Yesterday, Rolling Stone ran a thoroughly reported piece about the final days of Taylor Hawkins, the Foo Fighters drummer who tragically passed in March. The article featured interviews with 20 people who were close to Hawkins, including Pearl Jam’s Matt Cameron and Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Chad Smith. Earlier today, Cameron issued an apology for his quotes on Instagram: “I assumed it would be a celebration of his life and work,” he said regarding the story. “My quotes were taken out of context and shaped into a narrative I had never intended.”
Now, Smith is doing the same, stating: “Taylor was one of my best friends and I would do anything for his family. I was asked by Rolling Stone to share some memories of our time together, which I thought was going to be the loving tribute he deserved. Instead, the story they wrote was sensationalized and misleading, and had I known I never would have agreed to participate. I apologize to his family and musical friends for any pain this may have caused. I miss Taylor every day.”
In the article, both of the artists spoke about the pressure that Hawkins was under. Cameron mentioned that, in the days leading up to his death, Hawkins “…had a heart-to-heart with Dave [Grohl] and, yeah, he told me that he ‘couldn’t f*cking do it anymore’… I guess they did come to some understanding, but it just seems like the touring schedule got even crazier after that.” Representatives from the Foo Fighters disputed this exchange between Grohl and Hawkins, among other things.
Red Hot Chili Peppers is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
The 2022 NBA Draft is less than six weeks away and, as of Tuesday evening, the board is set. The Orlando Magic won the draft lottery, taking a 14 percent chance and turning it into the top overall pick and boundless choices. Of course, it is fair to point out that there is not a definitive No. 1 overall player in the 2022 class but, if nothing else, Orlando holds the keys to the board.
Elsewhere, the Sacramento Kings are a solid winner from the evening, jumping from the No. 7 odds up to the No. 4 slot, and the Oklahoma City Thunder popped up to No. 2 for the franchise’s highest draft pick since selecting Kevin Durant in 2007. Chatter will continue over the next five-plus weeks, and especially during the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago, but there are at least four candidates — Chet Holmgren, Jabari Smith, Paolo Banchero and Jaden Ivey — for the top spots and the potential for real fireworks.
With that out of the way, let’s dive into a rapid reaction mock draft of the first round.
1. Orlando Magic – Chet Holmgren (C/F, Gonzaga)
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The Magic could go a few different directions with this selection (including a popular No. 1 choice in Jabari Smith) but, for now, we’re rolling with Chet. The Magic do have significant investments in big men already, but Mo Bamba may not be long for Orlando and, more than anything, the No. 1 pick is a spot to simply take the best prospect. Holmgren also has a built-in tie with former high school teammate Jalen Suggs, and his ceiling is sky-high.
2. Oklahoma City Thunder – Paolo Banchero (F, Duke)
Oklahoma City’s passing could be a lot of fun if this works. The Thunder already have Josh Giddey and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and, adjusting for position, Banchero is on the short list of best passers in this class. He is also an adept scorer with the upside to be a real star at the NBA level. Sam Presti will take the guy he thinks is the best player, but that could be Banchero.
3. Houston Rockets – Jabari Smith (F, Auburn)
If you watched ESPN’s draft lottery broadcast, you will know that Smith is generating real hype, and many scouts view him as the top guy. That is inherently reasonable given Smith’s ability to shoot at his size (6’10) and the scheme versatility he may present on defense. Smith has a long way to go as a creator for others and as a ball-handler, but Houston is certainly keying on upside in their rebuild. The Rockets almost can’t go wrong with this pick in their current form.
4. Sacramento Kings – Jaden Ivey (G, Purdue)
You could argue this is maybe the worst spot for Ivey and, honestly, it would be “easier” to slide him to No. 5 overall for a snug fit alongside Cade Cunningham in Detroit. However, the Kings still have the choice here and, at least for me, Ivey is a “best player available” choice. Sacramento has big investments in De’Aaron Fox and Davion Mitchell, but Ivey has more size and physicality than both, and he’s a hyper-athletic player with tangible upside. If nothing else, they might be able to move the pick if they simply don’t want to take him.
