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It’s been a weird week for the Sacramento Kings. Head coach Alvin Gentry was absolutely irate about an officiating decision during Tuesday’s loss to the Los Angeles Lakers and, the next night, the Kings lost at home to the Atlanta Hawks without Trae Young. Neither of those things rose to the bizarre level of an NBA announcement on Thursday evening, though, as the league handed down a $50,000 fine to the Kings organization for “violating league rules prohibiting team owners and executives from interacting with scorer’s table personnel during game play.”

At first blush, one might assume the incident took place amid the strange ending to the Lakers game, but it actually occurred a few days earlier on Jan. 2 in a win over the Miami Heat. According to the NBA’s release, Kings assistant general manager Wes Wilcox “left his seat to confront operations personnel at the scorer’s table about their handling of a clock procedure during a jump ball.” The incident happened in the early portion of the third quarter in what became a 115-113 win for Sacramento, and Wilcox earned a $15,000 individual fine on top of the team sanction.

Amusingly, the NBA’s announcement made sure to note that “the clock procedure at issue was, in fact, administered correctly by the shot clock operator.” In the grand scheme, this isn’t a large fine for the team by any means and, while Wilcox’s individual $15,000 fine might sting more, he has been a high-level executive for several years, including a multi-year stint as the general manager of the Hawks. Overall, though, this is one of those press releases that will make many turn their heads, and the fact that the Kings were involved brings a certain “chef’s kiss” element to the proceedings.

A woman is suing a concert venue after she says she was injured at a 2019 Harry Styles concert. According to TMZ, who obtained documents from the lawsuit, the unnamed woman says she went to the December 2019 album release party for Harry Styles’ sophomore album Fine Line. The event took place at The Forum in Los Angeles, and she says she was pushed to the ground during the show after a huge crowd of attendees surged towards the stage. The woman says she sustained serious injuries after other people crushed her body while she laid on the ground.

Styles himself is not named in the lawsuit, but the woman is suing The Forum, show promoters, and ticketing services which include Live Nation, Stubhub, and Ticketmaster. In her lawsuit, she claims that the venue, its promoters, and ticketing services failed to provide adequate seating, lighting, services, supervision, and crowd control that night. She adds that concertgoers in front of the stage were put in harm’s way as a result of the crowd surge.

It’s unknown how much the fan is suing for as a result of the incident, but TMZ says that she claims her injuries are “chronic and debilitating and are diminishing her quality of life.” TMZ reached out to Madison Square Garden Company, which owned The Forum at the time, for a comment on the matter and a spokesperson says they recently received the woman’s complaint and are now looking into the incident.

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Blockbusted

Writer, podcaster, and author of Down City: A Daughter’s Story of Love, Memory, and Murder, Leah Carroll joins Matt & Vince to talk about Vince’s favorite episode of The Sopranos, season 6a episode 8, “Johnny Cakes.”

Leah is a uniquely qualified guest, as she has a personal connection to an actual Rhode Island mob figure named Nicky Bianco, who introduced her to arugula. That’s the new bar. You cannot be a guest on PYAG unless you have been fed by an actual made guy. If a Gotti made you leek soup, hit us up. If not, just keep enjoying the slop we’re shoveling in your bowl, piggy.

In a bit of a reversal, the Soprano crime family’s most notorious bottom, Vito, is introduced to the titular Rhode Island delicacy by a volunteer firefighter beefcake named Johnny. Vito can receive what Johnny’s feeding him, but can he receive the love and affection he craves? As noted on the pod, this show was made for the modern cynical misanthrope, so don’t count on love setting anyone free.

While Vito is trying to find himself in New Hampshire, our favorite failson, AJ Soprano, is in New Jersey doing the same. Working at Blockbuster has its perks. He had an opportunity study knife fights in movies and utilize the techniques in an assassination attempt on Uncle Junior. But, AJ being AJ, he fumbles the blade before he has a chance to avenge his father. AJ is good guy, in that he is too soft and incompetent to kill someone. Poor guy never even had a chance (to gain his father’s approval through murder).

