GoneTrending

Texas Governor Greg Abbott has a complicated relationship with the truth. Case in point: On Thursday morning, as the state braced for an impending winter storm, Abbott promised his nearly 30 million residents that all would be well in the Lone Star State.

“We are dealing with one of the most significant icing events that we’ve had in the state of Texas in at least several decades,” Abbott said, according to The New York Times. Yet he noted that “the power grid is performing very well. There is plenty of power available at this time, as well as plenty of power expected for the remainder of today and early tomorrow.” But as of Thursday evening, temperatures across the state are below freezing and more than 70,000 residents are without power, Raw Story reports.

“It’s a little traumatic,” Corpus Christi resident Angelica Carlin told her local newspaper, according to Raw Story. “It’s like last year. Déjà vu all over again.”

The déjà vu Carlin is experiencing is understandable. It was almost one year ago that the state was walloped with a massive ice storm that left millions of people without power. Among the power-less were senator Ted Cruz and his family, who decided to high-tail it to Cancun for a little fun in the Mexican sun.

Cruz became an even bigger punch line, then unfortunately tried to get in on the joke, which only made his abandoning his constituents look worse. Also: Approximately 700 people died. Unfortunately, Cruz is still at it and just yesterday, ahead of the storm, tweeted about the price of a plane ticket to Cancun.

(We’re still not laughing with you, Ted.)

Speaking of statements you might want to take back: If Abbott has a DeLorean or TARDIS stashed away somewhere, he might want to hop inside and travel back to November. That’s when, according to KUT90.5, Austin’s NPR affiliate, Abbott stupidly said the words: “I can guarantee the lights will stay on.” When reminded of that statement, Abbott had no choice but to backtrack, noting:

“No one can guarantee that there won’t be a load shed event. But what we will work and strive to achieve and what we are prepared to achieve is that the power will stay on across the entire state.”

According to Abbott’s most recent tweet, sent at 3:47 p.m. on Thursday, “The power grid is performing well.”

Abbott is, of course, the same man who promised to solve Texas’s rape problem.

(Via Raw Story)

The James B. Beam distillery is more than just Jim Beam bourbon. Although Jim Beam is the biggest selling bourbon in the world, there’s a lot more going on in Clermont, Kentucky than making white-label bottles of Beam. There are eight bourbon brands that come out of Beam’s distilleries altogether, and those are what we’re here to blind taste today.

Beam’s eight bourbons are fairly varied both in taste and price. Perhaps more importantly, Beam has two bourbon mash bills. The standard mash is 75 percent corn, 13 percent rye, and 12 percent malted barley. That covers classic Jim Beam, Knob Creek, Baker’s, Old Crow, Legent, and Booker’s expressions. Then there’s their high-rye bourbon mash bill of 63 percent corn, 27 percent rye, and ten percent malted barley. That whiskey ends up in Basil Hayden’s and Old Grand-Dad.

For this blind tasting, I’m focusing on those eight bourbons — no rye whiskeys or Little Book (a blended straight whiskey) today — to see which one really stands out as the ultimate Beam bourbon brand. I’m keeping bottles as close to similar as possible — that is I’m not pulling a wild single barrel limited edition Jim Beam you can’t find and pretending that’s going to be comparable to Old Crow or Old Grand-Dad. The lineup today is all pretty standard bottles of Beam’s bourbons that you should be able to find and taste for yourself.

The lineup today includes:

• Knob Creek Small Batch 9-Year
• Baker’s Single Barrel 7-Year
• Booker’s 2021 Batch 3 “Bardstown Batch”
• Old Crow
• Basil Hayden’s 10-Year
• Jim Beam Single Barrel 95 Proof
• Old Grand-Dad Bonded
• Legent Bourbon

Let’s dive in!

Also Read: The Top 5 UPROXX Bourbon Posts Of The Last Six Months

• The Single Best Bottle Of Whiskey From Each Of The 50 States
• The 50 Best Bourbon Whiskeys Of 2021, Ranked
• Every Winning Bourbon From Our 2021 Taste Tests, Blind Tasted And Re-Ranked
• The Best Value-Per-Dollar Bourbon Whiskeys, Ranked
• The 100 Best Whiskeys Our Head Drinks Writer Tasted In 2021

Part 1: The Taste

Taste 1

Tasting Notes:

This is classic from the jump. The nose is a balanced mix of bourbon vanilla, cinnamon spice, and fresh popcorn just touched with browned butter all next to a hint of mild cherry. The palate is a soft mix of almond shells, orange oils, and fresh cinnamon rolls cut with plenty of vanilla icing. The mid-palate has an old wicker chair vibe with a hint of must to it next to a touch of old leather that ends up on a dry cherry tobacco leaf.

