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Last week, the music world was met with the sad news of Tony Bennett’s death at the age of 96. The legendary singer and music icon’s death, though unconfirmed at the moment, came after a seven-year bout with Alzheimer’s disease. Bennett’s career is highlighted by his longevity, as he began his career in the 1950s, as well as 19 Grammy wins with his most recent one coming in 2022. That win made him the second-oldest person to ever win a Grammy award.

One of Bennett’s closest collaborators was Lady Gaga as they released a pair of joint albums: 2014’s Cheek To Cheek and 2021’s Love For Sale. Days after Bennett’s passing, Lady Gaga paid tribute to the late singer in a touching Instagram post. “I will miss my friend forever,” she began in a lengthy caption attached to a picture of the two singers sharing a hug. “I will miss singing with him, recording with him, talking with him, being on stage together. With Tony, I got to live my life in a time warp. Tony & I had this magical power. We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, & gave it all new life as a singing duo. But it wasnt an act. Our relationship was very real.”

Lady Gaga continued, “Our relationship was very real. Sure he taught me about music, about showbiz life, but he also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight. “Straight ahead,” he’d say. He was an optimist, he believed in quality work AND quality life. Plus, there was the gratitude…Tony was always grateful. He served in WWII, marched with Martin Luther King Jr., and sang jazz with the greatest singers and players in the world. I’ve been grieving the loss of Tony for a long time. We had a very long and powerful goodbye.”

Lady Gaga touched on Bennett’s battle with Alzheimer’s and concluded with the one thing she took away from her experience with the late singer. “If I could say anything to the world about this I would say don’t discount your elders, don’t leave them behind when things change,” she noted. “Don’t flinch when you feel sad, just keep going straight ahead, sadness is part of it. Take care of your elders and I promise you will learn something special. Maybe even magical. And pay attention to silence—some of my musical partner and I’s most meaningful exchanges were with no melody at all.”

You can view the post above and read the full caption below.

I will miss my friend forever. I will miss singing with him, recording with him, talking with him, being on stage together. With Tony, I got to live my life in a time warp. Tony & I had this magical power. We transported ourselves to another era, modernized the music together, & gave it all new life as a singing duo. But it wasnt an act. Our relationship was very real. Sure he taught me about music, about showbiz life, but he also showed me how to keep my spirits high and my head screwed on straight. “Straight ahead,” he’d say. He was an optimist, he believed in quality work AND quality life. Plus, there was the gratitude…Tony was always grateful. He served in WWII, marched with Martin Luther King Jr., and sang jazz with the greatest singers and players in the world.

I’ve been grieving the loss of Tony for a long time. We had a very long and powerful goodbye.

Though there were 5 decades between us, he was my friend. My real true friend. Our age difference didn’t matter– in fact, it gave us each something neither of us had with most people. We were from two different stages in life entirely–inspired. Losing Tony to Alzheimer’s has been painful but it was also really beautiful. An era of memory loss is such a sacred time in a persons life. There’s such a feeling of vulnerability and a desire to preserve dignity. All I wanted was for Tony to remember how much I loved him and how grateful I was to have him in my life. But, as that faded slowly I knew deep down he was sharing with me the most vulnerable moment in his life that he could–being willing to sing with me when his nature was changing so deeply. I’ll never forget this experience. I’ll never forget Tony Bennett. If I could say anything to the world about this I would say don’t discount your elders, don’t leave them behind when things change. Don’t flinch when you feel sad, just keep going straight ahead, sadness is part of it. Take care of your elders and I promise you will learn something special. Maybe even magical. And pay attention to silence—some of my musical partner and I’s most meaningful exchanges were with no melody at all.

I love you Tony. Love, Lady

Charles Barkley is America’s most beloved sports commentator in large part because he never lies to the people. Barkley has never forced himself into giving out hot takes — he just naturally has them sometimes — and he never pretends a game or team is something its not.

That presence makes Inside the NBA what it is, and there is simply no other sports show like it. They are given more space than any other show to go down tangents, crack inside jokes (that they let the audience in on as well), and will also dive into deep basketball analysis when they see fit. However, they won’t force it when a game is bad, and aren’t afraid to admit when the game they’ve been watching simply hasn’t been enjoyable. That might run counterintuitive to a broadcast trying to get people to watch, but it’s why people stick around for the halftime and postgame shows when a game’s been miserable to watch, because you know Chuck, Shaq, and Kenny (usually in that order) are going to call it out as such.

