The Miami Heat find themselves with a 2-0 series lead against the Philadelphia 76ers in the Eastern Conference Semifinals after winning a pair of games in which Joel Embiid did not play. Embiid took an elbow to the face in the final game of Philly’s first round series against the Toronto Raptors, which caused an orbital fracture and a concussion.
The hope has been that Embiid, who is also dealing with a torn right thumb ligament, would be able to clear concussion protocol and suit up for Friday night’s Game 3, the series’ first in Philadelphia. After originally being listed as out earlier in the day despite clearing the protocol, Embiid was upgraded to doubtful around lunchtime. And after Chris Haynes of Yahoo Sports reported that Embiid intended to go prior to his warmup, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Embiid is, indeed, going to play.
Philadelphia 76ers star Joel Embiid will warm up momentarily with the intention of returning tonight in Game 3 against the Miami Heat, league sources tell @NBAonTNT, @YahooSports.
Sixers star Joel Embiid will return for Game 3 vs. Miami tonight, sources tell ESPN. Doc Rivers said he could be limited in minutes, because of minimal conditioning in the past week.
Doc Rivers has elected to start DeAndre Jordan in the first two games of the series, a decision which has come under heavy scrutiny as the Heat have made it a point to go at the veteran center. While going to Paul Reed and playing small ball have both had their benefits for the Sixers, neither option can match having Embiid on the floor, assuming he is not so physically compromised that he’s unable to contribute.
Game 3 between the Sixers and Heat is scheduled to tip off at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN.
Are we having fun yet? I don’t know about you, but I keep finding myself wanting to yell, “SOMEBODY STOP THIS THING—I WANNA GET OFF!” All of these ups and downs and roundy rounds are making me queasy, I gotta tell you. And that last drop was a doozy.
While we’re wondering what lies on the other side of the next climb or around the next corner, let’s close our eyes and take stock of what else is happening. Smell the buttered popcorn and funnel cakes in the air. Feel the warm sun on our face and wind in our hair. Be grateful for the friend in the seat beside us, holding our hand as we scream on the descents and laugh on the straightaways.
We can’t control or predict everything. But we can choose to find some good amid the chaos.
If you’re struggling with the ride and having a hard time finding the good in the moment, this list won’t fix everything. But maybe it’ll give you a little reprieve and bring a smile to your face a few times. And maybe, for now, that’s enough.
May we all be as jaunty and jovial in our years as this awesome auntie.
I went to discharge a toddler from the hospital and found a medical student in the room carefully bandaging her owl stuffy who had a u201cbroken wingu201d. He left the toddler clear u201cstuffy care instructionsu201d and some stickers. nnThe future of medicine is bright
Aw. After the hell that healthcare workers have been through the past two years, it’s lovely to see such a pure, sweet hope coming from the medical field.
Little boy sees his mom coming down the aisle, and adorableness ensues.
The way he looks for her and the way his face lights up when he sees her. A perfect walk down the aisle.
A boy in Kansas sent off a note attached to balloons. A man in Quebec found them.
Incredibly, Reid Habbert’s bunch of balloons traveled more than 1,800 miles with a note attached asking whoever found them to contact him. Cree hunter David Longchap found them on the traditional lands of the Cree nation in Quebec, Canada, and a beautiful cultural exchange resulted. Read the full story here.
This boys’ school marimba band is nothing but sheer joy.
Blue Jays fan caught a homer and immediately gave it to a young Yankees fan.
Blue Jays fans are the best. Judge hit a homer, Blue Jays fan caught it and without thinking gave the ball to the little kid whou2019s a Yankees fan who was also wearing a Judge t-shirt. There are good people out there. #NextLevel #RepBXpic.twitter.com/oF9Ks41fqU
Have you heard of Buddy the cat? Buddy’s story has a little bit of everything: narrowly avoiding death, making the ultimate comeback, and sharing his miracle to save others.
