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Charles Barkley has made very clear that he thinks the Golden State Warriors’ best days are behind them. After watching one half of Warriors basketball this year, Barkley declared that the team is “cooked” despite their perpetual aspirations of competing for championships as long as Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Steve Kerr, and Klay Thompson are in town.

There’s still plenty of season left, but Barkley’s claim doesn’t look too terrible right now — Golden State sits at 10-11 at this early juncture, and find themselves a half game out of the race to make the Play-In Tournament this year. Barkley got yet another chance to express his thoughts on the Dubs during the TNT/ESPN crossover broadcast of the In-Season Tournament. After the TNT crew made an appearance on ESPN in the lead-up to the Indiana Pacers’ win over the Milwaukee Bucks, the ESPN returned the favor ahead of the game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the New Orleans Pelicans.

This meant that Barkley got on the air with Bob Myers, an ESPN analyst who used to run basketball operations for the Dubs. After praising him for “stealing money on TV like the rest of us,” Barkley brought up his thoughts on his old club.

“I wanna give you credit for jumping off the Titanic before it sunk,” Barkley said.

After Myers made clear that he still has friends with the Dubs, Barkley fired back that “you gonna see ’em soon!”

This week’s Saturday Night Live episode boasts an exciting line-up. On Saturday (December 9), Adam Driver will host the show ahead of the premiere of his upcoming movie Ferrari. Olivia Rodrigo, who, earlier this year, released her critically acclaimed sophomore album Guts, will serve as this week’s musical guest.

Ahead of the broadcast, NBC has shared the official promo for this show, featuring Driver, Rodrigo, and Heidi Gardner. In the clip, the trio calls back to Rodrigo’s breakthrough single, “Drivers License.”

“Okay, this is awkward,” said Gardner in the clip. “Olivia Rodrigo and the guy she wrote a song about.”

Driver then asked “which song?” to which Gardner replied, “Drivers License.” She continued, saying “Adam Driver,” emphasizing the actors last name.

Playing defense, Driver replied, saying “that song’s not about me.”

Rodrigo then replied, saying, “It’s 100% about you.”

While we all appreciate a good pun, it’s safe to assume this is a joke. Rodrigo explained in an interview on Today that she will likely never reveal who each of her songs are about.

“I think explanation is never good for art,” says Rodrigo. “Why would I pigeonhole a song into being about this one thing in my life, when everyone has their own interpretation?”

You can see the promo above.

Saturday Night Live airs at 11 p.m. EST on NBC and streams live simultaneously on Peacock.

LAS VEGAS — The Indiana Pacers might be the NBA’s most entertaining team this season. After all, the Pacers lead the league in points per game, field goal percentage, assists, pace, and offensive efficiency, concocting a beautiful formula for fireworks on a nightly basis. However, the Pacers are not at the top of the Eastern Conference standings and, when the eight-team field was set for the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament, the Pacers had a difficult path to Saturday’s final in Las Vegas. On Thursday evening, though, the Pacers pulled away from the Milwaukee Bucks in the semifinal, building from a highly impressive quarterfinal win over the Boston Celtics and earning the first bid to the title round with a 128-119 victory.

As was the case in Monday’s quarterfinal, Tyrese Haliburton was the lead story for the Pacers. The All-Star guard would show up on MVP ballots if the 2023-24 season ended today, and Haliburton erupted for 24 points, 15 assists, and six rebounds. Beyond those impressive numbers, Haliburton did it all without committing a single turnover, posting his third career game with at least 25 points, 15 turnovers and no turnovers, the most in the history of the NBA. From there, he was the centerpiece of the closing kick for Indiana.

The Pacers led by only a single point with 2:40 to go, but it was Haliburton Time. First, he had an incredibly impressive driving layup to push Indiana’s lead to five points.

Moments later, Haliburton essentially sealed the victory was a dagger three, putting the Pacers up by eight points and taking an unofficial lead in the In-Season Tournament MVP race.

Of course, Haliburton was not alone on this night. Indiana’s bench was excellent, led by TJ McConnell and Isaiah Jackson. The Pacers clearly won the bench-heavy minutes in the game and, in comparison to the fledgling contributions for Milwaukee’s reserves, Indiana’s bench unit was ultimately pivotal.

Pacers big man Myles Turner also generated 26 points, 10 rebounds, and three blocked shots, skillfully navigating a difficult matchup against Milwaukee’s impressive frontcourt. Impressively, the Pacers pivoted from their typical onslaught of three-pointers and scored a whopping 72 points in the paint, keeping pressure on the rim and adjusting to Milwaukee’s zone defense after a lull in the third quarter.

