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It might be years before we understand all the implications of the blockbuster trade that sent James Harden to the Nets this week. The move reunites him with his old Thunder teammate Kevin Durant, and it brings a dramatic end to a Rockets tenure that has seen its fair share of highs and lows.

Houston can breathe a sigh of relief now that the turmoil and uncertainty has been lifted and they can turn their attention to figuring out how their disparate pieces fit together and what the future might hold for this roster. For Harden and the Nets, anything less than a championship will be viewed as a major disappointment.

There are, however, more minor concerns on the horizon as Harden embarks on his new journey in Brooklyn, but concerns nonetheless. We’re talking, of course, about the question of his jersey number, which is currently occupied by Landry Shamet. To be clear, it’s pretty much a foregone conclusion that Shamet would surrender his number to Harden, but not without a little friendly convincing from the latter.

Harden took it upon himself to make the opening volley.

Landry Shamet might have to find a new number

(via @JHarden13) pic.twitter.com/xwZHhCy9B0

— Bleacher Report NBA (@BR_NBA) January 15, 2021

He later sweetened the pot a little, which appeared to get Shamet’s attention.

Amazing @landryshamet @JHarden13 pic.twitter.com/Y64eXTpoHe

— Travonne Edwards (Blk Tray) (@Travonne) January 16, 2021

It helps that Shamet is being a good sport about it. After all, it isn’t the first time he’s had to relinquish his uniform number in an act of deference to an incoming superstar.

Landry Shamet probably hates trade deadlines pic.twitter.com/AoR8bPOxT6

— ethan (@okcfanethan) January 14, 2021

But unlike the Jimmy Butler situation, it looks like Shamet will actually receive come recompense this time.

Jimmy Butler on what he gave 76ers rookie Landry Shamet in exchange for the No. 23: “A firm pat on the rear end. Got it.” He also joked that he wanted the No. 25 but “for some reason” the team wouldn’t give it to him

— Michael Lee (@MrMichaelLee) December 1, 2018

Harden’s generosity here also comes off the heels of accusations of being disrespectful to his former Rockets teammates, some of whom — namely John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins — took personally his lack of engagement on court and his comments about the team off it, accusations to which Harden balked at.

The jersey number in question, No. 13, also happens to be the name of the restaurant Harden is planning to open later this month in Houston despite his exit, the unfortunate timing of which has prompted scorned fans to preemptively pelt it with bad reviews online. Regardless, it appears Harden will be wearing the number he’s worn since his high school days when he makes his debut for the Nets this weekend.

If the past year has taught us nothing else, it’s that sending love out into the world through selfless acts of kindness can have a positive ripple effect on people and communities. People all over the United States seemed to have gotten the message — 71% of those surveyed by the World Giving Index helped a stranger in need in 2020. A nonprofit survey found 90% helped others by running errands, calling, texting and sending care packages. Many people needed a boost last year in one way or another and obliging good neighbors heeded the call over and over again — and continue to make a positive impact through their actions in this new year.

Upworthy and P&G Good Everyday wanted to help keep kindness going strong, so they partnered up to create the Lead with Love Fund. The fund awards do-gooders in communities around the country with grants to help them continue on with their unique missions. Hundreds of nominations came pouring in and five winners were selected based on three criteria: the impact of action, uniqueness, and “Upworthy-ness” of their story.

Here’s a look at the five winners:

Edith Ornelas, co-creator of Mariposas Collective in Memphis, Tenn.

Edith Ornelas has a deep-rooted connection to the asylum-seeking immigrant families she brings food and supplies to families in Memphis, Tenn. She was born in Jalisco, Mexico, and immigrated to the United States when she was 7 years old with her parents and sister. Edith grew up in Chicago, then moved to Memphis in 2016, where she quickly realized how few community programs existed for immigrants. Two years later, she helped create Mariposas Collective, which initially aimed to help families who had just been released from detention centers and were seeking asylum. The collective started out small but has since grown to approximately 400 volunteers.