Taste 2

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a sweet Christmas cake vibe on the nose with plenty of creamy vanilla next to old leather belts and musty cellar beams. The taste is almost shockingly sweet for just a moment before vanilla pound cake with poppy seeds veers the palate toward sticky cherry tobacco. That spicy/fruity/sweet mid-palate fades away and you’re left with this savory green herbal and a floral note on the finish that ebbs between fresh rosemary sprigs and dried eucalyptus with an echo of powdered coriander.

Taste 3

Tasting Notes:

We’re back to a classic bourbon nose that’s bursting with old cherry tobacco leaves, worn-yet-somehow-sweet leather, oily vanilla pods (the expensive ones), chewy caramel candies, and this sense of wet charcoal (think of an old outdoor grill after a rainstorm). There’s a slight woody sassafras note on the palate that leads towards a cherry root beer vibe before subtle apple sauce full of cinnamon and nutmeg drives the silken taste towards marzipan, raw cornbread batter, dark chocolate, more of that cherry tobacco, and a final whisper of dry old wicker.

Taste 4

Tasting Notes:

Wow, this is thin on the nose already. There are hints of vanilla, overcooked popcorn, caramel, and what feels like fresh slices of Wonder Bread. The sip is almost invisible on the tip of the tongue and very watery but does have echoes of sweet cherry candy, caramel apples, and vanilla extract in there. Those notes almost immediately disappear into the watery nature of the sip with no discernable finish.

Taste 5

Tasting Notes:

This is pretty light too but has a lot more going on from the nose onward. There’s a clear sense of old cellar beams with a touch of cobweb next to rich vanilla, eggnog spices and creaminess, and a hint of indistinct pepperiness. The palate starts off creamy and sweet like a vanilla cream pie cut with wintry spice. That spice focuses on a black peppercorn with a hint of woody maple syrup, more of that old cellar wood, and a light dusting of dark chocolate powder. The end is short and a little thin while leaning more into the old cellar beams and pepper than anything else.

Taste 6

Tasting Notes:

There’s a light sense of toasted oak on the nose next to kettle corn with a hint of butter, vanilla beans, and Cherry Coke. The taste opens with a honeyed sweetness that leads towards orange oils, wintry spice, cherry tobacco, caramel cornballs, and a hint of that oak. The mid-palate marries that cherry tobacco to the dry wood from a cherry tree that then fades out quickly, leaving you with a watery end.

Taste 7

Tasting Notes:

There’s an indistinct “pepper” on the nose that’s countered by vanilla extract, soft winter spices, and equally soft suede. The palate is a full-on Christmas cake cut with orange zest, dried fruit, and almonds that leads towards a green peppercorn spice and a layer of dry cornmeal. The end is shortish and leans into dry cherry tobacco, more of those peppercorns, and dry old wicker that’s spent too long on the deck.

Taste 8

Tasting Notes:

This opens with a rich and lush sticky toffee pudding with hints of marzipan, rich vanilla cream, and oaky spice on the nose. The taste leans into woody cinnamon sticks and allspice berries mingling with nutmeg, dried cherries, and plum jam with a subtle spicy edge. That plummy jamminess drives towards a finish full of lush marzipan and spice while a hint of dried cherry tobacco arrives on the end with a cedar box vibe.

Part 2: The Ranking

8. Old Crow — Taste 4

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $13 (1-liter bottle)

The Whiskey:

This is a classic bourbon that became part of Jim Beam about 30-odd years ago. Until then, it was famed for being the drink of choice of President Grant, back in the 1870s — which gave it a lot to hang its hat on as a brand. The juice in the bottle is a year younger than a typical Jim Beam bourbon and it cut way down to 80 proof for bottling.

Bottom Line:

Meh. That’s all this left me with. It was so watery and indistinct. You can skip this altogether.