In a new 60 Minutes profile on Barkley, he admit he sometimes falls asleep in the green room when the TNT game is especially bad, noting he won’t try to lie to the audience about a bad game because “the fans ain’t stupid.”

The best recent example of this was Chuck gleefully telling fans during a playoff game that he was busy watching hockey in the back because the game they had was a blowout. However, the all-timer is when he begged America not to buy a Bucks-Lakers game for $6.99 on League Pass during an ad read as it was in the particularly dark days of the Lakers when they were among the league’s worst teams. It’s that honesty that makes Charles such a beloved figure in sports media because so many shows seem determined to sell us something that’s just not true. Barkley, for his faults, won’t do that, and sometimes that means calling the product TNT is literally selling out as bad.

Over the last week, Doja Cat has taken aim at fan pages declaring their obsession with public figures is unhealthy. Although the stance has caused the “Attention” rapper to lose over 250,000 followers online, Lana Del Rey may need to take a page out of her playbook.

In an attempt to champion Del Rey, a stan page on X (formerly Twitter) has taken to the platform to poke fun at Kehlani for breaking their leg while attending Beyoncé’s Renaissance World Tour stop in New Jersey yesterday (July 30). In the post, the fan page uploaded what appeared to be a screenshot from the musician’s Instagram stories, with the caption, “Kehlani breaks her leg at the Beyonce concert, continuing the Lana prophecy!”

The only problem is after users rushed to Kehlani’s Instagram stories, they quickly learned that the image posted on Twitter had been altered. Atop the photo uploaded by the fan page is a note that reads, “Broke my leg at the Beyoncé concert lol. Still had an amazing time!” But, in Kehlani’s original post, the same text does not appear.

Users quickly began to scold the fan page for such a disgusting fabrication by uploading an unedited screenshot.

“Y’all bored asf huh,” wrote asked user.

Another added, “Y’all are very weird… Kehlani is fine.”

While a former Lana Del Rey stan chimed in to write, “This is why I left the Lana Tumblr era back in 2017-2019 bc this is wild to be saying.”

“The way this isn’t remotely true, y’all added text on their Insta story post? Why,” wrote a user questioning the stan page.

“It’s kinda sick that, in a way, we’re manifesting that something bad happens to them,” wrote another.

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

The Detroit Pistons posted the worst record in the NBA last season, but were not rewarded in the Draft Lottery, slipping to No. 5 and out of the sweepstakes for Victor Wembanyama. With ample cap space, the Pistons also had the opportunity to make a splash in free agency, but chose to kick the can down the road for one more year, instead using that space to acquire veterans and future picks from teams looking to unload some salary.

The result is a Pistons team that comes into the 2023-24 season with low expectations in terms of being a potential Play-In contender in the East, and will likely be picked to finish at the bottom of the conference. That said, there is a considerable amount of young talent on the roster and they should be better than a year ago. The biggest addition for the Pistons next year is simply getting Cade Cunningham back and healthy, which will automatically make them better than they were a year ago. This season will be a lot about evaluation internally, as they look to see how their young hopeful core plays together before they have to start making extension considerations and consolidating their young talent.

Here we’ll grade out the Pistons offseason moves in the Draft, free agency and contract extensions, and the trade market.

Draft: B+

The Pistons weren’t in the mix for the most highly touted prospects in this year’s draft, and as a result selected Ausar Thompson (one pick after his twin brother Amen went to Houston). Thompson is a highly athletic wing with upside on both ends of the floor, albeit some questions about his jump shot. Our Brad Rowland gave the Pistons a B- for their selection on Draft night, explaining his grade as follows.

For many evaluators, the No. 5 spot represents the first slot with real, tangible uncertainty. Ausar doesn’t quite match the obscene athleticism of his brother, Amen, but he is a tremendous athlete in his own right with size and versatility. At this juncture, Ausar plays more like a wing and could provide key flexibility for Detroit on both ends of the floor.

