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Tag: LeBron James

  • Ronaldo in Riyadh, Messi in Miami and tussle to maintain Salah in Liverpool: Football in grip of turf struggle between Arabia, America and Europe

    A struggle minus taking pictures is enjoying out in soccer. At the center of it’s Saudi Arabia’s quest for energy within the sport; difficult them is the United States’ Major League Soccer, masterminded by the ex-Galactico David Beckham; resisting the exodus to Arabia are the fearful leagues of Europe. The combat of Saudi Arabia is towards the institution; Europe’s endeavour is to protect the established; and America’s motive is to search out an institution of its personal. Saudi Arabia and the US need to set up a soccer empire—soccer imperialism of kinds—whereas Europe desperately desires it to be the hub of soccer. A bloc from Latin America would have furnished a roundedness, maybe it could within the foreseeable future.

    But for now, it’s all about Arabia, America and Europe. Like within the colonial-imperial days. The combat then was for territory, now it’s for soccer, the delicate energy the sport wields. Each group has well-defined guarantees. Europe provides a shot at footballing immortality; America, unimaginable riches and eye-blinking glamour; and Saudi, infinite wealth and unmatched luxurious. It’s for the gamers to evaluate their priorities and select what their coronary heart wishes.

    Before the Arabian invasion, the paths had been completely different. The best of gamers would proceed to inhabit Europe, the search for one more league title or Champions League or Ballon d’Or fueling them. Of course, it ought to be stated their wages are nonetheless astronomical. Kylian Mbappe, the lone celebrity in Europe, earns roughly 100 million kilos a 12 months as wages alone. Those conscious that their thoughts and physique can not endure the rigours of Europe would embrace semi-retirement within the US. A number of non-conformists would embark on the Middle East. Dry, barren, sizzling Middle East.

    Then alongside got here Saudi, weathering unseen and unheard riches. Though their invasion was not sudden, there have been clear indicators of Saudi planning one thing monstrous in scale, few thought that their ambition could be this vaulting or ruthless. Cristiano Ronaldo was regarded as a one-off occasion. An remoted assertion of intent. It was proved flawed. Not as a result of the remainder of the world underestimated the spending powers of Saudi, however their ruthlessness in pursuing the largest gamers from Europe, these nonetheless of their prime, people who might nonetheless stroll into any workforce in Europe. If Al Nassr coughing up 173 million kilos a 12 months on Ronaldo was regarded as an untouchable ceiling, Al Hilal proved critics of the Saudi league flawed by buying Neymar’s signature for 240 million kilos each year. That 5 of the ten highest-paid footballers are on the payroll of Saudi golf equipment boldly underlines the clout Saudi now wields in soccer. The funding sum might soar if Al-Ittihad manages to lure Mohammed Salah for a one-million-a-week wage.

    Net spend matches Europe

    None of those gamers are previous their greatest years. Both Salah and Neymar are 31, N’golo Kante is a 12 months older; Ruben Neves is 26, and Aymeric Laporte is 29. Already, the Saudi league, comprising 18 groups, ranks second in internet participant spend globally (700 million kilos), behind solely the Premier League, says Deloitte’s Sports Business. The true determine will probably be far greater as a result of bumper salaries.

    New signing Al-Hilal’s Neymar is introduced to the followers contained in the stadium earlier than the match. (Reuters)

    If not for his completely different ambition, Kylian Mbappe too would have flown to the world of gold-dusted sands. So might have Lionel Messi, who refused the unfathomable riches of Arabia and descended on Miami, furnishing MLS a lifeline. There are each enterprise and private causes behind the choice. He has flats in Miami, he has stitched a revenue-sharing settlement with Adidas and Apple, main M.L.S. industrial companions.

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    As if the glamour of the best footballer of this century enjoying the sport in Miami isn’t sufficient, Inter Miami co-owner David Beckham has begun to bend in additional glitz and glamour, giving MLS a sports-entertainment makeover. A-list Hollywood celebs, pop singers, rappers and NBA legends stroll by brushing one another’s shoulders. From LeBron James to Nicole Kidman, Kim Kardashian to Serena Williams, Inter Miami’s video games have develop into a rendezvous for the glam celebs. Miami is the brand new Paris and the outdated Milan. It could be the hang-out of footballers with an eye fixed for vogue and glamour, to unleash the flippant aspect that they’d stifled for years in disciplined youth. It’s the perfect setting for an infinite post-retirement get together. With the fanfare Messi has delivered to the jap coast of America, the profile of the sport is predicted to skyrocket. Bringing Messi was akin to throwing the hat into the ring, asserting MLS’s coronary heart to combat the soccer battle. In a way, the Saudi league threatens the MLS greater than the European league, as a result of it was rising as probably the most affluent semi-retirement vacation spot. Fewer gamers could be tempted to descend to the States until there’s something greater than cash. That is glamour, that Saudi Arabia, with its still-rigid legal guidelines, can not provide in as large a scale because the US.

