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The Los Angeles Lakers ran the New Orleans Pelicans off the floor in their In-Season Tournament semifinal matchup on Thursday. Thanks to a dominant performance from LeBron James, L.A. picked up a 133-89 win to set up a showdown with the Indiana Pacers on Saturday night with the NBA Cup on the line.

Zion Williamson was among the Pelicans players who struggled on the evening, going for 13 points on 6-for-8 shooting with three rebounds and two assists in 26 minutes of work. For a player who is capable of better, it was a tough game to watch, particularly for Shaquille O’Neal and Charles Barkley. And after the game, both Hall of Fame inductees took some time to critique Williamson for not playing like the guy that New Orleans is hoping can be the face of the franchise.

Kenny Smith asked Shaq about the players he looked up to and struggled against the most, and two immediately came to mind: David Robinson and Hakeem Olajuwon. His issue, he said, was that he didn’t work hard as he thought he was, which led to a series of takes about Williamson.

“Does not run hard — it’s not a diss, this is gonna be a lesson from one great big man to another guy that can be a great,” Shaq said. “Does not run hard. I had the same problem my first, second year — I thought I was running hard. Charles talks about this all the time, my talent’s gonna get me 20. When I start going to 20, 30, and 40, it’s because I started doing certain things.

“He doesn’t create easy points for himself,” Shaq continued. “I saw a couple times when he had a couple times at the basket, he don’t seal, right? He doesn’t demand the ball … and he doesn’t have that look. Like, I’m not the greatest athlete ever, but I know a look when I see it. In every sport, I know a look. Tiger Woods had that look, Jack Nicklas had that look. He just doesn’t have that look. And he doesn’t rebound. He does not rebound.”

Smith brought up that Shaq was only saying this because he believes Williamson can be the best player in the league, which led to Shaq saying that he used to be the same type of youngster that Williamson is right now. It was around this time that Barkley chimed in and expressed his disappointment in the Pelicans star.

“The thing that disturbs me is he’s not a young kid,” Barkley said. “When Moses [Malone] told me I was fat and lazy, I was a rookie. He’s been in the league long enough — he’s got two guys on the team that are better players than him and they shouldn’t be. He was the No. 1 pick in the Draft. He should be a better player than [Brandon] Ingram, we like Ingram. Obviously we love C.J. [McCollum]. He should be the best player and he’s not close.”

Barkley then repeated his long-standing belief that Williamson needs to get in better shape before bringing up how he doesn’t rebound enough, which has meant he’s only accrued two double-doubles in the game.

“My grandma was alive, she used to call me every game I didn’t get double-figure rebounding and just kill me,” Barkley said. “A big guy that talented should never get less than 10 rebounds. He should be averaging 11, 12 rebounds a game, but he doesn’t run the floor at all.”

Barkley did make it a point to say some of the blame falls on the Pelicans for using him as more of a point-forward, and stressed that instead of being someone who initiates the offense, he has to be “a finisher.”

Worlds are colliding on Jack Harlow and Dave‘s new Lyrical Lemonade collaboration. Tonight (December 8), Louisville native Harlow has teamed up with UK rapper Dave on their breezy new cut, “Stop Giving Me Advice.”

On the song, Harlow reflects on a rapid rise to stardom. Having been through the motions of a hip-hop artist and pop star, Harlow already knows the game well, and is not here for anyone’s unsolicited input.

“Have you ever had to hide where exactly you reside? / Have you been to the Waffle House on Northside? / Have you ever made a popstar wanna be your bride? / Have you hugged someone and they cried? / Have you had your heroes sit you down and give you the guide? / Have you ever spoken somethin’ into existence / Or do you just talk about other people’s lives?,” raps Harlow on his verse.

While Harlow is still reckoning with the price of fame, Dave reflects on his past relationships, and how his lifestyle has affected those.

