There isn’t a better deal for gamers than Xbox Game Pass. The Microsoft-exclusive service allows players on Xbox consoles and PCs to access a huge library of games with nothing more than a subscription fee. What makes Game Pass so special, however, is that it will frequently feature brand new releases on the service alongside its huge library of current and retro titles. There is just no better bang for your buck than Game Pass, and as a result, it’s led to more and more people buying Xboxes or gaming PCs just so they can sign up for the service.
The rest of the video game world is seeing the success of Game Pass and want to get in on the fun. That includes Microsoft’s biggest competitor, Sony. The PlayStation has had its own Game Pass-esque service, PlayStation Now, for some time, but the library and quality of the service pale in comparison. Nobody buys a PlayStation for PlayStation Now, but plenty of folks buy an Xbox for Game Pass.
It stands to reason that difference led to a recent report from Bloomberg’s Jason Schreier that PlayStation is planning a new service to directly compete with Game Pass under the codename “Spartacus.”
The service, code-named Spartacus, will allow PlayStation owners to pay a monthly fee for access to a catalog of modern and classic games, said the people, who asked not to be identified because they weren’t authorized to speak to the press about the plans. The offering will likely be available on the smash hit PlayStation 4, which has sold more than 116 million units, and its elusive successor, the PlayStation 5, which launched more than a year ago but is still difficult to buy due to supply chain issues.
This would be a huge move by PlayStation for multiple reasons. For starters, this new service being available on PlayStation 4 would extend the lifespan of Sony’s previous-generation console. Not only that, but this is a clear indication that services like Game Pass are becoming a far more regular part of video games as a whole. Just like how services like Netflix changed movies and TV, we are now seeing services like Game Pass and “Spartacus” change the video game industry.
More importantly, this is a win for all of us who enjoy playing games. Services like Game Pass and this new PlayStation option are making games more accessible. We’re able to play more games at a more affordable option. It’s making older games for consoles that are hiding in our closets somewhere easier to play. All of this is great for the video game ecosystem as a whole.
Season tickets are pretty much the ideal gift for the b-ball fanatic in your life, but good seats can cost a small fortune, so what else is out there for hoops lovers this holiday season? You’d be surprised. Basketballs, basketball games, basketball-themed toys, basketball shoes, headphones that you can listen to basketball games on while you’re trying not to think about the apocalypse and society’s impending collapse — look, there are a lot of things that we hoop lovers go crazy for. We’re normal people too ya know, even though we turn into unrecognizable monsters anytime our team does … anything.
Anyway, we know that basketball fans can be picky, which is why the team over at DIME put together this streamlined but well-thought-out gift guide that is sure to appeal to the hoops lovers in your life.
BLK and Bold “The Warm Up” coffee (Eastern or Western conference)
BLK Bold
Price: $14
Every year I get certain people in my life coffee as a gift around the holidays. There’s something about interacting with the beans –– as involved as a pour-over or as automatic as a reusable Keurig cup –– that gives me a sense of place and community. It’s a forced break that leads to sensory therapy. And in the pandemic, coffee’s taken on even more importance, reminding me of those days working in shops, those quick stops in a new neighborhood, the chance to stop and look around at where I am both spiritually and physically. BLK and Bold is Black-owned, fair trade certified and gives five percent of all profits back to at-risk youth. Plus, their Warm-Up blend (which makes a dynamite cold brew) lets you rep your NBA conference of choice.
Wilson took over from long-time partner Spalding, and while players are still getting used to the new official ball, you can too. I’ve found there’s no bad time to get a basketball if you’re a hoophead; one is always wearing down, one might be left at a buddy’s place, one might have gotten lost in a move, one might be in your car’s trunk (maybe, you keep saying you’ll remember to look). And it’s always fun to play with the same ball your favorite player is shooting with.