5. Detroit Pistons – Shaedon Sharpe (G/F, Kentucky)
Sharpe is the mystery guy in this class, but there is enough buzz where a No. 5 projection doesn’t seem insane. Make no mistake, this is a massive swing in that Sharpe hasn’t even touched a college court, but his combination of athleticism and scoring potential is tantalizing. If the Pistons want to go a bit safer, they could lean in the direction of Keegan Murray or A.J. Griffin.
6. Indiana Pacers – Keegan Murray (F, Iowa)
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I’m probably a touch lower on Murray than most, but this is a totally reasonable spot. Indiana might want to take a bit more of a swing, especially considering how infrequently they are in the lottery, but the Pacers take a scoring forward with real polish already.
Portland could be in the market to move this pick for present-day help as they attempt to build around Damian Lillard. If the Blazers choose to make the pick, Duren brings a highly intriguing skill set with a 7’5 wingspan and a monster frame. He’s also extremely young and was the No. 1 prospect in the 2023 class before reclassifying.
8. New Orleans Pelicans (via Los Angeles Lakers) – A.J. Griffin (F, Duke)
Griffin is a heck of a shooter already, and he would pair well with what the Pelicans are building. He doesn’t need the ball a ton to be effective, and Griffin has the physicality and athleticism to be a strong defender. This might be his floor come Draft night.
9. San Antonio Spurs – Bennedict Mathurin (G/F, Arizona)
Mathurin has long been a favorite in this space, and his offensive skill set is a lot of fun. His feel is impressive and his shooting has come a long way. Defensively, there are some concerns, but there is enough to work with in terms of basketball IQ and frame to get by.
10. Washington Wizards – Dyson Daniels (G, G League Ignite)
Daniels is a heck of a defender, perhaps the best in the class on the perimeter. His jumper is the big question mark, but Daniels can handle the ball and distribute while changing the game on the other end. He’d fit snugly next to a scoring guard like Bradley Beal.
11. New York Knicks – Johnny Davis (G/F, Wisconsin)
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There is nothing too sexy about Johnny Davis, but he was a National Player of the Year candidate for a reason. He’s a polished scorer already, and he can guard his position. There is a misconception that he’ll be a game-changer on defense immediately, but Davis should find a soft landing spot in the back half of the lottery somewhere.
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via LA Clippers) – Jeremy Sochan (F, Baylor)
Once again, the Thunder have three picks, and they can take some swings. Sochan’s two-way potential is suffocating and he showed real flashes at Baylor. He’s also not particularly close to being ready on offense, and OKC can afford to be patient.
13. Charlotte Hornets – Mark Williams (C, Duke)
The Hornets need a long-term center in the worst way. Charlotte could obviously address that need in free agency or via trade but, if they don’t, Williams is worthy of a mid-first round selection. He doesn’t profile as a game-changing star, but Williams has impressive finishing equity and the ability to protect the rim on defense.
Agbaji isn’t quite big enough or good enough on defense to be a No. 1 wing defender, but he’ll be good in a secondary defensive role. He’s also a plug-and-play role player as an off-ball shooter and a very intelligent cutter.
15. Charlotte Hornets (via New Orleans) – Malakhi Branham (F/G, Ohio State)
After going with their center in the future in this mock, Charlotte looks to a scoring wing in Branham. He’s a defensive mess right now, but Branham came on extremely strong late in the season and really shot up draft boards.
16. Atlanta Hawks – TyTy Washington (G, Kentucky)
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Much has already been made of Atlanta’s need for a secondary creator in the wake of an early playoff exit against Miami. He isn’t a perfect fit with Trae Young given size concerns, but Washington is long, skilled, able to run a pick-and-roll, and capable of playing off the ball.
Dieng is far away at this point, but the Rockets are one of the franchises that should be willing to wait. Houston has been firing bets on upside dating back to the 2021 draft, and this is another example. If not here, Dieng should find a landing spot in the first round somewhere.