    That leaves us with Europe. The continent continues to be the gold commonplace for league competitions. It nonetheless is probably the most highly effective footballing territory. The greatest abilities of the world would blossom right here, one of the best of them could be picked from right here too. Europe is soccer’s magic canvas. There could be these like Mbappe who dream of turning up sooner or later for Real Madrid and wolfing down Champions League medals and Ballon d’Or. The high quality of the video games would stay undiminished, contemporary ways and radical methods would proceed to be hatched in Spain and Italy, Germany and England. The Dutch and Portuguese leagues will maintain recognizing younger abilities; Latin America will proceed importing their most gifted youngsters to Europe.

    But someplace down the road, the expertise drain would start to rankle the European giants. The unimaginable Petro-Riyals would imbalance the European soccer bracket. For some golf equipment, it has develop into a straightforward route to dump overpriced gamers. For occasion, no different membership on this planet might have afforded Neymar. Now, golf equipment might insert insane sums within the launch clauses of huge gamers. Invariably, although, it might lead to a expertise drain. There might come a era which may not resist the lure of riches. How Europe tackles the Saudi-America problem could be an interesting sub-plot within the instances to return and the way this struggle minus taking pictures rolls on. No one is an ally of anybody on this battle. The enemy of the enemy is an enemy too on this sport.

  • NBA: LeBron James questions future after Los Angeles Lakers are eradicated

    LeBron James began the final word recreation of his twentieth NBA season with the highest-scoring postseason half of his matchless NBA career.

    He ended the night by questioning how for for much longer he plans to chase historic previous after his Los Angeles Lakers have been swept out of the Western Conference finals.

    James set a personal doc with 31 components throughout the first half of Game 4 on Monday night, nevertheless he missed two potential tying pictures throughout the remaining minute as a result of the Denver Nuggets ended the Lakers’ season with a 113-111 victory.

    The 38-year-old James accomplished with 40 components, 10 rebounds, 9 assists and immense frustration after Los Angeles’ distinctive late-season surge ended with 4 consecutive defeats. Although the best scorer in NBA historic previous spoke about himself as part of the Lakers subsequent season, James moreover talked about he hasn’t made up his ideas.

    “We’ll see what happens going forward,” James talked about throughout the remaining reply of his postgame info conference. “I don’t know. I don’t know. I’ve got a lot to think about, to be honest. Just for me personally going forward with the game of basketball, I’ve got a lot to think about.”

    James is beneath contract for $46.9 million subsequent season with the Lakers, nevertheless he is accountable for his future after surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s career scoring doc earlier this yr. He hasn’t beforehand urged loads non-public battle about ending his contract alongside Anthony Davis, and his play hasn’t significantly declined after 20 years throughout the NBA — although his effectively being has grown a lot much less sturdy, notably in his balky toes and ankles.

    “It’s all about availability for me and keeping my mind sharp, and things of that nature,” James talked about. “Being present on the floor, being present in the locker room and bus rides and plane rides, things of that nature. It’s challenging, for sure. It was a very challenging season for me, for our ballclub, and obviously we know whatever went on early on (in the Lakers’ 2-10 start to the season). It was cool, a pretty cool ride.”

    James missed a month of the frequent season with a foot injury down the stretch, nevertheless he returned with a sequence of stellar playoff performances whereas the Lakers knocked off second-seeded Memphis and eradicated defending champion Golden State. That didn’t matter loads to James, whose frustration broke through at various components after Game 4.

    “I don’t like to say it’s a successful year, because I don’t play for anything besides winning championships at this point in my career,” James talked about. “You know, I don’t get a kick out of making a conference (finals) appearance. I’ve done it a lot, and it’s not fun to me to not be able to be a part of getting to the (NBA) Finals.”

    In his NBA-record 282nd career playoff recreation, James dropped 21 components in a dynamic first quarter in Game 4. He added 10 further throughout the second whereas collaborating in nearly your full half of a do-or-die recreation in opposition to the top-seeded Nuggets.

    But James had solely 9 components on 4-of-12 capturing throughout the second half, and he missed two prospects to achieve throughout the remaining minute. He took an odd fallaway jumper that missed badly with 26 seconds left, and his remaining drive to the ring was thwarted by Denver’s Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon on the buzzer.

    But the first half was traditional LeBron: He made 11 of his 13 pictures and hit 4 3-pointers with no miss throughout the highest-scoring playoff half of his career, which began in 2003 and has included 4 NBA championships. James added 4 rebounds and 4 assists, and he moreover acquired a technical foul after a bodily commerce with Gordon when the two acquired locked up on the Lakers’ end of the courtroom docket.

    James had struggled from distance beforehand throughout the sequence, going 3 for 19 throughout the first three video video games. He mounted his shot in Game 4 — and he even acquired credit score rating for a 3-pointer throughout the first quarter when his lob transfer to Rui Hachimura accidentally went throughout the basket.

