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Creating a legacy: After 17 years of LeBron’s we still want more

LeBron James is the best basketball player of his generation. His legacy is one that will stretch beyond sports. Through his legacy, he empowers athletes and uses his platform to address and assist in social change.

James’ story is remarkable. Turning from child of a single mother in the inner-city of Akron to high school phenom to first overall pick of the NBA Draft and Nike’s next golden boy is nothing short of incredible. But of course, that was only the start.

Since Nike took a $90 million chance on an 18-year-old kid, LeBron has somehow superseded the lofty expectations thrown at him at such an early age. He brought a rag-tag team to the NBA Finals in just his fourth year in the league.

He brought Cleveland its first championship in 52 years in the midst of a run of success unprecedented in sports with eight straight trips to the finals. And since entering the league (most profoundly in recent years), LeBron has done even more off the basketball court.

Since the day Nike made a big investment on him, LeBron has proven them right at every turn and still dominates the sports landscape going into year 17 of his career (feel old yet?).

And through every crazy dunk, every accolade reached and record broken, there was a shoe to help tell the story. After LeBron posted a video to his more than 50 million Instagram followers unveiling the new Lebron 17, we decided to take a look at every Nike LeBron shoe released.

Feel the nostalgia, lean into it even, and enjoy the ride.

2003/04: Nike Air Zoom Generation

LeBron entered the league as the self-proclaimed “Chosen One.” Well, Nike pulled out all the stops to do their part in helping him earn his name. Partly inspired by the Hummer H2 Lebron’s mom got him in high school, the Lebron 1’s had exceptional features to highlight his strengths and also keep him safe.

The 1’s had exceptional cushioning and large air ducts in the mid foot area for ventilation and weight reduction. When you’re as big as Lebron and can fly so high, that cushioning, support, and breathing room in your shoes is paramount.

James was the biggest high school basketball star of all time, but of course, there were the people that questioned whether or not he would be able to battle in the NBA with grown men. He proved those haters wrong, and then some.

The Nike Air Zoom Generation had several colorways, including White/Black-Red, White/Red-Blue, Black/White-Red, and “Christmas” coloring. The first shoe to start them all definitely didn’t disappoint.


2004/05: Nike Zoom LeBron 2

Nike’s second shoe for LeBron in some ways embodied early-2000’s fashion. It was bulky, brolic, and honestly from where I sit right now, a bit unsightly.

But it was Nike giving Lebron a true signature shoe, and after winning Rookie of the Year and showing he was the real thing, the King was surely worth it. The naysayers were silenced after LeBron proved he could play against the best talent in the world.

LeBron and his high school sweetheart Savannah James actually had their first child this year, LeBron James Jr. (Bronny). This is a big milestone for any man, but even more for James who had an absent father growing up. LeBron has made it no secret recently that he would love to play with his son (now a freshman in high school) in the NBA.

The 2’s had a thick strap over the top of the laces and a new double stacked zoom that allowed the 260-pound James to jump and land softly. Some of the colorways were Navy “Chamber of Fear,” White/Navy, Red “Chamber of Fear,” and White/Gold PE.


2005/06: Nike Zoom LeBron 3

If there was any doubt before about how good Lebron could be, entering into his third year in the league it was clear LeBron was a superstar, not just in the making, but already. The White/Gold partnership on the 3’s was a flashy pairing, and other hot colorways were Black/Red, White/Navy-Red, and Black/Gold.

These kicks were clean, sleek, and representative of the type of player LeBron was in his third season. It was this year that LeBron averaged 31 points a game. The gold touch on the shoe made sense because crowns are made of gold, and crowns are made for kings.


2006/07: Nike Zoom LeBron 4

This shoe adopted a retro look that was very successful. LeBron’s shoes were already popular at this point, but the 4’s were the first shoes of the king to be a successful crossover off the court. The shoe featured composite which was extremely popular in the 90’s for Nike.

LeBron and Savannah’s second child, Bryce James, was born in 2007, and they already had a toddler at home. LeBron led the Cavs to the Finals that year too, and although they were swept by the dominant San Antonio Spurs, LeBron’s playoff stretch is one historian can salivate over for years to come. This shoe also featured some of the best colorways, like the Fruity Pebbles, NYC Graffiti, Hardwood Classics, and China.


2007/08: Nike Zoom LeBron 5

The 5’s came out after LeBron had reached his first NBA Finals. A team devoid of any other star talent was led by the fourth-year James in a remarkable run that some saw as his “I’m here” moment. Everyone knew about LeBron.

Everyone knew he was one of the best players in the league. But sometimes absurd talent and ability don’t equal success, as we have seen from star NBA players in the past (Tracy McGrady). The 5’s had a clean look like they were actually made for royalty.

