Kemba Walker was able to get close to multiple NBA stars during his 12 years in the NBA, but none were bigger than Michael Jordan.
Walker played for Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats when he first entered the league in 2011 and had a very memorable moment with him during his second season.
Kemba Walker discusses the moment that Michael Jordan got him locked in his second year in the league pic.twitter.com/D9fhPYPlXh
Michael Jordan has gone from smoking NBA defenders on the court to smoking cigars on his $15million yacht in Barcelona.
Jordan is in the Spanish city on a family vacation with his wife, Yvette Prieto, as well as his mother Deloris, brothers James Jr. and Larry, and his sister Roslyn.
The NBA legend was seen wearing dark sunglasses as well articles from his own Jordan Brand clothing line.
That included a mauve matching shirt and shorts set, a white Jordan bucket hat, and white sneakers.
Just days earlier, Jordan, 61, was seen out in the Spanish city rocking a light green shirt and black pants while Prieto, 45, stunned in a silk green pajama-style co-ord set with patterns of white and blue alligators.
The Cuban-American model accompanied the look with a white crop top underneath her open blouse and matching sandals, while also holding a pair of high heels in her hands.
Before they walked off Jordan’s 82-foot yacht, which he recently purchased and entered into a deep-sea fishing tournament off the North Carolina coast, the pair had time for a quick family photo with Deloris, James Jr, Larry, Roslyn and other members of the group.
They were then spotted holding hands while making their way to a Barcelona restaurant to enjoy some precious downtime together.
Jordan has been married to Prieto for 11 years after forking out upwards of $1million on a glamorous ring for his future wife before he popped the question in 2011.
A decade on, that expensive ring proved a worthwhile investment with the pair still happily married today.
Former Seattle Sonics great Shawn Kemp wants everyone to know that Michael Jordan wasn’t responsible for beating his during the 1996 NBA Finals.
Earlier this week, Kemp appeared on All The Smoke Podcast to discuss the Sonics-Bulls Finals.
During his appearance, Kemp was adamant that Dennis Rodman was more valuable for the Bulls at the time than Jordan.
“Michael wasn’t the reason, he didn’t beat us,” Kemp said. “We was on his a–. Dennis Rodman was the one who beat us. We had no answer for Dennis Rodman. Every time that they needed a second shot or something special or an extra rebound, he was flying and winking and kissing.”
According to Kemp, Rodman distracted Frank Brickowski so much with his antics that Brickowski couldn’t keep up.
“He would be like he was trying to kiss Frank’s arm,” Kemp said. “Frank couldn’t take it. The man in him just couldn’t allow it. Dennis knew what buttons to push. We needed Frank to rebound.”
Kelce made his Eras Tour debut on Sunday, joining his girlfriend for a skit during her costume change
Travis Kelce made headlines when he made his first onstage appearance during Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour shows in London over the weekend — and Kelce’s mother, Donna, shared her excitement about her son’s concert debut.
On Sunday, June 23 — soon after the pop superstar, 34, shocked the crowd by inviting her Kansas City Chiefs player boyfriend, also 34, onstage with — Kelce’s mom, 71, reposted a video of the viral moment to her Facebook page.
In the clip, fans can be heard cheering and screaming as Kelce appeared onstage at Wembley Stadium, joining Swift for her “I Can Do It with a Broken Heart” outfit change, a new part of her set since the release of The Tortured Poets Department.
Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift onstage.
KIRSTY HATCHER
The tight end was wearing a tuxedo and top hat — the same as Swift’s backup dancers — and stepped in for the dancer who usually carries the Grammy winner during the segment. Kelce could be seen grinning as he carried Swift to a red couch, where he set her down. He then worked with the other dancers to get her dolled up and pretended to put makeup on her face with a brush.
Swift then blew him a kiss as she began her next song, and Kelce waved the crowd off as he and the backup dancers descended below the stage on a platform.
Donna’s Facebook followers were instantly excited that she had reshared a video of the moment — and were very complimentary of Kelce’s live performance s𝓀𝒾𝓁𝓁s.
