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Kemba Walker and the Boston Celtics entered the NBA bubble in third in the East, looking to hold onto that position and find their rhythm by the time the playoffs roll around.

For the most part, the Celtics are healthy, although they’re bringing Walker along cautiously to ensure his knee soreness doesn’t become a setback come playoff time. On Tuesday night, Walker saw his minutes restriction bump up to 27 minutes against the Heat, but Boston dropped their second game of the restart in a tight 112-106 loss. That result makes the rest of the bubble important for seeding purposes, with Miami closing in on the 3-seed. But mostly, the next five games will still be all about gaining that rhythm for when the playoffs begin.

Prior to their opener, Walker spoke with Dime over the phone last Thursday on behalf of BodyArmor — he’s among seven new athlete partners with equity joining the brand — about how he’s feeling, the balance of preparing for a season while trying to do what’s best for his body, why he thinks the Celtics chemistry bodes well for them getting things on track pretty quickly despite the long layoff, what’s impressed him most about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, how his training and nutrition regimen has changed over the years, and more.

First, how is your knee feeling as you get ready for tomorrow’s opener?

The knee is feeling good and I’m feeling good as well. I mean, just ready to go and finally get back on the court with my teammates. So, yeah, everything’s good.

What has it been like in getting back on the court and trying to gear up for the season after four months away while also balancing that you’re keeping your body right and making sure you don’t do too much too quickly?

It’s been okay. It’s been okay. It’s just doing things the smart way. That’s really what I can say, there’s not really much to it. I’m still getting my work in at the same time, you know, being smart about it. You just gotta be efficient with your work at this point, but, yeah, it’s a little different because guys aren’t used to playing at this point and time. But, yeah, it’ll be okay. We’ll get it back and get into rhythm and it’ll be pretty normal.

How have practices looked to you and do you feel the team is in a good place since you open with a big game against Milwaukee?

Yeah, I think everybody’s in a good place. I felt the practices have been great. Our practices have been really great. They’ve been super competitive. I think guys are getting in great rhythm right now, and guys are just ready. The game has been gone for so long and guys are just ready to get back out there and compete again.

We talked back at All-Star and you mentioned how you felt comfortable from the start with this team and that made it easy for you to find a groove early. Is that an advantage you think for this team, this apparent ease with which you guys fit together chemistry-wise, coming off a long layoff with a pretty short run up to the playoffs now?

For sure. Yeah, we’re definitely very comfortable with each other and we really enjoy playing with each other. I definitely think that makes it easy as far as the transition and us being here in Orlando, and trying to get back on track at kind of a faster pace. I think because of our chemistry and how well we get along that’ll help us get back on track a little bit faster.

You have two young teammates in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown who have both taken steps forward this season. What has impressed you the most about those two in your first season playing with them?

I think the thing that impressed me the most is who they are off the court. Especially at such a young age and the way they carry themselves, just two very mature young men. It’s kind of really great and refreshing to be around two young superstars with their personalities and their humility and knowing their work ethic and overall love for the game. It’s just really cool to be around that.

You’re now working with BodyArmor, how did you get involved with them and why were they a brand you wanted to partner with?

I mean, BodyArmor is a really cool brand. They have a super impressive roster of athletes, and just a better for you sports drink. There’s not a lot of sports drinks out there that have really great ingredients in their stuff, and BodyArmor does. And now more than ever, athletes like myself are paying more attention to what we put in our bodies, and that’s why a brand like BodyArmor resonates with me and so many other athletes. And I love it because it keeps me hydrated throughout the whole day, and it tastes great, which is a major key.

How different is your training and recovery program now compared to when you came into the league?

Ha, man. You know what, I had some great vets on my team when I was young and I was very fortunate to get a chef like my second year in the league, but my first year in the league it was pretty bad. It was pretty bad. You know, you’re a young guy coming out of college and you don’t know about eating healthy and drinking healthy drinks and stuff of that nature. So, yeah, it’s like night and day now compared from my rookie year up until now.

What were the things that led to that transition? You mention you had great vets, but they talk about the rookie wall, was there a point where you really recognized, like, ‘Wow, I’ve gotta get my body right and get my body in shape for 82 games and hopefully playoff games?’

