Month: March 2023

Robin Williams was a gem of a person. The comedian knew how to keep people laughing, but as the years go on after his untimely death, we hear more stories about what a good friend he was. Recently, Williams’ kind nature was the topic of conversation between Willie Geist and “Murders in the Building” star Nathan Lane on “Sunday Today“.

Lane sat down for an interview to discuss his new play, and during the conversation, he reminisced about his first big role in the 1996 movie, “The Birdcage.” In the movie, he played a gay man that was married to Williams’ character and the pair were trying to marry off their straight son to a nice woman who had conservative parents. For Lane, the movie mirrored part of his personal life as he was actually a gay man and not just playing a part for the screen.

But this was the 90s, when being gay wasn’t as openly discussed or accepted as it is today, so it’s understandable why Lane wasn’t prepared for a public announcement.

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Lane explained that when he and Williams were about to be interviewed by Oprah, he was nervous she would ask him about his sexuality, unintentionally forcing him to out himself.

“I said to Robin beforehand, ‘I’m not prepared. I’m so scared of going out there and talking to Oprah. I’m not prepared to discuss that I’m gay on national television. I’m not ready,'” Lane told “Sunday Today“. “He said, ‘Oh, it’s alright, don’t worry about it. If you don’t want to talk about it, we won’t talk about it,'” the actor recalled.

Then came the moment of truth. Oprah started to poke at the question in a joking, roundabout way and that was Robin’s cue to swoop in. With Lane now providing more context, you can see Williams distract the host with his typical wit and humor in the clip of the Oprah interview below.

Some proposals have everything. This one has “Everything, Everywhere, All At Once.”

Daniel Le recently proposed to his girlfriend, Annie, by renting out a movie theater for a screening of the 2022 hit A24 movie “Everything, Everywhere All At Once.” Unbeknownst to Annie, this version of the film would be cleverly edited to have Le playing key characters, all leading up to asking for her hand in marriage.

Le contacted multiple independent theaters before finding one that would accommodate his elaborate plan. Then, using a bit of editing wizardry—along with some help from his friends, who arrived at the theater before showtime to hide in the dark so Annie wouldn’t see them—he delivered the surprise of a lifetime.

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The funniest part is watching Annie slowly start to get suspicious, even asking, “Why is the [film] quality so bad?” followed by the gleeful laugh of realization as Le shows up on screen in full Dierdre garb, bob wig and all, followed by…well…no spoilers.

Every detail about this proposal, just like the movie it’s based on, is equal parts hilarious and sweet in all the right ways.

But the real pièce de résistance comes during the live portion (seen in a follow-up video) when Le gets down on one knee and can be heard saying, “As long as I get to do laundry and taxes with you,” a nod to an iconic line in the film.

Without further ado, watch “Annie-thing, Annie-where, All At Once” below. It’s perfection.

@danyo_le Theater proposals been done before but hopefully not an EEAAO version LOL 👀 @a24 #everythingeverywhereallatonce #oscarmovie #bestactor #movieproposal #proposal #proposalvideo #movietheater #eeaao #oscars #marriageproposal #engagement #kehuyquan #jamieleecurtis #michelleyeoh ♬ In Another Life – Son Lux

She said yes—of course.

As Le pointed out, theater proposals might have been done before, sure. But folks agreed that this one had its own flavor of epic.

“THIS IS…LITERALLY…EVERYTHING.”

“It’s so nice to see men love this hard, your video and message to her had me tearing up, this is so sweet.”

“Not me crying, this is so funny, wholesome, and creative.”

“You set the bar high bro.”

“Why didn’t this get any Oscars.”

Congrats you two. May you enjoy a life full of laundry, taxes and love.

Albert Einstein and Charlie Chaplin are two of the most famous figures of the 20th century for completely different reasons, and an exchange early in their friendship sums up those differences perfectly—and hilariously.

According to the Nobel Prize committee, Einstein had only been keenly interested in meeting one person in Hollywood: Charlie Chaplin. He got the chance while visiting the U.S. when the scientist and silent film star were introduced during a tour of Universal Studios. The two hit it off, and in 1931, Einstein attended the premiere of Chaplin’s 1931 film, “City Lights.”

Reportedly, the men exchanged an expression of mutual admiration that demonstrated the actor’s quick wit.

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“What I most admire about your art, is your universality,” Einstein said to Chaplin. “You don’t say a word, yet the world understands you!”

