Charles Barkley has been the biggest personality in the NBA media space for the last 24 years working with the NBA on TNT to make Inside the NBA the best studio show in sports. With the NBA apparently close to a new national TV rights deal with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon, the future of Inside and the entire crew is unclear, but the general sense has been Barkley will find himself a new TV home in the future as he has an out in his contract to give himself the opportunity to go elsewhere if TNT lost the NBA.

However, after Game 4 of the NBA Finals, Barkley was on the NBATV set in Dallas and wanted to let the crew and basketball world know that he’s not going to any other network. Instead, Barkley announced he would be retiring after next season, which will be his 25th on television, whether TNT gets a piece of the package or not.

“I just want to say thank you to my entire NBA family. I love you guys. There’s been a lot of noise around our network the last few months, and I just want to say, I talked to all the other networks, but I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT. But, I have made the decision myself, no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television. And I just want to say thank you to my NBA family, you guys been great to me, my heart is full with joy and gratitude. But, I’m gonna pass the baton at the end of next year, I hope the NBA stays with TNT, but for me personally, I wanted you to hear it from me. Cause I’m not doing anymore interviews. Don’t y’all be calling me, nobody calling me. I’m not talking about this again. But I wanted to tell my NBATV and TNT family that I’m not going to another network, but I’m going to pass the baton to Jamal Crawford or Vince Carter or you, Steve [Smith]. But next year I’m gonna just retire after 25 years, and I just wanted to say thank you. And I wanted y’all to hear it from me first.”

Now, this wouldn’t be the first time Barkley has announced intentions to retire — he rather famously said he wouldn’t do TV past the age of 60 but is now 61. That said, he certainly seems sincere in this statement. If this is the case, next year will be quite the farewell tour for Chuck and Inside the NBA, as the league will be losing one of its biggest voices and personalities from regular programming.

I’d be surprised if Barkley simply rides off in the sunset never to be seen again — and I’m curious to find out how long his “no interviews” stance lasts — but if next year is indeed his last as a regular contributor from weekly NBA television, there will not be a true replacement for him because he is a legitimate 1-of-1. You can bet the other networks will try their best to talk him out of this stance, but if he’s genuinely set on calling it a career in television, he’s a first ballot Hall of Famer behind that desk just as he was on the court.

The NBA Finals are headed back to Boston after the Mavs finally asserted their place in the series with a dominant Game 4 performance, rolling up a 122-84 win on the Celtics.

Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 50 points, while the Dallas bench came alive for the first time in the series, led by Dereck Lively II putting up a double-double (and his first career three) in the win. It was the Mavs best shooting performance of the series (50.5 percent from the field, 40.5 percent from three), and they coupled that with their best defensive outing, as they were flying around on defense and held the Celtics to 36.3 percent shooting as a team on the night.

For as fantastic an effort it was from the Mavericks, it was an equally poor performance from the Celtics. Boston seemed to either hope the Mavs would quit, or felt they’d rather have a chance to close things out in front of their home crowd. In any case, they just did not meet the energy or physicality of Dallas and now have given the Mavs at least a glimmer of hope. After the game, Charles Barkley noted his disgust with the “embarrassing” effort of the Celtics in a closeout game.

Unsurprisingly, Barkley was frustrated with Boston’s shot selection, as they took a bunch of threes early and couldn’t get them to fall. He is frequently fed up with the Celtics strategy of launching as many threes as possible, but he’s not wrong that the threes they were taking were often not looks created by good movement — which is, in part, a credit to Dallas rotating much better in Game 4. The volume of threes isn’t Boston’s problem, but how they get those looks that’s often the difference. In this game, Dallas shut off the rim and were able to stay attached to shooters, something they hadn’t done prior to this game. We’ll find out on Monday how much of that was genuine improvement on Dallas’ end and what was Boston going through the motions. For the Celtics sake, they’ll hope it was just a single game letdown and they’ll be back to their normal selves once back home for Game 5.

The 2024 NBA Finals will not end in a sweep. The Boston Celtics entered Friday night’s game in Dallas looking to wrap up the 18th championship in franchise history. But instead, the Mavericks put forth their best effort of the entire playoffs, as the team was completely locked in on both ends of the floor and imposed their will on the Celtics en route to a 122-84 win to make the series 3-1.

The Mavs came out and looked like a team with their backs firmly against the wall. Both of their stars brought their A-game to start Game 4, as Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for 22 points on 9-for-15 shooting in the opening period, while their role players showed a bit more dynamism on the offensive end than we’d seen all series.

While Jayson Tatum gave Boston 11 first quarter points, the Celtics ran into a problem that they hadn’t had all series: The Mavs hit shots. Dallas, whose offense had been abysmal for most of the first three games, went 14-for-24 from the field and grabbed 10 more rebounds in the opening 12 minutes. As a result, after one, the Mavericks found themselves with a 34-21 lead.

