Tems announced her debut album Born In The Wildback in April, giving fans just about two months to build excitement for it. So, when can you stream Born In The Wild on DSPs like Apple Music?
Born In The Wild is due on June 7 via RCA / Since ’93, which means that it’ll be available to stream beginning at midnight Eastern / 9 PM Pacific.
Last week, Tems revealed the tracklist for the album, which includes guest features from fellow Afrobeats star Asake and rapper J. Cole. You can check out more information on Born In The Wild below.
Tracklist
1. “Born In The Wild”
2. “Special Baby (Interlude)”
3. “Burning”
4. “Wickedest”
5. “Love Me JeJe”
6. “Get It Right” Feat. Asake
7. “Ready”
8. “Gangsta”
9. “Unfortunate”
10. “Boy O Boy”
11. “Forever”
12. “Free Fall” Feat. J. Cole
13. “Voices In My Head (Interlude)”
14. “Turn Me Up”
15. “Me & U”
16. “T-Unit”
17. “You In My Face”
18. “Hold On”
6/12 — London, UK @ Eventim Apollo
6/15 — Paris, France @ L’Olympia
7/4 — Oslo, Norway @ Sentrum Scene
7/8 — Berlin, Germany @ Tempodrom
7/10 — Cologne, Germany @ Carlswerk Victoria
7/12 — Amsterdam, Netherlands @ Paradiso
7/16 — Montreux, Switzerland @ Montreux
North America
8/22 — Miami Beach, FL @ The Fillmore
8/24 — Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Cafe
8/26 — Dallas, TX @ Gilley’s South Side Ballroom
8/28 — Houston, TX @ 713 Music Hall
8/30 — Atlanta, GA @ Coca-Cola Roxy
9/01 — Washington, DC @ The Anthem
9/03 — Philadelphia, PA @ The Met Philadelphia
9/05 — New York City, NY @ Radio City Music Hall
9/07 — Toronto, ON, Canada @ History
9/11 — Boston, MA @ Agganis Arena
9/13 — Montreal, QC, Canada @ L’Olympia
9/15 — Chicago, IL @ Byline Bank Aragon Ballroom
9/17 — Denver, CO @ The Mission Ballroom
9/22 — Vancouver, BC, Canada @ The Queen Elizabeth Theatre
9/25 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO
9/27 — San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield
9/29 — Las Vegas, NV @ The Theatre At Virgin Hotel
10/1 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Greek Theatre
Africa
10/19 & 25 — TBA
Asia
11/5 — TBA
Australia
11/09 — Melbourne @ Margaret Court Arena
11/12 — Brisbane @ Fortitude Music Hall
11/15 — Sydney @ The Hordern Pavilion
The Boston Celtics will host the Dallas Mavericks for Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals on Thursday night, June 6, and as with every NBA Finals, there is no shortage of storylines. Luka Dončić, 25, and Jayson Tatum, 26, will fight for their first NBA title and face-of-the-league rights. Boston has been knocking on the door for five years, while Dallas revamped in one year. Hall Of Famer Jason Kidd could coach the Mavs to their first championship since 2011, which he won as a player in Dallas. Kristaps Porzingis faces his old team, looking to prove his value to a championship squad.
But Kyrie Irving is the most fascinating character in this Finals.
It feels like ages ago that Irving, 32, was LeBron James’ wide-eyed running mate in Cleveland. He sunk that declarative Game 7 three to seal the Cavaliers’ first and only championship in June 2016, and then the following eight years sunk him. Some of it was out of his control, like his grandfather’s death in October 2018. He later explained that grief “sucked away” his joy for basketball and directly influenced his immature behavior in Boston for two tumultuous seasons, beginning with Tatum’s rookie year and ending one year before these Tatum- and Jaylen Brown-centric Celtics made their first of four trips to the Eastern Conference Finals in five years. But most of the muck was self-inflicted, especially his three years as a Brooklyn Net, interrupted by injury and clouded by COVID controversies or conspiracy theories, before requesting a trade to Dallas in February 2023. Irving grew up loving Kidd and the Nets in New Jersey. But Kidd and Mavs general manager Nico Harrison, a former Nike executive whose relationship with Irving dates back 15 years, were in Dallas, so Dallas felt like home.
“I’m at a place in my life where I don’t even consider those past moments,” the three-time All-NBA point guard and eight-time All-Star told Scott Van Pelt after the Mavs ousted Minnesota in the Western Conference Finals. “I was able to unpack them in a healthy way and move forward as person. I had a rough time there when I was in Boston, just dealing with death in my family and dealing with a lot of off-court stuff that I wasn’t ready to handle. Now that I’m in a great place to be able to vocalize how I’m feeling, I’m ready to go back into Boston and have fun with my teammates.”
Dime considered Irving’s past in order to comprehensively evaluate his present by speaking with eight media members with unique perspective and various opinions on the NBA’s most mercurial star.
What interests you the most about this version of Kyrie Irving — or the new narratives around him?
Jemele Hill (The Atlantic): This version of Kyrie has always been there — dynamite offensive talent, thoughtful, and someone steadily growing into the person he wants to be. And yes, he’s certainly made some mistakes on previous teams, but his desire to be great was never in question. I also think he’s in the unique position of understanding how rare and special these opportunities are when it comes to competing for a championship. When he was in Brooklyn with Kevin Durant and James Harden, people had a hard time imagining that team wouldn’t eventually win a championship. That didn’t happen, and so I think it probably inspired him to be more of a leader with this team because he’s had the experience of knowing expectations aren’t promises. He’s playing basketball expertly as always, but what people are picking up on is a different sense of joy.
Michelle Beadle (Run It Back, Beadle And Decker): This version of Kyrie is what a little time, a little growth can do. We all have been through it, [at different] levels, of course. His previous “issues,” while self-inflicted, seemed to follow him from place to place. And it’s not to say that he’s stopped having off-court interests or beliefs, but he’s clearly incorporating them into his life differently. Being in a place that accepts you, and you accept it, can have a calming effect.
