Month: July 2024

The Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Donovan Mitchell a few years back with the full understanding that he could leave in unrestricted free agency in 2025. But after two years and back-to-back postseason berths, the Cavs have convinced Mitchell to stick around and sign a new deal that will keep him in Cleveland for the foreseeable future.

On Tuesday morning, Mitchell pressed send on this tweet.

Almost immediately after, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported that Mitchell agreed to a 3-year max extension with the team worth $150.3 million.

It’s been quite the offseason in Cleveland, as the team decided to fire head coach JB Bickerstaff and bring in former Brooklyn Nets coach Kenny Atkinson. While there has been speculation that the team needs to trade a member of its four building blocks — Mitchell, Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen — the Cavaliers have publicly pushed back against that notion, although a report from earlier this offseason indicated that Garland could want out of town if Mitchell agreed to a long-term deal. The Cavs won 48 games during the regular season, then beat the Orlando Magic in the first round of the playoffs — their first playoff series win without LeBron James in three decades — before falling in five games to the Boston Celtics.

Mitchell has been excellent in each of the two years he’s spent in Cleveland since the team acquired him from the Utah Jazz ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. Despite dealing with injuries last season, Mitchell averaged 26.6 points, 6.1 assists, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game.

Joseph Quinn was fearless the only time he met Taylor Swift.

The Stranger Things and A Quiet Place: Day One star (although not THE star of the A Quiet Place prequel; that would be the cat) talked about his encounter with the “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart” singer on a recent episode of the Happy Sad Confused podcast.

“I met Taylor Swift once, and I said, ‘You’re Taylor Swift.’ She was very funny,” Quinn said, according to Entertainment Weekly. “She said something nice about like the show [Stranger Things], and I said, ‘Oh, thanks. You’re Taylor Swift.’ I meant it as a compliment.”

He added, “It’s definitely a compliment, and I remember thinking like, ‘That was f*cking stupid.’ But she was very good-humored about it.”

There are multiple connections between Taylor Swift and Stranger Things, beginning with Sadie Sink, who plays Max on the Netflix series, starring in All Too Well: The Short Film. Also, she worked with Ethan Hawke, the father of Maya Hawke, in the “Fortnite” music video. If someone wants to start a rumor that “I Can Fix Him (No Really I Can)” is about Joyce and Hopper, I would believe it.

You can listen to the Happy Sad Confused podcast below.

If you’re not clear where Cardi B stands politically, let her be the first to tell you that she will “never” become a Republican.

In response to a clip of Cardi previewing a new song, an X (formerly Twitter) user wrote yesterday (July 1), “she may have betrayed our country and turned Republican but at least she found a nice tune.” Cardi replied, “I will never turn republican lol.”

The user’s comment was presumably referencing Cardi recently distancing herself from Joe Biden. In a Rolling Stone feature shared in May, Cardi confirmed she doesn’t intend to vote in the upcoming election, saying of Biden and Donald Trump, “I don’t f*ck with both of y’all n****s.”

Cardi also said, “It’s just like, damn, y’all not caring about nobody. Then, it really gets me upset that there is solutions to it. There is a solution. I know there’s a solution because you’re spending billions of dollars on any f*cking thing.” She added later, “[America] don’t pay for endless wars for countries that have been going through sh*t for a very long time. There’s countries [where] kids are getting killed every single day, but because the [US] won’t benefit from that country, they won’t help. I don’t like that America has this superhero cape on. We never did things to be superheroes. We did things for our own convenience.”

Similar to professional sports, music is a competitive arena. The 2024 Paris Olympics has only heightened the tension in the air. But the lighthearted mashups of competitors in the games and music’s biggest stars has shown just how interwoven things are.

Last month, Snoop Dogg vowed to give up smoke (but for real this time) to cover the showdowns. Yesterday (July 1), SZA relived her inner gymnast dreams with Simone Biles.

In the pair’s sit down, SZA showed off her freakishly flexible skills in a friendly handstand battle. When asked about her abilities, the “Saturn” singer revealed to Biles that before pursuing a career in music, she trained to be a gymnast. Biles then asked what made her leave the life of an athlete behind.

“When it was clear to me that I wasn’t going to be a national gymnast,” she said. “I was like, ‘Ok, let me see what I can do. See what else I could do.”

