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The Dallas Mavericks season is, for all intents and purposes, over. While the Mavs have two games left in the 2022-23 season and still have a shot to make the Western Conference play-in tournament if they win out and get some help in the form of an Oklahoma City Thunder loss in their season finale, the team announced that a number of major contributors would not play in Friday night’s game against the Chicago Bulls.

It was a curious decision because, again, Dallas can still make it to the play-in and make the playoffs if they win two games. But if those absences were not big enough, Tim MacMahon of ESPN eventually reported that Luka Doncic will only play in the first quarter and then get shut down for the remainder of the evening.

Friday is the second annual “I Feel Slovenia Night,” so watching Doncic play is a big draw. In his pregame media availability, however, Mavericks coach Jason Kidd indicated that when Doncic leaves the game, it will be the final time that we see him this season.

Dallas’ first-round pick in the 2023 NBA Draft is top-10 protected, so this does help them lock in the 10th-best odds in the Draft Lottery. Still, for the Mavs to pivot towards ping pong balls this late and when they still have a chance to make it to the postseason by winning out is pretty shocking.

In the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs, the Dallas Mavericks battled the Los Angeles Clippers in a Game 7 on the road where Luka Doncic registered 46 points and 14 assists in 45 minutes of work. Dallas desperately needed an additional ball handler to lighten Doncic’s workload, but Jalen Brunson was unable to provide it. The former Villanova star scored just two points in 10 minutes and 26 seconds of work. Doncic’s brilliance was for naught, and the Maverick fell to the Clippers.

Brunson would enter the offseason extension eligible. Dallas did not offer an extension to Brunson prior to the 2022 season and he started the season in a bench role under new head coach Jason Kidd. Of course, you know what happened next: Brunson was a revelation, outplayed whatever contract the Mavs wanted him to sign, and eventually joined the New York Knicks on a 4-year deal worth $104 million.

Brunson has been, however you slice it, one of the best guards in basketball this year. And a closer look at his 2021-22 season in Dallas reveals that we probably should have seen it coming.

For as long as he’s been a basketball player, the methodical Brunson has prioritized efficiency through thoughtful shot making decisions within the arc. The questions around Brunson did not hinge on the quality of his play, but rather if his production could scale up enough to justify his price tag without sacrificing his efficiency. Last season, Brunson scored 16.3 points per game on 58.3 percent true shooting playing next to one of the best passers in basketball. This year, without Doncic as the straw that stirs the drink, he’s at 24 points per game on 59.7 percent true shooting.

The considerable bump in his scoring with a slight uptick in efficiency makes Brunson a candidate for the NBA’s Most Improved Player award, and makes New York a difficult team in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The huge jump in production could be attributed to Brunson no longer sharing ball handling responsibilities with the league’s most ball dominant shot creator, or Tom Thibodeau’s isolation-heavy offense that allows Brunson to poke and prod the defense with his hefty bag of moves, or the bright lights of New York inspiring Brunson to reach new heights in his career. Well, to get the answer, let’s take a look at how Brunson is now using the three-point line.

Last season, Brunson’s scoring production happened predominantly inside the arc. He was one of the league’s best interior scorers, finishing seventh in total field goals made in the paint’s non-restricted area despite being a 6’2 guard with — we’re being generous here — less-than-stellar hops. Inside the arc, Brunson bore all the markers of a star guard with his ability to consistently create open looks for himself and finish at a high rate; he was one of only 16 players who scored more than 16 points per game and shot over 50 percent from the field.

However, Brunson’s counting stats never jumped off the page because he never shot in volume, especially from behind the arc. He would routinely pass up open looks from three to prod the defense for a better shot, and while his intentions were good, the habit led to many stalled out possessions and hurt Brunson’s scoring numbers. The efficiency within the arc built a metronomic consistency into Brunson’s game, but without any large scoring outbursts, that reliability fed the perception that Brunson was a complementary player alongside a star and not an offensive engine. In his final regular season in Dallas, Brunson scored over 30 points just once while shooting just 3.2 three-pointers per game.

