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With Air slam dunking into theaters, audiences might be surprised to see that basketball legend Michael Jordan is barely in the film despite the entire story being centered around Nike’s efforts to land the world famous athlete for one of the most iconic endorsements of all time. According to director Ben Affleck, who also plays Nike founder and CEO Phil Knight in the film, not including Jordan was always the plan.

“Air is not Michael Jordan’s story, but there is no story without him,” Affleck told Collider.

The film is instead focused on Nike’s dealing with Jordan’s mother, Deloris, who the basketball star specifically requested be played by Viola Davis. Affleck also recognized from the start that including too much of Jordan would distract from the story that Air wanted to tell:

“The fact that he was not in it is definitely the plan from day one because I just think he’s too big and meaningful and famous and grand to ever have the audience believe that somebody else was him, especially given an actor wouldn’t have the whole movie to try to flesh it out. I’ve seen it done.”

Affleck then cited one of Denzel Washington’s most iconic performances as the gold standard for these situations, and there’s just no matching that effect.

“Denzel did it with Malcolm X,” Affleck said. “You know that thing where at the end of the movie you’re surprised that the real Malcolm X we see in the clips doesn’t look like Denzel, but that opportunity wasn’t available, and I thought it would undermine the movie.”

Air is now playing in theaters.

(Via Collider)

The crossover we never knew we needed: Jack Black shared a photo with the one and only Lizzo on Instagram. The pair are working together in the Disney+ series The Mandalorian, and in the picture it looks like they’re both having a great time on set.

“So fun working with @lizzobeeating on @themandalorian as the king and queen of Plazir-15!!!” Black wrote in the caption.

The “About Damn Time” singer was only making a cameo. This happens during episode 6 of season 3, playing the role of the Dutchess Of Plazir-15, who is Black’s wife. Fans loved this unexpected coupling.

Meanwhile, Lizzo’s deal with Amazon Studios was recently extended since her Watch Out For The Big Grrrls show won an Emmy. “I’m thrilled to continue this partnership with the Amazon team after an incredible experience on season one of Watch Out for the Big Grrrls,” she shared about the exciting news in a statement. “I’ve witnessed lives change through this show, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to continue making space for even more Big Grrrls around the world to shine and break down barriers across this industry.”

Lizzo is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Conventional wisdom in the tech business states that the way you stay ahead is by constantly innovating. Unfortunately, the quantum leaps forward of years past have sort of petered out, leaving us with annual incremental updates to existing technology instead (nobody likes the new logo, Elon).

Apple’s latest patent might suggest that we’re about to start going backward — at least, according to fans who learned the news via Twitter. According to CNET, the tech giant filed an application with the US Patent and Trademark Office for a new version of its AirPods case featuring a touchscreen that would let users control playback and check the battery, among other things. But since patent blueprints aren’t very fun to look at, some accounts on Twitter sharing the news have mocked up some potential images of how such a thing might appear.

Naturally, due to its resemblance to a prior Apple product, the now-discontinued iPod Nano (specifically, the sixth iteration thereof), everybody is making the same joke (kinda like how the last three iPhones were… never mind). At least this (hopefully) won’t come pre-loaded with an album no one wants. Maybe it’ll even make Apple Music’s karaoke feature worth it?

Others wondered whether such a thing is even necessary, considering, well… your phone already does this. So can your computer, your tablet, and your gosh darn wristwatch. As one user succinctly put it, “In what scenario would it be inconvenient for me to hold a phone, but convenient for me to hold an airpod case?” Fans also pointed out that other “innovations” recently embraced by Apple hadn’t fared so well either.

However, so few patents that get filed ever actually get produced, so we’re not likely to actually get this anytime soon — and certainly not in any of the forms posited by these concept photos. For now, though, let’s all embrace the nostalgia and silliness of it all.