18. Chicago Bulls – Tari Eason (F, LSU)
Eason might go in the lottery. He’s the kind of prospect that I can see a team falling in love with, particularly with his defensive aptitude at 6’8 with power and athleticism. His shooting is a swing skill, and Eason committed more than twice as many turnovers as he generated assists last season in college. It’s a mixed bag.
Liddell isn’t a high-ceiling guy, but he has some switch potential on defense and a polished offensive game. He was incredibly productive at Ohio State, and enough scouts in NBA circles seem to view him as a top-20 guy.
20. San Antonio Spurs (via Toronto) – Nikola Jovic (F, Mega)
Jovic is a first-round talent, and the Spurs are a natural landing spot. It remains unclear on whether he can defend in the NBA, but Jovic is 18 years old and highly skilled and polished in key areas. He certainly brings offensive upside.
21. Denver Nuggets – MarJon Beauchamp (G/F, G League Ignite)
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The Nuggets need defensive help in a significant way and Beauchamp can provide it. He has a great motor and very good instincts and length on defense. The question is offense, where he is an inconsistent shooter at best that needs polish with the ball in his hands. In Denver, he could work well as a cutter that doesn’t need much on-ball equity.
22. Memphis Grizzlies (via Utah) – Patrick Baldwin Jr. (F, Milwaukee)
Memphis made a similar pick with Ziaire Williams a year ago that looks pretty good now. Obviously that doesn’t ensure anything for Baldwin Jr., but the former top-five prospect still has the length and shooting acumen to bring substantial upside. His brutal college season does lead to a slide, though, and his stock is all over the place.
This is a swing pick for the Nets and, by the way, Brooklyn can still choose to defer this selection to 2023 if they so choose. Wesley is an upside play with his ability to generate shots, and he might be an intriguing defender in the future as well. He’s not likely to help a title contender now, which makes this an interesting bet.
24. Milwaukee Bucks – Walker Kessler (C, Auburn)
Kessler doesn’t help the Bucks a ton right now with Brook Lopez on the team and both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis able to play center. Long-term, Kessler could be a lot like Lopez on defense, as he was arguably the best single rim protector in college basketball this season.
25. San Antonio Spurs (via Boston) – Jake LaRavia (F, Wake Forest)
It’s been quite a rise for LaRavia, but it seems like NBA teams have taken notice along with public-facing evaluators. He would be a fun Spurs fit with his passing and general basketball IQ, and LaRavia should be able to shoot it at a pretty high level. He’s a limited athlete, but there is a lot to like.
26. Dallas Mavericks – Jaden Hardy (G, G League Ignite)
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The team fit with the Mavericks doesn’t make a ton of sense unless Jalen Brunson leaves, and I get that. In fact, if Brunson stays, I would cross this one off. Still, Hardy is a high-upside shot creating talent and he was better as the G League season went along in 2021-22.
27. Miami Heat – Kendall Brown (F, Baylor)
This might be a selfish one in that it would be fun to watch Miami develop Brown from afar. His offensive skill package leaves a lot to be desired right now, which leads to him dropping from a previous lottery projection. Brown is a crazy athlete who should be able to defend well, and if he can find a role on offense, look out.
28. Golden State Warriors – Dalen Terry (G/F, Arizona)
Terry wasn’t really on the radar as a potential first round guy until late in the season, but he checks a lot of boxes. He’s 6’7. He can pass. He can create. He can shoot. He can guard. Seems like a Warriors guy.
Chandler is from the Memphis area, and Tyus Jones is a free agent. Chandler isn’t necessarily the backup for Morant that you would draw up in a lab, but he’s a first-round talent. It honestly wouldn’t surprise me if he was a top-20 pick.
There is a bit of a split on McGowens after a weird season at Nebraska. There were plenty of flashes, however, and his offensive ceiling is very, very high for a player that could slide. The Thunder can afford to take that bet.
