ESPN

Lonzo Ball Believes That Big Baller Brand Sneakers May Have Contributed To Leg Injuries

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Chicago Bulls point guard Lonzo Ball finally returned to an NBA court this season. He missed two full seasons with a litany of leg injuries and surgeries. Ball has not yet been quite as dynamic as he was before the injuries. He also missed a month of action after an unrelated wrist injury kept him out of the lineup for 15 games. But, once he gets back into game shape, he will be a valuable contributor to an NBA team. Whether that’s in Chicago or on a contending roster looking for the piece that can make them a championship-winning team.

On Thursday, ESPN published an extensive piece detailing Lonzo Ball’s 1000-day road to recovery. For the first time, Ball spoke at length about the effect that playing in the Big Baller Brand sneakers had on his body. He compared the first version of the sneakers to “kickball shoes.” He only played in them twice during Summer League games. The second version of the shoe, which was manufactured by Skechers, were better. But Ball was still not a fan. His first major knee injury came in January 2018, when he wore the shoes as a rookie. “I think it’s a possibility for sure, to be honest with you,” Ball said when asked if the Big Baller Brand shoes contributed to his knee problems. “I wasn’t really getting hurt like that until I started wearing them.” The injuries and surgeries piled up until Ball opted for a cartilage replacement surgery, an unknown procedure in the athletics world. This meant that there would be no precedent to look to. It worked, and now Ball is back to doing what he loves.

Read More: Young Thug Breaks His Silence On 15-Year Probation Terms

Lonzo Ball Believes Big Baller Brand Sneakers May Have Contributed To Injury History

NBA fans will recognize “Big Baller Brand” as the basketball apparel brand that the once-ubiquitous LaVar Ball started while his sons were still playing at the amateur level. BBB existed to compete with other major brands and to separate the Ball brothers from the rest of the NBA. The ZO2s, which launched concurrently with BBB itself, first hit the market with a staggering $500 price tag. Ball previously recalled the sneakers being so poorly made that he’d have to change into a new pair every quarter because of how easily they ripped.

In the new ESPN profile, Lonzo Ball also recalled wanting to sign with Adidas in high school. He decided to bet on the success of Big Baller Brand instead. Though the brand still exists, Ball plays his NBA games in Nikes now. However, he has not signed an exclusive contract anywhere. In 2020, his younger brother LaMelo inked a nine-figure deal to become the face of Puma’s re-entry into the basketball market (under the creative direction of Jay-Z). Hopefully, the rest of Lonzo’s NBA journey is without any significant injury.

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Stephen A Smith Nearing Historic Deal With ESPN That Provides Even More Access To Disney

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Stephen A Smith and ESPN are reportedly closing in on a historic contract that would give the popular sports television pundit access to more of Disney’s entertainment properties. The update comes as his current contract is set to expire in 2025. He earns $12 million a year under that deal.

Smith has previously suggested wanting to be the highest-paid personality on the network. ESPN recently signed Troy Aikman and Joe Buck from Fox to lead their Monday Night Football program. Additionally, they spent a massive amount to add Pat McAfee to their roster and even announced Jason Kelce will be getting his own late-night show in January.

Read More: Stephen A Smith Admits He Never Thought Donald Trump Was Racist

Stephen A Smith & Bill Maher Attend A Los Angeles Lakers Game

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – NOVEMBER 23: Bill Maher and Stephen A. Smith attend a basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets at Crypto.com Arena on November 23, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Allen Berezovsky/Getty Images)

During an interview with Chris Wallace for an episode of his Max series, earlier this year, Smith joked about wanting a bigger salary than Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. “I’m not getting specific as it pertains to numbers, because only a fool discusses his own negotiations while negotiating,” Smith said at the time. “So I’m not going to go that far. What I would say to you is, I would ask, respectfully, pay attention to the industry. See what people are getting paid. See how much money they’re making and what they’re bringing to the table. Look at look at their ratings, look at their revenue that they’re generating, and look at mine. And so we all want what the market bears. Dak Prescott just signed a contract for $240 million he’s making 60 million a year.”

The update on his upcoming ESPN deal comes as Smith has been making headlines for his commentary on politics in recent months. He discussed the victory of Donald Trump in the presidential election during an interview with Bill Maher on the Club Random podcast, last week.

Read More: Stephen A Smith Reveals If He’d Ever Consider Running For President

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ESPN Reveals If Stephen A Smith Will Be On “Inside The NBA”

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Recently, it was announced that “Inside The NBA” is headed to ESPN sometime in the not-so-distant future. This left fans with many questions, including whether or not Stephen A Smith will have any part in it. The network’s content president Burke Magnus addressed this question during a recent chat with Sports Illustrated. According to him, it’s not likely.

