Month: June 2024

The Boston Celtics are one game away from their first championship in 16 years after holding on for a Game 3 win in Dallas to go up 3-0.

Jayson Tatum finally broke out of his shooting slump in the first half, leading a Boston charge after trailing by double digits early on, and Jaylen Brown picked up his scoring in the second half to lead a run that put the Celtics in front by as many as 21. Things did get a bit dicey late, as Tatum and Brown seemed to slip into some of their old, bad habits of getting stagnant on offense and going 1-on-1 to try and nurse the big lead. Dallas cut the lead to as few as one, but could never pull back in front, with Luka Doncic fouling out with just over four minutes to play and their offense struggling to maintain its rhythm.

Derrick White and Jrue Holiday played a big role in the Game 3 win once again, with White pouring in four more threes and Holiday seemingly making big plays whenever they need him to on either end of the floor. Holiday had an argument for being their best player through the first two games, and while he scored just nine in Game 3, he continued to be play a critical role in the win.

After the game, Tatum joined the NBA TV desk and Charles Barkley had to ask him about what Holiday has meant to the team, and Tatum, like so many others, still can’t believe they were able to pick him up this summer.

“I don’t know how they let us get him, but I’m so happy we got Jrue on our team and we’re so fortunate,” Tatum said. “He just makes winning plays. He’s obviously been here and won a championship. And more than anything, he just raises everybody else’s level on defense. On a team like we have, you don’t want to be the weakest link on defense. We all take pride in guarding our yard, and it starts with Jrue Holiday and we all just try to match his level.”

At least one other star in the league shares Tatum’s disbelief the Celtics were able to get Holiday, as Joel Embiid posed a question on Twitter during Boston’s third quarter run as to whether Milwaukee handed the Celtics a title by trading Holiday for Damian Lillard — which put Holiday on the market for the Celtics to swoop in and grab. Embiid and the rest of the league might be a bit frustrated with the Bucks for that choice, but Tatum and the Celtics are happy to reap the rewards.

It’s really happening, guys. Normani will release Dopamine, her long (long)-awaited debut full-length studio album, in mere days after years of contradicting updates.

Normani first announced Dopamine in February, but then two months passed before “1:59” featuring Gunna, the lead single, arrived on April 26. The following month, Normani dropped her “Dopamine (First Dose)” album trailer and “Candy Paint,” the second single.

On Wednesday night, June 12, Normani revealed the album’s full tracklist, so there’s truly no going back now. Cardi B and James Blake are joining Gunna as featured artists.

“This moment symbolizes so much more than any photo could ever capture,” Normani captioned an Instagram carousel earlier this week. “There has been so much resistance and many adversities throughout this process for me. Thank you to my fans for always keeping me encouraged and for being my reason to continue to endure and push through. This chapter is dedicated to you. ily guys more than you know.”

The sultry, slow-burning “1:59” and the playful, more upbeat “Candy Paint” showcased different sides of the former Fifth Harmony member, so the full Dopamine palette figures to have at least one song to satisfy everyone’s taste.

Normani’s Dopamine Tracklist

1. “Big Boy”
2. “Still”
3. “All Yours”
4. “Lights On”
5. “Take My Time”
6. “Insomnia”
7. “Candy Paint”
8. “Grip”
9. “1:59” Feat. Gunna
10. “Distance”
11. “Tantrums” Feat. James Blake
12. “Little Secrets”
13. “Wild Side” Feat. Cardi B

Normani’s Dopamine Album Cover Artwork

Dopamine is out 6/14 via RCA Records. Find more information here.

The Boston Celtics are one win away from basketball immortality. Despite the fact that Kristaps Porzingis missed Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals due to a leg injury, the Celtics were able to ride a big third quarter en route to a 106-99 win over the Dallas Mavericks. As a result, the Celtics find themselves with a 3-0 series lead and their 18th NBA championship within their grasp.

With Porzingis out due to injury and Dallas finally playing in front of its home fans, the Mavs came out on fire to start the game. The team opened things up on a 9-2 run, with six of those points coming on shots right at the rim. Over and over the duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving attacked Boston in the paint, and got their lead up to as many as 13 points.

And then, Boston showed some serious resolve, as the Celtics went on an 11-0 run to get the lead down to two points. And while they were never able to take the lead in the game’s opening 12 minutes, the Celtics only faced a 1-point deficit at the end of the frame behind the best quarter Jayson Tatum’s played all series, as Dallas went into the second quarter up 31-30.

