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USA Today
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- USA Today
Former Harlem Globetrotter and once America's tallest man, George Bell dies at 67
Former Harlem Globetrotter and once America's tallest man, George Bell dies at 67 George Bell, an "American Horror Story" actor, former Harlem Globetrotter and once the tallest man in America, has died, his former employer confirmed. He was 67. "We are saddened to learn of the passing of former deputy George Bell. George was a valued member of the Norfolk Sheriff's Office," the department based in Norfolk, Virginia wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday. According to the sheriff's office, Bell worked at the department from December 2000 through May 2014. According to local media outlet WCNC-TV, he died "surrounded by loved ones at his home in Durham, North Carolina." It was not immediately known how he died or what date he passed. "He was well known for many things, but for those who worked with him he will be remembered for his kind and fun-loving personality," the sheriff's office wrote in its post. "He will always be considered a member of the Norfolk Sheriff's Office family. Our heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to his friends and family during this difficult time." How tall was George Bell? According to his Instagram page, in 2007 Bell set a Guinness Book of World Records for his height. Born in Portsmith, Virginia, WCNC and WTKR reported, Bell attended Morris Brown College in Georgia where he played basketball and went onto play for the Globetrotters. USA TODAY has reached out to the basketball team and university. He also appeared in Ryan Murphy's "American Horror Story" and AMC's "Freakshow." Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@ and follow her on X @nataliealund.
Yahoo
21-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Tallest man in America and Harlem Globetrotter George Bell dies at age 67
NORFOLK, Va. (WAVY) – George Bell, a former Harlem Globetrotter, actor and law enforcement officer who held the record for the tallest man in America, has died at age 67. Called a 'gentle giant,' Bell, who was born in Portsmouth, Virginia, stood at an astounding 7 feet, 8 inches, and was featured in the Guinness Book of World Records in 2007 as the tallest man in America. He later lost that title to Igor Vovkovinskiy, who was a fraction of an inch taller, and then regained it in 2021 when Vovkovinskiy died, according to TV Insider. For comparison, the tallest current NBA player is Zach Edey, who stands at 7 feet, 4 inches. The New York Post reported that Bell died at his family home in North Carolina, though no date was given. Guns N' Roses parts ways with drummer Frank Ferrer after 19 years In the past, Bell played college basketball for Morris Brown College in Georgia and later with the Harlem Globetrotters. According to TV Insider, Bell acted in FX's 'American Horror Story' as Tall Ghost Man. He also played in AMC's 'Freakshow,' the short film 'Bank Robber,' and the series 'Extreme Bodies,' where he portrayed Pituitary Giant. A former Norfolk Sheriff's Department deputy, Bell joined the department in 2000. Those who worked with him there said he will be remembered for his kind, fun-loving personality. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
New York Times
25-02-2025
- Sport
- New York Times
What to watch in the NBA this week: Celtics-Cavs, Doncic vs. Dallas, new-look Warriors
The first weekend back from the All-Star intermission was a generally good hang. Luka Dončić had his first signature showing as a Los Angeles Laker. Tyrese Haliburton went Harlem Globetrotter on Saturday night. OKC and Minny put on a show in primetime, and the Detroit Pistons played meaningful basketball games. We can dig it. Advertisement This week's schedule is loaded, with a half-dozen national TV looks and some sneaky bangers on League Pass. We broke down some matchups below in a format befitting Oscars week. In the words of Bill Murray in the original Space Jam (1996): 'Here's how I see it!' Tuesday, 10 p.m. ET, TNT Best Supporting Hooper: Max Christie. He was understandably overshadowed amid the most stunning superstar swap in league history, but the third-year wing is really coming on strong at Dallas' reconstruction site. Christie started 25 times with the Lakers, serving as a respectable 3-and-D plug-and-play option. But he's leveling up with the Mavs, averaging over 15 points in 32 minutes across his first eight games. He's up to the 97th percentile in points per shot attempt on Cleaning the Glass and has soared beyond his career assist rate. Christie is still 21 years old, and the good vibes are bountiful. 