“We have no plans to do that,” he began. “And that’s because, frankly, the construct of the deal really doesn’t — that’s not how it was conceived. What is conceived is that Turner, as they have always done with this show, with this cast, with the people involved behind the scenes, are going to continue to do what they’ve always done. And we’re going to distribute it on the ESPN platform. Frankly, that’s exactly what we want. We don’t want to change it, we don’t want to interject new talent into it. We don’t want to really do anything to it.”

Read More: Stephen A Smith Reveals If He’d Ever Consider Running For President

ESPN Content President Confirms There Are “No Plans” To Put Stephen A Smith On “Inside The NBA”

ESPN Reveals If Stephen A Smith Will Be On “Inside The NBA”
Stephen A. Smith in 2021. Tori Lynn Schneider / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Magnus’ clarification comes just a few days after Smith reacted to the news of “Inside The NBA” moving to ESPN for the upcoming season on The Stephen A. Smith Show. “Major credit goes to Commissioner Adam Silver and ESPN President James Pitaro for bringing this deal to life, allowing a much-loved show to remain in circulation, even as streaming rights shift hands,” he said at the time. “It’s fantastic to see the show still produced in Atlanta by the folks from TNT, now airing on ESPN and ABC.”

“This doesn’t affect me at all with ‘First Take’ and other projects I have going on,” he continued. “Plus, I’m thrilled for my friends—the hosts of ‘Inside the NBA.’ Ernie Johnson is a remarkable human being, and Shaquille O’Neal is like a brother to me. Kenny Smith and I go way back, and of course, Charles Barkley is someone I hold in high regard.”

Read More: Stephen A Smith Channels Ice Cube In Fiery Response To Kevin Durant’s “Clown” Comment

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ESPN to Exclusively Feature Iconic ‘Inside the NBA’ Show Starting in 2025

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Is It the Braids?! Kendrick Lamar's "Euphoria" Soundtracks 'Inside the NBA'

Is It the Braids?! Kendrick Lamar's "Euphoria" Soundtracks 'Inside the NBA'

ESPN, in collaboration with TNT Sports and the NBA, announced a groundbreaking partnership today to bring the legendary Inside the NBA studio show to ESPN’s platforms starting with the 2025-26 season. This marks the first year of ESPN and the NBA’s 11-year rights extension, signed in July.

Produced independently by TNT Sports from its Atlanta-based studios, Inside the NBA will feature on ESPN and ABC during high-profile events, including pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage of the NBA Finals, Conference Finals, NBA Playoffs, Christmas Day games, and more.

Jimmy Pitaro, Chairman of ESPN, highlighted the significance of this collaboration, calling Inside the NBA “one of the best and most culturally impactful shows in sports” and expressing excitement about integrating its team’s unique chemistry into ESPN’s NBA coverage.

Luis Silberwasser, CEO and Chairman of TNT Sports, emphasized the pride in continuing the show’s tradition while enhancing its reach through ESPN and ABC, ensuring fans enjoy its renowned mix of insight and entertainment.

In addition to this partnership, TNT Sports will air a new exclusive lineup of Big 12 football and basketball games starting in 2025, expanding its sports coverage. Meanwhile, ESPN will continue producing NBA Countdown and NBA Today, hosted by Malika Andrews with a team of prominent analysts, including Stephen A. Smith, Kendrick Perkins, and Shams Charania.

Debuting in 1989, Inside the NBA has earned 21 Sports Emmy Awards and received the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame’s Curt Gowdy Transformative Media Award in 2020. The partnership promises to enhance NBA coverage and elevate fan engagement across platforms.

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DJ Akademiks Blames The Downfall Of ESPN On Skip Bayless

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As DJ Akademiks watches rap star-turned-podcaster Cam’ron‘s sit-down interview with Mike Tyson and Jake Paul, he claims Skip Bayless is responsible for ESPN’s alleged downfall in sports media. Big Ak claims ESPN or Skip Bayless did not conduct the Tyson/Paul interview. In a clip of him commenting on the interview, Ak mentioned Skip, saying, “ESPN just completely fallen to shit? And I’m be honest with you: the fall of Skip Bayless was the pivot of sports media to podcasts. Because I’m shocked this face-off didn’t take place on ESPN.”

