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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Prince Looked at Spike Lee Like He ‘Had 5 Heads' After This Request
Prince Looked at Spike Lee Like He 'Had 5 Heads' After This Request originally appeared on Parade. Spike Lee once asked Prince for a unique request, and although the late musician looked at the director as if he 'had five heads,' he honored the big ask. During a Thursday, July 31, appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, the late-night TV host asked Spike, 68, if certain stories about him were true. Jimmy pulled out a photo of Spike and Prince sitting courtside at Madison Square Garden during the 1998 NBA All-Star Game as they engaged in a deep conversation. 'And is it true you asked him for a guitar at this game?' Jimmy, 50, asked the Oscar-winning director. Spike confirmed that he did ask Prince for a personal instrument, but 'not at that game.' 'But he looked at me like he had five heads,' Spike said. 'And a year later, a big ass guitar case shows up,' the Highest 2 Lowest director revealed. 'A year later!' Before going on to the next topic, Spike expressed how deeply he misses the legendary artist, with whom he had been friends after collaborating throughout their respective careers. In 1991, the 'Lover' singer reached out to Spike in hopes of hiring him to direct the music video for "Money Don't Matter 2 Night.' The song was released when Prince was a part of the band New Power Generation. "If he didn't have the belief in my ability, he would've never called me out of the blue, so that wasn't a problem," Spike told OkayPlayer in 2016. "There was no problems. In fact, he didn't need to give me notes, you know? He said 'love it,' and they just put it out." In 1996, Prince lent his track list to Spike for the film Girl 6. Prince died on April 21, 2016, after an accidental fentanyl overdose. Since then, Spike has honored his late friend and music icon in his films, including BlacKkKlansman. 🎬 SIGN UP for Parade's Daily newsletter to get the latest pop culture news & celebrity interviews delivered right to your inbox 🎬 Prince Looked at Spike Lee Like He 'Had 5 Heads' After This Request first appeared on Parade on Aug 2, 2025 This story was originally reported by Parade on Aug 2, 2025, where it first appeared. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
16-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
WNBA Rising Star's No-Pants Look Steals Spotlight Before Sparks-Valkyrie
WNBA Rising Star's No-Pants Look Steals Spotlight Before Sparks-Valkyrie originally appeared on Athlon Sports. Rickea Jackson showed no signs of slowing down, whether on the court or off the court, as the Los Angeles Sparks player showcased her star power. Advertisement Ahead of the exciting matchup between the team and the Golden State Valkyries, the 24-year-old made her presence known with her fashion game that was hard to miss. While the tunnel walk is part of basketball culture, she did not disappoint fans by delivering a standout look. Rickea Jackson's outfit featured a nod to the no-pants trend as she strutted the hallways in a sexy all-black ensemble. The Sparks forward opted for a plain black top paired with micro shorts that highlighted her long, toned legs. In addition to this, she made the look chic by adding a longline black blazer as a layering piece. Advertisement Lastly, the outfit was styled with see-through black stockings with a faux leg tattoo for an edgier look and red patent stilettos for a pop of color. In a post shared by the Sparks on Instagram, fans couldn't help but swoon over her creative and sultry pregame outfit. 'Legs for days,' one wrote. 'I see you @rickea,' a fan mentioned. One commenter summed it up with a single word: 'ATE,' slang for looking amazing and radiating confidence in an outfit. Another echoed the sentiment and said 'Rickea ate and left no crumbs,' meaning she owned the look with nothing left to critique. Meanwhile, a follower praised her and teammate Sarah Barker and added a remark, 'Rickea & Sarah comin' thru wit' nice body framez.' Advertisement Another fan seemed at a loss for words and simply commented, 'Rickea, man,' followed by a string of heart-eyed emojis. Rickea Jackson (2) at the 2025 NBA All Star Game at Oakland Yamashita-Imagn Images During the Sparks vs. Valkyries matchup, Jackson joined Dearica Hamby, Azura Stevens, Kelsey Plum and Odyssey Sims in the starting five. The Valkyries countered with a lineup featuring Kayla Thornton, Janelle Salaun, Temi Fagbenle, Julie Vanloo and Veronica Burton. Related: WNBA Fans Fall in Love With Rickea Jackson After Outfit Post This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 10, 2025, where it first appeared.