While the Pacers will always be paced by offense, Indiana’s defense was up to the challenge on this night. The Pacers did yield a 43-point third quarter to a Milwaukee offense that is perpetually dangerous, but Indiana held Milwaukee to fewer than 1.15 points per possession in the game.

That level of defensive efficiency isn’t dominant by traditional standards, but with the Pacers scoring more than 1.2 points per trip, it was more than enough. While Giannis Antetokounmpo (37 points, 10 rebounds) was excellent for Milwaukee, his damage was somewhat mitigated by the lack of excellence elsewhere. For one, the Pacers contained Damian Lillard (24 points on 7-of-20 shooting) for the vast majority of the night. Indiana was also the better team when it came to transition defense and rebounding, finishing with the overall edge in the position battle to help overcome a 7-of-33 night from long distance on offense.

The Pacers will face an intriguing challenge against either the Los Angeles Lakers or New Orleans Pelicans on Saturday under the (very) bright lights in the desert. To this point, however, Indiana has felt like a team playing loose and free despite lofty stakes, and the Pacers won back-to-back duels against established, veteran-laden teams. Big-picture, Indiana’s defense may limit the team from the highest of heights over a large sample but, in the single-elimination madness of the In-Season Tournament, the Pacers can beat anyone, and they’re one step away from a bit of history.

Dime’s Martin Rickman contributed to this report.

The first of the two In-Season Tournament semifinals saw the Indiana Pacers continue their incredible run with a 128-119 win over the Milwaukee Bucks in Las Vegas, with Tyrese Haliburton authoring another sensational performance with 27 points and 15 assists.

As he did against the Celtics in the quarterfinals, Haliburton took over late, outdueling Damian Lillard (24 points and seven assists) to help the Pacers pull away down the stretch of the fourth quarter. Lillard was cold for much of the game, aside from a hot third quarter that helped the Bucks turn a double-digit deficit into a lead. However, he wasn’t able to stay hot and even with a 37-point performance from Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Bucks just didn’t have enough to keep up with the Pacers offensive onslaught.

With the Pacers up five and under a minute to play, Haliburton put the dagger in Milwaukee with a filthy stepback after getting Brook Lopez switched out on him.

After drilling the three from the wing, Haliburton strutted to the scorer’s table at midcourt doing Damian Lillard’s signature “Dame Time” celebration, saying “y’all know what time it is” and pointing to his chest.

Haliburton is an underrated trash talker on the court and the Tournament has given him a chance to show off not only his game but his personality on a national stage. He’ll get a chance to hoist the NBA Cup (and if the Pacers win, almost assuredly the In-Season Tournament MVP award) on Saturday, and if it ends up being Lakers-Pacers, maybe he’ll get the chance to prod another star’s signature celebration against LeBron James.

Earlier this year, Danny Brown dropped two critically acclaimed albums — his collaborative effort with JPEGMafia Scaring The Hoes, and his most recent solo effort Quaranta. Maintaining his momentum, Brown will hit the road on a special North American tour beginning early next year.

The tour will kick off at Paradise in Boston, MA and span across 24 dates over the course of a month before wrapping up at Brooklyn Bowl in Nashville, TN.

Tickets for the tour will be available for purchase here beginning this Friday (December 10) at 10 a.m. EST.

You can see the full list of tour dates below.

03/12 — Boston, MA @ Paradise
03/13 — Philadelphia, PA @ Theatre of Living Arts
03/15 — Washington, D.C. @ Howard Theater
03/16 — New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
03/18 — Toronto, Ontario @ The Phoenix Concert Theatre
03/19 — Lansing, MI @ Grewal Hall at 224
03/20 — Chicago, IL @ The Metro
03/21 — Madison, WI @ The Sylvee
03/22 — Minneapolis, MN @ Varsity
03/24 — Denver, CO @ Cervantes’ Masterpiece Ballroom
03/26 — Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory
03/27 — Spokane, WA @ Knitting Factory
03/29 — Portland, OR @ Wonder Ballroom
03/30 — Seattle, WA @ Showbox
04/01 — Vancouver, British Columbia @ Commodore
04/02 — Bellingham, WA @ Wild Buffalo
04/04 — San Francisco, CA @ The Regency
04/06 — Los Angeles, CA @ The Belasco
04/07 — Santa Ana, CA @ The Observatory OC
04/08 — Phoenix, AZ @ Nile Theater
04/09 — Albuquerque, NM @ El Rey Theater
04/11 — Austin, TX @ Empire Garage
04/13 — Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
04/14 — Nashville, TN @ Brooklyn Bowl

The Uproxx 2023 Fall Travel Hot List is live! Visit here for the full experience!