DJ Akademiks elaborated: “I listen to Gilbert Arenas, and I listen to usually former players sitting around nothing that resembles a sports desk; they’re just chilling. Talking about – not necessarily play-by-play – but they’re talking about it in a barbershop sense. But it’s way more engaging. I listen to Cam’ron and Mase talk about sports, tell their own personal stories, and relate them to the everyday man. Nobody wants to sit around with the highlights playing around them; it’s like, ‘Yo, watch the games on your own time.’ You got Cam’ron with chains on.”

Read more: Michael Rapaport Slams Akademiks Over “Dusty” Rapper Diss, Akademiks Responds

Big AK Says Skip Bayless Caused The Fall Of ESPN

Skip Bayless ended Undisputed, his long-running Fox Sports sports talk show, in August. The show featured an original theme song by Lil Wayne. During the show’s eight-year run, Wayne appeared many times. Popular sports analyst Shannon Sharpe was Bayless’s former co-host before leaving for ESPN’s First Take with Stephen A. Smith in 2023. Skip and Stephen were also former co-hosts before they split in 2016. The two have discussed the break-up several times over the years.  

Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson is Friday, November 15, at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Netflix will present the brand’s first-ever live event worldwide on the streaming platform. Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions will present the event. The fight will feature a co-headliner in Amanda Serrano vs. Katie Taylor. There is no word if DJ Akademiks will attend the event yet.

Read more: Akademiks Challenges Rosenberg To A Duel

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Jason Kelce Apologized For Viral Video Of Him Smashing A Heckler’s Phone

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jason kelce
ESPN

Jason Kelce is more popular on a national scale now than he ever was as an All-Pro center with the Philadelphia Eagles — although, his Super Bowl parade performance cemented his status as a Philly legend. Kelce is on ESPN’s Monday Night Countdown now and has a wildly popular podcast with his brother Travis, as the brothers have seen their stardom leap from the sports world to pop culture in general, due in no small part to Travis’ relationship with Taylor Swift that has brought her legions of fans to them.

While there are the obvious benefits of that popularity in the form of massive media deals, there are also the trappings of fame that come with the territory of being immediately recognizable to most any person. On Saturday, Jason was reminded of that when he was in State College for Ohio State-Penn State and had a heckler call Travis a gay slur for dating Swift while holding his phone out recording. That jackass was seeking a reaction and got one in the form of Jason grabbing his phone and spiking it on the ground, with videos from other nearby going viral immediately.

On Monday night, Kelce addressed the incident at the top of Monday Night Countdown and issued an apology, noting that’s not how he wants to act and that he doesn’t want to “greet hate with hate.”

The truth is, the majority of people saw him spike the phone and felt that was an extremely reasonable response, as we need to remind people that there are real consequences to saying vile things — something the internet has made far too easy to do with no repercussions. Still, Kelce felt bad enough about it to issue an apology on national television and seemed very genuinely upset by his own actions, even if the majority of people saw them as defensible.

Funk Flex Calls Out Shyne: ‘You’re a Stone-Cold Faced Liar’

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Funk Flex on 6ix9ine's New Song: “I’m Not Going to Play This... BUT This is Thumping'

Funk Flex on 6ix9ine's New Song: “I’m Not Going to Play This... BUT This is Thumping'
Photo by MediaPunch/Shutterstock

Funk Flex calls out Shyne over the trailer for his documentary, The Honorable Shyne. Hitting the airwaves, Flex called Shyne a liar, referencing Shyne blaming Diddy for how the 1999 Manhattan nightclub shooting went down.

“When somebody tries to say they the scapegoat or they was used… it’s been bothering me,” said Flex on Hot 97. “And I’m gonna keep it a buck. Shyne, I love you bro, and I know what you’ve been though—no I don’t—but you’re a liar. You’re a stone-cold faced liar, Shyne.”

You can hear the full rant below.

Andscape, Disney-ESPN’s platform focused on Black culture, debuted The Honorable Shyne trailer. The new documentary feature will premiere exclusively on Hulu on Nov.18th.

The documentary, directed by Marcus A. Clarke, chronicles the remarkable life of Moses “Shyne” Barrow, a Grammy Award-winning musician who transitioned from rap stardom to political leadership.

Shyne’s rise in the late 1990s was abruptly halted when he was convicted in a high-profile New York nightclub shooting involving rap mogul Sean “Puffy” Combs. While Combs was acquitted, Shyne was sentenced to ten years in prison in 2001. After his release, Shyne returned to his native Belize and pivoted from music to politics, ultimately becoming the Leader of the Opposition Party.