Brunson increased his three-point attempts to 4.7 a night this season, but he also completely changed his approach to shots from downtown. Last season, Brunson was primarily reliant on others (i.e.: Doncic) setting him up, as he shot 2.2 catch-and-shoot threes per game and only one pull-up three per game. Those attempts also rarely occurred in volume in single game — he attempted six or more threes just eight times all season and topped out at four made threes in single game.

In New York, Brunson has taken a more cavalier approach to the three-point line by shooting 2.8 pull up threes a game with 1.9 attempts coming in catch-and-shoot situations. The new mindset bears out in Brunson’s game logs, where he has attempted six or more threes 21 times this season, including a recent game against Cleveland in which he attempted 12. Related: He scored a career-high 48 points in that game.

The 2022 playoffs proved to be a line of demarcation for Brunson’s career. With Doncic missing the first three games of the postseason, Brunson shifted into a more aggressive scoring mindset that unlocked a new level of production. In a recent interview with Bleacher Report’s Chris Haynes, Brunson credited Kidd with fast tracking his progression prior to the playoffs. Brunson, a player who had only scored 30 or more points three times in his career to that point, eclipsed that mark three times during Dallas’ run to the Western Conference Finals, including a 41-point outing in the playoff opener with his future employers sitting courtside.

Brunson’s playoff run functioned as a statistical springboard for his first season with the Knicks. For all the discourse around Doncic’s usage hampering Brunson’s rise to stardom, the new king of New York registered a 27.8 percent usage during last year’s playoffs, which is only a hair more than his 27.2 percent usage with the Knicks this season. Not only did Brunson’s shot volume increase during the playoffs, he also reallocated some of his pull up twos for off the dribble threes from above the break.

In New York, Brunson has managed to increase his amount of two-point attempts without sacrificing the efficiency that made him so valuable in his time with the Mavericks. Because he’s let loose from beyond the arc, teams have to fight hard over screens to defend him, which allows Brunson to get to his bread and butter in those in between spaces inside the arc. Brunson has seen an increase in his two point attempts from 9.6 a game last year to 12.8 per game this year on similar efficiency — he hit 54.5 percent of his twos last season and finds himself at 51.9 percent this season.

The 2022 playoffs were essentially a trial run for Brunson’s new shot profile. Comparing his shot charts between last year and this year, it’s fair to wonder why Brunson didn’t shoot with more volume from beyond the arc during his final year as a Maverick.

It’s clear that Brunson was on the verge of making a big leap and the Knicks are reaping the benefits now. He’s always had all the intangibles and inside game to make him a good NBA point guard. With his willingness to let it fly from three and his ability to remain efficient as he shoulders more of an offensive load, Brunson gives Julius Randle the sort of running mate that makes New York dangerous heading into the postseason.

As festivalgoers are flocking to California today for the start of Coachella’s first weekend this year, American Express has announced a new “global, multi-festival” partnership with Depop — and are launching the first “Festival Edit” run on-site.

To celebrate, the two companies enlisted none other than Flo Milli to curate a special collection for it, as she is known for her powerful style and is also set to perform at the festival. Depop app users can find Milli’s picks on the app and online as well, giving it an accessibility for those who aren’t attending Coachella. Check her selections out here.

“American Express and Depop are bringing my personal style to life this festival season and I’m so excited to be part of the first collection.” Flo Milli shared in a statement. “Through both my music and fashion, I always aim to express myself with authenticity and creativity. I can’t wait for Depop users to shop my festival-ready looks, featuring bold, glam pieces with Y2K and grunge influence.”

Additionally, outside of their Depop partnership, AmEx is also collaborating with one of the festival headliners, the legendary girl-group, Blackpink. They will be offering card members the chance to purchase limited-edition merchandise for the band and a fast-lane pass at Blackpink’s official merch tent. For those who purchase with their card, AmEx will also be giving out a complimentary gift — although it might not be Blackpink-related.

For those attending Coachella, AmEx will also have some other photo ops and surprises scattered around the festival grounds.

As the age-old adage holds, everyone poops. Even rockstars. However, some privileges are reserved for store employees only.