Nike reintroduced the strap to these shoes and even added a milk crate pattern on the ankle strap that symbolized the basket played on when he was a kid.


2008/09: Nike Zoom LeBron 6

The LeBron 6’s were a different look than his previous sneakers. They were marketed at the time to be LeBron’s most versatile signature model, shoes that could be worn on the court and off of it. But this idea may have been a bit too audacious, and the sneaker design was changed and then released all within a matter of months.

LeBron was near his physical peak as a player, dominating his competition, but coming up short in the playoffs with a lackluster supporting cast. The Boston Celtics were his main foe in the East, and they would remain as such until a few years down the road. LeBron won his first MVP this year. This shoe did have some fun colorways though, like the Chalk and Big Apple.


2009/10: Nike Air Max LeBron 7

It’s crazy to think that LeBron is still at the top of the league’s player rankings in 2019. A whole decade before in ’09/’10, LeBron won his second MVP in a row. It was clear to every unbiased supporter of the NBA that he was far-and-away the best player in the game.

The LeBron 7’s were the first time Nike used its air max cushioning system in a basketball sneaker. The 7’s also contained 80% more air than the previous full-length unit, and utilized Nike’s Flywire technology. This shoe was different than the previous Lebron’s and had a different designer, Jason Petrie.

Nike was expanding what they were doing with LeBron’s sneakers, and Lebron surely had a bigger say in the outlook of these shoes than in his earlier years.

After reaching the finals in ’07 but coming up short, LeBron must have been growing frustrated with the state of the Cavs and how they couldn’t get him any help. This growing discomfort with carrying the load night in, night out can possibly be seen in these 7’s, with a new design and designer.


2010/11: Nike Air Max LeBron 8

The growing discomfort that LeBron felt in Cleveland was capped off by him taking off his jersey after the Cavs bowed out to the Celtics in the playoffs in 2010. Fans wondered where Lebron was going to go, and whether or not the undressing of his jersey in the tunnel was a sign he would not resign with the Cavs.

Then came the decision. On national television, LeBron announced he was going to go to Miami and join Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh on the Heat. Suddenly there were fans burning LeBron’s jersey, Cavs owner Dan Gilbert released a despicable letter to fans that were complete with racial undertones, and the rest of the NBA world not in Miami rooting for the Heat and more specifically LeBron to fail.

So LeBron adopted a villain mentality. If everyone was going to hate him, why not embrace the hate? The LeBron 8’s built upon the 7’s, utilizing Nike’s Air Max technology. The shoe was extremely bulky, and while it had many fun colorways like the South Beach and Miami Nights, it is not among the most revered of LeBron’s massive collection of signature shoes.


2011/12: Nike LeBron 9

LeBron’s second year in Miami. Fresh off losing the finals to the Mavericks, a series they really should have won. LeBron and Wade took a vacation in the summer to reflect, and two important realizations were made: First, Wade realized they couldn’t both coexist as full alpha-males. For the Heat to be the best they could be, LeBron would have to be the bigger player, handle the rock most often at the end of games, and take the last shot.

Secondly, LeBron understood that as a player and a person, he could not act like a villain. He is a jovial, funny guy that enjoys pleasing others. In order to win the final challenge which was a championship, he would have to just be him.

LeBron won his third MVP this year, en route to his first NBA Championship. The 9’s get credit for being the shoes he first won it all with. Designer Jason Petrie put visible Air Max on the heel and Zoom Air in the forefoot. This was a big year for the King, and with Wade’s teaching, LeBron understood all that it took to win.


2012/13: Nike LeBron 10

The LeBron 10’s were huge fan favorites. This was the first signature basketball sneaker to use Nike+ Basketball technology that tracked and measured performance. These shoes were a bit too brolic, but the colors on them made them look really clean, and it isn’t a big surprise why fans love these shoes.

This was also the year that many basketball fans cite as LeBron’s best ever. His efficiency was at an all-time high and his defense was nearly unmatched as he could essentially guard all five positions on the floor.

This was made clear when he shut down Tony Parker of the Spurs for a large section of the NBA Finals and even guarded Tim Duncan when needed. LeBron grabbed his fourth MVP this year, second championship, and second Finals MVP. It was clear he had learned how to win, and was at his physical peak as an athlete.


2013/14: Nike LeBron 11

The 11’s were the lightest and lowest LeBron sneakers at the time. With a new futuristic look, the 11’s are very unique as LeBron shoes go. Jason Petrie really went off on these ones. Dope colorways include Miami Nights and King’s Pride.

LeBron was a monster this year. Capturing his second straight title the previous season, the haters had stopped chirping so much. At the pinnacle of his powers, the 11’s represented Lebron’s unapologetic creativity and devotion to being himself. LeBron’s third and final child, Zhuri, was also born this year, blessing James and Savannah with their first daughter.