Yeah, I mean, I think for me, I came in during the lockout year, so there were times where we played back-to-back-to-backs. So we played three straight games. Now we have back-to-backs, but we had three straight games sometimes. So, man, like, the guys I was going up against and the guys I had to guard, there were just times where I was super, super tired, and a lot of it came from the food or the stuff — the juices or like soda I drunk the night before. So I had to be more conscious about what I put in my body, and that’s definitely why BodyArmor is a great partner for me. Just going back to what I’m trying to get done.

You may not know how to spell it (ta-dum? da-dum?), but it’s a noise you’ve heard thousands upon thousands of times: [Netflix sound].

The audio logo, which plays before every movie and episode of original programming on the streaming service, is as synonymous with Netflix as “I’m lovin’ it” is to McDonald’s, but it almost sounded very different. It almost sounded like a barnyard animal.

While appearing on the Twenty Thousand Hertz podcast this week (via EW), Todd Yellin, Netflix’s VP of product, revealed that in 2015, he was searching for “something that screams Netflix” (appropriate last name). “I liked the sound of a goat,” he said. “It was funny. It was quirky. It was our version of Leo the Lion,” referring to the MGM mascot:

Oscar-winning sound designer Lon Bender [worked] with Yellin to create the right sound that would make viewers think, “Wow, I’m about to get a treat,” Yellin explained. Bender admitted that the “ta-dum” comes from the sound of his wedding ring knocking on a wood cabinet. To add depth, Bender added a slowed-down anvil, muted hits, and an electric guitar sound reversed to complete what they coined “the blossoming” sound that transitions into the movie or TV show viewers are about to watch.

It is not, as theorized, the sound of Frank Underwood hitting his desk. That’s a good thing, for many reasons. Anyway, there were about 20 to 30 sounds in contention, with the final three coming down to the goat, a bubbly sound “from the depths of the ocean,” and [Netflix sound]. The reason Yellin went with the third choice: his 10-year-old daughter liked it. Thank you, Todd Yellin’s daughter, for making it so that we don’t have to listen to a goat screaming before every episode of The Umbrella Academy.

(Via Entertainment Weekly)

While Miley Cyrus’ last album arrived in 2017 with Younger Now, she attempted to numb the wait for her upcoming album with her 2019 She Is Coming EP. The EP was intended to be the first of three EPs, in addition to She Is Here and She Is Everything, all of which would be put together for her seventh album, She Is Miley Cyrus. While the album was set to arrive before the end of 2019, it was delayed as Cyrus continued to work on it following vocal chord surgery. Returning with a new update for fans, it seems like they will not have to wait much longer to receive Cyrus’ latest offering.

In a tweet Tuesday evening, Cyrus hinted at new music saying, “Meet Miley Cyrus…again” with the hashtags #SheIsComing and #ButForRealThisTime, which both suggests that she may finally be ready for her upcoming album as she references her 2019 EP. Despite the delays, Cyrus has kept fans updated on its process over the past months. After revealing that Cardi B and Shawn Mendes were the lone guests on the tracklist for She Is Miley Cyrus, she returned months later to give fans an update on the album’s sound saying the some of the music on it “is sounding super rock and roll.”

Cyrus’ album tease comes after the singer took to an empty Rose Bowl area to cover The Beatles’ “Help” shortly after appearing on Mark Ronson’s Love Lockdown video mixtape.

Tory Lanez’s gun charge last month turned out to be the beginning of a larger issue and a drastic turn of events. With Megan Thee Stallion and her friend present for his arrest, it was revealed shortly after — thanks to a post from the Houston rapper — that Megan suffered a gunshot wound sometime before the Tory was apprehended by LAPD police officers, refuting an initial report that her foot injury came as a result of Megan stepping on broken glass. Supported by new reports, fans quickly pieced together that Tory Lanez may have been the one who shot Megan in the foot, a claim that is still unconfirmed. Following a few statements from Megan this past weekend, which focused on the public’s reaction to the matter, rumors began to spur that Tory was deported as a result of the shooting, a claim his representative now denies (via XXL).