    James already had the perfect scoring frequent in NBA historic previous in elimination video video games (33.5 components per recreation) amongst all players with on the very least 10 such appearances.

    After failing to win a title this yr, James is clearly fascinated about whether or not or not he wishes to do all of it as soon as extra. One most important obstacle to any retirement concepts is his long-stated have to play an NBA season alongside his son, Bronny, who could be a freshman at USC this fall and couldn’t be a part of the league until the autumn of 2024 on the earliest.

    “I guess I’ll reflect on my career when I’m done, but I don’t know,” James talked about when requested to guage his twentieth season. “The only thing I concern myself with is being available to my teammates, and I don’t like the fact that I didn’t play as many games as I would have liked because of injury. That’s the only thing I care about, is being available to my teammates.”

  • How Mac McClung, an undrafted participant who was dropped by G League groups, grew to become ‘saviour’ of NBA’s Dunk Contest

    Just earlier than the Dunk Contest on the 2023 NBA All-Star Weekend began, basketball legend-turned-analyst Shaquille O’Neal filmed himself telling Mac McClung: “This is where you steal the show. Nobody knows your name. Make them remember your name. And don’t miss a dunk!”

    Over the course of 4 dunks, McClung did all of that at Salt Lake City. He did so properly, the truth is, that Shaq and Magic Johnson later stated that McClung had ‘saved the dunk contest’. LeBron James went even additional in his reward, placing McClung’s defiance of gravity on par with the long-lasting performances previously by Michael Jordan and Vince Carter. With their reward, the three NBA superstars had placed on a lofty pedestal a person who, till every week earlier than the All-Star Weekend, not one of the 30 NBA groups had deemed worthy of even a spot on their rosters.

    Who is Mac McClung?

    McClung is a 6-foot-2-inch guard from a small city in Virginia known as Gate City. He has performed in simply two NBA video games in his profession. After going undrafted within the NBA Draft in 2021, he was taking part in for the Delaware Blue Coats within the NBA’s developmental league, the G League, when he was provided a spot within the Dunk Contest. Soon after he agreed, he was handed a two-way contract by the Philadelphia 76ers, which permits the crew to make use of him in both the NBA or the G League. He additionally signed a cope with Puma earlier than the dunk contest.

    Before going undrafted, he was a YouTube sensation, with hundreds of clips highlighting his strikes. He’s not simply concerning the dunks both. Clips on social media present him making an attempt audacious behind-the-back spin strikes and jaw-dropping hook floaters from contained in the paint as a part of his spotlight reel.

    At this 12 months’s All-Star Weekend, he shattered a glass ceiling of types — one immortalised by the 1992 Hollywood sports activities comedy known as White Men Can’t Jump — by changing into solely the second white participant to win the dunk contest. Thanks to that win, he pocketed a cool $1,00,000 cheque. As US media famous, that cheque practically matched his profession earnings whereas taking part in within the NBA’s G League.

    What was the massive deal about McClung’s dunks?

    McClung had 4 dunk makes an attempt within the contest.

    In his first try in Round 1, he leapt over an individual sitting on the shoulder of one other individual, snatched the ball, touched the glass behind the rim whereas in mid-air, after which dunked the ball over his head whereas not with the ability to see the rim.

    In his second try of Round 1, he did a double-pump, 180-degree, two-handed windmill. That means he leapt into the air with the rim behind his head and pirouetted 180 levels earlier than dunking the ball — multi functional clean fluid movement.

    In his first try within the dunk contest ultimate, he did a double-pump ‘hesi’ two-handed reverse dunk. In essence, he leapt over a person who was holding the ball at face peak. While airborne, McClung snatched the ball, rotated mid-air until his again was turned to the rim, did a pretend pump after which dunked the ball over his shoulders with each fingers.

    In his second try within the dunk contest ultimate, which he did whereas sporting his highschool jersey, he did a 540-degree windmill two-handed reverse dunk. That means he leapt within the air, pirouetted 540 levels, after which did a double-handed dunk with the rim behind him.

    The 5 judges, which included Jamal Crawford, Karl Malone and Dominique Wilkins, gave him excellent scores of fifty for 3 of the 4 dunks.

    What is particular concerning the dunk contest?

    The capacity to leap and dunk the ball into the rim that’s suspended at 10 toes above the ground is one thing that has at all times been lionised in basketball. In the previous, the dunk contest has seen some spectacular efforts, like Michael Jordan taking off from the foul line and Aaron Gordon leaping over the Orlando Magic mascot. Players like Vince Carter and Dwight Howard have additionally turn out to be synonymous with the dunk contest.

    But off late, the dunk contest had turn out to be a tepid affair, identical to the remainder of the All-Star weekend.

    What’s the NBA All-Star Weekend?