I’m not one for cruises. I’ve never been attracted to the gaudy amenities, mass-produced food, or skyscraper-sized ships. (If that’s your style… let’s discuss sometime!) I did recently discover, though, my love for “expedition cruising” — boarding a small ship that’s made to explore the world’s remote locations. I went on a week-long adventure in the Arctic with Lindblad Expeditions, touring the southern tip of Greenland, crossing the Denmark Strait (in a storm and 25-foot waves, I might add), and exploring the west coast of Iceland. It was an epic voyage complete with whale sightings, cultural education, a polar plunge into the icy waters, and even a show of the Northern Lights — a moment I’ll cherish forever.

Everything about this trip screamed “bucket list.” Nothing about it screamed “chaotic mega cruise.”

We sailed on Lindblad’s National Geographic Endurance ship, which was designed specifically for arctic environments and holds up to about 130 guests. While the experience itself is adventurous and outdoorsy, the actual ship offers comfort and luxury. It’s the best of both worlds — spend the day kayaking through iceberg-filled fjords and wandering around Viking ruins, then come home to a spotless hotel room, incredibly attentive staff, and a three-course gourmet meal with an open bar. In short, my type of “sailing” as the cruisers call it.

I’ll keep it real — this kind of expedition trip is expensive. The tour I participated in — South Greenland Exploration: Fjords, Waterfalls, and Fishing Villages — starts at almost $14K. But it’s the type of once-in-a-lifetime trip that’s worth saving for. Worth splurging on. Just take a look at my IG and you can see how many memories it’s given me.

To give you a glimpse of what expedition cruising through Greenland and Iceland is like, I’m sharing a few of the itinerary’s highlights below. That said, the cool thing about expedition travel is that every itinerary is a bit different, depending on weather, time, and various factors. We ended up exploring a fjord that the team had never even entered before — wild spaces demand that sort of spontaneity!

Qassiarsuk — Vikings, Lush Landscapes, & Sheep Farms

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You know how people always joke about the fact that Greenland is covered in Ice and Iceland is covered in greenery? Well, that’s because a Viking nicknamed “Erik the Red” landed in Qassiarsuk on a clear day. Qassiarsuk is a beautiful, lush corner of South Greenland that’s home to Viking ruins as well as reconstructions made to show what life was like back in the day. You can walk through the various reconstructions, such as the Viking’s town church, a stone underground house (that looks like an igloo but made with rocks), as well as a larger fixture that displays how the Vikings might have set up their group homes.

Today, there are about 60 people who live in town — if you can even call it a town. It’s a remote area, to say the least, but that also makes it incredibly peaceful and serene. Between the creek trickling through the hillside, intricate rock formations, and waterside views, this place feels like stepping into an oil painting. You also can’t miss the giant Erik the Red statue at the top of a hill overlooking Qassiarsuk, a symbol of Viking bravery and the foundation of the country as we know it today.

This was one of my favorite stops on the expedition for both its historical significance and its natural beauty. I also have to mention the people who live here. We had the privilege of stopping by a sheep farm and talking with the owners, a family of multi-generational farmers. We learned a bit more about their business and what day-to-day life is like. The farmer’s wife even invited the entire group of expedition tourists in for tea and pastries — homemade, from scratch.

It was a special moment that spoke to the inviting nature of Greenland’s people.

Neria Fjord — Kayaking, Icebergs, & the Polar Plunge

Our day in the Neria Fjord turned out to be our most adventurous day of the trip, starting with the fact that the crew had never even been through it before. We were exploring new places in real-time — well, the team of highly trained professionals was. I was enjoying coffee and views from my balcony hammock, but still. Once we arrived and the crew scoped out the scene, guests had the choice of kayaking or hiking. I’ve kayaked in the harbors of Los Angeles, the Caribbean currents, the swamps in Florida, and the blue waters of Lake Tahoe, but paddling through an arctic fjord surrounded by icebergs might top that list. We even witnessed icebergs flipping while out on the water, which was incredible and also slightly terrifying.