The series has taken on a life of its own in the Neighborhood, where fans and gamers and just about everyone else can exist in a Metaverse that long predated anything Zuck was trying to do. The 2K community (and the game itself) aren’t without their challenges, but there’s no better entry point into an extremely important cross-section of fans than by playing 2K. Someone out there in your life doesn’t have this year’s game yet, and you’ll be making their holiday with this one.
There’s no better deal in gaming than Game Pass. New games are added every month, including day-one releases, and even if you pause your membership for a month or two, your saves remain when you’re ready to pick up the sticks. At $15 a month, that’s basically the cost of three new games per year, available anywhere you are, at any time. While I’m still a huge fan of physical media, Game Pass is still such a great entry point to anyone with an Xbox.
Live NBA games have a certain feel to them that’s hard to replicate. In-arena songs, player intros, promotions, PA announcer idiosyncrasies, and even colors are grounding and add to the experience. In the pandemic, some of that has been lost, especially with the Bubble and limited capacity games. But this year, with arenas flipping the switch again, the experience is largely back. Still, for folks a bit leery of big crowds, or trying to save money in an extremely difficult economic climate, the live NBA experience might not exactly be realistic. For the price of basically four tickets, food and drinks, and parking, you get an entire season of basketball — but every team — and the highest tier League Pass sub even gets you the in-arena cam during timeouts and halftime. While the league really needs to find a way to do something about blackout rules (it’s 2021, rights issues need to go away forever), firing up a late night Memphis-Blazers game when Ja and Dame are going at it, or checking in on Giannis as he’s got a triple-double, or tuning into Steph when he’s supernova, is so powerful.
Recovery has become everything to athletes. And the percussive massage trend is real, portable, convenient, and a lot more comfortable than foam rolling. There are plenty of options on the market, but if you’ve got the cash, skip the Amazon knockoffs and opt for the GO from Hyperice, which is a cheaper price point than their heavy-duty professional series. You trade away some functionality (including the bluetooth controls), but get an extremely light and quiet tool you can toss in a bag and take with you anywhere. Trust me, your muscles will thank you.
Just in time for Spotify Wrapped season, a solid pair of portable, powerful headphones with strong battery life are never a bad call. The Studio Buds earbuds turned the corner beyond the brand’s non-overear options (with adaptive noise cancelation and Dolby Atmos), and the Fit Pros take that a step further by locking in place a bit better with a small strap that harkens back to the Powerbeats Pros (which are great for running, but are a bit bulky for consistent portability in case). Whatever the soundtrack of your day is, on court, at home, or in transit, having headphones with you all the time can allow you to get lost in the music (or a podcast), something we can’t get enough of in a chaotic world.
The Funko Pop craze touches just about all genres, from comics to movies. And now you can get his Airness himself — on your desk, in your car, or anywhere you need to crack a smile. Plus it’s a lot less creepy than that Elf on the Shelf.
Jordan releases are a year-round occasion, and while battling the SNKRS app is its own form of torture, if you’re lucky and can get the ‘Got ‘Em’ screen grab, the Cool Grey 11s would be a huge win. 11s go with just about anything and are an iconic silhouette, and the Cool Grey colorway couldn’t be more classic. If you miss those, the Bubble Gum 1s drop on Dec. 22 and absolutely rule.
They’re comfy, they can be worn year-round, they work as well running to the store as running a 10k, and they go with everything. Athleisure is here to stay, and Lulu is the cream of the crop when it comes to materials, functionality, and style. Everyone needs a good set of joggers.
Mindfulness is something you can’t force. But not everyone has time (or the budget) to attend guided meditations, much less hire a coach. With so many things competing for our attention, our phones constantly push notifying us with bad news, or gaslighting us to buy more things, it’s sometimes good to remember the phone is a tool — and a mirror — and it can still offer hope and clarity. Calm has a meditation for every situation, including sleep stories with LeBron himself, and when you press play you can set the phone aside and just be present for a minute or an hour, whatever you have. It may seem daunting at first, but it’s a great place to start.