Once upon a time, Buddy was just your average neighborhood feline. The Philly street cat would traipse around the block winning hearts wherever he’d roam. Until one day, a couple teenage boys sicced their two dogs on the poor guy. A surveillance camera caught the brutal attack, and eventually a man came to the rescue.
From there, things looked bleak. Buddy was already bleeding internally and had a heart rate nearly twice what it should have been by the time he reached the BluePearl emergency veterinary facility. The vets didn’t know if he’d make it through.
The video has since been taken down due to its graphic content, but not before going viral. It wasn’t long before the Pennsylvania SPCA received a flood of inquiries, messages, and donations of money and cat treats. And not just from Philadelphia, or the United States, for that matter. The Philadelphia Inquirer reported Buddy receiving donations from Europe, Asia, and Australia. People around the globe were rooting for his recovery.
Not only did Buddy pull through, he received a whopping $100,000. PSPCA spokeswoman Gillian Kocher told the Inquirer “this is the biggest outpouring of support we have had for a single animal in the last decade. There is nothing that comes close to it.”
With all that money left over, the PSPCA was able to create a Buddy Fund to help care for other abused animals, including medical care and prosecuting their offenders (thankfully, Buddy’s attackers ended up turning themselves in.)
Buddy doesn’t seem to mind parting with the cash. He’s purrfectly happy helping others while lounging on his white blankie.
The PSPCA even made adorable t-shirts and stickers that say “Save Every Buddy.” The t-shirts alone have raised over $30,000. This kitty’s popularity just won’t stop.
As for Buddy, he’s living up his second life in luxury. He went home for foster care with Katie Venanzi, the BluePearl vet who took care of him the night of the incident on April 1. But according to Audacy, Vananzi hopes to make Buddy a permanent family member.
Check out this adorable photo of Buddy snuggling up next to his new brother Teddy.
Even after finding his new home, it looks like Buddy will remain a social media star. He has a loyal audience who regularly read his blog and eagerly await his videos–which are always a hit, even though it’s usually just him playing with his toys. The PSPCA jokingly complains that they can’t go longer than a day without some kind of Buddy post.
He even receives fan mail, which goes straight to a dedicated bulletin board.
Kocher told the Inquirer, “Everyone is very invested in this cat. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. I could post his left ear, and people would go crazy about it.” She thinks it’s for the hope he instills in others. “Out of something pretty horrible can come so much good. Despite bad things happening, there is still so much good in the world.”
Buddy’s story might have begun with tragedy, but kindness and compassion won in the end. We are so happy this kitty has not only survived, but is thriving and inspiring.
I learned about the Tulsa Massacre in graduate school and upon learning about it, I thought my previous education had failed me, but I learned it wasn’t just me. Turns out that most students didn’t learn about the history of Tulsa’s Black Wall Street and the atrocities that occurred to set the residents back. Surprisingly, even students in Oklahoma didn’t learn about what happened in the bustling, prosperous Black community in 1921. Just over 100 years ago, an angry white mob descended on Tulsa’s Greenwood District, the small Black community that had amassed wealth in the short 56 years following the Emancipation Proclamation being signed. The community was entirely self-sufficient with their own barber shop, bank, grocery store, newspaper and school. There were even doctors and real estate agents within the community, which allowed them to exist without the need to depend on others outside the community.
When the mob came to town, they burned the entire community to the ground and killed around 300 people, historians surmised. The city lay in ruins for years as the state focused on building up the more predominantly white areas and refused to allocate resources. Insurance companies refused to pay out claims to rebuild the once thriving community. Residents of Greenwood felt the effects of this for generations. Today there are three surviving members of Black Wall Street, Lessie Benningfield Randle, 107, Viola Fletcher, 107, and Hughes Van Ellis, 101 and a judge just ruled that their lawsuit seeking reparations can proceed.
This is a huge victory for the three surviving victims because not only will they see justice in their lifetime, it would finally be monetary recognition of the generational setbacks Black people endured. Reparations is always a prickly subject to delve into, but this is because we’ve been told our entire lives: if you want to make it in America, everyone has the same opportunity to pull themselves up by their bootstraps. As a result, people feel that descendants of the enslaved, including the last three Tulsa Massacre survivors, are getting something undeserved without work.
Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee is in Tulsa at the court house with Tulsa Greenwood Massacre survivors, all of whom are over 100 years old, to seek reparative justice. The House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on this very legal theory.pic.twitter.com/h3XEul2GST
— Sheila Jackson Lee (@Sheila Jackson Lee) 1651526127
Reparations is something that was promised from the beginning to help level the playing field a bit and if you’re living in this market you know that property is an investment and a way to create generational wealth. Enslaved African Americans were promised up to 40 acres of land per family upon being freed but the land was ordered to be returned by Andrew Johnson, Lincoln’s successor. Returning the land allowed white citizens and slave owners the ability to continue to create generational wealth, the effects of which can still be felt today. There have been other instances that play into the racial wealth gap in America like redlining, Jim Crow, mass incarceration, etc., so the possibility of at least the survivors getting reparations is a reason to celebrate.
If the three elderly Tulsa Massacre survivors win their case, it will not only provide reparations for them, but for their descendants as well. Civil rights attorney Damario Solomon-Simmons told the Associated Press, “We want them to see justice in their lifetime,” he said, choking back tears. “I’ve seen so many survivors die in my 20-plus years working on this issue. I just don’t want to see the last three die without justice. That’s why the time is of the essence.”
The court room was packed and cheers echoed in the chambers when the judge ruled the case could move forward. Winning this case would not only be justice for the survivors but a positive moment in history to witness.
First off, I’d like to apologize for missing a couple of weeks. It’s been a busy time at Uproxx and between that, covering Coachella, and dealing with personal stuff (as we all do from time to time), regular readers may have felt disappointed when this column didn’t show up in their feeds. Fortunately, we’ve got a strong lineup for its return, and next week, we’ve got a new writer taking over, which should help keep things on schedule from here out.
Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending May 6, 2022.
Albums/EPs/Mixtapes
Black Star — No Fear Of Time
Black Star
Returning with their first album in nearly 25 years, Yasiin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) and Talib Kweli are still Black Star. Picking up where they left off in 1998, they spit more revolutionary wisdom on their comeback, this time backed by busy Madlib beats.
IDK & Kaytranada — Simple
IDK
The DMV MC takes a hard left turn on his latest between-albums EP and ends up with what is perhaps his most innovative and polished-sounding work yet. Of course, plenty of credit is owed to his collaborator, dance music producer Kaytranada, who blends soulful hip-hop with two-step-ready house beats.
Jack Harlow — Come Home The Kids Miss You
Jack Harlow
Following up the skyrocketing success of his debut album, That’s What They All Say, and his first solo No. 1 single “First Class,” Jack Harlow leans into the mores of millennial hip-hop, signaling what could be the genre’s next major evolution.
Lil Gotit — The Cheater
Lil Gotit
The Atlanta mainstay is closely affiliated with the city’s modern-day regents through his blood brother Lil Keed, and on his latest, he works to earn this distinction. It helps that Keed and other 1017 and YSL affiliates like Enchanting and Yak Gotti put in appearances as well.
Singles/Videos
Ace Hood — “Greatness” Feat. Killer Mike
Ace Hood has been a positive light in Florida hip-hop for the past couple of years and taps one of rap’s most uplifting voices on the latest single from his new album, M.I.N.D.
Courtney Bell — “Introspection”
The Detroit rapper makes his return with a jazzy, thoughtful track that proves the city has its fair share of heady, inspirational rappers to balance the scam and drill rap that has gotten the most attention of late.
Duke Deuce — “Crunkstarz”
You gotta give Duke Deuce points for consistency. Maintaining the level of energy he brings to every track can’t be easy, but he remains committed to his brand, even when he slows things down.
Headie One — “Came In The Scene”
Back in 2019, Headie One introduced many in the US market to the concept of UK drill when he collaborated with Drake on “Only You.” Here, he stands on his own, proving himself deserving of the attention he received back then — and more.