However, after a strong Summer League performance where he looked a bit more refined than was maybe expected and showed how he can be a positive contributor on both ends, I’m bumping his grade up a bit. They also added Marcus Sasser in the second round out of Houston, and while Sasser isn’t a big guard at 6’2, he is a very good shooter, has a wingspan to make up for some of his height issues on defense, and was simply a tremendous college player. For a team needing to add winning players, Sasser is a very good use of an early second round pick.

Free Agency/Contract Extensions: C+

The only signing the Pistons made this summer was inking Isaiah Stewart to a 4-year, $60 million extension, with a fourth year team option. It’s a great deal for Stewart, who gets long-term stability but it was a bit of a surprise to see from the Pistons. Stewart’s been solid for them and shown promise, but they have a logjam in the frontcourt with Stewart, Jalen Duren, Marvin Bagley III, and James Wiseman. While they played Stewart at the three some last year, it’s not his ideal position. Detroit needs to find some clarity with their frontcourt rotation this season, but it certainly seems like Stewart has cemented his place for the near future. I don’t think this was a bad extension to hand out, but it’s a deal that mostly keeps them treading water and doesn’t particularly excite me.

Trades: B-

As mentioned, the Pistons chose to use their cap space to acquire some more second round picks and a pair of veteran guards in Joe Harris and Monte Morris. Harris gives them some more shooting for this year, while Morris is a steadyhand at point guard and an upgrade there over Killian Hayes, who it seems is unlikely to factor into Detroit’s long-term plans. Those are two veterans who will help make Detroit a little better, as the Pistons very much needed to add more shooting around Cade Cunningham and needed a veteran point guard behind him in the rotation. They also allow them to free up cap space next summer to make a big signing if they decide that’s the right time to take that step, or to do this all over again as there are always teams looking to move off big expirings, especially under this new CBA. The question for Detroit is whether they are willing to part with some of their veterans at the deadline this year, as they’ve been adamant about getting a big return for Bojan Bogdanovic, but now have a couple more rental options for contenders who might need shooting or a backup point guard.

This wasn’t a particularly exciting offseason for the Pistons, but it’s been a good show of patience to not force something when there wasn’t a clear path to making a huge leap as a team. They’ll see how this group plays together all together for the first time, and can make the appropriate moves from there next summer.

Apparently, Coi Leray has changed her view on her name-dropping policy within your music. In April, Latto mentioned Coi in her song “Put It On Da Floor.” After getting wind of the track, Coi took to social media to unleash a string of firey posts commending Latto’s actions. Latto cleared the air during her Coachella appearance, declaring that she wasn’t taking aim at Coi but rather showing her love. Eventually, Coi admitted that she overreacted, officially ending the short-lived feud.

Now that their short-lived feud is over, Coi took a page from her fellow entertainer’s book by incorporating Latto’s name in her upcoming song. In an Instagram video captioned, “Rager Girl Activated,” Coi lip-synced to the record while in the studio.

“Yeah, I’m on they ass / Hop up on that couch and roll a Latto out the bag / I don’t need a stylist they don’t f*ck with Coi Leray / Tried to count me out, but now I’m big as Trippie Redd,” rapped Coi. The line references Latto’s stanza in “Put It On Da Floor,” when she said, “Smokin’ on that gas, blunt big as Coi Leray.”

Coi did put out a call to her fellow emcees to join together for one massive all-women mega track. Maybe this is the first step to getting the ball rolling.

Since the SAG-AFTRA strike began over two weeks ago, actors have been sharing how little they’re paid. After Mandy Moore revealed she once got a residual check for 81 cents, Abbott Elementary’s William Stanford Davis told her to hold his beer, saying he once got one for three cents. Later Lizzie McGuire dad Robert Carradine got in on the action, showing a check he once got for absolute zero. But Hollywood has been stiffing actors for ages. Just ask the guy who played Stiffler.

As per HuffPost, an interview Seann William Scott did for The Rich Eisen Show last year has been making the rounds amidst the two-pronged strike that’s crippled Hollywood. In it, the actor revealed the comically low amount he made for his breakthrough role, as the horndoggiest high schooler in the first American Pie. How low was his paycheck? A mere $8,000.

