Month: August 2024

For the 61st Olympic game in a row, the United States women’s basketball team picked up a win. And as a result, for the eighth Olympics in a row, the U.S. will leave the women’s hoops competition as gold medalists, although this did not come easy. Going up against France in Paris with a partisan crowd rooting against them, the Americans faced their stiffest test of these Olympics, but managed to pick up a thrilling, 67-66 win.

The story of the first half was the inability of the U.S. to get into a rhythm on the offensive end of the floor. While the American defense was sensational over the game’s opening 20 minutes, holding the French to only 11-for-40 (27.5 percent) shooting from the field, they just could not stop turning the ball over on offense.

France forced a remarkable 13 turnovers by the United States, with each one energizing the already raucous crowd in Paris, and turned them into 12 points. It didn’t help that the Americans didn’t get going from the field, either, going 8-for-28 (28.6 percent) and missing all three of their tries from deep. And while they got 14 attempts from the free-throw line, they only made nine of them, and as a result, things were tied 25 at the break.

Right out of the break, France landed a haymaker. The team went on an 10-0 run to start the third quarter and put the United States in an unfamiliar position: One where they needed to mount a comeback. And fortunately for the U.S., they were able to do just that thanks to everyone filling their role perfectly over the remainder of the frame. Whether it was Kelsey Plum and Sabrina Ionescu providing some juice on offense, Napheesa Collier getting easy looks by cutting to the rim, A’ja Wilson completely shutting France down whenever they got into the paint, or Kahleah Copper doing a little bit of everything, Team USA went on a 20-8 run to end the period to take a two-point lead into the fourth.

France’s physicality continued to give the United States trouble in the fourth, a particularly big issue due to their struggles to get going offensively — for some reason, it just seemed like the U.S. could not finish at the rim despite their ability to consistently get looks in the paint. It was a remarkable quarter, one where the two teams spent the entire time within one possession of one another.

Every time the U.S. opened up the slightest bit of a lead down the stretch, France always had something to keep it from getting out of hand, even though they struggled mightily from three in the final period. The one they made, a Gabby Williams triple with five seconds left, made it a one-point game, and while Copper nailed both free throws, France had one final shot. It went to Williams, who banked in a prayer as time expired, but her foot was well on the line. Because of this, instead of being on the other end of an all-time shot that forced overtime, the United States are able to call themselves gold medalists once again.

While Wilson struggled to get going from the field, her 21 points, 13 rebounds, and four blocks led the United States, while Copper had 10 of her 12 points in the fourth quarter to go along with five rebounds, a steal, and an assist. Plum chipped in 12 points and four assists off the bench. It was a rock fight of the highest order, as the U.S. shot 19-for-56 (33.9 percent) from the field and 2-for-12 (16.7 percent) from three, while France was 23-for-73 (31.5 percent) from the field and 7-for-36 (19.4 percent) from three. Ultimately, France’s inability to keep the U.S. off the free throw line was the different, as they went 27-for-34 from the charity stripe.

Stephen Curry came into this summer having done almost everything a superstar can do in the game of basketball. He took a formerly dismal franchise and turned them into one of the league’s gold standards, leading the Golden State Warriors to four championships. He has a pair of MVP awards, including the first ever unanimous selection in league history. He revolutionized the way the game is played, launching threes at a historic rate and changing the perception of what people see as a good shot. He has plastered his name all over the top of the NBA’s record books as a shooter and has an unassailable legacy as one of the greatest players to ever grace a basketball court.

And yet, there was one thing missing from his career resume that he was determined to add this summer: an Olympic gold medal. Curry, who has played on World Cup teams, had never been on an Olympic roster before this year. He made his intentions clear prior to this past season, joining LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and a number of top stars who threw their names in the ring after Team USA failed to medal at the World Cup last summer. There was immense pressure on this squad to win gold, as the rest of the world has begun closing the gap on the American’s basketball supremacy, but the faces of this basketball generation wanted to make one last statement in Paris.

Early on, it was James and Durant that shined brightest. LeBron was the team’s most dominant force, leading the way both with scoring and facilitating, taking over games when needed and providing something of a reminder that, even on a team full of stars, he’s still The Guy. Durant rewrote the USA Basketball record books, passing Lisa Leslie for the most points by an American in Olympic competition. Curry, meanwhile, struggled to find his footing out of the gates.

