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The NBA postponed games for the past two days and likely won’t resume the postseason until Saturday amid players protesting the latest incident of police shooting a Black man, when Jacob Blake was shot seven times in the back in Kenosha, Wisconsin.

The Milwaukee Bucks chose to sit out their Game 5 in protest, leading to the rest of the league choosing to follow suit, as well as the WNBA, MLS, some MLB teams, the ATP and WTA (after Naomi Osaka announced she wouldn’t play Thursday) and even the NHL on Thursday. On Wednesday night, players met in a tense meeting in Orlando, which involved reports of the Lakers and Clippers pushing to not play the remainder of the season (although recent reports indicate LeBron James was maybe not as adamant about not playing as was initially reported) and players held another meeting on Thursday morning. In that meeting, it was decided to continue playing, but also to continue coming up with a plan of action and some demands they want to see from ownership in stepping up further alongside of them in the fight for social justice.

While the players were meeting on Thursday, the NBA’s Board of Governors did the same and, according to ESPN’s Jackie MacMullan, Michael Jordan served as something of an intermediary between the players and the owners. Per MacMullan, Jordan spoke with Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook about what players wanted, and pushed owners to listen to the players in this moment.

The owners held a virtual meeting on Thursday morning and, it has been confirmed by two participants, Jordan was a voice of reason, urging the other owners to allow the players to express their frustrations and concerns before offering any of their own solutions.

“Right now, listening is better than talking,” Jordan told the group, according to sources.

Players are trying to come together on what they want and it was never realistic to expect one (or even two) meetings in a short span to fully produce a plan of action, and it seems Jordan is urging his fellow team owners to give the players time to do that. Jordan is obviously the owner most connected to the players as the only former player (and only Black) majority team owner, so it makes sense that he would be this kind of voice of reason in the moment.

Now it’s on the players to articulate what they want from owners, and more importantly it’s on owners to heed Jordan’s advice and take to heart what players ask them to do.

If nothing below suits your sensibilities, check out our guide to What You Should Watch On Streaming Right Now.

Cobra Kai: Seasons 1 & 2 (Netflix, Friday) — Season 3 of this crowd-pleasing arrival will arrive in 2021, but you can catch up to your heart’s content because Ralph Macchio promised us that “[t]he best is yet to come” for this series. Macchio’s Daniel LaRusso faces off again with William Zabka’s Johnny Lawrence and both of their respective dojo members, and the show’s still got the same energy as the original movies. May the franchise live on as long as possible.

Ravi Patel’s Pursuit of Happiness: (HBO Max, Thursday) The star of 2014’s Meet the Patel is back to mull over deep conversations in a four-part season. Maybe some of life’s more fundamental questions shall be solved, but the journey to several different continents will fuel enough escapism that answers might not matter.

The Republican National Convention 2020 (Everywhere on TV, 9:00 p.m.) — The RNC wraps up tonight while taking over networks and plenty of cable coverage as well. Tonight’s speakers include President Trump, Ben Carson, Mitch McConnell, Tom Cotton, Ivanka Trump, Rudy Giuliani, Ja’Ron Smith, Kevin McCarthy, and Dana White.

HBO Max Summer Comedy Specials (HBO Max) — The hottest new premium streaming service is digging deeper into the stand-up comedy game with specials that began dropping last Thursday. The series will culminate with a multi-act special from the HA Comedy Festival hosted by Latinx comedian Anjelah Johnson, who welcomes special guests Danny Trejo, Eva Longoria, and Eugenio Derbez. Solo sets from Rose Matafeo, Beth Stelling, James Veitch are also dropping.

The Tonight Show With Jimmy Fallon — Lil Rel Howery, Amber Riley

The Late Show With Stephen Colbert — Chris Christie, Gregory Porter

The Late Late Show With James Corden — Maren Morris

Going against most standard business advice, Bill Penzey has never hesitated to make his beliefs known to the people who buy his products. The outspoken CEO of Penzey’s Spices, America’s largest independent spice retailer, made headlines when he directly called out President Trump’s racism after his election, and this February he published a public statement decrying the “corruption and cruelty” he says have taken over the Republican party.

Penzey, whose business headquarters reside just outside of Milwaukee, has been openly supportive of the protests against racial injustice taking place all over the nation. But after protests in Kenosha became riotous, someone wrote him a letter suggesting that if it were his store being looted, he’d be singing a different tune.