“You left somebody that you love at the bottom of a mountain? / ‘Cah they afraid to climb it, have you changed your climate? / Had her Insta’ and made her change to private? / Had her fly economy and make her change to private?,” raps Dave.

In the accompanying video, directed by Cole Bennett, the two rock black suits with vibrant yellow ties throughout a town, where they seem to be the only inhabitants.

You can see the video for “Stop Giving Me Advice” above.

Jack Harlow is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Worlds are colliding on Jack Harlow and Dave‘s new Lyrical Lemonade collaboration. Tonight (December 8), Louisville native Harlow has teamed up with UK rapper Dave on their breezy new cut, “Stop Giving Me Advice.”

On the song, Harlow reflects on a rapid rise to stardom. Having been through the motions of a hip-hop artist and pop star, Harlow already knows the game well, and is not here for anyone’s unsolicited input.

“Have you ever had to hide where exactly you reside? / Have you been to the Waffle House on Northside? / Have you ever made a popstar wanna be your bride? / Have you hugged someone and they cried? / Have you had your heroes sit you down and give you the guide? / Have you ever spoken somethin’ into existence / Or do you just talk about other people’s lives?,” raps Harlow on his verse.

While Harlow is still reckoning with the price of fame, Dave reflects on his past relationships, and how his lifestyle has affected those.

“You left somebody that you love at the bottom of a mountain? / ‘Cah they afraid to climb it, have you changed your climate? / Had her Insta’ and made her change to private? / Had her fly economy and make her change to private?,” raps Dave.

In the accompanying video, directed by Cole Bennett, the two rock black suits with vibrant yellow ties throughout a town, where they seem to be the only inhabitants.

You can see the video for “Stop Giving Me Advice” above.

Jack Harlow is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

Pharrell Williams is soaring to new heights with his new single. Tonight (December 8), the prolific producer and hitmaker has shared “Airplane Tickets,” A smooth new collab featuring Rauw Alejandro and Swae Lee.

On the streamy new single, the three fly fellas look to treat their ladies with the finer things, by way of international travel, excursions, and fine fashions.

“I got airplane tickets with your name on them / And, girl, you’re fine by me ’cause you’re good money / Say you’ll fall in love, girl, you might as well / All jokes aside, make you mine for real,” they sing on the song’s chorus.

Pharrell first debuted the song last month at his Louis Vuitton Men’s Pre-Fall 2024 Runway Show in Hong Kong. In an interview with GQ earlier this year, Pharrell opened up about his partnership with Louis Vuitton as well as his relationship with fashion as a whole.

“It’s not really about the items—even though we have a lot of items and we make new ones as well,” he said. “It’s about the idea. Trusting the brand that says that they understand what luxury is and how they can better suit your life.”

You can listen to “Airplane Tickets” above.

LAS VEGAS — The Los Angeles Lakers were dominant in a semifinal matchup of the first-ever NBA In-Season Tournament on Thursday evening, advancing to the final with a 133-89 shellacking of the New Orleans Pelicans. By halftime, the Lakers led by double-digits behind the latest monster outing from LeBron James in the second quarter and, during the halftime break, TNT’s Kenny Smith spoke about James’ performance under the bright lights of the In-Season Tournament format.

While Smith wasn’t definitively speaking on behalf of James, his words rang true. James was particularly engaged on this night and, while that cannot always be the case at the age of 38, it was apparent to Smith and anyone assembled at T-Mobile Arena that James was dialing it up given the situation.

After a close-fought first quarter, the Lakers broke things open in the second quarter, opening the period with a 15-5 run. James was the catalyst during that stretch, knocking down three-pointers on three consecutive possessions, with the final triple coming from the logo.

It wasn’t only the outside shooting from James, who asserted himself off the dribble. He kept pressure on the rim, finishing through the contact and also spraying passes to open shooters and cutters.