From Left: Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce onstage at Wembley Stadium.
GARETH CATTERMOLE/TAS24/GETTY
“And every Swiftie just died all at once and broke the internet,” one fan wrote below Donna’s post. “We need Mama Kelce to get to a show!”
Another fan chimed in, adding, “Oh my heart. Mama Kelce I hope y’all know how much us Swifties love your sons!!”
“Love how these masculine football men are showing the world it’s ok to wear friendship bracelets, support your significant others successes and still shine on your own!” another fan commented, referencing Kelce’s brother and former Philadelphia Eagles star player, Jason Kelce, who made headlines when he and his wife, Kylie, stepped out with tons of friendship bracelets to hand out to fans at Swift’s show on Saturday, June 22.
“Kudos to Mama & Papa Kelce for raising these 2 men!!” the fan added.
The Chiefs player’s appearance came just days after he and Swift went Instagram official, after the “Fortnight” singer shared a selfie of the couple posing with Prince William, Prince George and Princess Charlotte backstage after the star’s first Wembley show on Friday, June 21.
Kelce’s mom has previously been candid about her support for his relationship with Swift. Just last month, Donna made an appearance The Martha Stewart Podcast, where she opened up about the relationship between her NFL star son and his music superstar girlfriend.
“They’re both friendly,” Donna told Stewart. “They’re both generous. They’re both loving. They’re both caring individuals,” she added, noting that while she’s seemingly optimistic about their future, she added one small caveat: “time will tell.”
One half of the Kelce family could be looking to expand sometime soon.
Speaking to New York magazine, Kylie Kelce – the wife of retired NFL center Jason Kelce – revealed some of her favorite products she uses with her 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren.
While discussing a pajama set that her three daughters all share, she says that they’re holding onto clothes in case an extra 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 is in their future.
‘We still have some packed up, just in case there ends up being a fourth,’ Kylie said.
Talk of a fourth 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥 comes a little over a year after the Kelce’s welcomed their third 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥, Bennett – currently aged 16 months.
Kylie Kelce hinted that she and husband Jason Kelce could have a fourth 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥
The Kelces already have daughters Wyatt, 4, Elliotte, 3, and Bennett, 16 months
Bennett has two older sisters: Wyatt, age four, and Elliotte, age three.
Just a little over a month ago, on an episode of his ‘New Heights’ podcast, Jason joked about how he enjoys scaring his three daughters from time to time.
‘I’m pro scaring kids. Kids need to be scared,’ Jason told his brother Travis.
‘We both are because our dad used to scare the s**t out of us,’ Travis replied.
Jason added that his attempts to frighten his 𝘤𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥ren don’t exactly fly with Kylie saying that his wife ‘gets so mad’ when he stands outside their bedrooms making scary sounds.
‘Wyatt and Ellie will freak out like there’s a ghost. Like they aren’t smart enough to know it’s me,’ Jason said.
‘I’ll do it right before bedtime and Kylie is like, ‘What are you f— are you doing? Are you out of your mind? These kids are almost down and you’re scaring them? They are going to be up for another hour.”
‘I can’t help myself!’ he added, as Travis laughed.
But Jason also recently paid tribute to his wife during his speech announcing his retirement: ‘She has also given me three beautiful girls and a life that increasingly brings me more fulfillment off the field than it does on. We’ve had a great run, Ky.’
There is an ongoing debate about who is the Greatest of All Time (GOAT) player in NBA history. Many NBA analysts are still deliberating about the best contender for this honor. Legend Michael Jordan and the Los Angeles Lakers star player LeBron James are the two most commonly debated names in the GOAT discussion.
Both players have earned significant amounts of money throughout their careers. According to Forbes, the Chicago Bulls legend’s net worth was $3.2 billion in 2024, while the net worth of the four-time NBA Champion LeBron James was USD 1.2 billion in 2024.