'When you talk about defense and me being tasked with the point of attack or the best perimeter player, if I set the tone on the guy to start, it just trickles down into everybody else,' he told The Athletic's Jovan Buha in a December Q&A. Best Original Game Plan: JJ Redick. LA's noogie of the Denver Nuggets was wholly impressive. The hosts at Mile High lost by 23 points and snapped their nine-game winning streak. The otherwise-otherworldly Nikola Jokić was held to his worst game of the season. JJ Redick flashed some inspired coaching here, sticking 6-foot-8 Rui Hachimura on the mountainous three-time MVP. Hachimura was a gravelly irritant, checking Jokić all around the half-court and denying ball entry in the post. Redick admitted that he couldn't sleep in anticipation of this game plan. He nailed it Saturday night. Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, FDSN, NBCS, League Pass Advertisement Best Source Material: 'The Town' (2010). For real, the Joe Mazzulla program is working. If the team's lead strategist wants to watch Ben Affleck rob Fenway Park multiple times a week, well, how can we non-Ball Knowers possibly protest? Neither loud nor surprising, the defending champs are still having an excellent season thus far. Everyone appears to have bought into the title defense; egos are fully sublimated. That December mini-lull has been casually brushed aside, and Kristaps Porziņģis has been reintegrated. Boston starts the week third in net rating and top-five on both offense and defense. Best Director: J.B. Bickerstaff. Detroit has averaged 18.8 wins per season in the past half-decade. Wipe the screen off and collect yourself if necessary. It's really been that bad. Maybe the cure for societal loneliness is rooting for the competent, super-endearing Pistons, who are winners of seven straight. Since the New Year: an 18-8 record, seventh in plus-minus and net rating. Bickerstaff is getting so much out of his veteran journeymen (Malik Beasley, Tim Hardaway Jr.) and has shepherded the ascents of the youth (Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren, Ausar Thompson). The Pistons are now on pace for their first finish above .500 since 2015-16. Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET, ESPN Best Documentary Feature: Whatever this 2024-25 Sixers season is. Perhaps Philly is giving us one huge exercise in horror-noir. It's increasingly sad and uncomfortable for a group with championship aspirations just a few months prior. Joel Embiid is clearly not healthy. The 76ers lost at home to the Bulls by 32 points Monday night. Best Returning Hooper: Mitchell Robinson. Fair or not, the hopes of a sudden clampdown in New York will be pinned to the seven-footer returning from ankle surgery. The Knicks' offense is Finals-worthy; the defense is absolutely not, as evidenced by last weekend's blowout losses to Cleveland and Boston. Tom Thibodeau's team has the league's worst defensive rating this month. Robinson is expected to join the rotation this week, a much-needed mood booster from a sobering few days on the floor. This iteration is certainly fun but far from elite, incongruent with a front office that gave up five first-round picks to compete at the highest plateau. From The Athletic's James Edwards III: 'The weekend reaffirmed what was already out there: the Knicks aren't there yet. The issues start defensively, where the Knicks have continuously been up-and-down all season. New York's pick-and-roll coverage, poor communication in transition and inability to guard across the board puts them behind the league's best. And for a New York offense that has been upper-tier all season, it looks mortal against these championship contenders because they are capable of doing things the Knicks haven't been able to.' Advertisement Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Best Adapted Screenplay: Brian Wright. This was never going to be the Spurs' year. It's Victor Wembanyama's age-21 season, and the Western Conference is loaded with win-now competitors. The organization has taken a few wrenching health scares, such as Wemby's blood clots and Gregg Popovich's stroke. Yet time will not render this season fully lost because De'Aaron Fox has been installed as the long-term table-setter in silver and black. San Antonio has had a top-five assist rate and turnover ratio since the Fox move. The eight-year veteran is only 27 years old and has ample time to acclimate to his new digs. GM Brian Wright did his thing here. Best