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UNINTERRUPTED holds it down for ‘Day Ones’ in sports with new live series

It’s always good to remember those individuals who have played an instrumental role in your journey to success. Enter UNINTERRUPTED Live: The Day Ones series.

On Tuesday, UNINTERRUPTED held their first-ever live storytelling event in a partnership with Courvoisier Cognac. The event was held in LA and focused on five sports figures who told stories of how they came up, and more specifically, who put them on.

Hosted by Jemele Hill, storytellers Taylor Rooks, Jason Collins, Al Harrington, and Sue Bird took the stage to share first-person memories and experiences in front of a live audience. More importantly, the event provided a platform for these athletes and sports experts to control their narrative and express their point of view.

No too often are sports fans able to tap into the hearts of the athletes they love. It’s deeper than the person we admire on the TV every night and through platforms like UNINTERRUPTED viewers can have a deeper, more authentic understanding of the athletes they praise.

UNINTERRUPTED was started by LeBron James and Maverick Carter in 2014, as a way to broaden the areas in which athletes can talk. Day Ones marks the first time the athlete empowerment brand held a live, storytelling event.

Still, the event proved that athletes should have a platform to speak about issues outside of sports. Through the “Day Ones” event people around the world get to hear the story of how some of their most beloved athletes came up, and who helped them become who they are today.

“Athletes are natural storytellers and performers, and until now, our exposure to them as performers has been somewhat limited to what we see on the field or court,” said Maverick Carter, CEO of UNINTERRUPTED.

“Together with Courvoisier, we’re empowering these incredibly talented performers to be More Than An Athlete and own their stories in a wholly unique way, giving the audience a window into the lives and talents of some of the biggest athletes in the world,” Carter continued

Jemele Hill is a widely respected sports journalist who writes for The Atlantic and previously worked for nearly 12 years at ESPN. She has never been quiet about her political and moral stances, which makes her bold and resonant voice all the more powerful.

Taylor Rooks is a sports journalist and broadcaster who appears on Bleacher Report and Turner Sports. On her show Take it There, Rooks makes more than an effort to show her viewers the human beneath the superstar athlete.

Getty Images for Courvoisier Cognac

Retired NBA player, Jason Collins played in the league for 13 seasons. In 2013, in an issue of Sports Illustrated, Collins came out as gay, making him the first active male athlete from one of the four major North American professional sports teams to publicly do so.

Al Harrington also made an appearance alongside Collins. The 16 season vet, since retiring, has become an entrepreneur in the cannabis industry. He is living proof that there’s more to sports.

Finally, Sue Bird is a professional WNBA player, who has won three WNBA championships, four Olympic gold medals, two NCAA Championships, and four FIBA World Cups.

Bird is also in a relationship with USWNT player Megan Rapinoe, and recently wrote an impassioned story in The Player’s Tribune entitled, “So The President F*ucking Hates My Girlfriend.”

Getty Images for Courvoisier Cognac

What do all of these sports journalists and athletes have in common? They recognize their platform to express themselves and speak about issues greater than sports.

With a live event such as this one, answers are as raw and authentic as possible. With UNINTERRUPTED, the easy-going and honest manner in which the company does business only furthers this truth.

How Kanye’s Yeezy is set to leap over Jumpman and hit $1.5 billion

Artist, producer, entrepreneur, fashion designer, and culture mogul Kanye West is on the verge of billionaire status, with his shoe line and brainchild Yeezy expected to top $1.5 billion in sales in 2019.

Kanye recently spoke with Forbes about his collaboration with Adidas, among other lingering questions the public has had about the creative genius over the past few years.

Kanye West was born in Atlanta and grew up in Chicago. His affinity with design was evident at an early age. Back then he would draw sneaker designs while in class.

Yet, Kanye made his name and money through music. With his new sound in the aughts, he showed that rap didn’t only have to be about sex, money, and drugs. Even then he was an innovator as he set a new tone away from the grandiose baselines and minimized melodies.

A person who some consider the GOAT in music also has a keen eye for other art. When adidas sensed Kanye’s dissatisfaction at Nike (primarily over not receiving royalties), they invited him to Germany. From there, adidas Yeezy was born.

“It was the first shoe to have the same level of impact as an Air Jordan, and I wanted to do more,” West told Forbes.

“And at that time Nike refused to give celebrities royalties on their shoes,” he continued. At the time it was unusual for Nike to dish out royalties to public figures who were not athletes.

