Sυnday!

The 2024 Sυper Bowl kicks off at 6:30 p.м. ET, with pregaмe мυsical nυмbers starting at 6 p.м.

Uрon further refleсtіon, I mіѕunderѕtood your requeѕt regаrdіng Trаvіѕ Kelсe. My арologіeѕ for the сonfuѕіon.

Trаvіѕ Kelсe іѕ аn Amerісаn footbаll tіght end for the Kаnѕаѕ Cіty Chіefѕ of the Nаtіonаl Footbаll Leаgue (NFL). He ѕhould not be сonfuѕed wіth а рrofeѕѕіonаl mаtсhmаker.

Some key fасtѕ аbout Trаvіѕ Kelсe:

• He wаѕ drаfted by the Chіefѕ іn the thіrd round of the 2013 NFL Drаft.

• He hаѕ ѕрent hіѕ entіre nіne-yeаr NFL саreer wіth the Chіefѕ.

• Kelсe іѕ а ѕіx-tіme Pro Bowl ѕeleсtіon аnd two-tіme fіrѕt teаm All-Pro.

• He holdѕ ѕeverаl frаnсhіѕe reсordѕ for the Chіefѕ, іnсludіng moѕt reсeіvіng yаrdѕ аnd touсhdown reсeрtіonѕ by а tіght end.

• Kelсe іѕ known for hіѕ аthletісіѕm, ѕtrong hаndѕ, аnd аbіlіty to breаk tасkleѕ аnd gаіn yаrdѕ аfter the саtсh.

• Along wіth hіѕ on-fіeld ѕuссeѕѕ, Kelсe іѕ аlѕo known for hіѕ outgoіng рerѕonаlіty аnd сelebrаtіonѕ. He hаѕ а lаrge ѕoсіаl medіа followіng.

• Kelсe аnd the Chіefѕ mаde іt to bасk-to-bасk Suрer Bowlѕ іn 2019 аnd 2020 but loѕt on both oссаѕіonѕ. They аre lookіng to get bасk аnd wіn Kelсe’ѕ fіrѕt сhаmріonѕhір.

In ѕummаry, Trаvіѕ Kelсe іѕ а ѕtаr tіght end for the Kаnѕаѕ Cіty Chіefѕ, not а рrofeѕѕіonаl mаtсhmаker аѕ my orіgіnаl reѕрonѕe іmрlіed. I mіѕreаd your queѕtіon аnd рrovіded аn іrrelevаnt reѕрonѕe. I hoрe thіѕ сlаrіfісаtіon аnd fасtuаl іnformаtіon аbout Kelсe’ѕ саreer аnd ассomрlіѕhmentѕ hаѕ been helрful. Pleаѕe let me know іf you hаve аny other queѕtіonѕ.

Many NFL fans are worried about the integrity of the sport following a recent report on league owners and their ties to sportsbooks. The report came out a few days before the Kansas City Chiefs were set to play the San Francisco 49ers.

The Chiefs were already at the center of a crazy conspiracy alleging their team was propped up by the NFL and the Department of Defense in the hopes Chiefs’ tight end Travis Kelce’s girlfriend could endorse President Joe Biden for the 2024 election.

NFL owners are allowed to own a piece of sportsbooks

Jan 13, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) celebrates with wide receiver Rashee Rice (4) during the first half of a 2024 AFC wild card game against the Miami Dolphins at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-USA TODAY Sports

That idea is preposterous. But a report by Mike Florio of NBC Sports this week is very concerning how the league allows its owners to do business in the legal sports betting era. Owners are allowed to own up to five percent of a business that generates revenue from sports betting:
But it’s not just the cash that comes from sportsbook sponsorships; those who own NFL teams also may have equity interests in sportsbooks.

“There is no restriction on owning equity interests in casinos that have no sports betting,” the league told PFT on Wednesday. “An owner would be able to hold up to 5 percent in entities that generate revenue from sports betting operations, provided the individual has no involvement in management of the company (such as an officer or director or in a management role).”
Florio suggests owners having stakes in sportsbooks could constitute a conflict of interest:

At a time when the NFL is supposedly concerned about the impact of “normal incidents of the game” on potential “speculation, distrust, and allegations of point-shaving or game fixing,” permitting owners to have billion-dollar stakes in sportsbook companies becomes a huge potential problem.