Chaplin replied with perfect comedic timing.

“True. But your glory is even greater!” he told the physicist. “The whole world admires you, even though they don’t understand a word of what you say.”

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The anecdote was shared by the Nobel Prize organization, but there is some question as to the accuracy of the quotes—though not the sentiment of the joke.

According to Quote Investigator, there are a few published accounts of similar quotes referring to Chaplin being beloved because everyone understands him and Einstein being admired because no one does. For instance, in October 1933, an article written by Charlie Chaplin for “Woman’s Home Companion” included the following anecdote attributing a similar quote to Einstein’s son:

“We sat down to delicious home-baked tarts made by Mrs. Einstein. During the course of conversation, his son remarked on the psychology of the popularity of Einstein and myself.

“‘You are popular,’ he said, ‘because you are understood by the masses. On the other hand, the professor’s popularity with the masses is because he is not understood.'”

In another instance, the joke was attributed to Chaplin. Einstein’s physician and friend János Plesch shared in a memoir published in 1947:

“Once when Einstein was in Hollywood on a visit Chaplin drove him through the town. As the people on the sidewalks recognized two of their greatest, if very different, contemporaries, they gave them a tremendous reception which greatly astonished Einstein. ‘They’re cheering us both,” said Chaplin: “you because nobody understands you, and me because everybody understands me.’ There was a good-humoured pride in his remark, and at the same time a certain humility as at a recognition of the difference between ready popularity and lasting greatness.”

​Different biographies of Chaplin and Einstein include different versions of the story, including the one shared by the Nobel Prize organization on Instagram. Though we don’t know for sure exactly what was said or by whom, it’s clear that the two men shared a joke about their unique paths to fame and popularity.

How delightful that the mutual admiration of these two legends not only led to them meeting but forging a genuine, if unlikely, friendship.

You can take the New England Patriots off the list of potential suitors for Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. Earlier in the week, Patriots owner Robert Kraft revealed that Meek Mill told him that Jackson wants to play for the team. Kraft said a decision would ultimately be made by Bill Belichick, and according to a report by Jeff Howe of The Athletic, it appears the team will eschew the chance to pursue Jackson and roll into the 2023 season with Mac Jones and Bailey Zappe.

According to Howe, “the price on Jackson in salary and draft compensation being too much of a non-starter.” Jackson received the non-exclusive franchise tag from the Ravens earlier this offseason, meaning he could agree to a deal with another team and, if Baltimore does not match it, go to them for the price of two first-round NFL Draft picks. But as Howe noted, the Patriots are in a position where meeting Jackson’s widely-reported high asking price for a new deal in a market set by Deshaun Watson’s contract with the Cleveland Browns is not appealing, no matter how they would go about acquiring him.

Via The Athletic:

The Ravens placed the $32.4 million franchise tag on Jackson, so the team still has its share of leverage in the matter. If the Patriots signed Jackson to an offer sheet, they would ship their next two first-round draft picks to Baltimore if the Ravens didn’t match the terms. Plus, for Jackson to agree to an offer sheet, the Patriots would almost certainly need to give him a contract worth far more money than they ever extended to Tom Brady.

So what about a trade? In theory, the Patriots could test Jackson’s true desire to link up, attempt to convince him to accept a far more affordable deal and offer the Ravens a trade package — say, three first-round picks — to get the Ravens onboard with such a move.

Jackson announced earlier this week that he requested a trade from the Ravens as the beginning of the month, one that has failed to materialize.

The Flash is proving to be a Justice League reunion, with Michael Keaton as the proverbial cherry on top. The next film in the DC Extended Universe, which has seen its fair share of controversy, will bring together Ezra Miller’s The Flash, Ben Affleck’s Batman, Keaton’s Batman, Michael Shannon’s General Zod, and Gal Gadot’s Wonder Woman. Or at least Diana of Themyscira was supposed to show up, until her scene was reportedly cut. Or maybe it will be added back in! Who knows with this movie. Or with all things DCEU, honestly. But we do know how Wonder Woman fits into the film, thanks to Affleck.

“I don’t wanna give a spoiler, but it was a scene where I get caught. I get saved by Wonder Woman during a conflagration with some bad guys,” he said on the Smartless podcast. “And she saves me by, I mean, I’m sure the spoiler, DC assassins are gonna get me, [but] she saves me with the Lasso of Truth. And so what happens is that Batman divulges some of his real feelings about his life and his work.” That sounds like confirmation that Gadot is no longer in the movie; otherwise, Affleck wouldn’t have revealed the entire scene.