“That was a lot of money at the time for me,” Scott admitted. “I remember afterwards I bought a used Thunderbird for like five grand … I’m like, ‘Oh yeah, baby.’”

Scott didn’t remember how he spent the other $3,000, but it wasn’t enough for him to coast on. He said he “ended up having to work at the LA Zoo as a churro guy, so maybe it was even less than eight grand.”

American Pie went on to gross over $235 million worldwide — the ninth biggest moneymaker of 1999, sandwiched between The World is Not Enough and the second Austin Powers.

Luckily Stiffler was one of the breakout supporting characters from the first film, and soon Scott wound up with decent gigs. In the year 2000 alone he got decapitated in the first Final Destination, was one of the leads in Road Trip, and co-starred with Ashton Kutcher in Dude, Where’s My Car? — all hits.

As per The Hollywood Reporter, with 2012’s American Reunion, his paycheck ballooned to $5 million, plus a percentage of the grosses.

Of course, Scott’s teensy American Pie payday happened long before the streaming age, which has robbed actors of the hefty residuals that kept them afloat in between jobs and into retirement. What it is is a reminder that Hollywood has always paid as little as they can, especially with young actors who think a pittance is a lot.

You can watch Scott’s Rick Eisen Show appearance in the video below. His American Pie comments begin around the 1:45 mark.

(Via HuffPost)

The Cleveland Cavaliers had a very eventful offseason a summer ago when they made a big splash by trading for Donovan Mitchell. That had the intended effect on the team in the regular season, as they earned the 4-seed in the East, but unfortunately for the Cavs they were unable to capitalize on their star power come playoff time, getting bounced in five games by the Knicks in a series that laid bare their shortcomings.

Two things stood out in that series, with the first being the need for internal improvement from their star frontcourt when things get more physical in the postseason. Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley struggled mightily to keep the Knicks less-heralded bigs off the glass, as Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein dominated the offensive boards to effectively swing the series in New York’s favor. While that’s something that has to be addressed internally, there was also a clear hole in their wing rotation, as they simply didn’t have a reliable fifth starter, much less a bench wing that wasn’t a liability on one end or the other. Isaac Okoro’s shooting remains an issue for him, Caris LeVert gives up size on defense, and Cedi Osman was decidedly not the answer on either end. That message was heard loud and clear by the Cavs front office, that spent the summer looking to address their wing rotation in a big way to help alleviate the pressure on their core four.

Here we’ll grade out the Cavs offseason moves in the Draft, free agency and contract extensions, and on the trade market.

Draft: C+

The Cavs didn’t have a first round pick due to the Donovan Mitchell trade, and used their lone second rounder on Emoni Bates out of Eastern Michigan. The former highly rated prospect has had a rough past few years, struggling to find his place after a stint at Memphis and then returning home, and he simply never quite filled out physically to where he looked to be headed as a young high school prospect. Still, there’s clearly talent there as he showed in Summer League, and it’s a low-risk addition on a two-way for the Cavaliers to see if maybe they can bring the best out of him. It’s not a pick that figures to pay dividends this year (or even next), but it’s a perfectly understandable swing.

Free Agency/Contract Extensions: B+

The Cavs moved quickly to re-sign LeVert, bringing back the two-guard on a 2-year, $32 million deal. LeVert had a very solid regular season, averaging 12.1 points per game and shot 39.4 percent from distance. The playoffs were a bit rocky, but he was far from alone in struggling in that series for Cleveland. To give him some help in the wing rotation, the Cavaliers also signed Georges Niang to a 3-year, $26 million deal, poaching him from Philadelphia after a strong season as a knockdown shooter for the Sixers, shooting over 40 percent from deep, and becoming a better defender — which, again, finding guys that aren’t total liabilities on one end or the other had to be a priority for the Cavs. They also signed Ty Jerome to a minimum deal, as he comes off a strong shooting year in Golden State, providing another shooter for the regular season rotation.