Of all the cultural overlaps in the NBA, fashion and style has got to be the biggest. There are some fans who’ve picked favorite athletes — and, by association, the team they’ll root for — by their tunnel looks alone. It makes sense this is an entry point to the sport. One of the best parts basketball is its visibility, that the action and all the expressive emotions it brings is on display. The same goes for style, with pre-game fits and off-court fashion giving a glimpse into player personalities and ultimately being another facet that draws people to the game.

With style becoming such a cornerstone of the NBA, fans also look to athletes to emulate their looks or take cues into elements they can fold into their own closets. For most fans, a favorite player’s sneakers or a ticket to a game counts as a splurge, so dressing exactly like the flashiest in the league isn’t possible. In its series “Ball on a Budget,” Chime wants to show people they can get tunnel ready without breaking the bank. The premise is simple enough: with the help of stylist Courtney Mays, four players — Karl-Anthony Towns, Tim Hardaway Jr., Javale McGee, and Jalen Green — can use two days worth of their league per diem ($300 total) to put together a tunnel look they’ll wear to a game. Towns, who stresses cool is “all in the swag,” goes with low top black Converse All-Stars because they’re timeless, McGee picks a head to toe Dickies workwear ensemble, Hardaway Jr. goes rugged, and Green digs through a thrift store for a vintage tee and red Adidas sneakers.

The entire series, which is practical as it is cute, can be viewed on Chime’s YouTube channel. Dime caught up with Green to go a little deeper into his approach to style, how his approach money is carried over from the G League, the best dressers on the Rockets, the best advice he got all year, and the biggest takeaway from this season.

I was just in Houston to cover the All American Game, but I wish I knew about the store you visited in your episode. Full Court looks so cool.

Full Court’s my little store, it’s got everything. Everything’s so cheap, too.

Would you say your overall approach to shopping for clothes is all that different than the approach you took in your Ball on a Budget episode? Do you like getting in and browsing like that?

Yeah, I always do that. I feel like that’s my main approach all the time. When I see clothes worth, like, $3,000, just to buy one thing, it kind of hurts my heart. Anytime I get something cheap, it’s a win for me.

You say in your ep that you try to save as much as you can, to have your money make money. Where did you pick up that mentality, or who instilled that in you?

I kinda learned that from the G League. Being in the G League, you know, we had school teaching us how to save money. That was something that they really preached to us and really wanted us to know, ‘cause we’re so young in high school. I mean, we’re young just coming out of high school, and making that much money, you could really do anything with it, so they wanted to make sure we were saving money and being responsible. And being professionals at the end of the day.

Would you say those lessons are still in the back of your head?

Yeah, for sure. Where I’m at now, year two NBA, things are getting better each year and people around me are having more opportunities and giving me more opportunities. So I think the people I have around me help out a lot too with that.

I wanted to touch on something I really like about the series. So many fans now love the fashion side of the league as much as the basketball, you’ve got accounts like League Fits that detail all the really flashy tunnel looks. Your average fan might be able to get a pair of sneakers or a piece here or there, but can’t replicate entire looks. The series deconstructs that idea and makes style more approachable to everybody.

People gotta understand, just because it says designer or whatever, it doesn’t mean that it’s really fashion. You could wear designer and not know how to put it together. You could wear designer and it won’t look good on everybody. But you could go to a thrift store and buy a whole outfit and make it look good. So just because it says it’s designer doesn’t mean that it’s drip, you know?

Yeah exactly. You can look pretty goofy in all designer. Would you say making style more approachable in this way is kind of important?

For sure. Like you said, there’s people that look at the fashion side, not even the basketball side, and for me, I look up to people that dress a certain way. I know people out there look up to NBA payers and want to dress just like them. So being able to make it approachable, being able to show that you could go to this store and have a budget and get this, I think it’s very cool.

You say in your episode that you like style because it’s a way for people to get to know you. What would you say are the main elements of your style, when it comes to how it reflects your personality?

