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At the 2020 Grammy Awards, Lil Nas X was nominated for six awards and he ended up winning a couple, taking home the prizes for Best Pop Duo/Group Performance and Best Music Video (both for “Old Town Road”). Of the four losses, the one that hurt him the most was Record Of The Year, which went to “Bad Guy” by Billie Eilish (who notably won all four major Grammys that year) instead of his own “Old Town Road.” In a new cover story for British GQ Style, the rapper admits that initially, he was jealous of Eilish for her win and thought it wasn’t “fair” that his record-breaking single didn’t get the award.

He said that as Eilish accepted the award, he thought, “Damn, but how? I have the biggest song. That isn’t fair.” Months later while in lockdown, though, he reflected on that evening and found a different point of view. He said, “I put all that energy I was feeling onto her. It became jealousy that wasn’t warranted. You have the longest-running number one song, why the f*ck are you jealous about this award? We are already so blessed. Even if you don’t have these things, you’re here. You’re still alive. You exist. You shouldn’t have any reason to be jealous.”

Read the full feature here.

Cardi B is an example of the “pull yourself up by your bootstraps” facet of the American dream that many conservatives preach. Through hard work and dedication, Cardi went from side-hustling as a stripper to becoming one of the biggest celebrities of our time. But despite her self-made status, her sexually-liberated persona is apparently enough to piss people off.

From Fox News hosts to right-wing commentators, conservatives love attempting to use Cardi to push their agenda and so-called culture war, and responding to their critics has recently become the rapper’s part-time job. Regardless of countless attempts to disparage her, Cardi never lets her name be slandered without putting up a fight.

Though it was released nearly a year ago, Cardi and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP” continues to dominate conservative conversations about morality, femininity, and for some reason, Dr. Seuss. But Cardi’s lasting debate with right-wingers started well before the release of her infamously raunchy video. Here’s a timeline of conservatives’ many feuds with the rapper.

January 24, 2018 — Ben Shapiro drags “Bodak Yellow”

One of the first of many incidents of Cardi becoming the source of conservative media attention happened in early 2018 after her diamond-certified track “Bodak Yellow” took off. The song was actually released the year prior, but because many women used the song’s lyrics in protest posters at the Women’s March, the track was finally put on Ben Shapiro’s radar. He analyzed the lyrics line-by-line in a cringe-worthy video and attempted to use her own lyrics against her.

January 20, 2019 — Tomi Lahren sparks a Twitter fight with Cardi

Fox News contributor and conservative political pot-stirrer Tomi Lahren decided to spark a Twitter debate with Cardi after the rapper made anti-Trump comments. Tagging Cardi in a tweet, Lahren sarcastically quipped that the rapper was the latest “genius political mind” to endorse the Democrats, but Cardi didn’t let the slight go unanswered. Cardi responded by telling Lahren she was “blinded by racism,” and that Trump’s actions were actually “destroying” the country she claims to love.

January 22, 2019 — Cardi B defends City Girls amid conservative backlash

Cardi isn’t the only female rapper to face criticism over a raunchy video. When City Girls released their viral “Twerk” video, it was instantly criticized by pearl-clutchers who couldn’t stand the fact that some women feel empowered by showing off their bodies. After a conservative questioned what the song does to “empower” women, Cardi chimed in and came to City Girls’ defense.

June 18, 2020 — Conservatives pull Cardi into a conversation about Aunt Jemima

When the Aunt Jemima brand was discontinued to to it’s proliferation of problematic racial archetypes, Cardi was somehow pulled into the conversation. One critic posed the question, “Aunt Jemima is degrading to Black women but Cardi B isn’t?” In response, Cardi stood up for herself while also speaking truth to the controversy in a since-deleted tweet. “Why you conservative Republicans always use my name to get viral tweets?” she wrote. “‘Cause how me & Aunt Jemima correlate? Aunt Jemima is degrading because it’s a symbol that implies black women are only good to be massa servant or cookin’ nanny — THATS WHY!”

July 31, 2019 — Candace Owens challenges Cardi to a debate

Conservative contributor Candace Owens has recently become one of the most vocal critics of Cardi. After the rapper showed her public support of Bernie Sanders, Owens offered her $250,000 to join her in a political debate. But Cardi had the perfect response. “Why don’t you use that 250k for a charity that will be more helpful,” she asked.

