Month: June 2023

The Memphis Grizzlies learned how long they will be without the services of Ja Morant on Friday morning. Shams Charania of The Athletic and Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Morant, who was investigated by the NBA for a firearm-related incident that occurred back in May, will miss the first 25 games of the 2023-24 season.

Wojnarowski added that there will be conditions Morant needs to meet in order to return, although it’s unclear what they will be.

The NBA confirmed the news in a statement, which included remarks from Silver that referred to the incident as “alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games.”

This marks the second time in the last three-plus months that Morant has received a suspension for the NBA for a situation related to a firearm. Back in March, Morant was recorded waving around a gun in a Denver nightclub, and while he received an 8-game suspension from the league, the decision retroactively included games and came down after he stepped away from the Grizzlies for six games and entered a counseling program. As part of his return to play, Morant went to the NBA office in New York City and sat down with Adam Silver.

His most recent incident came in May, when Morant was sitting in the front seat of a car that wasn’t moving. One of his friends was live on Instagram when Morant pulled out a gun, which led to the Grizzlies suspending him from all team activities. In his press conference prior to the start of the NBA Finals, Silver told the press that the league’s investigation uncovered additional information, but the decision was made to wait until after the series was over to announce a decision out of respect to the teams competing for a title.

After going into hiding following the cataclysmic events of Avengers: Endgame, Samuel L. Jackson’s Nick Fury is back in the new Marvel series Secret Invasion. The MCU’s grizzled spymaster is tasked with stopping the shape-shifting Skrulls from infiltrating the top levels of power in a vast global conspiracy, but first, Jackson would like Marvel to answer a question that’s been nagging him for a while.

“I’m still trying to figure out why I’ve never been to Wakanda,” Jackson told Entertainment Tonight. “They didn’t ask me to go, but I’m still trying to get there. I need a ticket.”

Of course, Jackson openly admits that he wants to be in every Marvel movie. He loves being Nick Fury, and the character is supposed to be everywhere. Here’s his response when asked which MCU franchise he wants to be in next:

“I don’t know, it’s kind of up and down for me in an interesting sort of way,” Jackson said of his character, Nick Fury, who first came onto the scene 15 years ago in 2008’s Iron Man. “Because, if I had it my way, I would’ve been in every Marvel movie ’cause I mean he is Nick Fury, he knows everything that’s going on.”

Despite working with big-name directors like Quentin Tarantino, Jackson has never been afraid to call out his collaborators when they talk down about Marvel movies. In fact, he prefers making them over chasing an Oscar.

“I’m not doing statue-chasing movies,” Jackson told the L.A. Times last year. “You know [whispers]: ‘If you do this movie, you’ll win an Oscar.’ No, thanks. I’d rather be Nick Fury. Or having fun being Mace Windu with a lightsaber in my hand.”

Marvel’s Secret Invasion premieres June 21 on Disney+.

(Via Entertainment Tonight)

Being behind bars isn’t stopping Young Thug from dropping some unreleased ones for his fans. The “My Wrist” rapper is teaming up with producer extraordinaire Metro Boomin on an upcoming release.

Both musicians’ official Twitter pages served as the purveyor of the exciting news by uploading a QR code with the caption, “Business Is Business.” Once scanned, users are redirected to a singular webpage that leads to a website with a countdown set for June 22 at midnight ET.

Although it is unclear if the collaboration will be an entire project or a one-off single, supporters of Young Thug shared their gratitude in advance. Outside of his appearance on Yeat’s “My Wrist” and Philmom Lee’s “Baby Don’t Cry,’ the entertainer’s camp hasn’t released any music from the rap star as the focus has been on his legal matters. Metro Boomin is keeping the secret close to his chest, only writing, “Just wait on it,” on Twitter as fans asked about what they should expect.

The release is set to arrive shortly after former associate Gunna’s new album, A Gift & A Curse, which was released earlier today.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The U.S. Constitution has three requirements for someone to become president: they must be over 35 years old, have lived in the U.S. for at least 14 years, and be a natural-born citizen. 75-year-old Arnold Schwarzenegger, who moved to the U.S. in 1968, fits two of the three requirements — but if it wasn’t for that dusty scrap of paper, he’s certain he would become the next president.

While appearing on Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace, host Chris Wallace asked Schwarzenegger about running for president, were he eligible. “Well, yes, of course. I mean, I think the field was wide open in 2016. And I think the field is open right now,” the Terminator 2: Judgment Day star replied. “I mean, think about it right now. I mean, who is there? There is really not a person that can bring everyone together. Who is here today that people say okay, he’s not too old or he’s not too this or too that, or is that because it’s now a question about who do you vote against than who do you vote for.”