The Dunkin fanatic called The Flash the “best sh*t I have done as Batman! I finally figured out how to play the guy! I know I quit, but I got it now!” And all it took was nearly a half-dozen attempts.

The Flash is scheduled to come out on June 16.

(Via Collider)

Many Americans likely feel numb due to the near constant news of mass shootings in these times. These tragedies often include school shootings, as with last year’s Uvalde massacre that saw Matthew McConaughey make an impassioned plea following the gun violence in his hometown. As well, lawmakers have necessarily waded into the discourse, and that includes GOP representatives who are providing excuses about why meaningful change won’t happen with gun laws.

Tennessee, of course, is currently reeling from the Nashville school massacre, in which a shooter killed four people, a nine-year-old girl among them. Melissa Joan Hart (former star of Sabrina The Teenage Witch) lives in Nashville and found herself not too far from where the shooting occurred. As she described in an Instagram post, Melissa and her husband were actually en route to school conferences when the violence broke out.

The actress and her family had moved to Nashville from Connecticut, close to where the 2012 Sandy Hook massacre took place. The clip, which Hart filmed on the day of the shooting, is a short one that speaks volumes:

“We helped a class of kindergartners across a busy highway that were climbing out of the woods. They were trying to escape the shooter situation at their school. We helped all these tiny little kids cross the road and get their teachers over there, and we helped a mom reunite with her children…. I just don’t know what to say anymore. It is just, enough is enough.”

Hart and her family are all accounted for and safe. Watch her full video below.

(Via Melissa Joan Hart on Instagram)

Fridayy’s introduction to the world came in the late summer of 2022. The Philadelphia-based singer is responsible for the thunderous, sky-grazing hook on DJ Khaled’s Grammy-nominated record, “God Did.” The song is more often than not remembered for Jay-Z’s four-minute verse, which follows well-crafted appearances from rap legends Lil Wayne and Rick Ross as well as a soulful outro from John Legend. While Fridayy is undoubtedly the rookie in a room of legends, his chorus roars with the strength required to place itself in between these intricate verses from well-revered rappers in the game. In short, Fridayy holds his own on the song and that would not be the last time we heard from him in 2022 either.

Uproxx caught up with Fridayy just weeks after he, Khaled, Jay-Z, Ross, and Wayne reimagined The Last Supper for a divine performance of “God Did” at the 2023 Grammys. “Twenty years from now, n****s are gonna be talking about ‘God Did,’” Fridayy says over a Zoom call. “I’m marked in history bro, I’m marked in history… I’m just grateful.” It’s this longevity that Fridayy eyes more than any short-term popularity or accolades. “I know my music’s gonna live forever,” he explained. “I already know that if my music’s touching people on a whole other level, like saving lives, it’s not about being the biggest artist in the world. With the type of music I make, even if it’s one fan, I know it’s gonna live forever.”

Just two months after the release of “God Did,” Fridayy found himself beside another big name in rap: Lil Baby. The two connected on “Forever,” one of the more emotion-filled records from Baby’s chart-topping third album It’s Only Me. Fridayy enters his chorus with quivering qualms that sound like he’s nearing a breakdown all to break into a cry to the heavens in a plea for one last moment with a lost lover. At this moment, it was clear that Fridayy could become the latest go-to artist for hooks around the hip-hop world, especially for records that needed that touch of emotion that Fridayy successfully delivered alongside music heavyweights.

While those two records placed the spotlight on the singer, they only did so little to tell Fridayy’s story. To find that, you’ll have to go to his debut project Lost In Melody. Released in the fall of 2022, Lost In Melody arrived with seven songs that fully captured the artistry and foundation that laid within Fridayy. Months later, the project was extended with five additional tracks through a well-timed deluxe release. “I just wanted to give everybody something different you know?” Fridayy says about the project. “I been studying the game for a long time, so it’s like, how can I stand out?” Fridayy sought to be more than a name, and he knew he could reach his goals the same way he earned his breakout moment: through music.