Through the first four games of the Olympics, Curry averaged just 7.3 points per game on 20 percent shooting from three-point range. He just couldn’t find his rhythm, and the greatest shooter to ever play seemed frustrated by his inability to get it going. And then, the floodgates opened. Curry exploded for 60 points in Team USA’s final two games, hitting 17 of his 26 attempts from three (65 percent) and leading Team USA to hard fought wins over Serbia and France. Those two performances erased all memory of the early struggles, as he showed up at the exact moment the team needed him and became an Olympic hero in the process.

Against Serbia, Team USA needed every bit of his 36-point barrage in a 16-point comeback to topple the eventual bronze medalists. He kept the team from getting run out of the gym early, scoring 17 in the first quarter, and then joined forces with LeBron and KD down the stretch to simply overpower Serbia with their combined scoring might. Against France, Team USA didn’t need a grand comeback to win, but France refused to go away and Curry buried shot after shot down the stretch, culminating in a preposterous dagger over Nic Batum and Evan Fournier that might go down as the greatest shot of his career — which, seeing as how this is Steph Curry we are talking about here, is an insanely high bar to clear.

This year’s Olympics team was one last stand by the old guard before passing the baton, and it was important for each of the veteran stars to prove something different. For LeBron, it was one last chance to defend his crown. For Durant, it was a chance to cement his place as the greatest men’s Olympian in USA Basketball history. For Curry, it was checking one last box off the career bucket list, but it wasn’t simply about filling that last empty spot in the trophy case.

Stars that play on Team USA at the Olympics almost always call it one of the greatest experiences of their career. It is something wholly unique, from the style of play to getting a chance to join forces with the best in the world and figure out how to make that work in a 6-game sprint. Curry had never gotten a chance to be a part of that, but with his place in basketball history, it wouldn’t have felt quite right if he hadn’t been able to leave a truly indelible mark on the international stage. He did just that over the last two games, and I think when most fans think back on the 2024 Olympic team, he will be the first name that pops to mind because of his performances in the semis and gold medal games.

I’m loath to say Stephen Curry needed anything for his legacy. He was already cemented as an all-time great, a future Hall of Fame inductee who inspired an entire generation of basketball players in a way that few others have. However, I think Steph needed this experience for himself. When you’ve won everything else there is to win, there aren’t many opportunities for a “first” at 35 years old, but this Olympics offered just that. He seized that opportunity in a way only Steph can, and can now add USA Olympic hero to his lengthy resume.

Every single week, our TV and film experts will list the most important ten streaming selections for you to pop into your queues. We’re not strictly operating upon reviews or accrued streaming clicks (although yes, we’ve scoured the streaming site charts) but, instead, upon those selections that are really worth noticing amid the churning sea of content. There’s a lot out there, after all, and your time is valuable.

10. The Instigators (Apple TV+ film)

Roadhouse reboot director Doug Liman directs Matt Damon and Casey Affleck in this heist-buddy-action-comedy flick about a father and an ex-con who team up to take money from a corrupt politician. Damon’s strait-laced dude is not very good at being a criminal, but somehow a therapist (portrayed by Hong Chau) helps advise the pair. Alright? The script, co-written by Affleck, draws upon Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid and Midnight Run for inspiration.

9. A Good Girl’s Guide To Murder (Netflix series)

In the fine tradition of Nancy Drew, this series stars Emma Meyers as Pip Fitz-Amobi, a high-school student who works to solve a five-year-old murder of a fellow teenager (thereby exonerating the already dead accused murderer) in her English town. The story is based upon Holly Jackson’s 2019 book, and plenty of changes have been made from page to screen, so there’s no telling whether Jackson’s other three books in the series will inspire sequels.

8. Lady In The Lake (Apple TV+ series)

Apple TV+ is crushing the dramatic game with weekly episode rollouts, and Natalie Portman stars as Maddie, a 1960s housewife who sets out to obtain a divorce and career for herself. This happens to also involve steamy chemistry with co-star Y’lan Noel (as Officer Ferdie Platt), and Maddie happens to be in the position to gain clues over violent Baltimore crimes, including the murder of Cleo Sherwood (Moses Ingram). The story is based upon Laura Lippman’s same-named novel, which is part of her extensive offering of Baltimore-focused books with spooky sights and sounds to offer. Will the show’s twist match that of the book? You gotta tune in to find out.