Jordan is considered the richest NBA player in the league’s history, with James coming in second. However, there is a significant difference in the total career earnings of both players. According to a recent post by Courtside Buzz on X (formerly known as Twitter), after James’ latest contract with the Lakers, the all-time scorer will make more money than Jordan did throughout his career. In his 22nd and 23rd seasons, James is expected to earn $104 million in the next two years, surpassing Michael Jordan’s total earnings during his NBA career.
“Crazy but true: LeBron James will make $104 Million over the next two years in his year 22 & year 23 seasons… more than Michael Jordan made in his entire NBA career. Jordan made $93 Million across 15 NBA seasons. NBA money is crazy in the modern era!” Courtside Buzz’s recent post caption.
Lebron James and Son Bronny Gear Up to Conquer Next Season Together
King James will be 40 years old next season, but the four-time NBA Champion is not showing any signs of aging. Recently, James uploaded a video of his workout in which he was sweating after an intense session. James, who has the highest score of all time in NBA history, is ready to add more points to his record as he has signed another contract with the Lakers. Additionally, the Lakers selected King James’ son, Bronny James, as the 55th pick in the second round of the NBA Draft 2024. This will be the first father-son duo playing at the same time in NBA history.
LeBron James and his family have been frequently in the news these days. Both the Lakers star and his eldest son, Bronny’s activities are closely monitored by the fans and news outlets. However, this time, it was the 4-time champion’s youngest son, Bryce James, who caught the attention of the NBA community with his social media post.
Recently, Junior James shared a picture on his Instagram story that created a lot of buzz. In the snap, he was standing in the swimming pool with a wide smile and one hand on his forehead. “Smiling through it all! Can’t believe this is my life,” Bryce’s caption read. The eagle-eyed fans were quick to notice that it was the recreation of a 2018 pose posted by LeBron, which turned into a meme.
The post soon went viral on X (FKA Twitter), with pages creating collages featuring the new post alongside LeBron’s. Fans gathered from every corner to leave amusing comments.
LeBron has a strong bond with his sons, who have got his basketball DNA. His firstborn, Bronny, will soon be spotted in the NBA wearing the same jersey as his father. This was a dream of the 20-time All-Star.
Since he decided to continue his journey with the Lakers, there were speculations that Bryce might join him, too, but the latter discarded the idea.
Bryce Doubts Whether He’ll Play With LeBron James in NBA
Recently, during one of his Instagram lives, while Bryce was interacting with his followers, someone asked him whether LeBron would wait to play with him before he retires. Dismissing the idea, the 17-year-old replied, “he’s gonna be 42, bro.”
I asked Bryce James if he thinks LeBron would wait for him to get drafted before retiring. His response:
Bryce has shown signs of talent like his brother and could opt for the same path. Although LeBron doesn’t have much time left on the hardwood, there remains a possibility that the two would share the same stage at one point despite his age.
The Los Angeles Lakers have faced multiple rejections in their attempts to add essential players to their roster. They recently tried to acquire Golden State Warriors guard Klay Thompson, but he rejected their offer. Thompson later agreed to an offer from the Dallas Mavericks, despite his father’s disapproval, as his father had wanted him to join the Lakers. Similarly, UConn Huskies head coach Dan Hurley rejected an offer from the Lakers to become their next head coach and chose to stay with UConn.
However, the Lakers had some success at the NBA Draft 2024, as they picked LeBron James’ son, Bronny James, as the 55th pick in the second round. Recently, the Lakers surprised everyone with some new young talent additions to the roster. The Lakers announced they have signed Blake Hinson and Armel Traore to two-way contracts.
The Lakers announce they have signed Blake Hinson and Armel Traore to two-way contracts. pic.twitter.com/Ff4c7sEsjq
“The Los Angeles Lakers have signed forwards Blake Hinson and Armel Traore to two-way contracts, it was announced today by Vice President of Basketball Operations and General Manager Rob Pelinka. Hinson will wear jersey No. 36 for the Purple and Gold, while Traore will wear No. 37. Both will suit up for the Lakers’ 2024 summer league team.” According to a recent post by NBA Insider Jovan Buha on X (formerly known as Twitter).