Bill Penzey pondered this idea. Then he sent out a letter to subscribers and explained that no, he actually wouldn’t.

The letter reads:

“Someone wrote to say that you would be singing a different tune if it was your store being looted. I’m by no means perfect but seriously no, I wouldn’t. Human life means everything; stuff, not so much.

Hearing that the NBA Milwaukee Bucks, in response to yet another police shooting of a Black man, this time just south of Milwaukee in Kenosha, Wisconsin, chose in unison to walk away from yesterday’s playoff game and were willing to take the loss, for me brought such s asens of hope that the tide will no longer stay unturned.

I agree with them. To me today just feels a lot like April 4, 2018, the fiftieth anniversary of Dr. King’s assassination. That day we paid our people and kept things shut because that was not a day for commerce. After some early inquiries about doing the same today it became clear that we were able to do that because we planned ahead and because it was a time before the Coronavirus. To do that today would mean calling to reschedule all of today’s touchless pickup orders. As parents of young kids entering back to school phase with all the extra hoops the virus demands, I get that now is not the time to add extra burdens. So no shut down today.

But what to do? My mind went to that idea that we would feel differently if it was our store that was looted. When I asked around: “What if we looted our own store?” What if we took a snapshot of our Kenosha store’s inventory tonight and simply gave away exactly that amount of inventory in the coming weeks? Unlike the Minneapolis Uptown store that was in the center of things, our Kenosha location is out by the highway and does not have much chance of looting itself. What if we just gave our spices and seasonings to food pantries and gift boxes to organizations trying to raise money to fund change?

Everyone here was like yes, let’s do that. Even my mom at dinner last night cheered on the idea. And as much as we could just look online for worthy recipients, with so many customers in the Kenosha area I would like to start with asking for your suggestions of where things should go…

And please learn the difference between those who simply say law and order over and over again and those who do the hard work of actually achieving it. Until we have a president that respects the laws of this country we won’t have order; it’s that simple.

And once again, hats off to the Milwaukee Bucks. So much of America’s future comes down to voter turnout in the city of Milwaukee. That the members of the Bucks are time and again working to earn the moral authority to ask for that Vote is something big. That their voices reach out to our suburbs and beyond is honest cause for hope. Well done.

And please send your thoughts to those living through the horrors of Hurricane Laura right now. They will need our compassion.

Thanks for healing the world.

Bill”

And for the record, Penzey’s has actually already been affected directly by looting, which is what he’s referring to when he mentions the Minneapolis Uptown store. “If sweeping up some glass and replacing a couple windows is a piece of everybody realizing the costs of racism-fueled police violence towards minorities is no longer affordable, then so be it,” Bill Penzey wrote in an email to customers at the end of May, after the Minneapolis store suffered property damage and looting in the aftermath of the George Floyd killing.

This is what they did with their boarded up windows:

Way to use your platform and power as a business owner to advocate for change and support those on the ground doing the work, Bill.

The South’s Defenders monument in Downtown Lake Charles, Louisiana has been a bone of contention for locals. The statue was first erected in 1915 to recognize local residents and those throughout the south who fought for the Confederacy.

After George Floyd was murdered in March, there were renewed calls to remove the statue. His death inspired many to reconsider Confederate monuments and at least 59 have been removed in recent months.

“The people of Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish once again voice their desire to destroy the statue and remove the memory of slavery from its literal and figurative pedestal within the community,” a Change.org campaign calling for its removal read.

A special city council meeting was called in July to decide the statue’s fate. Before the meeting, parish administrator Bryan Beam said he’d received 945 written responses from the community and 878 were against its removal and just 67 were in favor.

John Guidroz / Twitter

It’s hard to understand why anyone would want a statue honoring a pro-slavery movement that attempted to destroy the United States of America. But the council sided with them, voting 10 to 5 to keep the statue up.

The decision didn’t stop local residents’ calls to tear it down.

“We’re beginning a series of events predicated on making sure the monument comes down or making sure that we create as much noise until it comes down,” Darius Clayton told the AP. “If they think we are done, they are sorely mistaken.”

After the decision, protesters launched a boycott of businesses with ties to the council’s board members.

On Thursday morning, it appears as though an act of God made the final decision on the statue. Hurricane Laura touched down at 1 am, bringing 130-mile-per hour gusts of wind – some of the strongest the region has ever seen.