Confidence isn’t something that’s difficult for Los Angeles singer-songwriter Sunni Colon to conjure. He knows he’s talented but isn’t overly verbose about it. It’s refreshing for an artist to find what feels like a balance of boastfulness and humility. Plus, it doesn’t come without a level of credibility — with a degree in civil engineering from California State University, Long Beach, Sunni is able to use his understanding of space to serve as an architect for multimedia world-building.
Sunni thinks of himself as more than just a musician — he’s also an artist, a film director, and an innovator. Amongst collaboration credits with artists like Kaytranada and SebastiAn, Sunni has also contributed his signature silky ’70s R&B vibe to the soundtracks for TV shows and films like Insecure, Dear White People, and HBO’s Ballers. “The dream for me was to be in this position right now,” Sunni told Uproxx while on set for his photoshoot as a part of The Next 9 by Porsche. “My biggest dream, as a musician, is to be the greatest musician of all time. And it doesn’t have to be now, while I’m alive. It can be once I’m transported to another place. Five years from today, hopefully, I can put other people in [similar] positions.”
To get into the creative headspace, Sunni makes a point to talk to someone he admires every day, whether that be a friend, his parents, or one of his siblings. Finding inspiration from other individuals has enabled and empowered Sunni to branch out from music into other artist spaces, including film and graphic design. He even started a design agency in 2017 called Testu with a mission to create enveloping and immersive soundscape experiences. “I do love design,” he explains. “I love being able to be innovative, and inspire other folks by their viewpoint of design, break rules, and show other approaches to design and creation.”
All of these seemingly disparate influences both inform and work in tandem with one another to create a singular Sunni Colon universe.
Sunni’s multifaceted creative approach lends itself perfectly to his inclusion amongst these other innovators and trailblazers in The Next 9. It’s not difficult to picture someone listening to Sunni’s music while driving a Porsche, but it’s also not difficult to understand how Sunni the artist thinks about his work in a similar way to Porsche designers think about their own work. “I love Porsche,” he notes, excitedly. “I feel like we live on parallel planes as far as what they’ve been standing for since the beginning of the automotive industry. I think Porsche has always been about legacy and longevity, originality. Porsche has always been innovative. They’ve always created literally the best sports cars in the world. And in my industry, I strive to do the same.”
Listening to Sunni Colon’s music and engaging with his visual work, it’s clear to see that he is working toward a North Star, one that will continue to elevate the singer-songwriter.
“I want my legacy to be that I’ve always been the individual that I am always been, staying original to what I want to do.”
For more on The Next 9 series, check out our hub page.
Love Actually is part of the Christmas movie canon (even though it’s not very good), and the film’s most memorable moment involves Keira Knightley, Andrew Lincoln in his pre-Rick Grimes era, and a bunch of notecards. The scene has been parodied a million times, including by Saturday Night Live, Dua Lipa, and Gritty, and it also inspired a “creepy” encounter between Knightley and an overzealous fan of the romantic-comedy.
“I did actually get stuck in traffic once and someone in the car next to me did the whole sign thing,” the actress told Yahoo! Entertainment while discussing Love Actually‘s legacy. “It was quite creepy, but it was also quite [laughs]… It was a bit awkward being stuck in traffic next it. But it was also quite sweet, there was nothing [scary].” Knightley added, “[It was] creepy, yeah [laughs]. I mean, it would have been much better if I could have just driven straight off, but I couldn’t. We were very much stuck there for awhile.”
Knightley should have responded to the fan with a notecard that read, “To Me, You Are Creepy.” It’s what Lincoln probably would have done.
“He is a stalker,” the actor said about his character. “That was my question to [director] Richard Curtis, ‘Do you not think we’re sort of borderline stalker territory here?’ And he said, ‘No, no. Not with you playing it, darling. You’ll be alright.’” Richard Curtis was wrong (not for the first time, either).