SZA took to Instagram to share the episode and praise Biles. “I was SO honored to hang out with you, Simone Biles ,” she wrote. “THIS FELT LIKE A FEVER DREAM. Good luck at your THIRD Olympic Games ! #ParisOlympics.”

Watch the full conversation behind SZA and Simone Biles below.

NBA free agency began with a bit of a whimper on Sunday. For a myriad of reasons, the first night of the new league calendar didn’t feature the fireworks that have come to define this time of year, as we largely saw teams re-sign their own free agents with relatively little movement as the free agent window opened. That did, however, change, as we started to get some movement, headlined by Kentavious Caldwell-Pope going to the Orlando Magic.

But once the calendar flipped to Monday, the biggest domino of the summer fell, as Paul George joined the Philadelphia 76ers on a 4-year max deal. And from there, we had an action packed day of players and teams coming to terms on new deals.

Kelly Oubre (Sixers)

George was actually not the first player to agree to a deal with Philly on Monday, as the team made it a point to bring back Kelly Oubre, who turned into a really solid two-way wing for them last season and earned the trust of Nick Nurse.

Paul George (Sixers)

This seemed inevitable after the Magic signed Caldwell-Pope and the Clippers announced that George would not return. Now, the biggest name on the board is headed back to the Eastern Conference, as George got a 4-year max contract with a player option to join the Philadelphia 76ers. Read more here.

Tyrese Maxey (Sixers)

In maybe the least surprising news of the day, Philly came to terms on a lucrative contract extension for Tyrese Maxey, the team’s dynamic point guard who has turned into a brilliant running mate alongside Joel Embiid. Now, he’ll be part of a big three with Embiid and George. Read more here.

Aaron Wiggins (Thunder)

Oklahoma City was pegged a team to watch as free agency opened up, as the team had a ton of money to play with and the opportunity to build out its roster around Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Chet Holmgren, and Jalen Williams. But instead of taking a big swing in the market as it started making moves, the team opted to bring back its guys, which started with a 5-year deal worth $47 million for 3-and-D wing Aaron Wiggins, whose team option got declined with the expectation that he would return.

Isaiah Joe (Thunder)

Not long after the Wiggins deal, the Thunder agreed to an extension with the other player who had their team option declined. A deadeye shooter who was put into the starting lineup for the final two games of their playoff run, Joe’s ability to stretch the floor is an important piece to the puzzle around the rest of Oklahoma City’s core.

Jalen Smith (Bulls)

Jalen Smith will stay in the Central Division, although he will not be returning to the Indiana Pacers. Smith, the frontcourt player who was taken 10th overall in the 2020 NBA Draft by the Phoenix Suns and was able to carve out a bigger role after he was traded to Indiana at the 2022 deadline, is joining a Chicago Bulls team that could really use the floor spacing that he’s capable of providing at his best.

Isaiah Hartenstein (Thunder)

After getting Joe and Wiggins done, the Thunder landed their big fish in the form of former Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein, inking him to a three-year, $87 million deal. Hartenstein fills a big need in the middle, as they got punished on the glass in the postseason and needed more rim protection beyond Chet Holmgren. Hartenstein was long considerd their top target and they landed their guy, with more details on the signing here.

Tobias Harris (Pistons)

Detroit entered free agency with a bunch of cap space, and their anticipated top target was a reunion with old friend Tobias Harris. They got that deal done to the tune of two years, $52 million that gives Harris a nice short-term payday and a chance to recoup his value around the league, while the Pistons get a veteran on the wing who can raise their offensive floor and could bring some value back eventually in a trade. For more on the signing, read here.

Drew Eubanks (Jazz)

The Jazz added some frontcourt depth with Drew Eubanks on a two-year, $10 million deal to pry him away from the Suns.

Luka Garza (Timberwolves)

Minnesota doesn’t have many avenues to make roster upgrades, so coming off a conference finals berth their focus had to be on getting the band back together, with Luka Garza getting a two-year deal to return as deep bench depth in the frontcourt.

Delon Wright (Bucks)

The Bucks made their first move of the summer in adding some needed guard depth with Delon Wright on a one-year deal.