August 7, 2020 — Cardi and Megan Thee Stallion release the “WAP” video

After Cardi and Megan dropped their internet-breaking “WAP” visual, several conservative politicians thought it best to offer their less-than-nuanced takes about the video. One conservative congressional candidate from California, who said he “accidentally” heard the song, tweeted that Cardi and Megan are “what happens when children are raised without God and without a strong father figure.” He also noted that it wanted to make him “pour holy water” on his ears.

August 10, 2020 — Ben Shapiro reads the “WAP” lyrics

In the days following release of the “WAP” video, Ben Shapiro decided it was best to, like with her song “Bodak Yellow,” unpack “WAP” line-by-line. He read each lyric, infamously referring to p*ssy as “the p-word,” and calling the song “really really really vulgar.”

August 18, 2020 — “WAP” was used to promote a Republican boat party

After days of hearing right-wing criticisms of “WAP,” Cardi decided to do some trolling of her own. She stumbled across a video of a bunch of teenagers attending a Trump-supporting boat party which co-opted her track “WAP.” But Cardi expressed her disapproval after catching wind of the video. “I’m callin the fbi on this festivity,” she wrote. “They are not quarantining”

August 19, 2020 — Tucker Carlson loses it over “WAP”

Since nearly every other conservative thinker was offended by Cardi’s “WAP” video, Tucker Carlson didn’t want to be left out. Carlson absolutely lost it in a segment on his show he dedicated to the track, where he moaned about the salacious lyrics and tried to argue that it’s hurting children. “Ask yourself, above all, and ask it more than once — What is this doing to our kids?” he said. “The people pushing it are clearly trying to hurt your children. Why is nobody pushing back?”

September 7, 2020 — Candace Owens calls Cardi “illiterate”

When Cardi was able to score an interview with the then-presidential candidate Joe Biden, conservatives weren’t happy. Candace Owens, in particular, used the interview to promote her own political views. She along with calling Cardi “illiterate,” Owens said “her music and platform contributes to the disintegration of black culture and values.” But Cardi continued to assert that her no. 1 single actually proves she’s able to use her massive following to encourage young people to vote.

December 2, 2020 — Cardi takes credit for Candice Owens’ popularity

Candace Owens’ many tiffs with Cardi led the rapper to conclude that their feuds only give Owens more of a following. Explaining why she decided to join OnlyFans, Cardi said: “There are certain things that I want to get more personal on, and I don’t want to get on Instagram Live and talk about it because blogs are gonna chop it up. There’s certain people I want to curse out, but I don’t want to give them clout. For example, when me and Candace Owens got into an argument, I gave that b*tch 2 million followers.”

Jan 4, 2021 — Cardi defends shielding Kulture’s ears from “WAP”

While on an Instagram Live, Cardi was blasting her track “WAP” until she noticed that her young daughter Kulture had snuck into the room. Cardi frantically turned the song off due to its explicit nature, which apparently rubbed people the wrong way. One person asked, “So ya daughter cant listen to it but everybody else’s daughter can?” Cardi quipped back that she makes music for adults — not kids. “Parents are responsible on what their children listen too or see,” she wrote. “I’m a very sexual person but not around my child just like every other parent should be.”

March 16, 2021 — Tucker Carlson names Cardi B’s Grammys performance an attack on “American values”

If the “WAP” visual didn’t give conservatives enough to complain about, Cardi and Megan gave an equally-raunchy 2021 Grammys performance of the song. To discuss the issue, Carlson tapped infamous Cardi hater Candace Owens to break down the set. During their segment, Carlson calls the performance “sinister” and expresses his concern for children — all while repeatedly airing clips of the performance. “This is starting to me to seem like it’s not even left or right, it’s not a political issue,” he said. “This seems like an attack on American values, American traditions, and you’re actually actively trying to make children aspire to things that are grotesque.”

March 15, 2021 — Cardi was brought into a conversation about the Dr. Seuss book ban

Dr. Seuss Enterprises decided to pull six books from publishing this year due to racist imagery. Though the decision had nothing to do with rap music, Cardi was pulled into the conversation by a conservative who somehow thought that kids are being taught “WAP” in schools. Just like the Aunt Jemima controversy the year prior, Cardi was made to defend herself while also educating people on why the books were offensive in the first place. “I get it wap might be a lil vulgar but stop comparing a sensual song to books that has RACIST content,” she wrote back.