The hurricane knocked down the monument at the soldier’s ankles, toppling it to the ground.

The soldier now lies atop the monuments granite steps, motionless, much like his fallen brethren during the war the claimed so many American lives.

via The Advocate / Twitter

“Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish has been filled with controversy and tension after our parish government by a vote of 10-5 refused to take down the Confederate South’s Defenders Monument,” Davante Lewis, director of public affairs at The Louisiana Budget Project, said on Twitter.

“Hurricane Laura had other plans and brought it down herself.”

“My dad sent me some pics of the South’s Defenders monument in Downtown Lake Charles post-Laura and… I think some people may be happy about this,” Twitter user Andrew Beam said.

There’s no word on whether the statue will be fixed and put back on its pedestal. But let’s hope the residents and city council of Lake Charles and Calcasieu Parish see the significance of the statue’s toppling and leave it, as well as the rest of what the Confederacy stood for, in the past.

Plus, in the aftermath of a hurricane, the town should focus on efforts to rebuild the entire community instead of ripping it apart.

Gus Dapperton continues to hone his wistful pop sound through his recent singles “Post Humorous” and “First Aid.” The singer is gearing up for the release of his sophomore record, Orca, and has appeased fans with a long-awaited video for “Post Humorous.”

Directed by Matthew Dillon Cohen, the video depicts the singer as a rising stand-up comic. The singer takes the stage to a reserved crowd, eventually winning them over with his quips. Dapperton and Cohen had originally planned on linking up to film the visual several months ago, but production was halted due to the coronavirus lockdown. After four months, the two safely linked up to finish the filming process.

Dapperton opened up about the single’s meaning ahead of the visual’s release, saying it was a reflection on dealing with death as a young child. The singer’s album Orca deals with darker themes compared to his breezy debut LP Where Polly People Go To Read.

Dapperton struggled with mental health and addiction while touring behind the record, coping with his difficult experiences through songwriting and using his struggle to serve as inspiration on Orca: “I was unbalanced. My lifestyle and habits had gotten extreme. I wasn’t getting eight hours of sleep a night, I was drinking and doing drugs often. Wasn’t eating healthy. And on top of it, I was performing. A show can be the most inspirational, emotional high; but if something goes wrong it can be devastating.” Dapperton added that he’s an “advocate” for being vulnerable in songwriting and that it was “cathartic to put these emotions into music.”

Watch Dapperton’s “Post Humorous” video above.

Orca is out 9/18 via AWAL. Pre-order it here.

A few weeks ago, “All Star” purveyors Smash Mouth decided to perform at the Sturgis Motorcycle Rally in South Dakota. Footage taken during their set at the ten-day festival showed thousands of people in the audience, packed closely together with very few masks in sight. Given the times we’re in, that concert and the rally overall were a recipe for disaster. Indeed, disaster is what’s been made, as recent reports regarding new coronavirus cases indicate: Over 100 cases of COVID-19 have been connected to the event.

As Brooklyn Vegan notes, The North Dakota Department of Health identified seventeen in-state coronavirus cases that are related to the rally, while a South Dakota Health Department spokesperson found an additional 40 cases. The Associated Press also reports that at least 103 connected cases have also spread to Minnesota, Montana, Nebraska, Washington, Wisconsin, and Wyoming.

Smash Mouth singer Steve Harwell, by the way, was dismissive of the pandemic, as he said on stage, “We’re all here together tonight! F*ck that COVID sh*t!” Subsequently, the band’s inbox has not been a warm place for them. Earlier this week, the group shared some fan mail they received recently, which contained an expletive-laden letter and a broken Smash Mouth CD.

In Oh Jerome, No Mamoudou Athie plays a man struggling to both find love and get out of his own way. Different tactics are attempted — being tough and cold, being a dog guy — and different flaws are revealed — being too agreeable and prone to over-romanticization and jealousy. At his core, he’s a good guy, just a little lost; wrestling with society’s idea of what a man should be in a show that is happy to take on the flawed core elements of toxic masculinity. We root for Jerome when he steps wrong and makes us wince. Chalk it up to great writing, but more than anything, chalk it up to an amazing, vulnerable, and sneakily charming portrayal by Athie, who earned his first Emmy nomination for his work on the short-form series that aired on FX as a part of Cake.