Derrick White (Celtics)

In the world of contract extensions, the Celtics locked in another core piece long-term, with Derrick White agreeing to a 4-year, $125.9 million deal to keep Boston’s title group together for the foreseeable future — more on the signing here.

Klay Thompson (Mavericks)

The last of the really big free agency dominoes fell in the afternoon when Klay Thompson agreed to a three-year, $50 million deal in Dallas as part of a three-team sign-and-trade that would send Josh Green to Charlotte. The early hang up was what the Warriors would get in return, but ultimately Golden State ended up signing off by receiving two second round picks and a trade exception.

Nic Batum (Clippers)

The Clippers continued their activity early in the free agent window, bringing Nic Batum back to L.A. on a two-year deal.

De’Anthony Melton (Warriors)

The Warriors then went out and signed De’Anthony Melton into their mid-level exception on a 1-year, $12.8 million deal to bolster their backcourt rotation after losing Thompson and Chris Paul.

Aaron Holiday (Rockets)

An impactful member of Houston’s bench unit last year, Aaron Holiday is slated to return to the team on a 2-year, $10 million deal after becoming an unrestricted free agent.

Jayson Tatum (Celtics)

Shockingly, the Boston Celtics are not letting Jayson Tatum go anywhere. Tatum, the team’s two-way star who helped lead them to the 18th championship in franchise history, came to an agreement with a team on the largest contract in NBA history. You can read more about it here.

Goga Bitadze (Magic)

A former first-round pick of the Indiana Pacers, Goga Bitadze had really blossomed over the last year and a half as a member of the Orlando Magic, as his rebounding and physicality have played an important role in the team making it back to the playoffs. Orlando decided it could not lose him, and as a result, he inked a 3-year deal worth $25 million.

Garrett Temple (Raptors)

“Who He Play For?” Hall of Famer Garrett Temple is running it back in Toronto, as the veteran forward will be a member of the Raptors for the second year in a row.

Gary Harris (Magic)

The Magic continued their work bringing back most of their contributors from a season ago, re-signing Gary Harris along with Bitadze and their big addition of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope.

Kris Dunn (Clippers)

The Clippers continued an active first couple days of free agency adding some point guard depth and help improving their backcourt defense in the form of Kris Dunn.

Viewers of the 2024 BET Awards are still intoxicated by last night’s (June 30) ceremony. From Usher’s hotly debate Lifetime Achievement Award tribute to the flurry of individual performances, watchers have found a way to extend the televised celebration. One of the night’s entertainers, Megan Thee Stallion’s latest business venture, has something to keep the party going.

On May 19, the “Down Stairs DJ” rapper teased that she was gearing up to launch a tequila brand. Today (July 1) during her appearance on the Club Shay Shay podcast, Megan revealed that she has fellow Houston hottie Beyoncé to thank for the business’ formation.

When host Shannon Sharpe asked Megan about her next chapter as an independent artist, she revealed that it has leveled her up in all ways with the guidance of Jay-Z and Beyoncé.

“When I was in the situation with [1501] and I wanted to get out of it, they told me you need to do this on your own,” she said. “Like, ‘You already know what it is. You already have all the tools. All the legal sh*t you are going through, I know you are learning something. So you should figure out how to get out here and be your own boss.’”

Megan then opened up about the suggestion Beyoncé made. “Beyoncé is actually the person that inspired me to get my own tequila,” she said. “Because I used to be the cognac queen. I still am the cognac queen. But as much as I used to enjoy cognac, and I’ve promoted a lot of people’s liquor brands, she was like, ‘the next time I see you, you better have your own. You need to have your own alcohol.’”

Watch the full episode of Club Shay Shay with special guest Megan Thee Stallion below.

In the immortal words of Erykah Badu, artists are sensitive about their sh*t. But, time and time again, the public has learned there are also easily irritated but others’ works.

Just when music fans thought the tumultuous trend of beef soundtracked by song (Kendrick Lamar versus Drake, Megan Thee Stallion versus Nicki Minaj, Latto versus Ice Spice, Chris Brown versus Quavo) was over, PartyNextDoor seems to be throwing his hat in the ring. Yesterday (June 30), all eyes were on the 2024 BET Awards. But the “For Certain” singer was focused on airing out fellow musicians Chris Brown, Bryson Tiller, and Jeremih. So, why did PartyNextDoor send shots their way?

