Latest news with #Andscape
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Jayson Tatum injury: Expected recovery timeline revealed for Celtics star (report)
Jayson Tatum underwent successful surgery on Tuesday to repair his ruptured his Achilles tendon. The Celtics announced no definitive timetable on his recovery when announcing the procedure but Marc Spears of Andscape revealed some insight on Tatum's conversations with his family over the past two days, including with his father Justin Tatum. 'His dad said he expects to be out 8-9 months,' Spears said on ESPN's NBA Today Wednesday. Advertisement Tatum underwent surgery in New York City by the same surgeon who helped repair Kevin Durant's torn Achilles six years ago. He has also performed surgeries on other high-profile athletes with successful recoveries. If Tatum is cleared within 8-9 months, that would put a potential return in play in February or March 2026. Return timetables have varied in NBA history for players recovering from Achilles tear. Kobe Bryant returned in just eight months while Kevin Durant sat out 18 months. Tatum made his first public comments since suffering the injury on Wednesday afternoon. 'Thankful for all the love and support,' Tatum said on Instagram. He captioned the photo of him in a hospital bed giving a thumbs up with his right foot in a cast. Advertisement Tatum, 27, suffered the injury in Game 4 on Monday night while attempting to dive for a loose ball. He stayed on the floor for several moments before being helped on the floor by team trainers. More Celtics content Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
"To this day, I can't look him in the eye" - Pat Riley still feels bad about failing to help Patrick Ewing win an NBA title
In a heartfelt reflection, Pat Riley openly shared his deepest regret from his tenure as head coach of the New York Knicks. Years have passed, but the memories of the 1994 NBA Finals continue to weigh heavily on his mind, leading the legendary coach to hold himself accountable for the team's disappointing performance during that pivotal series. Riley's sentiments are particularly focused on Knicks center Patrick Ewing, whose relentless dedication and hard work during that season left a lasting impression on him. He recognized the immense effort "Big Pat" invested in striving for an NBA championship, yet the legendary coach felt he fell short in providing the support necessary for Ewing to achieve that dream. Advertisement "The New York Knicks came after 'Showtime,' but it was one of my all-time favorite teams," Riley opened up in an interview with Andscape in 2017. "Those four years with those guys, led by Patrick, I loved that." "The biggest disappointment in my career was losing the [1994 NBA] championship. I let him down," he confided. "I let him down. I didn't do enough. I could've made a couple of different moves. [Riley regrets not using a fresh Rolando Blackman in Game 7 to spell John Starks, who shot 2-for-18 against Houston.] I could have gotten him better shots. To this day, I can't look him in the eye." Riley believed Ewing gave it all he got in '94 It is common knowledge in the NBA that "The Godfather" was deeply committed to fostering a culture of teamwork and determination in his coaching philosophy. It was also what defined his coaching stint in New York. Among all the players of the Knicks in the '90s, he acknowledged that it was Ewing who truly exemplified the spirit of giving everything he had on the court. Advertisement For Riley, there is no greater way to reward Ewing's relentless effort and dedication than by guiding him to an NBA championship title. Sadly, despite their shared aspirations and hard work, Riley could not achieve this ultimate goal for his star big man during his tenure with the team. "Patrick was a guy that gave everything he could give to that city to try to win a championship," said Riley in a separate discussion. "It's probably one of the biggest disappointments I had in my life not being able to give them enough in Games 6 and 7 when we were in Houston so that Patrick could've gotten his first championship." Related: Walt Frazier admits NBA players were afraid to lift weights back in the day: "Basketball players thought it would affect their shot" A true Knicks icon Despite never clinching an NBA championship with the Knicks, the former Hoya remains a cherished figure among the loyal fans of Madison Square Garden. His extraordinary blend of skills and strength are only matched by the unwavering grit and passion he displayed as the heart and soul of the Knicks. Advertisement Today, Ewing is celebrated as a legendary Knicks player and an iconic leader who left an indelible mark on the franchise. Every now and then, avid "Big Apple" fans fondly remember his contributions, recognizing the dedication and perseverance he brought to every game during his time with the team. His legacy continues to influence the current Knickerbockers team and fans as a beloved symbol of the team's rich history. Related: "I got so much criticism because I was able to shoot" - Ewing on why he wishes he had come up in this era