Athie is blowing up right now. Uncorked was a critical fave about wine, craft, the bonds of family, the worth and fragility of dreams, and in Athie’s words, “a story about a black family that had nothing to do with trauma.” Which is, sadly, not the kind of film we see enough of. In Jurassic World: Domination, Athie is going to walk among the giants of the original film. In the upcoming Blumhouse release, Black Box, he’s playing a man whose mind and memories are being reassembled. And yet the rise in profile (following years of similarly interesting work) doesn’t seem to phase him.

When we spoke recently, he laughed loud and long at the “rising star” label, affirmed his primary commitment to and love for the act of acting (and doing things multiple times to see what he can withdraw from himself in a performance). He’s happy for people to get caught up on his back catalog (myself included). Happier still to stay within a process that’s yielded good results and fun opportunities. “The content comes first,” he tells me when I presume that this moment is going to lead to bigger and better things and directors, framing a career like a linear progression up Ambition Mountain. It’s a dumb preconceived notion that I need to shake. One Athie is happy to dismiss in terms of his own career, dropping the very real observation that genius filmmaking can come from anywhere, not merely the established few that have already done it.

In the following interview, we dive deeper into that thought and those roles, including Oh Jerome, No. Toxic masculinity and the social contract to evolve comes up, as does Athie’s desire to not be put in a box, the intensity of getting a first-hand education on being Grandmaster Flash for The Get Down, and how that show and Uncorked stay with him.

I hadn’t seen Uncorked. I heard all the buzz. To me, the best thing a movie can do for me is put me in a really good mood.

Oh yeah.

I really haven’t experienced that in a few months. [Laughs]

Shit. [Laughs] Who are you telling?

It just really put me in a good mood and it’s a tremendous performance, a tremendous story. But I suppose the question here is, that movie comes out, you’ve got this Emmy nomination for Oh Jerome, No and you’re in the new Jurassic World and the fast-approaching Blumhouse film Black Box. I see the words “up and coming” and “rising star” attached to your name a lot. Obviously, you’ve been doing this for a while, but there’s a trajectory happening. Take me through what this moment feels like for you.

[Laughs] Oh, I don’t care, man. It’s one of those things where it’s like, I’m just glad people are seeing some of the things I’m proud to be in. It’s just one of those things where you hear about it all the time with other actors. And if no one’s seen it, it’s like, well, all right, nothing to be done about that. If this is my introduction to them or to a larger audience, then fair enough. That’s fine with me. I’m glad some of these projects are being received well and the other side, it just doesn’t matter.

But obviously more notice begets more interesting projects, more interesting opportunities, the chance to work with… I don’t want to say bigger names. That’s a part of it too though. Isn’t it?

Well, I suppose so, but I have to be honest, I’ve been very fortunate. Most of the projects I’ve been on, they’re one’s I wanted desperately and I got them. So, I’ve gotten to work with young, new, up and coming directors and more seasoned directors. It’s one of those things where it’s like, even if some people haven’t seen some of those films, it doesn’t take away from my experience of them and what I’ve learned from them. You know? I’ve had a pretty varied career in terms of working with awesome directors with great material already. I mean, you never know. You just never know. I just recently saw this one movie by this young director named Cooper Raiff. He won the Grand Jury prize at South by Southwest this year for this movie called Shithouse and it was beautiful. Kid is 23-years-old.

I think you’re right and that is a really good point. You never really know where the next great filmmaker is going to come from.

Exactly. And honestly, the reason I’m an actor, yes, I want to work with (Guillermo) del Toro. I want to work with (Alfonso) Cuarón. But there are also new, young directors that I have no idea about, and I want to find out what they’re doing because I love the scrapping and stuff like shooting an independent film and creating that little tiny family. So I want to be able to do all that. I don’t want to put myself in a box. The content comes first.

With Uncorked and Oh Jerome, No, these are different kinds of roles and a chance to see… You’ve alluded to this [here and here], but these aren’t necessarily the kinds of projects where a Black actor often has the opportunity to play the lead role (which is an interesting way to actually be able to tell that story and connect with a broader audience). Like, you said you don’t want to be put in a box. Do you look to find roles where it expands out what people’s perception is of what you can do? Is that not a factor?

No, I’d be lying if I said I don’t want to either test myself or just show another facet of myself. That’s also a joy of acting and also just putting that up. You do a ton of different things in school and it’s like, okay, but it’s not a real audience in school. You’re working on yourself and that’s what you’re there for… to work on yourself. You’re not there to impress anybody. You’re there to work on yourself.