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
The NBA has entered its weak link era
Yahoo Sports AM is our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it every weekday morning. 🚨 Headlines 🥎 Texas wins Game 1: Texas rallied for a 2-1 victory over Texas Tech in Game 1 of the best-of-three Women's College World Series Final, notching the game-winning hit on a failed intentional walk when the pitch flew a little too close to the strike zone. Advertisement 🏀 USA vs. The World: Next season's NBA All-Star Game will indeed feature a "USA vs. The World" format, commissioner Adam Silver confirmed. And it will air on NBC, which will be in the midst of broadcasting another global sporting event: the 2026 Winter Olympics. ⚾️ Rockies sweep Marlins: A day after the Rockies clinched their first series win of the season, they got their first three-game sweep since May of last year. Their record is now a sterling 12-50. Don't let Colorado get hot! ⚽️ Ronaldo nets game winner: Portugal is headed to the UEFA Nations League final thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo's game-winning goal in the 68th minute to give his side their first win over Germany since 2000. 🏀 Suns hire new coach: The Suns have found their new head coach, hiring former Cavaliers assistant Jordan Ott after interviewing more than 15 potential candidates. 🏀 The new NBA blueprint: No weak links (Henry Russell/Yahoo Sports) Most team sports can be categorized as either "strong link" or "weak link" sports. Advertisement In strong link sports, the team with the best player usually wins. In weak link sports, the team without the worst player usually wins. Basketball is widely considered a strong link sport due to the outsized impact one player can have. And for decades, that's how I would have described the NBA. But now? After watching this year's playoffs, I'm convinced the NBA has entered its weak link era. Having the best player in a series has never mattered less. Not having the worst player has never mattered more. From Yahoo Sports' Kevin O'Connor: The deeper we go into the NBA playoffs, the more one truth gets hammered home: If you've got a guy on the floor who can't shoot or defend, he's getting exposed and you're probably getting sent home. But the 3-and-D archetype with the guy who just stands in the corner isn't quite enough anymore. All players on the floor must ideally be able to dribble and make quick decisions. Advertisement That's why the Celtics won the title last year. Sure, they had stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. But they also surrounded them with well-rounded pieces. Even with bench units, there was no obvious weak link. The same blueprint is playing out this season with the Thunder and Pacers facing off in the NBA Finals. No weak links: Thunder: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the hub, but OKC's success hinges on the fact that nobody else gums up the system. There's no ball-stopper, no spacer who can't dribble, no defender the Thunder can't trust to ferociously execute a game plan. Even OKC's bigs fit the mold: shooting, facilitating, handling the ball. Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton is Indiana's engine, but the pieces around him are all skilled enough to play with tempo, precision and relentless energy. Consider their historic comebacks: The Pacers never turned to clear-out, hero-ball isolations; in the moments when most teams tighten up, they just keep running their offense. Bottom line: For years, the NBA's top teams assembled "Big Threes," often at the expense of sensible roster-building and depth. OKC and Indiana are the new blueprint: deep and versatile rotations, with systems built on interchangeable skill sets. Everyone is a threat. Advertisement Shoutout: Former Knicks analytics coordinator Owen Phillips wrote about the NBA's weak link era at the start of the playoffs and heavily influenced my view. If you like the NBA and data, I highly recommend signing up for his newsletter, The F5. 