For good measure, James also drew two charges and used his physicality to deter the Pelicans near the rim on several occasions. In the second quarter alone, the Lakers were +21 with James on the floor in 9:19 of clock time. Wildly, Los Angeles was -7 in the other 2:41 in the period, making James’ impact even more clear, and he finished with 18 points in the quarter.

That stretch was impressive enough on its own, but James again came out of the locker room flying in the third quarter. He racked up nine points, four assists, and three rebounds in the first six minutes, again reaching the heights from the second quarter explosion and helping to build the Lakers’ lead to 30 points by the middle of the third period.

Even with 18 minutes of action to play, the result was virtually academic after a 23-6 run by the Lakers to open the second half. New Orleans never again seriously challenged, and Los Angeles cruised to the comfortable finishing margin. James was even able to kick back, at least relatively, to avoid maxing out his effort level for the remainder of the night. All told, he finished with 30 points on 9-for-12 shooting, 4-for-4 from three-point range, and 8-for-8 at the free throw line in only 23 minutes. James also added eight assists and five rebounds, rounding out a rather legendary performance.

At this stage, it can perhaps feel too obvious to note the brilliance of LeBron James. After all, he is a 19-time All-NBA selection, four-time MVP, and four-time NBA champion who most believe is firmly on the NBA’s Mt. Rushmore of all-time greats. Still, Thursday’s performance was a keen reminder that what James is doing just three weeks shy of his 39th birthday is utterly ludicrous. James was the best player, by a wide margin, on the floor in a “Final Four” setting, and when he’s playing at this level, the Lakers are a threat to beat any team on any night.

James and the Lakers will continue their In-Season Tournament run on Saturday against the Indiana Pacers with the inaugural title on the line in the desert. With James playing this way and Tyrese Haliburton leading an electric unit on the other side, fireworks project to follow, and it seems like a safe bet to assume James will be primed and ready with a championship on the line.

Just like the love bonds they celebrate, weddings contain a multitude of feelings—romance, commitment, joy, silliness, both reverence and irreverence all at the same time.

And wedding photographers are given the challenging task of capturing each of those emotions stirred throughout the event. Somehow, through their handful of images, we are supposed to get a glimpse into the unique lives parents are creating together. It’s obviously not easy, but the great photographers make it look effortless.

Every year, the International Wedding Photographer of the Year (IWPOTY) Awards takes entries of outstanding wedding photography from around the globe in various categories like Epic Location, Solo Portrait, and Break the Rules.

Judges selected the most memorable images from 1,700 submissions, and 2023’s winners include a rock-climbing bride and groom, a breathtaking aerial photo, and a moonlit kiss that belongs in a fairytale.

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But the grand prize went to something much sillier. Canadian photographer Tara Lilly won the title for capturing the exact moment a bird landed right atop a bride’s head, sending her into a giggle fit and instantly turning her into a whimsical Disney princess.

“Just as Mitch began his vows, a curious whiskey jack swooped in and landed directly on top of Mikaela’s head,” Lilly wrote on the contest website. “Mikaela’s shock, surprise and laughter were not enough to dissuade this bird from his perch. ‘I’m Snow White!’ Mikaela laughed.”

Judge and photographer Dee Kampe, who won last year’s contest, said Lilly’s lighthearted image was picked the winner because “it encapsulates the emotions and narrative that runs through an entire wedding day in a single frame.”

Meanwhile, a heavy dose of dramatic lighting earned Carmelo Ucchino a Runner-Up title, as well as winning the Dance Floor category.

In her submission Ucchino noted that the surreal ring of light dancing around the couple is water, meant to add a surreal element to the moment and symbolize how the deep emotion of a wedding “comes to life through the bride and groom.”

Aimée Flynn won the Couple Portrait category, thanks to an incoming desert storm.

“The nice thing is that in places as wide open as the desert, you can […] often see weather approaching… and you can see when that weather will clear, making for the prettiest and moodiest sunset ever,” Flynn explained.