In 2020, Mariposas shifted gears somewhat to help immigrants in the community who have lost their job or income stream due to the pandemic. The volunteers bring food and other essential supplies to families’ homes, but Edith often lingers beyond the initial drop off, providing a sympathetic ear for families dealing with high levels of stress. Her patience and genuine concern inspires other Latinx people to come into the Mariposas circle and become community leaders, which in turn is making Memphis a more welcoming place for immigrants.

Tom Dittl, a first-grade teacher in Wisconsin

Like most teachers in 2020, Tom Dittl had to find fun, creative ways to navigate the challenges of teaching his students virtually. And he took it to the next level. Recently, Dittl made a music video of Jack Johnson’s song “Upside Down” while dressed up as The Man in the Yellow Hat — a character from Curious George children’s stories — to cheer up his students who’ve been cooped up at home. But the song also had a deeper purpose: He hoped it would inspire them to be kind to one another and spread that kindness around their communities.

In the video, he tells his students that you can always be kind, even when you’re going through something tough. In response, many of them made “kindness rocks” and put them all over their neighborhoods as reminders for others to be kind.

Teachers have had one of the toughest jobs last year (not to mention every year). When a teacher like Mr. Dittl makes such a noticeable impact on his students, despite the obstacles and distractions of 2020, it’s unequivocally a win.

Nikki and Jonathan Romain, creators of the Art Inc. Center in Peoria, Ill.

Arts education is so often overlooked, even though it can be a pathway to creative thinking, personal growth and a successful future. It’s typically the first thing to go in lower-income public school curriculums, which leaves inner-city youth without an artistic outlet, or at least one that’s professionally guided. So Nikki and Jonathan Romain decided to open up another artistic avenue for the inner-city youth of Peoria, Ill., in the form of an art center called Art Inc.

The Center provides space and tools for the entire community to have an experiential arts education. Nikki and Jonathan also offer support and structure for young people to try their hand at various forms of artistic expression and pursue higher education goals. Nikki is the Executive Director and handles most of the business of the nonprofit, whereas Jonathan, using his professional artist expertise, runs development of the art and culture programs. He also serves as a counselor for youth who may be struggling to find their way. Together, they’ve made Art Inc. a haven for all community members and a place where art is always valued.

Kari Harbath, ‘involuntary expert in grief’ in Utah

Kari Harbath is no stranger to hardship and suffering. In April 2019, due to pregnancy complications, she gave birth to a daughter who is deaf, blind and has CHARGE syndrome, a rare disorder that affects multiple organ systems in the body. If that weren’t challenging enough, the following September, Kari lost her mother, and then this past June, she lost her husband of 13 years.

Yet somehow, after a year of unimaginable loss, Kari has managed to carry on with life and the care of her daughter, Sloan. In fact, she’s taken what she’s learned through her experience with grief and uses it to support others dealing with similar hardships. She’s willing to return to that uncomfortable place over and over again just so she can help someone else climb out of it. Kari is available as a resource for anyone who’s struggling or caring for someone who has disabilities and may feel lost.

Chavonne Hodges, Founder of Grillzandgranola in New York

When Chavonne was 26, she was going through a divorce and struggling with a panic disorder. She knew she needed to do something to help herself feel better, so she started working out at a gym. While there, she noticed a serious lack of racial and body diversity, so she decided to create her own gym and exercise program that caters to both. The gym is called Grillzandgranola, and aside from physical health, it’s dedicated to mental wellbeing and community collaboration.

Amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, Grillzandgranola has moved classes online and created a space for group therapy called FEEL Better. These free therapy sessions are led by a diverse group of mental health professionals and are designed to help Black, Indigenous and people of color cope with grief, isolation, and negative emotions during these challenging times.

Love Wins
Kind, selfless acts have the power to change lives. It doesn’t matter how big or small your act of kindness is, if it’s thoughtful and genuine, you’re doing it right. Not sure where to start? By joining P&G Good Everyday, you can lead with love through your actions. Each time you answer surveys, take quizzes and scan receipts, you can feel good knowing that P&G will automatically donate to your favorite cause like ending period poverty, saving wildlife, or providing natural disaster relief.