Charlotte Wilder (Oddball, The Dan Le Batard Show With Stugotz, The Wilder Things): I’ve already been yelled at for how I’ve talked about Kyrie on the internet. He’s a lightning rod, no matter what. I saw a tweet the other day saying, “Everybody’s acting as though Kyrie is recovering from cancer. He was just an a**hole for five years.” And so, I don’t want to pretend that Kyrie didn’t give himself this negative image in the first place. He made a bunch of missteps, on and off the court. Mostly off the court, but there were also some questionable ways in which he was a teammate. I’ve been so surprised that I am sympathetic towards him. Maybe it’s that I’m getting older, but I really enjoy seeing people make positive changes in their behavior. Kyrie has bought into the system in Dallas and changed his public demeanor. I don’t know what’s going on in his head because I don’t have a direct line to Kyrie, but publicly, what we’ve seen has been pretty cool because I think it is very rare that somebody appears to change and sustains it. The way he’s been in postgame interviews, where he’s smiling and admitting that he’s emotional, or how he’s visibly supporting his teammates and playing his ass off for them — maybe I’m just tired. And when someone improves, it’s fine to allow them to. I don’t mean forget what he did, but I also think we need to separate the dangerous conspiracy theories from scuffing the Celtics logo and saging [TD] Garden. Honestly, as a Celtics fan and having grown up outside of Boston, I’m very aware of the racism that has come out of Boston and been directed at Black players. So, I’m bracing myself for his return to the Garden because you can’t separate the fact that Kyrie is a Black man. I get that fans don’t like him because of his time there; I just really hope the reception to him isn’t uglier than simply that.
Tim Cato (The Athletic): One thing that stood out to me was the disconnect between how much players love Kyrie Irving, and how many media members dislike him. I know he has been a much more difficult antagonist at times. But there were also times where I sensed slightly too much “players dumb, media smart” from how those narratives were built. Irving has shared ideas I absolutely disagree with. But sometimes I hear media members say, “Well, NBA players just don’t care about political stuff like we do.” That’s true for some but definitely not all. There’s a lot more that they do see from Irving: him leading the players prior to the NBA bubble to potentially sit out unless the league offered more than hollow support for Black Lives Matter; his support of the WNBA; his frequent charitable donations. Especially with Black Lives Matter, he was the rare player speaking beyond the approved corporate talking points that I would argue ultimately neutered some of the potential impact that movement could have had. Players respect him as a player for his skills, but there’s also respect given to him because he’s extremely funny, because he’s a gregarious guy who draws people in when he’s talking, because there is much more than the paragraph summary of his controversies that most media articles include. That doesn’t negate those controversies, and they’re going to be so overwhelming that some people — including people I know and respect — don’t care about the rest. But there’s a lot more nuance to Irving, the person, than he’s always given. And there are reasons for that! It’s just been my impression covering him this closely that he is a hard player to summarize quickly. Who knows, maybe it’s even a lesson that the players we do summarize quickly or fit into certain boxes also may be more than that, too.
Claire De Lune (The Guardian):. It’s always really nice to see someone who is so incredibly talented at what they’re doing be able to have that talent be the focus. That’s been the issue with him the last few years. It’s not like he was ever not the player that he is right now, but the off-court stuff was usurping the talent. As a fan of basketball, it’s so nice to be able to not have him be providing reasons to be distracted from that. He was not a victim. He created the distractions himself. Maybe this is the cynic in me, but I just feel like talented people get so many chances. What athletes run into is they don’t really hear the word no, and they don’t really get consequences, while they’re still at the top of their powers. As soon as they start losing what makes them valuable to teams, then I feel like the punitiveness starts ratcheting up. The cynical truth of it is that, obviously, Kyrie’s talent bought him the opportunity for a second chance. But it’s not like he continues to exhibit the same behavior, and we’re just now okay with it because it’s less of an impedance on his basketball acumen. He has shown true signs of growth and seems to be in a way better place mentally — at least from what he’s showing us. Ultimately, the desired outcome of having someone like Kyrie Irving learn from his mistakes is that people aren’t spreading anti-Semitic videos on the internet, or they’re not telling people dangerous falsehoods about modern medicine or whatever. The desired outcome is not for Kyrie to go sit in a corner and feel bad about himself. Who does that help? To me, the best case scenario is exactly what happened. He had to do some self-reflection. He seems to have genuinely grown from it, and he is in a healthier, happier place because of it, and everybody around him is benefiting from the best version of him.
Natalie Esquire (NBC Sports): I feel like it’s being depicted as he’s made some substantial change, so now, the media can talk nicely about him, and I don’t know that he’s really changed. I want to state clearly that I never thought that he needed to change. I didn’t, as a general matter, have an issue with Kyrie. There are some things that he said that I don’t agree with, but I always felt there was a media witch-hunt with him. Now that seems to not be in place, and I find that interesting because I don’t know what he’s done. What has he done to change besides go to the Mavericks and play well? What has he done that, all the sudden, people feel that he’s this different person so they can talk about him in a more favorable light?
Anthony Puccio (NetsDaily.com): What sticks out to me the most with Kyrie’s run in Dallas is how happy he looks. He looks happy playing the game of basketball again. He isn’t having outrages with the media after games. He isn’t cussing out fans courtside, among the other off-court issues that he’s had throughout this career. That isn’t happening in Dallas. He’s focusing on basketball, being a leader, and winning. To see him smiling and being who he is — wearing his signature shoes that represent his culture — you can see almost like a new life has been revitalized inside of Kyrie.
Having covered Kyrie Irving’s Nets tenure, is his redemptive arc in Dallas surprising?
Anthony Puccio: One thing that was never in question was his talent. When he steps on that floor, he’s one of the best players if not the best player on that floor. In Brooklyn, the problem was when he would be off the floor. It feels irresponsible if we didn’t discuss the culmination of things that were happening during his tenure in Brooklyn. The societal issues that were going on. COVID-19, Kyrie’s personal beliefs and religion, and things that, to him, were bigger and more important than basketball. In this context, it clashed. To me, it’s irresponsible to blame Kyrie and throw him under the bus when there were other people involved. When COVID happened, Brooklyn and the Knicks were the only teams requiring home-team players to get vaccinated. I’m not saying I agree with Kyrie’s choice, but he’s a grown man who has the right to make that decision. You can argue that he didn’t sacrifice for his team, but that’s his decision, and it clashed with his personal beliefs and religion. I don’t think Kyrie was perfect. I don’t think Joe Tsai was perfect. I don’t think Sean Marks was perfect. It felt like a snowball effect: Things would get good, and then they would hit a standstill. They picked back up, and then Kyrie [sprained his ankle] in the playoffs against the Bucks when the Nets had their biggest opportunity to win a championship. The following year felt like the final chance, and Kyrie puts out a tweet about a book with anti-Semitic rhetoric in it, and that’s completely unacceptable, and that’s where I will point the finger at him. I’m not surprised in the slightest bit that he’s playing well in Dallas [because] he lost a major extension with the Nets, which forced him to ask for a trade, and it also costed him his deal with Nike, which was generational money. He didn’t have much value in the league, despite everybody knowing how good he was. I felt like if he didn’t pick his act up in Dallas, get on that court, and focus on basketball, then he was going to be out of the league by 31. This redemptive arc is a fruit to his labor on the court. It’s a lot different when you have a coach like Jason Kidd, whom he grew up idolizing in New Jersey.
How were you expecting Kyrie’s Dallas tenure to unfold when you first heard he had been traded?