“There was so much joyful shrieking as this couple scrambled over the rocks, wind whipping their hair and clothes,” she added. “It was chilly and windy, but these two had the time of their lives embracing their (very epic) wedding day.”

Flynn also won the Epic Location category for her shot of a couple stealing a sky high kiss.

Flynn knew that since the soon-to-be husband and wife were avid climbers, that their shared passion would be the foundation of their engagement photo. But the rest was purely incidental.

I was turning around to find a new vantage point for photos when I heard, ‘Oh, Spiderman style!’ from behind me…I looked over my shoulder and saw, well, this, and then frantically started taking photos,” she said, adding, “it’s wild to think I had very little to do with the set up of this photo and that this was genuinely just the two of them having fun.”

Winning the top prize for the From Above category, Ben Lane of Tinted Photography’s vivid photo shows a couple lying on a dock.

“We started our day super early with Marianne and Jeremy to catch the sun rising across Lago Di Braies,” Lane wrote. “Later, they would say their vows to each other, surrounded by the indescribable peaks of the Italian Dolomites. But in between was this moment. We had the jetty to ourselves; the lake was dead calm, the row boats still in their moorings. It was a perfect time for these two to take a moment and just relax with each other.

And then this gorgeous image of bride and groom walking in front of a cathedral, taken by Fabio Mirulla, won the Black and White category.

“I always try to put order to the ‘chaos’ of the world through the lenses of my camera, sometimes through geometries,” Mirulla shared.

And that sentiment is certainly felt in his image. As Mirulla explained, everything came together as the couple was walking down a picturesque street in Italy.

“I turned around and saw that there was a cone of light projecting this very strong shadow against Palazzo del Rettorato,” he said. “I immediately took the chance to play with frames to create something different, a strong geometry totally in contrast and discontinuous with the usual aspect of the city which is a purely medieval town with its typical bricks.”

“The success of a photo sometimes is being in the right place at the right time and this was definitely the case,” he added.

This lively and fun picture of a bridal party won Jeff Tisman the top prize in the “I-Do” Crew category.

As Tisman explained in his submission, his goal is to not only offer clients photos, but to give them “an experience.”

For this experience, Tisman had previously taken a bridal party photo of only eight people. When the couple asked him if he could fit all 16 in, to which Tisman replied,” only one way to find out.” And the rest is history.

Another black-and-white photo won the Engagement/Non-Wedding category—this one of a couple diving in the Cook Islands, taken by Julian Zeman.

Zeman wrote that the couple pictured, Steph and Matt, are both marine biologists, so “it was only fitting they merge their passion for the ocean and their love for each other with an underwater photoshoot.”

Though the waters were “choppy” that day, everyone navigated through them beautifully.

This incredible photo of a couple repelling under the stars was taken by Traci Edwards, giving her the winning image of IWPOTY’s Break the Rules category.

“When planning with Gillian and Josh, it was clear how much climbing was a part of their relationship,” Edwards wrote in her submission. “Their first date was on a multi-pitch trad route and they got engaged on an epic sport route in Moab. The main things they wanted to be a part of their day: warmth, time to enjoy, climbing, beer and stargazing.”

Edwards’ idea wouldn’t be easy to pull off, but “With practice, holding our breaths and some help from passing cars” they ended up with an image that the couple could look back on for years to come.

Shankhesh Jariwala became the Solo Portrait winner with an image that “instantly creates a story.”

“While capturing [the] bride’s solo portrait I saw this painting on the wall which was hanging a little higher [and] I instantly created the story in my mind about the painting. I asked [the] bride if she could stand on the little table with those high heels on and she trusted my vision and agreed to do for her perfect bridal portrait,” Jariwala shared in her submission.

Lastly, heaven and earth aligned for Van Middleton to take first place in the Lit category with her otherworldly moonlit photo.