2014/15: Nike LeBron 12

When the Heat lost to the Spurs in the 2014 Finals, speculation hit its tipping point again on whether or not LeBron was going to switch teams.

Well, he did, and it was to return to the Cavs. After four years of the fanbase hating on him, they welcomed him with open arms, which just goes to show how foolish all the hate was. LeBron joined a team with budding young star Kyrie Irving, and the Cavs also managed to trade for Kevin Love, a versatile star power forward.

Only because James left and the Cavs were so bad they stockpiled draft picks were the Cavs able to get Irving and Love, so really Cavs fans should have sung LeBron’s praises even more. This was a basketball move, but it also seemed Lebron wanted to return home and solve unfinished business. Cleveland is often the butt of a joke, and with so little success in sports, the “Chosen One” definitely wanted to deliver.

The 12’s were a cool pair of shoes, but perhaps slightly forgettable. Nike did though combine a new “mega fuse” type of technology with the existing flywire that had laced the toes of the king. The Cavs lost both Irving and Love in the playoffs this year, but even still, Lebron had his team two games away from that long-awaited championship.


2015/16: Nike LeBron 13

LeBron himself has mentioned that the few drops before his Lebron 15’s were some of his biggest misses. The 13 seems to embody this. The colorways and overall design of this drop just aren’t too visually pleasing.

It is strange then that this was the Cavs most successful season in franchise history. The team made the finals against the 73-win Warriors and overturned a 3-1 deficit for the first time in NBA history to win Cleveland its first championship in 52 years.

It was a massive moment for LeBron, as in most people’s eyes, capturing a title for Cleveland was equal to winning several titles in Miami. After this LeBron really did not have much left to prove. Maybe he was focused solely on basketball this year, and the shoe designs fell to the wayside. The end of 2015 was also when LeBron signed a lifetime deal with Nike, set to earn over a billion dollars in total.


2016/17: Nike LeBron 14

The LeBron 14 was a fly shoe, but in the grand scope of LeBron sneakers, is it memorable? Probably not.

Some cool colorways were the Red Carpet and Hardwood Classics, and the sneaker had a smooth, stylish appearance to it, but there wasn’t much about the sneaker or the hype surrounding it that lead to people talking about it a few years later.

Lebron just led his team to the greatest comeback in NBA history. Cleveland was a city of champions once again. The shoes could have been bolder, more daring, more epic, but it is understandable why shoes were not at the forefront of James’ mind this year.


2017/18: Nike LeBron 15

Finally, we’re back again to some of the best stuff. The 15’s are fan favorites, LeBron favorites, and my favorites. The 15’s started off by debuting on the KITH fashion show, leading to a complete collection titled, “Long Live the King.”

The 15’s look like they seamlessly transition from the shoe to the sock as if the shoe is just part of an athlete’s foot. Looking very different in appearance and texture than previous Lebron shoes, the sneakers expressed the innovation of Lebron’s game.

It was in 2018 when LeBron added the deep 3-point shot to his arsenal, meaning defenders have to guard him further out and he has a higher chance of blowing by them once they do. The collection pays homage to some of James’ favorite athletes as a kid too, in Ken Griffey Jr., Deion Sanders, and Vince Carter. And what’s better than that?

LeBron opened a public elementary school called I Promise in Akron, Ohio in 2018, specifically aimed at at-risk children. This is an amazing act by James and 2018 was a phenomenal year for him.


2018/19: Nike LeBron 16

The 16’s are hot too. Like the 15’s, they have a unique, modern texture to them that somehow looks rough and smooth at the same time.

The shoes have a strong platform/cushion that allows for LeBron’s still-supreme leaping ability and are light so it’s easier for him to run. Some dope colorways include Fresh Bred, Royal Kings, Buzz Lightyears, and I Promise.

This was LeBron’s first year in Los Angeles playing for the Lakers, and while the season ended in immense disappointment, the shoes aren’t representative of this. Currently, in 2019, expectations are high for the Lakers new season, just as expectations were for LeBron’s new shoe drop.


2019: Nike LeBron 17

 

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LeBron took a video on his Instagram story recently, opening a special box Nike sent him. Inside was a sheet running through the history of LeBron’s shoe drops, culminating in the reveal of his newest release: the 17’s.

This shoe is rewarding fans who have been there through it all, merging Nike’s vast array of technologies. The Air Zoom and Air Max will be combined with this shoe, and the cushioning looks like it will be new and improved. Lebron showed us the “Future Air” colorway, but we are sure to see a lot of other hot colorways coming.

The Lakers are a franchise with high expectations. LeBron is a player with high expectations for himself. After last year’s disappointment, Lebron and Lakers fans cannot wait for this season to start. With a new shoe drop, and Anthony Davis now suiting up with him, Lebron should be invigorated and looking to prove to the world he is still the best player in the league.

