Category: News

The Knicks will lose their 2025 second round pick as the result of the NBA’s tampering investigation into the team’s pursuit of Jalen Brunson this summer.

For months, the New York Knicks were connected to Jalen Brunson as a potential free agent target. The then-Mavs guard had grown up around the Knicks organization as his father, Rick Brunson, played for the team and was repped by now-Knicks president Leon Rose — and Brunson’s agent is Rose’s son.

However, it wasn’t until this offseason that it started to seem as though Brunson might really walk from the Mavs, as all signs until June had indicated they would meet whatever the asking price was. One of the first eyebrow raising moments was when the Knicks hired Rick Brunson as an assistant coach as he rejoined Tom Thibodeau’s staff after stints with him in Chicago and Minnesota. Then, reports began leaking out that the Knicks were prepared to offer Jalen Brunson more than the Mavs had set aside for his contract, and the tide steadily shifted to the expectation leading into the start of free agency being Brunson joining New York.

There were efforts to throw the league off of the tampering trail, such as reports of Brunson holding meetings in New York with the Knicks, Mavs, and Heat — only for those to be canceled once free agency started. Then, the agreement that had been reported was delayed for a few hours after free agency started. All told, the Knicks will happily pay the price of a future second rounder for Brunson, as he has been terrific for New York and has been a big part of their current 8-game win streak. As for the rest of the league, we now know the answer to whether your father can tamper with you, as that is apparently a “yes” albeit for a fairly minimal penalty.

United States senator and self-proclaimed masculinity expert Josh Hawley stopped by Tucker Carlson‘s show this week to rage about his favorite topic: porn. Namely, how American men are watching too much of it, and Hawley wants them to stop because they should be making babies instead. You know, because it’s that easy.

While ranting to Carlson, Hawley blamed liberals for training men to withdraw into easily obtained pornography when there’s clearly a vast sea of waiting and available women for them to impregnate. All these wayward men have to do is talk to them, and boom, let the baby-making begin. It’s practically foolproof. Via Mediaite:

Somebody’s got to be honest and tell the truth to these young men, and the truth is that the porn industry is selling them a total lie, and the truth is American society needs them. We need them to step up. We need them to go get married and have families and be responsible husbands and fathers. This society is impoverished because too many young men are too despairing or too check out on social media or porn to be doing what we need them to do as a country.

Of course, this topic is just a further extension of Hawley’s obsession with masculinity. The Missouri senator wrote an upcoming book on how today’s modern man aren’t the virile, strapping men of yore, which people found particularly rich coming from the guy who was caught on video running out of the Capitol building on January 6 after pumping his fist in support of the insurrectionist crowd.

Did porn and video games make Senator Hawley a coward or is it a natural talent he was born with? Inquiring minds want to know.

(Via Mediaite)

UPROXX Sessions is back with a new performance from Bronx rapper, DreamDoll. At just 30 years old, the emcee responsible for viral hits like “Ah Ah Ah,” has collaborated with industry titans like French Montana and Rick Ross, and was a cast member on hit reality TV shows Love & Hip Hop: New York and Bad Girls Club. She recently got candid about being just “one song away” from her career breakthrough in an interview with Power 106 Los Angeles, and we’re hoping her Sessions performance aids in that quantum leap.

Today she graces the bathroom set with “Misunderstood” from her new mixtape Life In Plastic 3. The track and the Doll’s performance are emotionally-charged efforts. Her Sessions set positions her as an introvert with introspective lyricism, unafraid to be vulnerable in the nearly 3-minute track. Taking a page from the past, DreamDoll closes her performance pondering whether she is a “misfit or just misunderstood,” supported by an interpolation of Nina Simone’s classic “Don’t Let Me Be Misunderstood.”

Watch DreamDoll perform “Misunderstood” for UPROXX Sessions above.

UPROXX Sessions is Uproxx’s performance show featuring the hottest up-and-coming acts you should keep an eye on. Featuring creative direction from LA promotion collective, Ham On Everything, and taking place on our “bathroom” set designed and painted by Julian Gross, UPROXX Sessions is a showcase of some of our favorite performers, who just might soon be yours, too.

Country pop star Shania Twain opened up in a new interview for People about her experience posing topless for the cover art of her single, “Waking Up Dreaming.” In the photo, she wears a traditional cowboy hat and some colorful boots, but was tame enough of a photo to exist on Instagram.

“I think the best fashion is confidence, and whatever you wear — if you’re wearing it with that, it’s fashionable,” Twain said. “I am a woman in my late 50s, and I don’t need to hide behind the clothes. I can’t even tell you how good it felt to do nude shooting. I was just so unashamed of my new body, you know, as a woman that is well into my menopause. I’m not even emotional about it; I just feel OK about it. It’s really liberating.”