Still, it made no difference to Kanye. Why?  Because if one thing is for sure Ye is about that bread. In a 2013 interview with Forbes, in rebuttal to Nike’s refusal Kanye noted:

“I need royalties. It’s not even like I have a joint venture. At least give me some royalties. Michael Jordan has 5 percent and that business is $2 billion. He makes a 100 million dollars a year off of 5 percent royalties…”

Sheesh. He continued to argue.

“Nike told me, ‘We can’t give you royalties because you’re not a professional athlete.’ I told them, ‘I go to the Garden and play one-on-no one. I’m a performance athlete.'”

Fast forward to 2019, Kanye now has 15 percent royalty on wholesale. Eat that with a tall glass of milk Michael Jordan. (He definitely drinks wild milk.)

A huge part of the appeal of Yeezy is that it is Kanye West’s brand and there’s no denying the impact Kanye has on popular culture. adidas also knows how to make some valid shoes.

And lowkey, Yeezy is kind of just a fun thing to say.

Plus, Kanye’s creative vision has been on display the entire time since he linked up with adidas in 2015. Comparing Yeezy’s to the shoe-form of Lamborghinis, Kanye has never been shy in his confidence.

He may lose some fans here and there, especially when he dons a MAGA hat and poses for pictures with Trump, but Kanye fans have always known who Kanye is. His unapologetic arrogance is perhaps the thing Ye stans love most about him.

Kanye still owns 100 percent of Yeezy, which is why the betting money would be on him becoming a billionaire sooner rather than later.

Along with his wife Kim Kardashian-West, Kanye has enough money, power, and prestige around him that billionaire status is a small goal to reach for his family’s legacy. Plus, since the two have been together Kanye has helped KK with many of her creative projects.

And although it might be a very obtainable goal for Wes it would still be epic to see him hit billionaire status. It would plant Kanye in the history books as not just a celebrity of this era, but a major influencer and supreme success story.

“He pushes people to do their best and pushes people even outside of their comfort zone, which really helps people grow,” Kardashian-West told Forbes.

Another part of the allure of Yeezy is the limited release and surprise drops of the shoes. Adidas understands and works hard to manage to release enough pairs and new shoes to turn the always-present profit, while still maintaining the mystique of the shoe.

No one can deny that if you’re the one person out of your friend group with a certain shoe (whether its because you got lucky in a raffle or just got bread like that), you walk out of the crib in Yeezys you’ve got doves flying overhead.

The feeling is dope, almost immaculate.

With Kanye, things are rarely what they seem. For every story about Ye, there is another, contradicting one. We don’t ever truly know what he is thinking, but now, perhaps, we know where he is heading.

Yeezy is set to go way up, and its trajectory looks to overlap with Kanye’s completion of becoming a billionaire.

Why LeBron James’ legacy as an athlete and man is already untouchable

LeBron James is going to go down as one of the best players to ever play the game of basketball, possibly being the all-time leader in points scored, top-five ever in assists, and undisputed leader of sorry teams he dragged to the Finals.

But that is not the entirety of LeBron’s legacy. Nowhere near it. Perhaps just as great as his plays on the court is the impact he has off the court, in charitable deeds for communities around the world and in brokering power and freedom to athletes.

In 2010, when “The Decision” aired and LeBron took his talents to South Beach, he received immense backlash. There were constant videos of Cleveland fans burning his jersey, the famous “Gilbert letter” that was complete with racial undertones and ridiculous, ungrateful statements by Cavs owner Dan Gilbert.

LeBron himself even adopted a villainous attitude, trying to use the hate to feed his motivation and drive for his first and long-awaited NBA championship.

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But the Heat lost. LeBron was never meant to be a villain, he was born to be a charismatic crowd-pleaser.

The unfair hits he took from his move to Miami even affected his play, and it took a long and honest vacation with teammate Dwyane Wade that summer for him to realize he couldn’t adopt that villainous “me against the world” mentality.

“The Decision” was nine years ago. Just a few days ago, when the free agency started, we NBA fans saw the fruits of LeBron’s struggle. Free agents signed for money that would make your eyes bulge out of your head. Kawhi Leonard was leading a wild goose-chase before he signed to the LA Clippers and no one slandered him for it.

Players switched teams like never before. Jimmy Butler turned down huge money because he wanted to be in Miami. Kyrie Irving moved to Brooklyn because the Nets are the team he rooted for when he a child and Kevin Durant joined him because he wants to play with his homie.