The second was one of the best quarters we’ve had in the Finals, as neither team was able to really gain a foothold and as a result, things were tied or the lead was passed back and forth. Much of this came down to Irving and Tatum looking like a pair of stars, with both players scoring 20 first half points and giving the opposing defense headaches.

Still, by the time the two teams went to the locker room for halftime, Dallas was holding on to a narrow 51-50 lead. In addition to the 20 points Irving scored, Doncic went for 17, while the Mavs absolutely pummeled the Celtics in the paint by a 30-16 margin.

Tatum did get some help off the bench from Sam Hauser, who had nine points and went 3-for-3 from behind the arc, while Al Horford had eight points after getting put in the starting lineup for Porzingis. While Jaylen Brown had a quiet scoring half — six points on 2-for-6 shooting — he pitched in five assists, three rebounds, and a block.

The Celtics started to impose their will in the third. Whether it was their offense looking more dominant than it had all game or their defense starting to clamp down on both Irving and Doncic, Dallas just had no answer on either end of the floor — this was, in large part, due to the fact that Doncic was just not very good, as Boston kept going after him on defense.

Brown, in particular, came to life in the third, going for 15 points in the frame. That nearly outscored the Mavs as a team, as Dallas only had 19 points.

And at the very end of the quarter, Brown put the exclamation point on things, as he cut through the lane like a hot knife threw butter and threw down an emphatic jam that gave the Celtics an 85-70 lead going into the fourth.

Boston started the fourth by getting its lead up to as many as 21 points, and while the game did not look completely over, it was becoming clear that Dallas was going to need something special if it wanted to keep its NBA championship aspirations alive. And then, they got it in the form of 12 consecutive points that cut the lead down to nine and injected some much-needed life into the American Airlines Center.

In all, the Mavs went on a 20-2 run that got the lead down to three points, and all the concerns about the Celtics’ ability to execute on offense late in a game reared their ugly head against a Dallas defense that was locked in.

But with 4:12 left in the game, Brown attempted to drive to the rim and drew a blocking foul against Doncic. This was the Mavs star’s sixth foul of the game, and while Jason Kidd basically had to challenge, it was determined that Doncic did, indeed, commit a foul that prematurely ended his night — it marked the first time in his career that he fouled out of a playoff game.

The Celtics immediately responded by getting their lead up to six points, but the Mavs kept chipping away, and a pair of dunks by Dereck Lively got them within two points. But between Boston bearing down and Dallas never getting the final bucket to take the lead, the Celtics were able to hold on and see out a win.

Tatum led the Celtics with 31 points, six rebounds, and five assists, while Brown went for 30 points, eight rebounds, and eight assists. Derrick White pitched in 16 points, while both Hauser and Jrue Holiday scored nine. As a team, Boston shot 17-for-46 (37 percent) from three, along with 26 assists on 38 made field goals. The duo of Doncic (35 points) and Irving (27 points, six rebounds, six assists) led Dallas, with Lively going for a 11-point, 13-rebound double-double off the bench and Washington scoring 13 points.

Now, Boston is on the verge of a championship, while Dallas will need a miracle if it wants to become the first team in NBA history to win a playoff series despite an 0-3 deficit. Game 4 will take place in Dallas on Friday night at 8:30 p.m. EST on ABC.

Post Malone is tempted to take a page from Lil Nas X’s book. In 2022, Lil Nas X’s Madame Tussauds wax figure resembled him so well that he used it to prank call Olivia Rodrigo, Lizzo, and several other famous friends. Post met his wax figure while backstage at Governors Ball 2024, which he headlined on June 7, and he already has plans to use it to his advantage.

“Are you f*cking kidding me?” Post said upon seeing the figure, as shown in a video posted to X (formerly Twitter) by Consequence. “I literally thought that was a person. Is this real hair? Whose hair is it? Mine? That was y’all in my shower?”

While giggling, Post also asked, “Can this do my shows for me? I’d love to catch up on sleep.”

Then, Post temporarily tricked his mother into believing they took his real hair from his shower to use for the wax figure.

Post Malone’s wax figure will be featured at Madame Tussauds Las Vegas, while the real Post Malone will headline Bonnaroo Music Festival 2024 in Manchester, Tennessee on Friday, June 14, and he may or may not be tattooing an explicit image onto Steve-O’s forehead while he’s there.