7. Basil Hayden’s Aged 10 Years — Taste 5

ABV: 40%

Average Price: $80

The Whiskey:

This bourbon is the same juice as Old Grand-Dad. This is aged longer and built to match a different flavor profile even though both brands use the same high-rye distillate.

Bottom Line:

This was miles ahead of Old Crow. Still, it was pretty thin thanks to that low 80 proof. The wateriness sneaked into the palate and just kind of muted everything. That being said, this is incredibly easy to drink and does have a clear flavor profile. So, I’d say that this would be a good introduction to bourbon for a newbie.

6. Old Grand-Dad Bonded — Taste 7

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $20

The Whiskey:

This high-rye whiskey is aged for at least four years. The bonded barrels are then vatted according to the Old Grand-Dad flavor profile and bottled at 50 percent, which lets a bit more of the juice shine in the bottle.

Bottom Line:

This was fine. It’s a good shot and beer bourbon, for sure. I could see using this in a cocktail in a pinch thanks to those ABVs. There’s certainly enough going on that it’ll stand up to mixing in a classic cocktail.

5. Jim Beam Single Barrel — Taste 6

ABV: 47.5%

Average Price: $40

The Whiskey:

These bottles are pulled from single barrels that hit just the right spot of taste, texture, and drinkability according to the master distillers at Beam. That means this juice is pulled from less than one percent of all barrels in Beam’s warehouses, making this a very special bottle at a bafflingly affordable price (for a single barrel).

Bottom Line:

This is more refined Jim Beam and it kind of works for me. It’s not “amazing” or “blow your socks off” bourbon but it’s not meant to be. This is good, solid bourbon that’s amazingly drinkable neat, or in a cocktail, for under $50.

What more could you ask for a single barrel bourbon?

4. Baker’s Single Barrel 7 Year — Taste 2

ABV: 53.5%

Average Price: $53

The Whiskey:

This is the first single barrel release from Baker’s, which has phased out its small-batch expressions. The juice comes from hand-selected barrels from specific spots in the Beam warehouses from whiskey that’s at least seven years old. In this case, we’re talking an eight-year-and-seven-month-old barrel.

Bottom Line:

This is the biggest outlier in the whole line. That veer into savory herbs and florals at the end is pretty damn cool. The only reason this isn’t higher is that the next three bourbons are all fantastic too.

3. Knob Creek 9 — Taste 1

ABV: 50%

Average Price: $37

The Whiskey:

This is Jim Beam’s small batch entry point into the wider world of Knob Creek. The juice is the low-rye mash that’s aged for nine years in new oak in Beam’s vast warehouses. The right barrels are then vatted and cut down to 100 proof before being bottled in new, wavy bottles.

Bottom Line:

I can’t overstate how “classic” this bourbon feels. It’s comforting and really easy to drink while still having serious depth. Pour this over a couple of rocks and you’ll be set. Or throw it in your favorite whiskey cocktail and let it shine there. It’s up to you.

2. Legent Bourbon — Taste 8

ABV: 47%

Average Price: $34

The Whiskey:

This bottle from Beam Suntory marries Kentucky bourbon, California wine, and Japanese whisky blending in one bottle. Legent is classic Beam bourbon (low-rye) made by bourbon legend Fred Noe that’s finished in French oak that held red wine and Spanish sherry casks. The juice is then blended by whisky blending legend Shinji Fukuyo at Suntory.

Bottom Line:

This was delightful. I had been only really using this to mix up cocktails but it really stood out as a great sipper during this blind taste test. I’ll have to rethink only using this for cocktails going forward and start sipping this on a rock or two.

1. Booker’s Bourbon 2021 Batch 3, “Bardstown Batch” — Taste 3

ABV: 62.75%

Average Price: $82

The Whiskey:

The whiskey in the bottle is the classic Jim Beam low-rye mash bill that’s hand-selected for its excellence. In this case, the barrels were aged for exactly six years and five months before the juice went into the bottle untouched at cask strength.

Bottom Line:

This was like drinking silk imbued with beautiful and classic bourbon notes. It was a dream to sip, even neat, in this lineup. It’s also the bottle I wanted to return to immediately. I do think Legent came close to this, but this bottle had the edge thanks to the velvet texture/mouthfeel and a little more depth in the flavor profile.