The threat of players switching teams also changes the direction and attitude of the front office. Tobias Harris, an above-average, but not superstar player, just got the five-year max contract from Philadelphia because the Sixers knew he could have left them and gotten other massive money elsewhere.

LeBron didn’t just take unwarranted scrutiny so that players now can play where they want. He also ensured that everyone was going to get a BAG.

Bearing a small resemblance to factory owners losing power to their workers (and labor unions) sometime during the Industrial Revolution, the owners in the NBA have seen their power completely diminish over these past few years. LeBron James and his all-encompassing brand are a giant part of this.

In 2018 LeBron opened the IPromise School, a public elementary school in Akron, Ohio aimed at helping at-risk children. In its brief lifetime, this school already has shown results and looks to be a seed of growth for education in the future.

Maverick Carter is LeBron’s childhood best friend and a massively successful businessman. Rich Paul, also one of LeBron’s earliest and closest friends, is the founder of Klutch Sports Group and an agent for some of the biggest names in the NBA like Anthony Davis, Lebron James, Ben Simmons.

Having LeBron, the clear best player in the NBA as early as 2007 was only a jumping-off point. They are elite in what they do, and the trio of gentleman helped form the gigantic brand that surrounds James.

People around the NBA thought “The Decision” would hurt LeBron and crumple the careers of his two best friends, and the powers that be in the NBA wished this so. Instead, LeBron learned how to win in Miami, securing two championships, and Carter and Paul are, now, moguls and geniuses in their respective industries.

LeBron might be the most popular athlete in the world. In the brief years that Michael Jordan left Chicago and left the NBA in an awkward, “what’s next?” period, LeBron emerged as the superstar ready to take the mantle of the best player in the world.

But who knew he could take the league to these heights? Who knew he would change the way fans see free agency and players are treated? Who knew he would start a school for the underprivileged, and have it be a benchmark for proper education methods to be installed into the foundations within at-risk areas?

LeBron’s legacy will reach so far-and-wide when he is done that people have even whispered the possibility of him running for president in the future. That seems to be a tad far-fetched to me, but it only highlights how big and polarizing he has become.

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As Colin Cowherd has said, the first person to do anything is always the one that takes heat for it. LeBron took the heat that drastically affected his mindset so that players now are in a position to make bank and be happy.

Who knows what is left on LeBron’s path in basketball, and in life. A few more championships? A son in the NBA? Playing a game with his son in the NBA?

LeBron has set up player-empowerment in the NBA and done even more good outside of the league, most notably through the IPromise School.

No one knows exactly what will happen with LeBron moving forward, but we shouldn’t take him for granted and must realize how lucky we all are to be along for the ride.

What the USWNT’s success means for the future of women and soccer

Complete with a blaze of dominating efforts, magnificent goals scored and saved, and even a back-and-forth between its star player and the president, the US Women’s National Soccer Team won its second straight World Cup Sunday, July 7.

After defeating the Netherlands 2-0 in the final, the USWNT finished the tournament outscoring its opponents 26-3. That is insane.

But this domination begs for a bigger question to be answered. An answer that comes from outside of the lines on the pitch. Why does the Women’s National Team make significantly less money than the Men’s National Team?

All arguments of the men’s team bringing in more money are false and ignorant, and while the women’s team has won four of the eight Women’s World Cups in history, the men’s team’s highest finish was third… back in 1930.

If success isn’t the main factor by which salaries are determined and bonuses are given out, surely TV ratings and the revenue garnered are better identifiers.

Nike Chief Executive Mark Parker recently reported the USWNT’s home jersey “is now the number one soccer jersey, men’s or women’s, ever sold on Nike.com in one season.”

The USWNT were favorites going into this year’s world cup after winning the tournament in 2015 and finishing second to Japan in 2011. But tournament favorites do not usually outperform expectations like this.

In fact, more often than not, expectations become too much for a team. We saw it happen in Brazil for the 2014 Men’s World Cup where they hosted and arguably had the most stacked roster. We also were reminded again in 2018, when Germany lost in the group stage to Mexico.

From fiscal years 2016 to 2018, the women’s games generated more than $900,000 more revenue than the men’s games. And in the year following the 2015 World Cup win, women’s games generated more than $1.9 million more than the men’s games, which even takes into account the fees that opposing teams pay in order to play the men’s team.