“There was a full moon that was tracing a line right between two beautiful big old trees near the wedding venue, and I had a couple that was super excited to be involved in a few outdoors nighttime creative photos (while their friends were partying hard inside!),” he wrote.

Luckily, Middleton had borrowed an LED light from a colleague, which really helped give the couple that standout silhouette.

J Balvin‘s new single, “Amigos” features the Colombian superstar making a return to his reggaeton roots. On the new drum-heavy track, Balvin reflects on a lost love, mourning the end of a once-happy relationship. The relationship, however, fell flat, due to both parties getting to accustomed to their day-to-day.

“It wasn’t your fault, but it wasn’t mine either / And maybe it seems crazy, but tell me if I’m wrong / It was our routine’s fault that our love got screwed / and I had to let you go even though it hurt me,” sings Balvin on the song’s chorus, translated from Spanish.

In the song’s accompanying video, directed by Patricia Alfonso, Balvin embarks on a journey to find himself and recover from heartbreak. Balvin makes his way through Matanuska Glacier National Park in Alaska. As he attempts to make his way through the top, he endures the cold, frigid, and rough conditions, before catching a glimpse of the aurora borealis.

Beginning early next year, Balvin will embark on the international Que Bueno Volver A Verte tour. A news release teases “an all-new show with new music where he will see arenas across 20 European cities, with stops in Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Germany, Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Lithuania, Germany, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, and The United Kingdom.

In the meantime, you can see the video for “Amigos” above.

An incredible story out of Detroit, Michigan, shows how the power of kindness can multiply. Colin McConnell is a writer who lives in a duplex next to Donald Wilson, a single father, who lives with his 3 young kids, ages 5,3 and 1. Sadly, the mother of the 3 children passed away a few months ago, leading Wilson to raise them by himself.

“He told me that the kids are going to be around a lot more because their mother had passed,” McConnell told WXYZ. “And the kids were walking up the stairs at the time. I just saw their little legs and my heart just broke instantly. I wanted to do something more for them. And he said, ‘We don’t really have winter coats.’ I thought he had three daughters because the son was wearing his sister’s clothes — it was because he didn’t even have clothes.”

McConnell had tried to help the single dad by watching his kids from time to time or picking them up some donuts from the coffee shop. But he felt he had to do more. “I see him doing the absolute best that he can with what he has,” McConnell said. “I know from having conversations with him that he’s having a difficult time, and so are his [kids],” he said in a viral TikTok video.

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As a writer and entrepreneur, McConnell has a substantial following on social media. So he shared Wilson’s story on TikTok, hoping that maybe 1 or 2 people would help.

“If anyone wants to help me help this family and spread some kindness, you can go to my Amazon and it’ll come right to my house and I’ll give it to the family,” McConnell said in his video, posted on November 16.

@colin313

My neighbors daughters lost her mom not too long ago. I put some things in an Amazon wish list to try to help them. If anyone’s interested in helping me spread some kindness, please feel free to check out the link in my bio

The video received a tremendous response, and in the 3 weeks since it’s been posted has over 5.7 million views.

“I posted it, and I woke up the next morning and there were already boxes on my porch. I was like, ‘What?!’” he told WXYZ. “I didn’t think it would do that big and all of a sudden, it was thousands! I was like, ‘What! Oh my God!'”

@colin313

Replying to @user3549350178798 heres an update on the video i did @Colin313 o did on the little ones who lost their mom recently. Dad was moved to tears and cant thank you enough. Ill be doing more updates soon #commUNITY #bethegood #spreadkindness.

In a follow-up video, McConnell shared Wilson’s reaction to seeing all of the presents, and he couldn’t believe the generosity of strangers. Over a thousand people sent the Wilson family food, clothes, toys and gift cards. Later, after McConnell shared that the family had no furniture, the children received bunk beds.

The generosity was overwhelming for Wilson, who had difficulty accepting the gifts at first.