So when you go out in the world, there are so many things that you’ve learned and you want to just experiment with them in the real world and see how it goes. The Get Down is probably going to be the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life… [laughs] In terms of acting. I mean, working with Grandmaster Flash, playing him on a Baz Luhrman set was exhilarating and terrifying because it was just… and it was my first major project. So, it’s one of those things where it’s like, you want to test yourself, you want to get better. And I believe I have a lot of tools and I do believe in my ability and it’s just like, well, okay. Well, let’s see what I can do because that’s how you get better.

Speaking of The Get Down and playing Grandmaster Flash, I’m curious about the process. From everything I’ve read, it seems like he was rather involved in that. How closely are you tied to him in the pre-production process where you’re trying to learn the rhythms of playing him in that role?

Oh my God. So there are so many people that I really have to thank for just helping me with that, and of course Flash, really. The DJs over at Scratch Academy. But also, Flash really tutored me privately and he really put me through the paces. And I was the worst one in that cast at DJ-ing. Number one worst. And it was kind of ironic because I was playing Flash. And he really put me through it. And then I also enlisted the help of Rich and Tone, the dance captains of the show just to help me get a sense of rhythm behind the decks. And then also just by watching him on the decks and learning from him and just learning the basic rhythms, I got to pick up a lot of things from him and get a little understanding of who he is… just through everyday conversation. Not even digging about his past, just seeing how he responds to things and this and that.

What do you take away from something like that in terms of gaining a deeper understanding of music and DJ-ing? Or even with Uncorked and wine? Are those things that are now permanent interests?

Absolutely. I mean, the history of hip-hop… I really learned so much about the pioneers of the genre and these geniuses that just made this happen in the streets of the South Bronx and just seeing how… They were kids! They were kids. And what Flash did, he was kind of like a technical genius, just to come up with the idea of cutting through from two turntables to the next and splicing the sound over. He was a kid. He’s a brilliant man. And I didn’t know that before then. I mean, it gives you a deeper appreciation of the music that I enjoy now. Once you’ve learned the history of the thing, how can it not just enrich your love for it? And particularly wine, I knew nothing about wine. Nothing at all about wine and just the amount of sacrifice and work it takes to become a sommelier. Not to mention it’s cool just to know about wine and develop a sense of taste for it. It’s just awesome.

It is! It just sounds so good. It just sounds like it’s cool to know about it but mostly it just sounds delicious and fantastic.

Exactly, man.

Yeah. It definitely inspired me to look a little bit deeper. So, what’s the reaction when you get an Emmy nomination [outstanding actor in a short-form comedy or drama] for Oh Jerome, No?

Oh, it’s a huge honor. I mean, people always say this kind of shit, but it’s true. It really hasn’t set in. It’s a real honor and the company is wonderful and I feel really fortunate in a really scary, wild, time in history. It’s a little surreal, to be honest with you. Like, oh, this the thing that I’ve hoped and dreamed for all my life has happened, and what the fuck is happening with the world?
Via Zoom, probably. Yeah. That’s the other aspect, I’m sure.

Yeah.
Is this something you’d want to pick up again down the road to see where this character is?

Oh, we’re talking. We’re talking. The wonderful thing about the character in the world is that there are so many ways to go. There are so many avenues that we can take and the options feel limitless. I was just talking to [series writer and director] Teddy [Banks] and Alex [Karpovsky] yesterday.

So with Oh Jerome, No, I took it as an in your 20s kind of thing where you’re trying on different personalities. Is that something you have any personal experience with? Besides being an actor, of course.

No, actually. I never thought of it like that, because I think the only thing that I really share with Jerome… I think I’m a relatively sensitive person, but I think we can’t help but be who we are. I’ve been the same guy… I mean, I’ve also grown. But my best friends are from first grade and 10th grade and I’m the most predictable man you’ll ever meet. [Laughs] You know how I’m going to react. You’re going to know if I’m going to like that or if I’m not going to like it or like what you said. Everyone knows what I’m thinking pretty much a lot of time. But I kind of like that. No need for pretense. It’s great.

I’m sure it’s fun to also just play someone who is adrift or just trying to latch on to any island they can in terms of their personality.