7. Those About To Die (Peacock series)

Togas and sandals rule the day, as they will also dominate later this year in Ridley Scott’s Gladiator 2 movie. Here, the almost-always-unsettling Anthony Hopkins portrays the leader of the real-life Flavian dynasty. The series is full of gratuitous violence as the Flavian progeny maneuver to succeed their father while those in the ring are there to “entertain” the masses.

6. Presumed Innocent (Apple TV+ series)

Apple TV+ is doing it here, as well, with its most popular drama to date, which is also a book adaptation and will receive a second season with “a new mystery,” meaning the anthology route. Jake Gyllenhaal portrays dirty-dog Rusty Sabich — a prosecutor who is accused of murdering his lover/colleague — in this adaptation of the Scott Turow novel. Thus far, several possibilities exist for the second season’s story, which could potentially be based upon another Turow book. Heck, David E. Kelley and Turow could decide together that this series should switch to a brand new original story, but we do know that Gyllenhaal is executive producing, and perhaps we will even see Rusty return onscreen if the followup time-jump novel, Innocent, gets adapted.

5. A Quiet Place: Day One (Paramount Pictures film on VOD & Prime Video/Amazon)

John Krasinski’s brainchild did it again in theaters, years after the first A Quiet Place became a sleeper hit that further cemented the horror genre as a place where budgets can be kept relatively low and yield tremendous returns. Audiences never do grow afraid of being scared, and the alien creatures are seen in this prequel film while touching down in New York City, where Lupita Nyong’o and her cat find a new friend, and the three fight to survive while dodging those horrible creatures with a frighteningly acute sense of sound.

4. House of the Dragon (HBO series streaming on Max)

Last week’s season finale left plenty of balls in the air in what turned out to be a watered-down season full of moving chess pieces to set up the real battles for the third season. The fact that Daemon pretty much hallucinated for the entire season didn’t help matters, but at least a set of cameos provided some pay off while also fueling a theory that won’t die anytime soon.

3. The Old Man (FX series streaming on Hulu)

Jeff Bridges is more than the Dude in this John Wick-esque series that will soon return for a second season, and positive word of mouth has prompted the streaming masses to catch up before go time on September 12. This season, Dan Chase is still in motion with John Lithgow’s Harold Harper now on the run with his old colleague after Dan got pulled out of obscurity for the “one last job” trope that is executed well here. Like Wick, a few dogs are involved in this series, and Alia Shaukat portrays a pivotal role along with Amy Brenneman. Dad TV and espionage-laden shows have never been hotter, and this series achieves a winning combination.

2. Dexter (Showtime series streaming on Netflix and Paramount+)

A ton of Michael C. Hall’s Dexter Morgan is on the way. That includes his voiceover work in Dexter: Original Sin and that vigilante serial killer in the flesh in Dexter: Resurrection because maybe he’s a zombie now. More than likely, it sounds like cold weather really will be the reason that Dexter survived his gunshot wound, but while we wait for enlightenment, the original series is still popping on Netflix because not even the lumberjack thing hurts its appeal.

1. The Umbrella Academy (Netflix series)

Do the Hargreaves siblings have it in them to stop a final apocalypse? That question would assume that they have a choice in the matter, and this time, a fix will be rough since the group lost their powers when Allison hit the reset button. As long as Klaus hasn’t lost his oddball behavior, this will be just fine, but watching the group be “ordinary” might be heartbreaking, so they shall need to figure out what the hell is going on set the world right. This season will include Nick Offerman, Megan Mullally, and David Cross along with the usual sibling mess led by Elliot Page, Tom Hopper, and Robert Sheehan.

For the fifth straight Olympics, the USA men’s basketball team won the gold medal, but, as expected, they faced serious tests in both the semifinal and gold medal games. Serbia pushed the Americans to the brink in the semis, as Team USA had to erase a 16-point deficit (and 13-point fourth quarter deficit) to even reach the gold medal game against France, where Victor Wembanyama kept the host nation close throughout.