“Coming off ‘God Did,’ it was like, alright, they’re about to know your name,” Fridayy says. “It don’t look like it but, n****s want to know your story. They not gonna accept you until they know who you are.” So he got to work, and through the first four songs of Lost In Melody, Fridayy tells you a lot about himself. “Blessings” showcases gratitude toward the opportunity to chase a dream and take one step closer to it and one step away from what once was. “Empty Stomach” is Fridayy’s own account of the struggles he endured after he moved to Los Angeles to chase his dream. “I got hundred beats, hundred songs in my pocket / They ain’t even hear my sh*t, they say, ‘Youngin, keep grindin,’” he quivers on the song. “I ain’t tryna hear this grindin’ sh*t, I’m starvin’ / Somebody show me where the money at, I’ma walk in.” The following record, “God Sent,” displays his faith and belief in what is destined for him will arrive in due time while “Don’t Give Up On Me” begs that others around him see this destiny and also believe in him. In just the first four songs on Lost In Melody, it’s clear to see that Fridayy is a man of faith and destiny, understanding that both have contributed to his present-day success.

Fridayy’s first interactions with music came when he was 9 or 10 years old. At that time, he began playing the piano in church. He eventually took on singing after being heavily influenced by Boyz II Men, a group that continues to shape Fridayy’s musical decisions today. “When you hear the harmonies, when you hear the four-part harmonies, the adlibs, it all comes from me listing to Boyz II Men,” he says. Fridayy later picked up Philly natives like Meek Mill and the late PNB Rock as additional influences in his career. While the aforementioned artists shaped his musicality, Fridayy says a critique from a girl he was dating a few years ago also had an effect on the future content of his songs. “I was playing her some music and she was like, ‘Damn, the way you talk to me is not how you’re talking in these songs,’” he recalls. “It wasn’t even like a crazy song, it was a love song, but even [with] the love song, the way I talk, I wasn’t putting that in my music. So when she told me that, it kind of opened my eyes.”

This note eventually helped Fridayy to create music with an emotional touch that helped him to achieve his goal of being versatile and standing out. It’s for this reason that he selects “Don’t Give Up On Me” as the song from the project that he feels best describes him as a project. “I’m telling a story, at the end I get real soulful [and] it’s so big,” he says. “I feel like that song is just me, it represents who I am. You don’t know what I’m talking about in that song. You don’t know if I’m talking about a girl, God, or my homie, but everybody takes that song and put it where they need to put it.” In its totality, creating songs like “Don’t Give Up On Me” proved to be a form of therapy that helped Fridayy see his growth by the time his debut was released. “It was seeing I really came a long way type sh*t,” he says. “I’ll listen to it and be like, ‘damn, when I was recording this, I was f*cked up.’ By the time this came out, things were a little different.”

Nowadays, Fridayy is putting the finishing touches on his upcoming debut album. With everything he accomplished with Lost In Melody and more, he knows that the bar is will be higher for his next body of work. Luckily for him, he’s already progressing toward that next level. “We just on a higher level, like it’s just different,” he says about the project. “Same me, just on a higher level: musically, production, melodies. I’m exploring, but you still gonna hear the same me that you hear on Lost In Melody.” The contents of that next level remain to be seen, but you can rest assured that Fridayy is stringing together a story that will help him accomplish the long-lasting legacy he seeks in his career.

Lost In Melody is out now via Lost In Melody, LLC/Def Jam Recordings. You can stream it here.

The Sacramento Kings have been nothing but a punchline for years. That is the nature of the longest active playoff drought in major North American sports, as the Kings have not made the postseason since 2006 and have not posted even a .500 season in more than a decade and a half. Expectations were raised, albeit mildly, in advance of the 2022-23 season but it would have taken quite the optimist to imagine what has happened.

Sacramento is enjoying an 82-game love affair around a very fun team and “lighting the beam” along the way. On Monday, the Kings had a chance to clinch a playoff spot with a win over Minnesota at home but, in the end, Sacramento fell narrowly short, pushing away the inevitable clincher to a later date.

“Guys wanted to clinch a playoff spot at home and wanted to share it with our fans,” De’Aaron Fox told reporters after the game. “But at the end of the day, regardless of where we do it, I think people are going to be appreciative and people are going to love it.”

Yes, it would have been fantastic if Kings fans were able to celebrate that one at home but, given the team’s 45-30 record and five-game (!) lead on the Phoenix Suns for the No. 3 seed in the West, Sacramento actually has loftier goals. It might seem crazy to some but, in a wide-open Western Conference, it really does feel like a run is possible.