USA Today
21-05-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Kendrick Lamar: Not like anyone else
Kendrick Lamar: Not like anyone else Show Caption Hide Caption Kendrick Lamar sets Billboard record with three albums in top 10 Kendrick Lamar has made history as the first rapper to have three albums simultaneously charting in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. unbranded - Entertainment Kendrick Lamar swept this year's Grammy Awards with his stinging No. 1 hit 'Not Like Us.' It's a layered title that the Compton rapper said embodies 'the man I represent … he has morals, he has values, he believes in something.' It's also definitive of his outlier status in music, an artist able to capture the respect of industry elites – he won the Pulitzer Prize for Music in 2018 – while retaining his authenticity with hip-hop fans, many of whom have followed his 15-year-career since its infancy. Lamar was the first rapper to place three albums concurrently in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200. He's the leading nominee at 2025's American Music Awards, earning more nods than Taylor Swift and Beyoncé at the fan-voted show. He's also in the midst of one of the most lucrative tours of the year, a career-defining spectacle unveiled in stadiums – rare venues for hip-hop artists – with friend and collaborator SZA. As Lamar returns to his home state for the first of three concerts at SoFi Stadium near LA, we look at how he has become unlike anyone else in music right now. Kendrick Lamar is at the 'commercial apex of his career' To call Lamar's recent eruption in the mainstream a breakout almost sounds silly. He has been a barrier-busting pop culture takeover. 'I don't think we've ever seen a calendar year for a rapper like the one Kendrick Lamar has had,' said Justin Tinsley, a Lamar fan since the rapper dropped his 'Overly Dedicated' mixtape in 2010. Tinsley, a senior sports and culture reporter with ESPN's Andscape, has delved into the cultural significance of other marquee hip-hop stars, with recent biographies on Notorious B.I.G. (2022's 'It Was All a Dream: Biggie and the World That Made Him') and an ESPN podcast about Nipsey Hussle (2021's 'The King of Crenshaw'). Lamar's undiminished musical output – exemplified on his current 'GNX' album – bundled with the five 2025 Grammys, the most-watched Super Bowl halftime show ever and his coolly confident Grand National Tour, has led informed fans such as Tinsley to determine Lamar 'is at the commercial apex of his career.' But the embrace of Lamar isn't limited to his expanding mainstream appeal. The kudos hail from not only music industry cognoscenti, but from an array of familiar names including former President Barack Obama, Eminem, Misty Copeland, Taylor Swift and U2, the latter two who have collaborated with the acclaimed rapper. Need further proof of Lamar's stratospheric standing? Take a look at ticket receipts and music charts. The $11.8 million gross from the April 26 tour stop at AT&T Stadium outside of Dallas is the biggest haul by a rapper in a single concert as a headlining or coheadlining artist in history, according to the Touring Data site. The show ‒ a genuine timeshare with SZA ‒ showcases both Lamar's artistic leanings with dim lighting and socially provocative videos and his deliberate flow, highlighted on hits such as "DNA" and "Humble." On the charts, Lamar's current collaboration with SZA, the ballad 'Luther,' which is named for soul great Luther Vandross and samples his duet with Cheryl Lynn, 'If This World Were Mine,' has topped the Billboard Hot 100 for 11 weeks. The standing surpasses a nine-week record from 1981 for a song featuring only a solo man and woman: Lionel Richie and Diana Ross' iconic duet 'Endless Love.' Lamar's 'commitment to storytelling' sets him apart A few hours before Lamar and SZA launched their tour at U.S. Bank Stadium in Minneapolis in April, a dedicated disciple who identified himself as Mo B., sat at a nearby hotel bar before meeting the same five college friends with whom he's seen Lamar perform on every tour. Mo, a Minneapolis native now living in Chicago, flew in specifically to witness Lamar play his inaugural stadium show. 'A lot of artists, when they hit fame, they stray from who they are, but he doubled down on it and attracted new and younger fans,' Mo said. 