The film showcases Shyne’s journey of redemption and transformation, providing an intimate look at his evolution from an incarcerated rapper to a leader working to create a brighter future for Belize.

Produced by Jason Perez, The Honorable Shyne features executive producers Dwayne Bray, Talitha Watkins, and others, with co-executive producers David Dennis Jr. and Justin Tinsley. The documentary promises an inspiring narrative of resilience and purpose.

The Honorable Shyne premieres on Hulu on Nov. 18th.

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Disney-ESPN’s Andscape Unveils Trailer for ‘The Honorable Shyne’ Documentary

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Andscape, Disney-ESPN’s platform focused on Black culture, debuted The Honorable Shyne’s trailer. The new documentary feature will premiere exclusively on Hulu on Nov.18th.

The documentary, directed by Marcus A. Clarke, chronicles the remarkable life of Moses “Shyne” Barrow, a Grammy Award-winning musician who transitioned from rap stardom to political leadership.

Shyne’s rise in the late 1990s was abruptly halted when he was convicted in a high-profile New York nightclub shooting involving rap mogul Sean “Puffy” Combs. While Combs was acquitted, Shyne was sentenced to ten years in prison in 2001. After his release, Shyne returned to his native Belize and pivoted from music to politics, ultimately becoming the Leader of the Opposition Party.

The film showcases Shyne’s journey of redemption and transformation, providing an intimate look at his evolution from an incarcerated rapper to a leader working to create a brighter future for Belize.

Produced by Jason Perez, The Honorable Shyne features executive producers Dwayne Bray, Talitha Watkins, and others, with co-executive producers David Dennis Jr. and Justin Tinsley. The documentary promises an inspiring narrative of resilience and purpose.

The Honorable Shyne premieres on Hulu on Nov. 18th.

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ESPN Secures Multi-Year Extensions with Key Basketball Commentators Ahead of NBA Season and WNBA Finals

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ESPN Reaches Multi Year Extensions with Several Key Basketball Commentators ESPN Press Room U S 10 18 2024 08 24 AM

ESPN Reaches Multi Year Extensions with Several Key Basketball Commentators ESPN Press Room U S 10 18 2024 08 24 AM

ESPN has announced multi-year extensions with several prominent basketball commentators as the NBA regular season nears and the WNBA Finals heat up. The network’s roster continues to grow, featuring some of the sport’s most influential voices.

Chiney Ogwumike, a trailblazer as both a full-time analyst and professional athlete, has expanded her responsibilities. She now provides studio analysis for the NBA, WNBA, and Women’s College Basketball. A regular on NBA Countdown, NBA Today, WNBA Countdown, and NCAA Championship In The Studio, Ogwumike also makes appearances on Get Up, First Take, and SportsCenter, while hosting NBA Today on select days.

Kendrick Perkins, who joined ESPN in 2019, has become a key figure on NBA Countdown and will now extend his presence to ABC editions of the show throughout the season. The former NBA champion is also a regular analyst on NBA Today and a frequent guest on Get Up, First Take, SportsCenter, and Hoop Streams.

Tim Legler, a 10-year NBA veteran, will expand his role by serving as an ESPN NBA game analyst. Having called NBA games on ESPN Radio, Legler has been a steady presence on SportsCenter, including SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, and more recently Get Up.

Monica McNutt, another key talent, has extended her contract with ESPN. She continues to provide coverage across NBA and WNBA live events and studio shows. A WNBA game analyst and studio analyst on WNBA Countdown, McNutt regularly appears on Get Up, First Take, SportsCenter, and Hoop Streams, while also serving as an NBA sideline reporter.

Additionally, ESPN has added Shams Charania as its new Senior NBA Insider, and Michael C. Wright, returning as the San Antonio Spurs reporter.

For more information on ESPN’s 2024-25 NBA coverage, visit ESPNPressRoom.com.

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SOURCE SPORTS: NBA Insider Shams Charania Joins ESPN Following Wojnarowski’s Departure

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On Monday, the NBA insider Shams Charania confirmed on social media that he is joining ESPN, marking a significant shift in the network’s NBA coverage. Charania’s move comes just weeks after Adrian Wojnarowski, ESPN’s longtime insider, left his role to become the general manager for the men’s basketball program at his alma mater, St. Bonaventure.

Charania spent the last six years at The Athletic and Stadium and two years on FanDuel TV. While the terms of the deal were not disclosed, his transition to ESPN is expected to fill the void left by Wojnarowski’s departure.

Known for his timely and accurate reporting, Charania has become a trusted source in NBA circles and will now be a key figure in ESPN’s basketball coverage.

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