Supporting Hooper: Amen Thompson. The rangy second-year is unassumingly fifth in defensive win shares this season. He's ahead of stalwarts like Rudy Gobert, Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr. and Dyson Daniels. Thompson has been playing with elasticity and fearlessness on the other end, putting up around 16 points, 10 rebounds and five assists since becoming a starter. He may only be a 'supporting' hooper for so long: NASTY AMEN THOMPSON CROSS & POSTER 😤 — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) February 4, 2025 Thursday, 7 p.m. ET, FDSN, NBC Sports Bay Area, League Pass Best Music: 'Only Wanna Be with You,' Hootie and the Blowfish (1994). Let Jimmy Butler sing to his heart's content. The arrival in Golden State has clearly galvanized Stephen Curry and Draymond Green. 'This team all year has been kind of like, 'Man, we're right there, but can't quite get over the hump.' But there's a reason that you feel like you're right there but can't quite get over,' Green told The Athletic's Marcus Thompson II and Sam Amick. 'And the reason I think we all thought we couldn't quite get over was because there was a missing piece. That piece isn't missing anymore. That piece is him.' The Warriors look renewed, but there's still much ground to make up if they hope to avoid the play-in. Thursday, 8 p.m. ET, TNT Best Lead Actor: Nikola Jokić. The singular Serbian talent is somehow having the best stretch of his NBA career. He hits this week ranking: Jokić is the league's Daniel Day-Lewis: He's won the top individual hardware three times, seems almost bored by his prodigiousness and will absolutely drink your milkshake. Best Editing: Doc Rivers. Milwaukee staved off disaster warnings with an inspired (if cosmetic) run for the NBA Cup. The All-Star break relieved them of an uninspired 4-7 stretch. Basketball Reference has them with the lightest strength of schedule to date. The random sequencing of this season has somewhat obscured a wildly underwhelming campaign. Advertisement Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET, ESPN Best Picture: The East-leading Cleveland Cavaliers. With the best offense in the sport, the best record in the conference and the best attendance at the gates, this Cavs season has been a feel-good story in the province of Steven Spielberg or Nora Ephron. The core is intact and under contract for the next three seasons. From The Athletic's Jason Lloyd: 'The Cavs' previous championship era, believe it or not, more closely resembles the model the league was trying to extinguish of hastily assembling stars in one market. LeBron James returned, the Cavs got lucky in the lottery, swung a big trade for Kevin Love and poof! A four-hour parade on a 100-degree day. As a reference point, the Cavs would've been considered a second-apron team under these current rules during James' final three years in Cleveland. These Cavs have grown together much more organically. They will reach repeat offender status on the luxury tax scale, regardless of the aprons, for the first time after the 2028-29 season.' Best Production Design: The Boston '3-party.' There's been a whirring carousel of complaints and grievances around modern basketball's 3-point reliance. No matter the validity of it all, these Celtics have the numbers to justify their style. The reigning champs are No. 1 in 3s made and attempted … and that has them winning games (third-best record in the league) without sacrificing integrity (fifth in defensive rating and defensive rebounding rate). Boston is ignoring the noise and sticking to its beliefs. Friday, 8 p.m. ET, FDSN, MSG, League Pass Best Cinematography: 'Friday Night Knicks.' We don't know if New York harbors a title contender just yet, but we definitely know it has a championship-level presentation. The Knicks are a League Pass delight for many reasons — Mike Breen's eternal elegance, Walt 'Clyde' Frazier's velvet wardrobe and linguistic innovation, and Madison Square Garden's overall historic aura. But regional Knicks games are particularly sublime on this day of all days, thanks to Robert Randolph and the Family Band's 'Friday Night Knicks' jam. Christen your weekend appropriately: Best New Hooper: Jaylen Wells. The 39th pick in last spring's draft is leading his rookie class in win shares and starts for the West's second-winningest team. Only Jaren Jackson Jr. has played more minutes for the 37-20 Grizzlies this season. Wells is averaging 14 points in his last four games and drilled four 3s in Cleveland on Sunday. Advertisement Friday, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN Best International Feature: Ivica Zubac's career year. The old-school Bosnian big man has charmingly muscled his way to the best NBA run of his nine-year career. It's always fun to see a veteran player commit to steady improvement, especially in less-glamorous departments like post passing, paint defense and boxing out. Zubac is averaging over 15 points and 12 rebounds, anchoring a Clippers defense that's fourth in scoring against. Best Casting: Rob Pelinka. Yeah, landing a 25-year-old Luka Dončić to play the 'Lakers' next generational global superstar' role was a good move. (Photo by Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
