Jalen Green and Isaiah Todd only just became the first two amateur athletes to make the leap to the G League by signing new-and-improved Select Contracts, and already, the NBA is thinking about ways to maximize the concept.

Marc Stein of the New York Times reported on Wednesday morning that “the NBA has long-range hopes of growing” the Select Team into a full division within the G League that would pit multiple teams made up of Select Contract players against one another.

As Stein acknowledges, much of the potential for such a setup would be determined by how the project goes in year one with Green and Todd.

Another concern would be finding enough G League lifers to fill out these rosters, understanding their job would be much different than most G League players. Well-traveled hoops veterans like Jarrett Jack still dot the league, and it wouldn’t be hard to imagine guys like that taking on mentorship roles, provided their compensation was still the same despite the Select Team playing a reduced schedule. At the same time, the opportunity may even be more appealing to certain players who see it as a chance to be in the spotlight far more than they otherwise would.

Before the NBA can even think long-term, though, it still has to figure out what the Select Team’s schedule will look like, who the team will compete against, where they will play and train, who will coach the team, and who will fill out the roster alongside Green and Todd. But if this all works out, the NBA appears to have some lofty aspirations for what this experiment could become.

The Matterhorn is a sight to behold all on its own, with its near-symmetrical pyramid peak jutting out from the earth. But when the village of Zermatt at the foot of the mountain projects flags from countries around the world onto its snowy slopes, the effect is breathtaking.

Since March 24th, light artist Gerry Hofstetter has illuminated the mountain side with flags in solidarity with countries that have been hit hard by the novel coronavirus, and the village has been sharing the stunning photos on Instagram.

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The town’s tourism website states:

“With this light projection, Zermatt wants to give people a sign of hope and solidarity in these difficult times. The village shows solidarity with all the people who are currently suffering and is grateful to all those who are helping to overcome the crisis.”

“Our thoughts are with all the American people,” the village wrote on Instagram with a photo of the stars and stripes illuminating the mountainside.

India got a message of “hope and strength.”

Japan was sent “a sign of hope.”

In French, one of Switzerland’s four national languages, Zermatt wrote “Hello from the Matterhorn to the Eiffel Tower!”

The U.K. received a “sign of hope” as well.

Before the U.S. overtook it, Zermatt acknowledged that Italy had been hit the hardest by the virus.

Messages of hope and peace have also been projected onto the Matterhorn in recent weeks, as the whole world battles their way through this pandemic.

It’s been said that nothing unites people like a common enemy, and we now face one that knows no borders and attacks without prejudice. Let’s all encourage all nations to stand in solidarity, pool our knowledge and resources, collaborate on solutions, and present a united front to defeat this virus.

Thank you, Zermatt, for the beautiful reminder that we are truly all in this together.

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The sports world is revisiting the Jordan Bulls in rapt attention over the next few weeks thanks to “The Last Dance” on ESPN, and having just come out of another NBA dynasty, it would have come as no surprise if another such film was in the works on the Light Years Warriors.

However, according to Mark Medina of USA TODAY, don’t expect it. Despite being co-owned by Mandalay Entertainment executive and movie producer Peter Guber, the Warriors last year opted out of the type of intrusive access Chicago allowed during the 1997-98. But it wasn’t for a lack of interest.

“Once you do that, you actually affect the outcome of other things,” Guber told Medina. “Turning the camera on with an expectation that you’re going to get to a particular point with a sports team or career or something like that? It’s a dangerous business. It’s hubris.”

Makes total sense, right? It’s not as if these Warriors ever engaged in hubris of any sort. They surely never proclaimed to be “light years” ahead of the competition, actively embraced the villain role that came with fielding a veritable cheat code of a roster, or played the part of showboats on the court.

When you consider that, in fact, the Warriors did all of those things and even amidst the franchise’s worst season in over a decade, they still played up the opening of the Chase Center in downtown San Francisco and found a way to turn the D’Angelo Russell experiment into the NBA trade deadline’s biggest moment, it’s a legitimate surprise that they turned down the chance to chronicle their greatness in a film. Doing so maybe could have been seen as some sort of hubris — Michael Jordan was certainly not short on that — but when did that ever stop these guys before?

