Month: January 2021

Things were already plenty weird for MyPillow founder and spokesperson Mike Lindell. A ride-or-die Trump supporter, he’d not only spread lies involving election fraud, he even went to the White House during his final days, ready to pitch the idea of martial law. Then there was this: Last week a rumor spread that he’d been involved in a secret relationship with 30 Rock actress Jane Krakowski. Lindell denied the rumor, even threatening a lawsuit. Now Krakowski has denied it, too, though she took a slightly more lighthearted path.

A rep for the actress reached out to People with a jokey response to the Mad Libs-y rumor. “Jane has never met Mr. Lindell. She is not and has never been in any relationship with him, romantic or otherwise,” the rep said. “She is, however, in full-fledged relationships with Brad Pitt, Regé-Jean Page and Kermit the Frog and welcomes any and all coverage on those.”

So there you have it. Of course, being romantically linked to a famous actress is the least of Lindell’s problems right now. Not only is his favorite president out of a job and, almost certainly, both economically and legally doomed, he may also be the target of a massive lawsuit from Dominion voting machines, who were the target of some of his election fraud lies. What’s more, his pricey pillows have been dropped by Bed, Beth and Beyond. Krakowski, meanwhile, seems to be doing just fine.

(Via People)

Larry King, the prolific interviewer of everyone from politicians to UFO “experts,” has died, according to The New York Times. He was 87 years old. The cause of death is currently unknown, although he had recently been hospitalized after testing positive for COVID-19.

A native Brooklynite, King began his career in Florida, where he was a local radio interviewer and sportscaster. He rose to prominence in the late ’70s, when he hosted an all-night, coast-to-cast radio interview call-in show. In 1985 he started hosting his most famous program: Larry King Live, CNN’s longest-running and highest-rated show. He also had a prolific movie career, albeit almost always playing himself, starting with Ghostbusters — which predated Larry King Live by a year — and including Dave, Contact, and Bulworth.

It’s estimated King interviewed half a million people over the show’s 25 years, including every president from Richard Nixon on. (It was on his show that business magnate Ross Perot announced his candidacy for the 1992 presidential election.) He was at least as fascinating as his guests, if not moreso: He was married eight times, twice to the same woman, and he was a chronic gambler who twice declared bankruptcy. What’s more, it’s claimed that he never prepared for interviews. He just asked questions.

(Via The New York Times)

Two days ago, Virgil Abloh unveiled his latest menswear collection for Louis Vuitton with a cinematic runway show that combines poetry, hip-hop, and next-level fits captured in cinematography that conjures a Tarantino film (there’s even a mysterious suitcase that we never learn the full contents of). The Fall/Winter 2021 collection, dubbed “E B O N I C S” consists mostly of formalwear, with suits, jackets, boots, and reflective accessories dominating, and a couple of pieces that are clearly conceptual. Unless Abloh actually envisions a world where people walk through the airport with airplane shaped bags, which isn’t out of the realm of possibility.

The collection was presented via an experimental fifteen-minute film titled Peculiar Contrast, Perfect Light that opens with iconic poet and rapper Saul Williams roaming through the pristine Swiss Alps as he delivers a free form poetic verse over cascading waves of harp strings with heavy allusions to James Baldwin’s seminal “Stranger in the Village,” musing about Black identity in a white space, itself an allusion to Abloh’s own position as the artistic director of Louis Vuitton.

Peculiar Contrast, Perfect Light consists of three main acts: the opening scenes in the Alps with Williams, who we follow into Paris’ Tennis Club where the rest of the collection is revealed, a beautiful interlude with artful choreography with words by poet and activist Kai-Isaiah Jamal (who also appears in the film), and finally an explosive third act that puts Yasiin Bey (Mos Def) center stage where his trademark spacey vocals weave through flows both old and new.

“Usually I have run-on sentences for days but today I don’t,” Abloh revealed on his Instagram ahead of the launch, “my whole being has been poured out into this film here.” It’s really quite the presentation and, on top of all of that, it’s legitimately Abloh’s best Louis Vuitton collection from a streetwear POV. Period.

For any Abloh haters out there who have felt the superstar has lost his touch since “The Ten” and the early days of Off-White, we implore you: watch the film. You can see the whole thing above and, whatever you think it is, it’s certainly not without big ideas or creative vision — two aspects that can go missing in Abloh’s designs when he’s rushed.

It’s been almost a year since Pop Smoke’s tragically died at 20 after being shot multiple times during a home invasion. Still mourning the death of their son, Pop Smoke’s parents Aubrey and Greg Jackson have joined an organization committed to ending gun violence.

Teaming up with the non-profit youth organization I Will Graduate, the Jacksons shared a tear-jerking statement about how gun violence has impacted their lives:

“On February 19th at 4 a.m., a gun was used to take my son from me. You know him as Pop Smoke, we call him Shar. Because of gun violence, I’ll never see my son run of the front of our steps, taking them two at a time. He won’t ever take my hands again and dance with me. He won’t come into my room and muscle-pose in the mirror. Gun violence destroys families. It must stop.”