Juicy J — “Step Back” Feat. Duke Deuce
Juicy has always been generous with his co-sign for fellow Memphis artists and here, he lends Duke Deuce a little crunk credibility. The video’s concept is also quite reminiscent of the one from Drake’s “Best I Ever Had” video, although turning himself into James Harden makes it objectively funnier.
Kevin Gates — “Wizdom”
Baton Rouge’s finest returns with a soulful new single that finds him handing out advice to listeners that positions him as a weathered veteran who wants to see everyone win.
Lakeyah — “I Look Good”
The Quality Control rapper takes on a funky, bass-driven track for a club-friendly single whose video includes not-so-oblique references to 50 Cent’s “In The Club.”
Ray Vaughn — “Potential”
Long Beach rapper Ray Vaughn has some heavy expectations on his shoulders. With Kendrick Lamar leaving TDE soon, someone on the label needs to pick up the torch. He puts in a strong resume on his latest single, which toes the line between mainstream-friendly flexing and the label’s signature picture painting.
Shy Glizzy — “Borderline” Feat. EST Gee
EST Gee’s been on a roll lately. DC fixture Shy Glizzy wisely acquires his services to bolster his latest, street-focused single. The Louisvillian delivers, low-key stealing the show.
Tyga — “Sheikh Talk”
Tyga has yet to miss this year. While he’s yet to drop a single that comes close to the volcanic potential of 2019 hit “Taste,” he has also yet to show any signs of rust. It’s likely only a matter of time until he lands another inescapable earworm.
Wiz Khalifa & Juicy J — “Why Do I Stay” Feat. Elle Varner
Wiz and Juicy continue to promote Stoner’s Night with a video celebrating the merits of their shared favorite pastime.
Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
In the aftermath of a comedian getting attacked on stage, (not that one) people love to jump in with all sorts of takes. After comedian Dave Chappelle was tackled by an audience member on stage at the Netflix comedy festival, the attacker, identified as Isaiah Lee, was allegedly beaten up by security. Now, many fellow comedians are chiming in, including Kevin Hart.
Hart stopped by Jimmy Kimmel Live! this week with stand-in host Mike Birbiglia to promote his new children’s book and line of tequila (seriously) but he also had some choice words for Chappelle’s attacker. “It’s one of those things that needed to happen,” Hart said, implying that the attacker was put in his place to set an example for others.
“Do you want people to continue to think that they can cross that line and break the barrier of entertainer and [the audience]?” Hart explained. “Somebody getting their ass whipped sends a message out to other people that was like, ‘I was thinking about doing that, but seeing that, I don’t really want to do that.’”
“I think that the world that we’re in right now, there’s a lot of lines that have gotten blurred, and sometimes you gotta take a lot of steps back to take a step forward,” Hart said, applauding Chapelle’s recovery. “He quickly moved on from it and got back to doing comedy…I think it’s time to get back to a place of respect for your live entertainer and understand that you’re coming to a show.”
The attack has social media divided, with many people believing that while it was a bad idea for the heckler to come on stage, beating him up wasn’t the best move. Others think he deserved it, as Chapelle is known for his controversial jokes over the last few years, mainly his offensive stance on trans people. Chapelle made light of the situation shortly after by joking that the attacker was “a trans man.”
If you think I’m going to feel sorry for that transphobe Dave Chappelle, please don’t.
The moment security protects him from the attack, he immediately jokes it was a transgender man (it wasn’t) — but it’s clear he will continue to put a target on trans people regardless.
Another Will Smith project has been put on the back burner. Although, this time it’s not because of The Slap. Entirely. Smith’s upcoming action drama movie, Emancipation, is reportedly being pushed into 2023. Apple had hoped to release the film directed by Antoine Fuqua during this year’s fall festival circuit, but sources inside the streaming company say that plan is now out the window.