For one, all reports indicate the crowd in Sacramento has been electric all season, and that would also rise to a different level in a playoff atmosphere. The Kings have a rock-solid 23-16 mark with a +4.3 net rating in home games this season and, barring something insane, Sacramento will have home-court advantage in the first round. From there, Sacramento’s offense is utterly relentless. The Kings continue to lead the entire NBA in offensive rating, scoring 118.9 points per 100 possessions, and the combination of Fox’s late-game brilliance, Domantas Sabonis playing at an All-NBA level as the fulcrum, and dynamic balance leads Sacramento to a nightly baffling of opposing defenses.

There has been speculation for weeks, and maybe months, about other West contenders potentially angling toward Sacramento in search of an easier matchup in the first round. After all, there is a long history of young, first-time playoff teams being “happy to be there” and, to be blunt, the Kings are not very good defensively. However, it would be unwise to overlook this Kings team entirely, and when Sacramento does clinch a playoff berth after 17 years out of the mix, the celebration will be well-earned for a franchise and a fan base finally emerging from the wilderness.

Where do the Kings rank in this week’s DIME power rankings? Let’s take a look.

1. Milwaukee Bucks (54-21, Last week — 1st)

The sky isn’t exactly falling in Milwaukee. The Bucks are leading the East. The Bucks just had a 3-1 week, and the only loss came on the road against a top-tier opponent. The margin (23 points) against Denver wasn’t great, but it’s still one basketball game and the Bucks will have another high-profile opportunity on Thursday against Boston.

2. Denver Nuggets (51-24, Last week — 6th)

It was a very strong week for Denver after a series of middling performances. The Nuggets are on a four-game winning streak, headlined by a dominant home win over Milwaukee and a “hold serve” moment against Philadelphia without Joel Embiid. With Memphis winning at a high level lately, Denver had to avoid a real race for the No. 1 seed and they’ve done that lately.

3. Memphis Grizzlies (48-27, Last week — 5th)

The schedule was undeniably friendly, but Memphis now has the longest active winning streak in the league. Seven straight victories bring the Grizzlies within three games of the Nuggets but, perhaps more importantly, Memphis now appears to have a stranglehold on the No. 2 seed in the West.

4. Boston Celtics (52-24, Last week — 4th)

All eyes are on Thursday’s matchup against Milwaukee, but the Celtics took a weird loss to the Wizards on Tuesday. That put even more pressure on the game Thursday, with the Celtics needing to win to functionally stay alive in pursuit of the top seed.

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (48-29, Last week — 3rd)

The team is still flying under the radar for some, but Cleveland is a very strong position. They did lose in Atlanta on Tuesday, but that loss came without Jarrett Allen, Isaac Okoro, and others, with the Cavaliers still boasting a decent chance to close the gap on Philadelphia for the No. 3 spot in the East.

6. Philadelphia 76ers (49-26, Last week — 2nd)

Philadelphia’s losing skid brings a dip to the No. 4 spot in the East in play. It isn’t great for a contender to lose three straight at any point, but the Sixers did lose to the Warriors, Suns, and Nuggets on the road. It could be worse, especially when remembering that Embiid and Harden have been banged up.

7. Phoenix Suns (40-35, Last week — 11th)

Kevin Durant has been out for a while but aims to return on Wednesday against Minnesota. Phoenix did a credible job staying afloat without him but, simply put, the Suns have sky-high expectations and Durant has to be 100 percent to meet them. All eyes are on the Suns once he’s back.

8. Sacramento Kings (45-30, Last week — 8th)

The Kings have five of their last seven on the road, though the first two of those games come against a (potentially) tanking Portland team. Sacramento’s eyes can drift to the playoffs now which, again, is a wild reality after almost two decades.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves (39-37, Last week — 14th)

Here come the Wolves. Four straight wins put Minnesota right into the middle of the chase for the top six, including three road wins against quality teams and a narrow home win over the Hawks in a game without Anthony Edwards. It’s not as if this mini-run makes up for a disappointing start to 2022-23, but the team might be finding it at the right time.

10. New York Knicks (43-33, Last week — 7th)

New York has flattened a bit in recent days, posting a 4-6 record in the last ten games. The Knicks did take care of business in a blowout win over Houston on Monday, but New York is back to being closer to the No. 6 spot than they are to the top four in the East, even if it’s been a strong campaign.

