Latest news with #BlakeGriffin
USA Today
3 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
What's in your cart? T-Pain shares his streaming and gaming must-haves
What's in your cart? T-Pain shares his streaming and gaming must-haves Plus, find out what the "Buy You A Drank" artist's late-night munchie order is. Big news: T-Pain is fresh off Coachella and Stagecoach festival performances and heading back to Wiscansin. T-Pain's iconic hits like "Buy You A Drank" and "I'm Sprung" were not only the soundtrack of the mid-2000s, but they are still on replay in my house and we're gonna pretend that it hasn't been almost 20 years since those dropped because that makes me feel old. Despite his list of bangers and being crowned the king of autotune, T-Pain's inaugural Coachella performance wasn't until 2025, when he absolutely rocked it. Sure, T-Pain's catchy club hits are classics but over the years, he's also made it clear that he is incredibly talented. Like, have you ever heard him sing sans-autotune? He won the first season of 'The Masked Singer' on NBC and he's racked up nearly four million subscribers across his Nappy Boy Entertainment, gaming and T-Pain channels on YouTube, five million on Instagram and nearly five million on TikTok. As part of USA TODAY Shopping's "What's in your cart?" franchise, we connected with T-Pain to discuss his streaming must-haves and new Munchie Meal at Jack in the Box. T-Pain's streaming and gaming must-haves 'I travel...a lot and so I'm not always streaming from one of my home set ups," T-Pain said. "The Hollyland wireless mics make it easy to still have that clean sound when I'm moving around and on the road. I won't leave home without it.' 1. Hollyland Lark M2 Duo 2-Person Wireless Combo Microphone System More: What's in your cart? Shop Blake Griffin's favorite furniture, shoes and more 2. Rode PodMic Dynamic Podcasting Microphone 3. Red Solo Party Plastic Disposable Cups In probably the most on-brand promotion I've ever seen, T-Pain said he uses at least three red solo cups stacked together. "Never know what is going to be in the solo cups, but you always need three stacked minimum," T-Pain said. "Insulation, you know? Keeps the drink inside cold." Tips from an expert. 4. Meta Quest 3 VR Headset with the Soapbox App "They are doing some really unique stuff in the VR space when it comes to artists and music - something to check out for sure! Also, you can hang out with me from your living room so there is that.' - T-Pain 5. My Jack In The Box Munchie Meal 'When I pull some long streams, I don't have time to necessarily go up to my kitchen and cook something so Jack In The Box is always my go to," T-Pain said. The fast-food chain and the artist recently paired for T-Pain's Munchie Meal. "My munchie meal is basically a gift from the food gods…or at least from Jack. Got everything you could want in just one box. Makes it easy to actually eat while I'm on stream.' What to know about T-Pain's Munchie Meal at Jack in the Box? T-Pain is gearing up for his next big stage: his very own Jack in the Box Munchie Meal. Launching on Monday, June 2, T-Pain will be the latest artist to curate Jack in the Box's Munchie Meal. T-Pain joins a lineup of beloved Munchie Meal collabs from years past, including fellow artists Ice Cube and Snoop Dogg. Here are the options for T-Pain's Munchie Meal: Get sprung with your choice of a Burg-R-Tater Melt or Chick-N-Tater Melt, taco, regular curly fries, stuffed cookie, & regular drank. Comes with a T-Pain air freshener you'll be N Luv with. 🍔 Burg-R-Tater Melt: A warm buttery croissant with 100% seasoned beef, hickory smoked bacon, a hash brown, Swiss and cheddar cheese, cheese sauce and Buttermilk Ranch. 🍗 Chick-N-Tater Melt: A buttery croissant with a chicken patty, hickory smoked bacon, hash brown, Swiss and cheddar cheese, cheese sauce and Buttermilk Ranch. That's not all! As part of their summer partnership, Jack Box, Jack in the Box's CEO, and T-Pain will land in a joint Fortnite map, live from T-Pain's home gaming studio to face off in the ultimate battle royale, with chances for fans to game alongside the two legends. More: What's in your cart? 'Real Housewives' star Bethenny Frankel's top summer beauty buys Get tickets to see T-Pain Grab your Munchie Meal, your red Solo cups and watch T-Pain's latest stream. Or you could see the legend himself perform IRL at his Back to Wiscansin Fest on Saturday, June 14 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Get 'Back to Wiscansin' tickets
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Q&A: Blake Griffin feels like a 'rookie' again in his new career