Today (April 7), Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers took to Twitter to share a story of a borderline traumatic incident that took place while he was out shopping.

When making a trip to Target, several employees were elated to see Flea, and take selfies with him. However, when things got serious, employees weren’t able to help him out.

“Two minutes later I get hit with a major urge to take a sh*t,” said Flea of the events that unfolded while he was shopping. “They tell me bathroom is downstairs, I go there but ten people in line, I’m about to soil my trousers.”

He said that he asked employees if he could use the employee bathroom, however, they told him that only employees may use the employee bathroom.

“I run across the street to some cafe and ask to use bathroom (on the way there a guy waiting outside tells me I’m an asshole for not stopping to take a selfie with him) the cafe lady threatens to call security on me for politely asking for bathroom,” he said. “I made it by the skin of my teeth to a restaurant a few blocks away. Back to hotel to practice trumpet.”

We’re glad he made it to the otherside.

Red Hot Chili Peppers is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

For the majority of the first two days of The Masters, Brooks Koepka has been the top draw. The four-time major winner zoomed to 12-under, shooting 65-67 on consecutive days, and Koepka is in a phenomenal position to perhaps capture his first green jacket. However, another gigantic story emerged on Friday when trees began to fall near the 17th hole at Augusta National Golf Club.

Fortunately, all reports, including an official announcement from the tournament, indicate that no injuries sustained to any patrons or staff. Images were quickly captured that showed what transpired, both in still form and with video that showed just how close the trees came to causing more damage.

Play was already suspended for a brief period on Friday due to weather concerns, and Augusta National Golf Club announced just after 5:00 pm local time that, in addition to a confirmation of no injuries, the second round was officially suspended for the rest of the day. Play is scheduled to resume at 8:00 am local time on Saturday, with gates set to open at 7:00 am.

Beyond anything else, it is fortunate that no injuries occurred, especially given the volume of people on the grounds in Augusta this week. Challenging weather is also in the forecast for Saturday, so in addition to the overall experience, it will be interesting to see how on-course play may be affected.

Some icons have truly left this world too early. It’s a tragedy when anyone doesn’t make it to see old age, but when it happens to a well-known public figure, it’s like a bit of their art and legacy dies with them. What might Freddie Mercury have created if he were granted the gift of long life? Bruce Lee? Princess Diana?

Their futures might be mere musings of our imagination, but thanks to a lot of creativity (and a little tech) we can now get a glimpse into what these celebrities might have looked like when they were older.

Alper Yesiltas, an Istanbul-based lawyer and photographer, created a photography series titled “As If Nothing Happened,” which features eerily realistic portraits of long gone celebrities in their golden years. To make the images as real looking as possible, Yesiltas incorporated various photo editing programs such as Adobe Lightroom and VSCO, as well as the AI photo-enhancing software Remini.

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“The hardest part of the creative process for me is making the image feel ‘real’ to me,” Yesiltas wrote about his passion project. “The moment I like the most is when I think the image in front of me looks as if it was taken by a photographer.”

Yesiltas’ meticulousness paid off, because the results are uncanny.

Along with each photo, Yesiltas writes a bittersweet message “wishing” how things might have gone differently … as if nothing happened.

Freddie Mercury

See on Instagram

“I wish he hadn’t got that disease.”

There are plenty of amazing Freddie Mercury tributes and impersonators out there, but there will only ever be ONE Freddie Mercury.

Heath Ledger

See on Instagram

“I wish he hadn’t been affected by the exhaustion of his role.”

One of Ledger’s most notable roles is queer cowboy Ennis Del Mar in Ang Lee’s iconic 2005 romantic western drama “Brokeback Mountain.” In a time when queer storytelling was still taboo, Ledger’s honest and compassionate portrayal broke down a lot of barriers for future stories.

Though Ledger officially died due to an overdose, many believe it was his role of The Joker in Christopher Nolan’s “The Dark Knight” that pushed him over the edge.

Janis Joplin

“I wish she hadn’t sought the inspiration she needed elsewhere.”

