Category: Worldwide

Kevin Durant played all 53 minutes of Game 7 on Saturday night, scoring 48 points to set a new NBA record for the most points in a Game 7 in league history, but that wasn’t enough to topple the Bucks as Milwaukee managed to escape overtime with a 115-111 win.

For the series, Durant averaged 42.7 minutes per game as he logged massive time on the court to do everything he could to get the Nets to the conference finals, scoring 35.4 points per game including 48 and 49 point efforts in Games 5 and 7. After carrying such a load with his star teammates injured, it would have been hard to blame Durant for taking this summer completely off, particularly given that this was his first season back from his Achilles injury.

However, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Durant is expected to join Devin Booker, Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal, Draymond Green, and Damian Lillard as commits to play for Team USA at the Tokyo Olympics this July.

That six is quite the group, and has to make Gregg Popovich and the rest of USA Basketball very happy, given there were legitimate concerns over whether stars would have much of any interest in playing in this year’s Olympics given the condensed season and the physical toll that took on much of the league — including a number of stars who had to exit the playoffs with injuries. Getting commitments from those six is big for USA Basketball and gives them a great core to work with as they start piecing together the rest of the roster, even if it isn’t quite as star heavy as the Olympic roster sometimes is top to bottom.

Even before she was starring on a TV show that had multiple colons, Olivia Rodrigo has not had a normal high school experience! After her breakout role on High School: The Musical: The Series, Rodrigo tried her hand at writing a couple songs of her own, and then became a viral sensation over night with the success of her official debut single, “Drivers License.” Of course, by now you probably know that she followed that up with “Deja Vu,” “Good 4 U,” and a No. 1 album that broke every record in the book.

So now the cherry on top of Olivia’s extremely successful year is something that actual teenagers can relate to — graduating from high school! In a sweetly simple Instagram post, Olivia let the world know that she’s no longer a high school student with the “bye high school!!!!!!!” caption on a photo of her in a cap and gown. This comes alongside the news that after debuting at No. 1, Sour is still the No. 3 album on the Billboard chart this week. Not a common occurrence for most graduating seniors, but Olivia’s life nonetheless. Congrats to the graduate, and here’s hoping the lack of homework leaves more time for writing another album full of pop bangers.

Polo G’s upward trek to stardom has been impressive, to say the least. The Chicago went from a promising upstart with his 2019 debut, Die A Legend, to a name that is undoubtedly worthy of respect with his sophomore effort, The GOAT. The growth in Polo G’s artistry continued with his third effort, Hall Of Fame. The 20-track album was released with guest appearances from DaBaby, Lil Durk, Nicki Minaj, Roddy Ricch, Young Thug, and many more and on Sunday, it officially became the rapper’s first No. 1 album after it topped the Billboard 200.

Hall Of Fame checked in atop the album charts with 143,000 album units sold in its first week, also giving him the biggest sales week of his career. This number is comprised of 124,000 streaming equivalent album units, thanks to 181.9 million on-demand streams of the album’s tracks, and 18,000 pure album sales. Prior to Hall Of Fame debuting at No. 1, Polo G’s highest position on the albums chart was No. 2 which is where his 2020 effort, The GOAT, peaked.

Upon hearing word that Hall Of Fame was projected to go top the Billboard 200, Nicki Minaj, who appeared on “For The Love Of New York” from the album, hopped on Twitter to congratulate the rapper on the new achievement.

“CONGRATULATIONS POLO SOOOOOO FN HAPPY FOR YOU first #1 album,” she wrote. “Chicago, stand TF UP Talented & humble. Stay on ya grind boo. Make sure y’all check out the video he just dropped w|Da Baby too. Dope.”

You can revisit our review of Hall Of Fame here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Nicholas Braun, arguably everyone’s favorite unfathomably tall TV star, is about to get even bigger. The Succession stand-out will go from playing lovably awkward Cousin Greg to playing the less lovably awkward — and fairly creepy — villain-of-sorts in the film version of Cat Person, the New Yorker short story that became the publication’s most downloaded piece of fiction back in 2017.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, Braun will act opposite Emilia Jones, recently seen in Locke & Key and the Sundance smash Coda. In the take on Kristen Roupenian’s story, Jones will play a 20-year-old college sophomore who gets involved with an older regular at the movie theater at which she works. After developing a text message rapport, attempts to take things next level go awry.

