Austin Reaves, a rookie guard out of Oklahoma, emerged as one of the few bright spots for the Los Angeles Lakers last season. Reaves provided a lot of the little things the team just lacked during the disastrous 2021-22 campaign, and managed to become a fan favorite due to, among other things, one incredible nickname: Hillbilly Kobe. On media day last year, Reaves revealed that an equipment manager gave it to him in college.
However, in a recent interview with Dave McMenamin of ESPN, Reaves revealed that he would like to distance himself from both of his nicknames. One, AR-15, is a reference to his initials and jersey number, but Reaves expressed his discomfort with having that as a nickname due to the AR-15-style rifle that has been used in numerous mass shootings across the United States. As for Hillbilly Kobe, Reaves expressed some hesitation due to Kobe Bryant’s passing in a helicopter accident in 2020.
But despite that, Draymond Green and Kyle Kuzma think he shouldn’t shed that second nickname, in part because they think he hasn’t done enough in his career to do that. Kuzma appeared on Green’s podcast recently, and while they understand his hesitancy around using AR-15, both agree that Hillbilly Kobe is a great nickname and think he should embrace it.
Green and Kuzma are absolutely right. Being bestowed with a nickname like Hillbilly Kobe, then getting drafted by the Lakers, then hitting a buzzer-beater in your rookie season where you turned into a fan favorite, is a branding jackpot — Green went as far as to say he should try to “be in the next White Men Can’t Jump.” There should be Hillbilly Kobe graphic tees all around Los Angeles, there should be corny local commercials featuring Hillbilly Kobe.
Once a nickname sticks, it’s very hard to shed. Reaves should listen to Green, who knows a thing or two about creating a brand with your name, and Kuzma, who obviously knows a good nickname when he sees one.
At Upworthy we like to bring you feel good stories and this one from Good Morning America is perfect for back to school. Pancakes are a staple of breakfast for many Americans. We stack them high, make them as big as a plate or sometimes make them as small as a golf ball. People have even figured out how to add even more sugar to the already sweet breakfast item by making them out of cake mix or topping them with some sort of icing instead of maple syrup. But one mom, Anne Sage has won the pancake making game by making them in the shape of different dog breeds.
Yes, not just a dog’s head made from chocolate chips and cut up fruit but whole dog breeds. It’s pretty wild to see the creations she has made. In one video she shows pancakes shaped like a Saint Bernard, a Papillon and a Grey Hound. Sage isn’t making them just for fun. It actually started after her daughter saw an episode of “Sesame Street” according to what the pancake artist told GMA. After her daughter saw the episode where Elmo made a robot dog, Sage’s daughter had a request.
Sage told GMA, “Out of the blue one day, she asked me to make her ‘robot dog’ pancakes, and then every morning after for weeks, she had the same request. So to keep things interesting for myself, I started making a different dog each morning.” She also explained that while it takes her about a week of trial and error to perfect each dog, her daughter doesn’t particularly care for her artistic abilities.
While I’m sure Sage’s daughter enjoyed eating the pancakes, it seems she would be just as happy with the regular old fashioned circle ones. But the internet appreciates the pancake puppies and we hope Sage keeps sharing her skills on Instagram.
We can all get a little fascinated by doppelgängers and it’s fun to find people who look alike. But what do you do when your baby girl looks uncannily like a famous middle-aged man?
Mom Dani Grier Mulvenna shared a photo of her infant daughter Cora side by side with a photo of Woody Harrelson on Twitter, with the caption “Ok but how does our daughter look like Woody Harrelson.” The resemblance truly is remarkable, and the tweet quickly racked up hundreds of thousands of likes, shares and replies.
u201cOk but how does our daughter look like Woody Harreslonu201d
People gushed in the comments and Mulvenna shared how tickled her daughter will be someday by the connection.
“You’ve made our day ❤️ can’t wait to show her this when she’s older, you have another fan for life xxx,” she wrote.
Mulvenna also shared on Twitter that her daughter doesn’t always look like Woody Harrelson, but when she does, she really does.
u201cCora says, thank you all so much for the likes and retweets and also that she doesn’t always look like Woody Harreslon, it’s just that when she does…she really really does xxxu201d
What a cutie. What’s hilarious is that sweet little Cora has no clue about any of this excitement and she won’t for many more years. What a fun story her parents will be able to share with her.
Social media has created a world where people can connect in ways they never would have before. When these platforms are so often used for negative means, it’s lovely to see something so sweet and pure come out of them.