Through the years we have seen changes in Lebron’s life, personality, homes, and efforts outside of basketball. The Nike LeBron’s have helped take us on the ride the whole time. Through every shoe, there was a story, where LeBron was, where the world was at that time. We are hyped to see more of the 17’s, and as a training camp for the NBA season is almost underway, we can’t wait to see what is next in store for LeBron.

The Rich Paul Rule: Why the NCAA is big mad at the NBA’s hottest agent

The NCAA hasn’t been in the public’s good graces for some time now and at this point, nobody’s hiding it.

Apart from being a multi-billion dollar industry where coaches get millions and athletes barely get lunch — not allowing players to profit off their names even down to autographs and YouTube streams — the NCAA has this week, yet again, managed to one-up themselves. Not to mention the FBI investigation for paying players under the table just happened last year.

Wednesday, the NCAA made a splash in the sports world with an announcement of significant rule changes for NBA Draft-bound basketball players, stating that they could hire agents in an advisory role ahead of the Draft and still retain their eligibility… but only if that agent had a Bachelor’s degree.

While this may seem regulatory and on-brand with any high-level organization, there is more than what meets the eye here.

It just so happens that the most successful sports agent and, subsequently, the biggest threat to the NCAA today is a man named Rich Paul who represents Anthony Davis, Ben Simmons, Draymond Green, John Wall, and his buddy LeBron James, among others and, oh yeah, doesn’t have a degree.

And nonbody is seeing this as a coincidence.

Paul, 37, is the CEO of Klutch Sports and got his start in the sports agency due to his relationship with James. After meeting him at an airport in 2002 and bonding over streetwear, the two forged a partnership that led to a thriving representation business for sports and entertainment. After leaving Creative Artists in 2012, Paul created Klutch Sports Group, signing Bron as his first athlete.

Yet, despite his well-accomplished resume, according to the new NCAA criteria, Paul wouldn’t be able to represent underclassmen who are looking to test the NBA draft waters.

As he alluded to in his tweet, Bron feels like the 2012 ESPN story ruffled some feathers, highlighting a passage that accurately forecasted what’s currently going on.

“Rich is now a major threat to every large corporate agency that exists,” agent Chris Luchey told ESPN that year.

“The fact that the largest icon in the sport today has an agent from a boutique firm kills every myth these large agencies have been standing on.”

The NCAA, however, refutes that this rule-change takes aim at any singular individual but protects students against faulty fraudulent sports agents and simply bad decision making.

In the past, if you declared from the draft and did not withdraw before the deadline and ended up not being drafted, you were left in limbo. The NCAA rules allow future undrafted players to return to school — it’s not retroactive to the undrafted 2018 players.

Despite these protections, it still does not defend the laziness and unresponsible language the rule depicts, as it suggests that these athletes aren’t smart enough to weed through legit agents and that you somehow need a degree to be competent enough to do the job.

As NFL Network host Rich Eisen pointed out, plenty of other accomplished people don’t have college degrees. “Imagine if people in their industries lobbied to make sure they couldn’t ply their crafts with some silly rule about needing a degree,” he tweeted.

“Requiring Rich Paul to get a BA is BS.”

This rule hurts the league because it says that you can only succeed through life “their way” and that is through college and, ultimately, through them. But that’s not always the case.

Rich Paul himself defies that.

https://twitter.com/BazleyDarius/status/1158922421203808256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1158922421203808256&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.washingtonpost.com%2Fsports%2F2019%2F08%2F07%2Frich-paul-rule-ncaa-lebron%2F

If you don’t think NCAA’s rule is about Rich Paul, remember this: One of his youngest clients is top prospect Darius Bazley, who de-committed from Syracuse in March to land a first-of-its-kind three-month $1 million shoe-company internship with New Balance, a deal Paul brokered.

Bazley was the No. 13 prospect in 2018 by ESPN. You bet NCAA wanted him with them. But as LeBron said, this, won’t stop them.

And I doubt it will.

15 rappers and athletes who low key watch mad wrestling

If your idea of wrestling is grown men in tights doing a bunch of fake stunts then deadass dip from this page right now.

If you’re a person who does understand the culture of it and been a fan since the Attitude Era of the WWE (or even earlier!) then you will find comfort knowing that you’re not alone.

Going to any live wrestling event, you’ll see all types of people. Mostly out of shape dudes stuffing their faces with food but you may also see a pretty poppin’ rapper or pro athlete from time to time.

No matter when you started watching wrestling, it’s something that you pretty much carry for the rest of your life. No matter how much you actually watch of it, being a WWE fan puts you into a select group.

To these athletes and rappers who can enjoy wrestling like the rest of us, we salute you.

The Flatbush Zombies

The Flatbush Zombies are huge wrestling fans and can often be seen at every WWE event that pulls up to Barclays. These guys are die hards and actually know their shit.