Trades: A-

Their one trade was landing Max Strus in a sign-and-trade from Miami, as the sharpshooting wing capitalized on another strong playoff showing with the Heat to get a 4-year, $63 million deal from Cleveland. The Cavs sent Cedi Osman, Lamar Stevens, and a second rounder to San Antonio, with another second going to Miami. Strus is a considerable upgrade on Osman and Stevens, particularly with an eye on the playoffs. Last year, Cleveland’s main concern was building a team that could get them to the postseason. This year, they clearly recognized the need to build a team better suited for actually winning once they get there. It’s not all that dissimilar from how the Nuggets approached their offseason a year ago, sacrificing a bit of regular season depth to build a deeper playoff rotation with players that are trustworthy on the big stage. Now, the Cavs don’t have a Nikola Jokic so I’m not saying they’ve built a title contender, but I do think they’ve addressed the biggest roster need in a very successful way with Strus and Niang. The question now is whether Allen and Mobley can take the step forward in the frontcourt they need to in order to deal with the playoff physicality inside. If so, this is a team that will be a threat in the East. If not, next summer likely brings more changes and puts Allen on the trade market.

Before he decamped for the DCEU, James Gunn enjoyed one last hurrah with Marvel. This year’s summer movie season kicked off with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, which closed out the most eccentric wing of the MCU. You’ll probably see some of the gang again; the final post-credits scene sure makes it seem like Chris Pratt’s Star-Lord will be back in some fashion. As for the film itself, if you missed it in theaters, you won’t have to wait long for it to be on streaming.

Since Marvel is owned by Disney, the third Guardians will first wind up on Disney+. But when will that be exactly?

The answer, as per Digital Spy, is Wednesday, August 2.

When the first Guardians of the Galaxy was released in 2014, it was the MCU’s 10th-ever film. It also featured an eclectic crew who wouldn’t join the Avengers for another few years, namely with 2017’s Infinity War. (Some good that did: It was Peter Quill who let his emotions get the better of him and obstruct the team from defeating Thanos, leading to that infamous snap.)

It was also the strangest Marvel movie at the time, with strong traces of Gunn’s early days at the legendary exploitation house that is Troma. It loosened up the franchise, paving the way for Taika Waititi’s to take the Thor wing in sillier directions.

The third and final Guardians entry is arguably the strangest yet, filled with scores of violence, tons of deaths, and a backstory about the Bradley Cooper-voiced Rocket Racoon that’s unexpectedly tearjerking. Disney+ subscribers are free to enjoy it starting August 2.

(Via Digital Spy)

Just when the whispers of the Drake curse began to fade away, his latest comments have sports fans on edge. On Saturday, July 29, during Drake and 21 Savage’s It’s All A Blur Tour stop at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC, his special guest reignited the sports fan superstition.

In an attempt to show love to a sports hero in the DMV area, Drake decided to bring out Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson. However, the seemingly kind gesture had Ravens running to social media. While introducing the athlete to the sold-out crowd, Drake threw his arm around Jackson and said, “This is my quarterback Lamar Jackson of the Baltimore Ravens, yeah,” to which backlash ensued.

“No tf it ain’t! You not cursing us with your loser energy,” wrote one person.

Another added, “If Drake curses this man’s season, so help me God.”

“Aww man, Drizzy Drake wyd man?? Too much attention we cooking right now,” nervously penned another.

One person posted, “If the Drake curse affects Lamar Jackson, I promise imma give that address to my driver and make it my destination.”

“Either we’ll be undefeated or complete ass after this one, lmao,” wrote one.

“Doesn’t he have some curse affiliated with him whenever he attaches himself to a team? Naw, Drake, he is NOT your QB; we’re good over here,” wrote another.

Meanwhile one fan completely lost faith in the team’s potential to make it to the Superbowl, writing, “Welp, it’s”over for the season.”

The Indiana Pacers were just outside the Play-In picture in the East a year ago, but that was still a strong season for a team many had pegged as a potential tank candidate entering the year. Tyrese Haliburton emerged as an All-Star, Myles Turner continues to fight off trade rumors and inked a new extension in Indy, and they have a number of intriguing young players, headlined by All-Rookie selections Bennedict Mathurin and Andrew Nembhard.

This is a team that hopes to enter that Play-In conversation in the East this year, as they set out to use their cap space to lure some veteran help to a young squad take that step forward. There is clearly no plan for a lengthy rebuild in Indiana, as they’d like to get back into the playoff hunt sooner than later, believing they have their young star of the future in Haliburton and are now setting off on working to surround him with the complementary talent needed to get back to where they spent years as a mid-seed in the East.

