As soon as the trade news broke, the spin began from the Mavericks side as they tried desperately to explain why they were trading a 25-year-old superstar. Much of that has focused on Doncic’s conditioning, as he’s always looked a bit pudgy compared to most of the NBA’s elite, but what those critiques seem to ignore is the fact that Doncic has always been dominant on the floor.
While Doncic was the headliner of the trade, he isn’t the only player making the move from Dallas to L.A., as Markieff Morris returns to the Lakers as part of the deal. He was also on hand Tuesday at the Lakers facility and spoke with the media after Doncic’s presser, and was asked for his thoughts on the conditioning talk surrounding Luka and noted his confusion by it all (video here via Tomer Azerly).
“He’s a great guy, man. Super low maintenance, don’t need much,” Morris said. “One of the only guys I’ve been on a team with that’ll play through any injury if he can get on the court. I hear stuff about him not being in shape, but if you can go in an NBA game and get 30, 15, and 10, then I don’t know what shape is. I’m confused at that part. Yeah, you’ll see it really soon.”
Now, you wouldn’t expect a guy who is still teammates with Doncic to bury him, so it’s not a surprise he’s voicing his support for Luka, but that last part is the thing most fans can’t get out of their head either and it’s nice to see an NBA player also saying it. Doncic has averaged 28/8/8 for his career and regularly flirts with huge triple-doubles. If that guy is “out of shape” then I, like Morris, am not sure what in shape even means.
At the same time, there are certainly valid questions to be had about whether Doncic could maximize his immense talents more by being in better shape, but he definitely doesn’t seem to be on the verge of becoming a disaster. And the truth is, we’ve seen star players in similar positions before. A lot of NBA stars can naturally dominate early in their careers while eating whatever they want and partying and all of that, but as they get older they learn how to better take care of themselves and find that balance. Doncic, who is about to turn 26, probably will have to go on that same journey, but given his talent and apparent competitive fire, it seems odd the Mavs decided to bank on him not figuring that part out — which is why many have posited something else has to have been part of this decision.
Given the current Mavs roster has been built to complement Doncic’s skills, they needed to make some adjustments to the supporting cast to try and build the best team around Irving and Davis. On Tuesday, they began doing just that with their first post-Doncic trade, sending Quentin Grimes to the 76ers for Caleb Martin, per Shams Charania.
The Sixers recoup their own second round pick for this year that Dallas held, which, if they don’t go on a big late season run, could be pretty high on the Draft’s second day. They also add another perimeter scoring threat in Grimes, who is having a solid season in Dallas averaging 10.2 points, 3.8 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game and hitting 39.8 percent of his threes.
Martin, meanwhile, has missed the last 12 games with a hip/groin injury, but was averaging 9.1 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game and hitting 37.9 percent of his threes prior to his absence. The Mavs have made it clear that their goal is to build a defense-first team around Davis, and that is certainly the goal with this trade in adding another versatile wing defender in Martin. It’ll be interesting to see how the Mavs proceed and if they have more moves on the horizon over the next 48 hours before the deadline, but Nico Harrison is certainly shuffling the deck in Dallas for the second half of the season.
The music community has stepped up to support Los Angeles as the city recovers from the wildfires. Now, the folks at Good Music are doing their part with Good Music To Lift Up Los Angeles, a new compilation album featuring so many artists.
Among the highlights are MJ Lenderman (who had a strong presence on the recently released Uproxx Music Critics Poll thanks to Manning Fireworks), R.E.M., Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service (credited together), Jason Isbell, Pup, Wilco’s Jeff Tweedy, and Faye Webster.
The project is exclusive to Bandcamp and is set to only be available for one day, on February 7. The net proceeds will be donated to California Community Foundation’s Wildfire Recovery Fund and the LA Regional Food Bank, and Bandcamp is also donating its share of sales to MusiCares as part of its own fundraising effort.