The second quarter was much of the same, as Dallas completely dominated on both ends of the floor. Offensively, Doncic was in total control of everything, while the Mavs’ role players who just did not show up to the extent they needed for the first three games of the series started to make small but meaningful contributions.

But it was on the defensive end of the floor where Dallas was at its most impressive. Their rotations happened with an urgency that made it look like their season was on the line, and it just never seemed like Boston was able to get a good look unless they really earned it. For the first time all series, it really looked like the Mavericks’ defense was able to set the tone, and the Celtics struggled mightily to find an answer.

As a result, Dallas went into the locker room with a commanding, 61-35 lead. While Doncic had 25 points, the numbers for Boston’s offense were legitimately shocking, as they went 11-for-37 (29.7 percent) from the field and 5-for-19 (26.3 percent) from behind the three-point line. Outside of Tatum, who had 15 points, no one on the team scored more than eight.

The third quarter was much of the shame, as Dallas kept the pedal to the metal and got its lead up to as many as 38 points. With 3:18 left in the third, Joe Mazzulla decided that he saw enough, and pulled his starters for the remainder of the game. It got so bad that, with more than a minute left in the third quarter, Mike Breen straight up asked Doris Burke and JJ Redick, “So, what do you guys wanna talk about?”

Both teams turned to their benches to play out the fourth quarter, and even then, Dallas was able to find success — their lead got up to as many as 48 points in the fourth, with Tim Hardaway Jr. catching fire and pouring in jumper after jumper. The crowd, slowly but surely, seemed like it convinced themselves that this is the team that is going to make history and become the first squad in NBA history to overcome an 0-3 series lead. By the time the final horn sounded, the building was in a frenzy as the Mavs wrapped up the win and hit the 100-point mark for the first time in the Finals.

While Doncic didn’t have a great shooting night (he missed all eight of his attempts from three), he led the way with 29 points, five rebounds, five assists, and three steals. Irving had 21 points and six assists, while Dallas as a team shot 15-for-37 from behind the three-point line. As for Boston, it was a night to forget in just about every regard, as Tatum’s 15 points were the most on the team, while Sam Hauser chipped in 14 off the bench. The shooting numbers were legitimately stunning, with the Celtics going 29-for-80 (36.3 percent) from the field.

The series will now return to Boston, where the Celtics were able to successfully defend their home court in the first two games of the season. Game 5 will take place on Monday night at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC.

ESPN has brought in some current player guest analysts for the playoffs this year, with Chris Paul joining them in studio during the conference finals, while Josh Hart and Paul George traded off duties on site during the NBA Finals.

Prior to Game 4 in Dallas, George was joined on set by a surprise guest, as Sixers star center Joel Embiid popped up for a segment just before tipoff. That was notable for a few reasons, with the biggest being the Sixers will have max cap space this summer and George is widely expected to be their top target. George would slot in nicely between Embiid and Tyrese Maxey — who will be an RFA this summer, which is why they have so much space with Tobias Harris and basically everyone else on the roster coming off the books and Maxey not on a max deal just yet.

Stephen A. Smith and Michael Wilbon both made little comments about the two being together on set, and Embiid couldn’t help himself from noting the Sixers need to “add some pieces” this summer, while making a side-eye at George, to get to the Finals next year.

As a friendly reminder, there is no such thing as tampering rules in the NBA when it comes to player interactions, but I’m sure Clippers fans aren’t exactly thrilled about this — at least, the ones that want George back in Los Angeles. Embiid also had some thoughts on Boston and whether they’d be able to start a dynasty run, unsurprisingly disagreeing with Stephen A.’s assertion this will be the first of a run of titles for the Celtics.

It’s pretty funny that Embiid started by simply noting the new CBA will make it very difficult to keep this group together, especially if they pay Derrick White this summer after already signing Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis to extensions. He did go on to note the rest of the East, including himself with the Sixers, were banged up this year and the Celtics path to the Finals should be more difficult in the future. If Philadelphia can indeed land George and build up their roster around him, that would certainly help their case to reach Boston’s level, and we’ll see if Embiid’s mid-June recruitment efforts in Dallas pay off in about 16 days.

For years, Madden games have featured one set of commentators, which can make the game feel a bit stale after awhile for those who play the game frequently. Even as the commentary has gotten much deeper and they log more than 100 hours of lines, at a certain point, you’ll run into the same things over and over.

So, for this year’s edition of Madden NFL 25, EA Sports looked to freshen things up by adding not one but two new commentary teams to the game. Charles Davis and Brandon Gaudin remain on board, but a new headlining commentary team of Mike Tirico and Greg Olsen join the game, as do Kate Scott and Brock Huard. The Tirico-Olsen pairing is fascinating, as it puts NBC’s top play-by-play man with FOX’s former top analyst, now the No. 2 at the network with Tom Brady stepping into the lead booth to begin his massive contract this season.