Tim Cato: I had no idea! There was something surreal about Kyrie, a glamour player and a near-household name for his highlights and his role as Uncle Drew, coming to this franchise that was decidedly not known for glamour. This is a franchise that has had superstars and success, but not like this. Nor would they have ever acquired a player like Irving prior to the new front office led by Nico Harrison, which was also jarring to continue adapting after years spent becoming familiar with how Mark Cuban and Donnie Nelson operated. I, of course, knew Irving’s backstory. I heard fellow media members, especially East Coast ones, say something like, “Good luck with Kyrie,” with a smirk over and over again. After a month, when I said he’d been not only fine but downright pleasant to cover thus far, I was told he sometimes started like that on other teams, too.
How has what you’ve observed while covering him day in and day out as a Mav squared with those expectations?
Tim Cato: I’ve never once seen that antagonistic version of Irving in Dallas. Actually, there was one post-game press conference after an unremarkable regular season win where he came out and answered his first three questions with atypically short answers. Then he said something to the effect of, “Y’all like my media answers?” But it was amusing, not upsetting. He had been giving thorough, thoughtful answers to questions all season, even when it often turns these things into 15-minute affairs for him. For whatever reason, he didn’t have the time or interest to do it that night. There was possibly one more question asked, but we basically gave him the nod to head out after that. It didn’t bother me, and I think that was a shared feeling in the room.
Why do you think pairing with Luka in Dallas unlocked leadership traits in Kyrie or allowed him to function as a teammate in a different way than what we’ve seen previously?
Jemele Hill: Luka didn’t have the same kind of baggage the other players did. With LeBron, you’re under a constant microscope because you’re playing with the best player of this generation. That microscope doesn’t always feel comfortable. With Durant and Harden, people expected an instant championship. Harden was dogged by these questions about his commitment to basketball, and Durant, there were questions about whether he was capable of being a real team leader. With the Celtics, it’s Kyrie trying to fit in with two dynamic young talents that are seen as the foundational pieces for their future success. Kyrie just never seemed to be comfortable there. The dynamics weren’t as complicated with Luka, and it helped being with a team where there was more pessimism about what they could actually accomplish. Dallas, in some ways, flourished under the assumption of low expectations. They were able to grow into themselves without much outside interference — or at least that’s how it felt. It just felt like Kyrie had more personal and professional space for growth in Dallas.
Michelle Beadle: I think the most glaring thing about this pairing with Luka is that most of us talking heads thought it was doomed to fail. That the particular style of play these two guys bring couldn’t possibly coexist. Oops. Couldn’t have been more wrong. The combination of a few more years under his belt and the acceptance to play alongside Luka has been everything to this team. When Luka trusts a guy like Kyrie and vice versa, you can see a massive change. And this is just as much about Luka trusting someone as anything. We’re seeing the best formula.
Charlotte Wilder: Part of me wonders if it’s an age thing. Kyrie had to get to a place where he could be a leader and was okay supporting another superstar because, in the past, I don’t think he was. Luka is so talented in a generational way, and he’s 25. Durant and Harden were talented in generational ways, and they’re closer to Kyrie’s age. He can play the role of mentor in a way that makes him feel useful, even if he’s not first fiddle. Dallas has a system that works. They went out and got [Daniel] Gafford and PJ Washington at the trade deadline, which is the biggest vote of confidence you can give your existing team, and then it pans out? That’s pretty cool. You’d be pretty dumb not to get on board with that, and I think Kyrie is at a point now where he can probably see the bigger picture better. Expectations are very clear in Dallas about who’s doing what, and I have long believed that for any organization to be successful, people need to know what is expected of them. Also, you know, Kyrie is a contrarian, so maybe the fact that everybody said it wouldn’t work has made him really want it to work. Maybe he’s just like, ‘I’m gonna be such a great leader and having fun, and we’re gonna win the Finals just because you guys said this wouldn’t work.’ But if Kyrie weren’t playing the best basketball he’s played in years, I don’t think anybody would care about his narrative arc.
Claire De Lune: Well, something I haven’t seen pointed out a lot is that the Luka dynamic is similar to what he had in Cleveland with LeBron in the sense of it is a little bit more of a heliocentric offense around Luka like it was around LeBron, and both are really skilled facilitators. It’s maybe not as huge of a departure as people think from what he was used to. I think the difference is that LeBron clearly enjoys being a leadership role, so I don’t think anyone on a team with LeBron is ever going to need to step into a leadership role unless they want to. When he was in Boston, I don’t think he was ready to be a leader. I think that’s what he thought he wanted, stepping out of LeBron’s shadow and having his own team, but I don’t think he was mature enough. In Brooklyn, there was so much chaos and disharmony that it was too toxic of a situation on every level for there to ever be a healthy leadership structure. When he got to Dallas, he did kind of defer to Luka a bit, and maybe that was part of the problem. Kyrie filled the void that was missing there, but I think it took him a bit to identify the void and rehab his own public image before he could really step into that role.
What did you always know about Kyrie, knowing him personally, that the public has seen and come to understand about him during this season?
Eddie Gonzalez (Boardroom): His joy for basketball. Not necessarily the NBA. Not necessarily NBA coverage. Or all of the things that come with that. But his affinity for basketball itself, on the court, and the artistry that that is to him. We’re seeing it again, and it’s being acknowledged. He was painted as this disgruntled curmudgeon for years now, but finally free of (sometimes self-imposed) drama and unwanted attention, he’s been able to showcase that joy for what he does on the court again. I’m happy we’re back to marveling at Kyrie, the savant.
Some songs hype you up no matter where you are. For baseball player (slash entertainer extraordinaire) Jackson Olsen, that song seems to be Taylor Swift’s “I Can Do It With A Broken Heart.”
A video posted to Youtube shows the Savannah Bananas Infielder bustin’ a move to one of the pop star’s latest hits from her “Tortured Poets Society” album as he walked up to the home plate. Guess Swift is an icon in every sport—not just football.
Watch below Olsen not only gets the crowd involved, but the unsuspecting umpire as well.
Down in the comments, people were praising Olsen for his unapologetic Swiftie-ness, and just his infectious energy all around.
“Taylor Swift needs to see this.”
“Omg this is my favorite thing ever. Protect this man at all costs”
“I absolutely love this I don’t get into baseball or sports in general and have nooooo idea who this guy is – but I’m so here for his energy.”
“He’s a whole vibe and I love it.”
“He’s definitely a Swiftie!!”
Of course, anyone who follows the Savannah Bananas knows that fun dances are just par for the course. Here’s a small sampling of what the team does on a regular basis:
It’s this commitment to fun that compelled Olsen to join the team in the first place.