“That was the biggest thing for me, not feeling like I’m able to do it, or I’m not capable to do it, but Colin made it easy. He made me feel at home, he made me feel like a brother, like family,” he told WXYZ.

McConnell later shared that Wilson has 3 older children, half-siblings to the younger 3, and he was able to help them out through the donations, too.

The young children are going to get quite a surprise on Christmas day. McConnell found someone to play Santa and deliver their gifts on Christmas morning. McConnell says he’ll be dressing up as Santa’s little helper for the occasion.

Here’s the address to send the Wilsons a Christmas card.

The Wilson Family

℅ Colin McConnell

POI Box 32973

Detroit, MI 48232

Dr. Brené Brown gave a talk to the Royal Society for Arts in 2013 called “The Power of Vulnerability,” where she explained that only by embracing vulnerability and imperfection can we live life with courage and authenticity.

Brown is a research professor known for her studies on courage, vulnerability and empathy. She is the author of several books including, “The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You’re Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are” and “Dare to Lead: Brave Work. Tough Conversations. Whole Hearts.”

One of the most powerful moments in Brown’s talk was when she described the difference between empathy and sympathy. To a lot of people, those concepts seem to be synonymous. However, in this video, Brown explains why “empathy fuels connection while sympathy drives disconnection.”

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The video was beautifully animated by Katy Davis.

Brené Brown on Empathy

Brown says we must take on other people’s perspectives and recognize them as their truth to be genuinely empathetic. We should also be able to stay out of judgment while recognizing other people’s emotions and communicating that we understand.

Empathy requires us to be vulnerable with someone who is hurting.

“Empathy is feeling with people,” Brown continues. “I always think of empathy. It’s this kind of sacred space when someone’s kind of in a deep hole and they shout out on the bottom and they say I’m stuck, it’s dark, I’m overwhelmed, and then we look and we say, ‘Hey!’ you climb down ‘I know what it’s like down here and you’re not alone.’”

The video was beautifully animated by Katy Davis.

[Video]

Brown says we must take on other people’s perspectives and recognize them as their truth to be genuinely empathetic. We should also be able to stay out of judgment while recognizing other people’s emotions and communicating that we understand.

Empathy requires us to be vulnerable with someone who is hurting.

“Empathy is feeling with people,” Brown continues. “I always think of empathy. It’s this kind of sacred space when someone’s kind of in a deep hole and they shout out on the bottom and they say I’m stuck, it’s dark, I’m overwhelmed, and then we look and we say, ‘Hey!’ you climb down ‘I know what it’s like down here and you’re not alone.’”

Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers earned their biggest win in recent history on Thursday evening, outlasting the Milwaukee Bucks to earn a berth in the final of the NBA In-Season Tournament. In the closing minutes, Haliburton buried a dagger three-pointer and, in addition to the impact of the shot itself, he mimicked the “Dame Time” celebration made famous by Bucks guard Damian Lillard.

After the game, Lillard was asked how it felt that Haliburton did that with him on the other side of the floor.

“I learned as a kid, when you dish it out, you’ve got to be willing to take it,” Lillard said. “For as many times as I’ve done it to people, I can’t be upset when somebody else does it, you know what I mean. I think that’s also a sign of respect and acknowledgment for knowing my history and knowing what I do.

“I didn’t mind it. It was what it was. I’ve also known that, you know, when you are having your moment, it’s important to be careful, to be humble in your moments because you just never know how the tables are going to turn or when they are going to turn. I respected it. We shook hands after the game. I wasn’t moved by it left or right.”

Lillard takes the right tact for most of the answer, saying that players have to be willing to take it if they dish it out. Some of that perhaps unravels with the direction to “be humble” but, as always, it’s important to remember this was a post-game press conference after a high-profile game, leading to some raw responses at times.

The Pacers and Bucks put on quite a show in Vegas, and it seems like there is no bad blood. In this instance, though, Haliburton got the last laugh and celebrated accordingly.