Lakers Fans Buzzing Over Hinson’s Game-Changing Deal
After the official press release of the Lakers’ deal, NBA fans became excited and praised the agreement on social media. Most of the fans were talking about Hinson, and they believe that Hinson’s addition will give the team a great boost, helping them clinch the championship in the next season.
Hinson started all 33 games for the University of Pittsburgh in the previous season, averaging 18.5 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 33.6 minutes per game. He also had an impressive three-point shooting percentage of 42.1%, which was the best in the ACC. His performance earned him a spot on the All-ACC First Team, as he finished third in points per game and second in 3-point field goals made among the league players. On the other hand, Traore played in 33 games for ADA Blois in the LNB Élite in France, where he averaged 10.8 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game in 25.5 minutes.
Former CBA player Ronnie Fields says Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant are better than LeBron James when asked to rank all three players.
Former CBA player Ronnie Fields was asked to rank Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant, and LeBron James on the ‘All The Smoke’ podcast. Presented with an unordered list, Fields kept his list in the same sequence, saying that Michael Jordan was the best out of the three, followed by Kobe Bryant, and then LeBron James in third.
“Oh, MJ, Kobe, Bron. [Laughs]”
Ronnie Fields was one of the most talked-about high school basketball prospects in the 1990s. He played high school basketball between 1992 to 1996 at Farragut Academy in Chicago, and even played with NBA legend Kevin Garnett during his time there. As a senior at Farragut Academy, he averaged 32.2 points, 12.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 4.5 blocked shots per game.
Fields was considered one of the best high school prospects in the country, and there was talk of him entering the NBA directly out of high school. Fields looked set to be a stand-out in the NBA, and at his young age, he would’ve found great success in the league for years to come.
A brutal car accident that injured his neck significantly altered his career. By the time he recovered, the NBA Draft was over, and no team was going to draft a player with a major neck injury. He was set to play college basketball for DePaul University in Chicago after leaving high school, but his poor academic qualifications left him ineligible to do so.
Fields would enter the 1996 Continental Basketball Association (CBA) Draft. He played for the Rockford Lightning for the first few years. Fields declared for the 1998 NBA Draft but didn’t get picked. Fields would spend the rest of his career bouncing around from the CBA (until its discontinuation), to playing in the Philippines, several teams in the United States Basketball League, Venezuela, Greece, and even Lebanon.
Fields was once expected to be a major star in the NBA, with many tipping him to enter the league directly out of high school like his teammate, Kevin Garnett. But the car accident would change the trajectory of his career and his life.
Ronnie Fields Got The Chance To Play Against Michael Jordan
In the same podcast, Ronnie Fields also talked about getting to play against Michael Jordan as he prepared to make his comeback to the NBA. Fields recalled being recruited by current NBA VP of basketball operations David Booth. Jordan made the game very difficult for him and challenged Fields to not run away from his defensive assignment.
“When he made his second comeback. This is the craziest thing… David Booth, who’s now working in the league office. He was there too, he was playing with an ABA team. They had the guys come down to hoop, shut the gym down, we’re going to play.”
“He just wanted to get some games in. I’m thinking David Booth finna go, ‘Okay you draft Mike, I’m going to grab DJ’. He’s (MJ) like, ‘No, young fella, you come guard me’… I was maybe like 20, post-accident. I watched and mirrored everything he did. So the moment, now everybody in the gym starts watching this matchup. My first thing… is just understanding his moves.”
“Okay, he can shoot over me with a fade away, so that’s the first thing I’m biting on. Realizing he still had a light dribble. So he’ll get you right on that elbow. The first thing was this (gestures), and then he turned right, hasn’t bounced the ball. So I’m like yeah, he’s going right to that fadeaway. So I go to reach and come off my feet. He steps through, one dribble, dunk.”
“Now, it’s a real game, so I got to run back down… Play come down later, he throws me a lob, back door on them. Next, you know he always, in his pick-up games he had Shelly Clarke, who set the hardest screens like (Charles) Oakley. Mike always had him with him.”