I’m starting to now switch it up a lot more and try new styles. Whether you want to go old school and wear baggy styles, or you want to rock skinny jeans, it just depends on what I’m feeling that day but I try to switch it up. I like a variety of different things, I like colors, I like things that pop. I like trying a whole bunch of different things.

Do you ever use style as a bit of a cheat, like if you’re not feeling totally confident one day but you need to kind of hype yourself up?

If I’m not feeling it one day, I’ll probably just throw on some random stuff just to go outside the box. I’m a big comfy guy. So I’ll pick comfort over everything all the time. So when you catch me throwing it on, putting on a drip outfit, it’s a good day.

I’ll remember that.

[laughs]

What’s one item of clothing you’re always kind of looking for the perfect version of?

Mmhmm. Yeah, I would say a black t-shirt.

What have been some standout tunnel looks for you, either your own, teammates, or anyone around the league?

I got guys on my team, I’m going to shout the brothers out. Josh Christopher be having some good tunnel fits. Alperen Sengun has some good tunnels fits. I think Shai [Gilgeous-Alexander] has some good tunnels fits. Those guys, they’re who I’m going to shout out when it comes to that.

You’re just about done with your second season in the NBA, I was curious what have been your biggest takeaways so far?

From the season, I would say there’s one thing one of my athletic trainers told me, he was saying there’s really no losses in the NBA, there’s only wins and learning lessons. I think that was probably one of the biggest things I took away all season, just because we were the worst team in the NBA — we are the worst team, we still got two more games left — and we’re just trying to not be down on ourselves every game and learn as much as we can each game. Because there were games we were close to beating teams, there’s games that we should’ve won, so we gotta take it all in as a learning lesson.

Based on that, would you say you’re a very resilient kind of person? It just strikes me you need to be resilient to not get down on yourself about that kind of thing.

Yeah, I would say I am. Just because I feel like I have a good outlook of what the angle is and what it could be. You need resiliency to be a part of your team, a part of your mindset, to continue to go forward and progress and get better each year, each summer, no matter what you’re doing. So yeah, I would say I am.

FX’s hip-hop high comedy Dave returned this week in explosive fashion with a double-episode premiere that proved its creator and protagonist’s cringey comedic edge wasn’t dulled by the time away. The brainchild of David Burd — better known to hip-hop fans as the humorous meta-rapper Lil Dicky — Dave follows its titular aspiring rap star as he pursues fame, avoids the pitfalls of being an awkward white dude participating in a Black art form, and this season, looks for love on the road in the wake of his for-real-this-time breakup with ex-flame Ally.

The comedy in Dave derives from Burd’s heightened, hyper-anxious portrayal of a character who is, essentially, himself with, as he put it in a conversation via Zoom, less “social tact.” The Dave of the show often betrays a lack of common sense and an overabundance of ego. Yet, he’s also deeply insecure and selfish, causing him to ignore or downplay his friends’ and family’s concerns until they blow up in his face. Keeping him from being completely unlikable is the core of his needing to be liked — and generally learning his lessons by the episode’s end.

Season three finds Dave in the middle of his first-ever tour, playing undersold dive bars and shooting music videos at his parents’ house in Philadelphia. His concerns — finding a meaningful human connection amidst a parade of fame-induced one-night stands while dodging STDS, and reconnecting with his high school crush by casting her in his video about how she broke his heart — are true-to-life, because they come from the real Lil Dicky’s own stories. But he turns up both the humor and the humiliation to borderline painful levels; you won’t know whether you’ll die from laughing yourself sick or secondhand embarrassment.

It’s all in good fun, though, and the heart of the show remains Dave’s camaraderie with friends like Mike, Elz, and GaTa, while Emma gets a newly pronounced role and a slew of guest stars from across the rap world continue to make hilarious cameos of their own. Dave graciously broke down how he toes the line with his semiautobiographical comedy, incorporates his real-life music into the show to keep fans sated, and which of his guest stars was the funniest so far. Oh, and we played “f*ck, marry, kill” with a trio of his fellow white rappers. He’s a good sport.

