Sports

LeBron James Re-signs With The Los Angeles Lakers On 2-Year, $104 Million Deal: Report

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LeBron James shook the foundation of the NBA six years ago when he left the Cleveland Cavaliers for a second time to join the Lakers. However, the face of the Los Angeles franchise did not really leave a lot of people wondering what he would do this offseason. Number 23 did decide to opt out of the final year of his two-year, $97.1 million extension he inked back in 2022. But the free agency “drama” did not last more than a week. The King is returning to the purple and gold on another two-year max contract, although this time it worth $104 million.

That deal was confirmed by Dime, as well as NBA insiders Shams Charania and Adrian Wojnarowski. In addition to the max money, James also as has a no-trade clause and a player option for the final year. Unfortunately, this negotiation further hampers the possibility of adding any other higher-level talent to the roster. However, it does not matter all that much as LeBron’s key targets –Klay Thompson, Jonas Valanciunas, James Harden– are no longer available.

Read More: Rihanna DM’d GloRilla To Ask When Her New Album Is Dropping

LeBron James Will Be A Laker For At Least 2 More Years

Perhaps, the Lakers could go out and acquire Bulls guard/forward DeMar DeRozan. But in terms of a roster fit, his game is not really the ideal marriage. The Lakers need extra deep shooting, and DeRozan, while still an effective scorer, is not the guy you think of when it comes to being a three-ball specialist. There is still time for the front office to work some numbers, but as it stands, LeGM’s team remains nearly the same as last year. They were the eighth seed in the Western Conference and were bounced out of the playoffs again by the Nuggets, this time in five in the first round.

What are your thoughts on LeBron James resigning with the Los Angeles Lakers? Did they overpay or hit the nail on the head with the contract, why or why not? Do you see the team winning another championship in these next two seasons? If not, who should they go after to round out this roster? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding LeBron James, the NBA, and the Los Angeles Lakers. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the music world.

Read More: Boosie Badazz Has An “I Told You So” Moment After Rick Ross Vs. Drake Fight

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Las Vegas Aces Star A’ja Wilson Was Hilariously Eager To Name Beyoncé As The Artist She Wants To Do A Vegas Residency

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Las Vegas isn’t just where artists go to do long-term residencies when they need a break from touring. It’s also the home of several sports teams, including the WNBA’s Aces, who played the Indiana Fever on ESPN last night. Naturally, ESPN anchor Michael Eaves asked the Aces star forward A’ja Wilson after the game if there were any artists she wanted to see perform a residency in Vegas. The WNBA’s best player didn’t even let Eaves get the question out before responding with a relatable, one-word answer: Beyoncé.

“She doesn’t even have to come here for a residency,” she conceded. “She could just come to a game and just say ‘what’s up’ to us, and we’re fine, ’cause I know she got other stuff to do. Beyoncé, girl…”

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With the WNBA increasing in popularity lately, it doesn’t sound like a pipe dream (I, personally, am disappointed that Bey hasn’t hit up a game yet, though — maybe she was waiting for the Houston Comets to come back). The Chicago Sky’s rookie forward Angel Reese recently joined Megan Thee Stallion on stage during her tour stop in the Windy City, and the Phoenix Mercury duo of Brittney Griner and Natasha Cloud got Meg’s attention to invite her to a game when her tour reached the Valley of the Sun. Additionally, the W has been making in-roads into the world of music, tapping Kehlani to perform at last year’s All-Star Game and to narrate the launch video for the expansion team, the Golden State Valkyries. If Beyoncé does give the league a co-sign, its skyrocketing popularity would be supercharged, for sure.

Bronny James Is Honoring Juice WRLD By Wearing 9 With The Lakers

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Bronny James met with the media for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. James and fellow 2024 NBA Draft selection Dalton Knecht spoke about their jump to the league, and while James unsurprisingly got plenty of questions about one Laker teammate in particular, both players got the chance to dive into why they are wearing their respective jersey numbers.

James will wear the No. 9 in Los Angeles, and explained how he did it as a way to honor Juice WRLD, the rapper who passed away back in 2019.

“Juice has just been a big part of me keeping calm in some situations that I’ve been through,” James explained. “So yeah, just paying homage to him, especially cause he passed, it’s a really important thing for me.”

For Knecht, things were a little more simple, as he decided to take advantage of the fact that his college number is worn by Anthony Davis by going with a pun based on his last name.

“I knew eventually, like, I probably would have to run into the number 4,” Knecht said. “But, 3’s been my number my whole life, and then, yeah, 3, AD got it, so why not do Knecht 4? Why not?”

Bronny James Is Honoring Juice WRLD By Wearing 9 With The Lakers

by
bronny james juice wrld
Getty Image

Bronny James met with the media for the first time as a member of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday. James and fellow 2024 NBA Draft selection Dalton Knecht spoke about their jump to the league, and while James unsurprisingly got plenty of questions about one Laker teammate in particular, both players got the chance to dive into why they are wearing their respective jersey numbers.