11. Golden State Warriors (40-37, Last week — 12th)

Golden State finally won a couple of road games, and the Warriors avenged a close loss to Minnesota with a win over New Orleans. It feels as if the Warriors are dangerous, and everyone knows it, with an interesting test coming on Sunday in Denver.

12. L.A. Clippers (40-36, Last week — 13th)

The Clippers are making it work without Paul George, at least for now. LA has the inside track at a top-six seed at this moment, even if the margins are very slim. This is a big week, though, as the Clippers play the Grizzlies twice in a row on the road before visiting the rebounding Pelicans.

13. Toronto Raptors (38-38, Last week — 19th)

Toronto did what it needed to do this week, winning three straight games at home. Now, though, the Raptors have five straight on the road, and three of those games come against Boston and Philadelphia. That will be a big test.

14. Miami Heat (40-36, Last week — 9th)

The Heat took a stunningly bad loss on Saturday, losing by 29 points at home to the Nets. Then, Jimmy Butler missed Tuesday’s game and another loss happened. Any visions of a run at the top five basically died this week, but Miami does still have more trust compiled than the rest of the play-in competitors in the East.

15. Atlanta Hawks (38-38, Last week — 18th)

Atlanta’s trajectory over the last two months is relatively unbelievable. The Hawks haven’t won or lost more than two games in a row for more than two months, and Atlanta still has the longest streak in NBA history of consecutive games within just one game of .500. That continued with a win over a shorthanded Cleveland roster on Tuesday, and the Hawks are just right there in the middle.

16. Brooklyn Nets (40-35, Last week — 16th)

The good? Brooklyn closes with six of the last seven games at home and the only road game is in Detroit. The bad? The Nets have lost six of the last seven and are in firm danger of needing to emerge from the play-in rather than entering the playoffs in the top six.

17. Los Angeles Lakers (37-38, Last week — 15th)

LeBron is back and that is the big thing for the Lakers. Yes, Los Angeles lost in his return, but truthfully, the Lakers can only go as far as LeBron and Anthony Davis will take them, even with an undeniably improved supporting cast. That will all be tested this week, however, with the Lakers beginning a five-game road trip with a rematch against the Bulls.

18. Oklahoma City Thunder (37-39, Last week — 10th)

OKC takes a dive this week after three losses in four games. The real impetus for the drop is a home loss to Charlotte (yikes), but keeping perspective is key. It’s been a great year for the Thunder regardless.

19. Chicago Bulls (36-39, Last week — 20th)

With improved play in the second half, the Bulls are now heavily favored to be in the play-in. Chicago is 10-6 in the last 16 games and has a chance to build on that with three of the next four at home. Circle the game against Atlanta on Apr. 4 as a potential swing game in the standings chase.

20. New Orleans Pelicans (38-38, Last week — 22nd)

New Orleans is coming alive again, winning five of the last six games. The Pelicans had a hiccup on Tuesday with a loss to Golden State, but Brandon Ingram’s strong play in recent days has the Pelicans back in the mix after a lengthy swoon.

21. Dallas Mavericks (37-39, Last week — 21st)

In a fortunate turn of events for Dallas, these rankings don’t come out on Mondays. The Mavericks did beat the Pacers on Monday to stop a four-game losing streak, but Dallas was in the depths before that. Losing four in a row is bad no matter what, but the Mavericks lost twice to the Hornets and even let the Warriors beat them in Dallas.

22. Washington Wizards (34-42, Last week — 25th)

Washington stunned Boston by a lopsided margin on Tuesday. That revived faint hope for the Wizards when it comes to the play-in race, and Kristaps Porzingis shined with 32 points and 13 rebounds in that victory over the Celtics.

23. Orlando Magic (32-44, Last week — 24th)

Orlando is in a good spot. The Magic are in a strong place when it comes to ping-pong balls, but Orlando has also played well enough for weeks and months to be pretty encouraged about the future. It also helps to have Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on board.

24. Utah Jazz (35-40, Last week — 17th)

It was a really nice season for Utah that is basically over at this stage. The Jazz are on a four-game losing streak to fall largely out of the play-in chase, and Utah is playing out the string. That isn’t the worst thing organizationally, but the team’s final record might be skewed a bit as a result.

25. Charlotte Hornets (26-51, Last week — 26th)

It wasn’t the best thing for ping-pong balls, but Charlotte just won three straight. Two of the wins, referenced above, came against a suddenly flailing Mavs team, but the Hornets came off those wins and beat the Thunder as well.