In a statement to XXL, a rep for Tory Lanez denied the deportation rumors saying the rapper was actually quarantining with family. “Tory has not been deported and is self-quarantining with his family in Florida,” the statement read. “This is a perfect example of false information being spread regarding this case, his whereabouts and his character.” The statement arrived after a video surfaced to social media that captured the Canadian rapper at what looks like a McDonald’s reportedly speaking to a homeless man.

Scroll up to watch the reported video of Tory Lanez.

Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Nearly three years after her self-titled debut album, Dua Lipa arrived in the first quarter of 2020 with her sophomore album, Future Nostalgia. Filled with epic dancefloor-worthy songs, the album was beloved by all her fans and earned spots across multiple mid-year lists including Uproxx‘s own best overall albums and best pop albums of the year lists. Looking to bring new life to the thrilling record, Dua Lipa took to Twitter to make a special announcement.

Confirming previous rumors and hints of her own, Dua Lipa announced a deluxe edition of Future Nostalgia. Labeled as Club Future Nostalgia: The Remix Album, Dua Lipa made the announcement and revealed some of the collaborators for the upcoming deluxe in a pair of all-caps posts to her Twitter page. “CLUB FUTURE NOSTALGIA THE REMIX ALBUM W THE BLESSED MADONNA COMING AUGUST 21ST – LEVITATING AUGUST 14TH – FEATURING MISSY ELLIOTT & MADONNA – PHYSICAL FT. GWEN STEFANI REMIXED BY MARK RONSON +++ ALL FUTURE NOSTALGIA TRACKS N THEN SUM REMIXED BY UR FAVES.”

Dua Lipa previously revealed that a remix of “Levitating” with Madonna and Missy Elliott would arrive on August 14, but to the delight of fans, the upcoming remix is just a bigger surprise. In addition to Gwen Stefani and Mark Ronson appearing on a “Physical” remix, fans are in store for a thrill with the upcoming album. The announcement also arrives after she teamed up with J Balvin, Bad Bunny, and Tainy for “Un Día” and shared a cartoon-style video for “Hallucinate.”

Check out Dua Lipa’s announcement in the tweet above.

Dua Lipa s a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Hip-hop has suffered another loss this Tuesday evening as news broke that Chicago rapper FBG Duck has passed away at the age of 26 from a gunshot wound. Born Carlton D. Weekly, the Fly Boy Gang rapper was rushed to a local hospital after a drive-by shooting; there he was pronounced dead. FBG Duck’s death was confirmed by former mayoral candidate Ja’Mal Green in a post to Twitter. “Popular rapper FBG Duck has just been pronounced dead after being shot in the Gold Coast an hour ago. Prayers up for his family, bring justice to them after this senseless act,” he wrote.

Additional information on the shooting that occurred in Chicago’s Gold Coast neighborhood was shared by Daniel O’Shea, Deputy Chief for the Chicago Police Department, in a press conference on Tuesday evening. “At approximately 16:37 hours today, right here in the 100 block of East Oak Street, we had three individuals shopping,” O’Shea said. “Two vehicles pulled up. Four individuals exited those vehicles, two from each vehicle, and began firing at the individuals that were on the sidewalk outside of one of the stores here. They also struck a female that was in one of the vehicles, which was also parked outside one of the stores here.”

In addition to Duck, a 36-year-old male was shot as well. No arrests have been made in the shooting.

Seth Rogen is a busy guy right now, and what’s on his plate is pretty diverse. There’s the new HBO movie An American Pickle, there’s him writing a movie about Classic Hollywood fix-’em-upper Scotty Bowers for Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino. And if that weren’t enough, he’s making a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles animated movie reboot. Granted, he’s not writing or directing it; it’s his company that’s working on it. But he did recently clarify the angle his team will be taking on the longtime product.

Talking to Collider, Rogen said the movie will focus on one of the title’s words more than the others.

“As a lifelong fan of Ninja Turtles, weirdly the ‘Teenage’ part of Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles was always the part that stuck out to me the most,” Rogen said, “and as someone who loves teenage movies, and who’s made a lot of teenage movies, and who literally got their start in their entire profession by writing a teenage movie, the idea of kind of honing in on that element was really exciting to us.”

He added, “I mean, not disregarding the rest, but really using that as a kind of jumping off point for the film.”

The film is being made in part with Nickelodeon, and Jeff Rowe — co-director of the forthcoming Phil Lord-Chris Miller movie Connected — is set to direct a script written by Brendan O’Brien, who worked on another Rogen movie, Neighbors.