Join us and #LeadWithLove. We know that even the smallest acts of good can make a world of difference.

Earlier this month, Dr. Dre was rushed to the hospital after suffering from a brain aneurysm. After more than ten days in the hospital, Dre has finally gotten some good news — he can return home.

Per a recent report from TMZ, Dre has been released from Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in LA. The producer had reportedly been moved from the intensive care unit to a private room on Wednesday, indicating that his condition was improving. While Dre is now able to rest in the comfort of his own home, doctors have ordered that he be monitored 24/7 as they’re still unsure of what caused the initial aneurysm.

A few days after he was hospitalized, Dre gave a big thank-you to fans for all their love and support. “Thanks to my family, friends and fans for their interest and well wishes,” he wrote in a heartfelt Instagram post. “I’m doing great and getting excellent care from my medical team. I will be out of the hospital and back home soon. Shout out to all the great medical professionals at Cedars.”

While Dre’s fans kept the musician in their thoughts during his stint in the hospital, apparently not everyone was wishing him well. Just a few days into his hospital stay, Dre’s Pacific Palisades home was the target of an attempted break-in by burglars who knew the producer would not be home. Thankfully, police were able to apprehend the burglars before they were able to successfully break into the house.

Ever since pro-Trump insurrectionists stormed the U.S. Capitol last week, some people have tried to blame the attack on other groups—namely, Antifa and BLM.

A false Washington Times report—which spread like wildfire—claimed Antifa members had been identified at the riot by a facial recognition software company. As it turned out, the men identified by the software company were actually neo-Nazis, not Antifa, and the story was corrected. But not before Congressman Matt Gaetz cited the original, false story on the House floor. In fact, some people are still talking about the false story as fact. Despite being corrected, the damage has been done.

Now there’s another story spreading like wildfire, which is also false. A man named John Sullivan was arrested for taking part in the Capitol riot, and he is being paraded as the poster boy for BLM involvement in planning and carrying out the insurrection. The New York Post, Fox News, Politico, and other outlets initially referred to him as a “left-wing activist” in their headlines.

The problem is, Sullivan was kicked out of BLM protest movements in multiple cities months ago.

In a long Twitter thread, a group called Rebellion Baby detailed the various protest groups around the country that had cut ties with Sullivan, characterizing him as a possible “agent provocateur” or “infiltrator” with ties to the right-wing. (Note that the date of this thread is November of 2020, and that the thread was put out as a warning to Seattle protest groups to keep him away.)

“John has been kicked from the #SaltLakeCity and #Portland protest scenes due to alarming behaviors including grifting/profiteering, self-promotion/clout chasing, sabotage of community actions, threats of violence, and — maybe most disturbingly — ties to the far-right,” Rebellion Baby wrote. “In short — John’s brother, James, is the co-founder of a pro-Trump org called ‘Civilized Awakening,’ and has strong ties to Proud Boys — even having spoken at a Proud Boy rally. The brothers’ polarized political stances conveniently bolster the other’s public personas. Activists in these cities recommend that he be barred from community actions and totally avoided.”

Sullivan has multiple social media accounts under multiple names, and frequently adds new ones as he gets called out. For example, he used to be known as “Activist John” but started going by “Jayden X” as different protest groups started warning one another about him.

In addition, the website for the organization he founded, called Insurgence USA, describes itself as “started in 2020 in response to the Gorge Floyd tragedy”—the misspelling of “George” included.

It sounds like John Sullivan may be more interested in sowing chaos for funsies and making money off of activism-minded people than actually standing for anything in particular. In any protest movement, the majority of people are sincere in what they are protesting, but are some people who join in just to cause a ruckus, make a buck, or watch the world burn.