Cardi B has only recently returned to social media, which fans have been grateful for. However, they’re impatient for new music, so she took to Twitter today to reassure them that new music is on the way.
“I seen a lot of y’all talking sh*t,” she said in a voice note. “Like, ‘Oh she doesn’t feed us…’ So when I put what I’mma put out, I’mma talk more about it because clearly I can’t talk about it now. But I really had technical difficulties with my latest project. I had not one, not two, but like three technical difficulties on the music that I’ve been working on that had to be done and taken care of before I put it out.”
The rapper added: “When things come out, that’s when I’mma talk about it. It’s nothing major or crazy. Yeah, we’ll figure it out ’cause I know, I know, I know, I know you guys want that and I’m gonna give it to ya, OK? OK.”
Everything was all good for Jack Harlow a few weeks ago. Granted, things are smooth sailing for the Lousiville rapper, as he’s enjoying the success of “First Class,” which recently returned to No. 1 on the singles chart, as well as Come Home The Kids Miss You, which debuted at No. 3. However, he’s found himself in a bit of intergenerational drama and it comes after he failed to realize that Brandy and Ray J are siblings during a recent interview on HOT 97. Harlow received a lot of criticism from music lovers who felt that it was basic music knowledge that he should’ve known.
The situation recently took a new turn after Brandy caught wind of the HOT 97 interview and issued a light-hearted response on Twitter. “I will murk this dude in rap at 43 on his own beats and then sing [h]is ass to sleep,” she wrote in one tweet. In a second, she added, “See, I can have a little fun too [red heart] hehe…all love.” Harlow wouldn’t let Brandy have the last laugh though. He fired off one last joke through a post to his Instagram Story.
In the post, Harlow shared a picture of Brandy and Ray J together with the former’s “Bring Me Down,” her 2005 collaboration with Kanye West, playing in the background. Harlow specifically selected the part in the song where she sings, “I always knew that one day / They’d try to bring me down / Way down, way down,” which certainly adds to the hilarity of the moment.
You can view Harlow’s post above.
Come Home The Kids Miss You is out now via Atlantic. You can stream it here.
Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Few have had more disastrous couple months than Rudy Giuliani did in late 2020. There was the Four Seasons Total Landscaping debacle. The black mystery goo. And the Wild Wine Lady witness who was supposed to show incontrovertible proof of voter fraud. She did not. But while Giuliani went on to a future of lawsuits and reality show appearances, that Wild Wine Lady — real name Mellissa Carone — soldiered on. One thing she wanted to do was run for Congress. But now that’s not to be.
As per The Detroit News(as caught by Raw Story), Carone was one of 15 candidates informed that they were disqualified for running for various offices in Michigan. The majority of them were booted for signing false statements claiming compliance with state finance requirements. Carone, who was hoping to challenge a Republican representative in the 11th district, was actually already disqualified for filing a faulty affidavit claiming she had no outstanding campaign finance issues.
Giuliani enlisted Carone after she claimed to have witnessed voter fraud while working as a poll watcher. Her slurry, snappy, eccentric court appearance was instantly notorious, earning so many comparisons to Cecily Strong that the SNL performer’s name trended on Twitter. (Her inevitable impersonation earned raves even from Carone herself.) To the surprise of few, her allegations didn’t carry much water. Also unsurprisingly, she later hatched a conspiracy theory about Obama helping create COVID.
Last night, two out of three of the HAIM sisters appeared on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen. While Danielle was out sick, Este and Alana were there to discuss their career in music. “I think the thing that was the most mind-blowing about being on Roc Nation is that when we would be in a huge crowd of people, Jay-Z and Beyoncé would pick us out of a crowd and hug us, which was a very crazy experience,” Alana said.
“There was one moment I’ll never forget,” she added. “We were at the Grammys. Danielle had a little piece of lint on her jacket and Beyoncé picked it off for her and was like, ‘I got you.’ And I was like, ‘Beyoncé! I’m crying! What’s happening?’”