Greg Dutra is a meteorologist for ABC7 Chicago. But thanks to his adorable discovery during a live weather report, he’s now a wholesome viral sensation.
The weather report started off in its usual way, with Dutra pointing out potential rain patterns on a digital map. But once this weatherman realized his map was actually a touchscreen, his excitement simply could not be contained. Childlike joy ensued.
“I can do that? No way!” he exclaimed, with all the enthusiasm of a kid on Christmas morning.
“Are you serious? Did you just discover that?” his morning co-host Val Warner asked off camera.
Then Terrell Brown, another co-host, popped into frame to join in on the fun. He showed the awestruck reporter that yes, one can move the map simply by touching it. Evidently no one had made Dutra privy to those marvels of modern technology.
“Oh man, It’s a great day!” Dutra cheered, his smile going from ear to ear. Poor guy tried his best to continue with his weather report, but it was too late. The joy had taken over, and giggling ensued.
The entire clip is less than a minute, but it took the internet by storm (weather pun not intended, but you’re welcome). The video quickly amassed nearly 2 millions views on Twitter. Let’s just say that hearts were won over by Dutra’s wholehearted pleasure and hilarious sense of wonder.
We’re sorry this wasn’t in your training manual, Dutra. But thank you for giving us a reason to smile today. Your forecast might have been rainy, but your attitude is a ray of sunshine.
You know, sometimes the world can feel a bit heavy and we need some bright spots to look forward to in order to get through the week. Obviously everything can’t be roses and sunshine all the time but we can certainly do our best to look out for the small moments that will brighten our days. One of our favorite ongoing features is sharing with you the 10 things that made us smile this week. It’s a great way to end the week and remember that great things are happening all the time all around us. But what about Monday? So, we figured we’d give you a second list of things to look forward to as you head into your week. We hope you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed putting it together for you.
As humans, we can easily become a product of what we consume so why not try to consume the good even if it’s in small doses. So many of the stories we share on Upworthy are filled with the best of humanity and silly pets doing their part in making the internet collectively smile. It only makes sense to put the best upcoming positive things at the start of the week to start us off on the right foot. Buckle up, because we’ve got some good things to share with you!
1. International Cat Day is August 8th
Well, would you look at that. It’s cats topping the list. Not because cats are the number one bright spot this week. This list is technically in no particular order. No, cats are at the top of the list simply because they’re sassy, fuzzy and cuddly. That is, when they feel like being cuddled. So, if you have a kitty in your life, today is the day to show them off and spoil them until your heart’s content, or they walk away showing you their…um…tail. And if you’re looking for a partner that will be just as excited as you are for international cat day, you can read about a cat lovers dating app here.
2. Our favorite semi talking tree has a series coming to Disney+ called I Am Groot
If you’ve watched Guardians of the Galaxy, or are a Marvel fan in general, then you already know who Groot is. If you’ve never seen him before then you’re in for a treat. After some turbulent times, Groot found himself on a new journey with the Guardians of the Galaxy series as a potted tree that could only say “I am Groot” but you’ll be happy to know he now has legs. Still a limited vocabulary but somehow he’s entertaining and so dang cute. What more is there to say?
3. Sit under the stars and watch the Perseid Meteor Shower on August 12th and 13th
There’s something magical about watching a shooting star streak across the night sky. I remember being a kid getting so excited that I’d jump up and down as soon as I saw one but the excitement would make my mind go blank. I almost always missed my opportunity to make a wish. Well on the night of August 12 you can make as many wishes as you want. The sky will be riddled with shooting stars. According to Accuweather, you can expect to see anywhere from 50-100 stars an hour.
4. The Wizard of Oz is turning 83
This one is just kind of cool. It almost feels like the little kids asking if televisions had color when we were younger. For some reason 1939 feels like things shouldn’t have been colorized and yet the Wizard of Oz is proof that they indeed had color back then. The fact that this movie is still watched today is amazing. This August makes the Wizard of Oz 83 years old. And even after all that time, it’s themes and magical storytelling still feel incredible relevant and worthwhile.
5. New Orleans is turning restaurants into solar powered hurricane refuge centers
New Orleans gets hit by hurricanes fairly often, while some are small blips that don’t cause much damage, others are larger knocking out power for days or longer along with other damage. A non-profit organization called Get Lit Stay Lit is aiming to make sure the people in New Orleans have a cool place to go where they can get food and charge their devices. Hurricane season is smack dab in the middle of summer through early fall. It’s hot and there’s nothing more miserable than being hot and hungry. If this organization get the funding they need, they can create cooling hubs throughout the city. You can find out more about Get Lit Stay Lit here.