This day also happened to be sunny and about 60 degrees Fahrenheit, which was unexpected yet delightful. Because it was so mild, we followed our outdoorsy outings with the polar plunge — jumping into the icy cold arctic waters. I was hesitant about the idea of self-inflicted hypothermia, but when in Rome, right? It ended up being so invigorating and fun that I did it twice. Fortunately, anyone who dared to endure the chill of 48-degree temperatures was rewarded with a shot of vodka and hot chocolate (and bragging rights, obviously).

The best part is that the boat is equipped with two jacuzzis and two saunas, so warming up post-dip wasn’t so bad.

Nuuk — The Capital & Cultural Artifacts

We couldn’t visit Greenland without spending a day in the nation’s capital, Nuuk, which has a growing population of about 17,000 people (making it the world’s smallest capital city by population). Considering Nuuk is home to about a third of the country’s entire population, it’s the cultural, social, and industrial hub of Greenland — it’s even home to The University of Greenland, the nation’s only university. Throughout our time in the city, we stopped by several viewpoints on our way to the Greenland National Museum.

The small yet fascinating museum features compelling exhibitions that cover all of Greenland’s 4,500-year-old history — from artifacts of the Arctic Stone Age and the Norse settlements to Inuit traditions, tools, and clothing. The museum’s most famous, interesting, and eerie artifacts are its 15th-century Qilakitsoq mummies, originally found near Uummannaq. The mummies, frozen in time by the Arctic ice, were found in 1972 and include two adult women and a six-month-old baby. (The original discovery included six women and two children.)

The discovery of these bodies isn’t even the craziest part…the ice preserved these mummies so well that researchers have been able to study their tattoos, their medical conditions, and even what they ate. In other words, this exhibit is 100 percent worth seeing for its historical and cultural significance, but you should be prepared to witness a somewhat morbid scene.

Iceland – Waterfalls, Hot Springs, & the Northern Lights

Iceland has been on my bucket list for years, and this trip proved why. We only spent a couple of days in Iceland since it’s the airport you have to fly in and out of. But it was enough time to leave me awestruck and wanting to come back for more — if you’re able to, I’d recommend extending your stay to explore more of Iceland. While we were short on time, we were still able to hit some popular Icelandic hotspots.

I mean that literally, as one of our stops was to the Seltún Hot Springs — a geothermal hot spring system in the Krýsuvík volcanic area.

We also visited Djúpalónssandur Beach, which is covered in black sand and lined with rocky cliffs. Kirkjufell Mountain, the most photographed mountain in Iceland, was as crowded as you’d expect but still worth the visit. I was also excited to visit the Bridge Between Continents, a 50-foot bridge in the Reykjanes Peninsula that links the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. The rift between each plate lies directly on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and increases slightly every year.

What drew me in most about Iceland is the fact you can stop at these well-known sights or just pull over on the side of the road and see something just as spectacular. Iceland looks like another planet, from its rocky terrain to its grass-covered mountains dripping with waterfalls. The highlight of our time in Iceland, though, was on our final night when we were able to witness the magic of the Northern Lights. That alone made the whole trip worth it, in my opinion. It was the cherry on top of an already bucket list-worthy adventure.

Sea Days – Science Lectures, Saunas, and Climate-Inspired Cuisine

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While the most memorable adventures of expedition cruising will happen when you’re off the ship, Lindblad also did an amazing job of keeping us entertained on the ship. Sea days — full days spent traveling on the water to the next location — were filled with educational lectures by real scientists and travel industry moguls. Glaciologists, biologists, researchers, and National Geographic photographers hosted sessions in which they shared their areas of expertise. These lectures were especially handy on the two full days we spent trekking through a storm on the journey from Greenland to Iceland.

Being the luxury-adventure hybrid that is Lindblad, the ship is also equipped with classic spa amenities. You can get a massage after a long afternoon of hiking, escape the icy temperature in the sauna, and chill out in the hot tub on the top deck with a view. You can even choose to stay in a see-through, igloo-like dome on top of the ship for a night, so you can sleep under the stars with the chance of looking up at the Northern Lights — then, the staff will bring you warm coffee in bed as you wake up to the sunrise, surrounded by glacial waters and mountain views.

As for the food on the ship, I had low expectations. I mean, how good can food served on a ship in the middle of nowhere be?

To my pleasant surprise, the food served on the ship was well-preserved, sustainably sourced, and downright delicious. The ship’s restaurant featured a rotating menu of luxurious and creative dishes — some of which were fish-focused plates caught earlier that day. The best part of this ship, though, was how intimate it felt. Since there were only a small number of guests compared to most massive cruise ships, you could get to know the other guests and members of the staff. It felt like one big adventurous family by the time it came to disembark.