Still, while Guber and his franchise shied away from behind-the-scenes access for NBA Entertainment or ESPN producer Mike Tollin (an executive producer on “The Last Dance” and a business partner of Guber’s), the franchise isn’t shutting the door completely on such a project.

Said Guber: “Then you go back and try to paint the painting of it with a film or documentary afterwards, rather than say, ‘Let’s capture it now because we’re going to win nine championships in a row or something like that.’ I don’t think you can do that. I don’t think that’s a good undertaking. It will affect what you are doing.”

Helado Negro has essentially released an album every year since 2017. Last year’s This Is How You Smile arrived as a strong addition to the band’s expansive catalog and received an honorable mention in The 2019 Uproxx Music Critics Poll. Now, the group fronted by Roberto Carlos Lange is gearing up for more music in 2020. The band released the pacifying track “I Fell In Love” as the first new track since their previous record.

Featuring harmonies by Xenia Rubinos, the song uses rhythm and sound as a medium to explore the euphoric and comforting feeling of first falling in love. Lange’s musings are partially drowned out by a grumbling percussion that colors the background of the track, mimicking the palpitation of a fluttering heartbeat.

In a statement, Lange detailed his inspiration behind the single. “It’s a song about love! It’s about all the ways we feel and the complicated things we do to try to understand this feeling,” Lange said. “‘Spaceship shaped words fly through your world unheard’ is a lyric that describes how alien the feeling can be and how hard we make it to be known. It’s not simple – it’s too complex to ever say ‘love is like this.’ Movies and songs always get it wrong. Maybe we are wrong too but I know the love I have.”

Listen to “I Fell In Love” above.

Val Kilmer is following in the grand tradition of publishing a revealing memoir about his wild adventures in Hollywood, and man, does the prolific actor have some stories to tell.

Titled I’m Your Huckleberry, a reference to his scene-stealing role as Doc Holliday to Kurt Russell’s Wyatt Earp in 1993’s Tombstone, Kilmer’s memoirs are filled with a laundry list of celebrity lost loves, behind-the-scenes drama, an arduous battle with throat cancer, and a candid admission about the current state of his career. Despite making headlines with the news that he’ll be reprising the role of Iceman in Top Gun: Maverick, Kilmer doesn’t hold back on the truth that he actually had to beg Tom Cruise and the producers to return, which was a stunning reversal, given how indifferent he was about starring in the original Top Gun. Kilmer’s agent practically had to force him to take the now-iconic Iceman part. Via USA Today:

Decades later, when the sequel starring Tom Cruise was announced, the tables were turned; Kilmer initially wasn’t tapped to reprise his role as Iceman in “Top Gun: Maverick.” But, Kilmer writes, “as the Temptations sang in the heyday of Motown soul, ‘ain’t too proud to beg.’” And his begging worked. “The producers went for it. Cruise went for it. Cruise couldn’t have been cooler… Tom and I took up where we left off. The reunion felt great.” But don’t turn to Kilmer’s book looking for spoilers. “As far as the film’s plot goes,” Kilmer writes, “I’m sworn to secrecy.”

On top of Top Gun anecdotes and tales of romantic flings with Angelina Jolie and Cindy Crawford, Kilmer’s memoir also includes a passage detailing his life as a devout Christian Scientist, which he attributes to healing his throat cancer and not the medical treatments that Cher helped pay for. (Kilmer famously dated Cher early in his career, and the two have remained close friends ever since.) As part of his faith, Kilmer also believes that an angel once physically replaced his heart:

On a trip to New Mexico when he was 24, Kilmer awoke to an “amorphous black figure.” He writes, “It will ruin the absolute gravity of this moment but in truth this dark angel looked very like Darth Vader, though without the helmet.”

Kilmer claims the angel reached into his body and extracted his heart to replace it with a bigger one. “At first I thought it was the Angel of Death before realizing it was the Angel of Life. I wish I could elucidate the experience more than I have already done, but I can’t. It simply happened,” Kilmer writes. “I have nothing else to say about this, except that I am grateful for the new heart. It has served me well. And I’ve only just begun to use it.”