Part 3: Final Thoughts

Cards on the table, I’m not at all surprised by any of this. I’m a huge Beam stan and drink a fair amount of the juice from Clermont. I also know what I don’t touch on my whiskey shelves and that’s Old Crow and Basil Hayden’s. That 80 proof juice is just too thin for me these days.

That aside, Booker’s winning with Legent as a close second didn’t feel off either. Though, I do wonder if other Booker’s releases would have been inched out by Legent — or Knob Creek 12 — in an alternate reality blind taste test. But that’s a story for another day. Until then, if you see some Booker’s or Legent on the shelf on your next trip to the liquor store, don’t hesitate to give them a shot.

The 2022 NBA All-Star reserves were announced on Thursday night, and, as always, a few deserving players were left off due to the 12-player limit from both conferences. (Perhaps this could be avoided if they expanded the rosters to 15 players, as NBA rosters are now, from each conference, but that’s a question for another day.)

Here, we’ll take a look at some players who certainly merited consideration from the coaches for a spot on this year’s squad, and should be at the top of Adam Silver’s list for injury replacements as Draymond Green confirmed he won’t play in the February 20th exhibition and Kevin Durant may very well miss the game as well.

(Some players who deserve a shoutout for their play this season and have a case, but aren’t included below are: Clippers forward Paul George, Lakers forward Anthony Davis, one of Suns forward Mikal Bridges and Suns center DeAndre Ayton, Bucks guard Jrue Holiday, Raptors forward Pascal Siakam and Heat guard Kyle Lowry, among others.)

Dejounte Murray, San Antonio Spurs

Record wise, the Spurs are not what they have so often been for the last two decades, and that perhaps hurt Murray’s candidacy. But Murray has unquestionably blossomed into a star this year, developing into a two-way force and the best player on this iteration of the Spurs. He’s near the top of the league in both steals and deflections while maintaining his offensive efficiency despite taking on a much larger role. At 25, Murray looks to be realizing his full potential and looks like one of the best two-way guards in the league. That sounds like an All-Star — and at least Draymond Green agrees, as he stumped for Murray to take his place on the TNT broadcast.

Jaren Jackson Jr., Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant, an All-Star starter, was a lock to represent Memphis in Cleveland, earning a starter’s spot. But if the ascendent Grizzlies were to nab a second All-Star, Jackson would the choice. As a floor spacer around Morant and a growing flexible defensive presence, he’s starting to realize the unicorn potential he’d flashed in his his previous three NBA seasons. Most notably, he’s averaging a career-high in points (16.6 per game) and blocks (2.3 per game) so far this year, and is a legitimate DPOY candidate.

Jarrett Allen, Cleveland Cavaliers

Allen has been one of the most efficient players in the league this year (he’s shooting 67.8% from the field so far this season) and is the backbone of Cleveland’s top-three rated defense. For the year, the 23-year-old Allen is averaging a double-double for the first time in his career.

If Garland — a deserving All-Star in his own right because of the offensive load he’s carried for the Cavs — is the headliner for Cleveland in addition to Evan Mobley, then Allen is the connector. Not everything is built around him, but he makes everything work.

Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets

The Hornets are on the up-and-up right now, making a real push towards the top-six of the Eastern Conference as the season gets closer to the All-Star break.

Both Bridges and Ball would have worthwhile All-Star picks. Bridges is averaging 19.9 points and 7.2 rebounds per night and has been a key versatile piece as the Hornets have started to figure it out. Ball, meanwhile, is the engine that makes everything go for Charlotte on offense, averaging 19.9 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game. The Hornets’ top-five offense thrives in large part because of Ball’s ability to pass and create for others in addition to scoring on his own. From a sheer “fun” perspective, these two seem tailor made for an All-Star Game with Bridges high-flying abilities and Ball regularly throwing outrageous passes in actual NBA games.

This week hasn’t been a great one for Whoopi Goldberg, and it’s only Thursday. The View co-host kicked off the week by stirring up controversy when, during a conversation on Monday’s show, she argued that the Holocaust “isn’t about race” then went on to say that it was about “two White groups of people.” By Tuesday morning, the comedian had issued several public apologies and expressed regret about her comments. Just hours later, ABC announced that while Goldberg had apologized, they were suspending her from The View for two weeks so that she could “reflect” on her comments. (Meghan McCain had thoughts on all of this, because of course she did.) Goldberg’s co-hosts are reportedly upset about her suspension, and now fellow comedian Sarah Silverman is coming to her defense, too. Sort of.