Q&A: Blake Griffin feels like a 'rookie' again in his new career NEW YORK — While wearing a velvet suit in the middle of Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall, it was hard not to notice six-time NBA All-Star forward Blake Griffin. As the co-founder of the film and production company Mortal Media, the 6-foot-9 former NBA Rookie of the Year is still in the beginning phases of his new career as an executive producer. The former Oklahoma Sooners star retired in April 2024 after more than a dozen seasons in the NBA playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics. Considering his unmistakably distinct purple suiting, we had an easy conversation starter: Why are you dressed like this on a hot day in New York City? More: What's in your cart? Shop Blake Griffin's favorite furniture, shoes and more 'I'm here on behalf of Wayfair,' said Griffin, who was promoting Wayfair's Chair-Aides Challenge at a pop-up activation. 'We did a commercial where I am the Master of Chair-emonies and game show host.' Griffin discussed whether his new job felt similar to what is portrayed by Seth Rogen (whose wardrobe he admires) in Apple TV's The Studio, his upcoming gig as an NBA studio analyst for Amazon, advice for future No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and plenty more. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. More: Blake Griffin is a perfect choice for Amazon's studio coverage of the NBA next season What does your day-to-day look like now that you're not in the NBA? Griffin: I still try to work out. It's not quite as much as I used to but I still try to stay active. I have a production company that I started years ago. I go into the office there. I'm all over the place. I am looking forward to doing the Amazon stuff and have a set routine. We'll start out on Fridays and then go to Thursdays when Thursday Night Football ends. I'm excited to have that structure and be around basketball and be able to talk about the one thing I truly love. More: Ranking Blake Griffin's 7 most vicious dunks of his NBA career as he retires How do you imagine that show is going to look once it actually begins? Griffin: I like building this show with Dirk Nowitzki, Candace Parker and Taylor Rooks. The former players are all relatively new to retirement. We all played in the last few years. Dirk has a great sense of humor. He'll be great. The whole crew is great. We have a group chat that we text all of the time. We're trying to start that chemistry and get it going. I'm looking forward to being up there with everybody. We want to give insight. We want to give actual analysis for pre-game, halftime and post-game. But we also want to keep it really light. We want to highlight some of the lesser-known storylines around the NBA. When you turn on ESPN, you just see the Lakers and the Celtics and the Warriors and the Knicks. We want to highlight someone like Donovan Mitchell, who had an unbelievable year in Cleveland. Of course, true NBA fans know about those storylines, but the average fan isn't getting introduced to the amount of good players that there are in this league. There are so many young defensive guards. Dyson Daniels was super impressive for me to follow. How much basketball are you consuming to develop your insights? Griffin: I watch a lot of basketball. I've always watched a lot of basketball. During the playoffs, I'm so locked in. Beyond that, I'm following on social media. I'm consuming as much information as possible. I'm well-informed and I think that's super important for this show. The TNT guys are great. It's one of the best sports shows on TV. Part of the humor of that show is that they don't know who some of these guys are. That show is untouchable, but for us, we're making sure we're informed. We're making sure we keep it light. We are making sure people are actually learning something. There are an infinite amount of storylines aside from the major ones that we will cover. As a former No. 1 overall pick, what advice would you give to Cooper Flagg? Griffin: Just enjoy it. It sounds sort of cliché, but it all goes by so quickly. You'll only experience this draft process one time. Soak it in and don't get too weighed down with all the other stuff. All the people around you will take care of all that. Just enjoy every single moment. Remember, this is just the beginning. As a young guy, you want everything right away. You want to get to everything. But your career is a marathon. Enjoy it. Appreciate all the hard work you've done to get to this point. Know that it continues. I think that it was good for me. I didn't really view it as pressure. It just made me stay focused. I knew that I wasn't just playing for me. It was for a whole franchise. It just makes you lock in a bit more. I embraced it for sure. While at Amazon, I want to highlight the journey that rookies have from beginning to end. They're coming in and have no idea what to expect. They're trying to figure out their way. How are you learning all of these new skills in this career? Griffin: I'm just jumping into it. We hired someone who has done this for a long time. We're