In a reel posted to the Savannah Bananas’ Facebook page, Olsen explained how seeing videos from the team’s TikTok account convinced him that it was “the most fun team in the world” and he had to get involved. Even his application (which also consisted of TikTok videos) involved dancing. And since becoming part of the team, he’s been dancing ever since. When he’s not swinging a bat, that is.
Case in point: only two months ago, Olson delighted fans with a rendition of the iconic “I’m just Ken” performance from the Oscars…just before hitting a single.
Just goes to show that no matter what you’re doing in life, it will always be that much better with a little dancing.
We’ve probably all (especially moms and wives) have had it up to here with stories of men not being able to really pull their weight in partnerships.
So when I present to you a story about a husband leaving behind a sink full of dirty dishes for his wife to find, you’d probably sooner roll your eyes and contemplate hopping over to Instagram instead than give this one a read.
But hold on just a second, because this story has a surprising hopeful twist.
In a now-viral TikTok post, a wife named Susan shows the mess she woke up to the morning after her husband had friends over to watch a game.
She was initially fuming as she approached the disarray. That is, until she saw the note her husband left behind, saying “I got it!”
For Susan, this changed everything. Her husband acknowledged his mess, communicated that awareness with his wife, and didn’t leave it assuming someone else would take care of it. Which, in turn, made her feel seen and looked out for.
“I just love that he acknowledges that [he] left a mess in the sink, and don’t worry, he’ll take responsibility for it, but anyways, we’ve come so far,” Susan says in the clip.
Many viewers agreed that this small shift made a world of difference.
“I love this. Like he was tired and didn’t want to do it but knows you shouldn’t have to. What ace communication and all it took was a post-it” one person wrote.
Another echoed, “It’s that easy!!! Like do I want to do the dishes after hosting? Heck no. Let me sleep and I’ll do it in the morning. But the note changes it ALL 🥰.”
On the other hand, many people were still left frustrated, arguing that expectations were still far too low if this simple gesture is receiving such applause.
One person even lamented, “That big sigh and you’ve come so far, I wonder how many fights it took 😫,” to which Susan replied, “We’ve been together for 20 years… Fight = growth.”
She also reiterated that the purpose of the post was to show in real-time how healthy, thoughtful communication between partners can help transform even the most menial task into a positive, even relationship-fortifying, experience.
And that is probably the biggest, most beneficial takeaway to lean into here. Ongoing communication difficulties is listed as the number one cause of divorce, even beating out infidelity. Yes, of course, moms are tired of being the default parents and wives are tired of pulling double duty, but if this story is any indicator, they are also yearning for their partners to meet them halfway on the communication front as well.
And as we can see, even the smallest gestures make big impacts.
In case anyone was wondering: Susan’s husband did do the dishes the next day ❤️
Sometimes, it can feel like half of parenting is repeating yourself over and over again, asking your child to brush their teeth or take a dish from the living room to the sink. It’s exhausting and makes you feel like a nag. Don’t you wish there was a simple way to make your kids listen the first time?
Dr. Rebecca Kennedy, aka “Dr. Becky,” is a clinical psychologist and founder and CEO of Good Inside who says she has a quick way to make your kids more cooperative and less rude. Talk about killing two soul-crushing birds with one parenting stone.
Dr. Beckly got into psychology after growing up with anorexia as a teenager.
“Okay, no matter how old your kid is, you can use this 15-second tip to decrease rudeness and increase cooperation,” she says in a TikTok video with over 32,000 views. “Find your child today and ask them this question. ‘Hey, I was just wondering, what could I do better as your parent?’”
The psychologist says that even if the child has a random or impractical answer such as “Let me stay up ‘til midnight” or “I’d like to eat macaroni and cheese for breakfast, lunch and dinner,” just to listen. Simply by listening, you can change your child’s behavior.
She says we should also ask more questions to further the conversation: “Tell me more. What would that be like?”
Want to improve your relationship with your kid in less than 15 seconds? Watch this reel for a quick-win strategy.
Want to improve your relationship with your kid in less than 15 seconds? Watch this reel for a quick-win strategy. The best part: When we use strategies like this in calm moments, we reduce the frequency of difficult moments with our kids. Of course, I’m a realist… I know you need in-the-moment strategies too! Cue: My Conquering Problem Behaviors Workshop. You’ll get an entire toolbox of in-the-moment and outside-the-moment strategies for reducing outbursts and strengthening your bond with your kid. Learn more in the link in bio!
“I mean, imagine your boss coming to you randomly and asking how they could be a better manager to you. Just by asking the question and listening,” she continued. Dr. Becky says that asking our kids how we’re doing as parents communicates three essential ideas: “I care about you. I respect you. I’m invested in this relationship.”
This type of questioning builds a connection with a child that can spill over into other behaviors. “You’re building connection. And with more connection always comes more cooperation,” she ends the video.
The big takeaway from the video is that when we enhance our connection with our kids, they will be less likely to disobey or be rude because they feel heard and respected, so there’s no need to act out. They will also return that respect by listening to you when you have a request, such as taking out the trash or putting down their phone and coming to dinner.
Some people in the comments got funny responses when they asked their kids what they could improve. “I asked my 5yr old. I got a mildly scathing look and she said ‘erm, maybe try and burn dinner less next time?’” Collette wrote. “My 5 yo told me to look better and get a haircut,” Mark Amend added.
Dr. Becky’s quick question is a great way for parents to strengthen their relationships when things are going well instead of trying to forge connections during conflict. It’s a great reminder that even when parenting, an ounce of prevention is a pound of cure.
Dr. Becky sums up the importance of prevention in her TikTok caption: “When we use strategies like this in calm moments, we reduce the frequency of difficult moments with our kids,” she wrote.
When Soccer Mommy announced her short run of The Lost Shows, she wrote on Instagram that she intended to “preview” some of the unreleased music she’d been working on. “[I] can’t say too much yet, but I really wanted to focus on the songwriting and keep the production more organic,” Soccer Mommy wrote.
“Lost” fits that bill.
According to Consequence, Soccer Mommy debuted “Lost” during one of her The Lost Shows performances. The Nashville-bred singer-songwriter also used “Lost” to soundtrack an Instagram Reel recapping her show at Stone Circle Theatre in New York City on May 31. The song was officially released on Thursday, June 6.
The acoustic song is soaked in wistful romance, with tinges of regret. Soccer Mommy sings about knowing someone’s name and remembering her face but laments not knowing “what’s in her dreams” or how she ever felt in return: “It’s lost to me / Lost in a way that don’t make sense / Lost in a way that never ends / If I had another chance / I’d ask her then.”
Soccer Mommy posted on Instagram that she’s “so happy” to finally share the song with her fans because “Lost” is “very close to my heart.”