As Mediaite reports, Silverman discussed the Whoopi situation on today’s episode of The Sarah Silverman Podcast. While Silverman said she doesn’t agree with Goldberg’s comments, she didn’t think she was being anti-Semitic. As Silverman explained:

“Even though I believe she is incorrect, she’s not anti-Semitic. It’s semantics. Like what is race? I was actually looking up the word race. It’s very ambiguous; there’s no kind of one… definition and definition has changed over centuries and stuff. It’s… words, however you want to categorize whatever. And we know that Jews are hard to categorize because we’re shapeshifting vermin that control everything.”

To further her point, Silverman explained that “as a white Jew, Jews come in all colors,” and noted that “if Jews were considered white then white nationalists like the one in Orlando this past week wouldn’t be trying to get rid of us for tainting their pure whiteness.”

Silverman—who said that while she benefits from “white privilege,” she could also “be an atheist and still be killed by anti-Semites. Meaning, it’s that I was born Jewish that makes me the enemy, not because of my beliefs. And I think that’s where there’s a gray area with like Jews as race.”

Ultimately, Silverman concluded, “it’s semantics… and I have no desire to get into that.” You can listen to the full podcast here.

(Via Mediaite)

The NBA announced its reserves for the 2022 All-Star Game on Thursday evening and, while there is always talk of “snubs” and what went wrong with the selections, it is also a time for celebration. For Toronto Raptors guard Fred VanVleet, that was very much the case, as the 27-year-old earned his first selection, earning the nod after a stellar first half of the 2021-22 season. The Raptors were set to take the floor for a home game just as the All-Star picks came down, meaning he had to focus on the task at hand, but that didn’t stop Drake from congratulating VanVleet before tipoff.

Even with fans limited, or even non-existent, at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto, Drake has been present in support of the Raptors, and that continues here. The timing also worked quite well, as the game tipped off just moments after the official announcement, and VanVleet (due to alphabetical order) was the last player named by TNT.

In addition to the franchise’s most prominent fan showing love, the Raptors have unleashed a full-fledged campaign for VanVleet, all the way down to a “Freddie All-Star” moniker on the team’s local broadcast. VanVleet has clearly earned the All-Star nod with his play, though, averaging 21.5 points and 7.0 assists per game with impressive defense and three-point shooting (39.1 percent). It is always fun to see a first-time selection rewarded, and VanVleet received quite the congratulatory welcome here.

(Spoilers for The Karate Kid spinoff Cobra Kai will be found below.)

Cobra Kai has so much fun amping up the bad guys amid the warring dojos, all while the show appeals to both younger and older generations alike. Granted, there were a few slight moments of weakness in Season 4, like when worst character Anthony LaRusso received way too much airtime and when the missing Aisha returned, but only for a few minutes. However, the show has sealed the deal by providing us with delicious villainy from sensei John Kreese, who came back a few seasons ago and reclaimed Cobra Kai from Johnny Lawrence, only to (ultimately) shoot himself in the foot by bringing The Karate Kid III‘s Terry Silver back into the mix.

In the short term, was this a good idea? Oh sure, Terry ended up rigging a tournament win for Tory (unbeknownst to Tory until afterward), which tipped the balance in favor of Cobra Kai, despite Hawk‘s triumph. Then Terry began to really play his hand, seizing the microphone and announcing a Cobra Kai expansion to set up dojos all around the Valley and surrounding areas. And then he engineered Kreese’s exit, or so it seems.

During one of the final moments of the fourth season, Silver revealed his dastardly betrayal of Kreese while declaring, “I’m shedding my weakness.” From there, we learned that Silver forced Stingray (playing sobbingly by Paul freaking Hausser) to blame Kreese for beating the holy hell out of him, when it was Silver all along. The cops showed up at Silver and Kreese’s post-tournament, fireside-and-champagne meetup and arrested Kreese for aggravated assault and attempted murder. It didn’t look good for Kreese.

Nor did it look good for Johnny, since Silver added, “And don’t worry about Lawrence. I’ll take good care of him too.”