What about the bonuses for success in a world cup? A drastic difference.

https://twitter.com/myhlee/status/1147919595895959564

Flat out, the men’s team just isn’t that good. While in 2014, fans had hope of a new age of soccer coming in when the USMNT placed in the round of 16, the team couldn’t even qualify for the 2018 World Cup. They have a bright young star in Christian Pulisic and not much else.

Megan Rapinoe, captain of the USWNT who recently told trump to fu*k off, won the golden boot after finishing the tournament with six goals and three assists, becoming only the second American to ever win it.

Rapinoe was the face of the USWNT this tournament, with her pink hair flopping in the wind, and her brazen attitude and leadership only one-upped by her play on the field.

Amidst a well-documented fight of sorts with the president, Rapinoe scored the first and decisive goal against the Netherlands yesterday in the most high-pressure moment possible. She is a star, and unabashedly her.

Rapinoe was also the first woman and non-NFL player to take a knee during the national anthem in 2016, in support of Colin Kaepernick.

Before 2015, the USWNT previously won the Women’s World Cup in 1999 and 2003 ( I urge you to watch Dare to Dream: The Story of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team).

Back then, women’s soccer was starting to gain traction in America, with a beautiful style of play, winning results, and stars in Mia Hamm, Brandi Chastain, Julie Foudy, and a young Abby Wambach.

The height of popularity in the sport has surely not reached its pinnacle, but the stars of today’s game like Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Megan Rapinoe, and others, could surely thank the 1999 and 2003 teams for helping pave the way.

Now, the USWNT is suing the U.S. Soccer Federation for gender discrimination, with a focus on the gap between the men’s and women’s teams. This lawsuit is definitely warranted, and it comes right on the heels of the women’s world cup win.

Why wait? Public opinion can play a big role in lawsuits such as this and what better time to call for equality than when you are smack dab in the public eye? There is an argument that the women deserve to be paid more than the men, but one battle at a time.

In winning the tournament in such a dominating fashion, the USWNT actually exceeded expectations, something unheard of for a pre-tournament favorite. The camaraderie between teammates and leadership in the locker room is a big part of what made it possible.

Often times egos and petty disputes bring down a dynasty. Just think of the early-2000’s Los Angeles Lakers. Or the late-90’s Chicago Bulls. There was none of that with the USWNT, and their celebrations after the win prove how close they are with one another.

These women are role models, in bravery, perseverance, and unity. They deserve what their success warrants in equal pay and perhaps more than that. I believe they will get it.

Get jiggy wit it: Will Smith and Nas pour $22 million into financial literacy platform

“Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime.”

GOATS Will Smith and Nas have come a long way from their “Gettin Jiggy wit It” days and have, now,  poured $22 million into a financial literacy platform called Step.

The iconic duo invested in the mobile-based banking service app for teenagers that allows them to send and receive money from family and friends and get real-time notifications.

But there’s a twist. Unlike traditional banking systems, Step allows teens access to the service without monthly or overdraft fees and minimum balances. Talk about stress-free financial monitoring for the next gen.

The importance of the platform comes in two-fold. For one, the example Smith and Nas are setting for the youths in minority groups and in underprivileged areas helps bring awareness to being fiscally responsible at a young age. Secondly, financial literacy is not something normally taught at a young age.

Truthfully, this program is a chance for the next generation to be self-reliant, smart, and safe with their money. Lord knows us washed Millenials have had the same bank account our parents set up for us when we were 14.

Making sure your rebel child doesn’t go too hard at the candy bar, Step will also provide Visa-supported bank cards for teens to learn about financial management with safeguards in place for children under 18.

Often times we criticize famous and wealthy artists for not giving back to their communities. Will Smith is crazy rich and everyone’s favorite Instagram follow.

Nas has a set fanbase that would go to the deepest realms of hell to defend his name, and both artists are well-known for their charitable efforts. Even though Smith and Nas didn’t have to, they still took a $22 million step further to provide financial literacy to the youth.

Providing education and awareness to youths helps to ensure that the economy will be on the rise moving forward and that individually, young men and women will be able to manage their own money when they live on their own.

According to Forbes, 43 percent of student loan borrowers are not making payments. Teens rush into college with such high aspirations, as they should, and if they can properly secure loans, they often attend a school with tuition and other expenses far out of their price range.

By teaching teens about credit, interest, banking, etc., these numbers will hopefully subside. Student loan debt is one of the most serious and least-talked-about issues in the United States. Regardless, if young adults are struggling to pay their bills on time.