Not only are they lifelong watchers but they’re friends with many current superstars including The New Day who they recreated a promo for above.

Considering there’s three of them, and three in New Day, maybe we’ll se a cross-genre match up between the two either at a Wrestlemania or Coachella type situation.


DeAngelo Williams

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSbbhjyh9_1/

The former Carolina Panther and current Pittsburgh Steeler DeAngelo Williams loves him some wrasslin and goes to Wrestlemania every year with his buddy and current NFL free agent Gary Barnidge.

The two could’ve easily been pro wrestlers and even got into the story line at a recent IMPACT Wrestling event. Williams shoves the shit out of Davey Richards and Barnidge scoop slams him!

When asked about his fascination with sports entertainment DeAngelo admitted that he draws motivation from wrestlers and even compared himself to current superstar Enzo Amore saying,

“He talks a lot but he backs up what he talks. I kind of push myself through my words and how I carry myself.”


Smoke DZA

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSZOQDugN6z/

If you listen to the Kushed God, you don’t have to go far through his catalogue to hear a wrestling reference or see where he gets inspiration from. He has a series of mixtapes using wrestling references and he’s already up to 5. Dude loves this shit.

He truly is a tastemaker when it comes to this wrestling shit and even got to chill with Hulk Hogan at this year’s Wrestlemania. Hell he even kicked it with Stone Cold! This dude is really out here on the scene.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BRttxcuAVWu/


Mike Tyson

Not only is Mike Tyson a huge wrestling fan but at one point he was actually a part of DX, appeared at Wrestlemania and even got inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame!

Even with his busy schedule today, he’s more than often going to show up at a live event from time to time and give the universe what they’re looking for.

His love for WWE started all the way back in the 90s when he was teaming up with the likes of Triple H and HBK, to today where he remains homies with The Rock and of course the head honcho, Vince McMahon.


Wale

https://www.instagram.com/p/BST2NQ2hDX5/

Wale is another huge wrestling fan who uses plenty of references in his lyrics and he may even be the slickest to do it. He has a song called “Hacksaw Jim Duggan” and even dropped this gem in “Beautiful Bliss” featuring J. Cole,

“When Bret Hart meet Brett Farve/

A sharp shooter well exceeding any figure four/

You see my figure more or less six or more”

Wale is very on the scene with it, is friends with many wrestlers, attends Wrestlemania every damn year and even hosts his own event leading up to the big event called Walemania. Deadass. Walemania.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSRQuPEhR6K/

He will more likely than not get some type of programming deal with the WWE Network one day as they continue to broaden their product. Transitioning from mid card rapper to a potential wrestling personality wouldn’t be a bad career move. Just saying.


Snoop Dogg

Snoop is another WWE Hall of Famer and has appeared at shows throughout his career.

He is also cousin to current WWE women’s superstar Sasha Banks who he walked out during her first Wrestlemania entrance in Dallas last year.

He’s also probably one of the only people the WWE will let blaze in their locker room areas (just speculation). But if you think I’m just messing around, John Cena low key snitched him out during the HOF induction last year. Fucking worm!


Rob Gronkowski

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Gronk is one of the most recent superstar athletes to join the WWE family and randomly be placed into the storyline.

At this year’s Wrestlemania, Gronk jumped into the ring to help his college buddy and current WWE superstar Mojo Rawley win his match.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSbolNFlijw/

He would go on to appear at several other shows around the Boston area during this time but the best part is that he probably doesn’t even realize it’s scripted.

All jokes aside, there’s a lot of speculation that Rob may seriously consider joining the WWE once his NFL career is over. But even a one-off match at a Wrestlemania would be huge.


Eminem

YouTube

Slim Shady has been out of the public eye for quite some time.

It’s reported that while his fandom didn’t start at childhood, he first immersed himself in the culture back in 2009 when he used a Rey Mysterio mask to cover his face while leaving a a shop in London.

He’s been spotted at random wrestling events over the years and may be something of a closet fan. At one point it was reported that he was supposed to appear at a Wretslemania but plans never fell through. Who knows, one day he could debut as a masked wrestler and we wouldn’t even know it.


Rick Rubin

Rolling Stone

The OG Don Dada super producer himself, Mr. Rick Rubin pulls up to WWE shows often. Pretty much any show in LA, you’ll see his signature beard in the first row right behind the commentator table.

But what many people don’t know is that he once financially backed a smaller wrestling promotion called Smoky Mountain Wrestling back in the early 90s.

Rubin says one of his biggest groups, The Beastie Boys, were even influenced by pro wrestling itself and called them heels saying in an interview with Rolling Stone,

“Early on, the Beastie Boys were very influenced by pro wrestling. One-hundred percent. The idea of being bad-guy rappers, saying really outlandish things in interviews, that all came from a love of pro wrestling.”