    The NBA All-Star Weekend is a spectacle-filled weekend that’s primarily a three-day business for the NBA. Across a number of occasions, among the largest names within the league flip up and check out their finest to make jaws drop. The centrepiece of the weekend is the All-Star Game (ASG) the place the most important names of the league play in an exhibition match on Sunday. The attract of the ASG comes from the truth that you’re unlikely to search out 5 superstars taking part in subsequent to one another in the identical crew as a result of league’s finances caps. The ASG, nonetheless, is unhindered by such constraints and groups are as stacked as Team USA on the Olympics.

    Points scored within the ASG don’t rely, after all. But what it gives the gamers is bragging rights and a much-needed probability to let their hair down. This 12 months’s ASG featured Team LeBron dealing with Team Giannis. Besides the ASG recreation itself, there are different occasions all through the week just like the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game (the place actors like Ranveer Singh and Simu Liu performed alongside comic Hasan Minhaj and tennis ace Frances Tiafoe); the Skills Challenge (the place gamers representing groups compete over numerous abilities), the 3-Point Contest and the Dunk Contest.

    The drawback with the All-Star Game…

    In idea, the ASG looks as if an unmissable encounter. Like watching the Avengers assemble on the climax of a Marvel Cinematic Universe film, that too with Batman and Superman from the DC Universe becoming a member of in for added emphasis. But in actuality, the sport’s viewership has been sagging in recent times. According to stories within the US, the 2023 ASG was the least-watched All-Star Game in historical past, beating the earlier finest that was set final season. A report by Sports Media Watch stated Sunday’s ASG racked up 4.59 million viewers. In 2022, that quantity was 6.28 million viewers. Ratings dropped by 29% in 2023, whereas viewership dropped 27%. Saturday’s motion too noticed its lowest numbers in over 20 years: 3.42 million viewers.

    Michael Malone, who was the Team LeBron coach this 12 months, known as this 12 months’s ASG “the worst basketball game ever played”. Team Giannis beat Team LeBron 184-175, the inflated scoreline an indicator of non-existent defending. The purpose why nobody defends on the ASG critically is that almost all superstars don’t need to choose up accidents at a vital juncture of the season with the Playoffs simply 20-odd video games away.

    This season, future Hall Of Famers like Kevin Durant, LeBron, Steph Curry and Giannis Antetokounmpo both sat out attributable to an damage or performed restricted minutes to preserve their our bodies.

    Another criticism of the All-Star weekend is that with social media making viral content material from the league accessible always, the attract of the weekend has lowered drastically. For instance, nearly on a month-to-month foundation, there are clips on social media the place Steph Curry is seen throwing a three-pointer from the bleachers as a part of his warm-up routine. In that case, what’s the huge deal about watching a couple of NBA gamers compete within the three-point contest the place they’re given positions simply past the arc?

    So despite the fact that the ASG could have been the “worst basketball game ever played” and the weekend was a tepid affair, it was an undrafted, 6’2″, white man who was the most important star of the All-Star weekend.

  • LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to turn out to be NBA’s all-time main scorer

    Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to turn out to be the NBA’s all-time main scorer on Tuesday.

    New Delhi,UPDATED: Feb 8, 2023 11:59 IST

    LeBron James turns into NBA’s all-time main scorer (Reuters)

    By India Today Web Desk: LeBron James is the NBA’s all-time main scorer! The Los Angeles Lakers star lastly made NBA historical past by surpassing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar because the NBA’s highest scorer. James went previous Abdul-Jabbar’s report of 38,387 profession regular-season factors within the third quarter of the Lakers’ match towards the Oklahoma City Thunder.

    As James celebrated, Abdul-Jabbar, who was sitting courtside, stood and applauded. At centre court docket, former Lakers star and NBA commissioner Adam Silver shook James’ hand and gave him a short hug.

    James then received on a microphone and mentioned, “Everybody that has ever been a part of this run with me the last 20-plus years, I want to say thank you so much because I wouldn’t be me without all y’all. All y’all helped. All y’all’s passion and sacrifices helped me to get to this point.

    “And to the NBA, to Adam Silver, to the late nice David Stern, thanks very a lot for permitting me to be part of one thing I at all times dreamed about. I might by no means in one million years dreamt this to be even higher than what it’s tonight. So (expletive) man, thanks, guys.”

    James ended the night with 38 points, leaving his career total at 38,390 points, but the Lakers lost 133-130.

    Silver subsequently released a statement that read, “Congratulations to LeBron on breaking one of the crucial hallowed information in all of sports activities by turning into the NBA’s all-time scoring chief. It’s a towering achievement that speaks to his sustained excellence over 20 seasons within the league. And fairly amazingly, LeBron continues to play at an elite stage and his basketball historical past continues to be being written.”

    James, 38, has averaged 27.2 points per game in his career while playing for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2003-10, 2014-18), Miami Heat (2010-14) and the Lakers.

    “The expectations had been all the best way out to Pluto, and he went forward and created his personal galaxy,” Lakers coach Darvin Ham mentioned earlier than the sport.