James will wear the No. 9 in Los Angeles, and explained how he did it as a way to honor Juice WRLD, the rapper who passed away back in 2019.

“Juice has just been a big part of me keeping calm in some situations that I’ve been through,” James explained. “So yeah, just paying homage to him, especially cause he passed, it’s a really important thing for me.”

For Knecht, things were a little more simple, as he decided to take advantage of the fact that his college number is worn by Anthony Davis by going with a pun based on his last name.

“I knew eventually, like, I probably would have to run into the number 4,” Knecht said. “But, 3’s been my number my whole life, and then, yeah, 3, AD got it, so why not do Knecht 4? Why not?”

Drake Celebrates Canada Day By Smoking Hookah With Kevin Durant

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Drake’s approval rating is not high at the moment. The rapper lost to Kendrick Lamar, and several other rappers have taken Lamar’s side. Drake has also seemingly lost the support of several athletes that he was believed to be cool with. That being said, one athlete who the 6 God has seemingly maintained a relationship with is Kevin Durant. The two celebrities go way back, and they kicked back at Drake’s Toronto mansion on July 1 to celebrate Canada Day.

Drake was pretty active on social media throughout the holiday. He posted a video message, as well as several photos of him smoking hookah. It wasn’t until later in the day, however, that he posted a photo of him and Kevin Durant on his Instagram Story. The two appear to be sitting in Drake’s backyard. Durant has a drink in front of him, and Drizzy has his beloved hookah. It may seem odd that Durant has Drake’s back in light of the recent, “Not Like Us”-sized L he took. But the Phoenix Suns star has always been on the rapper’s side. In the midst of the Drake vs. Kendrick Lamar battle, Durant seemingly chose the 6 God side. He posted a screenshot of the rapper’s 2021 song “No Friends In the Industry” on his IG Story.

Read More: Drake Embraces Kendrick Lamar’s “69 God” Nickname On Bowling Outing

Drake And Kevin Durant Have Been Friends For A Decade

 
 
 
 
 
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Their bond goes back a decade, however. Drake referenced Durant on his verse for the 2012 single “Pop That.” “OVO that’s major sh*t, Toronto with me that’s mayor sh*t,” he rapped. “Gettin cheddar packs like K.D., OKC that’s player sh*t.” He referenced him again on 2016’s “Weston Road Flows.” Durant was very humbled by the shout-outs, and gave Drake his flowers in return during a Sneaker Reporter interview. He went as far as to call the Toronto icon his favorite rapper. “When your favorite rapper puts your name in a song,” he explained. “It makes you feel like you’ve made it, no matter what you’ve done.”

Durant then went from reference point to musical role player on 2023’s For All the Dogs. The athlete was credited as an official A&R on the album. When asked what he did specifically in the studio, Durant told NBA reporters that he merely facilitated conversation. “I’m just there for him whenever Drake wants to talk about life,” he said. “And he just gave me that title.” Perhaps Durant is providing conversation and inspiration for whatever Drake will release next.

Read More: Joe Budden Can’t Help But Vibe Out To Drake’s Collab With Camila Cabello

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Giannis Antetokounmpo Emphatically Dances To Kendrick Lamar’s “Not Like Us”

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Giannis Antetokounmpo was spotted passionately vibing to Kendrick Lamar’s hit diss track, “Not Like Us,” while preparing for a game with Greece for the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournaments. In the viral video, he aggressively punches the air along to Lamar rapping, “Wop, wop, wop, wop, wop,” before nodding his head in enjoyment.

When The Art of Dialogue shared the clip on X (formerly Twitter), fans made plenty of jokes. “Giannis was also a bot who was streaming Not Like Us on spotify” one user joked, referencing the accusations that Lamar used bots to boost the popularity of the track. Another remarked: “Europe always gets American hits 2 months later.”

Read More: Taraji P Henson Channels Kendrick Lamar To Parody “Not Like Us” During BET Awards

Kendrick Lamar Films Music Video For “Not Like Us”

Watts, CA – June 22: Kendrick Lamar smiles alongside Jay Rock, center, in between filming for the music video for “Not Like Us” at Nickerson Gardens on Saturday, June 22, 2024, in Watts, CA. (Michael Blackshire / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

“Not Like Us” has quickly become one of the biggest hits from Lamar’s career. He performed the track several times over to conclude his recent concert, The Pop Out – Ken & Friends, in Los Angeles. Afterward, he also took to the streets of his hometown to film a music video for the single. He’s yet to confirm a release date for that project. Drake, on the other hand, has been trolling Lamar on social media in recent weeks, but hasn’t put out any new diss tracks since “The Heart Part 6.” Check out the clip of Antetokounmpo enjoying “Not Like Us” below.