'I always tell my friends, who would have thought the bigger he gets, the better he is? And that he's stayed true to who he is, is wonderful.' Despite the critical acclaim that included the Pulitzer for his 'Damn' album – the first time the award was bestowed upon a non-jazz or classical artist – and that trove of 22 Grammys (three behind leader Jay-Z) from 57 nominations, Lamar has skillfully teetered between mainstream adoration and undiminished credibility with fans. The reason, on its surface, is simple: his storytelling. It was after hearing the 'R.O.T.C.' interlude, Lamar's rumination on the music industry and his personal struggles from his 'Overly Dedicated' album, that Mo became enraptured by the rap luminary's music. 'His storytelling stuck with me and (Lamar's 2011 debut album) 'Section.80' solidified my fandom,' Mo said. 'It's like he makes a documentary of his life with his music.' Tinsley, who considers Lamar's 2012 major-label breakthrough 'Good Kid, M.A.A.D City,' one of the Top 10 rap albums in history, echoes the storyteller refrain to affirm his admiration of Lamar's music. 'He's been one of the most successful rap artists, but he's not sacrificing the soul of his music. When you listen to him speak, you can hear he's pulling from things that he's lived,' he said. 'There's a commitment to storytelling in his music, but he's also very theatrical and visceral.' Lamar's musical boldness is key Storytelling is only a portion of Lamar's genius. Marcus J. Moore, an author and music journalism teacher at University of Maryland, College Park, starting working on his book, 'The Butterfly Effect: How Kendrick Lamar Ignited the Soul of Black America,' the same year the cerebral rapper won his Pulitzer. In the five years since the book's October 2020 release, Moore has watched Lamar blossom from 'a scrappy upstart who wasn't confident in his ability' to a breakthrough where he feels Lamar has 'realized the music he makes and the message he has is vital … His recent music speaks to the notion of, 'I can stand in the back of the room and still be Kendrick Lamar.'' Along with that perspective comes a deeper dive into musical boldness. Lamar will turn 38 on June 17, but he's already proven his skill with multiple genres, mixing elements of pop ('All the Stars') with rock ('Humble') with stringent rap ('Blacker the Berry') with jazz ('Rigamortis'). This pledge to artistic integrity is another reason Lamar continues to accrue a diverse, multi-generational fan base, as demonstrated by the 50,000-plus fans at the Minneapolis tour kickoff. 'Kendrick has always marched to the beat of his own drum and made the record he wants to make,' Moore said. ' 'Good Kid, M.A.A.D City,' was incredible and he could have easily come out with part two. But instead he said, I'm gonna come out with this weird jazz record – 'To Pimp a Butterfly' – and jazz heads like me were like, 'Are you really gonna do that?' and then he said, 'I'm gonna make this loud record and call it 'Damn.' That's what he's done. He's never chased trends.' Did the Drake feud fuel Kendrick Lamar's popularity? Part of Lamar's marathon year backpedals to March 2024, when he dropped a strident verse on the Metro Boomin'/Future track 'Like That.' Forget 'the big three … it's just big ME,' Lamar rhymed, an obvious reference to the lyric crowning Drake, J. Cole and Lamar as the top three rappers in the game on Drake's 2023 song, 'First Person Shooter.' What followed was months of snarky, controversial lyrical slaps between Lamar and Drake. In January, Drake filed a lawsuit against Universal Music Group alleging it defamed him by releasing Lamar's "Not Like Us," which insinuated the Canadian rapper as a 'certified pedophile.' UMG, which represents both Drake and Lamar, has moved to dismiss the case, calling diss track lyrics 'rhetorical hyperbole.' 'That Drake beef had been brewing for well over a decade,' Tinsley said. 'I doubt Kendrick did it with the intention of 'maybe I'll get some Grammys for this.' It just so happened that he and Drake are the two biggest names in the genre. It's like what you would have gotten with LeBron (James) and Kobe (Bryant) in the NBA Finals.' Moore agrees the publicity from the feud elevated Lamar in mainstream outlets since Drake was more of a household name because of his TV background (he acted on teen drama "Degrassi" from 2001 to 2008) and pop crossover appeal. But, he said, 'Real rap heads knew Drake didn't stand a chance. He's not a rapper, whereas Kendrick is a lyricist through and through and a student of old-school hip-hop. But for Kendrick to annihilate a name that big and then write a song that became a huge hit and then perform at halftime? That's the trifecta.'