The tracklist has not been revealed yet, but there are 90 tracks and the full list of participating artists consists of Alycia Lang, Animal Collective, Annie DiRusso, The Armed, BEL, Blondshell, Brotherkenzie, Cassandra Jenkins, Centro-matic Feat. Jason Isbell And Sadler Vaden, Chelsea Wolfe, Chris Cohen, Cold War Kids, Courtney Barnett, Cumgirl8, Cunningham Bird, Dawes, Death Cab For Cutie and The Postal Service, The Dip, Dirty Projectors & Stargaze, Dr. Dog, Eggy, Faye Webster, Fidlar, Flock Of Dimes, Friko, George Alice, Gustaf, Health, The Heavy Heavy, Hippo Campus, The Hold Steady, Hotline TNT, Hurray For The Riff Raff, I’m With Her, Interpol, iRo, James Henry Jr., Jason Isbell And The 400 Unit, Jeff Tweedy, Josh Ritter, K.Flay, King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard, LA LOM, Lala Lala, Little Dragon, Local Natives, Lucius, Mac DeMarco’s “Piece Of The F*ck”, Madi Diaz, Manchester Orchestra, The Midnight, Miki Ratsula, Militarie Gun, Miya Folick, MJ Lenderman, Modest Mouse, Momma, Mudhoney, My Morning Jacket, Neal Francis, Neko Case, The New Pornographers, Nick Thune, Pachyman, Perfume Genius, Pool Kids, Porches, Pup, Real Estate, R.E.M., Richy Mitch & The Coal Miners, Ricky Montgomery, RY X, Shannon Lay, Silversun Pickups, Soccer Mommy, Soul Asylum, Spiritual Cramp, Sycco, SYML, Tenacious D, Theo Katzman, This Is Lorelei, Toro Y Moi, Tunde Adebimpe, TV On The Radio, Ty Segall, The War On Drugs, Water From Your Eyes, and Watkins Family Hour Feat. Gaby Moreno.
The tracklist includes all 12 songs from the original version of the Best Pop Vocal Album winner, as well as five bonus tracks — including an updated “Please Please Please” with none other than Dolly Parton.
“as a thank you for giving this album 2 Grammy’s :’) short n’ sweet deluxe is now available for pre order.. out February 14th!” Carpenter wrote on X. “and yes that does say featuring Miss Dolly Parton… she wouldn’t want me to swear but holy sh*t!!!!!”
Carpenter also let out a “holy sh*t” during the Grammys, although you wouldn’t know it from the broadcast: the word was censored by CBS. “Thank you, this is so special to me, and Short N’ Sweet means the world,” she said, adding, “I love you guys, you have no idea how much I love you and how much this album means to me. Thank you, holy sh*t! Bye!”
You can check out the tracklist below.
Sabrina Carpenter’s Short N’ Sweet (Deluxe) Tracklist
Once upon a time, Chance The Rapper had an earned reputation as a “say yes to anything,” brand-favorite performer (complimentary). If you needed someone to don a fuzzy bear suit and converse with a KitKat bar in a commercial, he was your man. It was wholesome and lighthearted and — po-faced rap fan naysaying aside — really quite fun.
But in the years since, Chance has laid a bit lower, only popping up to exhibit his new album Star Line at art galleries. However, that soon changes, as NBA On TNT announces its partnership with the Windy City MC for NBA All-Star Weekend. He’ll be headlining the annual NBA On TNTAmerican Express Road Show on Thursday, February 13, at Pier 48 in San Francisco, his first really high-profile corporate gig in a while.
The NBA On TNT American Express Road Show will, as usual, be hosted by Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal, offering pre-game coverage of the Oklahoma City Thunder vs. The Minnesota Timberwolves game ahead of the All-Star Weekend Festivities. Those festivities once again include the All-Star Celebrity Game (for which rosters were announced today) and The Rising Stars Challenged (here’s the player pool) — but not a three-point shoot-out with Caitlin Clark to some Iowa fans’ chagrin.
Chance fans hoping for his comeback can probably take some encouragement from the announcement, while may well presage an official release date for Star Line and the beginning of his return to casual rap fans’ good graces.
Abel Tesfaye has been killing The Weeknd for at least five years, since the 2020 release of his fourth studio album, After Hours. While that album explored the themes of self-loathing and the alienating tendencies of the substances the character had always boasted about using, the music videos accompanying the project found the red-suited hedonist being decapitated and resurrected, only to suffer more abuse. The morbid motifs continued on Dawn FM, which boasted a purgatorial theme, with The Weeknd struggling to muddle his way through the wreckage of his life to achieve his final rest.