26. Indiana Pacers (33-43, Last week — 23rd)

Indiana isn’t tanking at the level of some of the teams below them here, but the recent results are pretty gross. The last three losses have been pretty ugly, and not even a 25-point quarter (!) from Jordan Nwora in Atlanta could save the Pacers over the weekend.

27. Portland Trail Blazers (32-43, Last week — 27th)

The season is effectively over in Portland. The Blazers are 1-9 in the last ten games and, if you glance at a box score of a recent Portland game, the available roster will jump off the page in a bad way. It does make sense for the Blazers to go ahead and shut it down, but yikes.

28. Houston Rockets (18-58, Last week — 28th)

It’s only been a couple of weeks since Houston won three games in a row. Reality smashed the Rockets this week, though, in that Houston gave up 151 points to Memphis and lost all three of its games by lopsided margins. Only the team at No. 30 in this space has a losing streak as long as the Rockets.

29. San Antonio Spurs (19-56, Last week — 29th)

San Antonio’s losing streak is only at four games, which is better than Houston or Detroit. However, the Spurs were utterly destroyed in the last eight days, posting an impossibly ugly -31.4 net rating with horrific offensive and defensive numbers.

30. Detroit Pistons (16-59, Last week — 30th)

Jaden Ivey is getting the opportunity to cook without much pressure. That’s a positive thing for the future in Detroit. That was an attempt at positivity for a team that has one (yes, one) victory in the last six-plus weeks.

Jenny Lewis announced a brand new album, Joy’All, for this summer. The album will be her first since 2019’s On The Line. In celebration, Lewis also shared the second glimpse of it with the record’s opener, “Psychos.”

“I started writing some of these songs on the road, pre-pandemic, and then put them aside as the world shut down, and then from my home in Nashville in early 2021, I joined a week-long virtual songwriting workshop with a handful of amazing artists, hosted by Beck,” Lewis shared. “The challenge was to write one song every day for seven days, with guidelines from Beck. The guidelines would be prompts like ‘write a song with 1-4-5 chord progression,’ ‘write a song with only cliches,’ or ‘write in free form style.’ The first song I submitted to the group was ‘Puppy And A Truck.’”

While playing shows back in 2021 with Harry Styles, Lewis had previewed-then-dropped none other than “Puppy And A Truck,” which has also made its way onto the album.

She will be hitting the road again this year, with dates playing with The Postal Service, her own headlining shows, and opening for Beck and Phoenix. A full list of dates and touring information can be found here.

Listen to “Psychos” above and find the Joy-All tracklist below.

1. “Psychos”
2. “Joy’All”
3. “Puppy And A Truck”
4. “Apples And Oranges”
5. “Essence Of Life”
6. “Giddy Up”
7. “Cherry Baby”
8. “Love Feel”
9. “Balcony”
10. “Chain Of Tears”

Joy’All is out 6/9 via Blue Note/Capitol Records. Find more information here.

Danny Brown opened up about why his much-anticipated album, Quaranta, is taking so long to release and a personal issue he has been facing.

On a recent episode of his podcast The Danny Brown Show, he shared that he had turned in the album to his label Warp Records two years ago, but claimed that the label didn’t see the album as a priority. He also instructed listeners to tweet #FreeDanny and #FreeQuaranta at his manager, Dart Parker.

Yesterday (March 28), Brown took to Twitter to instruct his fans to relent, and to reveal that he is seeking treatment over his alcohol use.

“Aye chill out with all the #FreeDanny sh*t,” he wrote. “I was drunk and talking sh*t and that’s why my dumb ass is checking into treatment tomorrow got nothing but love for dart and warp so chill out the album is mastered.”

A fan then brought up the podcast and Brown’s directive to send messages to his manager. Brown replied, saying, “That’s why alcohol is something I need to be done with cause it makes me hurt the people that care the most.”

According to Vibe, during his recent Dr. Martens-sponsored SXSW set, Brown revealed his plans to seek treatment. He revealed he planned to use the fees he earned for his performances to pay for treatment.

“Honestly, my dumb ass supposed to been gone, but I’m broke so I gotta do shows to take my ass in, so shout out to Dr. Martens,” he said.

The news arrives just days after Brown released Scaring The Hoes, a joint album with Jpegmafia.