NBC Sports
04-04-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Chris Paul, about to turn 40, talks retirement: 'I'm going to keep playing, I think'
Chris Paul has been solid on the court and the veteran leader the San Antonio Spurs brought him in to be this season. He has played a role in the growth of Victor Wembanyama and Rookie of the Year frontrunner Stephon Castle. He's also averaging numbers — 8.8 points, 7.6 assists a game — well below his career averages. He turns 40 just after the season ends. Does he want to keep going? Marc Spears of ESPN's Andscape brought up the dreaded retirement word to CP3, but it sounds like he will return. 'I'll be 40 in May. So, yeah man, I'm going to keep playing, I think,' Paul told Andscape recently. 'At the end of every season, I evaluate everything. Evaluate playing. Evaluate how my body feels. But the more years that go by, it's more conversations with my family, with my kids. They have a lot of say so. They got a lot of input. 'Obviously, I got a lot of homies, friends that have retired or whatnot. And they are always like, 'Man, play as long as you possibly can. Play as long as you possibly can.' And I appreciate that. But I also, I just always want to talk to my kids about it because that's the most important job that I have. I love to play. I definitely love my kids and my family more than I like to play. Anybody who's in this knows the sacrifice could goes longer. I said this summer I will evaluate it and talk to my family about it.' His choice may well come down to situation and money. Paul is making $10.5 million this season on an expiring contract, can he find that kind of money again next season? It's also unclear if he would return to San Antonio, the Spurs traded for De'Aaron Fox and want to give heavy minutes to him and Castle at the one, so there may not be a lot of minutes for CP3. Other teams would be interested, but Paul has prioritized trying to be close to his family in Southern California during the season. Paul also would prioritize playing for a team expected to make a deep playoff run. That's a lot of things that have to come together. There will be teams interested in Paul. If he wants it, he will be able to play a 21st season in the league. It's just a matter of priorities for the future Hall of Famer.
NBC Sports
29-03-2025
- Sport
- NBC Sports
Anthony Davis opens up about shock of trade, playing in Dallas: 'Family is happy. Everybody is happy.'
Anthony Davis pushed to get back on the court in Dallas. From the outside, there were a lot of calls to shut him down, especially with Kyrie Irving out for the season with a torn ACL — why not tank, try and get a better draft seeding and hope for another Dereck Lively II-style pick up? — but Davis wanted to be back on the court. AD opened up about that, the trade, life in Dallas and much more in a must-read interview with him by Mark Spears of ESPN's Andscape. We were playing with six, seven, eight guys who were coming in after playing a game 40, 42 minutes drained, tired, having to play back-to-backs, having to come in and still [weight] lift and get their shots [up]. That was a motivator for me. I knew I was going [to come back] just because of the amount of games we had left. And not even that, just the position we were in, too. The Mavericks have a one-game lead over the Suns for the No. 10 seed with eight games to play. Dallas also has an easier schedule the rest of the way. The postseason is within reach. Of course, Davis is in Dallas as part of the shocking trade that sent Luka Doncic to the Lakers. Davis, like everyone, did not see this trade coming, but adds that he is happy in Dallas. 'I'm great. I don't feel it, but a lot of people have been coming to me and telling me they haven't seen me smile like this in a long time,' Davis told Andscape. 'Family is happy. Everybody is happy. It's the nature of the business. Obviously, the first maybe 48 hours, it was just a shock because I wasn't expecting it. Nobody was expecting it, so they say. But I know from my side, my team and my family and everybody who works with me, I wasn't expecting it. Even when I was getting some of the calls [about the trade], I thought guys were playing. But it ended up being true and that first initial [emotion] was more a shock just seeing the position [we were in]; we're in fifth in the West [Conference], we were rolling… 'And I wasn't playing [Davis was injured at the time of the trade]. So, I just tried to feel everybody out and just kind of let it happen organically. And now we got a super-tight bond, man with all the guys. So, I'm happy, man. Happy I get to play.' Davis does get to play — in his time on the court in Dallas you can see how his gravity opens up the court for others. The Mavericks are 2-0 in the games where AD has taken the court since his return, and they are in a good position to hold on to the No. 10 seed. That is not enough to calm the storm among Mavericks fans after the trade, but being on the court and helping his team win is all Davis can do — and he's happy to do it. He's happy in Dallas, wherever that road ultimately leads.