And where does Kreese’s story go from there? He’s pretty f*cked, at least at first. Because if Silver moves against Johnny, then Daniel LaRusso and Eagle Fang/Miyagi Do groups will surely rally in his defense. Whereas Kreese’s entire existence revolves around Cobra Kai, which has now been seized from him. Silver also alludes to calling in some helpers, and it’s at least one of these people will surely be Karate Kid III antagonist Mike Barnes. Both of them were banned from the All Valley Tournament at that time, due to their antics, which included plotting a brutal takedown of Daniel.

Silver had promised Barnes a huge stake in Cobra Kai, too, so it appears that Silver’s been planning (during Season 4) to deliver the goods to Barnes. We could also see Barnes’ old pals, Snake and Dennis, along for the journey, but will there be Justice for Kreese? I see two options here where this could happen:

(1) Somebody convinces Stingray to do the right thing and tell cops that Silver’s the one who beat and left him for dead. This option feels like a long shot, but it’s possible;

(2) Tory continues to grow a conscience and, since Kreese helped her so much (and this is one of the only genuinely good things that we’ve seen him do), rallies for her true sensei and helps to prove him innocent. This option feels much more likely and could fuel Tory’s ongoing redemption. Then maybe she can build a dojo with Samantha or something. (That last part’s a joke, but I wouldn’t be mad at it.)

Too far-fetched? Well, few people believed that The Karate Kid franchise would be going strong in 2022 and beyond, so never say never.

Netflix’s ‘Cobra Kai’ is currently streaming the first four seasons on Netflix.

Draymond Green made his second appearance as an official contributor to Inside the NBA on Thursday night after inking a deal with Turner Sports last week to become the first active NBA player with a full-time TV deal, and joined the fellas from the Warriors practice court for the reveal of the 2022 NBA All-Star reserves.

At the top of the show, Charles Barkley insisted that he was going to be a reserve, because even they weren’t “cruel” enough to make him come on TV for the reveal if he wasn’t an All-Star, despite his co-hosts all saying no one knew for sure. The Chuckster was right after all, as Green’s name came up as one of the seven West reserves, which allowed them to get his live reaction. Green was thrilled to be named to the team but also made sure to quickly announce that he would not be able to play as he continues to deal with a back injury, meaning Adam Silver had at least one roster spot to fill with a replacement from the West.

After the West reserves were announced, they asked Draymond how his reaction would’ve been had he not made it and who had the worst reaction he’d seen to not getting picked, and Green couldn’t help but put Rudy Gobert on blast for crying during a 2019 interview on TNT when he was snubbed from the All-Star Game that year.

The best part is Green acknowledging that he’s going to get yelled at (again) for poking fun at Gobert for crying, and saying you’ve got to at least wait and “cry in the car” rather than on national TV. It is an incredible dynamic to have Green, an active player, on the show and so willing to engage in the same type of shenanigans as the rest of the Inside fellas, poking fun at players he’ll see on the court fairly soon. If Green wasn’t already considered a villain in Utah, he is definitely not helping his cause in Salt Lake with his comments on Thursday night.

In just a few hours, Yo Gotti’s eleventh album CM10: Free Game will be available for fans to press play on. The rapper revealed that the project will be a double-disc effort with the first side titled “Free” and the second “Game.” He’s yet to reveal the tracklist for CM10: Free Game, but we know 42 Dugg and EST Gee will appear on the list of guest features thanks to Gotti’s latest single. The trio unites for “Cold Gangsta” and with it comes a new music video.

In the visual, Yo Gotti, 42 Dugg, and EST Gee have just moved into a new neighborhood and they’ve made sure to make their presence felt with their neighbors. Yo Gotti lets his music blare and flaunts his collection of luxury cars while 42 Dugg throws some money for a cast of women at a party. Lastly, EST Gee surrounds himself with a crew of masked men to lay menacing raps outside of a mansion. The song also features each artist rapping over a different beat.

“I’m gone Finish This SH!T just how I started!!!” Gotti wrote in an announcement for CM10: Free Game last month. “Wit No Regrets, Standing on Business & Principles. Motivating All Hustlers, knowing we took da Highest Risk for a Better Outcome. To the Streets, Plugs, Fans & Consumers. I’m FOREVER GRATEFUL.”