Hailed as a perceptive take on modern dating, Cat Person will get the adaptation treatment courtesy of filmmaker Susanna Fogel, who won a DGA Award for directing the pilot of HBO’s The Flight Attendant, and who directed the Mila Kunis-Kate McKinnon comedy-thriller The Spy Who Dumped Me. She also co-wrote Booksmart.

It will be another chance to see Braun — all 6’7” of him — on the big screen. Later this month he’ll appear in Zola, the much-hyped stripper saga. And you’ll eventually get to see him in Season 3 of Succession as well as the still untitled WeWork show, in which he’ll play an even more unlikeable character than the Cat Person dude: Adam Neumann.

[via THR]

The Phoenix Suns opened their Western Conference Finals series with the L.A. Clippers on Sunday afternoon, but prior to Game 1 they made an announcement of the latest award of the NBA season, with James Jones being honored as the 2020-21 NBA Executive of the Year at midcourt, receiving a standing ovation from the Suns faithful.

It is a well deserved award for Jones, who has done extremely well in his tenure in Phoenix in building a roster that has become one of the most balanced in the NBA. The big addition this year for the Suns was trading for Chris Paul, a move that has been a clear victory for Phoenix, but he’s also made terrific moves in filling out depth as well, signing Jae Crowder, bringing Dario Saric in via trade two years ago, and has hit on draft picks and draft day trades, most notably in bringing in Mikal Bridges.

The Suns have been one of the best teams and stories in the NBA this season, and Jones has been rightfully awarded for his contributions in constructing this roster. The other likely top contenders for the award were Sean Marks of the Brooklyn Nets, who managed to make the James Harden trade happen to create their Big Three, and Travis Schlenk of the Atlanta Hawks for the roster overhaul he did to help the Hawks into the playoffs and, possibly, to a Conference Finals appearance of their own, pending Sunday night’s Game 7 in Philly.

Earlier this month marked two months since DMX’s death. The rapper passed away after a reported drug overdose that triggered a heart attack which left him on life support for nearly a week. There have been many moments since his death that have brought back memories of DMX. This includes his memorial service and the release of his posthumous album, Exodus.
And Sunday’s Father’s Day holiday is also bringing some past moments involving DMX back to light as his fiancée shared a moving message on Instagram to honor the late rapper.

“SCREAMING HAPPY FATHERS DAY ALL THE WAY TO THE HEAVENS ABOVE,” Desiree Lindstrom wrote under a video of DMX rapping along to the ABC song with their son, Exodus.

“Earl you were such an amazing, protective, loving, inspiring, hands-on, incredible father! I thank God that [Exodus] had a father like you!” she said. “In my eyes you are the best father, a mother [could’ve] asked for when it comes to her child! Thanking God and you for all these memories of you being a wonderful father! I love and miss you so much.”

The love DMX’s children have for the late rapper was captured during a memorial service for his death his 12-year-old daughter, Sonovah, shared a remix of “Slippin” while speaking about her late father.

You can watch the video of DMX and Exodus above.

Now that Lorde is back in the atmosphere, expect new music to start coming with a quickness. Returning with the comeback single “Solar Power,” featuring vocals from Clairo and Phoebe Bridgers, earlier this month. the New Zealand pop star is building off an eagerness from fans so strong that they even made her trend before she released anything, possibly signaling to her that fans were in an hour of need.

After that Solar Power album cover dropped before any new music, it took the release of the actual single for Lorde to confirm the image was her third cover, and the title of the record itself. (None of this is surprising if you followed her hints about a trip to Antarctica directling influencing LP3’s title.) All this to say, she’s updated her website again today with a serene video teaser that seems to indicate more music will be here soon.

Displayed on the site (found here, while it’s up) above the word “Solstice,” the clip shows Lorde sitting cross-legged in front of a tent and a small cooking fire and behind a bower of plants. The sound of hissing insects is the only audio on the clip, but that will likely change shortly. And since tomorrow is the solstice, maybe we’ll even get new music later this week. Check out the clip below and keep your ear to the ground.

Earlier this month, Donald Trump announced he was teaming up with another disgraced public figure to roam around the country. It’s called The History Tour and it pairs the former president with ex-Fox News host Bill O’Reilly.