In your previous seasons, you’ve kind of backloaded the music. This time, you sort of front-loaded the music. The first two episodes open with music videos, and then the third has an extended musical sequence, where you’re recording. Why did you want to lead off with more music?

I don’t know if that was necessarily by design. I think it just happened that way, and I wasn’t thinking, “We’re going to front-load this thing with music.” I think there’s just, in general, more new music, even as it goes on. By the end of the season, there’s even more music. I think I just happen to be in a position where I record a lot of music in between seasons. Some of it was recorded without thinking, “Will this go in the show?” But then when it’s time for the show to need something, I think, “Well, what do I have that I’ve recorded that could work?” And sometimes, I will record things just for the show.

But I just know that my fans are starving for music. I’m well aware of that. And the show takes up so much of my time that I didn’t want people to think that I’m just an actor playing a rapper now. I just want to remind people that I do make music. And I love music, and I think it’s really cool and unique to the show. And I don’t think any other show could do that.

The music does a lot of the heavy lifting, especially the music video in episode two. It was that perfect cringey level of like, “Okay, he’s riding the line.” Where do you find that line between making Dave relatable and just making him look like a jerk in that episode two climax?

I never want to be on my high horse being like, “Poor me.” I had romantic trauma in the past, and I’m just the ultimate victim all episode. And I think that life is complex, and there are times when there are certain things… I really was supposed to go to a dance with a girl, and then the guy showed up. And then I was the 33rd person there. That really happened to me.

I wanted to make a song that felt nostalgic of a period for a lot of people my age — with AIM [AOL Instant Messenger] and high school and that type of journey. And I also wanted to show a different side, which is the fast-forward 15 years, and this guy’s become a famous rapper. He’s trying to create something out of it, but he is still grappling with all the deep-seated emotions that occur.

I wanted the audience to think, “Oh, Dave’s in the right. Dave’s in the right. She’s in the wrong. She’s in wrong,” and then realize, “Wait, there’s more to it.” And there’s varied perspectives in life. And to just be locked into one perspective, you might miss something. And I think that’s a beautiful part of humanity and a beautiful part of the show.

Do you think this heightened version of Lil Dicky, who exists on the show, would’ve been able to achieve the same level of success as the real Lil Dicky with the way that he responds to things and the crazy stuff that happens to him?

No. I think I’m, in reality, at the right level that a human being should be. Because I still have all the confidence that the character has in the show. I just think I, very much, adhere to social tact, whereas the character in the show, for the sake of comedy most of the time, will take it to a degree well beyond what I would ever do in real life. So I think if I went into record label meetings or whatever saying the same stuff that the character does in the show, I don’t think that the meetings would’ve gone as well.

And also, good for you, you didn’t break Kareem’s leg. Because I know you’re a big hoop fan. I’ve seen you at the celebrity games out here in LA. Would you have wanted to be in the White Men Can’t Jump remake?

Well, I wouldn’t have had time to… And no. Yeah, I just was making my show, and no. For me to be in a basketball movie, I would have to really dedicate my life to the game. If I’m going to be in a full-length motion picture about basketball, I would just care so much about just the footage of me, and that would require dedicating my life to the game. And I don’t think I can do that right now.

Speaking of Jack Harlow… F*ck, Marry Kill: Jack Harlow, G-Eazy, Macklemore.

Probably fuck G-Eazy, marry Macklemore, and kill Harlow.

Speaking of rappers who’ve been on the show, who is the funniest rapper you’ve had on the show to date?

Man, Rick Ross is pretty funny. I’m thinking. I’m thinking. There’s been so many. There’s people that aren’t even named that are coming this season that are so funny. Let’s say, Rick Ross. He was making a lot of jokes up from off the top of his head in our scenes.

I know you do a lot of interviews. I do a lot of interviews. We get sick and tired of hearing the same questions over and over again, both of us. If you were doing the interview, what’s the one question you would want to ask yourself that you would want to talk about?