Proving our country’s state of financial illiteracy, only five states have a personal finance requirement in high school. If teens aren’t being taught the importance of financial stability and responsibility early on, they may never learn.

According to Money.com, 33 percent of American adults have $0 saved for retirement, and 56 percent of American adults have less than $10,000 saved.

These numbers do not even take into account the significant disadvantages minority groups face. Unfortunately living in an impoverished area leads to low-funded schools. Thus making it harder for minority teens to access some type of fiscal education.

Additionally, in underprivileged areas, teens are less likely to see adults saving and investing their money. The effect of adults not being financially literate is that the youth will be even worse off.

Along with Jay-Z’s constant charitable efforts and aid in court for people with less power, Will Smith and Nas are emerging as two other celebrities in the entertainment industry pushing to make the future a better place.

It is inspiring to see two renowned and successful individuals, specifically two black men, pushing hard to help out the youth in this country. It is investments like these that can make all the difference.

The end of the ‘Tobi and Bobi’ era is the saddest story of the NBA offseason

Since 2016, Tobias Harris and Boban Marjanovic have always been on the same team.

Through stints with the Detroit Pistons, Los Angeles Clippers, and Philadelphia 76ers, Tobi and Bobi have invited us on a journey of their friendship that we will never forget.

As of earlier this week, July 3, that era is over. At the start of free agency, Harris re-signed with the Philadelphia 76ers for five years, $180 million. And Marjanovic signed with the Dallas Mavericks for two years, $7 million.

Tobi and Bobi were there with us through a lot of tough times. The Warriors’ decimation of nearly half the league on a nightly basis almost brought us down, but for every blowout, we had Tobi and Bobi dancing and smiling together to remind us there was still joy in the world.

Harris just got a bag from the Sixers, and while he may not be a superstar, he’s a very strong player and still only 26. Marjanovic is solid too, though watching him try to guard the pick and roll resembles a drunkie playing dance-dance revolution.

Tobias Harris was upset with the news too, while still congratulating his friend.

These two were really an inseparable pair. Sharing the celebrity, Marjanovic who recently starred in John Wick 3 brought Tobias with him to the premiere.

How could you dislike Boban? It would be easy to imagine everyone he meets wants to be his friend. The 7’3” gentle giant is the tallest player currently playing in the NBA and he holds it down for his city by balling out for the Serbian National Team.

The Serbian connection works perfectly with Tobias Harris’ New Yerrr mentality. It’s a shame the two have been split but both we’re sure will have successful careers. Plus, what’s better basketball than a good old friendly rivalry?

It’s been a tough year for basketball fans. KD left the Warriors, Kyrie left the Celtics, and Boban is headed to Dallas away from his buddy Tobias.

For sure, we are going to miss seeing these two on the court together.

 

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#BadBoysForLife 👀

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Why Tottenham’s Tanguy Ndombele is soccer’s next big superstar

Tottenham Hotspur F.C. is coming off arguably its most successful season in club history, one in which they finished fourth in the Premier League table and reached the club’s first UEFA Champions League Final.

Today, they are extraordinarily better. On July 2, the Spurs, or better known as just signed Tanguy Ndombele for €62 million ($70 million), and a possible €10 million in add-ons.

A year without any ink, that’s an extremely long time for a club. Before Ndombele’s signing, Tottenham had not entertained the idea of a new player since Lucas Moura in January of 2018.

Still, even without new signings, the Spurs reached great heights last season. Under the team’s current manager, Mauricio Pochettino, they consistently finished in the top four of the Premier League.

Pochettino has not been shy of his admiration for Ndombele, a player that perfectly fits his system. Pochettino has been at Tottenham for five years, and every year the team has improved.

 

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✍️ #WelcomeTanguy! Tanguy Ndombele has signed a contract with the Club until 2025! 🙌 #COYS #THFC

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Now with Ndombele, this season should play out even better. The midfielder, footballing Frenchman was born to parents of D.R. Congolese descent. After being released from Guingamp Academy at 16-years-old, Ndombele thought football might be over for him.

But he got a chance at Amiens, a club one division lower than Lyon, and after leading them to promotion in 2017 for the first time in the club’s 116-year history, Lyon signed him for €7 million. This was a huge trajectory indicator to where he is now.

https://twitter.com/COYS_com/status/1146062059483717634

In the Champions League Final only a couple of months ago against Liverpool, Tottenham’s midfielders looked outmatched against the stronger and fresher Liverpool players. Ndombele was sure to fix that.