Trump’s statement about the tour is a greatest hits of his grift-filled blathering, saying the just-announced tour somehow already got considerable buzz and that tickets would make a great gift. Then there’s the always-ominous use of “much sooner” that’s peppered his thoughts and statements in recent months.

“My tour with Bill O’Reilly is getting a lot of attention, and I’m looking forward to it. Maybe tickets would make a great Father’s Day gift?” Trump said in a statement. “In any event, I’ll see you then, and much sooner.”

But though Trump’s supporters have long awaited a return to the road tours from Trump, the news actually made many in his corner upset. As Newsweek detailed, the announced tour has the delusional folks who think Trump’s August return to the White House upset because, well, he’s supposed to be doing presidential stuff by the winter if things go according to their conspiracy-addled plan.

Supporters of the radical movement expressed concerns that Trump going on a speaking tour later this year surely means that he will not be returning a president—a false claim they have continued to believe since he lost the 2020 election more than seven months ago.

“OK I GUESS MY QUESTION IS TRUMP COMING BACK? WHY WOULD HE BE DOING A TOUR THRU THE END OF THE YEAR WITH O’REILLY. HMMMMMMMMM SOMETHING DOESN’T FEEL RIGHT?,” wrote Telegram user Peace Lilly.

“So nothing will happen until December?” added Tina N.

While others simply think it means Trump’s return to the White House will merely be delayed until winter — conspiracy theories tend to be quite malleable when need be — it’s just another case of moving of the goalposts to those adhering to a long string of beliefs that had led, in part, to the January 6 insurrection attempt in Washington.

For now, though, those who still believe need to decide whether it’s worth ponying up some considerable cash to see whatever Trump and O’Reilly have to say.

Children in all corners of the world are honoring their dads as Sunday marks Father’s Day. Whether it be classic gifts like a mug or a few new ties, dads from all over are surely enjoying the day. This includes NLE Choppa who is the proud father of a young girl. While the day is certainly his to kick back and relax, the Memphis rapper opted to share a song that captures the love he has with his daughter. Entitled “Love Letter To My Daughter,” the emotional track arrives with a video that shows a softer and more reflective side to the young rapper thanks to intimate moments with his daughter.

The rapper’s new video comes amid an up and down year for him. He recently became one of the latest rappers — joining DaBaby, Mulatto, Pooh Shiesty, and others — to deliver a “Beat Box” freestyle, one NLE Choppa used to celebrate his release from prison.

Two days before the song’s arrival, though, he was arrested in Florida on suspicion of burglary, carrying a concealed firearm, and possession of drugs including Xanax and weed. He posted a $4,500 bond and was released from jail shortly after. Elsewhere in the year, he’s shared videos for “Moonlight” and “Picture Me Grapin,” the former being a track with Big Sean.

You can watch the video for “Love Letter To My Daughter” above.

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

At the end of last week, the music world was surprised with the news that Jay-Z’s Roc-A-Fella Records, which was launched with co-founders Dame Dash and Kareem “Biggs” Burke, filed a lawsuit against Dash. It accused him of attempted to sell Jay-Z’s debut album, Reasonable Doubt as an NFT, something the record label said he did not have the right to do. Well, it turns out that selling a Reasonable Doubt NFT was not in Dash’s plans. His actual intentions were to sell his entire one-third stake in Roc-A-Fella, which is something he clarified to TMZ.

Dash spoke to the publication in response to the accusations stated in the lawsuit. He claims that Jay-Z tried to buy his entire Roc-A-Fella stake as recently as March, but it was at “a price I deemed unacceptable.” This forced Dash to find a more suitable buyer on his own.

He added, “Under the terms of the deal with a potential buyer, the buyer would buy my share of Roc a Fella Records and Jay-Z will have exclusive administration rights.” Dash also said that the lawsuit filed against him by Roc-A-Fella, who is represented by high-profile lawyer Alex Spiro, was simply a scare tactic to stop him from selling something he believes he has the right to sell.

Court documents from the previously-filled lawsuit said, “Dash can’t sell what he doesn’t own. By attempting such a sale, Dash has converted a corporate asset and has breached his fiduciary duties.” It added, “The court should stop Dash….and hold him accountable for his brazen theft.”