    Published On:

    Feb 8, 2023

  • LeBron James: ‘The pass-first guy’ with out a signature shot who scaled the NBA’s factors mountaintop

    Kareem Abdul-Jabbar had his skyhook. Michael Jordan had his iconic fadeaway leap shot. So did Kobe Bryant. Steph Curry has these audacious pull-up three-pointers that he may most likely swish into the basket with out leaving the locker room within the Chase Centre. But when time involves run the spotlight reel on LeBron James’ profession — the person who will finish his profession because the all-time top-scorer within the NBA, forward of Kareem, Jordan, Bryant, Curry and everybody else to have performed within the league — folks may need to scratch their heads a bit of as they ponder the query: simply what was James’s signature shot?

    That is the query that may puzzle even essentially the most religious fan of the 38-year-old, who on Wednesday overhauled Abdul-Jabbar’s longstanding document (the document was just a few months older than James) of 38,387 factors with an environment friendly efficiency towards the Oklahoma City Thunder. He made it to the milestone within the third quarter, capturing 12-18 in 26 minutes of play and went to the free throw line ten instances, making eight of these makes an attempt. He reached the document with a fadeaway jumper.

    For an athlete who has been carefully monitored for each second he has been on the hardwood ground over the past 20 seasons as a basketball skilled there are a handful of moments caught within the thoughts that come near offering the reply. There is that well-known {photograph} from his Miami Heat days the place James is suspended mid-air, about to dunk the ball into the web, whereas Dwyane Wade, on the ground arms outstretched, is already celebrating the transfer behind him.

    11 years in the past as we speak, @DwyaneWade and @KingJames accomplished this iconic dunk. pic.twitter.com/AaEgNQ5DDz

    — The Players’ Tribune (@PlayersTribune) December 6, 2021

    So, is the dunk the shot that defines James? Maybe. But when folks speak about James’ profession spotlight reel, the second that must be on prime of the charts is one that isn’t even an attacking transfer: his chase-down block on Golden State Warriors’s Andre Iguodala within the NBA Finals, the collection the place he took the Cleveland Cavaliers from a 1-3 deficit to the title in seven video games.

    No. 1: LeBron stuffs Andre Iguodala@KingJames‘ Top-10 Chasedown Blocks: https://t.co/Jwxl7Qs15l pic.twitter.com/ykuezlovZR

    — SLAM (@SLAMonline) September 6, 2016

    In an interview with ESPN earlier this yr, James was requested what he thought-about to be his signature shot. It was a query that precipitated even him some bother.

    “I don’t know. It’s not like I have a signature one-legged Dirk (Nowitzki) fadeaway. Or a Michael Jordan fadeaway. Or a Kareem skyhook,” he mentioned earlier than conceding: “The only signature shot people talk about when they talk about me is the tomahawk dunk I have in transition.”

    “When I say I’m not a scorer, I mean that’s never been the part of my game that defines me. I always wanted to be a triple threat: to rebound, assist and be able to score as well,” he added.

    James has seen his position as an on-court quarterback. So a lot in order that he typically will get flak for passing the ball moderately than taking the shot himself.

    “The guy makes the right play. That’s what a lot of players don’t do, particularly with this new AAU generation that are shoot-first and touch-first players. They just want to impact the game with having the ball in their hands and shoot, while everything else in secondary. LeBron viewed everything through a different prism and lens. He would use his talent and exceptional IQ to make the best offensive play for the team. He could dominate by scoring or by passing. There were games where he absolutely dominated the game just by passing and setting up his teammates,” Erik Spoelstra, who coached James at Miami Heat, instructed NBA.com earlier this yr.

    For Spoelstra, James ending a sport with an attention grabbing factors whole was so uncommon, that when he scored 61 factors towards the Charlotte Hornets in March 2014, Spoelstra preserved the field rating sheet of that sport.

    “You know why I kept that? Because it was so unusual for LeBron to get 61 (points). Typically, he plays the game to involve everybody and to make the right basketball play,” he mentioned.

    Even coaches who’ve seen James’ ambition first-hand have been shocked once they realised that he had reached inside touching distance of Abdul-Jabbar’s document.

    Tyronn Lue, who coached him at Cavaliers, mentioned: “I didn’t even think about the record until I started hearing the talk about how close he was. Last year, they were talking about if he averaged 20 something points through these many games this season … I thought, ‘Damn that’s it? You usually look at LeBron as a pass-first guy.”

    That pass-first man, who doesn’t actually have a go-to, signature shot is now the all-time prime scorer within the NBA.

  • Elon Musk addresses Lebron James’ considerations over hate speech on Twitter

    Elon Musk has responded to considerations raised by plenty of individuals, together with NBA star Lebron James, concerning the quantity of hate speech that has been seen on Twitter following the completion of Musk’s $44 billion buyout of the social media organisation.