I’m thinking. I don’t know. “Do you think GaTa deserves every award on the planet?” And I would say, “Yeah.”

I actually got to do an interview with GaTa before, a couple years ago, and he’s just the nicest guy in the world… You guys deserve the success you’ve earned. Last question: What is the one thing you hope people learn from this season? If there’s a thesis statement of the season, what would it be?

Honestly, I have an answer to that question, but it’s the type of answer that I would want to give after people have seen all 10 episodes. Answering that question now kind of gives away but just know we’re headed somewhere. And I think people will be surprised where it goes.

Have you ever danced with the devil in the pale moonlight? I haven’t, but I have danced to “Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga and I’m as pale as the moonlight, so that’s basically the same thing. Gaga is also why I’m cautiously optimistic for Joker: Folie à Deux, the sequel to 2019’s Joker starring Joaquin Pheonix as the twisted Clown Prince of Crime and the pop superstar as Harley Quinn (yes, she has Margot Robbie’s blessing).

Filming for Joker: Folie à Deux wrapped this week, and to celebrate, co-writer and director Todd Phillips shared new photos of Phoenix and Gaga in character. “That’s a wrap. Thanks to these two (+ the entire cast) and the BEST crew that the film industry has to offer. From top to bottom. Gonna crawl into a cave now (edit room) and put it all together,” he wrote on Instagram.

You can see the makeup-smeared pics below.

Plot details on Joker: Folie à Deux are being kept under wraps, but it’s supposedly a musical. “It’s an interesting decision,” composer Hildur Guðnadóttir told Variety about taking on a new genre of film. “I think it’s somehow logical at the same time. It’s both logical and also very surprising for me as well as the audience. So far, it’s just been a really beautiful conversation, and I’m really excited to see how it unfolds.”

Joker: Folie à Deux opens on October 4

Following a tense investigation after the death of The Wire star Michael K. Williams, drug dealer Irvin “Green Eyes” Cartagena has pleaded guilty to selling the fatal dose to the actor.

Cartagena was arrested over a year ago in February 2022 by both the NYPD and FBI after investigators used security footage and informants to pinpoint who sold Williams the drugs that killed him, which was easy to do thanks to the transaction going down in “broad daylight.”

Via Deadline:

In front of U.S. District Judge Ronnie Abrams earlier in the day, Cartagena pleaded guilty to “one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl analogue, fentanyl, and heroin.” That plea specifically cited the death of Williams as a consequence of Cartagena’s drug slinging. Set to be sentenced later this year, Cartagena, aka “Green Eyes,” faces a mandatory minimum of five years and up to 40 years on the charges.

Cartagena’s arrest was detailed in a report from The Daily Beast, and not only did the deal take place out in the open, but Green Eyes did very little to hide his identity despite being in the same location he was arrested months earlier:

The whole scene appeared as relaxed as if dealing dangerous narcotics were as completely legal as selling milk at the Alegria Grocery next door.

Williams and Green Eyes were so at ease that they paused to take out their phones to exchange numbers, Green Eyes dialing first. Williams showed him his screen and Green Eyes pointed to it, apparently confirming his number.

Thanks to Williams making a call to his apartment, investigators were able to match up the actor’s phone to security footage, which helped them identify “Green Eyes.” However, the dealer did have enough sense to flee the area after Williams’ death went public, but he did not evade capture for long.

(Via Deadline)

Christina Aguilera revealed quite a lot during her appearance on Alex Cooper’s Call Her Daddy podcast. One subject she touched on was the experiences she had with double standards while on Justin Timberlake’s 2003 Justified & Stripped Tour.

“There was a lot of double standards with it,” the iconic singer said. “Because I went on tour with Justin, we did the Stripped [&] Justified Tour and there were things where I was just like, ‘Why is it okay for him and not okay for me, you know what I mean?’”

She added, “It’s just like I was constantly pushing back in my way. I mean, it was so inappropriate sometimes, the things that were asked about that era.”