“I was like, ‘Look man, Shelly. Hey dude, this is pick-up’. He is out here dislocating dudes’ shoulders. That’s all he did – set screens and rebound, get the ball back to Mike. I end up catching the lob on the backside. So now, he’s like ‘okay’. Come back down, he catches the ball. He didn’t pass for the first 10 plays.”
“Now, you can’t get caught at all, you just got to play. So Jordan is like, ‘Hey, defend, go over the stuff’. I tried to get a switch off with David… he kept on telling me, ‘Switch back’. That was one of the times, you even heard when AI said, the Aura being around MJ, you had to be in that moment… and play. For him, it was getting runs, for us it was like practicing.”
Ronnie Fields was clearly not awestruck playing against Michael Jordan. Despite only being 20 years old, he tried to compete with the player who would’ve undoubtedly been an inspiration for him growing up in Chicago.
One can wonder what Fields’ career would have looked like had he not suffered the massive neck injury. But he seems to be at peace with where his life has gone. As long as he has his health and his peace of mind, Fields can be glad that he survived that car accident, something few others would have been able to at his age.
One of Michael Jordan‘s most important sneakers is reportedly set for a comeback after a decade-long hiatus.
Last seen in 2015, the Air Jordan 8 “Aqua” will return in 2025 according to industry insiders. The black-based style, which is accented with vibrant tones, was originally released in 1993 as part of the Tinker Hatfield-designed model’s first run. On court, it was worn by Jordan during the ‘93 NBA All-Star Game where he represented the Eastern Conference and faced off against players such as Karl Malone and John Stockton — who ultimately went on to share co-MVP honors.
Original 1993 Air Jordan 8 ‘Aqua’ Promotional Poster. Credit: Nike
The decidedly ‘90s “Aqua” look is packed with a myriad of era-specific details. The shoe boasts Bright Concord purple and Aquatone teal accents, an abstract paint stroke pattern that covers the insole, outsole and midsole and a multicolored chenille Jumpman logo on the tongue. Other features that were seen on early ‘90s sneakers are also present including an inner bootie sleeve and intersecting straps that wrap across the midfoot for stability.
Air Jordan 8 ‘Aqua’ Retro 2015 (Lateral). Credit: Nike
One of three original Air Jordan 8s, the “Aqua” style was unique in that it did not match the colors of the Chicago Bulls. Other original styles included the white “Bugs Bunny” and black “Playoffs” renditions. Due to the NBA’s uniform restrictions at the time, Jordan never wore the “Aqua” sneakers during regular season play and instead opted to lace them up during the All-Star Game. A fan favorite colorway, the “Aqua” Air Jordan 8 has received the retro treatment in 2007 and ’15. The style was repurposed for offshoot models including 2010’s Air Jordan Fusion 8 and 2012’s Jordan 8.0 and was also used on an Air Jordan 6 from 2023.
After 10 years, the Air Jordan 8 “Aqua” will be rereleased in ’25. The news comes from trusted sources including @zsneakerheadz and Sneaker Files. Retail pricing has not been confirmed, but the “Black/True Red/Iron Grey/Bright Concord/Aquatone” colorway is expected to come in its original form. For now, readers can view detailed images of the ’15 iteration below. Air Jordan 8 ‘Aqua’ Retro 2015 (Medial). Credit: Nike Air Jordan 8 ‘Aqua’ Retro 2015 (Top). Credit: Nike Air Jordan 8 ‘Aqua’ Retro 2015 (Heel). Credit: Nike Air Jordan 8 ‘Aqua’ Retro 2015 (Sole). Credit: Nike
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Air Jordan 8 ‘Aqua’ Retro 2015 (Medial). Credit: Nike
Air Jordan 8 ‘Aqua’ Retro 2015 (Top). Credit: Nike
Air Jordan 8 ‘Aqua’ Retro 2015 (Heel). Credit: Nike
Air Jordan 8 ‘Aqua’ Retro 2015 (Sole). Credit: Nike