The decision to sign Ndombele was very lowkey, but that makes it even better. This record signing for Spurs could be widely accepted as a bargain in a few years, as Spurs have Ndombele signed until 2025. The Frenchman is only 22, also, and could enjoy the best part of his career while at Tottenham.

For one, it shows that the club is willing to spend. Daniel Levy, chairman of Tottenham, has been frugal at times in the past, sometimes excessively so. In the final meeting with Ndombele, Levy told him, “you will not leave until you have signed with us,” (L’Équipe).

Secondly, this move shows that Pochettino has the full support and trust of Levy, which is paramount to a successful team. And why shouldn’t he? Before Pochettino, Spurs were swapping in new managers every year or so, and with new managers comes new systems, and, also, new problems.

Levy is reaping the benefits of the culture and style of play Pochettino has imposed, which is even more important as Spurs just moved into a new stadium in North London in 2018.

Ultimately, the signing of Ndombele fills the biggest hole in Tottenham’s squad. Their front three of Dele Alli, Harry Kane, and Son Heung-min are signed and set.

 

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👋 Bonjour, @ndombele_22! 🇫🇷 #COYS #THFC

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Their defense is as strong as it has ever been. Ndombele completes their midfield and is set to be a presence in front of central defenders. He’ll perfect provider of passes to the star forwards.

Nbombele is strong and wisely uses his body to shield off opposing players from the ball. He is also very quick and precise with his passes. He reminds me of Paul Pogba, and not just because they are both strong and French, but because oth players craftily use their bodies for leverage and in tight spaces.

They both use their long legs to chip the ball over defenders and take long touches. And of course, they are both great at intercepting and passing the ball.

His control of the ball and game is astounding.

https://youtu.be/bRe_gxXO6yM

The Spurs have always been a top club and in the scope of success, they come very close to their English rivals Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool. Now, with Ndombele the throne is within reach.

Tottenham’s next goal should be to add depth to their roster (possibly after the sale of Trippier and Eriksen). Their fatigue was evident in the final against Liverpool, and they need quality substitutes to replace out of form players.

For a club that has been fairly ridiculed for “bottling” or “choking” in big matches and spots, Tottenham could have done the same here and saved their money. Instead, they continued their recent trend of squashing this narrative.

Tangy Ndombele may very well already be a superstar. Just most of us just haven’t seen enough of him yet.

It’s a dub for the White House: Why star athletes aren’t pulling up

“I’m not going to the fucking White House…,” said Megan Rapinoe last Tuesday.

Rapinoe, a player for the United States Women’s National Soccer Team, has scored four goals in her team’s last two games and will need to come up big for the United States team to win their next two games and win the 2019 Women’s World Cup.

This is where the White House visit would come in, as for over 50 years American athletes that won their respective leagues/tournaments would be invited to the White House by the president.

Visiting the White House after achieving the pinnacle of your profession used to be an honor. Now, it doesn’t seem that way. For athletes, the visit was the next step in a continued victory lap. It was often a grand honor, a time of further reflection, and a day to be remembered and proud of.

Athletes have skipped out on visiting the White House for years, and for many reasons. Tom Brady didn’t visit the White House when Barack Obama was in office, citing a family commitment. Michael Jordan didn’t visit in 1991, because he decided he wanted to play golf instead.

But for every missed visit, there seemed to be double the amount of happy and appreciative athletes visiting.

You can see Rapinoe, the United States soccer star, happily visiting the White House in 2015 when the United States Women’s National Soccer Team won the previous World Cup.

We know what’s changed. There is an egomaniacal, repugnant, callous man in office who operates with no regard for the well-being of American citizens. The man is selfishly and completely drowned in his own interests.

The Golden State Warriors, fresh off winning the NBA Championship in 2017, decided not to visit the White House, along with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2018, after enough players voiced that they would not visit (though the president tried to claim that there was no invitation for them to decline).

This growing trend to not visit the White House if certain policies and practices by the regime in place are inhumane or opposed to one’s principles is a powerful one. Athletes have a bigger voice now than ever, and by declining what has always been seen as a great honor, they can send out an even stronger message.

Rapinoe, who has stated before that she will not visit the White House, further stated:

“I am not going to fake it. I have no interest in extending our platform to him.”

The president, a man adept at making everything about him, does not deserve to hop on the backs of a prestigious and successful team.