The career of rapper turned country star Jelly Roll has been the definition of a “glow up.” The Tennessee native saw his public fame increase dramatically just a few years ago after he released the song “Son Of A Sinner” in 2021. Since then, he’s been hotly demanded in the country music space, performing at this year’s Stagecoach Festival and winning a bunch of trophies at the 2024 CMT Awards. But for all those achievements, there’s still one thing he hasn’t been able to do: perform overseas.
With his Beautifully Broken Tour launching late this summer, Jelly Roll explained his international touring dilemma to an astonished Jon Bon Jovi in Interview magazine. When Bon Jovi asked, “Have you taken it overseas yet?” Jelly Roll confessed, “Not yet. I’m so excited. We’re figuring out the final pieces of some legal puzzles for me to get overseas.”
He expressed optimism that it’d work out, explaining, “America has finally agreed to let me leave and give me a passport, but some countries won’t let me come because of my felonies. We’re working on that. I think it’s going to work in my favor.” The Tennessean has spent time in jail for armed robbery and possession of marijuana; many countries have rules that deny visas to felons.
He’s not the first hip-hop artist to go through issues getting a visa. 21 Savage notably could not leave the country due to his ongoing efforts to secure citizenship, only recently acquiring his green card with the help of Drake, of all people. Hopefully, Jelly Roll’s past won’t hold him back too long from his bright future.
June 4th was National Cognac Day! And… we missed it (cognac hangover work as an excuse?). Anyyyyyway, The distilled grape spirit, which originated in the Charente region of Southwest France, has a history dating back to the 16th century. The mother of invention — necessity — gave birth to the nascent category with some help from Dutch traders at the time. Those tradespeople developed a taste for French wine but began distilling it to preserve the liquid on their journey home. After a little tinkering courtesy of the French locals, it was discovered that double-distilling the wine made for a more refined product and what we know today as brandy was born.
Later, in the 17th century, French distillers created the Charentaise distillation process and helped standardize the specifications we still utilize today for designating Cognac. Some of the most important things to know about cognac are the following:
Cognac must be made from grapes in one of the 6 designated growth areas, or “crus”, in Cognac: Bois Ordinaires, Bon Bois, Borderies, Fins Bois, Grande Champagne, and Petite Champagne.
Cognac’s regulatory board, known as the Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac, protects the category and enforces the rules surrounding the spirit.
Cognac must be made from a specific selection of grapes, with Collombard, Folle Blanche, and Ugni Blanc comprising at least 90% of the blend. The final 10% includes Blanc Rame, Folignon, Jurancon blanc, Montils, and Semillon.
There are several distinct designations in Cognac, such as Grand Champagne and Petite Champagne as well as a distinct system for categorizing the spirit based on its time spent in a cask. With regards to age, it begins at V.S. which is aged for a minimum of two years, all the way up to XXO which has spent at least 14 years maturing.
While most people are familiar with the world’s largest Cognac house, Hennessy, which makes a plethora of quality products throughout their lineup, the other big houses like Rémy Martin and Courvoisier, along with smaller producers, are truly expanding the category and sparking a greater interest in new consumers. Simply put, these last days of spring are as great a time as any to explore cognac. Maybe you’ve been enjoying premium Cognac for decades, or perhaps you’re just now discovering the delights it offers. In any case, who doesn’t enjoy an excuse to both drink and learn more?
So, to help you celebrate properly we’ve put together this list of 5 Cognacs that deserve your attention and will help you to gain a new appreciation for the category. Grab your nearest snifter and have a seat, these are the best Cognacs to enjoy on National Cognac Day and beyond.
Martingale, named after the French word for doubling down, comes to us from the Thomas family which has been making Cognac for over a century and previously sold their eaux-de-vie to undisclosed prestigious houses. Now, proudly producing Cognac for themselves, this inaugural release from the brand was first released in 2023.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Sugary, with golden raisins and crisp apple notes jumping from the glass at the outset. Honeycomb sweetness begins to emerge along with a slightly vegetal note. That vegetal aspect, reminiscent of celery seed, is fleeting but it adds nuance.
Palate: Notes of sugary golden raisins lead the way, with specks of celery seed and black pepper adding intrigue, before it turns honey-like which persists through the finish with a touch of lemon zest.
Finish: As mentioned the finish is bursting with light and refreshing notes like honey and citrus fruit and it concludes succinctly but not abruptly, allowing the mellow sweet notes to gently fade away, awaiting you to beckon your next sip.
Bottom Line: With a sweet, light, and overall approachable flavor profile Martingale Cognac would make a great highball, but it also does very well on its own making it an excellent entry-level option into the category.
This Fine Champagne Cognac (made with at least 50% of its grapes from Grand Champagne and the remainder from Petite Champagne) comes from the House of Hine. Hine, founded in 1763, is most notable for being the exclusive Cognac supplier to Queen Elizabeth II.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aromas of warm fig newtons, lemon zest, and custard begin emanating out of the glass at first. From there, notes of undercooked apple pie begin to blossom with the doughiness alternating in prominence with the sweet aroma of semi-cooked apples.
Palate: Lots of brown sugar and fig inform the palate as it immediately comes across as deep without displaying an overwhelming depth. Make no mistake, this is a good thing. The complexity is restrained but the notes of dark sweetness — think chocolate chunks accented by allspice and earthiness — are impressively refined, making this an ideal treat for neat sipping.
Finish: The finish adds a bit of oak and toffee, again well-refined. These complementary notes push the richness to a new degree, and their moderate length allows plenty of leeway for you to enjoy those flavors.
Bottom Line: This straightforward but sumptuous Cognac from the House of Hine does a bang-up job of representing the entire category. Hine Rare is well-developed without veering into decadence and showcases a wonderful melange of prototypical Cognac notes. Consider enjoying this pour on its own, on the rocks, or in a Fine à l’eau to appreciate how the rich flavors it contains can evolve with the introduction of water.
A. de Fussigny has been produced since 1814 but they were long missing on U.S. liquor store shelves. As a Grand Champagne, this expression is made exclusively with grapes grown in the Grand Champagne cru and as a VSOP (Very Superior Old Pale) it is aged for at least four years.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: The aroma of dates and dark chocolate effuses out of the glass to greet the senses along with a surprisingly bright pop of nectarines and clementine. After allowing it some space to settle, there are notes of caramel and clove that develop on the nose in addition to some significant allspice.
Palate: The flavor of dates leads the way on the palate, it then blossoms. Beautifully introducing dark chocolate, a slightly floral note, coconut, and even a bit of caramel. The texture of the Cognac is slick, it delightfully coats your palate which allows you to pick up further tertiary notes like lime zest and vanilla pod.
Finish: The finish is oak-laden, but the flavor of date syrup persists along with some sticky toffee providing balance. Sufficiently lengthy, the finish on this Cognac serves to enhance the experience by offering new notes and furthering the overall complexity of this nuanced pour.