Since few of the many incarnations of TMNT really stress the teen aspect of it — beyond a love of pizza and dumb catchphrases — that’s a novel approach. Indeed, perhaps the only version that’s ever really dealt with their age is the recent SNL parody entitled “Middle-Aged Mutant Ninja Turtles.”

(Via Collider)

Nearly five years removed from her sophomore album Revival, Selena Gomez made her return with her third album Rare. The album was met with positive reviews from both fans and critics, and the singer later shared a deluxe version. And soon we’ll be getting a make-up line entitled Rare Beauty.

Gomez first announced the product back in February, revealing that it’s an endeavor she worked on for over two years. She had promised a summer arrival, but now she’s revealed an official release date of September 3. The collection will go live at Sephora, Sephora Canada, Sephora Mexico, and RareBeauty.com. “I’ve had so much fun creating everything and can’t wait for y’all to try it all! I hope you love it as much as I do!” she wrote in an Instagram post.

“Being rare is about being comfortable with yourself,” she wrote about the makeup line back in February. “I’ve stopped trying to be perfect, I just want to be me. I think Rare Beauty can be more than a beauty brand. I want us all to stop comparing ourselves to each other and just start embracing our own uniqueness. You’re not defined by a photo, a like, or a comment. Rare Beauty isn’t about how other people see you, it’s about how you see yourself.”

Just this year, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation team has putting money into fighting discrimination and social injustice. Recently, they showed their support for a Charleston protestor who was arrested and demanded that their charges be dropped. They also partnered with Yo Gotti this year to sue Mississippi for their inhumane prison conditions. Roc Nation has now shifted their focus to the youth in a new partnership with Long Island University, where they’ve launched the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment.

Based in Jay-Z’s hometown of Brooklyn, the partnership will grant undergraduate students opportunities to work in the music, sports, and entertainment industries, offering degrees in music, music technology, entrepreneurship & production, as well as sports management. In addition to an education from university professors, students will be able to meet with visiting guest artists and lecturers, gaining experience in their respective fields through internships and networking with professional contacts. Students can begin enrolling for the fall 2021 semester starting next month. Other opportunities at the School include a Roc Nation Hope Scholarship, which will be awarded to 25 percent of the incoming freshman class and guarantee them a debt-free departure from the school, as well as individualized support and mentorship.

“Pursuing higher education is an investment in one’s future. This partnership, envisioned alongside LIU President Dr. Cline, is a true investment in our community and young people in Brooklyn, in New York City and beyond,” Roc Nation’s CEO Desiree Perez said in a statement on the company’s website. “We’re excited that the Roc Nation School of Music, Sports & Entertainment will provide unique insight, knowledge, and experiences for students and introduce the world to the next generation of unmatched talent.”

Visit Roc Nation’s website to read the company’s full statement on the new partnership.

Katy Perry has a new album out this month, and she’s been tirelessly promoting it. Four singles, among them the title track and “Daises,” have been released so far, and it looks as though it will be more acclaimed than her last release, 2017’s Witness. On Tuesday, Perry stepped away from promoting it to show support on Twitter for Ellen Degeneres, who’s facing backlash over allegations that she’s created a toxic workplace environment for her employees.

“I know I can’t speak for anyone else’s experience besides my own but I want to acknowledge that I have only ever had positive takeaways from my time with Ellen & on the @TheEllenShow,” Perry said in the first of two tweets. “I think we all have witnessed the light & continual fight for equality that she has brought. Sending you love & a hug, friend @TheEllenShow.”

Allegations against Degeneres and her daytime talk show arrived late last month after Buzzfeed discovered accusations of racism and intimidation behind the scenes. Variety later published claims that longtime crew members were mistreated as the show made changes due to the coronavirus pandemic. Soon after the allegations came to light, it was reported by Variety andThe Hollywood Reporter that the show was undergoing an internal investigation by WarnerMedia. Degeneres offered her own apology for what may or may not have gone down, saying, “I’ve not been able to stay on top of everything and relied on others to do their jobs as they knew I’d want them done. Clearly some didn’t. That will now change and I’m committed to ensuring this does not happen again.”