6. The last super moon of 2022 is August 11
August is a busy month for astrological events I take it. If you look up in the sky on August 11 you’re going to be staring at the last super moon of the year. The moon will appear much larger than we are used to seeing it because it’s a little closer to earth according to the Almanac. While it may not be anything to write your relatives about, it will certainly be a sight to look forward to.
7. Get a zucchini and confuse your neighbors
Rounding out our list of feel good news, August 8 is National Sneak Some Zucchini on Your Neighbor’s Porch Day. Yeah, I didn’t make that up, though it totally sounds like I did. If you want to confuse your neighbors, go ahead and leave them a little basket of zucchinis on their porch. They’ll either thank the invisible giver or be pretty confused on how the random garden veggie landed on their door step. Either way, this is a holiday that is sure to put a smile on someone’s face.
Is there anything better than corn on the cob? According to this kid interviewed on Recess Therapy, there is not, and after watching him explain why, you may just agree with him.
Recess Therapy is a social media show in which host Julian Shapiro-Barnum interviews kids from ages 2 to 9, and it’s every bit as adorable as it sounds. Kids are hilarious, after all, just by being themselves. But once in a while a kid really stands out and this little guy raving about corn while eating corn is impossible not to adore.
First, it’s his classic young-kid-missing-front-teeth adorableness. (How does this kid even eat corn on the cob with so many lost teeth?) Then it’s the way he says “cowhn” instead of “corn.” Over and over, cowhn cowhn cowhn.
There’s also the out-of-left-field things he says about corn, such as, “Ever since I was told that corn was real…” Sorry, what? And the deep corn wisdom he espouses: “When I tried it with butter, everything changed” and “Not everybody has to like it to be the best.” And then the pure, gushing love: “I can’t imagine a more beautiful thing.”
But the “corntastic day” part is the piece de resistance. That look on his face. “What?!? It’s just a pun about cowhn!“
Children of the… corn? 😂 🌽 #recesstherapy #corn #cornisgood #fyp #favorite
“CORN IS AWESOME!!!” Yes it is, little man.
The video was shared on the TikTok channel @doingthings with the kiddo’s words on screen and has been viewed there more than 6.5 million times. Definitely worth a second watch with the words included:
The girl at the end who says she’s never had corn needs to get together with this kid. He will definitely convince her. And can you imagine what his reaction would be if he tried elote? Gracious.
The comments on the video are filled with people relating to his corn adoration and quoting their favorite lines from his rave. There are just too many delicious kernels of joy to choose from.
Bless this little Corn King for going straight from questioning whether corn is even real to declaring it the greatest food that’s ever existed. We feel you, little dude. And yes, butter definitely makes everything better.
In recent months, John Legend has dropped an exciting slew of collaborations, including “Dope” with JID, “Honey” with Muni Long, and most recently, “All She Wanna Do,” with Saweetie. All of these collaborations will appear on his upcoming album, Legend, which is set to drop next month.
“Until this point, I’ve never used an aspect of my name as the title of an album,” he said in a statement. “I had to earn that, to live up to it by delivering in the performance and the music. And this is me saying I’m proud of who I am, I’m confident in the work I’ve done, and I’m just going to declare it.”
Check out the full tracklist below.
ACT 1
1. “Rounds” Feat. Rick Ross
2. “Waterslide”
3. “Dope” Feat. JID
4. “Strawberry Blush”
5. “Guy Like Me”
6. “All She Wanna Do”
7. “Splash” Feat. Jhene Aiko & Ty Dolla Sign
8. “You”
9. “Fate” Feat. Amber Mark
10. “Love” Feat. Jazmine Sullivan
11. “One Last Dance”
12. “All She Wanna Do” Feat. Saweetie
ACT 2
1. “Memories”
2. “Nervous”
3. “Wonder Woman”
4. “Honey” Feat. Muni Long
5. “I Want You to Know”
6. “Speak in Tongues” Feat. Jada Kingdom
7. “The Other Ones” Feat. Rapsody
8. “Stardust”
9. “Pieces”
10. “Good” Feat. Ledisi
11. “I Don’t Love U Like I Used To”
12. “Home”
Despite the fact that the Boston Celtics are fresh off of an appearance in the NBA Finals and used this offseason to remedy some of the biggest issues on the roster, one of their two All-Star players saw his name pop up in trade rumors recently. According to reports, the Celtics and the Brooklyn Nets discussed a potential deal for Kevin Durant that would see Jaylen Brown headline a package going in the other direction.