learning as we go. We're asking a bunch of questions. It was fun to start over. You feel like a rookie again, trying to learn as much as possible. It's like going into any job where you don't know exactly what you're doing. It's challenging. For me, I've learned it's all about relationships. It's about connecting the dots. I'm always meeting this writer or that director, and I'm piecing it all together. I look at producing like being a general manager of a team. You are not the coach, that's the director. The actors are the players. But the producer is fitting all these pieces together. I love that. You feel like it is your project and your baby. I focus mostly on comedy stuff. We sold two scripted shows, an unscripted show, and a movie in the past four or five months. Those are in the can for what's next for us to develop. It's a good amount of my time. I love the creative process and coming up with an idea, pitching it, developing it and seeing it come to life. It's fun for me. Who are some of your biggest comedy influences as you move forward? Griffin: When I was younger, Judd Apatow comedies were right in my wheelhouse. I was in high school when those were coming out. I love Seth Rogen. I love Danny McBride. I'll watch Danny McBride play any character. I think he's awesome. You have Shane Gillis. His stand-up is phenomenal. I like how guys are just starting to get funding and shoot shows and then sell it because then they can make exactly what they want and they don't have to adhere to a bunch of are some of the people who are doing the best in comedy right now. What are your reflections about working as an actor on Broad City? Griffin: It's one of my favorite things when somebody comes up to me and says, 'Hey! I loved you on Broad City.' It's one of my favorite compliments people give me. I don't know why. But it just makes me feel like you have a certain type of sense of humor, and I appreciate that. Who are some of the funniest guys you met while playing in the NBA? Griffin: Man, so many! DeAndre Jordan was always keeping everything loose and light. Jamal Crawford is hilarious. Marcus Smart. Ish Smith. I think one of the funniest guys is Jeff Teague. He is hilarious. I could listen to him tell stories all day.
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Q&A: Blake Griffin feels like a 'rookie' again in his new career
Q&A: Blake Griffin feels like a 'rookie' again in his new career NEW YORK — While wearing a velvet suit in the middle of Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall, it was hard not to notice six-time NBA All-Star forward Blake Griffin. As the co-founder of the film and production company Mortal Media, the 6-foot-9 former NBA Rookie of the Year is still in the beginning phases of his new career as an executive producer. The former Oklahoma Sooners star retired in April 2024 after more than a dozen seasons in the NBA playing for the Los Angeles Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets, and Boston Celtics. Considering his unmistakably distinct purple suiting, we had an easy conversation starter: Why are you dressed like this on a hot day in New York City? More: What's in your cart? Shop Blake Griffin's favorite furniture, shoes and more 'I'm here on behalf of Wayfair,' said Griffin, who was promoting Wayfair's Chair-Aides Challenge at a pop-up activation. 'We did a commercial where I am the Master of Chair-emonies and game show host.' Griffin discussed whether his new job felt similar to what is portrayed by Seth Rogen (whose wardrobe he admires) in Apple TV's The Studio, his upcoming gig as an NBA studio analyst for Amazon, advice for future No. 1 overall pick Cooper Flagg and plenty more. This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity. More: Blake Griffin is a perfect choice for Amazon's studio coverage of the NBA next season What does your day-to-day look like now that you're not in the NBA? Griffin: I still try to work out. It's not quite as much as I used to but I still try to stay active. I have a production company that I started years ago. I go into the office there. I'm all over the place. I am looking forward to doing the Amazon stuff and have a set routine. We'll start out on Fridays and then go to Thursdays when Thursday Night Football ends. I'm excited to have that structure and be around basketball and be able to talk about the one thing I truly love. More: Ranking Blake Griffin's 7 most vicious dunks of his NBA career as he retires How do you imagine that show is going to look once it actually begins? Griffin: I like building this show with Dirk Nowitzki, Candace Parker and Taylor Rooks. The former players are all relatively new to retirement. We all played in the last few years. Dirk has a great sense of humor. He'll be great. The whole crew is great. We have a group chat that we text all of the time. We're trying to start that chemistry