It’s interesting. I’ve never thought of it that way because yeah, he’s just trying to… Yeah. I mean, he’s trying his best.

There’s some commentary on the idea that being sensitive is a bad thing, which I thought was interesting. The effort to make a societal comment about the idea of hyper-masculinity.

It’s just exhausting. Don’t those guys just get exhausted of being them? It’s fucking just tragic. We never explicitly had that conversation, but we’re all of the same mind — Teddy, Alex, and I. It’s called toxic masculinity for a reason. It’s toxic to everyone, just everyone: man, woman. It sucks and it’s really pathetic when you think about it. It’s like what? You have to be a man and not have feelings? Go to a therapist.

I mean, to me, culture is an ever-moving thing, and we all have the ability within ourselves to refuse to grow if we want to be that kind of person. But there is a social contract where we’re supposed to keep trying to be better and master the swell of chemicals that live within us. I think the show is interesting because of how it relates to that and reflects on the fact that there are people who try to just be posers and continue to reject the notion that you should have emotions or be sensitive.

Yeah. It’s like the incels. Goddamn. Anyway. Yeah. It’s really tragic. I really do think it’s a tragedy. And when you look back on history, it’s like what good has that done for anyone? I can’t find it. I do think there’s an actual cost to it. And I think what that really comes from is a lot of fear. A lot of fear. Just the ownership of like, “Oh, I don’t want to be… I don’t want to take ownership for the things I’ve done wrong in my past. So, you know what? You’re wrong. You’re the person who is being weak.” And it’s like well, no. Does it really cost you that much just to admit your faults and try to change? Is it really that important for you to keep saying that slur when you know the damage it does to another person? It’s like, really? Are you that weak-willed?

Yeah. And it’s a funny thing because everyone deals with fear. It’s just how you deal with it. In all actuality to go through life and confront your failings and to deal with fear in a way that is more productive, that’s actually the braver thing, I think.

I agree. I agree.

With regard to Black Box. I’m curious about the interest in something where it’s a character that’s really mining their past within a psychological horror. Can you tell me a little about the appeal of that to you, just as a performer to be able to play that? And to present that out into the world.

How do I say it without giving anything away? Well, I think the fascinating thing for me upon the first couple pages, it’s like playing someone who doesn’t know who they are and everyone’s telling them who they are.

It’s an interesting parallel to Jerome, to an extent.

Oh, sure. Yeah. Wow. Look at you. [Laughs] Yeah, man. That’s funny. It’s just one of those things where it’s like, “Oh, what’s that like?” I just didn’t know. I was like, “This is another fun and interesting challenge that I don’t get to see very often this kind of script.” And that’s to Emmanuel Osei-Kuffour Jr’s credit. I love that guy. Really had a good time working with him. He’s a really special director.
You’re in your 30s, so you’re of the age where Jurassic Park I’m sure had a bit of meaning to you.

Oh yes.

What is it like to be able to jump into something like that? Especially with this one where, “Oh, now I’m going to potentially be working with the people who were actually in the original Jurassic Park.”

They’re the kindest. They really are so kind, but it was the first day on set with them, I was like, “What?” Sam Neill, man. Laura Dern, Jeff Goldblum.

Do you challenge yourself with that to not be starstruck? Or do you just let whatever’s going to happen, happen?

Oh, typically, I don’t care at all. I’ve been to the dance before. I don’t care. We’re actors. Let’s work. But when something has such an indelible mark on your childhood, it’s hard to forget when you’re doing it with them. You know what I mean? It’s just like, I have to be a little patient with myself. It was like, “What? What? What?” It’s bananas.

‘Uncorked’ is streaming on Netflix, ‘Oh Jerome, No’ is streaming on FX on Hulu, and ‘Black Box’ is coming soon to Amazon.

LeBron James, according to reports, was one of the primary voices that led to the Los Angeles Lakers joining the Los Angeles Clippers as the only two teams to informally vote to stop the 2020 NBA playoffs on Wednesday night. Every player from every team in the Orlando Bubble met for a meeting following the strike that led to three NBA games getting postponed, and as it was told, James voiced his support for not playing basketball again this year before leaving the meeting altogether.

There is, however, apparently a bit more to it than that. According to a report by The Athletic, James was not necessarily against playing basketball again this year. Instead, his decision to walk out of the meeting stemmed more from the desire to sleep on a decision of this magnitude. He was not happy during the meeting, but that was reportedly due to the fact that the Milwaukee Bucks didn’t alert other players when they went on strike before their game against the Orlando Magic, which kicked off a series of events that impacted far more than the NBA.