In the run-up to the release of Hurry Up Tomorrow, the latest and final installment of the loose trilogy, Tesfaye has suggested more than once that the album will constitute The Weeknd’s final end. It turns out to be a long goodbye, delivering the longest runtime of the three albums by far (After Hours is 56:19, Dawn FM is 51:49, and Hurry Up Tomorrow is 84:39). Tesfaye uses the sprawling canvas to empty the magazine, dumping every idea remaining from this phase of his artistic milieu — for better or worse.
This approach lends itself well to the Canadian singer-songwriter’s eclecticism, at the expense of the cohesion of the concept of the death of The Weeknd alter ego. In many ways, Hurry Up Tomorrow‘s title reflects both singer and his audience’s reluctance to let the persona go, despite its fixation on self-destructive habits both sides should have long since grown past (“Given Up On Me”). As an extension of the mythos of The Weeknd, the additional runtime allows him to sing his scumbag soliloquies over a broader palette than ever before. As an end to the character, one wonders if Abel is really a ready to let it die as he makes out.
But if this is the final “The Weeknd” album, the mysterious, menacing expression of id is going out with a bang — as only befits the “try anything twice, then do it ad nauseam” abandon of the curator of the House Of Balloons. Take “Timeless,” the Pharrell Williams-produced, Playboi Carti-featuring chest beater; “Dress for these hoes, they finna flock,” Carti sing-raps. “Just poured a four in a soda, it pop / Them drugs finna hit, I’m feelin’ ill / I’m wrestlin’ all of my demons, I feel like The Rock.” It’s a line that could fit in on practically any song from The Weeknd, a prime example of the triumphant highs that explain why he still chases them despite the morose lows of tracks like “Cry For Me” and “Baptized In Fear.”
Elsewhere, Tesfaye’s enthusiasm for various forms of dance-pop cracks open and spatters like a Pollock on the unfettered “São Paulo”; his penchant for ’80s soft-rock grasps for better times on “Take Me Back To LA”; and his maximalist, synth-opera tendencies are given free rein on “Red Terror.” But the album’s at its best when it’s more firmly on-topic; “The Abyss” channels the doomed dramaturgy of Scarface, while that film’s composer Giorgio Moroder makes an in-person appearance on “Big Sleep,” another gothic dirge in line with the theme of killing off The Weeknd. Lyrically, each of these songs is a fractured goodbye, a somber reflection on the damage The Weeeknd’s vices have done to his life and relationships. As eulogies, they’re fitting.
If the title track really is the end of the alter ego (it’s the final track on the standard version), it’s an oddly hopeful one for the self-declared “king of sin” (this thing could have used some tighter editing and sequencing, to be sure). But it’s also a watershed, the first time The Weeknd actually seems to offer any kind of consideration that isn’t self-regarding, insincere navel-gazing. An earnest Weeknd? That’s something new. Perhaps the next phase of Abel Tesfaye’s supernova career still has some surprises in store.
Hurry Up Tomorrow is out now via XO / Republic Records. You can stream it here.
Welcome to the Crumbl Cookie report! Let’s get straight to the point here: after a few weeks of forgettable cookie releases, this week has a near-perfect roster. And even though we didn’t like every single cookie this week, all eight are at least interesting enough that we think any of them are worth a trip to Crumbl.
But, of course, there is a hierarchy. Some of these cookies must be experienced, we’re going to go ahead and say at least three of them are absolute essentials. For the other five, it’s going to depend on whether you’re into or not into particular ingredients.
Now that Crumbl has shifted to an eight-cookie-a-week roster permanently, we have to wonder — why the hell isn’t there an eight-pack box yet? We have four, six, and 12, but if you want all eight you’re going to have to buy a six-pack box, and then two singles, which is going to run you nearly $40. Our goal is to help ensure that you never spend that much at Crumbl.
So without further ado, here are all eight cookies at Crumbl this week, ranked from least essential to most delicious.
8. Strawberry Pretzel Pie
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
What exactly is going on here? I mean, look at this thing — I know Crumbl isn’t always consistent in its designs, but this thing looks straight up bad. I don’t normally let the visual of a cookie affect my review of it, but it’s kind of hard when it looks this bad.