LeBron James, perhaps the biggest advocate for athletes controlling their futures and money, helped create a docuseries More Than an Athlete and is also a strong critic of the president.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnLjXMLv28Y

Speaking up for the disenfranchised or simply declining a visit to the White House makes athletes more than just what they do with a jersey on.

Their platform gives them the ability to spread awareness and spark change. Athletes can be social warriors, activists, and beacons of hope and reason for the multitudes that follow and respect them.

Danny Green, 2019 NBA Champion of the Toronto Raptors, recently said “It’s a hard no,” when asked if his team will be visiting the White House. The trend seems to be continuing, and with every player and team that declines, it just makes it easier for the next to do the same.

The president’s supporters continue to back him no matter what he does, but understand many people and athletes do not like him and his policies.

That much is clear and fine.

Whether her comments were just because of her own moral principles, or if she wanted to have her words resonate through the papers and internet, Rapinoe’s comments can have a lasting effect on other athletes or fans of her and her team.

An election is approaching, and words and actions by famous athletes hold massive weight. No matter who is in charge, not everyone will be happy. Athletes will pass on White House visits as they have always done.

But with the current regime in place, it is no accident that more players and teams are declining to visit. Additionally, it would not be a surprise that once the president is out of office, the invitation is widely considered a great honor once again.

How the Brooklyn Nets overtook the sorry Knicks to become NYC’s team

“The New York Knicks have lost New York to the Brooklyn Nets,” Stephen A. Smith said this morning after the news broke yesterday that the Nets signed Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant.

Smith, a journalist, sports commentator, and leading personality in the current climate of funny and quotable media content, is also a lifelong New York Knicks fan. He summed up the feelings of Knicks fans everywhere this morning, additionally saying,

“This is the absolute worst day in the history of the New York Knicks franchise.”

Kyrie Irving is signing a four year $141 million contract to join the Nets, and Durant is signing for four years at $164 million.

Smith, perhaps the most notable New York Knicks fan not named Spike Lee, is not alone in the disappointment Knicks fans are feeling this morning. New York is probably the biggest mecca for basketball in the entire world and has fans far-and-wide who are proud, impassioned, and loyal to a fault.

Knicks fans have not been quiet in their discontent with the most abysmal and pathetic franchise in professional team sports over the past twenty years, but every step of the way their loyalty has seemed like it would always remain.

That may be changing.

New York has always been a Knicks town, and the steady flow of fans and money in and out of Madison Square Garden every year is evidence of this. Even seven years ago, when the Nets moved from New Jersey to Brooklyn and planted themselves on New York soil, there was no question of which team dominated the city, had more fans, and carried the bigger spotlight.

After last night, that certainty is over.

The Nets won the first day of NBA free agency, and as Smith said, won New York. Brooklyn is the lesser-known relative compared to Manhattan, where the Knicks play, but Brooklyn has a bigger population and is no Oklahoma City. Anyone who has been to the waterfront or downtown of Brooklyn can attest to how beautiful and lively the area is.

Irving happens to be from the area (across the river in New Jersey), and a childhood fan of the Nets. Durant already planned to spend his summer in New York and seems primed to build his brand and network in this city for years to come.

The Brooklyn Nets have completed the greatest rebuild the NBA has ever seen. Six years ago, when the Nets traded their future picks to the Celtics for Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce (who had a combined age of 73), they quickly found themselves devoid of young players, picks, and consequently, a future.

Staring into a dark realm of shame and obscurity, the Nets pivoted and hired Sean Marks as General Manager and Kenny Atkinson as a coach, two young and forward-thinking basketball minds.

The Nets next step was acquiring any picks and young players they could through taking on unwanted salaries. Marks and Atkinson preached patience, development, and establishing a culture in Brooklyn above all else.

The Nets’ further brilliance and management of the cap over the last few months allowed them to sign both Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant. In fact, the Nets are also signing DeAndre Jordan, a close friend of Irving and Durant, and the latter two are taking slight pay cuts so that Jordan can receive a contract for four-years, $40 million.

Sidenote: Jordan played on the Knicks for the second half of last season, lowkey.

Contrary to the Nets, the Knicks mishandled their cap over the last few years and were forced to trade away their young star player Kristaps Porzingis to create cap space for this summer because they were sure they were going to get Kevin Durant and another star player in free agency. #Sick.

James Dolan, the Knicks owner and clear perpetrator of the worst managed team of a big market in NBA and possibly sports history, spoke with such booming confidence over this past year of the Knicks’ chances of signing big free agents, one would’ve thought the deals were already in place.