“I hit this wall and was like, ‘Whoa, my confidence is regressing. My courage is dulling. Why am I allowing this?’” she added. “Frig that. I am not regressing… I’m not going to be shy about it. I want to be courageous about it, and I want to share that courage in the artwork that I am directing.”

Twain’s next album, Queen Of Me (which will feature “Waking Up Dreaming”), drops on February 3.

Dabo Swinney is a different breed of cat. Clemson’s two-time national championship winning head football coach isn’t unique in how he’s a man of unshakeable faith, but there is next to no one in college sports who is able to bring everything back to his faith in literally every situation quite as well as William Christopher Swinney.

Well, folks, today is the start of the Early Signing Period, which allows high school recruits to sign their Letters of Intent before February’s National Signing Day. One topic that has popped up a lot in recent days (and weeks, and months, and years) is the impact NIL rules have on recruiting, and if you have not seen this yet, I have a hunch you will not be surprised in the direction Swinney takes.

“For me, we built this program on NIL,” Swinney said, a smirk creeping up on his face as he is absolutely about to go for this. “We really did. And it’s probably different than what you’re thinking, though: We built this program in God’s Name, Image, and Likeness. And that’s how I look at it.”

This was so predictable that a few Twitter users made jokes that were awfully similar to this months ago.

Clemson signed the No. 12 class in the country this year, per their 247Sports Composite ranking.

Parenting is a hard gig regardless of whether you planned to have children or they were a happy surprise. As many parenting books as there are out there, none of them have the perfect equation to get it right and most parents do the best with what they learned, or unlearned, from their own parents.

Samantha, a parenting content creator on TikTok under the name Raising Self, has been working hard to overcome generational trauma and parent her children differently. Recently she was doing a live video to interact with her followers when one of her children made a stunning revelation: he was scared of her.

You could tell by her expression that his confession was a surprise, and though her son barely took his eyes off the video game he was playing, the two had a very meaningful dialogue. Instead of being upset or even happy that her child was fearful, she responded with curiosity.

Some people believe that children should be fearful of their parents in order to respect them, but the exchange Samantha had with her son turned that thought process on its head. He started off the conversation by saying, “I know this might be a little shocking but I do sometimes actually find you a little scary.” When Samantha probed him a little she found that what’s causing him to be fearful is when her “grandma instincts come out,” referring to a generational pattern that his mother has been trying hard not to repeat.

Samantha didn’t hesitate with her response: “Yeah, I did not know that. I’m sorry that you’re experiencing that.” She continued, “When it’s happening, please call it out. Cause that allows me to understand what behaviors I’m not doing a good job mitigating.” Even though she was shocked, the conversation didn’t end there. It’s a beautiful exchange that can guide other parents on how to navigate these types of conversations.

Watch the entire conversation below:

@raisingself

For us fear does not equate respect. It’s a dynamic we worked not to be in our parent child relationship but it creeped in nonetheless.

If Steve Irwin were here today to see the remarkable people that his two children grew up to be, he would be so proud. Both Bindi and Robert Irwin carry on their dad’s legacy of wildlife conservation, along with Steve’s wife, Terri. And Robert, in particular, has inherited his father’s vivacious, endearing personality that is nothing short of contagious.

Steve might not be around anymore, but that didn’t stop him from providing his son with a wonderful message on his birthday.

Robert, who was only 3 years old when his father tragically passed away in 2006, celebrated his 19th birthday on Dec 1. As he and mom Terri stood onstage at the Australia Zoo—where Robert follows in his father’s footsteps as a Wildlife Warrior—a video began to play showing folks from around the world wishing him a happy birthday. Clearly, the young bloke is just as well loved as his father was.

Then, the footage cuts to Steve Irwin (around 4:48 on the video below).

Robert had only just been born and as Steve holds his newborn son in his hands, he acknowledges that in spite of all his important conservation work, his children are his real purpose, adding, “because after all, I could be dead tomorrow.”

Obviously, that last part hits a little different now.

Steve hoped to instill in his children the same drive to continue his mission, declaring that “then and only then will I know that I have achieved my ultimate goal, and my job will be done. And I guarantee you that it’ll be the proudest moment of my life.”

As the video shows Robert becoming a young adult—one who catches crocs and saves animals just like his old man—it becomes crystal clear that Steve’s heartfelt wish came true.

Touched by the tribute, Robert quips, “You’re gonna make me cry on my birthday!” then shares that continuing his father’s “profound legacy” is a personal privilege.