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-Description by Brent Flyberg.

A week from now, the world will be preparing to press play on Cordae’s sophomore album From A Birds Eye View. It’ll be the DMV rapper’s first full-length release since his 2019 Grammy-nominated debut The Lost Boy. To keep the anticipation and excitement high for his upcoming album, Cordae returns with a sick freestyle over Kendrick Lamar’s 2017 single, “The Heart Part 4.” Cordae drops his take of the song, aptly titled “FABEV Freestyle,” with an accompanying video that finds him enjoying a trip to Paris.

The freestyle itself is an introspective effort as Cordae reflects on his rise to fame in rap. He speaks about once being unsure if he would find success in hip-hop to working with Mos Def in the studio. It’s moments like these that Cordae is grateful for and ones that push him to continuously improve as an artist.

Cordae has yet to reveal to full tracklist for From A Birds Eye View. So far we know the project will be 14 songs and include previously released singles “Super,” “Sinister” with Lil Wayne, and “Gifted” with Roddy Ricch.

You can listen to the freestyle in the video above.

From A Birds Eye View is out 1/14 via Art@War/Atlantic. Pre-save it here.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

One year after the Jan. 6 insurrection, let’s just say that things haven’t worked out well for the QAnon Shaman (real name Jacob Chansley). The freedom-loving dude who posed on the Senate floor while wearing a “Chewbacca Bikini” outfit claimed to have saved the muffins, and all he got for his trouble was a 41-month prison sentence. He’s not only angry that the media made him the face of the insurrection, but he’s also appealing the outcome of his guilty plea. Meanwhile, his attorney who took an unorthodox approach (to say the very least) is again talking about what happened.

Albert Watkins famously attempted to gain leniency for the Shaman by claiming that Trump “groomed” the MAGAs to be rabid conspiracy theorists. Watkins also (via Talking Points Memo) characterized the rioters as “people with brain damage, they’re f*cking r***rded, they’re on the goddamn spectrum.” He also claimed, “[T]hey’re all f*cking short-bus people.” Yikes. Now Watkins is now saying that he has no apologies for his quoted words, via Raw Story, because he believes that this helped his client:

“All it took was one carefully crafted, vulgar, inappropriate quote, well placed for maximum disclosure, to garner within 24 hours mental health care that my client needed, a psych evaluation ordered by the court, and steps of immediate measures to be taken to save my client from the proverbial mental abyss. Once it became clear what I was doing and once the diagnosis of [Chansley] was reconfirmed in 2021, and once the explanation for the basis of doing it came out, I garnered a remarkable amount of support from the very individuals who wanted to string me up by my nether regions.”

Well, the guy has a way with words, and it’s not a great one. And it’s kind-of questionable for Watkins to claim that his “vulgar, inappropriate” description is what led Chansley to receive a psych eval. We’ll probably never know whether or not that’s the case, but one can guess that Watkins’ “defense” tactic certainly didn’t win the Shaman many favors with the court. After all, he didn’t receive credit for time served when a judge handed him 41 months behind bars.

(Via Raw Story)

The end of the 2021 NFL season is upon us with the league’s first-ever Week 18 slate. As usual, the final weekend of the regular season is a mess with regard to teams taking it easy with starters, fully packing it in or, in some cases, competing to the end with important matchups. Before we roll through Week 18, though, Week 17 ended up being relatively positive in this space, though the news (and player availability fallout) broke against us in multiple games. Still, we press on with a quality season-long output, and we’ll try to keep it going.

Now, a quick glance at the 17-week progress before getting to the five-pack of selections.

• Last Week: 3-2
• 2021 Season: 48-36-1

Come get these winners.