Unlike Brooklyn, New York had the history, and the opportunity for a legacy-changing move if Durant went to the Knicks and won a championship. Can you imagine the streets of midtown Manhattan if Durant delivered them a championship for the first time since 1973? Constant parades would be held, statues would be built, Durant would have a key to the city.

So why, with every perceivable advantage at their disposal, did the Knicks lose out, once again, on the top free agents they had been rumored to get? Gross mismanagement and ineptitude is the reason, along with the ego of James Dolan who Stephen A. Smith’s First Take partner Max Kellerman says “treats the Knicks like an ATM instead of a public trust.”

In the past few years, Dolan has thrown out and banned for life beloved Knicks legend Charles Oakley from Madison Square Garden, along with banning a fan for life who held up a sign calling for Dolan to sell the team.

After learning they weren’t going to get Durant, the Knicks tried to spin the narrative and say they wouldn’t pay Durant the max. Pathetic. Pitiful. Signs of a weak and insecure man calling the shots.

While Durant is injured and likely out the entire next season, Brooklyn is still set up with Irving, Jordan, sharpshooter and defending 3-point-contest champion Joe Harris, sixth-man-of-the-year candidate and friend of Irving Spencer Dinwiddie, rising star and talented shot-blocker Jarrett Allen, and more complimentary pieces.

https://twitter.com/_scottjohnson/status/1145542304792555522

The Nets are fun. The Knicks are piteous.

The stark and vast dichotomy between the two New York franchises is perhaps the most profound today. The Nets are well-managed, have a great medical staff, and star players.

The Knicks have 19-year-old R.J. Barrett… Yeah.

As a Nets fan, I am extremely excited to see what these next four years hold in store for the most fun and joyous team of last season. As a New Yorker, I can’t help but feel sorry for Knicks fans.

You all deserve better.

What’s next for Neymar? Why the PSG star could be headed back to Barcelona

In 2017, PSG bought Neymar from Barcelona for 222 million euros. With no shortage of funds, PSG saw Neymar as their star forward/winger, and a superstar that would increase ticket sales and overall revenue for the club.

Now, after just two years, it seems his time in France may be coming to an end, as talks of him returning to Spanish side Barcelona have come up.

Neymar’s time with PSG has been riddled with injuries and underwhelming efforts.

Neymar is a superstar who has had big games and superb goals, but a team owned by the State of Qatar, with seemingly unlimited funds, clearly has one goal: the UEFA Champions League Trophy. PSG has yet to win one. The club wins its domestic titles, but management surely wants more.

Champions League Football GIF by UEFA - Find & Share on GIPHY

PSG has talent all across the squad with players such as striker Edinson Cavani, star defender and fellow Brazilian Thiago Silva, and wonderkid Kylian Mbappé. With a stacked squad such as this, team owners and fans expect results, and this is where a leader needs to come in.

Neymar is one of the most talented footballers in the world, but he has not yet shown he can lead a team. After failing to advance deep into the Champions League in both his years with the club, some blame has to be put on Neymar, especially with his salary of 36.8 million euros. Clearly, the State of Qatar has slight reservations about Neymar as well if they are considering selling him.

Neymar started his career for Brazilian side Santos F.C. in 2003, playing in their youth academy. In 2011 and 2012 he won South American Footballer of the Year, and in 2013 he joined Barcelona. Neymar finished third in Ballon d’Or voting in 2015 and 2017, with the latter year being at PSG.

https://youtu.be/93Va6TZhmDQ

Barcelona paired Neymar with Luis Suárez and Lionel Messi, forming a big three that tore through Europe and won the Champions League in 2015.

Barcelona has been in talks to sign Antoine Griezmann from fellow Spanish side Atletico Madrid this summer. Griezmann is a world-class player, but he is not Neymar, and even Barcelona’s key man agrees.

Barcelona wants Neymar back and is even willing to give up one of their star midfielders in a swap deal that is not very common in soccer.

Kylian Mbappé is the most talented young player in the world, plays a similar position to Neymar, and is signed with PSG through 2022. PSG can reshape their roster around him and use the money they get in the sale from Neymar to buy new, complimentary players.

Both Barcelona and PSG would benefit from this deal which is why I believe if both club’s egos are put aside, it will happen.

PSG can be very happy moving forward, but even still, amidst injuries and blown leads, the club and fans alike may not be able to shake the thought of “what could have been.”