Here we’ll grade Indiana’s offseason work from the Draft, free agency and contract extensions, and the trade market to accomplish that goal this summer.

Draft: B

With two first round picks, the Pacers were able to attack two areas of need on their roster by attempting to add more defense and more shooting. After moving down one spot from No. 7 to No. 8 in a deal with Washington that netted them two future seconds, the Pacers selected Jarace Walker out of Houston, adding one of the top defensive prospects in the draft in the form of a big, physical forward with versatility on that end. At No. 26, they took a swing on a fast riser in Ben Sheppard out of Belmont, who is a terrific shooter. Our Brad Rowland gave the Pacers a B+ for Walker and a B- for Sheppard on Draft night, explaining his grades as follows.

Indiana was able to extract extra capital from Washington and still got the player they likely would have taken at No. 7. Walker isn’t a terribly sexy prospect offensively, but he is a very strong passer for his size with an emerging skill level that brings on intrigue. His primary appeal is defense, with an NBA-ready physical strength and feel to defend multiple positions, which is one of the Pacers biggest needs.
…
What a rise for Ben Sheppard. He was almost entirely off the mainstream radar during the season, but the upperclassman from Belmont brings a dynamic overall skill set. He is a modern player with his shooting and movement skills.

Free Agency/Contract Extensions: A-

The Pacers made two big moves once the league year opened, with the first being the signing of Bruce Brown, swiping arguably the hottest commodity on the free agent market with a 2-year, $45 million deal (with a team option for the second year). Brown, coming off of a season where he was a key cog in the Nuggets championship run, cashed in on his popularity as the most sought after mid-level talent and got a deal worth nearly double the mid-level in Indiana, who were willing to pay the tax all rebuilding teams must to add well-respected veterans to their roster. While it’s certainly more money than most anticipated Brown getting, I think it’s a good short-term deal from the Pacers to ahnd out, not all that different from when the Sixers gave JJ Redick a similar two-year deal when they were trying to break free from the lean years of The Process and take a step forward. For a team desperate to find some floor balance between a high-octane offense and a rather woeful defense, Brown is an ideal addition. They have a great rim protector in Myles Turner, but had little in the way of perimeter defense or versatility, and get that in Brown. If it works, they’ll have him for two years and if for some reason they take a step back, they can move him or flat out release him next year.

The other move was giving Tyrese Haliburton a 5-year, $207 million max extension, which brings some sticker shock but for a young guard that averaged a 20/10 double-double, shot 40 percent from three, and became a first-time All-Star last year, it’s a very solid deal. Haliburton is the guy the Pacers want to build around and he seems thrilled to be there. Now the task is to build something great around him, but they’re already making those efforts

Trades: B+

Aside from the shuffle down on Draft night, the Pacers have only made one other trade this offseason but I think it was a very solid deal to take a swing on Obi Toppin, flipping two second round picks to New York to land the former lottery pick. Toppin has had ups and downs in New York and wasn’t a particularly good fit for how the Knicks play, in large part due to his scratchy shooting from three-point range (although he posted a career-best 34.9 percent from deep a year ago). In Indiana, he figures to be in an ideal fit with a team that likes to get up and down the floor and run in a way the Knicks don’t, and his athleticism in the frontcourt will be a welcome boost to the Pacers rotation. There’s little downside to the move from Indiana, as they’ll get a year to figure out what Toppin could be for them before he hits restricted free agency while only moving a pair of future seconds (making this summer a net neutral in terms of future picks acquired and traded). Toppin isn’t a massive addition that makes them a playoff contender suddenly, but he’s the type of player a team like Indiana should be taking a swing on and there’s a chance he pops with the Pacers in a way he didn’t in New York simply because of the difference in how the two teams play.

Overall, this felt like a very good summer for the Pacers, albeit this is the time where it’s easy to have positive feelings about moves. There’s little in the way of expectations and they pretty clearly made their roster better. The question, of course, is how much better they are compared to the rest of the East and how far they can climb the standings. Once that’s answered, the far more difficult task begins of how to take the next leap, where there’s far more competition.