In both games, Team USA prevailed thanks to their veteran stars showing why they’ve been the best in the world for a generation. LeBron James and Kevin Durant played key roles in both wins, but it was Stephen Curry that made the definitive mark in his first Olympics. After a 36-point outburst against Serbia, carrying the USA offense for large stretches before James and Durant joined him for a fourth quarter barrage, Curry followed it up with a 24-point outing against France. All 24 points came from beyond the three-point line, as he went 8-of-12 from deep, including an unbelievable closing stretch, putting dagger after dagger into the host country’s hopes of winning gold.

His final three was his most audacious, as he danced around into a sidestepping, quickfire three over Nic Batum and Evan Fournier — with LeBron and KD standing wide open on the opposite wing — that found nothing but net. It was vintage Steph, the kind of thing NBA fans grew accustomed to seeing during the Warriors dynasty run, but this time his American teammates — who have been driven crazy by those shots going against them in the past — got to enjoy being on the other side of the Curry flurry for once.

It is a shot that is singular to Steph in that for anyone else, that’s an objectively terrible shot to take given the circumstance and who was wide open next to him. But for that one man who is the best shooter to walk the planet, it’s a perfectly good look. Bam Adebayo summed it up best with a quote to the AP’s Tim Reynolds when asked about what his reaction was on the bench to Steph putting up that final dagger three.

It’s what went through just about everyone’s mind watching it, because who takes that shot in that situation? Steph Curry does, and Team USA had gold around their necks shortly after because of it.

On a stacked USA Basketball men’s squad, some players were going to end up as the odd men out of the rotation some nights. One of those ended up being Jayson Tatum in a surprise to many (especially in Boston), but with a stacked roster of forwards headlined by LeBron James and Kevin Durant, Tatum’s skillset became a bit of a redundancy and he found himself on the outside looking in during two of Team USA’s games.

The player that was not part of Steve Kerr’s rotation most games was a less controversial exclusion, as Tyrese Haliburton spent most of the Olympics as the hype man on the bench, making a few appearances but only playing 26 minutes across Team USA’s six games — with three DNPs. On a team loaded with offensive talent and shot creation, Haliburton’s best attributes were not needed as much, and Kerr opted to put stronger defenders into the rotation at the guard spots.

That proved to be the right choice, as Team USA managed to win the gold medal on Saturday in a thrilling game against France — backing up their sensational semifinal comeback against Serbia. Haliburton picked up his third DNP in the gold medal game, but he still collects the same hardware as everyone else. The Pacers All-Star is well aware of what his role on this team was, and he had some fun with it with the best social media post of anyone on the team after winning gold (which is a tall order on a squad with KD firing off heat on Twitter).

Every USA Basketball team needs guys willing to set aside their ego and embrace the role asked of them. It’s a team full of stars but you can’t have 12 guys playing their normal role and have it work together. For some, like Devin Booker, it’s about adapting a role while playing big minutes, working as a secondary piece and doing the little things and providing strong defense in order to keep everything going. For Haliburton, it was surrendering a place in the rotation in total on most nights, but still bringing his energy and embracing his place as Team USA’s official Vibes Guy. He did that and picked up a gold medal, even if it might feel like that school group project where you let everyone else do the work.

Uproxx cover star Latto’s celebration of Atlanta is on full display. Yesterday (August 9), the “Big Mama” rapper invited fans to attend her Sugar Honey Iced Tea album release party at an Atlanta cultural staple.

While attendees were forming special moments inside of Cascade, it is the skating rink’s entryway that truly stole the show. Just as guests made their way into the space, a giant inflatable of Latto’s butt was seen towering over all who dared to walk by. Supporters immediately took to social media to share clips of the blow-up (view on example here).

The creation was impressively accurate as far as replicas go. It even included a modified version of Latto’s infamous leopard panties (that nearly racked in six figures on eBay). However, there was one notable adjustment to the inflatable—two hard to miss tattoos. As to not get the figure confused with anyone else, the maker embroidered Latto’s name on each cheek.