Bottom Line: The layers of complexity found in A. de Fussigny’s Grande Champagne are an absolute pleasure to unpack. This Grande Champagne Cognac from A. de Fussigny has a dense texture that does an admirable job of laying a foundation for the well-refined flavors to truly reach their potential. Whether you’re an experienced appreciator of Cognac or a newcomer to the category, this is an expression you will want to savor on its own.
Rémy Martin La Coupe Cognac 300th Anniversary Limited Edition
To mark the occasion of their historic 300th anniversary, the House of Rémy Martin released La Coupe, which is comprised of eaux-de-vie exclusively from the Grande Champagne appellation. The bespoke glass is coupled with its bespoke wooden case, a numbered certificate of authenticity, and a unique QR code that offers access to exclusive digital content.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Stewed peaches, star anise, and dark chocolate waft out of the glass. The first impression of this pour can be summed up as singularly decadent. With allspice and wood varnish soon joining the party along with glacé grapes and sugared pie crust, the senses are appropriately primed to acknowledge that this will be an involute imbibing experience.
Palate: A flavorful burst of lush, golden raisins and stewed peaches opens the door for butterscotch, cedar, allspice, and nectarines. Take a beat and compute it all after your first sip. As you return for a second sip, you’ll notice that each of the aforementioned notes is refined and they’re soon accented by chocolate mousse, white pepper, and glacé blueberries. Its chimeric complexity can be found in each sip.
Finish: The finish is slightly burdened by oak, as it becomes dry, but that doesn’t curtail the evolution of flavors with stewed stone fruits continuing to shift and morph alongside the flavor of aged oak, toasted almonds, and coconut.
Bottom Line:
There is so much to unpack in this rich, multilayered experience that it beckons for return visits and repeat sips. Savor it slowly, absent of any ice or other obstructions like less-than-ideal company, and you’ll reap the fullest benefits without bankrupting both yourself and your bottle. Rémy Martin La Coupe Cognac 300th Anniversary Limited Edition is a masterpiece.
Grand Marnier Grande Cuvée Révélation Cognac Liqueur
Part of the Grand Marnier Exceptional Range, Cuvée Révélation is an attempt to elevate the brand’s award-winning blend by using 68 XXO Cognac (the most premium age bracket) eaux-de-vie along with a dash of orange essence. Housed in an elegant and unique bottle, this expression is the most Cognac-forward in Grand Marnier’s lineup.
Tasting Notes:
Nose: Robust candied orange peel provides a deeper sweetness while a brighter orange oil note adds nuance to the nose. Caramel, tobacco leaf, oak, and vanilla extract further bolster this decadent bouquet of aromas which are well-served by the XXO Cognac at its base.
Palate: On the palate the orange notes are a multi-layered experience unto themselves but they’re buoyed by vanilla extract and a wealth of sugary sweetness. Most impressive is the mouthfeel as the different orange accents light up different parts of the palate — at times offering a dark sweetness that’s almost syrupy, and in other places offering a piquancy bordering on tartness that prods your palate urging you to explore more.
Finish: The finish is undeniably full of gentle oak tones, vanilla, and candied orange sweetness but it fades away gently leaving a mellow impression after all the pizazz upfront. Think of it as a big, blowout party that someone else is cleaning up afterward — you can enjoy it all guilt-free.
Bottom Line: While most folks are familiar with garden variety Grand Marnier, this Révélation expression lives up to its name by leaning heavily into well-aged Cognac as its base spirit. The richness found in this expression makes it an incredible liqueur to experience by sipping neat, as the layers of complexity wrought by its XXO cognac blend will leave a lasting impression. For the ne plus ultra digestif experience, Grand Marnier’s Révélation is the way to go.
Spirit award competitions aren’t perfect… but they are a great resource when it comes to being pointed in the direction of some truly delicious booze. Now that we’re hitting the summertime, the results from some of our favorite annual spirits are beginning to pour out. Just last month the TAG Global Spirits Awards dropped its list of the top bottles across all of the major booze categories, and our eyes took us straight toward the tequila results, where five bottles snagged TAG’s coveted Best In Show award.
We’ve tried four of the five bottles on the Best In Show list and from what we’ve tried we can cosign the TAG results, these are great bottles that deserve your liquor shelf real estate. Before we get into the results (plus our personal tasting notes where applicable) let’s talk about how exactly the TAG judging process works, because it’s pretty thorough.
Each spirit at the TAG awards goes through three rounds of judging with an international panel of experts, including a blind taste test portion, a super panel where experts for each respective spirit taste the best of the best and determine whether a bottle should be considered for the Best In Show category, and a final round where the TAG judges come together to evaluate which deserve the Best In Show designation.
On top of all the judging, each pour is served in a special glass made in partnership between TAG and renowned crystalline glassware manufacturer RONA, which is constructed to be the ideal serving glass for all spirits, from Whiskey, to rum, to tequila. Everything is considered in the construction of the glass, from the bowl diameter to the height, to the foot and stem. That’s the kind of nerdy attention-to-detail that we love here at Uproxx, whether it is actually the ideal glass for every spirit remains to be seen (send us one please TAG, or better yet, invite us next time!)
That’s enough talking about it, let’s get straight to the best bottles of tequila according to the 2024 TAG Global Spirits Awards.
AMNA’s Tequila Cristalino is the only bottle to receive Best In Show that we haven’t tried personally and the only Cristalino to make the list. Cristalinos have a mixed reception amongst tequila fans, so we’re surprised a bottle was able to snag TAG’s highest award. We look forward to trying it one day!
Unfortunately, there isn’t a lot of information out there about AMNA’s production process, which is concerning. What we do know is that the tequila is produced at NOM 1545, Hacienda Capellania, home to nearly 20 brands, and overseen by master distiller Hector Dávalos.
The cristalino is made from añejo tequila aged in American oak and French oak barrels for 14 months and is filtered through activated carbon and plate filtration.
Tasting Notes (According To TAG Global Spirits Awards)
Bright, light amber color. The aromatics are very intense, giving scents of agave, baking spices, and oak with supporting notes of citrus, vanilla bean, and quince. The palate echoes the nose delivering an agave-driven core with flavors reminiscent of citrus, gingerbread, and nutmeg. The finish is long and lingering. Medium-bodied and ideally balanced with a juicy texture.
The Bottom Line:
Given its high honors, AMNA probably serves as a good introduction to the Cristalino category of tequila. We look forward to trying this bottle.
Cabo Wabo, a relatively inexpensive brand made with additives making TAG’s Best In Show is proof that when you put tequila to a blind taste test, the supposed valley between additive vs. additive-free tequila narrows (though you’ll find the higher-ranked bottles are additive-free).