Having Tirico and Olsen will give big games in Madden the appropriate big game feel, as having announcers on the call who have Super Bowl experience make the gameplay presentation for those moments feel even more authentic. Adding Scott, who does play-by-play for the Philadelphia 76ers, and Huard, who does college football for FOX, adds another commentary team to the mix that can keep the game feeling fresh for longer. With the new College Football franchise having a pair of commentary teams, EA Sports probably felt a need to up their game in that realm for their flagship NFL offering.

Donovan Mitchell is in for a pretty important summer. After putting forth an All-Star campaign as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers and helping the team win a round in the playoffs for the first time since LeBron James left town — and the first time without James on the roster since 1993 — Mitchell is in line for a potentially gigantic contract extension with the Cavs. If he decides not to sign one, he’ll almost certainly become the biggest name on the NBA’s trade market this offseason.

While that’s going on, Mitchell is set to get his latest signature sneaker with adidas, the D.O.N. Issue #6. And on Friday, Mitchell and adidas teamed up to announce the Spida Elite Camp — which will take place in Los Angeles from June 28-30 — while also teasing his newest shoe.

“To coincide with the launch of Donovan Mitchell’s next signature shoe, the D.O.N. Issue #6, the three-day camp will feature Mitchell and a team of NBA coaches who will instruct and compete alongside the best high school hoopers in the nation,” adidas said in a release. “Inspired by Mitchell’s own journey as an overlooked athlete, the camp will also welcome 3- and 4-star recruits seeking to make their mark.”

We’ll keep you updated as more information comes out about the D.O.N. Issue #6.

The Best New Hip-Hop This Week includes albums, videos, and songs from Don Toliver, Moneybagg Yo, NxWorries, and more.

A pair of Golden Age pillars, Common and Pete Rock, made a comeback this week with the announcement of their new album, The Auditorium Vol. 1, and a new single, “Dreamin’.”

J. Cole made his own return from musical exile with the video for “Trae The Truth In Ibiza.”

Atlanta native Quavo dropped a new single, “Mink,” quoting Sexyy Red.

Here is the best of hip-hop this week ending June 14, 2024.

Albums/EPs/Mixtapes

Don Toliver — Hardstone Psycho

Don Toliver trades in his silk shirt for biker gang colors on his latest release, but keeps his signature melodic raps and thumping trap and drill beats. Tapping Cash Cobain, Future, Kodak Black, Teezo Touchdown, and Travis Scott, Hardstone Psycho continues expanding Don Toliver’s world.

JasonMartin & DJ Quik — Chupacabra

Problem — now known by his government name — reunites with fellow Compton star DJ Quik, who once again handles the beats on a modern masterclass in West Coast sounds and styles. Along for the ride are a who’s-who of LA standouts, from OGs Big Hit and Suga Free to mainstays like The Game and Dom Kennedy.

Moneybagg Yo — Speak Now

Originally planned for a 2023 release, the Memphis native’s latest was held back to make sure it received just the right feature. Moneybagg hasn’t revealed just which of the featured artists — which include Lil Durk, Rob49, and country star Morgan Wallen — might have held up the process but it’s a moot point now… and the album bangs, so it was probably worth it.

NxWorries — Why Lawd?

Eight years after their last release as a group, Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge reunite. Once again, Knxwledge’s soulful production lays the foundation for .Paak’s slick-talking P game. This time around, the chemistry is improved upon by a collection of collaborators including Earl Sweatshirt, Charlie Wilson, H.E.R., and Snoop Game.

Singles/Videos

Action Bronson — “Sega”

Action Bronson’s new album Johann Sebastian Bachlava The Doctor is on the way, and if its first handful of singles are any indication (they are), it’s jam-packed with all the wrestling references, off-kilter punchlines, and left-field samples you could ask for from the Queens native.

Kaliii — “Gas You Up” Feat. Hunxho

In something of a departure for the Atlanta rapper, Kaliii shows off some vocal chops on her latest, sliding easily from melodic deliveries to sing-song raps over a smooth R&B-inspired beat. Fellow ATLien Hunxho appears to offer a masculine counterpoint to her coy come-ons, making it one of the more balanced songs from either artist’s growing discographies.

LL Cool J — “Saturday Night Special” Feat. Rick Ross & Fat Joe

I don’t know why this feels so unexpected. After all, all three artists here share a generational aspect. They’ve even been on the same labels, for the most part (both Ross and Joe were on Atlantic at separate times, while both LL and Ross were on Def Jam). But I can’t remember the last time LL has sounded so… energized (he always sounds energetic, which is a different thing). It’s not a beat style we’ve heard him on much, but it feels like the sort of beat he should have been utilizing for the last decade. “Saturday Night Special” isn’t the most cohesive, but it’s a prime example of elder statesmen aging gracefully.

