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Kobe Bryant merch and memorabilia have skyrocketed in price over the last year. Following his death, many collectors began to hoard as much Kobe-related material as possible, which has led to some pretty wild auctions. For instance, some floor from the Staples Center sold for $600K as it was from his very last game in the NBA. Since that time, other Kobe pieces have sold in the hundreds of thousands of dollars, including his childhood home which went for $800K.

Now, another item from Kobe’s childhood has been sold. According to TMZ, Heritage Auctions recently sold the basketball hoop that was attached to Kobe’s home for $37,200. When the house was sold last year, the buyer had the hoop removed as it increased the price of the home by too much. This allowed one lucky collector to swoop in and take the legendary piece of equipment.

Image via Kim Glynn

Kobe jerseys and cards have continued to do big numbers over the last few months and with things like NFTs and NBA Top-Shot going bonkers right now, you can expect even more Kobe-related items to increase in price. 

Let us know in the comments below how much you would have spent on a piece of memorabilia like this? Is $37K too much?

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R. Kelly is currently sitting behind bars as he awaits trial for sex crime charges but he’s made several attempts to receive bail. He’s been deemed a flight risk, especially after reports emerged claiming that he and his entourage were planning to leave the country. So, he’s locked up and the judge made it clear that Kellz isn’t trusted to be released to the public. 

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It seems that the coronavirus pandemic can no longer be used as an argument for his release since he’s now fully vaccinated against COVID-19, according to TMZ. The singer received his second dose recently from Bureau of Prisons at MCC Chicago. Kelly received the first dose in January. It hasn’t been clarified what vaccine he received.

According to the Bureau Of Prisons, the singer is among the 63 inmates that have been fully vaccinated, along with 128 staff members at MCC.

Kelly previously made two separate attempts to be released on bail after the coronavirus outbreak. The singer told the judge that he feared the risk of contracting the virus. Both times he made the request, he was shut down.

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Earlier this month, it was revealed that his racketeer trial in New York had been pushed back due to the rising threats of COVID-19. That trial is set to begin on August 9th, a month before his trial in Chicago is set to begin. 

We’ll keep you posted on any more updates surrounding R. Kelly and his trial. 

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Emma Coronel Aispuro, the wife of Mexican drug lord Joaquín “El Chapo” Archivaldo was arrested at Dulles International Airport in Virginia last Monday (February 22). Charged with conspiring to distribute drugs for importation into the States, the former beauty queen is allegedly being offered a plea deal. Prosecutors are planning to offer Aispuro witness protection and a new life in exchange for information on the Sinaloa Cartel her husband oversaw. In addition to mulling over this ultimatum in a Virginia detention center, TMZ also reports that the 31-year-old is getting the same treatment as any other inmate, despite being the mastermind behind El Chapo’s infamous prison escapes. 

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Her attorney Jeffrey Lichtman told TMZ that following her drug trafficking arrest in Virginia, she’s being treated just like any other government guest, and there are no extra security measures in place. 

Lichtman told the publication that she simply doesn’t qualify for beefed-up security because she wasn’t seen as a security risk. Comparatively, the federal prosecutors are now claiming she conspired twice to help El Chapo escape prison, including one successful break in Mexico. The Alexander Sheriff’s Office, which runs the jail, has not discussed any security measures openly. 

Aispuro’s treatment is quite the opposite of that of her infamous husband, who has complained about “torturous” prison conditions before his sentencing. She is being charged with conspiracy to distribute 5 milligrams or more of cocaine, 1 kilogram of heroin, 500 grams or more of methamphetamine, and 1,000 kilos or more of marijuana for importation into the United States.

We’ll keep you updated as the trial gets underway.

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Last night, we witnessed a true celebration of music. D’Angelo & Friends was more of a concert than your typical Verzuz battle and it was incredible. D’Angelo brought out a slew of friends including Method Man & Redman as well as H.E.R., among others. The Internet continued raving about the event but for Timbo and Swizz Beatz, it was back to business.

Each event they host gets better. We’ve received some incredible moments in hip-hop, from West Coast celebrations with E-40 and Too $hort, and down South, Jeezy and Gucci Mane made amends after roughly 15 years of beefing. In the world of R&B, they recently brought together Ashanti and Keyshia Cole (finally). So, how do they raise the stakes for the next edition?

Wu-Tang fans rejoice as Swizz Beatz and Timbo have hinted that we could expect Raekwon & Ghostface Killah to pair up with each other in the Verzuz arena. During the post-show IG Live, Swizz Beatz and Timba went through classic Ghost and Rae joints before Swizz suggested that they will be going hit-for-hit. “Hol’ on, hol’ on, hol’ on. Raekwon verse Ghostface. Hol’ on bro,” said Swizz before turning the music back on.

This wouldn’t be the first time a Wu-Tang member appeared on Verzuz, of course. RZA previously faced off against DJ Premier as one of the first Verzuz battles.

Check the clip below. How do you feel about Ghostface Verzuz Raekwon? 

No franchise has elicited more frustration over the years than the New York Knicks. Fans of the team have become desensitized to horrible play and over the last couple of seasons, the Knicks have found themselves at the bottom of the standings, as they can’t even seem to notch 20 wins. These days, however, the team has a brand new coach in Tom Thibodeau, and it seems like their management is making real strides to improve the team.

In fact, the Knicks are now 17-17 following a huge win against the Indiana Pacers. With the win, the Knicks are now fourth in the Eastern Conference and fans can’t believe their good fortune. After last night’s game, fans took to the streets of New York in celebration, and it looked as though they had just won a championship.

While there is no guarantee that the Knicks can keep up this pace, the team is looking extremely good right now. Julius Randle of the Knicks has been on another plane of existence this season, and it’s looking more and more like this Knicks squad will reach the playoffs as the Eastern Conference is wide open.

They are playing gritty basketball and if you’re a Knicks supporter, you can’t help but be excited for the future.

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Michael B. Jordan is no stranger to the superhero realm. He starred in Fantastic Four in 2015 and more recently in 2018 as Erick “Killmonger” Stevens in Marvel Studio’s Black Panther film. Considering this, it’s no surprise the 34-year-old actor is allegedly in talks to take on the role of another iconic hero. Warner Bros. Studios announced they were working on developing a Superman reboot as produced by J.J. Abrams and written by Ta-Nehisi Coates late last week, and they’re allegedly looking for a Black actor to play Superman in the new film, with MBJ in mind.

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Giant Freakin Robot reported that Jordan was the studio’s top choice to take on the role of Abram’s reimagined Man of Steel. Sources told the outlet that the studio is currently pursuing the Creed star for the role, but it is not entirely certain if he has signed on to do the film just yet. The publication also reports that even if Warner is unable to lock down Jordan, they still would not go back to Henry Cavill, as they are allegedly committed to telling a Black Superman story.

The information is not entirely a shock either since Jordan was already heavily linked to an earlier planned version of the reboot a few years ago. He ultimately ended up turning down the role due to creative differences and conflicting schedules, but with Abrams and Coates handling the production, it may be very likely he’ll get on board. 

Besides scouting out new roles, the actor has been keeping busy packing on the PDA with girlfriend Lori Harvey. The pair have been pretty open about their relationship since going public, constantly gushing about each other in the media and their respective social pages as well. 

What do you think of the possibility of a MBJ Man of Steel? Let us know down in the comments. 

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