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Isiah Thomas Says He Wants Michael Jordan To Stop Lying About Alleged 1985 All-Star Game Freeze-Out

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The beef between Michael Jordan and Isiah Thomas has been going on for nearly four decades and has been highlighted in recent years due to Michael Jordan’s The Last Dance docuseries.

A new article by The Inquisitr highlights the inception of the feud which stems from the 1986 All-Star game that Jordan was apparently frozen out of. Their article is built around an interview Jordan did with Playboy in 1992.

When asked about the freeze-out, Jordan said “If you go back and look at the film, you can see that Thomas was actually doing that. Once it started getting around that he was freezing me out, that’s when the ill feelings started to grow between us.”

Jordan also spoke about the first time he met Isiah Thomas, and how after his encounter with him, he was labeled as “arrogant” because he didn’t speak to the Pistons point guard.

“I got on an elevator with Isiah Thomas to go downstairs for a league meeting,” Jordan said. “That was the first time I met him. And I said, ‘Hello, how ya doin’?’ That’s all I said. I was really intimidated because I didn’t know him and I didn’t want to get on his nerves. I didn’t want to seem like a rookie. You know, to just be so stupid. So I was quiet. I stayed in the corner. When I went down in the room for the meeting, I still didn’t say anything. After the weekend was over, it got back to me that I was arrogant and cocky and I wouldn’t even speak to Isiah on the elevator, that I gave him the cold shoulder. And I’m saying Isiah Thomas initiated it all.”

Thomas would go on to see The Inquisitr‘post on their Twitter, where he said he wishes Jordan would stop lying about being froze out of the game.

“Stop lying this story is not factual or accurate, tell the truth man,” Isiah wrote. “Dr.J, Moses Malone, Larry Bird, Sidney Moncrief and I did not freeze you out. If memory serves me correct I was injured most of the second half and Bird had a broken nose. Magic and Sampson dominated the game.”

The post Isiah Thomas Says He Wants Michael Jordan To Stop Lying About Alleged 1985 All-Star Game Freeze-Out appeared first on The Source.

Michael Jordan Unveiled as NBA 2K23 Cover Star on Two Special Editions of Forthcoming Game

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NBA 2K23 MJ Edition Wide

Michael Jordan a 14-time NBA All-Star, five-time Kia NBA MVP, six-time NBA World Champion, and member of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, will be featured on the covers of both the NBA® 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition and the NBA® 2K23 Championship Edition, according to a 2K announcement.

NBA 2K23 Logo 1

Because of Jordan’s career, the NBA became a worldwide phenomenon, and he became well-known and had a lasting influence on basketball. Jordan, the GOAT of the NBA, is the ideal representation of this year’s advertising theme, “Answer the Call,” for NBA 2K‘s 24th anniversary. Jordan comes back to star on two NBA 2K23 covers as an athlete who always rose to the occasion, providing an opportunity for both old and new fans to honor a talent who awed the globe throughout his career.

NBA2K23 Michael Jordan Cover Art
NBA2K23 Michael Jordan Cover Art

“After making 23 the most recognizable number in sports, it was only fitting that for NBA 2K23 we introduce the Michael Jordan Edition,” said Alfie Brody, Vice President of Global Marketing Strategy for NBA 2K. “Additionally, we’re thrilled to introduce a brand new premium edition of the game with the NBA 2K23 Championship Edition, as no other player embodies the word ‘champion’ like Jordan. This limited-edition version will also offer players the opportunity to catch on-court action throughout the season with a 12-month subscription to NBA League Pass* included. We look forward to celebrating this game with the community when it’s released on September 9.” 

NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan 1992 Screenshot
NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan 1986 Screenshot

The Jordan Challenge, which challenges players to replicate 15 memorable moments from Michael Jordan’s brilliant career, will be brought back in NBA 2K23 along with Jordan’s return to the game’s cover art. For a brand-new generation of players to experience, all ten of the original Challenges from NBA 2K11 have been entirely rebuilt from the ground up and will return this year, along with five new classic Jordan moments. These Challenges, each with its own game style, make use of more than ten years’ worth of technical advancements to offer a totally new way to experience Jordan’s accomplishments.

The Jordan Challenge also highlights a variety of mesmerizing performances from Jordan’s college, NBA, and Team USA Basketball careers, which players can experience across all 15 Challenges. It also features original video vignettes with special commentary from a variety of NBA greats, including Jordan’s teammates, rivals, and other sports figures who witnessed him perform live and can help a new generation of NBA fans understand his legacy. Later this summer, further information about The Jordan Challenge in NBA 2K23 will be made available.

One of the most renowned sportsmen in NBA and NBA 2K history, Michael Jordan is featured on the cover of NBA 2K23 Michael Jordan Edition and NBA 2K23 Championship Edition for the fourth time overall. Prior to NBA 2K16 Special Edition, he appeared on the covers of NBA 2K11, NBA 2K12, and NBA 2K16. When pre-orders start on July 7, stay tuned for more cover athlete announcements in the following two days as well as price.

The post Michael Jordan Unveiled as NBA 2K23 Cover Star on Two Special Editions of Forthcoming Game appeared first on The Source.

Stephen A. Smith Says Michael Jordan Changed Basketball For The Worse

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Stephen A. Smith Says COVID-19 Vaccine Saved His Life

Stephen A. Smith is known for his outlandish attitude, outspoken persona, and sometimes cringe-worthy hot takes. To some, these attributes either make him one of the most beloved and valuable sports journalists in the game or one of the most hated. However, his recent take on Michael Jordan might take the cake.