Robert wasn’t the only one moved by Steve’s message. The video quickly amassed 28 million views on YouTube. And so many comments poured in from people deeply affected by The Crocodile Hunter’s memory.

One person wrote, “As a kid I didn’t watch cartoons, I was obsessed with animal planet, but not just animal planet but Steve Irwin, he was my childhood hero, I had 4 birthday party’s that were crocodile Hunter themed, I’d always say growing up that No matter what I’d go to Australia one day and meet him, When my mom told me the news of his passing I was so upset I didn’t go to school for days, he made such a good impact on all of our childhoods I’m sure, I wish nothing but the best for him and his family, got me tearing up just thinking about it.”

Others noted how Steve undeniably lives on in his son.

“Robert is a perfect example of carrying a legacy. All because Steve has passed away doesn’t mean he’s gone and that’s thanks to his family. Robert’s carrying the torch now and doing a damn well job at it,” commented one person.

Steve Irwin was a hero to many—both animals and humans alike. When you choose to dedicate your life to making the world a better place, it makes a difference, no matter how long you have. This moment is a shining, heartwarming example of that. Steve might be gone, but he continues to inspire others through the work of his family. That’s something to be proud of, indeed.

Every year around New Year’s Day, the National Hockey League puts on the most highly attended hockey game of the year in what’s known as the NHL Winter Classic. You see, the Winter Classic doesn’t get played in an indoor arena like a typical hockey night, but rather in a baseball or football stadium which can hold far more fans. And of course, with all of the hoopla surrounding the converted venue and temporary ice rink, you get all the other fun stuff that comes with like big-name entertainment, elevated broadcast coverage, etc. So, for the 2023 edition of the NHL Winter Classic on January 2nd at Boston’s Fenway Park, The Black Keys are set to headline the musical slate during the game’s first intermission.

Along with the performance from The Black Keys, ’90s R&B staples Bell Biv Devoe will be performing the National Anthem backed by the Boston Pops Orchestra, led by conductor Keith Lockhart. As for the game itself, it’ll pit the hometown Boston Bruins — who currently have the best record in the NHL — against their heated rivals in the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The puck drops at 2 p.m. ET and you can watch it live, along with all other pre-game coverage, on TNT, Sportsnet, CBC, and TVA Sports.

Five of the 14 best shows on TV aired on HBO/HBO Max this year.. That number isn’t likely to go down in 2023. HBO Max premiered its “Coming Soon In 2023” sizzle reel on Thursday, including extended looks at The Last of Us, Succession, and The Idol. There’s not a ton of new footage, with the exception of True Detective season four.

You can watch the first footage from the new season above.

The mystery series, now dubbed True Detective: Night Country, returns without creator Nic Pizzolatto (the alleged inspiration for an iconic BoJack Horseman character) but with Jodie Foster. The cast also includes Kali Reis, John Hawkes, Christopher Eccleston, Fiona Shaw, Finn Bennett, Anna Lambe, Aka Niviâna, Isabella Star Lablanc, and Joel D. Montgrand. The season will be overseen by Issa López (the tragically underseen Tigers Are Not Afraid) and Barry Jenkins (Moonlight) Here’s the official plot synopsis:

When the long winter night falls in Ennis, Alaska, the eight men who operate the Tsalal Arctic Research Station vanish without a trace. To solve the case, detectives Liz Danvers (Jodie Foster) and Evangeline Navarro (Kali Reis) must confront their pasts and the dark truths lying underneath the Arctic ice.

True Detective: Night Country does not currently have a premiere date.

On the heels of Young Dolph’s posthumously released album, Paper Route Frank, the late Memphis rapper’s team has announced a museum pop-up tour in his honor. Dolphland will bring a series of Young Dolph memorabilia to fans across the US.

According to a press release, “will display original curated art and personal items that reflect Young Dolph’s unforgettable lyricism, personality, entrepreneurial spirit, philanthropy, and historic moments from his legendary career.”

The tour will kick off in New York City from January 13 to 15, at a yet-to-be-announced location. The Dolphland tour will also set up shop in Los Angeles, Chicago, Atlanta, and Dallas, and other cities.

“The goal of the pop-up museum is to showcase the character of a leader and businessman, and to highlight the journey of someone whose early beginnings may mirror that of many young kids and entrepreneurs starting so that they may draw inspiration to keep pushing on their own endeavors,” Paper Route Empire CEO Daddy-O said in a statement.

Those who purchased tickets to any of the Dolphland pop-ups will automatically be entered into a contest to win $100,000, with the winner to be revealed at the end of the tour.

Tour dates will be announced soon, and fans can sign up to receive emails about ticket sales here. Tickets for the New York store will be available for purchase on Monday, December 26.