Looks aside, I think this cookie is just a mess of clashing flavors that don’t really complement one another. On top of a buttery cookie base sits a layer of whipped cream cheese, a dollop of strawberry jam, and some crumbled pretzels on the top and along the rim.
Texturally, I’ll give it to this cookie, it has a wonderful combination of chewy and crunchy sensations. But the flavor is awful. It’s buttery, sweet, tart, salty, and tangy. A combination of a few of those would work, but all together, it just comes across as a cacophony of clashing sensations.
It’s as if free jazz was a cookie.
The Bottom Line:
Maybe the worst Crumbl cookie I’ve ever had. Ever. It certainly doesn’t help that they clearly botched the construction of mine.
7. Churro Cake
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
Considering I often rank the Crumbl’s Churro cookie quite high, I had high hopes for this one, but unfortunately, these cinnamon-rich flavors just don’t work as well when in cake form.
The cake features two tiers of white cake infused with cinnamon and sugar, sandwiched together and topped with cinnamon buttercream and a touch of cinnamon streusel.
My main issue here is the cake is so soft and gummy that the texture, coupled with the sweet blend of sugar and cinnamon, comes across as a bit too sweet to be enjoyable. This is the sort of cake you can’t have more than a couple of forkfuls. It lacks the crunchier texture of its cookie counterpart.
The Bottom Line:
Not nearly as good as Crumbl’s Churro Cookie. The Churro Cake is sweet to the point of being overwhelming.
6. Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
The Semi-Sweet Chocolate Chip cookie will always be one of my favorite Crumbl recipes, but, as you know, it’s available bi-weekly, so it almost always feels absolutely inessential.
If you’ve never experienced this cookie, here is what to expect: a brown sugar and butter base generously adorned with chunky semi-sweet chocolate ships and just a pinch of salt.
The Bottom Line:
Inessential, but damn delicious.
5. Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I’m a bit torn on Crumbl’s Cheesecake offerings. In general, I find them to be a bit lazy and unimaginative. But for every five or so that feel like simple ingredients swaps, there will be one like the Lemon Blueberry Cheesecake. A cake so delicious that it restores my faith in Crumbl.
This lemon cheesecake features swirls of blueberry jam, a dollop of whipped cream, and a lemon slice for a tart bright garnish. All of this is served over a buttery graham cracker crust that tastes so good and adds so much texture that you’ll wish it was at least twice as thick.
The Bottom Line:
One of Crumbl’s very best iterations of the cheesecake.
4. Chocolate Crumb ft. Oreo
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
If you’re looking at this cookie thinking it looks like a giant Oreo, go ahead and assume it tastes like one too!
It has that dark semi-bitter cocoa flavor typical of Oreos, and it even crumbles like the real thing once you bite into it. It differs in that the vanilla cream cheese frosting tastes more elevated than the cheap soybean oil-based cream in your typical Oreo.
Does this make it superior to an actual Oreo? I’m not entirely sure. I think if I had a specific craving for an Oreo, nothing is going to hit the spot
like the real thing.
The Bottom Line:
A giant, slightly elevated Oreo cookie.
3. Sea Salt Toffee
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
This cookie might look a little boring, but its packing a whole lot of flavor. The cookie base tastes similar to Crumbl’s chocolate chip cookies, offering a buttery and brown sugar-rich base infused with milk chocolate, and shards of crunchy, rich, caramel-heavy toffee, and a pinch of sea salt.
Although used sparingly, the sea salt does a lot here, complementing the rich, burnt-sugar sweetness of the toffee. This cookie tastes like indulgence at its finest.
The Bottom Line:
Rich and sweet with an addicting toasty caramelized sugar quality.
2. Peanut Butter ft. Snickers
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I once gave this cookie the top spot, and while I still think its pretty damn good, I’m going to have to give the crown to another cookie this week. That isn’t to say this isn’t a must-eat cookie though. Definitely pick one of these up if you haven’t had it.
The Peanut Butter ft. Snickers features a nutty peanut butter base topped with toasty caramel buttercream, a milk chocolate drizzle, and pieces of chopped-up Snickers. It’s earthy, toasty, and well-balanced with rich chocolate notes.
The Bottom Line:
Delicious, toasty, nutty and rich.
1. Brownie Batter
Dane Rivera
Thoughts & Tasting Notes:
I’ve been waiting for this cookie to come back to Crumbl for some time, and now that its back I can’t help but give it the top spot. Of the eight cookies, this is the one that brought me the most joy.