Schwarzenegger called becoming president a “no brainer. I see so clearly how I could win that that election. I mean, it’s like me and California. And when that was, you know, running for governor. It was clear that people are looking for some new answer, not a right wing or left wing, but someone that can bring the nation together. There’s just so many things that need to be done. And can be done. And what makes it so wonderful is because it’s doable. It’s all doable, or at least it’s just people coming together and say yes, we can do it.”

He’s got Sylvester Stallone’s vote… maybe.

Who’s Talking to Chris Wallace is available on Friday mornings on Max, followed by a repeat airing at 10 p.m. EST on CNN.

The Recording Academy gives and the Recording Academy takes away. After announcing that it had added categories in African music, jazz, and pop fields to next year’s Grammys earlier this week, the Academy revealed further changes today. Among them: making AI music eligible to win awards (under certain circumstances) and contracting the nomination fields among the so-called “Big Four” awards. Now, there will only be eight nominees for the Best New Artist and Album, Song, and Record of the Year instead of 10, according to Variety.

This returns them to their size in 2021 when they were expanded in an effort to “honor more artists and shine a light on more great music, and potentially offer a greater opportunity for more genres of music to be honored,” according to Recording Academy CEO Harvey Mason Jr. Reducing the number of nominees to pre-2021 levels could also help by reducing the length of the show and consolidating voting for difficult choices and dark horses.

The move had proved to be controversial, with some questioning whether it was a bid to ensure that the permanently popular Taylor Swift would get nominated and thus be obligated to appear at the show, boosting its television ratings. The Academy denied those accusations. In any case, it’d have been a Pyrrhic victory at best; the other beneficiary of the expansion was Kanye West, who spent much of the past two years being a lightning rod for controversy.

In addition to the above-mentioned changes the Academy announced that the existing categories of Songwriter of the Year, Non-Classical and Producer of the Year, Non-Classical have been moved to the General Field. Meanwhile, to qualify for nomination in Album of the Year, credited contributors must appear for at least 20% of the album’s runtime; this was likely updated as album credits have exploded in size in recent years due to artists like Beyoncé crediting more collaborators and sampled artists while avoiding lawsuits.

Michael Jordan’s time as the majority owner of the Charlotte Hornets appears to be on the verge of coming to an end. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, Jordan, who has held a majority stake in the franchise since 2010, is in the final stages of finalizing a deal that will see Gabe Plotkin and Rick Schnall take over the team. The news confirmed shortly after by the team.

Both Plotkin and Schnall already have experience in NBA ownership, as Plotkin is currently a minority owner of the Hornets and Schnall is a minority owner of the Hawks. Jordan, meanwhile, is not going to completely leave Charlotte, as he will continue to hold a stake in the team. And in a release, the Hornets noted that the group of buyers will feature a number of minority owners, including J. Cole and Eric Church.

The Buyer Group will also include Dan Sundheim, Ian Loring, Dyal HomeCourt Partners, North Carolina natives recording artist J. Cole and country music singer-songwriter Eric Church, and several local Charlotte investors, including Amy Levine Dawson and Damian Mills.

The news of a sale comes right before one of the biggest days in recent Hornets history, as the team is slated to pick second in the 2023 NBA Draft and will have to, presumably, choose between G League Ignite guard Scoot Henderson and Alabama forward Brandon Miller. But according to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports, the team has been transparent with both prospects about a potential sale, and Jordan will be involved in the final pre-draft visits.

Jordan potentially selling a majority stake in the Hornets was first reported back in March.

A former Golden State Warriors lottery pick will lead the team’s front office in the aftermath of longtime executive Bob Myers’ departure. According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Warriors will elevate vice president of basketball operations Mike Dunleavy Jr. into the franchise’s vacant general manager role.

Per Wojnarowski, Dunleavy will run things alongside Kirk Lacob, the son of Warriors owner Joe Lacob.

Dunleavy will join executive vice president of basketball operations Kirk Lacob in larger decision-making roles for the Warriors. After getting drafted third overall in 2002 and spending four-plus seasons with the Warriors, Dunleavy played 15 seasons in the NBA before retiring. Myers hired him as a scout in 2018, and his rise in the Warriors’ front office has been rapid.

Dunleavy had a lengthy playing career as a member of six teams: the Warriors, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Atlanta Hawks. Now, he’ll take over the only team for which he’s held a front office role, and it’s coming at quite the precarious moment for Golden State. Draymond Green is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer, while both Steve Kerr and Klay Thompson are entering the final year on the current contracts. All of this is coming on the heels of a disappointing season by the lofty standards set by the franchise, as the Warriors went 44-38 and lost in the Western Conference Semifinals.