April 22, 2021 — A conservative legislator brought up Cardi on the floor of the House of Representatives

Another day, another conservative partially blaming Cardi for “the moral decline of America.” Using the rapper’s Grammys performance as an example, Wisconsin Representative Glenn Grothman complained about the FCC’s regulations. “I received complaints in my office, and rightfully so, about Cardi B and the Grammys,” he said on the floor of the House of Representatives. “They wonder why we are paying the FCC if they feel that this should be in living rooms across the nation.”

Cardi, of course, put things into perspective: “I think we all been on the edge this week since we seen police brutality back to back including watching one of the biggest case in history go down DUE to police brutality but wait ! This is wat state representative decide to talk about.”

Cardi B is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

A few weeks back, rumors began swirling that Tim Tebow and Urban Meyer could be headed towards a reunion in Jacksonville, one that would see the former Heisman Trophy winning quarterback moving to tight end. Things quieted down a bit after that news first hit the Twitterverse, but on Monday, a report indicated that Tebow is going to get a chance with the Jaguars.

Ian Rapoport and Tom Pelissero of NFL Network brought word that the two sides are closing in on a one-year deal, and while it is “a long shot” that he’ll make the 53-man roster, Tebow is going to get the opportunity to play under his old coach at the University of Florida again.

Tebow had a prolific collegiate career, but struggled to parlay that into doing too much in the NFL. His up-and-down 2011 campaign with the Denver Broncos was his only sustained stretch as a starting quarterback, and from there, he bounced around on rosters as a backup and practice squads before leaving the league altogether in 2015. Tebow attempted a baseball career within the New York Mets organization but retired earlier this year.

It is hard to believe there is not a better free agent tight end out there than Tebow, who turns 34 later this year and has never played the position before, but Meyer ostensibly values this relationship enough to give him a chance. Whether or not Tebow can do anything with this chance remains to be seen.

HBO has announced the release date for its new limited series, The White Lotus. Set in an exclusive Hawaiian resort, the series is described as a social satire from Enlightened creator Mike White and is boasting one heck of a stacked cast: Murray Bartlett (Looking), Connie Britton (Nashville), Jennifer Coolidge (2 Broke Girls), Alexandra Daddario (True Detective), Fred Hechinger (Eighth Grade), Jake Lacy (Girls), Brittany O’Grady (Little Voice), Natasha Rothwell (Insecure), Sydney Sweeney (Euphoria) and Steve Zahn (Treme).

From the official synopsis:

Among the employees at The White Lotus are the fastidious resort manager Armond (Bartlett), who, after a sudden trauma, begins a dramatic downward spiral – and the down-to-earth spa manager, Belinda (Rothwell) who gets taken on an emotional roller coaster ride by a needy guest. The vacationers include the Mossbacher family – Nicole (Britton), a successful type-A exec, who can’t help but treat her family like disobedient employees; her husband, Mark (Zahn), dealing with both an embarrassing health crisis and a terminal inferiority complex; their teenaged son, Quinn (Hechinger), a socially awkward gamer, experiencing the wonder of nature for the very first time; their daughter, Olivia (Sweeney), and her friend, Paula (O’Grady), sharp-tongued college sophomores who cast a sardonic eye on the lifestyles and belief systems of everyone around them.

According to HBO, the limited series will follow guests at the resort, but “with each passing day, a darker complexity emerges in these picture-perfect travelers, the hotel’s cheerful employees and the idyllic locale itself.”

The White Lotus premieres Sunday, June 11 on HBO and HBO Max.

I have a friend who works in film production who has all but sworn off streaming movies and newer titles in the last few years, preferring to watch physical media and 4K releases of older titles. “Everything just looks like shit now,” he says, decrying the supposedly flat lighting, the drab compositions, the homogenized cinematography of the present era.

Normally I only sort of know what he means, but watching North Hollywood I suddenly feel like I understand. Almost from the very first frames, Mikey Alfred’s feature debut hitting On Demand this Friday feels like something new. A lot of reviews don’t discuss a film’s visual style, because there’s a limited vernacular for it. It’s easier to talk about story than it is to explain why a particular image “pops” while another doesn’t. You don’t have to understand the method to notice that North Hollywood just feels different, greedy for eyeballs in way that not many films are — ostensibly it’s the work of someone who has spent a lot of time with a camera in their hands.