Denver Broncos (+11.5) over Kansas City Chiefs

It’s extremely difficult to handicap Week 18, simply because of all the scenarios in play. This is a game that pits one team (Kansas City) that has incentive to win for playoff seeding and another (Denver) that is playing for nothing. As such, this line is a couple of points higher than it should be for a game in the Mile High City. The Broncos aren’t fantastic on offense by any stretch, but there is no indication that Denver won’t give effort, and professionals are professionals that need to put quality play on tape. Give me the points.

Detroit Lions (+4) over Green Bay Packers

I have to be honest. I’m going to despise this play if Tim Boyle is the quarterback for Detroit. Alas, it seems like Jared Goff should be ready to go on Sunday, and the Lions have been very frisky down the stretch of the season. More importantly, the Packers aren’t playing Aaron Rodgers in this game, and I would give Green Bay a power rating at least a touchdown lower with Jordan Love. Moreover, Green Bay isn’t likely to press hard at other positions. It’s also a play on the number, and four is enough for Detroit at home.

Miami Dolphins (+6.5) over New England Patriots

This is similar to the first game, with the Patriots needing to win and the Dolphins having nothing to play for. That clearly swung the line at least a field goal in New England’s favor, and that is a pretty significant overreaction. There isn’t a power rating in the world that can get you to Miami being almost a touchdown underdog at home here, and we’ll hope for the Dolphins to play for pride.

Atlanta Falcons (+4) over New Orleans Saints

Oh look, a game with one team needing to win and the other eliminated from contention. The themes are the same and, in this case, New Orleans doesn’t have a trustworthy offense and this is a rivalry game. I know there aren’t too many true rivalries in the NFL, but the Falcons aren’t going to pack it in against the Saints, and this number should be Saints -1.5 if that.

Las Vegas Raiders (+3) over Los Angeles Chargers

This is the Sunday night game for a reason, with real stakes on both sides. Normally, I like to fade the Chargers in Los Angeles, but this number is out of whack. The Raiders are undervalued in getting a full field goal at home, and the world will be playing catch-up on the Chargers by kickoff. Give me Las Vegas.

Donald Trump already made his incredibly angry thoughts known about how President Joe Biden marked the one-year anniversary of the January 6 attack with a fiery speech. In this address, Biden accurately stated that an insurrectionist siege (in which MAGA diehards rioted because they wanted the Senate to refuse to certify Biden’s 2020 election win) on the U.S. Capitol included violent attacks on cops and people “literally defecating in the hallways,” arguably at the behest of “a defeated former president.”

Multiple far-right congresspeople marked January 6 by insisting that they are “ashamed of nothing” regarding the siege, and Lindsey Graham is apparently hopping on a nearby train. In a whiny tweet, Graham complained that Biden was committing a “brazen politicization of January 6.” He added, “I wonder if the Taliban who now rule Afghanistan with al-Qaeda elements present, contrary to President Biden’s beliefs, are allowing this speech to be carried?”

Oh boy. Multiple deaths transpired as a result of the failed MAGA coup, which Trump reportedly loved so much that he rewound the footage so that he could watch it twice. Yet Graham seems to be falling back into lockstep with Trump, who accused Democrats of “lies and polarizations.” And yes, that’s very strange, considering that Trump instructed his MAGA crowd to “fight like hell” during his “Stop the Steal” rally. As CNN is pointing out, “Words fail” to express how bizarre it is for Graham to suggest that the insurrection itself wasn’t political, and Jake Tapper hit the Twitter button to point out that Graham also reportedly asked the Georgia secretary of state to “try to throw away ballots.”

On that same note, people can’t believe that Graham seems to believe that the far-right’s failed coup, which meant to overthrow democracy, somehow was not political.

Finally, lookie here. Famed Trump MAGA fans want Graham to “stay away from President Trump.” They added, “Lindsey Graham is nothing but a snake in the grass!”

Disclaimer: While all of the products recommended here were chosen independently by our editorial staff, Uproxx may receive payment to direct readers to certain retail vendors who are offering these products for purchase.