This cookie is essentially a giant brownie in the shape of a cookie. It’s moist, has a decadent chocolate-forward flavor, is very rich, and has a gooey fudge center complemented by semi-sweet chocolate bitterness on the backend.
This cookie is so rich you’re going to need some sort of liquid to help it go down, but it’ll be worth it as your taste buds are flooded with indulgent chocolatey flavor.
The Bottom Line:
It captures everything great about a fresh fudge brownie, with the crumbly texture you expect from a great cookie. It’s a best of both worlds sort of dessert.
After nearly a year of teasing it out, we finally have our first images of the Nike A’One, the first signature sneaker for three-time WNBA MVP A’ja Wilson.
The shoe will debut in a Pink Aura colorway, along with pink slides and apparel, and features a number of details related to Wilson’s family. There are Celtic symbols for mom and dad on the inside of each tongue, pearl motifs in the design that recall a pearl necklace given to her as a child by her grandmother, and a few quotes inscribed in different areas of the sneaker. On the front of the tongue is Wilson’s logo and on the back of the heel is her signature.
Nike
From a performance standpoint, the sneaker features a breathable mesh upper with Cushlon ST2 foam cushioning on top of a firm base, and a cushioned, supportive insole.
“If you think you’ve seen my best, think again,” says Wilson in a release. “We worked for over two years to create the Nike A’One to help me redefine the limits of greatness and advance the game to another level. My signature shoe is worth the wait — engineered for my game and my style, and built to motivate the next generation to go big. Just wait to see what we do with it.”
The apparel collection will feature Wilson’s iconic asymmetrical tights, a hoodie with a sateen lined hood, t-shirts, sateen shorts, and more.
Abel Tesfaye — better known as The Weeknd (for now) — technically made his acting debut in 2019 with a role as himself in Uncut Gems. But he’ll truly showcase his acting chops with his starring role in Hurry Up Tomorrow. Named after his new album and co-starring Jenna Ortega and Barry Keoghan, the film was also co-written by Tesfaye with Reza Fahim and director Trey Edward Shults. The newly released trailer gives us our first look at the film, which has been kept largely under wraps ’til now.
The logline for the film reads: “A musician plagued by insomnia is pulled into an odyssey with a stranger who begins to unravel the very core of his existence.” That makes it sound like Abel’s feature debut won’t stray too far from semi-autobiographical roles like those in Uncut Gems or his doomed HBO series The Idol, while still operating very much in the lane of the psychological thriller it’s billed as. With a long list of musical videos inspired by the genre, Hurry Up Tomorrow feels like it could be the perfect vehicle to launch the next phase of Abel’s career.
The NBA always tries to give All-Star Weekend a local flair, especially when it comes to picking participants and coaches for the Celebrity Game, but some host cities make it easier to do that than others. With the 2025 All-Star Game being in San Francisco, the NBA had plenty of Bay Area legends to pick from for this year’s midseason celebration, and tapped two of the greatest to ever grace a field as this year’s Celebrity Game coaches.
Jerry Rice and Barry Bonds will coach the two teams (named for each) along with assistant coaches Khaby Lame (Team Rice) and 2 Chainz (Team Bonds). As for the rosters, they feature some big names from music, streaming, and entertainment, headlined by Kai Cenat, Noah Kahan, and Shaboozey, while also having an athlete presence with former Warriors Matt Barnes and Baron Davis, Terrell Owens, and Allisha Gray and Kayla Thornton from the WNBA all participating.
The Celebrity Game will take place on Friday, February 14 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN. Full rosters can be found below.
Team Rice
Coaches:
Jerry Rice
Khaby Lame
Players:
Matt Barnes
Bayley
Chris Brickley
AP Dhillon
Druski
Walker Hayes
Shelby McEwen
Terrell Owens
Shaboozey
Oliver Stark
Kayla Thornton
Team Bonds
Coaches:
Barry Bonds
2 Chainz
Players:
Kai Cenat
Baron Davis
Rome Flynn
Allisha Gray
Mickey Guyton
Tucker Halpern
Noah Kahan
Danny Ramirez
Masai Russell
Pablo Schreiber
Dylan Wang
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