Earlier this week, Gunna celebrated his 30th birthday by announcing a project called A Gift & A Curse. It was not clear whether this was just a song or a full-blown album; it’s out today, and it’s a 15-track LP.

The rapper touches on some of the trouble he’s been in lately in his raps. He was released from jail in December and many accused Gunna of “snitching” on the remaining YSL defendants, including Young Thug. This is confronted on the track “I Was Just Thinking,” which name-drops Young Thug by referring to him as “King Slime”:

“N****s’ nose all in mine, don’t know how to mind they own
Twenty-three and one, how you feel when you alone?
That’s four walls talkin’ to you, tellin’ you you gone
Only I done cried ‘causе this feelin’ for my bro (King Slime)
And you know my mind, you done watched that n**** grow
Know you hearin’ the lies that your lil’ brother might fold
Yeah, I had popped out, but don’t let ’em say I told
No, I ain’t you lil’ boys, I’ma show you that I’m grown”

Listen to “I Was Just Thinking” above.

A Gift & A Curse is out now via Young Stoner Life Records/300 Entertainment. Find more information here.

Donald Trump has a lot on his plate right now. He was just arraigned on federal charges following a damning indictment that contains an overwhelming amount of evidence showing he mishandled classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, he could be facing a similar indictment in New Jersey, there are potential charges from January 6 waiting in the wings, and it’s looking more and more likely that he will be hit with election interference charges in Georgia.

So what’s on Trump’s mind? Getting his boxes back.

The former president launched one of his trademark, all-caps rants where he demanded that the special counsel “drop all charges against me” and “return everything that was illegally taken.”

Via Truth Social:

SO NOW THAT EVERYONE UNDERSTANDS THAT THE PRESIDENTIAL RECORDS ACT, PLUS THE CLINTON SOCKS CASE, TOTALLY EXONERATED ME FROM THE CONTINUING WITCH HUNT BROUGHT ON BY CORRUPT JOE BIDEN, THE DOJ, DERANGED JACK SMITH, AND THEIR RADICAL LEFT, MARXIST THUGS, WHEN ARE THEY GOING TO DROP ALL CHARGES AGAINST ME, APOLOGIZE, AND RETURN EVERYTHING THAT WAS ILLEGALLY TAKEN (FOURTH AMENDMENT) FROM MY HOME? THIS WAS NOTHING OTHER THAN ELECTION INTERFERENCE!!!

According to the federal indictment, Trump had a habit of referring to the documents in his possession as “my boxes,” but he also was caught on tape openly admitting that he never declassified the top secret intel stored at his various golf clubs. That alone makes them the property of the federal government, so Trump can make like Gollum all he wants, but he has an uphill battle on his hands.

(Via Donald Trump on Truth Social)

I recently got into a, let’s say, spirited debate with friends about the best way to watch Barbie and Oppenheimer, which infamously open on the same day. Do you see Barbie first then Tom Cruise-run to a screening of Oppenheimer? Or the other way around? Or do you see one on Thursday and the other on Friday?

If you’re going to double feature it, I believe it should go Oppenheimer then Barbie; you want the dessert after the meal. Also, I don’t want to leave the theater feeling bummed out. Let me live off the vibes of Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling singing “Closer to Fine” for as long as possible, thank you.

Of course, the decision is yours. But in terms of the bigger opening weekend at the box office, Barbie is in the lead. “Preliminary tracking indicates Barbie will win the July 21-23 weekend ahead of Oppenheimer,” according to the Hollywood Reporter, with early estimates at $45-$55 million for Barbie and $30-$35 million for Oppenheimer. It’s not unexpected: Barbie is rated PG-13 and appeals to a wider audience, while Oppenheimer has an R rating and a three-hour runtime. Neither film will be a bomb (but one’s about a bomb).

For Oppenheimer — a three-hour drama targeting adults — having legs could prove far more important than its opening weekend haul. Yet there is no denying that filmmakers care deeply about a film’s theatrical performance and topping the chart in its first weekend. Nolan has come in No. 2 before; in 2014, Interstellar opened behind Disney’s Big Hero 6, on its way to $701.7 million globally.

The wild card in all this is Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One (out July 12th) making $100 million in its second weekend, toppling both Barbie and Oppenheimer. It won’t happen, because that’s almost never occurred before, but it would be very funny if it did happen.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)