and get it going. I'm looking forward to being up there with everybody. We want to give insight. We want to give actual analysis for pre-game, halftime and post-game. But we also want to keep it really light. We want to highlight some of the lesser-known storylines around the NBA. When you turn on ESPN, you just see the Lakers and the Celtics and the Warriors and the Knicks. We want to highlight someone like Donovan Mitchell, who had an unbelievable year in Cleveland. Of course, true NBA fans know about those storylines, but the average fan isn't getting introduced to the amount of good players that there are in this league. There are so many young defensive guards. Dyson Daniels was super impressive for me to follow. How much basketball are you consuming to develop your insights? Griffin: I watch a lot of basketball. I've always watched a lot of basketball. During the playoffs, I'm so locked in. Beyond that, I'm following on social media. I'm consuming as much information as possible. I'm well-informed and I think that's super important for this show. The TNT guys are great. It's one of the best sports shows on TV. Part of the humor of that show is that they don't know who some of these guys are. That show is untouchable, but for us, we're making sure we're informed. We're making sure we keep it light. We are making sure people are actually learning something. There are an infinite amount of storylines aside from the major ones that we will cover. As a former No. 1 overall pick, what advice would you give to Cooper Flagg? Griffin: Just enjoy it. It sounds sort of cliché, but it all goes by so quickly. You'll only experience this draft process one time. Soak it in and don't get too weighed down with all the other stuff. All the people around you will take care of all that. Just enjoy every single moment. Remember, this is just the beginning. As a young guy, you want everything right away. You want to get to everything. But your career is a marathon. Enjoy it. Appreciate all the hard work you've done to get to this point. Know that it continues. I think that it was good for me. I didn't really view it as pressure. It just made me stay focused. I knew that I wasn't just playing for me. It was for a whole franchise. It just makes you lock in a bit more. I embraced it for sure. While at Amazon, I want to highlight the journey that rookies have from beginning to end. They're coming in and have no idea what to expect. They're trying to figure out their way. How are you learning all of these new skills in this career? Griffin: I'm just jumping into it. We hired someone who has done this for a long time. We're learning as we go. We're asking a bunch of questions. It was fun to start over. You feel like a rookie again, trying to learn as much as possible. It's like going into any job where you don't know exactly what you're doing. It's challenging. For me, I've learned it's all about relationships. It's about connecting the dots. I'm always meeting this writer or that director, and I'm piecing it all together. I look at producing like being a general manager of a team. You are not the coach, that's the director. The actors are the players. But the producer is fitting all these pieces together. I love that. You feel like it is your project and your baby. I focus mostly on comedy stuff. We sold two scripted shows, an unscripted show, and a movie in the past four or five months. Those are in the can for what's next for us to develop. It's a good amount of my time. I love the creative process and coming up with an idea, pitching it, developing it and seeing it come to life. It's fun for me. Who are some of your biggest comedy influences as you move forward? Griffin: When I was younger, Judd Apatow comedies were right in my wheelhouse. I was in high school when those were coming out. I love Seth Rogen. I love Danny McBride. I'll watch Danny McBride play any character. I think he's awesome. You have Shane Gillis. His stand-up is phenomenal. I like how guys are just starting to get funding and shoot shows and then sell it because then they can make exactly what they want and they don't have to adhere to a bunch of are some of the people who are doing the best in comedy right now. What are your reflections about working as an actor on Broad City? Griffin: It's one of my favorite things when somebody comes up to me and says, 'Hey! I loved you on Broad City.' It's one of my favorite compliments people give me. I don't know why. But it just makes me feel like you have a certain type of sense of humor, and I appreciate that. Who are some of the funniest guys you met while playing in the NBA? Griffin: Man, so many! DeAndre Jordan was always keeping everything loose and light. Jamal Crawford is hilarious. Marcus Smart. Ish Smith. I think one of the funniest guys is Jeff Teague. He is hilarious. I could listen to him tell stories all day.