Welcome to SNX DLX, our weekly roundup of the best sneakers to hit the market. This is a big day for SNX — no, we don’t have an ultra dope release to get hyped up about, there isn’t a super rare collaboration scheduled this week that is guaranteed to crash the Nike servers or get the internet talking, but it IS the first week of 2022. Meaning that it’s the start of a brand new year of sneaker drops.

Two years ago it was the year of the Dunks, last year was the year of the Jordan 1, what 2022 brings we can only guess but we’re psyched nonetheless. Considering this week’s sneaker output, our excitement for this year is just about all we’ve got. Your Apple Watch might read 2022 but you wouldn’t know it looking at this week’s drops, because it seems like the big brands are still out on vacation and all we’re getting are the leftovers from the previous year.

Save for a handful of releases, this week is looking even duller than the final two weeks of 2021. It’s not a major issue since this week’s highlights are still pretty fire, but we’re hoping we have a more substantial list next week. This time around we’re going to have to keep the list light, let’s dive in!

Nike ACG Air Mowabb Trails End Brown

Part ‘90s design, part hiking sneaker of the future, the Air Mowabb is one of Tinker Hatfield’s most underappreciated designs. It’s not as sleek as the Jordan 4, or as futuristic as the Air Max 90, the Air Mowabb favors functionality over fashion.

Featuring an inner bootie housed by a premium reinforced upper, the Air Mowabb is designed with durability in mind and features a stretch collar and enhanced comfortability by way of an extra soft foam midsole. This week’s Mowabb is part of Nike’s performance-focused ACG imprint and drops in an earthy yet flashy colorway that combines Trails End Brown with Prism Violet.

The Nike ACG Air Mowabb Trails End Brown is out now for a retail price of $160. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app.

Louis Vuitton LV Trainer

Okay, admittedly this is more a curiosity or a conversation piece than it is a shoe that we actually think you should purchase, but as we said, it’s a slow week and this is definitely one of the most interesting pairs of sneakers to drop this week.

The LV Trainer is adorned with tiny crystals of varying color across the sneaker’s entire upper and requires seven hours of stitching to put together. The double sneaker drop is available in two colorways, a blue, pink, and purple rendition, or a louder electric yellow, black and grey scheme with both colorways featuring monogram branding on the outsole and LV branding at the midfoot.

The Louis Vuitton LV Trainer pack is out now for a retail price of, wait for it… $5350 for the pink, blue and purple pair, and an even $6000 for the yellow. Pick up a pair at the Louis Vuitton website.

Adidas Ozealia

If you’re looking for a running sneaker that captures the vibe of what Yeezy brand gives you without having to worry about ruining a $300 pair of sneakers, the Ozealia captures some of the magic of the Yeezy 700 at about half the price. Featuring a chunky ‘90s inspired design, the Ozealia sports Adiprene shock-absorbent cushioning, a fully synthetic upper made from 50% recycled content, and reflective details through the snug fit silhouette.

The Adidas Ozealia is out now in a variety of colors for a retail price of $100. Pick up a pair at the Adidas webstore.

Nike Air Jordan 13 Court Purple

This week the Air Jordan 13 finally gets the Court Purple treatment. This colorway is no stranger to the Jordan lineage, it’s shown up on various models throughout the 26 shoe family, but strangely it hasn’t appeared on a 13 until now. Featuring a mix of black textiles with suede overlays of deep violet, this colorway exudes luxury and royalty.

Rounding out the design is a classic cat-eye hologram at the collar, a wrapped midsole, and reflective details throughout.

The Air Jordan 13 in Court Purple is set to drop on January 8th for a retail price of $190. Pick up a pair via the Nike SNKRS app or on aftermarket sites like GOAT and Flight Club.

White Mountaineering x Mizuno Wave Prophecy 10

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We have White Mountaineering founder Yosuke Aizawa to thank for giving us our first dope sneaker release of 2022! Made in collaboration with Mizuno, the Wave Prophecy 10 features a stealthy design with a hallow but chunky midsole and minimal graphic work across the midfoot.

