Category: News

Listen, I’ll level with you: It’s a pretty boring time in the NBA content game right now. The year-long news cycle that the NBA usually has is taking a little bit of a break right now. On Wednesday, we did get some news regarding LeBron James‘ future, as the Los Angeles Lakers star inked a 2-year extension to keep him with the team going forward.

Is it a surprise that James signed an extension in L.A.? Probably not, but for a guy who is known for using his contract situation as a form of leverage, it was perhaps surprising that James agreed to a deal before the Lakers made any major moves to improve the roster this summer by packaging Russell Westbrook and a pair of future first-round draft picks. But still, it was news, baby, and in mid-August, we love ourselves some news.

Know who else loves news? The fine folks over at First Take, because news means things to talk about. On Friday’s episode of the show, professional sports yeller Chris “Mad Dog” Russo and professional person who I cannot fathom ever sleeps Stephen A. Smith got to talking about the extension, and after Mad Dog gave some takes about whether or not James should have taken less to give the Lakers more financial flexibility, Smith dropped one line that led to some sensational television. (Head to the 2:45 mark for the fireworks)

“In terms of where he’s gonna be at, I’ll tell you where he’s easily gonna be,” Smith said. “LeBron James is a top-3 player in the history of basketball.”

“No he’s not,” an unusually quiet Mad Dog retorted. “No he’s not.”

With that, the game began. Smith, perhaps understanding the potential for this to be some Good Ass Television, repeated Mad Dog’s claim back to him, and when Mad Dog tried to get cute by playing an old favorite game of his — “here are basketball players” — Smith knew exactly what to do.

“Better than Kareem?” Mad Dog asked.

“Kareem, Jordan, and LeBron,” Smith immediately replied.

“Russell,” Mad Dog said, still quietly, the pot simmering as it prepared to get to a full boil. “Russell. Bill. Russell.”

“Russell was a great champion, but he was not the player that LeBron James is,” Smith fired back while Molly Qerim — who has seen some sh*t and knew exactly what was coming — laughed. “LeBron James is a top-3 talent in the history of basketball. Top-3 player in the history of basketball.”

The word “talent” did what it was meant to do, as Mad Dog screamed that Smith needed to clarify talent or player. But Smith was not backing down, as he screamed “BOTH” right back with conviction. More yelling ensued, and as Mad Dog raised his voice, Smith lowered his, all while putting his head in his hand. While Mad Dog was adamant that James is not better than Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Smith said that despite his impeccable resume, he has an issue.

“When I think of centers and needing guards to get you the ball, but that’s a different subject for another day,” Smith said, his focus on the topic at hand and not little side quests. “You wanna debate, is between LeBron and Kareem as 2 and 3, but there’s no question that LeBron James at the worst is a top-3 player in the history of basketball, since the game was invented. I don’t wanna hear that. It’s blasphemous, it’s just blasphemous.” (You can, and should, read the words that you think should have been written with caps lock on as such.)

“LET ME FINISH,” Mad Dog screamed, furious that Smith is in control of this parlay.

“Let you finish, I let you talk!” Smith said before pointing out that this is supposed to be his time to speak.

“I’m gonna give you the TWO GUYS THAT I’D TAKE OVER LEBRON IN A BIG GAME: MAGIC AND BIRD,” Mad Dog exclaimed. “SO MAKE HIM FIFTH.”

This genre of conversation happens every now and then when these two go head-to-head on First Take, most notably when both guys seemed to get actually mad during a debate about where Steph Curry ranked all time. I would like to see them really challenge themselves and debate where, like, Kyle Korver or Mo Williams is all time, but that is for another day.

It’s going to get spicy this fall when the Red Hot Chili Peppers drop their forthcoming album Return Of The Dream Canteen on October 14. To kick off the rollout, the legendary band released their new single “Tippa My Tongue” today, just under a week after they shared a promotional video for the album.

It has been a year of hard work for Red Hot Chili Peppers, who just three months ago released Unlimited Love, led by singles “Nerve Flip,” “Not The One,” “Poster Child,” and “Black Summer.” Listeners ought to especially be excited by this output as it has been six years since their 2016 album The Getaway. Said excitement is likely what led to a fan rushing the stage to try and sing with them and Thundercat in their recent live show at College Street Music Hall.

Check out the tracklist for Return Of The Dream Canteen below.