Continue below for more details.

Why Did PartyNextDoor Diss Chris Brown, Bryson Tiller, And Jeremih?

On June 30, PartyNextDoor supposedly pulled a tweet-and-delete. In a screenshot captured by users online, PartyNextDoor dissed Chris Brown, Bryson Tiller, and Jeremih after learning that his ex-girlfriend, Desma Triplett (Tripp), previously known as Desma Dooney, was featured in the trio’s latest video for single, “Wait On It.”

“I’m finna make these n****s cry,” he wrote. “Bryson, Chris, and Jeremih… enjoy the nights of your life.”

PartyNextDoor then penned a message to his former love: “Doing videos at 34, that b*tch broke.” Users online slammed his attempt to age shame Desma, considering she made appearances in other visuals, including Cardi B’s “Up” (according to Capital Xtra).

Although Bryson Tiller hasn’t issued a response to PartyNextDoor’s post, Chris Brown and Jeremih has. View their clapbacks below courtesy of The Shade Room.

The obituary Eminem placed in the Detroit Free Press newspaper to promoted his upcoming might have been extreme, but that’s his norm. The “Houdini” rapper’s latest promotional clip is even more shocking.

Today (July 1), Eminem took to his official X (formerly Twitter) page to announce the official release date for The Death Of Slim Shady (Coup De Grâce). Instead of a simple reveal, Eminem shared a suspense-filled teaser visual to break the news.

“OH SH*T!!! THE DEATH OF SLIM SHADY (COUP DE GRÂCE) 7/12,” he wrote.

Although the caption of the post delivered the calendar goodies, frankly that isn’t the most exciting part of the upload. In line with Eminem’s latest string of music video and teasers influenced by movies (Batman and Friday The 13th), this clip is an eerily mashup of The Omen and Seed Of Chucky.

As the video opens, the audience is witness to the gift of life (the complete opposite theme of the forthcoming project). However, there’s a catch. After the doctor frantically attempts to revive the unresponsive newborn, his efforts pay off. Instead of a bouncing bundle of joy, a demon baby terrorizes the hospital room. With Slim Shady slated to be killed off, is Eminem seemingly reincarnated in the worst way.

The Golden State Warriors are going to get something back for Klay Thompson, who is leaving the team to join the Dallas Mavericks in a sign-and-trade. While Thompson will get a 3-year, $50 million deal to join Dallas, it was unclear what would make its way back to Golden State — right when the news of the deal dropped, it was reported that the Mavs would send Josh Green to the Charlotte Hornets.

It took a few hours, but on Monday evening, we learned what Golden State will get back: A pair of future second-round picks from Dallas.

Chris Haynes of Bleacher Report had the specifics on what the picks would be, with one coming in 2025 and the other coming in 2031. There’s also a sizeable trade exception that is being created due to the Warriors declining to take any salary back in the deal.

To put it bluntly, it is insane to see that the Klay Thompson era with the Golden State Warriors end with the team receiving a pair of second-round NBA Draft picks, one of which could be used on someone who is around 12 years old right now. It’s also worth mentioning that Golden State apparently did have the option to get a player back in a sign-and-trade for Thompson if he went to the Los Angeles Lakers, but they were not interested in a deal that would reunite them with D’Angelo Russell.

No matter who we are or where we live, we all have occasional bad days—and it can be surprising how quickly someone’s words or actions can make your day worse or better.

A woman shared a story on Reddit that showcases how one small and simple act of kindness can have a big lasting impact, prompting others to share their own stories.

Reddit user klem528 explained that she was “having a day” and crying in her car as she pulled into a frozen yogurt store parking lot one day.

“I caught a glimpse of a teenage girl and dad in the car next to me while I was crying,” she wrote. “When I came back after eating the fro you, their car was gone but this was in my door handle.”

The photo shows a $10 bill with a note bedecked with hearts that reads, “Your fro-yo is on us. We hope tomorrow is a better day.”

People loved the example of strangers taking the time and money to help a fellow human being feel a little less alone and began sharing their own stories of random kindnesses.

“I was at the self checkout at Walmart a few months back. This mother and her child id seen a couple times were checking out. Her son was a saint. The whole time, he would help her grab stuff off shelves. Was very polite to other people in the store if they were in his way.