In a new and even longer thread shared since Sullivan’s arrest, Rebellion Baby wrote, “While it’s still unclear if John’s end goal is chaos and confusion or if this is simply a side effect of shameless grifting — it’s clear that he continues to be a threat to protester safety whether he’s on the ground or online.”

“John’s top priorities are centering himself and making a buck — even if people are harmed in the process,” they added.

More reports are coming out with similar information about Sullivan’s involvement in protests this summer and how he was banished from various protest movements.

Sullivan’s actions in the Capitol were odd at best. He told the Salt Lake Tribune that he was at the Capitol to “watch history” as a “journalist,” but he doesn’t have any press credentials. He entered the building through a broken window. He filmed the shooting of Ashli Babbitt, who later died. He can be heard in his own videos yelling “We accomplished this sh–. We did this together,” and, “We are all a part of this history. … Let’s burn this s— down,” among other inciting language.

He claims he had to act like he fit in to avoid being attacked himself. “I have to blend into the f—— crowd because, you know, there’s a lot of people who wanted to hurt me,” he said.

Sullivan is from Utah but is not affiliated with Black Lives Matter Utah, and the group told the Tribune he has never been a member.

Investigations into the Black Lives Matter protests and the riots that stemmed from them found that some instances of violence, (which took place in a very small percentage of the protests overall) were instigated by white supremacists. The killer of two police officers in Oakland during the protests was found to be part of the right-wing “Boogaloo Bois” movement. So the idea of opposing groups infiltrating a protest movement is not uncommon and totally possible.

However, both the F.B.I. and the Department of Justice have said that they have seen no evidence in their investigations so far that there was Antifa involvement in the Capitol riot. And there have been no credible reports of BLM involvement, either.

Besides, it takes a pretty pretzel-like stretch of the imagination to think that people who are well-known in the QAnon and pro-Trump world, who posted on social media before the riot talking about doing storming the Capitol, who are on video shouting about how they were storming the Capitol as they were doing it, and then also on video bragging about storming the Capitol after they did it, were not actually the ones doing it.

If John Sullivan’s participation is the only piece of evidence that BLM or Antifa caused the destruction and violence at the U.S. Capitol—and not insurrectionists trying to keep Trump in power—that’s proof in and of itself that the idea is total fantasy.

An unusual story out of England shows just how interconnected the world is in 2020.

On January 2, 17-year-old Aidan Jackson of Widnes, England, just outside of Liverpool, was chatting and playing an online game with his friend, Dia Lathora, from Texas. Aidan was alone in his bedroom upstairs, while his parents were on the first floor watching television.

Aidan is a student studying graphics and photography with a recent history of seizures. At around 9 pm that night, Aidan began making sounds that didn’t sound right to Dia.

“I just put my headset back on and I heard what I could only describe as a seizure, so obviously I started to get worried and immediately started asking what was going on and if he was OK,” Dia told the Liverpool Echo.

Dia knew Aidan’s address but didn’t have his phone number so there was no way he could reach his parents.

“When he didn’t respond I instantly started to look up the emergency number for the EU,” Dia said. “When that didn’t work I just had to hope the non-emergency would work, it had an option for talking to a real person…and I can’t tell you how quickly I clicked that button.”

Aidan’s parents were completely shocked when at 9:40 pm, two police cars pulled up to their home and officers marched up to their door.

“I assumed they were in the area for another reason and then they ran up to the front door,” Aidan’s mother, Caroline Jackson, said.

“They said there was an unresponsive male at the address. We said we hadn’t called anyone and they said a call had come from America,” she continued. “I immediately went to check on Aidan and found him extremely disorientated.”

Dia had stayed online with Aidan while he was unresponsive and was relieved when she heard his mother talking to him in his room.

“The most surreal thing was hearing his mum come upstairs with the medical team, hearing them talk to him, asking if he’s doing OK, saying that I had just called them saying he had a seizure,” Dia said.

Aidan was rushed to the hospital where he was treated for the seizure. Aidan is home now and his family looks forward to his next doctor’s appointment when they will learn more about his recent seizures. “Aidan is a lot better and hopefully everything is OK when he has his appointment at the hospital but he’s doing well,” his mother said.