This would be a special experience for anyone, but especially for HAIM; the trio covered Beyoncé’s song “XO” back in 2014. “That song is a masterpiece. We’re the biggest Beyoncé fans,” Alana said. “I love her so much. She is obviously an idol of ours. I don’t know if she had a reaction to [the cover], but that was one of our favorite covers we’ve ever played.”
Watch a clip of the sisters on Watch What Happens Live With Andy Cohen above.
When it launched in February, Truth Social, Donald Trump’s attempt at a clone of the social media behemoth that may un-ban him, was another one of his many, many disasters. Lately he’s belatedly made an effort, making some, shall we say, dubious claims about the service he can’t even pronounce. But perhaps it will wind up yet another Trump dog, like Trump University, Trump Steaks, Tour de Trump, etc., etc. Indeed, even the company that’s about to acquire Truth Social doesn’t seem so optimistic.
Digital World, the “blank-check” firm planning to merge with Trump Media and Technology Group (TMTG) issued a regulatory filing on Monday. One thing it revealed is that, when the merger is complete, Trump himself is set to control between 47% and 58% of it. Digital World felt compelled to remind potential investors of the former president’s, shall we say, checkered history.
“A number of companies that were associated with President Trump have filed for bankruptcy,” the filing reads, alluding to the six times a Trump business has done so. “There can be no assurances that TMTG will not also become bankrupt.”
It went on: “A number of companies that had license agreements with President Trump have failed. There can be no assurances that TMTG will not also fail.” It also added, “While all of the foregoing were in different businesses than TMTG, there can be no guarantee that TMTG’s performance will exceed the performance of those entities.” And mind you, said entities did not also fail miserably.
Still, at least the big guy is confident that his latest venture will succeed. He’s so sure of himself that he’s already trying to fill positions form TMTG+, a streaming service that may or may not last as long as CNN+, provided it actually gets off the ground.
The 2022 NBA Draft Lottery took place on Tuesday night. Representatives from 14 teams made took to a stage in Chicago to see if the ping pong balls would bounce their way, and by the time deputy commissioner Mark Tatum rattled off the order for next month’s NBA Draft, head coach Jamahl Mosley from the Orlando Magic stood on stage in celebration, as his team won the right to pick first overall this year.
Here is how the entire Draft Lottery played out.
1. Orlando Magic
2. Oklahoma City Thunder
3. Houston Rockets
4. Sacramento Kings
5. Detroit Pistons
6. Indiana Pacers
7. Portland Trail Blazers
8. New Orleans Pelicans (via Los Angeles Lakers)
9. San Antonio Spurs
10. Washington Wizards
11. New York Knicks
12. Oklahoma City Thunder (via Los Angeles Lakers)
13. Charlotte Hornets
14. Cleveland Cavaliers
Orlando moves up after drafting fifth in the 2021 NBA Draft and selecting Gonzaga guard Jalen Suggs, while they also used a selection on Michigan’s Franz Wagner that they acquired from the Chicago Bulls. The team was tied with Houston and Detroit for the best odds to pick first, and will now have to choose between the presumed frontrunners to go first: Duke’s Paolo Banchero, Gonzaga’s Chet Holmgren, and Auburn’s Jabari Smith.
The 2022 NBA Draft will take place at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on June 23. Prior to that, the NBA will stay in the Windy City for the next few days for its annual Draft Combine.
Netflix has been in the original movie business since 2015’s Beast of No Nations, but they’ve always been adamant about one thing: Their movies will, with limited exceptions, never play movie theaters. Perhaps that’s one reason the streamer that started it all has recently found itself in financial peril, to the point that they’re rushing a cheaper, ad-supported version to lure in more people. And perhaps that’s why you might wind up with the luxury of watching one of their star-studded films, like the second Knives Out, in — get this — a darkened auditorium filled with strangers.
A report by Bloomberg (in a bit teased out by Insider) reveals that Netflix is considering rethinking how they release the movies they make in-house. One solution? Let them play movie theaters first then, after 45 days, finally make them available on their streaming coffers to paying subscribers. It’s a different tack than what they’ve done before, which is simply dump their films online to people who have already paid a monthly subscription.