🏆 In photos: Oilers take Game 1 Oilers fans pregame. () The Stanley Cup Final rematch got off to a thrilling start on Wednesday in Edmonton, where the Oilers scored the final three goals in a 4-3 (OT) victory. Marchand high fives his teammates. () Brad Marchand gave the Panthers their first lead at 2-1 midway through the first period. His goal was Florida's 50th road goal of the 2025 postseason, a new NHL record. Draisaitl celebrates his game-winner. () Leon Draisaitl, who didn't score in last year's Cup Final, scored the first and last goal of the night. The German forward netted the game-winner in the final minute of overtime off a feed from Connor McDavid. The Stanley Cup on the ice before the start of the game. (Brian Babineau/NHLI via Getty Images) Looking ahead: Teams that win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final have gone on to win the title 76.5% of the time. The Panthers will try to reverse that trend, starting with Game 2 on Friday night. ⚾️ MLB power rankings (Mallory Bielecki/Yahoo Sports) For the first time this season, the Dodgers do not sit atop our MLB power rankings, with the Tigers taking over the top spot. Advertisement Top 5: Tigers (41-22): Detroit is MLB's most complete club, as evidenced by the fact that they are the only team ranked in the top five for both ERA and runs scored. Mets (39-23): The staff is unbelievable (league-best 2.86 ERA), Francisco Lindor and Pete Alonso are mashing and Juan Soto is heating up (1.395 OPS over his last six games). Dodgers (37-25): Pitching injuries may prevent them from reaching their full potential, but L.A.'s high-powered offense gives them a chance every night. Yankees (37-23): No Juan Soto, no Gerrit Cole, no problem. It helps that Aaron Judge is doing an awfully good impression of Barry Bonds in the batter's box. Cubs (38-23): The offense remains electric, and their vastly improved bullpen has made them much more formidable in their quest for their first full-season division title since 2017. Full rankings. 📺 Watchlist: Thursday, June 5 (Joseph Raines/Yahoo Sports) 🏀 NBA Finals, Game 1 | 8:30pm ET on ABC The NBA's grand finale begins tonight in OKC, where the Thunder are massive favorites (-700 at BetMGM) over the Pacers (+500). Only the 2004 Pistons (+500 vs. the Lakers) have ever won the Finals as that big of an underdog. 🥎 WCWS, Game 2 | 8pm, ESPN Will Texas clinch their first national championship, or will Texas Tech force a decisive Game 3? 🎾 French Open, Semifinals | TNT No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka takes on three-time defending champion Iga Świątek (9am) in the first women's semifinal, followed by No. 2 Coco Gauff vs. hometown hero Loïs Boisson (10:10am) in the second. Advertisement More to watch: 🏀 WNBA: Liberty at Mystics (7:30pm, Prime); Valkyries at Mercury (10pm, Prime) … Commissioner's Cup. ⛳️ PGA Tour: Canadian Open (6:45am, ESPN+/3pm, Golf) … Rory McIlroy headlines the field in Toronto. ⚽️ UEFA Nations League: Spain vs. France (3pm, FS1) … Winner takes on Portugal in Sunday's final. Today's full slate. 🏀 NBA Finals trivia (Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images) This is the first NBA Finals since 2006 that will be contested between two teams seeking their first championship.* Question: Which two teams matched up in 2006? Answer at the bottom. *The Thunder don't claim the SuperSonics' 1979 title as their own. 👊 Let the body keep the score (Grant Thomas/Yahoo Sports) Cub Swanson spent nearly two decades as a pro fighter, and he has the scars to prove it, writes Yahoo Sports' Ben Fowlkes. The world sees the highlights. But this is what 20 years in the fight game really looks like — tendons torn, bones broken, and a body that never stops paying the price. Advertisement "I woke up in the middle of the night and I felt like I was going to throw up," said Swanson. "And they had told me, 'If you throw up, well, your jaw is wired, so you might die.' There's nowhere for it to go. You could suffocate, so you've got to cut the wires off." Dive in. Trivia answer: Heat over Mavericks We hope you enjoyed this edition of Yahoo Sports AM, our daily newsletter that keeps you up to date on all things sports. Sign up here to get it delivered to your inbox every weekday morning.