His family is very grateful for Dia’s decision to spring into action to help her friend across the pond.

“We are extremely thankful for what Dia did and shocked that we could be downstairs and not know anything was happening,” Caroline added. “I’ve spoken to her and expressed our thanks — she’s just glad she could help.

The man behind John Wick is apparently setting his sights on the Dungeons and Dragons universe by way of an RPG-focused television show. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Derek Kolstad, the writer behind the John Wick franchise, is working on a live-action series based on the pen-and-paper role playing game.

A Dungeons and Dragons movie is already in the works, with Chris Pine attached the long-gestating script as of late last year. But anyone who’s owned a set of Chessex dice (or six) knows there’s more than enough lore out there for multiple Dungeons and Dragons-based projects.

Interestingly, it seems that there’s actually a fairly crowded field of folks trying to get Dungeons projects to the finish line, thanks to a boost in popularity from folks spending their quarantines role playing.

Launched in 1974, the tabletop RPG gained popularity in the 1980s. Its garnered renewed interest in recent years and, in fact, has soared anew during the pandemic and found a new generation of fans thanks to gameplay live streams on Twitch and YouTube. In an earning call in October, Hasbro CEO Brian Goldner said sales had mushroomed 20 percent from 2019. Goldner also revealed that a TV series was being considered.

Paramount and eOne are also mounting a feature set to star Chris Pine that is due to lens later this year. And Kolstad isn’t the only scribe working on a D&D series, as eOne is now working with multiple writers to develop various projects set in the fantasy universe.

Given the success we’ve seen when it comes to RPGs being adapted to television shows — The Witcher, for one — it’s no surprise that’s a route a story in the Dungeons and Dragons universe would head. And a John Wick-style RPG sure sounds like a mess of fun. We’ll have to wait and see what star power gets behind Kolstad’s script, but all of this is certainly good news for wizards and Wick fans alike.

[via The Hollywood Reporter]

The NBA is in the midst of dealing with an outbreak of positive COVID-19 cases across the league. Many players and personnel members who have tested positive for the virus have kept things under wraps, but on Friday evening, one of the league’s biggest names wrote a note announcing that he will be out for the time being as he battles the novel coronavirus.

Minnesota Timberwolves standout Karl-Anthony Towns posted a note to his Twitter account in which he said that “this nightmare of a virus” is in his system, and pledged that he will do everything he can to battle it and get back to 100 percent.

The news of his test comes shortly after the game between the Timberwolves and the Memphis Grizzlies was postponed.

Towns has been outspoken in recent months about the personal toll the the pandemic has taken on him and his loved ones — back in April, the All-Star big man lost his mother, Jacqueline, to the virus, and six other family members have passed away, too.

“I’ve seen a lot of coffins in the last seven months,” Towns said, per ESPN. “I have a lot of people who have — in my family and my mom’s family — gotten COVID. I’m the one looking for answers still, trying to find how to keep them healthy. It’s just a lot of responsibility on me to keep my family well-informed and to make all the moves necessary to keep them alive.”

Here’s to hoping that Towns is able to battle this without developing any symptoms and is able to get this out of his system as soon as possible.

Steady Holiday, moniker of LA musician Dre Babinski, is gearing up for the release of her third LP Take The Corners Gently. She previously previewed her intimate songwriting through last year’s tracks “Living Life” and “Tangerine.” Now offering a final sample of her forthcoming release, Babinski shares her “Love Me When I Go To Sleep” ballad alongside a heartwarming video.

Directed by Isaac Ravishankara, the visual opens with a phone call between Babinski and her grandpa, who she hasn’t been able to see due to the pandemic. She asks if he wants to hear some music and proceeds to croon the song over the phone. After she’s finished, her grandpa praises her talent. “Every word that comes out of you is music to me,” he says.