You can press play on the video for “Cold Gangsta” above.

CM10: Free Game is out 2/4 via CMG/Inevitable II Records.

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

The 2022 NBA All-Star roster is now fully set (pending injury replacements) after the reserves were announced on Thursday night’s Inside the NBA pregame show.

A week ago we learned the starters selected from each conference, headlined by captains LeBron James and Kevin Durant who will draft teams next Thursday, February 10. The biggest surprise among the All-Star starters was Andrew Wiggins making it in the third frontcourt spot in the West, but there figured to be far more dissension regarding the reserves and who would and would not make it into the final seven spots for each conference in the coaches vote.

There were a number of worthy candidates from each position group, including a very crowded race at the East guard spot where there were guaranteed to be some snubs that would upset various fanbases. There figure to be a couple of additions to the roster before the February 20 event, as East captain Kevin Durant is currently out with a sprained MCL and Draymond Green announced on the TNT broadcast that he wouldn’t be playing in the game after he was announced as a reserve.

For now, though, here are the 14 players who will join the starters in Cleveland.

WEST RESERVES

Devin Booker
Luka Doncic
Rudy Gobert
Draymond Green
Donovan Mitchell
Chris Paul
Karl-Anthony Towns

EAST RESERVES

Jimmy Butler
Darius Garland
James Harden
Zach LaVine
Khris Middleton
Jayson Tatum
Fred VanVleet

Those 14 players will be drafted next week after the starters (listed below) are selected by James and Durant, likewise on Inside the NBA.

Kevin Durant (captain)
LeBron James (captain)
Nikola Jokic
Andrew Wiggins
Stephen Curry
Ja Morant
Giannis Antetokounmpo
Joel Embiid
DeMar DeRozan
Trae Young

Few people have as profound an effect on a child’s life as a teacher does. Most of us have educators who stand out in our memories for the way they taught us, encouraged us, challenged us or nurtured us. The powerful impact of a good teacher is priceless, which is why a surprise reunion between “Abbott Elementary” creator Quinta Brunson and her sixth-grade teacher, Ms. Abbott, is giving people all the warm-hearted feelings.

“Abbott Elementary” is an ABC mockumentary sitcom that debuted in December and has been getting rave reviews. It follows the daily life of teachers, administrators and students in a Philadelphia public school. People are loving it—especially teachers.

Jimmy Kimmel brought the show’s creator Quinta Brunson onto his late-night show for an interview, and as they got chatting he pointed out that “Abbott Elementary” was named after a former teacher of Brunson’s—Ms. Abbott from sixth grade. And when she showed up on a huge screen behind them, Brunson almost immediately started crying.

The joyful exchange they had was sweet, but it also illustrated how incredible teachers can be. Educators who have been in the classroom for a whole career have taught hundreds, if not thousands, of kids, and yet they can so often remember details about individual students who came through their classroom.

Watch:

Jimmy surprises @QuintaBrunson with the 6th grade teacher she named #AbbottElementary after! pic.twitter.com/Z7vZXanZqL

— Jimmy Kimmel Live (@Jimmy Kimmel Live)
1643780760

The first thing Ms. Abbott said was, “I’m so proud of you!” Of course. Not only did Ms. Abbott remember Quinta Brunson, but she gave details about what kind of student she was.

“When she came into my class, she was really shy, timid,” Abbott said. But she challenged her students and built up their confidence, and Brunson blossomed and “came out of her shell” during that school year.

Ms. Abbott told Kimmel that she was preparing to retire after teaching for nearly 30 years, and Kimmel surprised her with a special gift—an all-expenses paid, first-class, 5-day trip for two.

“You don’t have to take Quinta with you, but she kind of did name the show after you,” Kimmel joked.

As a teacher, seeing your students grow up to succeed in whatever they put their mind and heart into is rewarding enough. But every teacher who dedicates themselves to their students deserves this kind of extra gift as a thank-you for the work and the care they put into helping students grow and learn. And having an entire TV show named after you? That’s just icing on the cake.

Congratulations to Quinta Brunson on the success of “Abbott Elementary” and to Ms. Abbott for the deserved recognition she’s received from it. Teachers are heroes who should be highlighted like this more often, so seeing this joyful reunion and celebration is lovely to see.