These days he just posts up in the cut and watches it with his glorious beard.


Daniel Cormier

The current light heavyweight UFC champion Daniel Cormier is a huge wrestling fan and has even alluded to competing in the WWE once his MMA career is over. His reaction to Seth Rollins winning at Wrestlemania 31 a couple years ago is priceless.

At his most recent fight, a win against Anthony “Rumble” Johnson, he mimicked the New Day’s “Who” chant when asked a question during a post-fight interview.

But Cormier is smarter than most casual fans. He looks at it from a psychological standpoint and even compares himself to current superstar Roman Reigns.

“I was watching WWE WrestleMania last weekend and I said wow it would be great if Roman Reigns pins the Undertaker clean. It’s how the old school guys do business. Monday night, Reigns walked out to the ring and they booed him for 10 minutes, would not allow him to talk but it was the most organic crowd that they’ve had in a really long time. He said ‘this is my yard’ and he left. It was perfect because they were playing the game for him. That’s me.”


Fabolous

Twitter

Fabolous is not only a huge wrestling fan but he’s a great dad and gives his son the full wrestling fanboy experience including tickets to all the events and even his own wrestling ring for a bed.

Don’t believe me? Who knows where I’d be today If I had this shit as a kid!

https://www.instagram.com/p/_vUSMVvfBc/

Fab also appeared in the WWE 2K16 press event where he spoke about his love for wrestling and spit some bars. He’s good at any wrestling event he goes to.


LeBron James

YouTube

LeBron James is a big fan of wrestling and if him taking a picture of Stone Cold on a flip phone back in 2003 doesn’t prove that… nothing will.

This photo was back when he first got drafted to the Cavs but if you think he’s changed since then check out this video shouting out The Rock and showing off his belt after his last championship win with Miami.

https://www.instagram.com/p/jdTPuTCTKa/

But more importantly in the caption, he talks about a side not many people knew about. Watching sports entertainers like The Rock, Sting and The Undertaker made him actually want to be a wrestler at one point.

Imagine a world where King James was in the squared circle and not the hardwood.


Kevin Love

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LeBron isn’t the only huge wrestling fan on his team. In fact, Kevin Love might be the biggest WWE fan in the NBA!

After winning his first world championship with the Cavs last year, this man was truly rocking the heavyweight belt throughout the parade showing his true colors as a wrestling guy. This dude literally wore it everywhere for a few days.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BHFKPNLAXyw/

As a matter of fact, not only was Love rocking the current championship belt, but he had the old school Stone Cold one too. Sheesh! Now that’s stuntin’. Unfortunately he’s still never met Steve but would love to one day. In an interview with Sports Illustrated he said,

“I’ve never met Stone Cold. I’d love to meet Dwayne Johnson because of what he’s done. Those were my childhood heroes. That was the era when wrestling was incredible.”


Action Bronson

https://www.instagram.com/p/BSuZ3LMA0R7/

A lot of people on this list could’ve probably been wrestlers but no one more so than Queens rapper Action Bronson. This dude has the stature of a Rikishi or Yokozuna and has the charisma of a Dwayne Johnson or Stone Cold.

It’s a rare combination but Action actually watches a shit ton of wrestling and has the lyrical references to prove it. Noisey actually did a whole feature on it but here’s my personal favorite off of of “T.K.O.” saying

I’m known for cooking meat, cooking beats, and wildin’ like I’m Booker T

But even more awesome than that was this photo and story he shared on Instagram recently where he had the privilege of sitting behind two WWE legends, Goldust and The Big Show where he shared a story about how Show was just ripping ass the whole time.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BQ0Dtw1gVRt/


Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Last but definitely not least, as much shit as Floyd Mayweather Jr. talks about other sports like UFC, he actually fucks with the WWE. Not only has he appeared on a couple of shows but he duffed the shit out of The Big Show.

This was crazy for a couple of reasons. First off, it was to set up a match up against the two at Wrestlemania, not to mention Big Show is literally five people bigger than Floyd.

The craziest part of this all was that Show reportedly asked Floyd to break his nose. Fortunately he didn’t but just know that this wasn’t Mayweather’s last time in WWE.

The 10 most disrespectful moments in NBA Finals history

With the NBA Finals on the horizon, it’s important to look back at the most disrespectful plays in the history of the series.

We combed through the annals of NBA history to find the plays that made you say, in the immortal words of Famous Los, “why he do boy like dat?”

It’s hard to exactly define disrespectful in this context, but it’s one of those thing where you know it when you see it. While things like a good screen and roll, a clever coaching adjustment, or an offensive rebound might win the game, they aren’t the plays we remember when we look back.