This trip was hosted by Tourism Greenland but they did not review or approve coverage. Visit here to learn more about the Uproxx Press Trip Policy.

After rumors on social media that pop star Selena Gomez and producer Benny Blanco had been seriously dating were met with ridicule by fans, Gomez seemingly confirmed the relationship as she defended Blanco from derogatory comments about his looks.

Several pop fandom accounts had posted about the rumored relationship in recent days after the blind item gossip account Deuxmoi suggested that they had been together since early in the year. Recent social media activity seemed to support this assertion, and a post aggregating this suggestive activity was met with a simple “Facts” from Gomez.

But when fans made demeaning comments about his looks (including someone calling him “unhandsome” — which… geez, crack a dictionary, kid), Gomez began replying to the comments directly calling him “my absolute everything,” “the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” and “better than anyone I’ve ever been with.”

Obviously, these fans seem to believe that Blanco isn’t attractive enough to date Gomez, who is widely acknowledged as a pretty stunning person — especially after she maintained she had “high standards“. But those folks are probably A. single, or B. confuse having high standards with being shallow.

As Selena herself put it, “I will never allow your words to guide my life. Ever… If you can’t accept me at my happiest then don’t be in my life at all.” Well said.

The two musicians have a strong working history, including the 2019 collaboration “I Can’t Get Enough” with J Balvin and Tainy, and both are pretty well known for being funny people. Blanco has ghest-starred a number of times on his friend Lil Dicky’s FX comedy Dave, while Gomez hangs out with Martin Short and Steve Martin solving crimes on Only Murders In The Building. That may very well be all the explanation we need for their bond, as demonstrated by the age-old classic:

The Buffalo Bills have been one of the strangest teams in the NFL this season. Between injuries, a tough schedule, and some absolutely brutal luck in close games, Buffalo has gone from a team with very real Super Bowl aspirations to a squad that is fighting to even make it to the playoffs this year with a 6-6 record.

The team has already fired offensive coordinator Ken Dorsey after parting ways with defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier in the offseason, and while there hasn’t been anything to suggest his job is in real trouble, the spotlight is now on head coach Sean McDermott and what his future holds. In a new, three-part piece by NFL journalist Ty Dunne, McDermott’s style of leadership (among other things) were called into question. It featured this anecdote about a speech McDermott gave to the team in 2019 that is, quite frankly, batsh*t insane, and is apparently referred to as the “9/11 speech.”

Now, you’d think that there would have been a better example in literally all of human history of the power of teamwork than the 9/11 hijackers, but this must have been on McDermott’s mind that day, for some reason. The story indicates that McDermott tried to apologize and explain himself not long after this, and unsurprisingly, he got asked about this on Thursday by the media and apologized again.

The Bills travel to Kansas City to play the Chiefs on Sunday.

With the In-Season Tournament semifinals in Las Vegas on Thursday afternoon, the NBA split the games evenly between their two main national TV partners, with ESPN airing the early game and TNT handling the late game.

Given both crews were going to be on-site in Vegas, they decided to do the first-ever crossover broadcast, with the two networks sharing talent for the night in celebration of the inaugural tournament. The most exciting part of that was we would get to see Stephen A. Smith join the Inside the NBA crew (along with Michael Wilbon) at the end of the night, but the Inside crew also made a cameo on ESPN’s airwaves during the first pregame show before Bucks-Pacers.

Unsurprisingly, it did not take long for things to go off the rails as 30 seconds into being on ESPN, Charles Barkley told Stephen A. not to bring all that loud yelling to Inside tonight, noting it’s not First Take and if he tries that he’s going to get his “first ass whooping.”

Please look at how delighted Stephen A. is to be doing all of this. The man knows good television and there is no program better in the sports world than Inside the NBA. Stephen A. getting to argue with Chuck, Shaq, and Kenny is all he’s ever wanted, and tonight he gets that chance, even if it comes with a threat of violence.

I’m also not sure ESPN was prepared for what was going to happen when they let the TNT crew join them, because this was only the beginning of things going off the rails. Chuck later noted how hot it was in Vegas and told Shaq it’s good practice for when he’s in hell — with Shaq quipping back he’ll be right between Barkley and Stephen A. down there. And then once their segment ended, Shaq then crashed the ESPN set to pretend to spill something on Stephen A., derailing their picks segment.