Inside the party, Latto kept it modest, dressed in a red halter top, Apple Bottoms jeans, and sneakers as she pulled inspiration from Lauren London’s ATL character New New.

There are infinite ways to promote an album, but an inflatable of your Georgia peach by far takes the cake.

Celine Dion is a fighter. The singer’s triumphant return to the world’s stage during the 2024 Paris Olympics showcased that. Now, Celine could be gearing up with a battle against Donald Trump and JD Vance’s presidential campaign.

Today (August 10), Celine publicly made her issue with the Republican duo known. On her official X (formerly Twitter) page, Celine slammed Trump and Vance for reportedly using her beloved song, “My Heart Will Go On,” at one of their campaign rallies in Montana.

“In no way is this use authorized,” read the note. “Celine Dion does not endorse this or any similar use. …And really, that song?”

Celine can’t control when the song gains steam on streaming services (most recently following the submarine tragedy). But she can use her power to shut down its use in other ways, including political events.

A clip (view here) supposedly captured at the rally, shows that a jumbo screen inside the building played a video of Celine Dion performing the track.

Read Celine Dion’s full statement below.

This isn’t the first time a recording artist clapped back at a politician for using their music. Back in August 2023, Eminem sent Vivek Ramaswamy a cease-and-desist for his use of “Lose Yourself.”

As of today, neither Donald Trump nor JD Vance have issued a response to Celine Dion’s statement.

The United States men’s basketball team are Olympic gold medalists once again. Thanks to one of the best stretches of basketball of Steph Curry‘s career to carry the team home down the stretch, the U.S. were able to walk into a hostile environment in Paris and take down a French team that left it all on the floor, 98-87, in a game worthy of the occasion.

The opening quarter of action was as good as everyone hoped. While the Americans were able to take an early lead and play the sort of egalitarian basketball that Steve Kerr preaches — they had seven assists on eight made baskets in the opening 10 minutes — their lead was only 20-15 after one.

This was because of Victor Wembanyama, who was able to respond to the raucous arena filled with French fans by imposing his will on the game with seven points and two rebounds in the opening frame. And with the crowd behind them, France came out at the start of the second quarter and took it right to the American bench, as a 10-4 run at the beginning of the period put them back ahead.

The starters coming back in, combined with Wembanyama hitting the bench, led to the U.S. opening its lead right back up. With LeBron James leading the charge and dictating the tempo of the game, the United States was able to get its lead up in the first half up to as many as 10 points, and if not for a huge first half by former Boston Celtics forward Guerschon Yabusele — who has been excellent for the French all tournament — the lead could have been much bigger than eight points heading into the locker room.

Regardless, the United States took a 49-41 lead into the half, with Devin Booker’s 13 points leading the team. James had seven, while both Curry and Kevin Durant had six, and after a difficult opening five minutes or so, Kerr made the decision to put Joel Embiid on the bench for the remainder of the half and ride with Anthony Davis and Bam Adebayo as his big men. For France, Yabusele’s 15 points led all scorers, while Wembanyama had 13 with five rebounds.

While the Americans came out of the break and got their lead up to as many as 14 points in the early portion of the third, France was able to chip away in the closing stages of the quarter, particularly when James and Curry went to the bench. Whether it was the U.S. turning it over seven times, Wembanyama imposing himself, or either half of the Evan Fournier and Nando de Colo duo getting hot, France was slowly but surely able to get the crowd back into the game. And even though the United States was able to take a 72-66 lead into the fourth, the door was cracked open, and the French had a shot to pick up the biggest win in their basketball history.

The U.S. consistently kept France at arm’s length for much of the fourth, and even got their lead up to as many as 10 points. But as the quarter went on, the mistakes started to pile up — whether it was turnovers or bad fouls, the United States struggled to put France away, and the French made them pay by taking advantage. They chipped away slowly, and with just over three minutes remaining, a putback dunk by Wembanyama cut the lead to one possession, an 82-79 game that was right there for the taking.

But Curry had other ideas. He came down the floor on the ensuing possession and drilled a triple from well behind the three-point line, and misses by Wembanyama and Yabusele on France’s next time down the floor got cleaned up by Durant, who was fouled, knocked down both free throws, and opened Team USA’s lead back up to nine points.