The powerful singer with electric stage presence is still one of the greatest female rock stars of all time. Scratch that—one of the greatest rock stars of all time, period.

Jimi Hendrix

“I wish he hadn’t sought the inspiration he needed elsewhere.”

Like Joplin and Ledger, Hendrix died due to an overdose—though many have speculated that it was instead the result of foul play.

Michael Jackson

See on Instagram

“I wish he hadn’t faced vitiligo.”

However questionable his personal life was, the King of Pop made some of the biggest contributions to music of all time. People continue to sing his songs, and likely will for a very, very long time.

Kurt Cobain

“I wish he had decided to stay.”

The insightful, poetic and troubled Cobain took his life at 27. His story is a cautionary tale that success does not necessarily help thwart struggles with mental health.

Bruce Lee

“I wish he hadn’t taken that painkiller that day.”

The actor and martial-arts expert died at 32, officially due to a harmful reaction to a painkiller. His philosophies around kung fu, however, are eternal.

John Lennon

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“I wish he hadn’t been in New York that day.”

Legendary artist and activist John Lennon was fatally wounded by a gunshot in December 1980. The last thing he talked about, revealed ex-wife Yoko Ono in an interview, was the desire to see his son before he went to sleep.

Elvis Presley

“I wish he decided to live a life where he paid more attention to the health of his heart.”

Had Presley not died of cardiac arrest, he would be 87 this year.

Tupac Shakur

See on Instagram

“I wish he hadn’t been involved in that event that would cause him to face the mafia.”

The cause of Tupac’s untimely death is also one of debate and speculation. According to some, he never died at all. What we can all agree on—he was one of hip-hop’s most iconic figures.

Princess Diana

See on Instagram

This one seems to be a new addition to the collection, so no wistful message. Although I’m sure the general sentiment is “I wish she were still here.”

AI-generated art is a controversial topic, to be sure. Some consider it a new, innovative medium. Others see it as devoid of any real creativity at all, as it’s produced by a machine, rather than a human. Many are concerned that, as is the case with many jobs that get machine automated, it will threaten the livelihood of actual illustrators.

Those concerns are certainly valid, but perhaps there’s a balance to be found here, as Yesiltas seems to have accomplished. Previously, another artist similarly created stunningly lifelike portraits of cartoon characters from “Encanto” and ”The Simpsons.” These works still required the human touch, and were carefully crafted over time rather than cracked out in mere seconds, as is the case with a lot of AI art.

At its best, AI art helps remind us, as Yesiltas puts it, that “anything imaginable can be shown in reality.” Which, at the end of the day, could be said for any art.

This article originally appeared on 9.23.22

Travis Kelce is one of the greatest tight ends of all time. This, of course, does not necessarily mean that he is good at throwing things, even though the Kansas City Chiefs standout was a prolific signal caller in high school. As we learned on Friday afternoon, Kelce’s not especially great at throwing a baseball, as he threw out the first pitch before the Cleveland Guardians’ home opener against the Seattle Mariners.

Kelce deserves credit for trying to throw from the mound, and he decided to go for a full wind-up. But when it came time to throw, Kelce got it all wrong, as he bounced the ball a good 15-20 feet in front of home plate.

It’s not the worst first pitch we have ever seen, not by a long shot, but it is pretty bad. The clip found its way onto the timeline of his Super Bowl winning quarterback, Patrick Mahomes, who could not help but laugh at how this went.

But Mahomes believes in redemption, and in a follow-up tweet, he called on the Kansas City Royals to give his superstar tight end a chance to make up for this as soon as possible.

We do have evidence that Mahomes is capable of throwing a pretty good first pitch — he was a pretty good pitcher in high school and his dad spent more than a decade in the Majors — so maybe he can give Kelce some tips here.

Dating has certainly evolved over the years—we’ve gone from courtship being purely a financial arrangement (not that this trend has ever truly died) to knights jousting for a lady’s favor, to casual hookups … and now, romance is primarily found through an app more than anything else.

Technology used for meeting that special someone has become so advanced that you can base your search entirely upon specific interests. Like … oddly specific interests. Think a fellow cat person would be the purrfect match? There’s an app for that. Wish to “love long and prosper” with a fellow Trekkie? There’s an app for that too.