Rounding out the design are a few reflective accents, White Mountaineering’s plastic branded heel caps, and a speckled midsole meant to mimic snow.

The White Mountaineering x Mizuno Wave Prophecy 10 is set to drop on January 8th for a retail price of $260. Pick up a pair via the White Mountaineering website.

New Balance 550 Burgundy/Blue

Released exclusively through Spanish retailer Foot District, this beautiful burgundy and white New Balance 550 drops in a full-size run and features a lightweight leather upper in white with rich collar panels with baby blue accents highlighting the N logo and 550 silhouette number.

It’s not flashy or accompanied by a famous name, but it doesn’t need to be, it’s a simple colorway on one of New Balance’s best silhouettes of all time.

The New Balance 550 Burgundy/Blue is set to drop on January 8th at Foot District and aftermarket sites like Flight Club for a retail price of $120.

Extra Butter x Saucony Shadow 6000 White Rabbit

The major collaborations are few and far between this week, but luckily we still have this dope team-up between Saucony and New York’s Extra Butter. The Shadow 6000 White Rabbit features a mixed leather and suede upper with triangular lugs, alternating red and blue accents, and a soft cushioning system.

The sneaker drops in a swirling psychedelic box with intricate mushroom graphics.

The Extra Butter x Saucony Shadow 600 is out now for a retail price of $130. Pick up a pair via the Extra Butter webstore.

*Omicron is spreading in Brazil but the state has not made changes to its travel policies since December 11, 2021. Travelers are encouraged to respect local and national advisories and consider this a guide for future travel planning.

With Omicron racing around the globe, the idea of international travel seems unlikely for the time being. But that doesn’t mean you can’t plan adventures — like traveling to one of the greatest cities on earth. For Below Deck’s Eddie Lucas case, that means the beachy, cultured megalopolis of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

In addition to serving in his new role as First Officer in the latest season of Below Deck– set in the beautiful tropical waters of St. Kitts — Lucas has a background in paddling, skiing, and scuba diving, and has worked as the first mate on a four-man tugboat crew, so he’s no stranger to life’s most beautiful and breathtaking locales. When we hit him up for a travel guide of his favorite city on earth, he wanted to go with one he appreciates deeply, and knows intimately. Rio was his immediate pick.

Check out Eddie Lucas’ guide to all the best food, drinks, sights, and things to do in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil below and catch Below Deck on Bravo and Peacock every Monday night to help satiate your wanderlust.

Best time of the year for a trip to Rio?

Early March

Best time to visit is the end of February early March, right around when Carnival is. It’s not just in Rio but all over the country people are partying and celebrating for weeks, it’s an amazing time to be in Brazil.

Where is your favorite beach that gives you that Brazilian experience, and why?

Impanema

For the Brazilian experience, I would definitely go with Ipanema. It is a wild and bustling beach where vendors are selling fresh caipirinhas and other street food. Just keep an eye on your valuables. The most beautiful beach would be Joatinga beach — which is a little hidden gem in Rio — but you have to know how to get there.

From a good breakfast spot to the perfect morning activity, what is the best way to start off your day in Rio?

Breakfast at BB Lanches

The best way would be to go to my favorite breakfast spot, BB Lanches in Leblon. Get some fresh juice, they have every juice you can imagine, mine is maracujá com mamão, and then grab a fresh pastel and head to the beach.

Where is the best bar or club in Rio?

Academia Da Cachaça

I don’t really go to clubs anymore, but my favorite bar would be Academia da Cachaça. They have an extensive list of cachaça, and the best garotinho which is a small perfectly poured tap beer. If you are looking for a fun night try out Lapa, it’s a great neighborhood to go to with tons of bars and lots of places to dance forro.

The first time I went to Brazil I actually took forro lessons — it’s one of my favorite things to do while I’m down there.

What district or part of the city is a must-visit in Rio and why?