And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Fortunately, I’m Your Huckleberry<?em> is available for purchase now, so if you want to take a journey through Kilmer’s unorthodox and star-studded life while self-isolated, there’s nothing holding you back.

(Via USA Today)

While Spotify has garnered much criticism in that past for how the streaming service pays artists, a new feature aims to ensure musicians are receiving the funds they need. In light of the current pandemic, Spotify launched a new feature Wednesday that allows musicians to raise money directly through the app. Spotify’s Artist Fundraising Pick will allow fans to donate money to their favorite artists.

Artists who share their music on Spotify can opt to have the new feature, the Artist Fundraising Pick, appear as a badge atop their page. Fans can click on the feature and donate money through CashApp, GoFundMe, or PayPal to financially support their favorite musicians and touring crews. Appearing next to the existing Artist’s Pick section, the Artist Fundraising Pick badge makes it easy for artists who have been forced to cancel tours and other live shows seek financial assistance.

In a statement announcing the feature, Spotify said the Artist Fundraising Pick will play a “key role” in curbing the financial effect of the virus. “Since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Spotify has engaged our partners across the industry to discuss how we can support artists and the creative community who have been deeply impacted by the effects of the devastating virus. Though streaming continues to play a key role in connecting creators with their fans, numerous other sources of revenue have been interrupted or stopped altogether by this crisis.”

Read Spotify’s full statement here.

About a month ago, Kelly Lee Owens decided to delay the release of her upcoming album, Inner Song, to late August. She wrote at the time, “We had lots of plans to bring u this album that are now not feasible due to covid-19 & also out of solidarity for the thousands of record stores closing their doors to protect us.” Now, as part of the album’s unexpectedly longer lead-up, Owens has released a new song, “Night.”

Owens says of the propulsive single:

“This track speaks as to how feelings and insights are more accessible to us at nighttime — how the veils are thinner somehow and therefore how we are more able to connect to our hearts true desires. I wanted to release this track as a gift to you during this crazy time, to give a part of my heart to you all.”

Owens previously said of Inner Song, “My creative life and everything I’d worked for up to that point was deeply impacted. I wasn’t sure if I could make anything anymore, and it took quite a lot of courage to get to a point where I could create again. [The album title] really reflects what it felt like to make this record. I did a lot of inner work in the past few years, and this is a true reflection of that.”

Listen to “Night” above.

Inner Song is out 8/28 via Smalltown Supersound. Pre-order it here.

Despite primarily performing as a rapper, G-Eazy is pretty well known for his rock look — so much so, in fact, that he was even in the running for an Elvis biopic. However, he took his rock-and-roll styling even further during his quarantine free time, releasing a pair of covers that might surprise fans who only know him from his upbeat, Bay Area raps.

On a hazy cover of Radiohead’s “Creep” featuring Ashley Benson, G-Eazy trades in his laid-back rhymes for a more melodic approach incorporating a catchy piano and the drum breakdown from Phil Collins’ “Feel It In The Air Tonight.” G-Eazy lets Benson hold the spotlight for more of the song, letting the funny pop production shine.

Then, G-Eazy goes way back for a woozy take on “I’m So Tired,” The Beatles’ 1968 White Album song about insomnia. Vocal effects smooth the rough edges of Eazy’s voice as he ties his hand at giving John Lennon’s lyrics new life and largely succeeds.

G-Eazy has also been productive in other ways during the coronavirus crisis. At the end of March, he partnered with Larkin Street Youth Services to fund a food truck to help feed Bay Area kids who lost out on free lunch with school closures.

Listen to G-Eazy’s covers of The Beatles “I’m So Tired” and Radiohead’s “Creep” above.

The whiskey market has been growing healthily for years now. Like beer, that has led to a wide range of superb craft options springing up in every corner of the country. The thing is, craft whiskey is still relatively niche and locally-driven. When you do see a smaller whiskey brand on the mainstream market, it often means they were bought out or signed a distribution deal. Even still, the vast, vast majority of whiskey sold in the U.S. comes from the big-name brands that have instant label recognition.