Speaking in a statement about getting Pop Smoke’s parents involved, I Will Graduate executive director/co-founder Tonya Lewis Taylor said: “We needed to get our youth’s attention fast and saw Pop Smoke’s polarizing music, life and death as a catalyst for positive change. We reached out to his parents who wanted to honor their son’s legacy by participating in the video. We want the youth to considerably weigh the cost of their actions. There is no going back after that trigger is pulled. One moment of anger creates a lifetime of pain and anguish for the loved ones left behind.”

Watch the heartfelt PSA above.

Steph Curry didn’t become the greatest shooter of all-time by sleepwalking his way through his workouts. In fact, his pre-game warm-up routines and training videos have become a big part of his mythology during his career. Curry is as dedicated a worker as you’ll find in the NBA.

And being that the Warriors are located in the heart of Silicon Valley, it’s no surprise that he and others might turn to innovative techniques that you might not find elsewhere around the league. Take, for example, this one workout routine that Curry and his trainer have employed to help bolster his conditioning and recovery.

If you’ve often marveled at Curry’s seemingly endless energy reserves, as he weaves his way around multiple screens to try and get open looks, then you’re certainly not alone. Many a defender have found themselves winded and depleted trying to keep up. There’s apparently a good reason why he can maintain that type of pace, and it has to do with training his body to slow his heart-rate during and between possessions.

Via David Fleming of ESPN:

Curry’s second wind comes from his ability to rapidly lower his heart rate during short breaks, even in the middle of games. It’s something he trains his body to do. Once he’s out of breath at the end of most workouts, Curry lies on his back, and Payne, his trainer, places sandbag weights below his rib cage in order to overload, and train, Curry’s diaphragm.

Through conditioning and breathing techniques like this, Curry can often coax his heart rate below 80 during one 90-second timeout. But here, when he goes flat-footed, straightens his back and flops his hands at his side as if to signal, I’m done, I give up, it’s mostly a decoy. And it works. Because at this point, after chasing Curry nonstop all over the court, most defenders are begging for even a hint at a break. Do you ever stop? They often whisper to Curry. It’s the best compliment he can get from an opponent, Curry says, even better than praise for his shooting. You’re wearing me out. Stand still for a f—ing second.

Curry and the Warriors have been surprisingly not terrible in the early going of the season, and much of it has to do, of course, with Curry working his way back into form as one of the league’s most lethal scorers. At 8-7 for the year, the Warriors are keeping their postseason hopes alive, for now, and much of that will continue to rest on his shoulders as he tries to carry the burden of a young and undermanned team trying to stay relevant and build for the future.

(ESPN)

When it comes to the greatest scoring performances in NBA history, two names stand head and shoulders above the rest. The first is Wilt Chamberlain, whose 100-point outburst might never be replicated in our lifetime. The second, of course, is Kobe Bryant, whose 81-point explosion against the Raptors will go down as one of the centerpieces of a career decorated by so many legendary moments.

Friday marks the 15th anniversary of Kobe’s 81 points, made all the more bittersweet by the fact that it now comes just a few short days before the one-year anniversary of his tragic death, along with his daughter Gigi and several others, in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles.

To help celebrate the second-greatest individual scoring performance ever, who better to turn to than the man who was on the receiving end of most of those points, Jalen Rose. Thankfully, Rose has developed a healthy perspective on it over the years, saying on several occasions that he’s simply honored to have been a part of history and grateful for the friendship that was eventually forged between the two competitors.

Earlier in the video, Rose describes Kobe’s demeanor on that fateful night, as he’s done many times before, saying that Kobe was a silent assassin and didn’t engage in any trash talking or chest thumping as he went about his business of eviscerating the Raptors defense.

The entire interview is well worth the listen, as Rose talks about his friendship with Kobe over the years, starting with the very first pick-up games they played together after the Lakers first drafted him as a wily teenager and what it was like being young and trying to carve their way amidst the glitz and glamour of the NBA.

Credit to Rose for his ongoing celebration of Kobe’s accomplishment, despite being at his own expense. The way he’s embraced it over the years says a lot about his character and helps neutralize the sting he might normally feel if it were something that still got under his skin. Instead, he gets to partake in the joy of one of the greatest moments of an NBA legend who is gone far too soon.

Just before Trump left office, he pardoned or commuted 143 prison sentences. A handful of musicians were on Trump’s list, including Kodak Black and Lil Wayne. But thanks to the lobbying efforts of Snoop Dogg, Death Row Records’ co-founder Michael “Harry-O” Harris was also pardoned by the former president. Harris was released from prison this week and he had a heartwarming reunion with Snoop.

Celebrating Harris’ release, Snoop shared a heartwarming photo of the two back together. Along with thanking Trump, Snoop wrote: “Welcome home big o. Bossangelos boss bac home wit da dogg.”

Ahead of their official reunion, Snoop shared his appreciation of Trump’s pardon in a statement to The New York Post. “That’s great work for the president and his team on the way out,” he said. “They did some great work while they was in there and they did some great work on their way out. Let them know that I love what they did.” Along with praising the administration, Snoop also gave a friendly shout-out to activists Alice Johnson and Weldon Angelos, who he first contacted about Harry-O’s pardon.