San Francisco Chronicle
26-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Valkyries' Kayla Thornton returns to site of her greatest WNBA success
NEW YORK — Kayla Thornton 's New York Liberty chapter will officially close Tuesday night. The now- Golden State Valkyries forward will get her championship ring seven months after winning her first career title, and five months after she learned she would spend her 13th WNBA season in the Bay Area. Over the first three games in franchise history, Thornton has quietly been the Valkyries' most consistent player. She notched the team's first-ever double-double in the win over Los Angeles on Friday with 14 points and 10 rebounds. Amid the excitement around the early performances from rookies Janelle Salaün and Carla Leite, Thornton's solid start to her Valkyries tenure has gone less noticed. One of the Liberty's key playoff pieces a season ago, Thornton makes her first return to Brooklyn since she was selected by the Valkyries in the expansion draft this week as Golden State plays two against the defending champs. The Valkyries are playing better than many expected and Thornton's stability has been a big reason why. 'I don't change who I am,' she told the Chronicle on Monday. 'My role is different, but I'm the same person as if I was in New York playing the role I was playing. Being back here now, it is emotional, but I gotta bottle that up. It's time to get to business.' An undrafted free agent out of Texas-El Paso, Thornton leads the Valkyries (2-1) with 30.5 minutes per contest and 6.3 rebounds and is second with 12.7 points per game, behind just Salaün, who has played in two games. She is also second with 2.3 steals per game and her 91.7 offensive rating is third-best on the team of players who have played in every contest, while her 91.5 defensive rating trails just Leite, even with Thornton's 12 more minutes per game. Valkyries general manager Ohemaa Nyanin helped build the Liberty championship team as their assistant general manager. She was on staff when New York traded for Thornton, and knew how she would fit in with what she wanted to build with the expansion club. 'I knew I had a very big responsibility because I understood what I was taking her from, I didn't take the decision lightly,' Nyanin said. 'I didn't speak to her prior to the decision, and just kind of hoped that she would be able to see the vision that I had for her and that we had for her more specifically, and to be able to see her on a billboard, whether it be in the NBA All Star Game, for her to shoot the first shot and have her first double-double in our colors together to see her smile, to see her right now be totally locked into everything that we are throwing at her has been a huge blessing.' The 32-year-old was last a full-time starter in 2023, when she started 35 games while averaging 8.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game with Dallas. She took on a bench role and the Liberty acquired her before the 2023 season, when Thornton started 11 games but was a key defender and 3-point shooter off the bench. 'We love KT,' said Liberty head coach Sandy Brondello. 'We knew we were gonna lose someone in the expansion draft, and no surprise that's who they took because she's such a great culture person, great leader and competes at such a high level. She's loved here. We certainly miss her, but we're excited that she gets this great opportunity to lead a new team.' Her 3-point game has been the only thing missing so far this season as she has opened 3-for-23 from range. Last season, she shot a career-best 35.7% from distance on a career-high 126 shots. Thoronton's defense, though, is what earned her big postseason minutes. She played 20:32 off the bench in the Liberty's Game 5 overtime win over Minnesota last season. 'We love her here,' said Liberty guard and Walnut Creek native Sabrina Ionescu on Monday. 'We know what she brought to our team, and we're excited that she's kind of been killing it in her role on her new team.' Like they are of many players, the Valkyries are asking for a lot from Thornton to step out of a specific role and into a leadership position. Through three games, she's embraced the larger responsibility and challenge going from a championship bench threat to a key cog of an expansion team. 'It's mixed emotions,' she said 'The last thing I remember doing (at the Liberty practice facility) is taking pictures with the trophy. It's joy and sadness, but looking at everything (the Liberty) did and everything we're doing now.'
Fox News
29-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Fox News
Luka Doncic Honors Kobe Bryan by Restoring Mural
Luka Doncic donates to restore a mural honoring Kobe Bryant and his family and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver reconsiders the All-Star Game format. #NBA #Lakers #LALakers #LosAngelesLakers #NBAAllStarGame Learn more about your ad choices. Visit Jeffrey Petz