You probably already know the names of all the best-selling whiskeys in America, is what we’re saying. Here’s a better question: Do you know how the best-selling whiskeys in the U.S. taste? Do they live up to the hype? Are we crazy for buying them en masse? We decided today was the day to find out.

The whiskeys listed below are the ten that industry watchers name as the “best-selling” in the U.S. market. There are some “huh?” whiskeys on this list (they might be different for you, depending on where you live) next to old-school, well-known classics. After sharing what distillers and blenders say these whiskeys should taste like, we compare them with our notes and rate whether they hold up.

10. Johnnie Walker Scotch Whiskey

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Various Scottish Distilleries (Diageo)
Average Price: $38.99

Distiller’s Tasting Notes:

“Nose: Take in the luxurious scent of rich and tropical dark fruits with hints of sweet vanilla. Palate: Savor the depth of flavor developed from maturation in oak casks, combined with creamy toffee notes that come from grain whiskies. Finish: This iconic whisky delivers a smooth and warming smoke finish, characteristic of all Johnnie Walker whiskies.”

Our Take:

We’re using Johnnie Black for this exercise since A) it’s blended as a sipping whisky and B) it’s one of the best-selling whiskies in the whole damn world. Does it hold up? For the most part, yes. There’s certainly a sense of slightly tropical fruits and vanilla but it’s not pronounced. There are echoes of smoke, oak, and malts with a clear sweetness that you could argue is toffee. None of it overpowers or really takes you deep into those senses though.

Overall, this is a very easy-drinking entry-level blended scotch that works perfectly in a highball with a nice, fizzy mineral water.

9. Black Velvet Canadian Whisky

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Black Velvet Distillery, Lethbridge, AB (Heaven Hill)
Average Price: $10.99

Distiller’s Tasting Notes:

“Remarkably smooth with hints of caramel, vanilla, coconut, and rye spiciness.”

Our Take:

“Remarkably” is a strong word to use here. Full disclosure, I have a soft spot for this Canadain whisky. My grandmother’s go-to drink was Pepsi and Rye with Black Velvet, and we shared a lot of them. Rye spice and coconut definitely stand out when BV is taken uncut. The caramel has a grainy and slightly saccharine edge while the vanilla is there but a bit muddled by the alcohol.

This is a hot whisky that’s not for the faint of heart if taken straight. On the rocks, it’s surprisingly tolerable. Cut with cola, this going to go down almost too easily.

8. Evan Williams Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 43%
Distillery: Heaven Hill, Bardstown, KY
Average Price: $13.99

Distiller’s Tasting Notes:

“Nose: Light with deep vanilla and mint. Taste: Notes of oak, brown sugar, and caramel. Finish: Medium to long.”

Our Take:

This whiskey really does hit the marks it lays out. There’s a clear sense of bourbon vanilla and the mint does tingle a bit in the background. The sugar is probably the most prominent note as the oak char adds a slight dryness. The finish is warm, a little spicy, and certainly lingers (the classic “Kentucky hug”).

This is an easy shot with a beer back at any dive bar happy hour. It works on the rocks too or as a Mint Julep base. It’s also a lot cheaper than Jack if you want to cut it with a sugary soda or fizzy water.

7. Seagram’s 7 Crown American Blended Whiskey

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Seven Crown Distilling Company, Norwalk, CT (Diageo)
Average Price: $14.99

Distiller’s Tasting Notes:

“Nose: Alluring, clean, and crisp with a hint of citrus. Taste: Smooth sweet taste. Finish: Creamy vanilla finish.”

Our Take:

It’s hard to get behind these tasting notes, to be honest. While Seagram’s 7 is definitely a palatable blended whiskey, it has some rough edges. There’s a lot of vanilla that, when added to 7-Up, creates a sort of boozy cream soda. Admittedly, that quality has its charms. But on its own, that vanilla is covered up by hot and astringent alcohol with more of a plastic butterscotch wrapper edge than anything else.

7&7 is a classic cocktail for a reason. Stick with that and don’t sip this neat.