That someone, it seems, is 26-year-old director Mikey Alfred (along with his cinematographer Ayinde Anderson). Alfred, according to this LA Times profile, started a skate and clothing brand (Illegal Civilization) when he was 12, and went on to produce Jonah Hill’s skater coming-of-age tale, Mid90s, when he was 23. Like North Hollywood‘s protagonist, Michael, played by Ryder McLaughlin, Alfred grew up in North Hollywood with a construction worker father. Alfred’s own father had been to prison in the eighties before starting his construction business, and his mother worked in a mall before getting a job as the assistant to legendary The Kid Stays In The Picture subject, producer Robert Evans. Evans is quoted in the profile conferring on Alfred the almost unimaginably high praise, “Mikey is the first kid I knew who reminded me of me.”

North Hollywood doesn’t feel much like a Robert Evans movie but it does feel like it was made by a pro. Perhaps 26-year-old Alfred’s association with his legendarily old school “Uncle Bob” goes some way to explaining North Hollywood‘s timeless quality.

Vince Vaughn plays Mclaughlin’s dad, an old school hardass who wants his son to straighten up and go to college, when all his son wants to do is become a pro skateboarder. It’s an age-old story, this conflict between traditional father and bohemian son. But it’s also a new one, because it’s essentially Alfred’s story, and he’s barely old enough to rent a car. Alfred embraces this vintage cool, new-old aesthetic in almost every facet of North Hollywood‘s construction, from the fifties and sixties doo-wop soundtrack to the way McLaughlin’s character, Michael, goes to meet up with his best friend Adolf (Aramis Hudson) by throwing pebbles at his upstairs window — a self-conscious parody of Norman Rockwell Americana.

North Hollywood, both the film itself and the characters in it, is self-referential in that way, toying with the form and performing a half-joking pantomime of SoCal’s halcyon days, as glorified in Beach Boys songs and hot rod movies. It comes off as not derivative but authentic. After all, what is Gen Z if not self-aware and media savvy, the inheritors of 100 years of mass media video imagery before they were even born? When Michael and his friends Adolf and Jay (the excellent Nico Haraga, previously of Booksmart) meet up to goof around and chat up girls, they do it at the local drive-in during a hot rod meet up, while wearing Chuck Taylors and vintage cardigans while the girls suck milkshakes through candy-striped straws.

About those dude hangs: much has been written about various depictions of male friendship on film, from Entourage to First Cow to Superbad to Swingers, but rarely has the act of doing nothing and busting balls with the boys felt as accurate, as genuine, and as joyful as it does in the scenes between the three principals in North Hollywood — played by McLaughlin, Haraga, and Hudson. I laughed hard and cathartically, not because the characters are so clever, but precisely because they aren’t. Alfred captures perfectly the way that a group of dudes-bein’-dudes can be hilarious without any of them being particularly articulate or clever, solely through timing, familiarity, shared experiences, and repetition.

I wasn’t entirely a fan of Alfred’s last co-production and North Hollywood‘s spiritual predecessor, Mid90s, but it did have something — an authenticity of character if not of story. That special something achieves full flower in North Hollywood, where the straightforward documentary of McLaughlin and Hudson landing sweet skate tricks plainly without aid of stunt double contrasts beautifully with the manicured, choreographed and carefully composed pop art homages set at the drive-in.

True, the plot about Michael really really wanting to become a pro skater at times does wear a little thin (as do the acting abilities of the real-life pro skate dudes he keeps trying to impress). Inasmuch as North Hollywood‘s protagonist seems to embody Gen Z hustle culture, it’d be nice if he examined a little more what he’s hustling towards and why.

But then, what is adolescence if not a time when everything seems much more important than it really is? It’s true, North Hollywood‘s story isn’t quite as affecting as its style. As such, it’d be easy to label it “all style, no substance.” But when you do it well enough, style is substance, and North Hollywood is a textbook example.

‘North Hollywood’ is available for On Demand rental on May 14th. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can read more of his reviews here.

I have a friend who works in film production who has all but sworn off streaming movies and newer titles in the last few years, preferring to watch physical media and 4K releases of older titles. “Everything just looks like shit now,” he says, decrying the supposedly flat lighting, the drab compositions, the homogenized cinematography of the present era.

Normally I only sort of know what he means, but watching North Hollywood I suddenly feel like I understand. Almost from the very first frames, Mikey Alfred’s feature debut hitting On Demand this Friday feels like something new. A lot of reviews don’t discuss a film’s visual style, because there’s a limited vernacular for it. It’s easier to talk about story than it is to explain why a particular image “pops” while another doesn’t. You don’t have to understand the method to notice that North Hollywood just feels different, greedy for eyeballs in way that not many films are — ostensibly it’s the work of someone who has spent a lot of time with a camera in their hands.