While Smith slapping Chris Rock at the Oscars is definitely a “prominent consideration,” the film was already suffering production problems that made it unlikely Fuqua would have it finished in time. Via Variety:
Multiple sources shared that Fuqua is still deep in post-production and may not be ready in time for a 2022 bow. The film suffered numerous delays due to moving the production from Georgia to Louisiana in protest of the state’s voting restrictions laws, the destruction caused by Hurricane Ida and the pause due to COVID cases in August 2021.
Apple also has a full schedule for later in the year that it plans to push for awards, and Smith’s performance in Emancipation is reportedly so good that the streamer wants to make sure it gets a fair shake. Prior to his Oscar win for King Richard, an insider who saw early footage of the Fuqua film told Variety, “Will’s going to win back-to-back.” Of course, that was before Smith slapped Rock on stage in front of millions of viewers and was banned from Academy events for the next 10 years, so the actor scoring another nom is probably firmly in the long-shot category right now.
While Stranger Things is set to return this month, actor Caleb McLaughlin is looking to remind the world that he’s multi-faceted with the new “Soul Travel” visual. The 20-year-old wrote, performed, and produced the upbeat love song, asking his lover to get away from the city with him as his life is moving too fast. Throughout the video, you’ll see McLaughlin riding in between women in the car or spending time with his friends. With such a demanding life, his desire to leave it all behind and focus on who he cares about the most is sensible.
This is just the second track that Caleb has ever released, following 2021’s “Neighborhood.” He told Complex that “Soul Travel,” despite being done before “Neighborhood,” is actually a continuation of that song’s story. “‘Neighborhood’ tells the story of a teenager meeting a girl and bringing her to my neighborhood, and then in ‘Soul Travel’ I am talking about going away while driving in the video.”
You can find Caleb playing Lucas Sinclair in Strangers Things’ penultimate season kicking off this month, before closing off for good in Season 5. The show has been running since 2016 and received favorable reviews from fans and critics alike.
Sam Richardson, the Detroiters star who has appeared in some of the funniest I Think You Should Leave sketches with his “best pal” (including “Baby of the Year”), told Variety that the writers are working on season three. “I’m not sure when they’ll start filming,” he said. “But there are funny sketches coming already, I can tell you that much.”
The future of I Think You Should Leave was in doubt after it was announced that Robinson and co-creator Zach Kanin were writing a comedy pilot for HBO Max. Computer School is described as being about a “recent high school grad and his uncle [who] attend the same computer class in suburban Michigan,” with Robinson playing the uncle. That sounds pretty great, but more I Think You Should Leave sounds even better.
“We’ve worked together for almost two decades, so we’d certainly break each other,” Richardson said about working with Robinson (even their last names are similar). “But we also know each other’s comedic moves and know how to respond to them. It’s so rare to find someone who understands and complements your comedic style and voice like that.”
Dave Chappelle would like to make one thing clear: Busta Rhymes was not the one who folded Isaiah Lee like a pretzel backstage after Lee tackled him during his show at the Hollywood Bowl on Wednesday. Reaching out to TMZ via his publicist Carla Sims, Dave insisted that his statements in the immediate aftermath of the attack were just jokes.
After shrugging off Lee’s initial tackle, Chappelle had returned to the stage — along with Jamie Foxx, and later, Chris Rock — to address the bizarre incident, saying, “I been doing this 35 years, I just stomped a n**** backstage,” joked. “I seen Busta Rhymes, he was like, ‘That’s how you do it, god.’” He claimed that Foxx and even fellow comedian Jon Stewart jumped in.
But perhaps worried that any legal counsel Lee pursued could use the statements as evidence in a civil case against the comedian and his security, he made sure to point out that none of the entertainers he mentioned had laid a finger on Lee. Considering his state as he was loaded into an ambulance later, they probably didn’t even need to.
Meanwhile, Chappelle has been joking about the situation ever since, as well as revealing Lee’s reason for accosting him in the first place (sorry, 50 Cent, it had nothing to do with Chappelle’s trans comments). As for Lee, he’s been charged with four misdemeanors, so hopefully, he feels it was worth both the pain — again, did you guys see his ARM!?!? — and potential jail time for the attention his attack got for his displaced grandmother and/or struggling rap career.
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