6. Maker’s Mark Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 45%
Distillery: Maker’s Mark Distillery, Loreto, KY (Beam Suntory)
Average Price: $29.99

Distiller’s Tasting Notes:

“Aroma: Woody oak, caramel, vanilla, and wheat prevail in the nose. Taste: Sweet and balanced with caramel, vanilla, and fruity essences. Finish: Smooth and subtle.”

Our Take:

Oak is a great place to start with Maker’s. There’s always a fair amount upfront that carries straight on through to the end. Classic notes of vanilla and caramel dominate as a mild sense of rye spiciness and dark fruit linger.

Thanks to those spices and fruit, this works well in Manhattans. It’s also very quaffable as a highball with some good mineral water and a lime wedge.

5. Jameson Irish Whiskey

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Irish Distillers (Pernod Ricard)
Average Price: $29.99

Distiller’s Tasting Notes:

“Nose: Smooth and mellow. Taste: The perfect balance of spicy, nutty, and vanilla notes with hints of sweet sherry and exceptional smoothness.”

Our Take:

Mellow is a great describer for this triple distilled Irish tipple. For the most part, this sip lives up to its promises. There’s a clear sense of vanilla thanks to the ex-bourbon barrels. The spiciness and nuttiness are in the background with a note of florals. The plummy end is subtle but there.

This is a very easy whiskey to drink. Mineral water, ginger ale, on the rocks, a shot, or cocktail base, it’s really dealer’s choice.

4. Jim Beam Kentucky Straight Bourbon Whiskey

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Jim Beam Distillery, Clermont, KY (Beam Suntory)
Average Price: $17.84

Distiller’s Tasting Notes:

“Aroma: Oaky vanilla, spicy backdrop. Flavor: Medium-bodied, mellow hints of caramel, and vanilla.”

Our Take:

Yeah. This is a classic and simple bourbon that gets the job done. It’s the bedrock for which a lot of other bourbons are built: caramel, oak, vanilla, mild spice, alcohol warmth, maybe a brief nod to an apple orchard, leading to a short finish with a little more oak.

This is a great utility bourbon to have on hand. While we would use more refined versions of Beam’s line for cocktails, this pretty much works for every other drinking variation.

3. Fireball Cinnamon Whisky

ABV: 33%
Distillery: Various Canadian Distilleries (Sazerac Company)
Average Price: $17.99

Company’s Tasting Notes:

“…Imagine what it feels like to stand face-to-face with a fire-breathing dragon who just ate a whisky barrel full of spicy cinnamon.”

Our Take:

Red Hots covered in cinnamon syrup is the best way to describe this. It’s sweet and, yes, cinnamon-y but more in an artificial flavor way. The lower ABV does help it be a little easier to shoot when last call comes around. But just beware of the sugar crash the next day.

2. Crown Royal Canadian Blended Whisky

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Gimli, Manitoba & Amherstburg, Ontario (Diageo)
Average Price: $28.99

Distiller’s Tasting Notes:

“Nose: Rich and robust, with slight hints of vanilla and fruit. Palate: Delicately smooth and creamy with hints of oak and the sweet flavor of vanilla. Finish: Long and lingering.”

Our Take:

This hits pretty close to what the distillers say. There’s a subtle sense of orchard fruit, honey, and vanilla. Oak is definitely there with an almost dry sense of char and, dare we say, bitterness? There’s a slightly rough edge to the alcohol warmth that’s not harsh enough to be off-putting.

Again, this is a great utility whisky to have around. Try it on the rocks and go from there.

1. Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey

ABV: 40%
Distillery: Jack Daniel’s Distillery, Lynchburg, TN (Brown-Forman)
Average Price: $24.99

Distiller’s Tasting Notes:

“Balance of sweet and oaky flavor.”

Our Take:

It’s kind of hilarious that “balance of sweet and oaky flavor” is all that Jack Daniel’s puts out there. Respect to the God. There’s a definite sense of wood, vanilla, caramel, and bananas to go with those understated distiller notes. The wood carries through to the end with a slight hint of spice, florals, and more banana as the dram ends pretty abruptly.

Swig it from the bottle like a rock star, shoot it at a happy hour, drink it on the rocks, Jack and Coke, Lynchburg Lemonade, Jack and Ginger, Jack and Soda … there are a lot of applications for this one.