Explaining the inspiration behind the track, Babinski said it was penned before the pandemic but she decided to release it Friday to celebrate her grandpa’s 92nd birthday. “‘Love Me When I Go To Sleep’ was written pre-pandemic, so the theme of gratitude for being alive hits harder now,” she said. “I’ve never felt more fragile, and then there’s my grandpa, who turns 92 today and keeps waking up alive. There are no rules. Happy bday papa.”

Previously speaking about her upcoming album, Babinksi said: “It’s a record about the uncertainties of just being alive, which is a theme that’s always timely but hits a little different right now. I’m just excited to put something positive and easy out into the world and I hope it can be of some service.”

Watch Steady Holiday’s “Love Me When I Go To Sleep” video above.

Take The Corners Gently is out 2/12. Pre-order it here.

Donald Trump hasn’t shown his face much since a rally on the Ellipse last week sparked a coup attempt in his name at the US Capitol. According to CNN, advisors are making Trump stick to scripted video missives for his public appearances because they’re afraid he will start riffing his way into more legal trouble if he starts talking about the failed coup he sparked last week. But on his last Friday in office, it appears that the coup plans are coming to him these days.

While reporters have caught sight of people packing up and moving items out of the White House in recent days, MyPillow weirdo Mike Lindell visited Trump on Friday and photographers caught what appeared to be his notes. Which were apparently focused on somehow undoing the election of Joe Biden as president, which has been certified by congress because, well, Trump lost.

That hasn’t stopped Trump from searching high and low for a way to undo his failure to triumph in the popular vote or the electoral college, which is why the MyPillow guy was apparently invited to the White House to talk about using the Insurrection Act to steal an election.

Ignore, for a moment, the fact that this is Trump’s final Friday in office and focus on the fact that Trump is apparently still hosting advisors and friends encouraging yet another attempt to tamper with election results. Trump has been impeached for a second time, the first president to ever have that happen, because of his last attempt at insurrection that left five people dead. If if weren’t so dangerous and clearly a threat to democracy, well, it would all be very funny. In fact, it still was pretty funny, all things considered. Because there were some truly wild suggestions among those notes.

Seeing yet another pro-Trump conspiracy theory taken from the depths of the internet and brought inside the White House is really stunning, even for a presidency that’s completely shattered basically every norm established.

The final weekend of the Trump presidency will carry with it just as much uncertainty as the one that came before it. There may be pardons and a lot of other weird and potentially dangerous things ahead. But if Trump somehow tries to incite another insurrection we’ll know that, of all people, the MyPillow guy had something to do with it.

As the COVID-19 vaccine continues being rolled out across the country, people over the age of 65 are now able to get their shots — and that includes Willie Nelson. The iconic singer drove to a clinic nearby his Spicewood, Texas hometown and was all smiles as he receive his first round of the vaccine.

Nelson’s wife Annie confirmed to Rolling Stone that they were able to get vaccinated on Wednesday, saying they wanted to make sure the vaccine was available to health care workers first and foremost. “We made sure that [he] wasn’t cutting anybody — in fact, the healthcare workers were kind of angry that we had waited so long because he is 87 years old and has [chronic obstructive pulmonary disease].”

Nelson confirmed that the singer’s experience getting the shot was quick and pain-free, with the exception of a sore arm. “He was bragging yesterday after he got it that he didn’t even have a sore arm,” Nelson said. “Now, today, of course, his arm is sore. We’re both just a little tired. I don’t know if we wouldn’t be tired anyway, but we’re gonna do what they said and let the vaccine do its job.”

Elsewhere in the conversation, Nelson said that the singer is hopeful he can return to touring in the fall. But in the meantime, they have both been extra careful about being exposed to the virus. “Stuff doesn’t even come into the house unless it gets sterilized,” she said. “We work out three times a week to keep sane, and he sings, and that’s really helpful. Sometimes he just puts on his [SiriusXM] channel Willie’s Roadhouse and sings at the top of his lungs to his music. That’s good exercise.”

Check out a photo of Nelson getting vaccinated above.