Check out Snoop and Harris’ reunion above.

Kodak Black is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Marcus Smart is a master in the dark arts of the grift. It’s a sound strategy on his part because officials oftentimes fall for it, but earlier this week, it got him in some hot water when he accused Joel Embiid of flailing on the floor. No, he didn’t get in trouble, but Embiid straight up could not believe that Marcus Smart, of all people, would make that accusation.

The two sides faced off again on Friday night in the City of Brotherly Love, and in the first quarter of the game, Smart tried to get back at Embiid by embellishing a little contact in a big, big way. It did not work, but Embiid seemed to remember Smart’s accusation, as he took a half-second before pushing the ball up the floor to acknowledge what happened.

Then, in one of the funniest moments of the season, the Celtics called a timeout and the two met up at midcourt, wrapping their arms around one another and talking things through.

Listen, I watch a lot of sports, and I can safely say I have never seen two basketball players have this sort of very pleasant, very cordial conversation after one guy accused the other guy of flopping, then the other guy said he’s being a hypocrite, and then when they played again two days later, the guy who made the accusation flops this blatantly in the first quarter of a game. Yes that is a hyper-specific scenario, but hey, at least Embiid and Smart made it come to fruition and it was very funny.

Basically everything involving the MyPillow Guy, Mike Lindell, is weird these days. Lindell, who spent Donald Trump’s last Friday in office potentially plotting a last-minute attempt to somehow keep Donald Trump in power, has gone off the deep end into wild voter fraud conspiracy theories that have put him in the crosshairs of a lawsuit. But apparently the fervent Trump supporter has a very different lawsuit in mind thanks to another strange story from earlier in the week.

Amid the stories about MyPillow losing deals with various retailers over the embarrassing antics of Lindell was a report from the Daily Mail claiming that Lindell was involved in a secret relationship with 30 Rock and Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt actress Jane Krakowski. The logistics of that all seemed pretty strange, as did the actual pairing of a die-hard Trump supporter and an actress who has not professed that the 2020 presidential election was stolen by a cabal of conspirators working in perfect harmony against Trump.

Fittingly, Lindell denied the relationship’s existence. And now according to a report, he’d like to sue the paper who claimed the relationship existed. According to the Daily Beast, Lindell claimed he has contacted a prominent media attorney and will sue the Daily Mail for the “hit piece” on the nonexistent relationship.

“Charles Harder is the attorney,” Lindell confirmed in a brief interview on Friday evening. “I never met this lady in my life and have never been to West Village and the Hamptons, where they said I was in the hit piece.”

Lindell added: “They’ve done so much damage to my reputation… I’m not just going for a demand letter or a retraction, I want to go after them with a lawsuit because they have damaged my integrity as a Christian and my network to help addicts everywhere.” He said that he has already discussed this with Harder, who he’s just retained, and said that the lawyer was working on the legal paperwork.

Lindell said he believed the Mail story to be another “hit job” that was written because he “won’t let up on the…machine election fraud,” regarding the Trump-Biden presidential election.

Harder is known for a number of lawsuits, most notable a successful one representing Hulk Hogan in a lawsuit against the website Gawker. Lindell has claimed many things in recent months, almost none of them true, so we’ll have to wait and see if he’s serious about his lawsuit or not. But despite a report about the “passionate” affair that was called an “open secret” in the West Village of Manhattan, both parties seem intent to deny it ever happened. And Lindell seems willing to go to court to protect his “integrity as a Christian.”

[via The Daily Beast]

The defending champion Los Angeles Lakers have to be feeling pretty good about things at the moment. At 12-4 on the season, they currently hold the best record in the NBA, and they’ve won eight out of their last 12 games. All the while, LeBron James, at age 36, continues to build a strong case as a leading MVP candidate.

In fact, things have been going so well that you might be forgiven for not noticing the way Anthony Davis has struggled of late — according to his own lofty standards. Davis has been held under 20 points in the last five contests, which marks his lowest-scoring stretch since joining the Lakers. He’s also shot below 40 percent from the field in those games and a paltry 63 percent from the free throw line.

His comments came on the heels of a win over the Bucks on Thursday night, during which he shot 8-for-18 from the field and converted just two of his five foul shots. When speaking to reporters after the game, Davis didn’t pull any punches about his performances in recent outings.

Via Dave McMenamin of ESPN:

“Right now, to be hard on myself, man, I think I suck right now,” Davis said after finishing with 18 points, 9 rebounds, 6 assists and 2 blocks. “I’m not making shots. I’m not making free throws. But I think tonight my aggressiveness, just being a [post-up threat] and getting to the paint, allowed guys to get open.”

Still, that self-assessment undersells the impact of his play-making, as he assisted on three crunch-time three-pointers to help seal the victory against Milwaukee. In general, this mostly serves to put the rest of the league on notice. If the Lakers are playing this well with Davis logging subpar stats, it’s a scary thought how good they can be when Davis is playing at his peak.

(ESPN)