His frustration, per sources both in and outside of his camp, was not with those who wanted to to continue to play; it was with the lack of a plan going forward after the Bucks caught most of their playing brethren off guard with their decision to walk out Wednesday. The Lakers’ team vote Wednesday night, per a source, was not unanimous; some players wanted to keep playing, while others wanted to walk. And, as ever, people then looked to James.

“’They’re going with whatever you (James) want to do,’” a source said. “’Do you want to play or do you not want to play?’” And that’s when James figuratively said ‘let me sleep on it,’ and left the meeting, only to continue the discussion into the night.

James is the most powerful player in the league, so it makes sense that he would want to be as meticulous and thoughtful as possible before making a decision of this magnitude. Still, this clarifies one of the biggest revelations from Wednesday night — James supporting not playing — and is not the first report we have seen of players expressing frustration with the Bucks not discussing what they planned on doing as a collective with other players in the Bubble, although it’s been mentioned that Jaylen Brown of the Boston Celtics spoke up in support of them during the meeting.

The playoffs appear to be back on now, with the expectation of play resuming on Saturday, but owners still have to meet to determine what they’ll do to appease players who want owners to wield their power in influencing change at a systemic level.

Josh Boone has to be feeling the pandemic a little bit more than some people these days. Just as The New Mutants director is wrapping up his duties promoting that film’s intensely scrutinized theatrical release, he’s switching gears to showcase his upcoming adaptation of Stephen King’s The Stand for CBS All Access. The book, which famously centers around a deadly virus, might seem like a poor choice of themes right now, but that would be an unfair judgment of the story, which Boone describes as King’s love letter to a fantasy great.

In a new interview with SyFy, Boone explains how The Stand was directly inspired by the works of J.R.R. Tolkien. While an apocalyptic virus does factor into the story, and makes for catchy headlines, Boone emphasizes how King set out to write his own grand tale of good versus evil that’s on par with The Lord of the Rings:

While one side of humanity starts to re-form civilized society around the clairvoyant and wizened Mother Abigail, another segment of immune survivors rally around the malicious and power-hungry Randall Flagg (who’s also got supernatural abilities). What ensues is an epic struggle between good and evil.

“I think it’s one of the great American novels. I think it’s sort of The Lord of the Rings, but in America,” Boone said.

King has also been heavily involved in the new series and has been touting a new ending that he wrote specifically for the show. It’s a story that he’s been sitting on for over 30 years, and while the details have been kept under wraps, Boone teased a little of what to expect from King’s updated climax. Via Coming Soon:

“King wrote us a lovely coda. Which is sort of the story he’s wanted to tell for a long time that takes place immediately after The Stand that provides an additional resolution for Franny, who’s sort of not involved in the climax of the book, which I thought was really, really brilliant and a deeply moving script.”

Stephen King’s The Stand premieres December 17, 2020 on CBS All Access.

(Via SyFy Wire)

Taylor Swift, who became the best-selling musician in 2019, has been more than generous with her money recently. At the onset of the pandemic, the singer covered rent for a worried NYC photographer and donated millions of dollars to relief funds following Tennessee’s devastating tornado in early March. Now, Swift continues her give back by covering a large portion of a fan’s tuition costs.

18-year-old Vitoria Mario launched a GoFundMe page after receiving an offer to study math at the UK’s prestigious University Of Warwick. Mario emigrated from Portugal four years ago to attend school in the UK, but since she doesn’t have citizenship status, she’s not eligible to receive scholarships from the university. On Thursday, Mario was halfway to her goal of £40,000, roughly $52,500, until Taylor Swift came across her fundraiser page.

The singer decided to give her enough money to reach her goal, which ended up being over $30,000. “Vitoria, I came across your story online and am so inspired by your drive and dedication to turning your dreams into reality,” Swift wrote on Mario’s GoFundMe page. “I want to gift you the rest of your goal amount. Good luck with everything you do!”

Mario was over the moon upon seeing Swift’s generous donation and shared a video to Twitter in order to thank the pop star. “Thank you so much Taylor for your big impact in my campaign and in my life, and for being so generous and so kind towards me.”

Watch Mario’s message thanking Swift for her large donation below.