That someone, it seems, is 26-year-old director Mikey Alfred (along with his cinematographer Ayinde Anderson). Alfred, according to this LA Times profile, started a skate and clothing brand (Illegal Civilization) when he was 12, and went on to produce Jonah Hill’s skater coming-of-age tale, Mid90s, when he was 23. Like North Hollywood‘s protagonist, Michael, played by Ryder McLaughlin, Alfred grew up in North Hollywood with a construction worker father. Alfred’s own father had been to prison in the eighties before starting his construction business, and his mother worked in a mall before getting a job as the assistant to legendary The Kid Stays In The Picture subject, producer Robert Evans. Evans is quoted in the profile conferring on Alfred the almost unimaginably high praise, “Mikey is the first kid I knew who reminded me of me.”

North Hollywood doesn’t feel much like a Robert Evans movie but it does feel like it was made by a pro. Perhaps 26-year-old Alfred’s association with his legendarily old school “Uncle Bob” goes some way to explaining North Hollywood‘s timeless quality.

Vince Vaughn plays Mclaughlin’s dad, an old school hardass who wants his son to straighten up and go to college, when all his son wants to do is become a pro skateboarder. It’s an age-old story, this conflict between traditional father and bohemian son. But it’s also a new one, because it’s essentially Alfred’s story, and he’s barely old enough to rent a car. Alfred embraces this vintage cool, new-old aesthetic in almost every facet of North Hollywood‘s construction, from the fifties and sixties doo-wop soundtrack to the way McLaughlin’s character, Michael, goes to meet up with his best friend Adolf (Aramis Hudson) by throwing pebbles at his upstairs window — a self-conscious parody of Norman Rockwell Americana.

North Hollywood, both the film itself and the characters in it, is self-referential in that way, toying with the form and performing a half-joking pantomime of SoCal’s halcyon days, as glorified in Beach Boys songs and hot rod movies. It comes off as not derivative but authentic. After all, what is Gen Z if not self-aware and media savvy, the inheritors of 100 years of mass media video imagery before they were even born? When Michael and his friends Adolf and Jay (the excellent Nico Haraga, previously of Booksmart) meet up to goof around and chat up girls, they do it at the local drive-in during a hot rod meet up, while wearing Chuck Taylors and vintage cardigans while the girls suck milkshakes through candy-striped straws.

About those dude hangs: much has been written about various depictions of male friendship on film, from Entourage to First Cow to Superbad to Swingers, but rarely has the act of doing nothing and busting balls with the boys felt as accurate, as genuine, and as joyful as it does in the scenes between the three principals in North Hollywood — played by McLaughlin, Haraga, and Hudson. I laughed hard and cathartically, not because the characters are so clever, but precisely because they aren’t. Alfred captures perfectly the way that a group of dudes-bein’-dudes can be hilarious without any of them being particularly articulate or clever, solely through timing, familiarity, shared experiences, and repetition.

I wasn’t entirely a fan of Alfred’s last co-production and North Hollywood‘s spiritual predecessor, Mid90s, but it did have something — an authenticity of character if not of story. That special something achieves full flower in North Hollywood, where the straightforward documentary of McLaughlin and Hudson landing sweet skate tricks plainly without aid of stunt double contrasts beautifully with the manicured, choreographed and carefully composed pop art homages set at the drive-in.

True, the plot about Michael really really wanting to become a pro skater at times does wear a little thin (as do the acting abilities of the real-life pro skate dudes he keeps trying to impress). Inasmuch as North Hollywood‘s protagonist seems to embody Gen Z hustle culture, it’d be nice if he examined a little more what he’s hustling towards and why.

But then, what is adolescence if not a time when everything seems much more important than it really is? It’s true, North Hollywood‘s story isn’t quite as affecting as its style. As such, it’d be easy to label it “all style, no substance.” But when you do it well enough, style is substance, and North Hollywood is a textbook example.

‘North Hollywood’ is available for On Demand rental on May 14th. Vince Mancini is on Twitter. You can read more of his reviews here.

In his revealing Applying Pressure: The Off-Season documentary, J. Cole breaks down the rationale behind his new album’s title, details its creation, and pursuing his basketball dreams.

From the opening scenes, in which Cole converses with 21 Savage, recalling the moment he decided to take rap seriously, the documentary provides insights into Cole’s work philosophy, such as his belief that “comfort is the enemy,” and his reactions to becoming a father.