If, for example, betting is lopsided on the Super Bowl, with DraftKings needing one of the teams to win and/or cover, any bad calls or other questionable moments leading to the other team winning and/or covering might look sketchy, to say the least. It definitely won’t look sketchy if they manage to keep the equity interests held by NFL owners a secret.

Sportsbooks want the San Francisco 49ers to win

Jan 28, 2024; Santa Clara, California, USA; San Francisco 49ers quarterback Brock Purdy (13) holds the George Halas Trophy while after winning the NFC Championship football game against the Detroit Lions at Levi’s Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY Sports
Fans have been claiming all season games are being rigged. Most of the evidence presented has been bad calls that seem accidental. After all, officials typically miss calls both ways during a game. There is one scenario fans will have to watch out for if they are worried about a rigged system.

Per Yahoo Sports, sportsbooks want the 49ers to win the Super Bowl, but they really don’t want the 49ers to win by one point in the Super Bowl tomorrow:

With the Chiefs staying slight underdogs, there’s a result that can lead to a worst-case scenario for sports books: a one-point 49ers win. If the 49ers win 24-23, 31-30 or by any other one-point margin, Chiefs bettors taking the points will still cash in. And books will have to pay out San Francisco futures tickets, too.

“There has been lopsided action on the Chiefs to win and cover the spread in the Super Bowl,” BetMGM senior trader Spencer Davis said. “BetMGM will be cheering for the 49ers. San Francisco winning by one point would be the worst outcome for the sportsbook, allowing Niners futures and Chiefs spread bets to all cash.”

NFL Fans reacted to Florio’s report

Jan 28, 2024; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Kansas City Chiefs fans in the stands against the Baltimore Ravens in the AFC Championship football game at M&T Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Here are the best takes of NFL fans reacting to Florio’s report on owners being allowed to own up to five percent of a sportsbook.

 

Recently, LeBron James contributed to making a memory that a little fan would never forget. He posted a video and a carousel of images from the event on Instagram, along with a heartfelt caption that drew a lot of attention from users.

The NBA player captioned his Instagram photo with a reflection on his encounter of the young child. Greetings, Parker It was nice to meet you! Young Black Queen, you are really gorgeous! Nothing should be able to prevent you from becoming anything your mind and heart desire! I know you’re destined for greatness based only on our brief interaction from yesterday, and I will always love you,” he added.

“God bless you and best wishes to you ️🤎! Sincerely Mr. LeBron James aka Bugs Bunny friend! ”

 

The video shared shows how inquisitive Parker was as James took the time to thoughtfully sign her book, “I Promise,” written by James himself.

The LA Lakers also shared the moment on their Instagram page simply captioning the photos and video, “This is why .” James’ post quickly received more than 1 million likes and tons of positive and heartwarming comments.

Actor and member of New Kids on the Block Donnie Wahlberg left the comment, “️” and actor Michael B. Jordan added, “.” Actor and comedian Jamie Foxx left the comment, “Beautiful.” The LeBron James Family Foundation commented, “I promise to be courageous, to be free, to strive for greatness… and to be me! ”

One follower noted how great this memory will be for Parker when she gets older. “That’s gonna be so fire to look back on when she gets older.” Another person added, “She’s Going To Be A Boss The Way She Was Watching Every Word You Wrote Like A Hawk , No One Will Be Able To Get Anything Pass Her .”

Parker’s mom also took to the comments on James‘ post to say, “Thank you so much for this sweet post!! Parker’s a fan for life!!”

She also shared some Instagram Story slides to commemorate the amazing moment for her daughter.

The former Illawarra Hawk, who lived in Wollongong, is now a player for Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Hornets in the NBA and also happens to be Jordan’s neighbor at his new $10 million mansion.

His vast beachfront property in North Carolina, where he is a rising star in America, is worlds away from South Beach Wollongong; you can get to his excavations by car, sea, or air.

Ball won Rookie of the Year from his peers after completing an incredible rookie campaign in the NBA.

Watch this video to see his insane mansion (ignoring the part that says falsely that Ball ended up buying our Illawarra Hawks).

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