1. “Tippa My Tongue”
2. “Peace And Love”
3. “Reach Out”
4. “Eddie”
5. “Fake As Fu@k”
6. “Bella”
7. “Roulette”
8. “My Cigarette”
9. “Afterlife”
10. “Shoot Me A Smile”
11. “Handful”
12. “The Drummer”
13. “Bag Of Grins”
14. “La La La La La La La La”
15. “Copperbelly”
16. “Carry Me Home”
17. “In The Snow.”

Return Of The Dream Canteen is out 10/14 via Warner Records. Pre-save it here.

Red Hot Chili Peppers is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Early in 2020, which feels like several decades ago at this point, rumors were swirling that Marvel wanted to cast an “Alison Brie-type” for the then-in-progress She-Hulk television show. The internet went ablaze with the rumor, and even Brie herself got caught up in the mix.

At the time, Brie said that she was aware of the rumors and she would “certainly support” the idea of herself as the green lawyer/superhero, though she was reportedly never asked to even audition. Still, people were pulling for her to be cast in the MCU.

“It was definitely odd. I went to pick up a sandwich at a sandwich shop and there was a man there who was like, ‘I just read that you got cast as She-Hulk,” Brie told Yahoo! Entertainment. “I was like, ‘Well, you’re the first one that’s told me about it. Maybe I should check with my agents.’”

Though Brie was never cast, she has no hard feelings toward Tatiana Maslany, who debuted as She-Hulk this week on Disney+. “There’s a lot of misinformation going on. But Tatiana Maslany is such a talented actress. I’m really looking forward to seeing what she does with it… She’s incredible. I loved Orphan Black. I watched every episode of that.”

Instead of the MCU, Brie headed to Italy for her new comedy Spin Me Round alongside Aubrey Plaza, Molly Shannon, and Debby Ryan. Plus, there are actually mumblings of a Community movie, so maybe, for once, the rumors will turn out to be true.

(Via Yahoo!)

Larry June is secure in who he is, and for anyone who has doubts about his ability or him the man, he has one simple message in his record: “Don’t Check Me.” The new video finds rapper smoking per usual, convening with his crew, and riding around in a droptop with the clear assertion “Don’t check me, check that b*tch.”

The vintage visual filter on top of the California-heavy drums and synths provides a classic feel. Though June prospers in this current era, he also serves as a reminder of the greatness the West Coast has produced for decades now.”Play by the rules man, you know how it go,” the rapper spits.

“Don’t Check Me” arrives as part of Larry June’s new album Spaceships On The Blade. The 20-track offering includes features from Herm Lewis, 2 Chainz, Duckwrth, Syd, Babyface Ray, and Curren$y. June, a known frequent releaser, drops Spaceships off just under five months since his collaborative project 2 P’z In A Pod with Jay Worthy and Lndn Drgs. If that’s not enough of an indicator of his work ethic, just six months earlier he released his seven-song project Into The Late Night.

Check out the video for “Don’t Check Me” above.

Spaceships On The Blade is out now via The Freeminded Records and Empire. Listen to it here.

Bubbles are the best thing in the world if you’re a toddler. Giggling behind bubbles that you just can’t seem to catch can provide hours of fun. But sometimes, imaginary adventures with bubbles can lead to real discoveries, and that’s exactly what happened to a Georgia toddler named Ethan Moore. The 1 1/2-year-old was chasing after bubbles in his yard when he became an unexpected hero. His bubble chasing led him to a missing woman that local rescue teams had been looking for.

Ethan chased his bubbles to the fence line and something caught his attention on the other side. His puzzled look made his mother, Brittany Moore, curious and that’s when Ethan said “feet” in his tiny toddler voice. Sure enough, the little guy saw feet belonging to Nina Lipscomb, 82. According to Fox 5 Atlanta, Lipscomb has early stage Alzheimer’s disease and was reported missing August 9 by her family members after they discovered she had wandered away from her niece’s home in Senoia, Georgia.

Local authorities searched for several days using everything they had at their disposal, including helicopters with thermal cameras. But searches continued to come up empty. Thomas Lipscomb, the missing woman’s son, told Fox 5 that his mother makes an annual trip to Georgia to spend time with her family, and when he heard that she was missing he jumped in his car and drove from Virginia to help find her.