No matter the changes, one thing remains the same—dating is awkward. It’s got all the unspoken formalities of a job interview, disguised as innocent fun. The balance between playing it too cool and too eager is hard to find even for the smoothest among us, and usually results in total embarrassment. Even if we aren’t the ones committing those embarrassing acts ourselves, we are often the reluctant witness to them.

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Terrible dates might not always be fun in the moment, but they can be just as important as the good ones. They can teach us a lot about ourselves and what qualities we want in a partner. And at the very least, they can teach us to embrace social clumsiness with a sense of humor.

Jimmy Fallon recently asked his “Tonight Show” audience on Twitter to share a “funny or embarrassing first date story” for his ever popular #Hashtags segment. The best part—some of these awful first dates ended in marriage. There’s hope for us all.

Below, find 15 stories that are truly the best of the worst. How do some of your first dates compare?

1. “After a nice dinner, she invited me to her house. On the way up, inside the elevator, I decided to push the button to stop between floors and give her a kiss… She had a phobia of closed spaces and she smacked my face as a reflex, two punches after we were kissing and laughing.” – @PanqueAlgarvio

2. “His jeans were so tight he couldn’t sit down. Stood at a bar stool the whole time.” – @onlyintheozarks

3. “Waiting 4 my date when an older couple asked me for a ride. my date came up and said sure! We drove them home & they asked us to come in. Date said “sure”. I pulled him back & asked why he wanted to hang w/strangers. He said ‘sh@t! YOU DON’T KNOW THEM!?’ We bolted!” – @natashaham75

4. “Before the date, we had been chatting about books we liked and I talked about a great book I just read. We went on the date. I loaned her the book. She ghosted me.” – @thenextbarstool

5. “The worst first date I ever had was when my date locked his keys in the car and I had a curfew so he had to break his car window out to get me home on time. Didn’t think I’d ever see him again but we wound up married.” – @csleblan

6. “First date movie ‘Basic Instinct’ not realizing how suggestive it was. We just thought it was a mystery thriller! We left the movie discussing how each character could have actually murdered someone. We’re married now.” – @Southrnbell_Amy

7. “First date with my ex husband was a double date with his parents. The preview for ‘Speed Racer’ came on, and she leaned over me to say to her son, ‘You know what your dad’s nickname in the bedroom is?’” – @theostoria

8. “A friend asked me on a double date as a blind date with his date’s friend. I went to the bathroom and came back just in time to hear my date say to her friend, ‘why do I get the ugly one?’ I said good night to all three and headed home, leaving her w/the bill.” – @StevenTrustum

9. “He loved cheese. I was subjected to a 2 hour conversation/lecture about cheese, and why cottage cheese is not cheese!” – @Optimist_Eeyore

10. “He took me to an Asian fish market. We walked around looking at live & dead fish for a while. I don’t like seeing dead animals & I don’t eat seafood. Then we sat on a curb & he pulled out a ziplock bag of pineapple for us to share. I don’t like pineapple.” – @markayhali

11. “My cousin set up a first date for me with a family friend. During a break from dinner, Mr. Man follows me into the ladies’ room, comes up close and says in a low voice, ‘I shave my butt.’ Can’t remember what I said in response but the evening ended abruptly.” – @carli_zarzana

12. “I once took out my high school crush to a sports bar and ordered the spiciest wings there in an attempt to impress her. Not only was she not impressed. The next morning I woke up with heartburn.” –@Dmonster38

13. “My date showed up with his bestie and girlfriend, and they talked through dinner about people I don’t know. Walking to the car, he gave me a wedgie because he thought he hadn’t been paying enough attention to me.” – @surrealDazey

14. “I was taking my date home and was pulled over by the police for speeding. When the cop came to my car, she jumped out and told him she had to get home. She walked home and I never heard from her again. I’m not sure who’s #WorstFirstDate it was mine or hers!” – @eastriverbear

15. “After an evening of dancing with a first date, leaving the dance hall, I had to take a quick pee break. Rushing out to the parking lot, I see a lady, I grab her and swoop her around, and plant a big wet kiss on the lips. She was another guy’s wife. Oops!” – @seadogskamore

This article originally appeared on 9.22.22

An unsupervised toddler with a pair of scissors is nightmare fuel for parents.