Santa Teresa/ Bar Do Mineiro

Obviously, Christ the Redeemer and the Sugar Loaf. But aside from the obvious must-see tourist attractions, visiting the diverse neighborhoods the city has to offer is a must. Going to Santa Teresa, which is one of the oldest neighborhoods, you are able to experience the well-kept architectural beauty of the city’s heritage. Don’t miss out on this restaurant called Bar do Mineiro while you’re up there and order the feijoada croquetes (I am a foodie!).

Additionally, to experience some samba, go to the downtown city center. You can sit at any bar on the strip and listen to some samba or even dance it yourself if you are courageous enough because Brazilians know how to move their legs! Pedra do Sal and Largo de Sao Francisco da Prainha are my favorite spots to do that.

What’s your favorite dinner or after-hours snack spot in Rio?

Sushi Leblon/ Rio Lisboa

My favorite restaurant has to be Sushi Leblon. The ambiance is intimate and upbeat at the same time. Absolutely anything you order is so fresh and what differs itself is the quality and creativity in which the dishes are made. Must-try items are the quail eggs nigiri, salmon topped with crispy quinoa flakes, and tuna tartar with caipira yolk.

For a late-night snack, my go-to is the 24hr bakery called Rio Lisboa also located in Leblon (since it’s where my GF lives). You can buy cookies, bread or sit at the counter and order anything you want! But if you want to be a local, you have to order the “pão francês com ovo mexido e polenguinho” which is a French roll with scrambled eggs and a Brazilian cream cheese. They smash it like a panini and it hits the spot at a late night out!

Best place to grab a coffee?

Talho Capixaba

My favorite coffee spot would be Talho Capixaba. It’s a great spot to get a Brazilian espresso and a little sweet treat.

Where is the best hiking spot or place to enjoy the nature and surroundings of Rio De Janeiro?

Ilha Grande

I haven’t done too much hiking around Rio, but I have hiked just south of Rio in Ilha Grande. It is a beautiful small island with no cars and almost completely covered by rain forest. It’s my favorite place to get away from the wildness of the city.

What is your favorite thing to do in Rio?

Go to the beach! Eat food, drink beer!

The people in Rio are very enchanting, their warm and happy demeanor makes any tourist feel loved and want to drop their lives and open a coconut stand at the beach, which I have thought about myself since going to the beach is by far my favorite thing to do in Rio.

Waking up and walking through the Portuguese mosaic pavements, known as “calçadas portuguesas,” passing by massive intricate trees with their roots bulging off and lifting the ground, it feels like you are in this mix of tropical rainforest intertwined with urban life. Any beach in Rio is so special because it is accessible for everyone. You can play volleyball at the beach or lay your beach towel on the sand and relax as vendors walk by to sell food and booze (that is where you will find me!)

Don’t miss out on the caipirinhas, Globo biscuits, and the coalho cheese while you are there!

Britney Spears is clearly enjoying her newfound freedom after being released from the terms of her long-running conservatorship, enjoying her first glass of red wine and airing out her family’s last decade of dirty laundry. She’s also, apparently, enjoying pushing new boundaries now that those old ones have been removed — namely, in this case, the terms of Instagram’s explicit content policy. Spears’ latest post, captioned “Free woman energy has never felt better,” finds the pop star baring it all in a pair of nude mirror selfies, using some strategically placed heart and flower emojis to obscure her bits.

Spears’ social media has offered a font of insight into her mindset as she explores her autonomy; in one recent post, she wrote, “I just realized this today guys … after what my family tried to do to me three years ago. I needed to be my own cheerleader [shrugging emoji] !!!! God knows they weren’t… I’m not auditioning for anything !!!! I’m reminding myself and the world of who I am !!!! Yes … I will be my own cheerleader.” She also teased that a new song was “in the works” and unfollowed her younger sister Jamie Lynn to start the new year.

This isn’t the first time the singer has posted risque content to the ‘gram. Last summer, she posted another set of nude photos with similar emoji adornments to celebrate her vacation with partner Sam Asghari.