It’s certainly a novel approach, this idea of making extra money by working with movie theaters to charge people upwards of $15 and more a head to see movies that cost quite a lot of money to produce and advertise. But there’s one problem: The nation’s biggest chains, AMC and Cineworld, refuse to play their films if they’re already streaming, as that obviously eats into their profits.
Thing is, movie theater owners would love to show Netflix movies, surely not the least because theaters have seen a 40% drop in attendance since moviegoing returned slightly to normal as the pandemic has begun to wane. Bloomberg reports that Netflix execs met with top movie theater chain heads last month, suggesting that a deal, involving that 45-day theater-exclusive window, may happen after all. They may at least experiment using a couple titles, likely the first of Rian Johnson’s two scheduled Knives Out sequels and/or Bardo, from two-time Oscar-winning Birdman and The Revenant director Alejandro González Iñárritu.
If it works, it will bring to an end one of the stranger business models in cinema’s century-and-a-quarter-plus history, which has made sense for smaller films that might struggle to find an audience in a movie theater but less so for, let’s say, a $200 million blockbuster starring three megastars. Till then, imagine what it will be like to delight at Daniel Craig solving crimes, perhaps with another outrageous accent, among a rapturous crowd of people happy to be away from their sofa.
Irish whiskey is blowing up in the U.S. right now. Case in point, Teeling is about to ship around 6,000 bottles of their first installment of the “Wonders of Wood” series — a bespoke line of Irish whiskeys with unique barrel agings — to the U.S. It’s both very overdue and very welcome.
The tipple from the Emerald Isle used to dominate sales in the world (especially in the U.S.) in the 19th and 20th centuries. Then Prohibition brought the industry to its knees and then mid-20th-century British trade embargos drove coffin nails into Irish whiskey for, what felt like, good. The Irish whiskey industry started to recover in the early aughts as the current whiskey boom shook the cobwebs off the old barrels and, now, Irish whiskey is surging, especially stateside. All of that means we’re seeing new and exciting expressions make their way across the Atlantic yet again.
One of them landed on my desk early this year and I was pretty excited to give it a taste. I dig what the folks over at Teeling have been up to so let’s jump right into it!
Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Irish Whiskey Posts of the Last Six Months
The first installment of the Wonders of Wood series is a single pot still Irish whiskey. That means the mash is a mix of 50% malted and 50% unmalted barley. The hot spirit is then filled into new American “chinkapin” white oak barrels for an undisclosed amount of time. Those barrels are then blended into this whiskey and proofed down ever-so-slightly to 100 proof.
Tasting Notes:
This is very bourbon-esque on the nose, with clear notes of rich caramel, vanilla pods, almost raw leather, buttery biscuits, a hint of dried apple flowers, a whisper of wet oak, and a wink of fresh mint. The palate, on the other hand, starts off with a malty spiciness that leads to hints of ginger snaps and cream soda with a slight yellow straw note on the mid-palate as a softness kicks in on the mouthfeel. The sweetness returns near the finish with dark cacao and winter spice that then veers toward a thin echo of cumin before unfiltered apple cider soda and green alder round out the finish.
The Bottle:
The bottle feels like a classic Irish whiskey bottle with “Teeling Whiskey” embossed in the glass. The label is like a cummerbund around the bottom quarter of the bottle with pertinent information. The whole thing comes in a pretty big box with a full oak tree on it and plenty of info. Overall, it’s a distinct bottle with a good presentation for gift-giving.
Botton Line:
The nose is all bourbon whiskey and the palate is all Irish whiskey. I kind of like that, in that it’s the best of both worlds. I do think this might play better in cocktails but I can see pouring it over some rocks and being perfectly happy with it as a mid-week sipper.
Ranking:
89/100 — You can’t complain about a solid B+ on the first outing. However, there are some chinquapin oak-aged bourbons out there that blow this away. Still, this is very easy drinking and rewarding.
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