Will you find shredded books, a hole in your new couch, or a pile of lopped off hair when you emerge from your quick trip to the potty?

Toddlers may still be very young, but they are fast and have a knack for getting ahold of unapproved things quickly, inflicting maximum destruction. TikTok user, @designerluxury4you, shared a video of their toddler proudly showing off the haircut she had given herself.

Experiencing your child giving themselves or their siblings a haircut seems to be a rite of passage for parents.

But the way this mom handled the discovery is showing how gentle parenting is changing the game. It’s pretty safe to say that most parents would react in a more expressive way and immediately remove the scissors from the child’s hands. This mom responded in the kindest and most respectful way you can imagine and maybe the internet is a little better for having seen it.

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When the mom walks in to see her daughter holding a pair of child’s scissors, she calmly asks, “What’d you do?” to which the now mullet-sporting toddler explains her actions. The little girl, Max, says, “I cutted all of it off and I put it on here.” While the toddler is finishing her story we get a quick glimpse of the pile of blonde hair sitting on the nightstand. This is the point that seems to divide the commenters because the reaction isn’t anger or even a stern tone. Instead, this shocked mom says, “Oh, wow. You did a really good job, Max.”

The mom asked if her daughter felt better since her hair was no longer in her face, to which Max answered, “Yep.” Max was given several options, including going to the hairdresser to fix it. The video cuts off before we find out the toddler’s choice, but the mom’s reaction was the topic of discussion in the comments.

One person wrote, “Seriously, this is impressive parenting. What a gift you are to her.”

Another said, “Wow, you handled that so well lol she’s so adorable.”

Others were confused and more critical of the mom’s calm reaction and lack of consequences. Someone wrote, “I just can’t with gentle parenting. She lost me when she said no but allowed it anyway.”

A different user expressed confusion, writing, “Not knocking gentle parenting but at the end of the day how does she learn this was wrong and not to do it again?”

There were multiple comments reminding people that even though the girl is a toddler, it’s still her hair and she should get to decide what to do with it.

Watch the video below. Do you think this mom handled this situation well?

@designerluxury4u

Talent #gamimy #kidsoftiktok #girlpower #beautician ##parentsoftiktok

This story originally aired on 1.4.23

Stated simply: Ultra is one of the world’s biggest and most iconic music festivals. And this was very much in evidence as festival concluded its 23rd edition with a sold-out weekend at Miami’s Bayfront Park. While this year’s festival circuit has a long list of impressive musical lineups and attendee offerings, Ultra remains a global ambassador for event production.

The highly coveted festival hosted its most successful rendition to date and welcomed thousands of attendees from over 100 countries and over 42 million live streamers from around the world at the tail end of Miami Music Week to experience the highest caliber of production and diverse lineup of electronic artists. From Swedish House Mafia’s returning to the stage after five years for Sunday’s finale, Eric Prydz presenting his world-renowned HOLO at RESISTANCE Megastructure for the first time ever, Oliver Heldens and deadmau5 debuting their techno monikers, to Zedd welcoming surprise special guest Ice Spice on stage – this year’s Ultra Music Festival will go down in history.

Still believe the outdated stereotype that electronic music fans and music festivals aren’t intentional or make any positive impact?

Ultra is actually the first festival of its scale in the United States to be verified by international NGO Oceanic Global’s Blue Standard program thanks to its Mission:Home sustainability program. This year, the festival brought back Clean Vibes to keep the grounds clean and achieved 100% recycling acceptance for the third year in a row and featured over 35 impactful initiatives spanning pollution preventing, nature preservation, waste reduction, climate action, and community engagement.

So, yeah…don’t mind us if we join the Ultra Music Festival fan club. These photos will live rent-free in our minds for a while as we relive the experience of this world-renowned event.