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Oklahoma and Gonzaga set to meet in 2025-26 basketball season
Oklahoma Sooners basketball coach Porter Moser must like the look of his 2025-26 team quite a bit. On Wednesday, OU announced it would play Big East power Marquette in a Black Friday game next season. Then, shortly after that announcement, college basketball writer Jon Rothstein reported the Sooners would also play national powerhouse Gonzaga this season in Spokane, Washington. Advertisement According to Rothstein, the game will not be played at Gonzaga's home court but at the McCarthy Athletic Center in Washington's second-biggest city. Therefore, it should still function as a home game for the Bulldogs. The game is the fourth announced nonconference game for the Sooners for 2025-2026. Previously, games were scheduled against Oklahoma State for December 13 in Oklahoma City and former Big Eight conference rival Nebraska in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, on November 16. Oklahoma and Gonzaga are not unfamiliar opponents. They first met back in 2007-08 when Blake Griffin scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds in the Sooners' victory. Gonzaga has won each of the three meetings since, including, most recently, in the 2021 NCAA Tournament when Austin Reaves' 27 points were not enough to overcome the Zags in an 87-71 loss. The only time OU has played Gonzaga in Spokane was on New Year's Eve 2010. Gonzaga won, 83-69. This article originally appeared on Sooners Wire: Gonzaga, Oklahoma to meet on basketball court next season
Indianapolis Star
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Indianapolis Star
What's in your cart? Shop Blake Griffin's favorite furniture, shoes and more
Six-time NBA All-Star Blake Griffin just made a slam dunk off the court. Ahead of summer 2025, the basketball legend teamed up with Wayfair for a playful new Chair-ades Challenge that's all about style, comfort and a whole lot of sitting game. The campaign kicked off at Grand Central Terminal's Vanderbilt Hall, where USA TODAY Shopping caught up with Griffin who was fulfilling his cheeky duties as Wayfair's 'Master of Chairemonies." The New York City pop-up invited commuters to strike a pose with a few popular Wayfair chairs for a chance to win a $1,000 Wayfair gift card—and we even got Griffin to participate! "Wayfair has literally everything," Griffin says of his partnership with the retailer. "Things you didn't think you needed, they have." But Griffin isn't just a spokesperson for the retailer—he's a genuine design enthusiast. "Your house is like your sanctuary. It has to feel perfect." He describes his style as a step below minimalist and says that he prefers neutral tones like whites, greens and browns (despite the fact that the basketball star was rocking a purple velvet suit at the Wayfair pop-up). "I've been very anti-clutter the last five or six years. I keep it somewhat simple—not full minimalist, but close. That's what makes my house feel serene," he explains. And yes, being 6'9" does influence his furniture choices: "A big couch is an absolute must for me. It has to be comfortable." Luckily, he can find the best furniture picks for his size and style at Wayfair. Below, Griffin shares some of his current obsessions as part of our latest "What's in your cart?" feature (including his favorite sofa) as well as a sneak peak at the basketball players he's looking forward to watching in the upcoming NBA season. 'I like this sofa because it's big enough to stretch out on and can comfortably seat a few people if needed.' - Blake Griffin 'This nightstand's clean lines and ample storage make it a practical and stylish addition beside my bed.' - Blake Griffin Shop smart: Amazon's Memorial Day sale has more than 50% off summer essentials More: Nike, TOGETHXR to partner on 'Everyone Watches Women's Sports' collection Griffin is also stepping into a new role this fall as an NBA analyst for Amazon Prime Video this fall alongside Dirk Nowitzski. 'I've played basketball my entire life. It's the one thing I know I know about,' he says. 'I'm excited to highlight some of the lesser talked-about stories in the league.' He's especially hyped about the next generation of talent: "Oklahoma City is going to be great for a long time. Cleveland had a great year. Orlando snuck into the playoffs—they're going to be good, too." And of course, he couldn't help but gush about Victor Wembanyama: "He's 7'3", shoots threes, handles the ball—it's crazy what the young guys are doing." Get Amazon Prime Video More: Find out if a Wayfair Rewards membership is right for your wallet The Chair-ades Challenge is part of Wayfair's broader Wayborhood campaign. Fans can enter by posting a video of themselves acting like a chair on TikTok or Instagram, tagging @Wayfair and using the hashtag #WayfairSweepstakes.