    Last week, James responded to a report within the Washington Post that claimed that using the ‘N-word’ – a racial slur used to focus on black and African American individuals – elevated by 500% for the reason that takeover.

    The 40-year-old basketball star stated he hopes the social media organisation takes hate speech of this sort severely, claiming “So many damn unfit people saying hate speech is free speech.”

    I dont know Elon Musk and, tbh, I might care much less who owns twitter. But I’ll say that if that is true, I hope he and his individuals take this very severely as a result of that is scary AF. So many rattling unfit individuals saying hate speech is free speech. https://t.co/Sy0jvXIBnC

    — LeBron James (@KingJames) October 29, 2022

    Musk confirmed that the corporate can be forming a brand new content material moderation coverage which might additionally embrace decision-making on whether or not or to not enable banned accounts comparable to that of ex-US president Donald Trump again on the web site.

    On Friday, he doubled down on these claims by reiterating Twitter’s conviction in the direction of content material moderation and refuting a number of the media studies about hate speech on Twitter. “We have actually seen hateful speech at times this week decline *below* our prior norms, contrary to what you may read in the press,” he stated.

    Again, to be crystal clear, Twitter’s robust dedication to content material moderation stays completely unchanged.

    In truth, we’ve really seen hateful speech at occasions this week decline *beneath* our prior norms, opposite to what you might learn within the press.

    — Elon Musk (@elonmusk) November 4, 2022

    According to the Washington Post report, customers who have been attempting to check the boundaries of Twitter’s content material moderation following Musk’s takeover additionally flooded the applying with slurs in opposition to the LBTQ+ group and posted sexist feedback.

  • LeBron James inks 2-year, $97.1 million take care of Los Angeles Lakers

    LeBron James has agreed to a two-year, $97.1 million contract extension by means of the 2024-25 season with the Los Angeles Lakers, his agent introduced Wednesday.

    Klutch Sports CEO Rich Paul mentioned the league-maximum deal makes James the highest-paid participant in NBA historical past. His new deal features a participant choice that may maintain the second-leading scorer in NBA historical past with the Lakers previous his fortieth birthday in December 2024.

    The 37-year-old James is headed into the ultimate yr of his most up-to-date contract with the Lakers, who signed the four-time NBA Most Valuable Player and four-time league champion in July 2018. The new deal means the 18-time All-Star will make $46.7 million this season.

    Barring harm, James is more likely to surpass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar because the NBA’s profession scoring king this winter. James and the Lakers additionally nonetheless hope to be in rivalry for one more title if James and Anthony Davis can return at full well being after an injury-plagued 2021-22 ended with out a playoff look.

    James’ new deal syncs with Davis’ most up-to-date contract extension with the Lakers, permitting each to depart the Lakers or to barter new offers in 2024. Both superstars are represented by Klutch.

    James’ recommitment to the Lakers additionally silences persistent discuss of his doable departure as a free agent or in a commerce. James hasn’t gave the impression to be going wherever on social media or in his public appearances, and he praised the hiring of recent Lakers coach Darvin Ham.

    James has missed important parts of the season attributable to harm in three of his 4 years with the Lakers. He was largely wholesome within the elongated 2019-20 season when the Lakers received the franchise’s seventeenth NBA title within the Florida bubble, and he has been each bit the dominant participant of his prime when at full energy within the ensuing two years.

    Although his contract standing impressed loads of offseason chatter, James appeared unlikely to relocate after spending the previous 4 seasons of his 19-year profession with the storied Lakers. His household is settled in Los Angeles, the place his eldest son, Bronny, is a 17-year-old senior and school basketball prospect taking part in at Sierra Canyon High School in Chatsworth.

    James has sometimes mentioned he intends to play on the identical staff with Bronny when his son reaches the NBA. Although loads of obstacles stay between the youthful James and the NBA, he might be draft-eligible in the summertime of 2024.

  • Naomi Osaka begins a media firm, with assist from LeBron James

    She is a four-time Grand Slam singles champion who ranks because the world’s highest-paid feminine athlete, having earned $57 million in 2021, largely from sponsorships. Walmart not too long ago started to inventory merchandise from her skincare firm, Kinlò, in almost 3,000 places. Last month, she began a sports activities illustration company.

    And now Naomi Osaka is pushing into Hollywood — with an help from LeBron James.

    Osaka, 24, has began a media firm referred to as Hana Kuma in partnership with SpringHill, a fast-growing leisure, advertising and merchandise firm co-founded by James. Osaka mentioned in a quick Zoom interview that her ambitions for Hana Kuma, which stands for “flower bear” in Japanese, embody scripted and unscripted tv sequence, documentaries, anime and branded content material, which is leisure programming that has embedded or built-in promoting.