CBS News
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- CBS News
From a Warriors museum to video games, Bay Area NBA fans soak in All-Star events
On Saturday, the day before the NBA All-Star Game, fans in San Francisco came out to play as well. In today's interactive world of sports, they've learned that if you put a good product on the air, people will watch. But if you involve fans in the sport, they'll come out to be a part of it. The biggest event open to the public had to be the NBA Crossover at San Francisco's Moscone Center. The entire bottom floor was converted into an interactive fan experience, including a chance to feel the electrifying thrill of scoring a slam dunk on a rim that lowered to match a player's height. Twelve-year-old Mason Ho missed on the first attempt, but connected with a massive windmill slam on his second try, causing the entire floor to light up with deafening applause. "And you would see all the lights, so it's like you're on the real floor," he said. "Yeah, so it's cool." His 5-year-old brother Otto lost the handle but recovered for a dunk and then hung on the rim for emphasis. The next exhibit over was a little harder to explain. At the Royal Court, fans wandered through a mock 14th-century castle completing challenges with a chance to win prizes and play a basketball video game. "It brings fans into a real-life video game, essentially," said Hayley Bordui, with the NBA 2K league. "So, the idea is like a fully immersive tech experience that mashes up the baroque essence with basketball and gaming culture." Actually, video gaming and the NBA have a close connection which, once again, gives fans the chance to imagine being one of their hardwood heroes. But it wasn't all make-believe. Some lucky fans got a chance to play two-on-two against former Harlem Globetrotter Chris Staples and "The Professor," a young man who became an internet star for his crazy ball-handling skills. Watching from the sidelines, Stella Hernandez from Walnut Creek said she loves the NBA and is inspired by the growing popularity of the WNBA. "All the youth and the young ladies out there showing that you could come and be a part of something that you aspire to," she said. "Even you can look up to all the men and try to be like all the women you look up to, as well." Events were happening all over town, including a section of Powell Street near Union Square that was renamed All-Star Alley. People waited in long lines just to get into stores. Denise Gonzales had no idea what she was standing in line to see. "No, but I'm super excited. We'll find out once we get in there," she said with a laugh. "Worth the wait, worth the wait." It turned out to be a small popup Warriors museum displaying some cardboard cutouts, a few bobbleheads and some cornbread being marketed by former Warrior Kalenna Azubuike. Still, it was fun for Mary Ignatius who waited 30 minutes to get in. "Yeah, I mean, the NBA, basketball it's so much a part of our culture," she said. "We love the Warriors, and the All-Star game, what is it, every 20 years maybe? So, we didn't want to lose out on an opportunity to celebrate. And it's free, so, everything else costs a lot more when you want to go to Chase Center." The fact is the NBA has gotten so big, that there is a kind of magic just being close to it. Back at the Crossover, Mitch Richmond, a former member of the Warriors' famed "Run TMC" crew, said the league has grown because it was smart enough to bring the fans into the experience. "I think this is what galvanized the game," Richmond said. "You know, I remember coming in '88, we had never seen anything like this. Each and every year, man, it's expanding, we're going global. We're getting so many athletes from all around the world. And we also get fan bases from all around the world. So, it's been growing each and every year." It will be at least 30 years before the NBA All-Star Game comes back to San Francisco. One can only imagine how big the game will be then.