Anyway, they’re checking out, and he had this toy and his mother apologized and told him she couldn’t get it. The kid seemed upset about it, but went and took it to the woman over the self checkout.

As he was walking back, a girl who was still checking out asked for it, and bought it for him. Took it over to him, and this kid burst into tears and thanked her. The woman who bought it asked if he’d be good for his mom, and this poor kid was choking back more tears, shaking his head yes. The mother also choking back tears a bit and thanked her.

It made my heart warm that day. I’ve tried to do little acts of kindness more since then.” – Shawnessy

“One day, I was on my way home with a friend when I was stopped at the pump by a young woman who was nearly hysterical, dressed up and shaking her hands out. ‘Please, please do you have $5? I haven’t had a job in months, I’m on my way to an interview, and I need just enough gas to get there. Please?’

I filled her tank as full as it could go. I got back in the car after her thanks and watching her speed away, and my friend says, without even looking up from her phone, ‘Know you just got taken for a ride, don’t you? She probably didn’t have an interview.’

But I just shrugged and said, ‘But maybe she did.’ I think about her often. Maybe I did lose $30. But maybe I helped a young mother (saw the car seat in her back) find a job and provide for her family. Either way, I did it because I wanted to help someone, and it’s on them if they lied. The world might be a lot nicer if we stopped assuming everyone’s out to get us. – KaythuluCrewe

“Last summer my best friend in the whole world and I had a complete falling out. I was sobbing in the Starbucks drive thru a few days later, I was feeling miserable and the woman in front of me payed for my drink and told the barista to tell me it’ll get better 😭😭 I cried.

There really are good people out there. I hope tomorrow is better xo” – haleymichal

“I once went into Starbucks and I was having such a hard day, my uncle died, boyfriend and I broke up, work was being really hard on me. I couldn’t hold back my tears when I went to order and the barista gave it to me for free. I’ve never been so grateful for such a small, kind gesture on a terrible day. I’ve never forgot it and I doubt I ever will. Small acts of kindness matter.” – venusdances

“I went to Chick-fil-A the morning after my husband passed away to get my daughter something to eat. The girl taking my order said, “you look like you need a hug. Can I hug you?” I sobbed in that girl’s arms for a solid 5 min. Another employee routed cars to the other lane, and she kept telling me, “who cares about those cars, it’s about you right now.” I will never forget the kindness of this young lady who couldn’t have been older than 18-19, did not know my circumstance. She just made it her mission to comfort me that day. ❤️😪” – beachbaby5

“I was in Lowe’s the first Mother’s Day after losing my own mom to buy plants for my garden. I was so late to checkout inside that the registers were closed. I apologized and said it wasn’t the best day. Not only did they open a register for me, but the cashier went in the back and brought me a gift bag full of candy that they gave to all employees who were moms that day. I will never forget her face or her kindness.” – carpalmieri

“I lost my dog 7 months ago. I’m very sad and having a really hard time. I went to the park we always visited for our fifteen years together. I was walking and crying behind my sunglasses. I was with my other dog ( she is having a really hard time too). A lady passed by and stopped me to ask about my dog and pet her. As I was answering, she asked if I was ok, because my voice was shaky. I said I was so sorry I was just thinking about my dog that passed away and really miss him, but that that we go there to feel him close, it was his favorite place. She started crying and hugged me, and told me I was a good dog mother. Small acts are HUGE for the ones in need. I needed that hug. 💜” – delphinacoscia

On one of the very worst days I can remember in years, my partner and I pulled over on a road trip to deal with some bad news. A woman in the parking lot passed two ice cream cones into our car windows. And that memory makes the hard day so much better in the rear view mirror. Kind strangers make the world such a better place ❤️” – neuro_fuzzy

The original poster who posted the story three years ago shared that she still keeps the $10 bill and note in her glove compartment. You just never know how a small act can boost someone’s mood and offer a much-needed sense of hope. Imagine the world we could build if we all went out of our way to lift someone’s spirits and remind them they’re not alone.

If you enjoyed this story and would like to read more like it, check out our new book, “GOOD PEOPLE: Stories From the Best of Humanity,” now available for pre-order.