    There’s cause we name ourselves an Empowerment Company. This unimaginable lady and the tales she goes to carry to life is EXACTLY what we about!!!Incredibly proud to name her my companion. @naomiosaka @makespringhill #MoreThananAthlete https://t.co/mellHFKP9Q

    — LeBron James (@KingJames) June 21, 2022

    “I honestly can’t say if I’ll personally be in anything right now,” Osaka mentioned. “What excites me is being able to inspire people and tell new stories, particularly ones that I would have wanted to see when I was a kid. I always wanted to kind of see someone like me.” Osaka is of Japanese and Haitian ancestry.

    Fans ought to anticipate Osaka’s advocacy to underpin at the very least a few of Hana Kuma’s choices, most of that are nonetheless in growth. Osaka has been outspoken on subjects that many elite sports activities stars attempt to keep away from. She was an early supporter of the Black Lives Matter motion. Last yr, she began a worldwide dialogue about psychological well being in sports activities when she withdrew from the French Open, citing a have to make her personal well-being a precedence. She additionally disclosed previous struggles with despair and nervousness.

    Osaka’s candor has resonated with an viewers far past sports activities — younger individuals specifically — making her a sponsorship dream though she has not too long ago struggled on the tennis courtroom. (She misplaced within the first spherical of the French Open final month. She mentioned in a social media put up Saturday that she wouldn’t play at Wimbledon this summer season due to an Achilles harm.)

    One undertaking in growth includes cooking and the Haitian group. “I watch a lot of food-related shows, cooking competitions, because I like to cook,” Osaka mentioned with fun. The first undertaking with Hana Kuma credit might be a New York Times Op-Doc about Patsy Mink, the primary lady of coloration elected to Congress. Hana Kuma can be engaged on unspecified documentary content material for Epix, a premium cable channel now owned by Amazon.

    Naomi Osaka is launching her personal media firm — Hana Kuma — in partnership with LeBron James and Maverick Carter’s The SpringHill Company.

    “We’ll carry tales to life with this objective: to make distinctive views really feel common and encourage individuals alongside the way in which” – @naomiosaka pic.twitter.com/hW0rOJ2cav

    — Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 21, 2022

    SpringHill, co-founded by Maverick Carter in 2020, will function a financing, operations and producing companion for Hana Kuma. SpringHill has roughly 200 staff and was valued at $725 million when promoting a minority stake to lift capital final yr. Operations embody a advertising consultancy and a media and attire division devoted to athlete empowerment. Another unit focuses on movie and tv manufacturing. There can be an occasions crew.

    “Naomi can just plug into what we have built,” Carter mentioned.

    SpringHill needs to copy the Hana Kuma take care of different athletes who’ve world attraction. “We want to do a lot more of this in the future,” Carter mentioned, noting that discussions have began with different sports activities stars.

    It should be requested: Isn’t this only a newfangled self-importance deal? For many years, old-line studios gave favored stars funding to start out affiliated corporations, most of which by no means amounted to a lot — other than holding the star comfortable.

    “Under the old system, sometimes those ended up being for vanity,” Carter mentioned. “But the goal here is to build Hana Kuma into a real company and a real brand.” SpringHill’s emphasis on branded content material units it aside from old-line studios, he added. Hana Kuma has been employed by FTX, a cryptocurrency alternate, to supply branded content material.

    James mentioned by phone that Osaka’s “grace and power” on and off the courtroom made her a superb match for SpringHill, “which exists to empower athlete creators.”

    “We don’t take for granted the position we are in to lend a helping hand, in this case to Naomi, to help empower her to do even more great things,” James mentioned.

    (STORY CAN END HERE. OPTIONAL MATERIAL FOLLOWS.)

    Osaka has 12 sponsors, together with Nike, Mastercard, Louis Vuitton and Panasonic. Her longtime agent and enterprise companion, Stuart Duguid, mentioned some may very well be concerned with Hana Kuma content material. Duguid is a Hana Kuma co-founder.

    “We really want to bring that number down and have more in-depth relationships with the ones that continue,” Duguid mentioned, referring to company sponsors. “We want to take bigger swings and start companies, invest in companies, things that might have potentially a bigger outcome than if you did a McDonald’s deal and got paid year to year. What will really move the needle?”

    Building a portfolio of companies — whereas nonetheless in the course of her tennis profession — makes Osaka one thing of a pioneer amongst feminine athletes. At least, it’s going to if she succeeds.

    “We haven’t seen any female athlete do anything like what we are trying to achieve,” Duguid mentioned. “Serena has done well with her venture business. But she’s toward the end of her career and, you know, we’re in the middle.” He was referring to tennis legend Serena Williams, whose enterprise capital agency, Serena Ventures, has raised an inaugural fund of $111 million to put money into founders with numerous factors of view.

    Because she remains to be taking part in tennis, Osaka won’t be sitting in on many manufacturing conferences. “But everything creative and everything strategic, it’s obviously going to have Naomi’s stamp on it and her style and her input,” Duguid mentioned.

    This article initially appeared in The New York Times.