After several days of someone being missing it would be natural to think something terrible happened to them, especially when you know they’re impaired. Thankfully for the Lipscombs their mother was found safe by a toddler and his mother. Moore told CBS46 News that she did not see the missing woman at first due to the overgrown trees, and added, “If you get on his level and look through, you can see some of the broken sticks and that’s where she was laying.”

u201cu201cWe pulled out every resource but it was a little boy who found her.u201dnnNina Lipscomb, who has early stage Alzheimeru2019s, had been missing for 4 days out of Senoia. Little Ethan was playing with bubbles on Friday when he spotted u201cfeetu201d – likely saving her life. Story at 6. @cbs46u201d

— Zac Summers (@Zac Summers)
1660598995

When authorities arrived, they realized the woman in the woods was Nina Lipscomb and that although she was disoriented, thankfully she was alive, according to CBS46 News. After she was released from the hospital, Nina was able to meet her tiny hero. The family told the local news station that they would always be connected. Moore said, “I truly think this was something outside of what any human could do. It took a child who was being worked by God. We will always teach him what he did, how he played an impact in it.”

Who knew playing with bubbles could lead to such an amazing outcome. Ethan certainly has quite a story for his short time here on earth. Much to everyone’s delight, the elderly Lipscomb is doing well and is safely home. Her daughter Karen Lipscomb shared about the event on social media saying, “Angels come in all shapes and sizes.”

Moore celebrated her son finding Lipscomb in a social media post writing, “We knew Ethan was something special. We knew he was smart. But damn my boy found her!” He sure did and it’s a story that will be told for years to come.

Bill Hader and Pete Davidson never asked to have something in common, other than being former SNL cast members, but they do have something huge in common, allegedly. Maybe! Apparently. Probably. And it’s also odd to discuss this pressing subject alongside an ^^ image ^^ from an “Herb Welch: Virginity Pledge Rally” sketch, but here we are. Let’s chat.

First, it’s important to remember how Pete Davidson has been enjoying long-running reports that he’s got so-called “Big D*ck Energy,” which is the public’s way (I guess) of coping with how he’s bounced through relationships with several stunning women, including Ariana Grande, Kate Beckinsale, Margaret Qualley, and more. He seems to have a certain charm, obviously, and that’s where the BDE talk began, and Pete has done nothing to discourage this reputation. Heck, he even told Machine Gun Kelly that his “D” is a “scientific wonder.” Furthermore, Pete’s most recent ex, Kim Kardashian, went on record to confirm that Pete, does, in fact, have that “BDE.”

And that brings us to Hart of Dixie and The O.C. actress Rachel Bilson, who dated Bill Hader before and during the pandemic. She recently got extremely candid about the Barry star on her Broad Ideas podcast, on which she spoke with 13 Reasons Why star Tommy Dorfman. When the guest asked Rachel what she really missed about Bill, more than anything else, Rachel did not hesitate: “His big d*ck.”

This, of course, is very funny for the TMI factor and because it feels so random, but Rachel managed to drown out the podcast laughter and declare, “We can keep that… And cut, let’s move on.” It’s a nice way to remember someone, yes? And Rachel probably preferred this to how she previously opened up to describe the painful breakout as “probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done⁠, harder than childbirth” and something that “”hurt like a motherf*cker.”

And we’re still waiting for Camp Bill to chime in because you know that people have been blowing up his phone over this. Hopefully, he received a congrats text from Pete Davidson.

(Via Broad Ideas & Page Six)

Jesse Pinkman is 20 years old in the Better Call Saul episode where he meets Kim Wexler. Mezcal mogul Aaron Paul is, needless to say, not 20 years old. He’s 42, so despite the best efforts of the costume and makeup departments and his boyish look, some internet rascals made jokes about Paul looking literally twice as old as his character.

Not that the Emmy-winning actors minds.

“I haven’t aged a bit, let’s be honest,” he told the Hollywood Reporter with a laugh. “There’s always going to be people who poke at something. Obviously, I’ve aged; we’ve all aged. But it’s fun, so let that go. I had the time of my life back then, and when I jumped into his skin now, I had the time of my life again.” Paul continued:

“So it was interesting to just be as playful as I could possibly be with him. Pinkman was without a care in the world at that time, especially when you compare it to what lies ahead in his very near future. So it was a beautiful challenge.”

Paul also confirmed that although Jesse Pinkman “will always have a special place inside of me,” he can “confidently say that [Better Call Saul] was the last time we’re going to see Pinkman.” So you don’t have to worry about Paul pulling a How Do You Do, Fellow Kids, Yo in another 20 years.