Smino — “Polynesian”

Technically, this song’s been out for a week, but the video just dropped today, so I’m putting it here. The world needs more Smino, and while the title refers to his overabundance of sauce, the video’s setting makes for a fitting visual double entendre.

We often see Saturday Night Live cast members dabbling in other projects like Verizon commercials and Homes.com commercials and…just a lot of commercials. So it’s nice to see a comedian like Chloe Fineman appear in one of the most divisive movies of the year, Francis Ford Coppola’s Megalopolis. As it turns out, even she wasn’t sure why Coppola asked her to join the movie, but it has to do with Melania Trump.

Hannah Einbinder and Fineman recently met for a Variety interview where Einbinder asked the comedian how she landed the role in the film, which has a massive ensemble cast.

Fineman explained, “Sometimes people go to weird shows that you don’t expect. It was 2019. I was [performing a sketch of] Ivana Trump and Melania FaceTiming,” she said. This is something she does often. “And I guess Francis was there, and he offered it from my weird Melania thing. You just never know who’s there.”

That performance was enough on its own for Coppola to ask Fineman to appear in his passion project, which has been polarizing fans and critics alike, who have called it both “masterwork” and a passion project gone “horribly wrong.” Fineman should be used to controversy, as she has been on Saturday Night Live for almost five years.

The movie also stars Adam Driver, Aubrey Plaza, Nathalie Emmanuel, Giancarlo Esposito, Shia LaBeouf, Jason Schwartzman, Talia Shire, Grace VanderWaal, Laurence Fishburne, Kathryn Hunter, and Dustin Hoffman. Shockingly, it does not have a release date at this time!

(Via Variety)

Death and dying isn’t a pleasant subject to talk about, though there’s likely not one living person who has not been touched by death in some way. But the finality of death makes people wonder if people have any regrets from their life that they wish they could do over.

Author, Matthew Kelly decided to ask hospice nurses what they’ve heard patients reveal regretting before they died. The list was fairly long but also heartbreakingly simple. Many people spend their entire lives trying to figure out how to make more money in order to feel financially secure enough to vacation regularly or even retire.

Of course there would be some regrets around working too much, but that regret only made the list once. There are 23 other regrets people seemed to share and we’ll get into them below.

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One of the first ones on the list is, “I wish I had more courage to just be my self.” Oof. That stings a bit. People spend so much time trying to make sure they’re well liked by others that it seems that some people forget to focus on just being themselves. People may hide their true selves for a multitude of reasons such as safety or fear of abandonment depending on what part of their identity they were hiding.

Another common regret is, “I wish I had taken more risks.” Risks can be hard when you have other people depending on you for survival. It makes sense that some people might look back on their life and think of all the risks they didn’t take, whether it be due to anxiety or security.

Listen to the whole list below:

So many regrets on the list are things that people can start doing now. Like wishing to love more or taking better care of themselves. It’s never too late to start caring for yourself or being outwardly more loving. In fact, nothing on the list is overly complex. They’re all heartbreakingly simple things that people have the ability to do before their time comes.

Maybe this list will inspire others to make a few tweaks in their life to work towards doing these things while they still can. Maybe it will cause people to realize they’re already well on their way to not having any of the regrets listed. Either way, it’s serves as a reminder to live life in the best way that you can while still being true to yourself.

With one week to go until the release of their fourth studio album, Crash, Kehlani has shared the official tracklist. Crash will feature 13 tracks, including the previously released singles “After Hours” and “Next 2 U,” and guest appearances from neo-soul pillar Jill Scott, rising Nigerian star Omah Lay, and Puerto Rican rapper Young Miko.

Kehlani hyped the release on New Year’s Eve last year, telling their fans, “Describing the year would take more words than I have. Everything led to this. I accept all of God’s plan for me: twists, turns, and gifts alike. ’24, my luckiest number. See you then.”

So far, 2024 has brought at least one unexpected surprise for the singer, who was tapped by the WNBA’s newest franchise, the Golden State Valkyries, to narrate the new team’s announcement video. Given the Bay Area’s commitment to employing local musical talent across sports (P-Lo and Saweetie’s 49ers anthem, E-40 and Too Short’s trip to the White House with the Warriors), it’s probably safe to say this isn’t the last we’ve heard of Kehlani’s association with the league — especially since they’ve already got a strong working relationship.

01. “GrooveTheory”
02. “Next 2 U”
03. “After Hours”
04. “What I Want”
05. “Crash”
06. “8”
07. “Sucia” Feat. Jill Scott & Young Miko
08. “Better Not”
09. “Tears” Feat. Omah Lay
10. “Vegas”
11. “Deep”
12. “Chapel”
13. “Lose My Wife”

Crash is out 6/21 via Atlantic.