The documentary precedes Cole’s upcoming album The Off-Season, which is due to drop this Friday after Cole took 2020 off to try to make a pro basketball roster. This week, he’ll also accomplish that dream; earlier today, famed reporter Shams Charania revealed that Cole had signed a contract for three to six games with the Rwanda Patriots of the Basketball Africa League, the joint venture between the NBA and FIBA to create a premiere international league on the continent.

While Applying Pressure also features some of Cole’s basketball ambitions, the primary focus is on his new creative process. He talks about having writer’s block, comparing rapping to playing basketball, and putting in the work on being the best player he can be.

Watch Applying Pressure: The Off-Season above.

The Off-Season is due 5/14 via Dreamville/Interscope.

Olivia Rodrigo has so far released two singles in support of her upcoming album Sour and they’ve both been top-10 hits; “Drivers License,” of course, spent an impressive eight weeks at No. 1. The album comes out later this month, but ahead of then, she will release a third new single, “Good 4 U,” which is set to drop in a few days.

She made the announcement by sharing the single art, which features a worn-looking image of her in a cheerleader outfit and long black leather gloves, standing next to a trophy in a hallway lined with lockers. In her Instagram caption, she revealed the song is set for release this Friday, and the next day, she will give the track its live debut on Saturday Night Live.

Although this is the first official news about the song, especially observant fans may have seen this one coming. In a “Deja Vu” promotional image Rodrigo shared on March 31, she stands in front of an ice cream truck that says on the side, “deja vu ice cream is good 4 u.” Then, on April 26, she shared a photo of herself in the same outfit as on the “Good 4 U” art, but only showing her torso and legs. In the image, she stands next to a locker that is numbered 514 and that sports a combination dial with a big 6 on it, alluding to the sixth track of Rodrigo’s upcoming album having a release date of May 14 (5/14).

Sour is out 5/21 via Geffen Records. Pre-order it here.

Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck only dated for two years, but they packed a lot of headlines into those two years. There was the perfect celebrity couple nickname, Bennifer; there was Gigli, a high-profile bomb that deserves a Hearts of Darkness-style documentary; there was the “Jenny on the Black” music video; and there was the engagement and, a few months later, the subsequent break-up.

It was the stuff of tabloid dreams, and like everything from the early 2000s, it’s back: Lopez and Affleck are reportedly seeing each other again.

“After the stars appeared separately at the VAX LIVE concert in Los Angeles on Sunday, May 2, they jetted off together to the Yellowstone Club in Montana, where they vacationed together for about a week,” according to E! News. The pair, who a source said were “spotted alone,” realized “their chemistry cannot be denied.”

“They have been in touch here and there throughout the years,” a second source close to Jennifer told E! News, noting the duo reunited after she returned from filming in the Dominican Republic. “Ben reached out to her to see how she was doing and they had dinner together a few times within this last month. It’s natural between them and the chemistry is unreal. They picked up where they last left off and are enjoying each other’s company right now.”

If this story ends with Alex Rodriguez (her ex-boyfriend) and Ana de Armas (his ex-girlfriend) dating, I’m going to be very angry. And confused.

But for now, I’m enjoying the jokes.

(Via E! News)

The Los Angeles Lakers have struggled this year relative to their preseason expectations, which probably isn’t a huge surprise considering they had a short offseason because of their lengthy stay in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble. They aren’t totally in shambles or anything — the Lakers sit 38-30 on the year despite both Anthony Davis and LeBron James missing major chunks of time due to injuries — but as of right now, it’s likely that L.A. will get the 7-seed and have to participate in the Western Conference play-in tournament.

James has made clear that he’s not a particularly big fan of this, saying the person who came up with the tournament should be fired, but his All-Star teammate in the purple and gold has a different approach. Davis met with the media on Sunday night after the Lakers took down the Phoenix Suns and made clear that he enjoys having to navigate choppy waters.

“It’s been fun, to be honest,” Davis said, per Dave McMenamin of ESPN. “We were a great team last year, and this is the first time since I’ve been here that we ran into a challenge. This is a different challenge for us.”

Davis has responded to this challenge admirably in recent games. While it took him a little to find his form after missing two months with an achilles issue, Davis has had double-doubles in each of the last two games, only the second time this year he’s reached that benchmark in back-to-back contests. He was especially good against Phoenix, going for 42 points, 12 rebounds, five assists, three steals, and three blocks in a 13-point win over a team that the Lakers very well might face in the first round of the postseason.