In yesterday’s episode of First Take, Stephen A. Smith debated Steph Curry’s contributions to the game of basketball. Smith argued that Curry helped elevate the game while Michael Jordan is responsible for changing the game for the worse.

“Michael Jordan is responsible, as much as anybody, for changing the game for the worse,” Smith said. He went on to say that Jordan’s ability and superstardom caused the game to become more individualized. “He was so phenomenal that the NBA started marketing towards the individual, people started gravitating towards the individual, and the game became more individualized because everybody wanted to be like Mike,” Smith said.

Smith went on to say how during the Magic and Bird era of the 1980s, the NBA marketed entire teams and people gravitated to teams rather than just players. However, when Jordan came into the league, the game became more individualized, giving way to players such as Vince Carter and Kobe Bryant.

Do you agree with Stephen A. Smith’s take?

You can watch the full clip below.

The post Stephen A. Smith Says Michael Jordan Changed Basketball For The Worse appeared first on The Source.

Snoop Dogg Explains Why He Turned Down $2 Million To DJ For Michael Jordan, Who He’s Never Met

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snoop dogg
Philip Cosores

In addition to being one of hip-hop’s most beloved cultural figures and a rap icon, Snoop Dogg has had a successful career as a DJ. So successful, in fact, that he says he was recently offered $2 million to DJ at an event thrown by Michael Jordan — an opportunity he turned down despite never having met the NBA’s GOAT. Snoop recounted the incident for Logan Paul’s podcast, Impaulsive.

“One of the craziest deals I turned down was $2 million to DJ for a Michael Jordan event,” he recalled. “And I’ve never met Michael Jordan, and I wanna meet him.” He also elaborated on why he turned it down — which boiled down to having too many prior engagements. “I was doing some other sh*t, I had sh*t to do and I had way more customers before I get to you,” he said. “I never met Michael Jordan, and I wanna meet him, and I wanna meet him on a different—I don’t wanna meet him on no DJing. I wanna meet him as a fan, as a boss.”

Snoop imagined what he’d say to the legendary hooper. “It’s like, ‘Mike, I’ve loved you since North Carolina, I’m a big fan of yours, I love what you do, you one of the greatest to ever do it. Give me a couple of secrets on how you did this. Can I get a picture with you? You wanna smoke a blunt? Hey man, it’s been real.’”

Elsewhere in the interview, Snoop spoke about his recent purchase of Death Row Records. You can watch the full episode here.

Kendrick Lamar Channeled Michael Jordan For His New Album Announcement And Fans Love It

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Kendrick Lamar 60th Annual Grammy Awards 2018
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For most of the day so far, the music world was focused on looking back at the first weekend of Coachella. Everything changed this afternoon, though, when Kendrick Lamar came out of nowhere and announced that his next album is called Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers and it’s set for release on May 13.

Lamar shared the news via a tweet and almost immediately after doing so, he became the No. 1 trending topic on Twitter. While most of the conversation consisted of excited knee-jerk reactions to the news, some fans took a minute to observe how Lamar’s announcement bears a striking resemblance (intentionally, it appears) to an iconic Michael Jordan moment.

Lamar shared the news via a simple letter that plainly states the news of his album, with the formatting of the note seemingly modeled after the famously minimalist fax MJ sent in 1995 to confirm he was ending his retirement and returning to the NBA. Journalist Andreas Hale also observed that Lamar’s announcement comes almost exactly 27 years after Jordan’s: MJ’s note was dated March 18, 1995, while Lamar’s is from today, April 18.

Imitating the Jordan fax has actually become a bit of a trend in hip-hop lately: Migos did the same thing last May and Logic followed suit the next month.

Check out some more Lamar reactions, to both the Jordan similarities and to the album news more broadly, below.

Michael Jordan Grabbed Mary J Blige’s Backside At NBA All-Star And 50 Cent’s Got Jokes

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michael jordan mary j blige
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The NBA’s All-Star weekend is often a star-studded event, as both the league’s athletes and other entertainers get the chance to come together to enjoy the host city’s festivities as well as a low-stakes run of basketball games that allow for more socializing than the average in-season game. This year’s festivities were no different, as the league’s 75th anniversary brought out even bigger stars than usual, including retired players like Michael Jordan, who was honored as one of the 75 best players in league history.

But basketballs weren’t the only thing Jordan palmed over the weekend, which led to some pretty amusing memes from social media. When MJ encountered one of those celebrities, Mary J Blige — who’s fresh off her own big performance at the Super Bowl which included a surprise appearance from 50 Cent — their friendly hug apparently turned out a little more than that when cameras caught the hooper resting his hand on what looked to be the singer’s backside. Naturally, Twitter achieved liftoff from sheer reaction energy as fans noted the exchange and took great delight in pointing it out.

One of those fans was none other than 50 Cent, who never misses a chance to weigh in on a viral moment with a meme or two of his own, and in this case, he had the perfect gag, courtesy of his Starz drama series Power. Posting a pretty big spoiler for the recent season finale of Book II: Ghost (which stars Mary as Monique, the matriarch of a drug-dealing family that includes an NBA prospect basketball player, Zeke), 50 shared a fan’s screenshot with the comment “See just when we thought it was all f*cked up.” Of course, if you haven’t caught up on the show, you can click away, but if you’re not that pressed about the shocking ending — which, yeah, I hollered a bit when it aired — scroll on down to see 50’s reaction.