The Boston Celtics appear to be on the doorstep of their 18th championship in franchise history, but the first in 16 years, as they entered Wednesday’s Game 3 in Dallas with a 2-0 series lead on the Mavs.

Unsurprisingly, the Mavs came out hot to start the game, but the Celtics weathered the storm and reeled them in steadily, cutting the lead to just one at the half. It seemed like the wind had come out of the Mavs’ sails, and in the third quarter they got buried under an avalanche by the Celtics, who piled up 35 points in the third to take a 15-point lead into the fourth quarter.

While it was their stars leading the way in scoring, they once again got some tremendous efforts from their backcourt glue guys in Derrick White and Jrue Holiday, who applied pressure and got the ball moving in the third to help them open up a big lead and take control of the game. Holiday has been sensational all series, and while watching from home, Joel Embiid couldn’t help but wonder aloud if the Bucks decision to trade Holiday for Damian Lillard, which led to Holiday getting dealt to Boston, gave the Celtics a championship.

Boston had already made a splash this summer before Holiday even hit the market, trading Marcus Smart for Kristaps Porzingis. Being able to not only land a Smart replacement in the backcourt, but find an upgrade by trading Malcolm Brogdon, Robert Williams III, and a pick to Portland turned this Celtics team into the league’s best team. In the playoffs, Holiday has had an even bigger offensive impact than anyone expected, but that’s in part due to the fact he’s not having to always shoulder the point of attack burden on defense, as White is more than well-equipped to do that as well. The result has been a spectacular two-way performance and he’s a big reason why the Celtics are inching ever closer to the Larry O’Brien trophy. If the Mavs can’t pull off a stunning (and perhaps historic) comeback, Embiid’s question will be one plenty mull over.

On Monday, June 10, Young Thug’s ongoing YSL Racketeer Influenced And Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) trial was interrupted in bizarre fashion when Brian Steel, Young Thug’s attorney, was taken into custody after being held in contempt of court.

According to Billboard, Steel “will not have to report to jail this weekend on criminal contempt charges after the Georgia Supreme Court granted his emergency motion for bond,” a ruling from Wednesday, June 12.

“The decision means that Steel’s jail sentence — 20 days, to be served over ten consecutive weekends starting this Friday — will be put on pause until the Supreme Court rules on his appeal of the contempt order, which his attorneys have argued was an abuse of the judge’s authority,” Billboard relayed.

FOX 5 Atlanta initially reported that Steel’s charge is due to his approaching the bench following a lunch recess and “revealing his knowledge of an ex parte conversation that took place before court” between the Judge Ural Glanville, prosecutors, and witness Kenneth “Lil Woody” Copeland. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution additionally noted, “It could upend the entire trial, which has already lasted 18 months —making it the longest trial in Georgia’s history.”

See clips of the moment unfolding below.

Jelly Roll will begin his headlining Beautifully Broken Tour in late August, but every time the 2024 Grammys nominee speaks about his past, he reminds everybody why his tour had to be called the Beautifully Broken Tour.

The latest example came during Wednesday’s (June 12) episode of The Howard Stern Show, where Jelly Roll discussed a wide range of topics, including a never-before-told story from his past defined by crime and arrests.

The Tennessee native born Jason DeFord confirmed to Stern that he became a drug dealer as an adolescent because it gave him “a purpose.” Then, Stern questioned Jelly Roll on getting “busted, like, 47 times.” Jelly Roll said, “Oh, so bad. I was the worst criminal ever.”

“My successfulness of running from the police is 0-20,” Jelly Roll continued. “I was probably 15 years old, and I got arrested once, and I was on a Xanax bar, Howard. Never told this story, but you know how Xanax make you a little slow anyway? In my mind, when the police pulled us over, I was like, ‘I’m just gonna run.’ So, I open the door, and in my mind, I jumped out [and] sprinted across a field and almost made it. I was so fat and Xanaxed out, I stood out, got two steps, the cop was standing there watching me. I fell, and he just laid on top of me. He felt so bad for me, he didn’t even charge me for trying to run.”

Jelly Roll also opened up about how he experienced prison, how he met his wife, which tattoos he regrets, and more. Watch the clips below.

When Tom Brady left the Patriots to join the Bucs, there were some tensions with the New England organization he helped transform into the NFL’s gold standard. However, there was never a doubt that eventually he would come back to Foxborough and be honored as the best player in franchise history.