Instead it’s the wild crossover that leaves your opponent in a heap on the ground, the rim-shattering dunk, the game-winning shot in dude’s face, these are all things that qualify as disrespectful here.

You probably know a few of these already; LeBron pops up a couple times, Michael Jordan is obviously on there (no NBA Finals list is complete without the GOAT). A certain point guard that played for the 76ers is featured, honestly this dude took disrespect on the basketball court to a new level.

Just to give you a feeling of the lack of respect on this list, the first play, sliding in at number 10, is Jerry West (aka The Logo) hitting a game-tying shot against the Knicks from way past half court to send Game 3 of the 1970 Finals into overtime.

Obviously if that shot happened nowadays it would’ve been a three and ended the game but back in the day it just went right into overtime. West ended up missing all his shots in overtime and the Knicks won the game and would go on to win the 1970 NBA Championship.

Can’t tell what the wildest part of that shot is, the fact that my dude hit a shot from 60 feet or the Knicks were in the Finals.

Check out the rest of the most disrespectful moments in NBA Finals history in the video above.


 

Stephen A. Smith has picked every finals wrong since 2011

Stephen A. Smith, who was once a pretty good newspaper columnist, is a shining example of ESPN’s “embrace debate” ideology, where the Worldwide Leader throws two people with opposing views at each other on national television and advertise it as some sort of important dialogue.

It’s not.

These “debates” include Colin Cowherd claiming John Wall won’t be a good player because he dances and his dad is dead. Or Stephen A. and Skip Bayless arguing about whether or not it’s ok to be homophobic. Or Stephen A. blaming women for domestic violence.

The mastermind behind this whole philosophy that any idea is worth debating, regardless of how ridiculous or offensive it is, is producer Jamie Horowitz. Horowitz is now employed by Fox Sports 1, which would explain the uptick in ridiculous debate shows embroiled in controversy over there recently.

News networks like CNN have also adopted the approach, causing a total degradation of our news media and perhaps leading to the legitimization of extremist and bigoted views that had long been dormant.

Anyways, these debaters are also very bad at their jobs on the most basic level.

I refer you to this (amazing) video courtesy of Twitter user @LeKingJames23 of Stephen A. Smith predicting every NBA Finals since 2011 incorrectly.

https://twitter.com/LeKingJames23/status/867940091557277696

My favorite part of this video, and there are many, is Stephen A.’s utter confidence of his picks as his flails around embarrassing himself on national television.

This kind of thing is obviously far less harmful than putting Stephen A. on Fox News to debate racist lunatic Ted Nugent about Trump’s firing of former FBI Director James Comey, which is a thing that actually happened.

Behind the embrace debate bullshit, the race-baiting, and the general screaming, these guys just don’t know what they’re talking about.

But there’s no denying the people love their takes!

After one of the best seasons ever, the NBA playoffs have been straight trash

The 2016-2017 NBA regular season will be remembered for the unprecedented statistical displays, a LeBron-less MVP race, and the emergence of a whole new group of stars that have reinvigorated the league.

But in the playoffs, everything has reverted back to Warriors and Cavaliers dominance.

Think about the main headlines during the regular season; James Harden turning into a glo’d up Steve Nash, Russell Westbrook being the most anomalous player in basketball history, Kawhi Leonard, while already the best defensive player in the league, becoming an unstoppable scoring force, and Isaiah Thomas transforming into the master of the fourth quarter.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=km71xZ6ayh0

None of these storylines have been very prominent in the playoffs. Harden fell apart, Westbrook has no one on his squad, and Kawhi got duffed by Zaza Pachulia.

Isaiah Thomas obviously overcame personal tragedy and put in amazing performances against the Bulls and Wizards, but he’s now out of the rest of the playoffs with a hip injury.

Regardless of what happens in the finals, the playoffs have been vastly disappointing.

After a season of so much promise, of so much drama, and so much competition, for the playoffs to be an extended preseason for the Warriors and the Cavaliers is pretty disheartening.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BUa3lOphIzK/

Maybe it was written in the stars all along. Maybe we should’ve known that James Harden leading a Mike D’Antoni offense would fall apart in the playoffs. Maybe we should’ve anticipated the fact that Russell Westbrook was playing with a D-League all star team.

Perhaps it was obvious that if Kawhi got injured the Spurs would have problems making up for his absence and that relying on a dude that’s 5’9″ (no way he’s even that tall) is a recipe for disaster.

The most embarrassing thing was the fact that the Cavaliers played us all. For a majority of the season they looked so porous on defense, they had zero depth, and LeBron was once again playing  an unsustainable 38 minutes in every game despite having spent the equivalent of a young child’s life on the court.

There was all this panic about whether or not the Cavs could “flip the switch” and become an actually good team in the playoffs after a season of relative stasis.