Cabo Wabo is produced at NOM 1440, Campari Mexico, and is made from tequila cooked in a low-pressure autoclave and roller mill extracted. It is then fermented in Stainless steel tanks, and twice distilled through a stainless pot with a copper coil.
To reach the repo state, Cabo Wabo is aged for two months in American Oak barrels.
Our Tasting:
Nose: It tickles the nose with a mix of zesty citrus notes and crushed black pepper.
Palate: Sweet and buttery with a strong roasted agave character, more of that black pepper from the nose, a bit of vanilla, and butterscotch candies. Strangely, all of that citrus zest on the nose is missing on the palate.
Finish: There is an oily quality to the finish with a slight kiss of oak.
The Bottom Line:
Truly surprised to see Cabo Wabo make this list. It’s a fine tequila but lacks a deep and rich character that you could fall in love with. I can’t see this being anyone’s favorite.
Siete Leguas getting Best In Show is something I can get behind! This additive-free añejo is produced at NOM 1120, Tequila Siete Leguas. A distillery that shares its name with the product is usually a good sign. The agave here is cooked low and slow in stone ovens before being crushed by a tahona, made with natural spring water, and open-air fermented in stainless steel tanks before being twice distilled in a copper pot.
The tequila is then aged in American white oak barrels for 24 months.
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: A really delicate, gently spice nose. I’m getting a gentle waft of cinnamon, caramel, and oak, all hovering over a rich roasted agave base.
Palate: Surprisingly fruity with tones of rich plum, juicy ripened citrus, a bit of coffee bitterness, and a bright white peach vibe.
Finish: The barrel comes out on the finish, I’m tasting oak, more of that cinnamon from the nose, and a slight hint of grassiness.
The Bottom Line:
A showcase for what makes additive-free tequila so great. There are so many flavors to latch onto and get lost in.
Siete Leguas’s D’Antaño is one of the brand’s premium products. The preparation process is the same, it’s produced at NOM 1120, stone cooked, tahona extracted, and is still made with no additives, but it’s aged for a long five years in American white oak barrels.
That extra barrel time brings forth a lot of fruity and sweet characteristics, with a long silky finish that makes this a true joy to sip.
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: Right off the bat, you’re going to get a lot of oak here. In addition to the wood, I’m getting green apple skin, dark cherries, cinnamon, and vanilla.
Palate: A mix of vanilla, caramel, and cinnamon hit the palate first before shifting into fruity territory.
Finish: A wonderful bouquet of cinnamon, roasted agave, oak, and maple syrup. A single sip seeps into your tastebuds, allowing you to savor the flavor. A little goes a long way here.
The Bottom Line:
A premium top-shelf tequila from one of the best brands in the game. Having said that, as much as I love the luxury on display here, I think Siete Leguas’ stock añejo covers a lot of the same ground here.
We’re giving our full co-sign to TAG naming Tequila Ocho Plata one of its Best In Show. This is one of our favorite tequilas right now, and a bottle of this stuff has a permanent spot on my bar cart. This tequila is made from agave that is hand-harvested between 7-10 years of maturity and is slow cooked in brick ovens for 48 hours, rested for 24, and then crushed by a roller mill. The juice is then fermented in wood vats and twice distilled.
It is completely additive-free and has a palpable silky and luxurious quality that tastes like it should cost more.
Our Tasting Notes:
Nose: Fresh-peeled orange rind and roasted agave dance on the nose in equal parts.
Palate: Zesty and earthy, I’m getting cracked black pepper and a rush of fresh herbal flavors. It’s almost cilantro-like, which is something to consider if you find the herb off-putting.
Finish: Mint and pepper with a gentle spice that builds on the aftertaste.
The Bottom Line:
You’ll find a lot of natural sweetness and fruity character here, much more than you’d expect for its price point. This is simply one of the greatest unaged tequilas on the market right now. Pick up a bottle if you haven’t already.
It’s hard to not be excited about the NBA Finals this year. On one hand, we have a team that got corronated as the best team in their conference at the beginning of the season, and after sweeping the Indiana Pacers, the Boston Celtics were able to get to the place many expected them to end up. On the other, we have a team that needed to pivot on the fly and retool its team around a pair of stars, and as a result, the Dallas Mavericks have returned to the Finals for the first time since their magical run that ended in a title back in 2011.
Now, we have a matchup between two teams with rosters filled with stars and important role players. And today, we decided to look at 20 players who will take the floor in the NBA Finals and rank them based on how important they’re going to be to their team’s quest to lift the Larry O’Brien trophy.
Reserves who have played a little this postseason
20. Dante Exum
19. Tim Hardaway Jr.
18. Jaden Hardy
17. Sam Hauser
16. Josh Green
15. Xavier Tillman/Luke Kornet
14. Payton Pritchard
You’ll sometimes get a game where one guy from this general category gives his team, like, 18 good minutes that helps them pick up a win. While those first five guys are all nice players — Exum’s renaissance this season has been great, Hardy is able to provide a little juice off the bench, Hardaway can get hot, Hauser can get really hot, Green’s athleticism and shooting are assets — keep an eye on the last three. Dallas’ size and physicality (along with the potential that Kristaps Porzingis isn’t 100 percent or gets hurt again) would mean Tillman or Kornet (the more likely option of the two if he’s fully healthy) could suddenly be thrust into an important role behind Al Horford, and they’ve generally rewarded Joe Mazzulla’s faith when they’ve had to do a lot. Pritchard, meanwhile, can provide an instant injection of scoring off the bench if Boston needs a change of pace and someone to add a little life to the offense if it gets bogged down.
Impactful big men
13. Maxi Kleber
12. Al Horford
11. Daniel Gafford
10. Dereck Lively II
Kleber’s switchability and shooting have made him a trusted option for years, and while he is just coming back from an injury, he was able to shake off a little rust at the end of the Timberwolves series. Whether he plays as a 4 alongside Gafford or Lively, or whether he’s thrown in as a smallball 5 to give Dallas a different look, Kleber provides something different that can be valuable against a Celtics team that will hunt switches and try to win the math battle by getting up a ton of threes.
There’s really nothing to say about Horford at this point. The man is a rock, and even at 38 years old, he can get dropped into the team’s starting lineup and battle, whether that means checking other bigs, stretching the floor, or giving the Celtics someone else who just knows how to play within their system and with all of their core pieces. Kristaps Porzingis is expected to be back after missing the last two rounds, but whether he’s starting or coming off the bench, you can basically set your watch to Horford giving the team good minutes, although watching him against two hyper-athletic bigs like Gafford and Lively will be fascinating.