Wednesday night was that night, as Patriots fans flocked to Gillette Stadium to see Brady inducted into the Patriots Hall of Fame. Typically, a team Hall of Fame ceremony just involves a halftime or postgame ceremony during the season, but someone of Brady’s stature commands something a bit more. That’s not just getting his own night during the offseason, but bringing out some big stars to help mark the occasion. That started with Massachusetts native John Cena narrating a video that kicked off the ceremony.

It continued with the most surprising appearance of the night, as none other than Jay-Z performed “Public Service Announcement” to introduce the GOAT to the stage.

I have to say, Jay-Z sounds great here and despite it being a brief appearance to do one song before a team Hall of Fame ceremony, he doesn’t mail it in at all. That — and the fact he pulled up at all — is an indicator of the power of Tom Brady, who has the respect of just about everyone across the sports and entertainment world for what he did on the football field and his incredible longevity of greatness.

On February 1, Don Toliver released the video for his “Bandit” single and begun revealing a biker aesthetic, including updating his social media profile pictures to tease a forthcoming album. He has since confirmed Hardstone Psycho (and welcomed his first child with Kali Uchis), and the album is due out soon.

Find everything you need to know about Hardstone Psycho below.

Release Date

Hardstone Psycho is due out on 6/14 via Cactus Jack/Atlantic Records. Find more information here.

Tracklist

1. “Kryptonite”
2. “Tore Up”
3. “Brother Stone” Feat. Kodak Black
4. “Attitude” Feat. Charlie Wilson & Cash Cobain
5. “Bandit”
6. “Glock”
7. “Ice Age” Feat. Travis Scott
8. “4×4”
9. “Purple Rain” Feat. Future
10. “New Drop”
11. “Backstreets” Feat. Teezo Touchdown
12. “Deep In The Water”
13. “Inside” Feat. Travis Scott
14. “5 To 10”
15. “Last Laugh”
16. “Hardstone National Anthem”

Singles

“Attitude” and “Deep In The Water” join the aforementioned “Bandit” as Toliver’s Hardstone Psycho singles.

Features

Toliver stacked Hardstone Psycho with notable features. The featured artists are Cash Cobain, Charlie Wilson, Future, Kodak Black, Teezo Touchdown, and Travis Scott. Scott’s inclusion is unsurprising because Toliver is signed to Scott’s Cactus Jack imprint.

Artwork

Tour

As of this writing, Toliver hasn’t announced a headlining tour in support of Hardstone Psycho. However, the Houston-bred artist is scheduled to perform at several festivals this summer, including The Lyrical Lemonade Summer Smash on Friday, June 14, at SeatGeek Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois. See all of Toliver’s upcoming dates here.

Power couple doesn’t feel like a powerful enough term to encapsulate Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift putting the entire globe into a trance for the past year. Kelce is endearingly aware of this.

Last Saturday, June 8, Kelce attended Cleveland Browns tight end David Njoku’s celebrity softball event at Classic Auto Group Park near Cleveland. Kelce won the home run derby and, as with most everything he does, could not contain his childlike elation.

Golic And GoJo discussed Kelce’s latest athletic feat, and Mike Golic Jr. had an impeccable takeaway: “The only thing I can come back to with all of this — because it’s great, and Travis Kelce is a legitimate athlete that could have probably had success in a bunch of different sports at high level — is how difficult it is to register on the Richter scale in the house that he’s now a part of with Taylor Swift.”

Golic Jr. proceeded to imitate a phone call between Kelce and Swift. “It’s like, ‘Babe, what did you do this weekend?’” he said. “‘Well, I stimulated the global economy, I went to a new city and enriched the lives of hundreds of thousands of people. Babe, what did you do?’ ‘I cracked eleven dingers in a celebrity softball game! Feeling pretty great about this one, babe. Thanks for asking.’”

Kelce responded to the X (formerly Twitter) clip by writing, “[five laugh-crying emojis] Love listening to these guys! ‘Feeling pretty good about it, babe.’”

Of course, Golic Jr. was alluding to Swift’s ongoing The Eras Tour, which will next stage three shows at Anfield Stadium in Liverpool, England, from June 13-15. See all of Swift’s remaining tour dates here.

Swift stands alone, but in Kelce’s defense, winning three Super Bowls — including the past two, as the Kansas City Chiefs will try to become the first team to three-peat in NFL history — as a four-time All-Pro tight end who holds multiple all-time records is pretty impressive.