“We really pissed off tens of thousands of white supremacists with our new show #SantaInc which is now available on HBOMAX!” Rogen, who voices Santa in the eight-episode series, tweeted, adding, “Please read the responses to this tweet for confirmation.” You should absolutely not do that, because here’s what you’ll find:
It must be such a comforting notion for the Hollywood Elite to be able write off literally any response to the things they create that is slightly not to their worldview as “White Supremacy” every single time https://t.co/vT8vv2BHo9
There are only a few professional reviews of Santa Inc. out there, but the ones that do exist are not exactly positive (“In elevating itself above its subject matter, Santa Inc. ends up feeling dour and heavy, a televised lump of coal,” reads the Variety review). But it’s hard to believe that the show is “three percent on Rotten Tomatoes”-level bad, considering the talent involved. There is likely some level of review-bombing afoot.
“What happens when you get together 2 of Hollywood’s most disliked actors? This monstrosity. I must admit, I did not watch the whole series, but I saw enough to beg able to review it,” reads one of the top reviews on IMDb. “What is wrong with Hollywood? Seriously, I just dont get it. Why must politics be brought into EVERYTHING today? Why must race be brought into EVERYTHING today? Today’s generation has enough issues to deal with….but the media and Hollywood are making them even worse.” The Rotten Tomatoes reviews are equally full of words like “Hollywood” and “woke.”
Silverman also tweeted about the response to Santa Inc.:
For all those who say Jews are white (yes, white Jews experience white privilege often for sure) search “Santa Inc Jews” on this app and see what THESE white people think https://t.co/udTXikBQTU
Through the first 18 games of his career, Scottie Barnes took 19 threes and knocked down five of them. Over his past three games, he’s taken 21 long balls and connected on ten. Reportedly, that shift is partly the result of Toronto Raptors head coach Nick Nurse encouraging the tantalizing rookie to let it fly from deep more often.
As Fred VanVleet views that dynamic, Barnes’ willingness to heed said advice indicates Barnes possesses the most important traits for improvement.
“I think it just speaks to being accountable and being coachable, and that’s part of the thing that you don’t really talk about a lot,” he said. “We are very pampered, spoiled guys and we make a lot of money, and everybody in our world is telling us how great we are, but sometimes, you gotta have people to tell you the truth and you’ve gotta be able to accept that.”
“Whether that’s Nick pulling him after he threw a crazy behind-the-back pass or telling to shoot more, he steps up and he looks like he’s been shooting all his life. … Being accountable and being coachable, and that’s the best way to improve.”
Fred VanVleet: “We are very pampered, spoiled guys, and we make a lot of money, and everybody in our world is telling us how great we are. But sometimes you gotta have people to tell you the truth, and you’ve gotta be able to accept that.” (via @raptors) pic.twitter.com/sDLjUdeGoT
VanVleet’s growth curve during his NBA tenure is starkly impressive, so clearly, he’s well-versed in what’s required to improve in this league and with the Raptors organization. Barnes is off to a tremendous start in his career and looks as though he’s already adding parts to his game and is receptive to coaching to become even better.
The HBO dramedy series Insecure has offered a wealth of beautiful new music thanks to its soundtrack curated by show creator/star Issa Rae, with each season featuring tunes from R&B and hip-hop’s bounty of rising stars. The current season is the fifth and final one of the show, but it’s keeping that proud tradition alive, offering tracks like Mereba’s “Glock Peaceful,” Saweetie’s “Get It Girl,” and now, Thundercat’s moody “Satellite” featuring avant-garde pop songwriter Genevieve Artadi and instrumentalist Louis Cole, collectively known as (ahem) Knower.
It’s a groovy track shot through with an undercurrent of melancholy, which makes it a perfect representation of the show’s final season. While Thundercat sings “it’s gonna be alright,” there’s a strain to both his delivery and the counterpoint offered by the ghostly production that suggests a strong, unspoken “but.” The show’s characters are certainly feeling this way now — Issa’s BLOCC business is finally flourishing but that brings its own array of complications. And although Molly’s found her footing at her law firm, she’s still looking for love — on her terms — while dealing with her aging parents’ failing health and the need to be their hypercompetent hero. Then, there’s Lawrence.