And then Curry just lost his mind. He hit three threes over the final two minutes of the game, each one seemingly more insane than the next, and each one hammering home that the United States was going to win a gold medal. France tried as they might, but could not overcome Curry’s barrage, and as the final horn sounded, the crowd in Paris was stunned as the Americans celebrated on their home floor.

Curry scored 24 points to lead the U.S., and shot 8-for-12 from behind the three-point line. Durant and Booker both scored 15, while James had a double-double with 14 points and 10 assists. For France, Wembanyama stuffed the stat sheet with 26 points and seven rebounds, while Yabusele went for 20.

John Legend made history when he became an EGOT cardholder. But, the “Never Break” singer is far more impressed by his title of dad. As a father of four (all of which he shares with wife Chrissy Teigen), Legend’s next body of work will honor that role.

John Legend is set to drop a children’s album, My Favorite Dream, later this month. Ahead of its release, Legend took to Instagram to share that it will be produced entirely by Sufjan Stevens. In the post’s caption, Legend praised Stevens and his contributions to the upcoming album.

“I’m grateful for his genius,” he wrote. “He blessed the album with music beyond my expectations & imagination.”

The collaborations won’t end there, while the album is set to feature nine original tracks and five covers (two Fisher-Price songs, Bob Marley’s “Three Little Birds” & “You Are My Sunshine”), Legend’s children Luna and Miles as well as his wife will all make a vocal appearance by way of single “L-O-V-E.”

Earlier in the post, Legend detailed the project’s origins. “I decided to go all in and make a whole album of sing-alongs & lullabies for kids and families,” he wrote. “I sat at our family piano and wrote nine original songs full of the messages we share with our kids: words of encouragement, comfort, love, togetherness, imagination, exploration, and GOING TO SLEEP.”

My Favorite Dream is out 8/30 via John Legend Music/Republic. Find more information here.

Music festivals are known for its heighten sound systems that grab the ears of attendees no matter where they are. However, it seems HARD Summer might’ve over did it this year.

HARD Summer 2024 drew electronic music lovers from around the world to Inglewood, California’ Hollywood Park Complex at SoFi Stadium thanks to a promise of sets from Disclosure, Major Lazer, Sofi Tukker, and more. But that wasn’t the only thing the multiday event brought in. Between August 3 and 4, countless noise complaints poured into local and neighboring police (as far out as El Segundo) hotlines.

So, Inglewood’s Mayor James T. Butts Jr. issued a statement via the city’s official and Billboard to address the matter.

According to Butts’ remarks, noise issues began during the event’s soundchecks on August 2. “We were perplexed at the sound propagation experienced in the South Bay,” he wrote. “Because there have been multiple outdoor concerts on the SoFi campus without this issue.”

Ultimately, after an investigation, the cause was identified. “It is important to clarify that the sound and vibration issues experienced over the weekend were related to certain bass frequencies,” he said.

Butts’ also shared that the main problem area was stage in the American Airlines Plaza. According to Billboard, Butts has declared that “no stages will be permitted in this area for future events.”

Read excerpts from Mayor James T. Butts Jr.’s statement to Billboard below.

We were perplexed at the sound propagation experienced in the South Bay, because there have been multiple outdoor concerts on the SoFi campus without this issue. After meeting with representatives from the event promoter and the venue, we conducted a thorough review of the modifications and changes made between Saturday and Sunday of HARD Summer, specifically in response to noise complaints from neighboring communities. It is important to clarify that the sound and vibration issues experienced over the weekend were related to certain bass frequencies.

[The American Airlines Plaza] was a major contributor to the issue. We will require even greater sound engineering with a more comprehensive plan when it comes to addressing sound and bass frequency management. City authorities engaged the event promoter and the venue and implemented several critical adjustments to each stage and established enhanced monitoring plans for overall sound and bass levels.

Additional sound engineers were strategically positioned in areas of concern from Saturday afternoon through Sunday and were promptly dispatched to make necessary adjustments in real time. As a result, a significant decrease in call volume was observed on Sunday in the initially impacted areas. With the lessons learned this past weekend, we are prepared to better monitor and supervise future event organizers to minimize the sound and vibration impact on the community outside the venue.