Neither side agreed to anything, and there hasn’t been much movement on that front since the day that report went public. But in the immediate aftermath, Boston’s other star wing, Jayson Tatum, spoke out against them and made clear that he doesn’t believe those reports hold water. That continued to be the case earlier this week, when Tatum appeared on the Celtics Lab podcast and expressed his frustration with trade rumors as a whole.
On the latest episode of the @CelticsLab Podcast, @justinquinnn asked Jayson Tatum about how he personally deals with trade rumors and noise. #Celtics
“That’s the world we live in, right?” Tatum responded when asked by Justin Quinn how he deals with seeing them. “It always comes from an anonymous source, but it always makes ESPN or Twitter or whatever, and everybody sees it. So you never know what is true and what’s not true, but it gets people to talk about it, and I guess that’s the idea. They got what they wanted out of the deal — for people to talk about it and make speculations and this, that, and the third. If you pay attention to everything you see on Twitter or TV, you’ll drive yourself crazy. I think that’s just something that you have to learn just to keep your own sanity and your own peace. They will literally say anything, and some of it might be true, and then there’s other things that just couldn’t be further from the truth.
“But, the average fan at home doesn’t know the difference, and they just might believe whatever they see,” he continued. “And it doesn’t help that people on the sports talk shows talk about it every day and we don’t know who said it. So, just control what you can control, and that’s what I always kind of live by.”
It’s not rare for NBA players to express frustrations when they see trade rumors involving their team get kicked around, but even then, it’s interesting to see Tatum speak this emphatically on the subject.
The world is just one week into Beyoncé’s Renaissance, or a week and a half for those who listened to the leaked album, but the movement truly began back in June. The dance-inspired “Break My Soul” shook the game up and is still a force to this day. Beyoncé decided to capitalize on the single’s momentum earlier this week with an EP full of remixes, and she has now upped the ante with “The Queens Remix” to “Break My Soul” featuring Madonna available for purchase on her website.
In a tweet from earlier today (August 5), @shopbeyonce shared “Break My Soul (THE QUEENS REMIX) by Beyoncé & @Madonna. Available now” with crown emojis, a link to the website, and a disc showing the two legends’ names. The track is priced at $1.29 and will be delivered to buyers’ emails immediately upon purchase.
Despite the January 6 hearings doing a number on the insurrectionist attack, and more damningly, on Donald Trump‘s chances of running for president again, a performance art piece at this weekend’s CPAC event in Texas is trying its best to play the martyr card. On Thursday night, freelance journalist Lauren Jedeed captured video of a man sitting inside a fake jail cell at the conservative event. While wearing a MAGA hat, the cell’s occupant didn’t once break character as he attempted to highlight the harrowing plight of the January 6 rioters who have been jailed for, well, rioting on January 6.
“Hello I would like to share with you the most astonishing thing I have ever seen,” Jedeed tweeted. “At this CPAC booth you receive a silent disco headset that plays harrowing testimony from people arrested for participating in J6. Instead of dancing, you stand around and watch this guy cry.
“What I need you to understand is that I stood here for about half an hour yesterday and this guy NEVER broke character. He wept sitting on the bench. He wept sitting on the floor. He tallied days on a chalkboard set up for the [purpose].”
What I need you to understand is that I stood here for about half an hour yesterday and this guy NEVER broke character
Seems very dramatic, right? Well, here’s the thing: According to Mediaite, the “performance artist” was later identified as Brandon Straka, who did participate in the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol building. However, Straka notably did not serve any jail time because he ratted out his fellow rioters to the Feds. Yup.
In the memo, Dornan said Straka provided “significant information” to federal investigators over three interviews with the FBI following his arrest. In one interview on March 5, 2021, Straka, according to Dornan, provided information about “individuals who were inside of Nancy Pelosi’s office; individuals who were inciters at the Capitol; and organizers of the Stop the Steal movement.”
He also listed the names of individuals Straka spoke to the FBI about. Those names include rally organizers Amy and Kylie Kremer, Cindy Chafian and Ali Alexander — who Dornan described as the “preeminent leader of the Stop the Steal movement.”
So to answer the question in Straka’s performance art piece, “Where is everyone?” They’re in real jail because you turned state’s witness. Enjoy the conference!
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