Anyway, listen to Thundercat’s “Satellite” above and catch the final season of Insecure Sundays on HBO.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
After teasing Magic Mike fans last month, HBO Max has finally whipped out the full trailer for Finding Magic Mike, a new reality competition series from executive producers Channing Tatum and Steven Soderbergh. While the original Magic Mike and director will remain behind the scenes, Adam Rodriguez, who starred in the first film and its sequel Magic Mike: XXL, will be handling hosting duties. Joining him will be guests Whitney Cummings, Nicole Scherzinger, and Nikki Glaser (who is getting used to working with muscle bound dudes thanks to her stint on FBoy Island).
In the new trailer for Finding Magic Mike, the contestants put it all out there not just from the waist down, but emotionally and physically as well. The dance routines are no joke — despite the presence of the top female comedians — and the trailer makes it clear that not landing a move just right can have dangerous results. Channing Tatum (who will soon appear in Magic Mike’s Last Dance) made it look easy on the big screen, but these fellas are about to find out that having a tight six-pack isn’t even half the battle.
Here’s the official logline:
Ten regular guys who have “lost their magic” are put through the paces of a Magic Mike Live bootcamp, baring their souls – and more – as they learn to perform sexy and daring dance routines with one being crowned the real Magic Mike. The winner will pocket a cash prize.
Finding Magic Mike will work its abs all over HBO Max on December 16.
Neil Olshey‘s tenure as the general manager and president of basketball operations for the Portland Trail Blazers has come to an end. The team announced on Friday afternoon that the previously-announced independent investigation into “concerns and complaints around our workplace environment at the practice facility” had come to an end, and because of its findings, Olshey had been immediately terminated.
The team stressed that it would not discuss the findings of the investigation “out of respect for those who candidly participated,” and announced that director of player personnel Joe Cronin will take the reins as general manager in the interim as the franchise works to find a permanent replacement. Jake Fischer of Bleacher Report indicated that a pair of former NBA players who have made the transition to working in front offices are among those who will be considered for the role.
While Joe Cronin has been promoted to Portland’s interim general manager, two names circulating as potential longterm replacements atop the Trail Blazers basketball operations: Grizzlies executive Tayshaun Prince and Spurs executive Brent Barry.
A bombshell report by Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports indicated that the franchise was going to authorize an investigation due to “10 years of mistreatment leading to mental and physical stress” by Olshey, which led to a toxic work environment under his watch. After starting his front office career with the Los Angeles Clippers, Olshey joined the Portland Trail Blazers as the franchise’s general manger ahead of the 2012 NBA season.
In June this year, Polo G earned his first-ever no. 1 album with Hall Of Fame, his third studio album featuring appearances from The Kid Laroi, Lil Wayne, Roddy Ricch, Young Thug, and more. Today, a little under six months later, he’s followed up with the deluxe edition, Hall Of Fame 2.0, looking to extend the shelf life of his hit album through the end of the year.
To mark the release, he’s also dropped the Ryan Lynch-directed video for “Young N Dumb,” one of the 14 new tracks that appear on the deluxe edition. In the video, Polo and his crew visit fallen friends at the cemetery and share an introspective walk on the beach.
Along with “Young N Dumb,” the new version of the album also includes the Michael Jackson-sampling “Bad Man (Smooth Criminal)” and the NLE Choppa-featuring “Jumpin.” The new tracks also include appearances from Lil Baby, Lil Tjay, Moneybagg Yo, and YungLiV, marking reunions for Polo with both Lil Baby, with whom he released “3 Headed Goat” last year alongside Lil Durk, and Lil Tjay, who appeared on Polo’s breakout 2019 single “Pop Out.”
Watch Polo G’s “Young N Dumb” video above.
Hall Of Fame 2.0 is out now via Columbia Records. You can stream it here.
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