All season, the Cavs’ strangle hold on the 1 seed in the East seemed vulnerable. First it was the Raptors who looked set to challenge LeBron and co., then the Celtics and Wizards looked more likely to grab the 1 seed. For what it’s worth, the Celtics did finish with the 1 seed and it seemed like the Cavs actually might be vulnerable.

In the West there was less of a race. The Warriors have been doing ridiculous shit all season long, but it looked like the Rockets could make it interesting with their new high-octane offense and James Harden running the point.

Maybe the Clips would make one last run (no… hey, stop laughing). And ultimately, the Spurs are always the Spurs and have their way of just winning shit (they won 61 games this year??!!?).

Then the playoffs started.

The Warriors have won every game of the playoffs by an average of 16.2 points per game (according to my calculations) and the Cavs lost their first game of the playoffs on Sunday.

Whatever your opinion of LeBron or the Warriors is, this doesn’t feel good for the league. Even if it was more or less inevitable that the Cavs and Warriors would face in the finals, the degree to which they’ve dominated has been startling.

I mean, look at the Raptors, who have been a very good team for a couple years now and made a bunch of moves during the season to beat LeBron in the playoffs.

PresidentMasai Ujiri went out and traded for Serge Ibaka and “LeBron stopper” (lol) P.J. Tucker. Then the Raptors went and got their ass beat in 4 straight games, without so much as a close game.

This whole thing has been particularly trash because I’ve been over here stanning for James Harden, thinking the Rockets could give the Warriors problems. I mean, Harden put up 29, 11, and 8 this season, truly one of the most ridiculous statistical years of all time and then… he fell apart against a Kawhi-less Spurs team.

Wild. Stephen A. Smith is never one for temperance and cool-headedness and since he turned into the bloviating talking head he is now, it’s hard to ever agree with him, but his summation at the end of the Spurs Rockets series was spot on.

“I don’t know what happened. I don’t know how to explain it. There needs to be an investigation. Somebody might have slipped something into his drink, somebody might have done something to him. I have no clue, but it is not James Harden. That was not James Harden that showed up for the Houston Rockets tonight. Somebody with his jersey showed up, it wasn’t him. I cannot believe what I saw.”

My feelings exactly.

Russell Westbrook didn’t let us down like Harden did, but still left a little to be desired in the playoffs. Dude did things we haven’t seen since Oscar Robertson was throwing up nightly triple doubles in the 60s against YMCA all stars.

But for all the statistical ridiculousness of Westbrook’s season, he was playing with zero help and had to go into Superman mode against the Rockets and came up way short.

The fact that the Warriors have swept their way to the finals, with Kevin Durant coming out and saying, “I made the 100 percent correct decision, win or lose,” only makes it all the more painful to see Westbrook flame out like that.

Russell Westbrook can hold his head high, it’s wack we never got to see the ultimate Russ/KD grudge match, but that’s just how these playoffs have been.

With Game 4 of the Cavs/Celtics series later tonight, I expect nothing less than a LeBron masterpiece, coming off a game where he scored 11 points and had every old dude on twitter screaming “JORDAN WOULD NEVER”.

I know, I’m sorry for posting any Skip Bayless content in front of your eyeholes, just know that he said this, don’t even watch the video.

After the Celtics got blown out in Games 1 and 2, people began to suggest that maybe the young backcourt of the Wizards, with Bradley Beal and John Wall becoming legitimate stars, would have been a better matchup against the Cavs, but as J.R. Smith points out, if you can’t win Game 7, it’s quiet for you.

So what can the league do to stop this Cavs/Warriors dominance? The NBA has put in new rules in an attempt to prevent these “super teams” from happening, giving teams who originally drafted or signed a player higher spending power than other teams in free agency.

For example, the Thunder can offer Russell Westbrook, one of the first players eligible under the new rule, $219 million over 5 years, but any other team can only offer him $162.5 million/4 years, according to NBA.com.

I guess this is an effective tool in helping smaller market teams retain their talent, but I don’t see this preventing super teams. Kevin Durant isn’t losing money because he went to Golden State, in fact moving to the Bay Area has made Durant richer.

Basically, I have no answers. I don’t really have a point besides saying this shit is trash. I’m sure the Finals will be cool and fun, it’ll be dope to watch these two ridiculously good teams go at it for (I assume) 7 games, but these playoffs have been totally uninspiring.

Thing is, the NBA is essentially impervious to any issues at this point. It is an unstoppable force of a sports league, growing at a ridiculous rate overseas in Europe, Asia, and Africa.

It is second only to soccer in terms of global appeal, and playoff ratings are actually up this year, at a time where live sports ratings are plummeting across the board.

Judging off their performances of late, the Cavs and Warriors aren’t going anywhere anytime soon, either.

Maybe it’s just time to stop worrying and embrace the greatness of the Warriors and the Cavaliers…