As for Gafford and Lively: The former starts while the latter comes off the bench, despite the fact that Dallas’ numbers tend to be better when the rookie out of Duke is on the floor. Regardless, both of them are big, long, and athletic, and are major reasons why the Mavs have been getting tons of extra possessions off of offensive rebounds this postseason, while they’re two of the league’s premier lob threats playing alongside the league’s premier lob thrower in Luka Doncic. Their ability to guard on the perimeter is going to be tested this series, and if they can, that would be a huge boost for Dallas. They’ll have to be forces on the defensive glass, as well, because if you give the Celtics extra possessions off of offensive boards, you’re going to lose.
Critical role players
9. Jrue Holiday
8. Derrick Jones Jr.
7. PJ Washington
Holiday is the best player of the bunch here, but gets knocked down a bit because his success or failure won’t be nearly as critical to his team’s chances as it is for the other two dudes. Still, Holiday has been a perfect fit for the Celtics this year, and he’ll almost certainly get tasked with defending Kyrie Irving for long stretches during the Finals. There have been playoff games in the past where he gets a little overeager to try and get himself going as a scorer, and as long as that doesn’t happen in the Finals, it’s hard to see him having a bad series.
Jones and Washington are two nice players who will have to be excellent on both sides of the floor. The duo are almost certainly going to draw the Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum assignments on defense, and while shutting either guy’s water off completely won’t happen, just slowing them down enough so that their stars can take over games would be a gigantic boost (and also is very, very difficult to do). And regardless of whether the Celtics are able to successfully get hot from three, these two absolutely have to knock down the looks from behind the arc Irving and Luka Doncic generate. We saw during the Oklahoma City series how far one of them getting hot can go, as they do not beat the Thunder in six if not for Washington hitting 47 percent of his attempts from three.
The ceiling raisers
6. Derrick White
5. Kristaps Porzingis
Two things have happened this year that turned Boston into the best team in the NBA. One is that White has turned into a legitimate star guard — those who called him an All-Star earlier this year were probably a bit too optimistic, but the fact he even got into those conversations is probably more than the Celtics could’ve dreamed of when they acquired him. His ability to score, his comfort initiating the offense or acting as a connecting piece, and his defensive tenacity are all perfect fits in Boston’s starting five.
As for Porzingis, he could not have fit any more perfectly into this Celtics team. He’s embraced being a secondary or tertiary option in a way he didn’t during his time in Dallas, and while an injury has held him out the last two rounds, his ability to stretch the floor and provide elite rim protection have been exactly what Boston needed out of its center as Al Horford aged out of a starting job. And when the team needs him to get in the low post, he’s turned into an elite scorer, which, uh, hasn’t always been the case.
When both of their guys bring their A-games — hell, when one of them brings their A-game and the other just has a nice night — Boston can survive a game where Brown and/or Tatum are a just a hair off. It’s an incredible luxury. And when Brown and Tatum are cooking, both of these guys can slide into roles where they focus entirely on the stuff they’re great at, which makes them equally dangerous. How Dallas deals with these two in addition to Boston’s pair of All-Stars is maybe the single most important thing to watch in this series.
The superstar running mates
4. Kyrie Irving
3. Jaylen Brown
Irving has been weird this postseason. He’ll go through stretches where he just doesn’t really impact the game on offense at all and he has, like, five points in a half — his defense, to be fair, has consistently been respectable (and sometimes great). And then, the switch flips, and all of a sudden he turns into the killer on the offensive end that helps Luka Doncic carry the Mavs to wins. Dallas basically needs him to be at his best whenever he is on the floor against Boston, which is going to be difficult due to the fact that he’s constantly going to be hounded by Jrue Holiday and Derrick White. He has it in him to put up numbers despite that, though. And on defense, he is almost certainly going to be the guy the Celtics want to hunt. How he holds his own against Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum when they get him on a switch will go a long way in deciding this series.
Hey, speaking of Brown: Boy, he’s good at basketball, isn’t he? Brown has played the best ball of his career as Boston has gone on a run to the Finals, with a number of the criticisms about his game — namely that he really struggles with turnovers when he has to break down opponents in 1-on-1 situations — essentially evaporating. He’s been able to score efficiently even when his jumper isn’t falling from deep, and he’s been locked in on the defensive end. In this series, he’ll likely spend time guarding both Doncic and Irving, but the big thing is going to be his ability to attack guys like Derrick Jones Jr. and PJ Washington and get to spots on the floor where Dallas’ defense is put in conflict, particularly if/when Kristaps Porzingis is on the floor and the Celtics able to pull guys like Dereck Lively and Daniel Gafford away from the rim. The more Brown finds himself making the right play in those situations, the more likely it is Boston comes out on top.
The faces of the franchises
2. Jayson Tatum
1. Luka Doncic
Tatum has not been at his very best during the playoffs. That, of course, has meant that he’s only averaging 26 points, 10.4 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.1 steals a game on a team that made the NBA Finals. He’s quite good! Tatum’s a special player because he finds ways to impact games when his shot isn’t falling … but having said that, finding his shot (his numbers started to tick up against the Pacers in the conference finals) is going to be important, because the Celtics need him to be able to shoulder a heavy load when Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic take over games. He’ll still do all the other stuff that makes him great — the passing, the defense, the rebounding — but Tatum has gotten to this stage before and couldn’t carry Boston’s offense. That’s happens in a star’s first NBA Finals appearance all the time. Now, he has a chance to show how he’s grown since then against a Mavs team that is going to throw anything and everything it can at him. It’s a chance for him to emphatically end any questions about whether his name deserves to be thrown around in the conversations for the best basketball player in the world (see: here), particularly because in order for the Celtics to win, he’s going to have to hold his own against arguably the best player in the world right now for stretches in this series.
Doncic’s career — from winning everything in Europe as a member of Real Madrid to the number of times we’ve seen him rip an opponent’s heart out in the NBA — has basically happened in anticipation of the day he finally got a team to the Finals. Now 25 and on a team with a running mate in Irving who helps take some of the burden off of him, Doncic has spearheaded the Mavs’ offense in the playoffs as it got through the teams ranked first, fourth, and eighth in defensive rating during the regular season. His efficiency numbers have been a little worse than you realize as a result (43.8/34.3/80.6 shooting splits in the playoffs), and unfortunately, he now has to deal with a tenacious Boston defense that can throw a number of great-to-elite perimeter defenders at him. It’s a bit reductive to say this, but if Doncic isn’t at his best, the Mavs don’t have much of a chance in this series — it’s the big difference between him and Tatum, as there’s a path for Boston to win that involves Tatum not being the best player on the floor in the Finals. Dallas isn’t really afforded that luxury, and if Doncic is anything other than the star of the series, Boston is going to win a championship. The good news for the Mavs is that betting on Luka Doncic to be the best player in a given series has gotten them to this point, and continuing to do that very well could lead to them winning the second title in franchise history.
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