(Via the Hollywood Reporter)

It’s been over three years since fans were treated to a new season of the dystopian anthology series Black Mirror (remember On A Roll by one-hit wonder Ashley O?), though Netflix is doing a good job of hyping everyone up for the next season by adding in several fan-favorite actors to the mix.

The latest casting addition features Schitt’s Creek star Annie Murphy, who recently starred in the latest season of Russian Doll and is gearing up to release the final season of AMC’s dark comedy Kevin Can F*ck Himself.

Season six will also feature Salma Hayek Pinault, who recently wrapped filming up filming alongside Angelina Jolie in Without Blood. Hayek Pinault also made headlines earlier this year after replacing Thandiwe Newton in the upcoming Magic Mike installment.

Zazie Beetz, Paapa Essiedu, Josh Hartnett, Aaron Paul, and Rory Culkin have also been cast to star in the upcoming season, which will feature more episodes than season five. It’s unclear who will be starring in which episodes, but an Aaron Paul/Salma Hayek Pinault interaction would be a historic piece of television history.

While no plot details have been revealed, each episode of the series tends to have 21st-century horror stories that comment on tech, social media, and virtual reality sex encounters. You know, modern-day stuff. Who knows, they just might throw in an NFT storyline in there for fun. It wouldn’t be the first time an NFT starred in a show!

(Via Variety)

As Dr. Oz continues to get relentlessly pummeled by John Fetterman in the Pennsylvania senate race, Donald Trump is reportedly doing what he does best: Running away from any situation that doesn’t involve winning. Despite backing Oz and giving him a very narrow win in the Republican primary, the former president is reportedly pulling back on his support for the TV doctor.

According to Rolling Stone, Trump is privately telling people that Oz is going to “f*cking lose,” which will be particularly humiliating because, in Trump’s eyes, Fetterman should be easy to defeat because of his recent health problems. Obviously, that’s not the case, but no one ever accused Trump of being a brilliant political scholar.

This source adds that Trump’s “view is that it would be incredibly embarrassing for Oz if he loses to ‘that guy’ because he thinks so little of [Fetterman]. He thinks Fetterman is in poorer shape than Biden and has hidden in his basement more [than Joe Biden].” (The Democratic Senate nominee has been recovering from a stroke he suffered earlier this year, shortly before winning his primary.)

Trump reportedly turning on Oz is yet another critical blow to his flailing senate campaign. On top of his crudités video getting laughed at by Tucker Carlson, Oz has been getting hammered by Fetterman at every turn. Whether it’s the aforementioned grocery store video, how many houses he owns (it’s freaking ten by the way), or the fact that the TV doctor is clearly a New Jersey resident, Oz has yet to land anything close to a blow as he continues to drop in the polls.

As much as we hate to say it, Donald Trump might actually be right about something. (It’s okay to be scared. We are, too.)

(Via Rolling Stone)

On August 20, 2021, Lorde released Solar Power, so tomorrow marks the album’s one-year anniversary. In celebration of that, Lorde has shared the final video from the album, for “Oceanic Feeling.”

In an email newsletter sent to fans today, Lorde wrote:

“Can you believe the album came out a year ago today?!!! What a beautiful blur. I can honestly say I don’t think I’ve ever grown so much in a single year. In honour of its first trip round the sun, I wanted to share the final (!!!!!!!!!!!!![sad emojis]) video with you, for OCEANIC FEELING.

It’s bittersweet to be coming to the end of this video journey, but amazing too, because this one is possibly my FAVOURITE video I’ve ever, ever made. Who you see in this video is who I truly am, or who I want to be— open, laid bare, water glittering on my skin, speaking directly to you, nothing to hide or prove, just me.

The person with me is my other half and best mate, my brother Angelo. Born on the same day five years apart, we’ve always shared a super close bond. I knew by putting him in the video, I’d be showing myself exactly as I am. Can’t be anyone else when that kid’s around.”

She concluded, “The end is super special too, an end to the video story as much as to this chapter — my community of loved ones gathered to see me off, a moment of ceremony. It was an honour to wear Simone Rocha’s raffia dresses for this. I kept thinking on the afternoon we shot it that I was marrying myself. Sounds crazy but that’s how it felt. Punctuating this period of intense self reflection with an image that pretty much splits me apart. It’s sort of the story of my life: I never know where I’m going, just that I have to go there. I’m eternally grateful to you for sticking around to see where I end up.”

Check out the “Oceanic Feeling” video above.