She continued that at the time, there was “a different business where there was a lot of female comparisons and double standards with women.”

“It just felt like just punches in the face,” she said. “It was hard to just constantly feel like you’re making music and doing something you love and then someone spinning something so negative about it.”

“It was really hard,” she explained, “because sometimes who you were pitted against, you actually genuinely, you know, loved and respected.”

Watch the interview above.

It’s sometimes difficult to tell whether Candace Owens genuinely believes the outrageous perspectives that she’s often seen and heard wielding for right-wing outlets. This includes her meltdown over Minnie Mouse’s pantsuit or her accusations that Bill Gates engineered the baby-formula shortage. She also threw a fit over a SKIMS campaign featuring models with disabilities, and Christina Applegate challenged her to “get educated” to no followup. Owens doesn’t waver in her incredibly blunt, far-right views, though, so one must assume that she’s serious.

And now, Owens is appalled at the blunt response that she and her husband received after an inquiry to decorate her home.

As Owens told Vanity Fair, simply because she is highly partisan doesn’t meant that she doesn’t get along with liberals. She cited a nice airport conversation with Kamala Harris, but an attempt to pair with an acclaimed designer didn’t go the same way. David Netto, whose design wizardry and writing appears in Architectural Digest and Elle Decor (and that’s only a sampling), pushed back hard upon “the most polite email” inquiry form Candace’s husband. The rejection couldn’t have been more apparent: “Dear George, thank you for your inquiry. I’d rather get beat in the ass with a wooden plank than ever go near either of you. Kind regards, David.”

Owens, of course, was shocked. She attempted to make the rejection into a matter of race while suggesting that she was being rejected for being a Black conservative. “If a white conservative male had written that email to an outspoken Black liberal … They would’ve said it was like Jim Crow,” she insisted. However, Netto stood firm when reached by Vanity Fair. “It’s not a race thing, it’s a terrorism/amorality thing,” he explained.

Netto wasn’t even close to being done. “After January 6, the joke’s over,” he detailed while explaining why he didn’t want to be associated with the far-right. “People like this should expect to be recognized as complicit with something very dangerous — and I don’t mean Kanye — and expect to be told off in polite society.”

(Via Vanity Fair)

Suga has been a fixture courtside at a few NBA games this season, beginning with the reigning champion Golden State Warriors’ preseason matchups against the Washington Wizards in Japan last fall — where Naomi Osaka complimented him on a particular BTS song — and including the Dallas Mavericks’ visit to Los Angeles in January.

Suga even met Steph Curry, but his association with the Association just became official: Overnight, the NBA announced Suga as an NBA Ambassador.

“Hi, I am Suga of BTS,” he says in the video. “I am proud to announce that I’ve become an NBA Ambassador. It is personally a great honor, as I have loved basketball since I was young. Stay tuned for more to come with the NBA! Thank you.”

The league’s news release explained the extent of the new partnership:

“As an NBA Ambassador, SUGA will engage NBA fans around the world through the remainder of the 2022-23 NBA season and beyond. SUGA, an avid NBA fan, will participate in several league initiatives that will be featured on the NBA’s and his personal social media channels, including attending NBA games and events in the US and Asia, and participating in the league’s promotional activities.

Additionally, the NBA will have a presence throughout SUGA’s first solo world tour, collaborating around select concerts in celebration of the release of SUGA’s debut solo album, D-Day.”

Earlier this week, BigHit announced D-Day will arrive on April 21, preceded by the single “People Pt.2″ featuring IU” this Friday, April 7.

Suga’s subsequent tour was also revealed. The global run is set to begin with back-to-back shows at Belmont Park, New York on April 26-27 before executing three nights at Los Angeles’ Kia Forum in May.

Suga has time to explore personal endeavors like the NBA and solo projects, as BTS’ hiatus is expected to last until at least 2025. The historic K-pop group announced their hiatus last October, citing “plans to fulfill their military service” mandated by South Korea.