  • For Federer, Woods, Kohli, lack of kind doesn’t imply lack of earnings

    If an elite sportsperson has a stirring physique of labor and a picture that strikes the needle – as advertising and marketing gurus would put it – it hardly issues if their expertise have light a shade.

    The 2022 Sportico checklist of the Top 100 Highest-Paid Athletes within the World is a who’s who of sporting greatness over the past couple of many years, however even when a few of them could also be on the fag finish of their time on the very summit of their pursuits, it doesn’t mirror of their earnings.

    Someone like Virat Kohli – the only cricketer within the checklist – could also be struggling for runs, however that hasn’t made him a lesser star with earnings of $33.9 million (together with $31m in endorsements) placing him in joint 61st spot.  

    The prime 10 within the checklist options common suspects like Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Roger Federer and Tiger Woods – about whom it may be safely stated that their finest days are behind them and any main achievement sooner or later shall be akin to a final hurrah.

    Messi ($122 million) and Ronaldo ($115m) play a crew sport and their present earnings are an element of what they’ve achieved over their illustrious careers. The circumstances of Federer and Woods are proof of picture trumping outcomes and trophies.

    These days, Woods stays within the information – after his life-threatening automotive crash final 12 months – no matter the place he finishes in a golf match. As far as Federer is worried, he has hardly performed within the final couple of years, has a comeback scheduled for October, which is more likely to be a farewell tour for the Swiss star who could be 41 by then. In reality, solely $724,000 of Federer’s earnings – out of a complete of $85.7m – have been earned on a tennis court docket, however he nonetheless finds himself in eighth spot.

    The remainder of the highest 10 – led by basketball legend LeBron James – is closely populated by fellow NBA stars Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and James Harden, together with one other footballer (Neymar) and a boxer (Canelo Alvarez).

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    The goodwill that Federer enjoys within the sporting world is effectively documented, and the media frenzy that Woods nonetheless generates – even when there are quite a lot of much-younger superstars profitable and contending at Majors as of late – is seen to be believed. Recently, a neighborhood information channel employed a helicopter to listen in on Woods’ follow spherical on the Southern Hills golf course, venue of the upcoming PGA Championship. Mind you, this was when there was no certainty over whether or not the 15-time Major winner would truly play within the match. It explains why Woods remains to be tenth within the earnings chart, with $65m of his $73.5m earnings coming away from the golf course.

    The reality stays that icons like Federer and Woods are recognised all over the world – even by individuals who might not essentially be avid followers of their respective sports activities – making them secure bets for any advertising and marketing marketing campaign. Their model recall worth might go down barely if they don’t seem to be taking part in frequently, however will probably be nonetheless increased than a youthful star swiftly making his approach to the highest of his sport (e.g. Carlos Alcaraz).  

    Athlete    Sport                               Winnings          Endorsements                      Total

    LeBron James (Basketball)          $36.9M                    $90M                             $126.9M
    Lionel Messi (Football)                  $72M                        $50M                              $122M
    Cristiano Ronaldo (Football)       $60M                       $55M                              $115M
    Neymar (Football)                           $65M                        $38M                              $103M
    Canelo Álvarez (Boxing)                $84M                       $5M                                 $89M
    Stephen Curry (Basketball)          $41.2M                    $45M                              $86.2M
    Kevin Durant (Basketball)            $37.9M                    $48M                             $85.9M
    Roger Federer (Tennis)                  $724K                     $85M                              $85.7M
    Virat Kohli (Cricket) (*61)             $2.9M                     $31M                              $33.9M  (61*)

  • LeBron James to face no motion over COVID-19 protocol violation

    Los Angeles Lakers ahead LeBron James is not going to face punishment for violating National Basketball Association (NBA) well being and security protocols by attending a promotional occasion, with the league saying he posed no threat of spreading COVID-19.
    U.S. media reported final week that James attended an outside photoshoot for his tequila model with a number of celebrities earlier than the Lakers’ 103-100 win over the Golden State Warriors.
    James, who was photographed with out a masks on the occasion, additionally performed in Sunday’s 99-90 loss to the Pheonix Suns within the opening recreation of their first-round playoff collection.
    “To clarify any remaining misconception, LeBron James briefly attended an outdoor event last week where participants were required to be vaccinated or return a negative test result,” the NBA mentioned in a press release.

    NBA Statement: pic.twitter.com/WBdU6vdR4Q
    — NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 24, 2021
    “Under these circumstances and in session with medical consultants, it was decided that his attendance didn’t create dangers associated to the unfold of COVID-19 and due to this fact no quarantine was crucial.
    “Over the course of this season, there have been numerous similar violations of the league’s health and safety protocols, which were addressed with the player’s team in a similar fashion.”
    Under NBA guidelines, vaccinated gamers can have interaction in exterior actions together with their particular person industrial preparations.
    James has not beforehand acknowledged if he has been vaccinated regardless of being requested by reporters on a number of events, saying it was a private matter.