Giannis Antetokounmpo Is Loving “Not Like Us”

The video of Antetokounmpo singing “Not Like Us” comes as the NBA’s free agency period continues to heat up. Former Golden State Warriors star Klay Thompson reportedly just agreed to a deal to join the Dallas Mavericks. Be on the lookout for further updates on Giannis Antetokounmpo as well as Kendrick Lamar and Drake on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar, DJ Mustard & More Film “Not Like Us” Music Video In Compton: Watch

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Shannon Sharpe Issues Formal Apology To Megan Thee Stallion Following His NSFW Comments

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Shannon Sharpe continues to build a media empire. From his work on ESPN with First Take to his unfiltered podcast Club Shay Shay, there are not many bigger than him in the business. With that pull comes a lot of responsibility as well and sometimes his personality can lead to chaos. For example, he Unc made some questionable comments about Houston, Texas rap superstar Megan Thee Stallion. In late November of last year, Shannon Sharpe was down bad for the “Savage” hitmaker on his second podcast, Nightcap.

The NFL Hall-Of-Famer was just saying anything and everything about her, talking about what he would do to the MC in the bedroom. “I’d have her stretched out like quarter to three”, Sharpe said to his co-host and former NFL wideout, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson. “I do it three ways, Ocho: deep, hard, and continuously… I’d have her opening up like saloon doors”. He even added that “she has knees like Barry Sanders”. Megan’s fans and other listeners alike were quite disgusted by the 56-year-old’s NSFW comments.

Read More: Kendrick Lamar Quoted By Kamala Harris At BET Awards & Wins Best Male Hip-Hop Artist

Shannon Sharpe Delivers A Sincere Apology To Megan Thee Stallion

 
 
 
 
 
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Sharpe and Johnson did clear the air and apologize shortly after. However, after getting Megan on Club Shay Shay, he wanted to make sure he buried the hatchet in person. “For any unwanted attention, harm, shame, embarrassment that I caused you or your family, I wanna say as a man, as I sit here before you, I apologize”. Megan was thankful for the gesture and to that they shared a shot of Shannon’s Le Portier Shay cognac.

What are your thoughts on Shannon Sharpe’s apology to Megan Thee Stallion on Club Shay Shay? Do you think doing it in person was the right thing to do? Or do you think the media star did not need to say anything to the rapper at all? We would like to hear what you have to say, so leave your thoughts in the comments. Additionally, always keep it locked in with HNHH for all of the latest news surrounding Shannon Sharpe and Megan Thee Stallion. Finally, stay with us for everything else going on in the worlds of music, pop culture, and sports.

Read More: Nicki Minaj Fires Back At Deb Antney For Trying To Make Amends With Lil Kim

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Jim Jones Introduced Swerve Strickland Before He Retained The Heavyweight Title At AEW Forbidden Door

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Swerve Strickland retained his AEW heavyweight championship against Will Ospreay at Forbidden Door in New York.

While Ospreay paid tribute to the legendary Hayabusa during his entrance, Strickland continued his entertainment meets pro wrestling crossover by bringing out Dipset founding member and New York native Jim Jones to introduce him.

Jones hit the top of the entrance ramp holding the AEW championship and said he swerves when he drives before the champ’s music hit. Strickland greeted Jones at the top of the ramp, put the belt over his shoulder and made his way to the ring.

Once the bell rang, Strickland and Ospreay set a rapid pace right from the beginning. While the challenger had the early advantage, Strickland found his opening and gained some momentum. Strickland looked to be in momentum after hitting a Swerve Stomp onto the announce table.

After the referee took an errant hit from Ospreay, Don Callis arrived at the ring and handed Ospreay a screwdriver. Prince Nana took out Callis and Ospreay decided against using the screwdriver. Strickland took out Ospreay when he climbed into the ring, then hit the Swerve Stomp for two. He hit the House Call for two again.

Strickland hit a House Call again before hitting Big Pressure for the pinfall victory.

Rick Ross Defends Bronny James From Nepotism Accusations

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Rick Ross doesn’t think the criticism of LeBron James’ son, Bronny, is fair after fans suggested he’s only in the NBA because of nepotism. The veteran rapper voiced his opinion on the situation in a rant on social media, claiming that Bronny’s already a bigger star than most of the league.

“Y’all make me sick. Every two years y’all come up with a new word,” Ross began before listing several other terms including toxicity. “Now, it’s nepotism. Nepotism? 85% of all you motherf*ckers got a job by somebody you know and that ain’t even what I’m referring to. Bronny a bigger star than 95% of the motherf*ckers in the league man. This big business. Little Bronny will sell more Wingstop wings than anybody. 95% of the people that’s in the motherf*cking backup squad and all that sh*t. Y’all wanna say nepotism.”

Read More: Bronny James Wearing “9” To Honor Juice WRLD Lebron Reveals

LeBron James Attends Bronny James’ USC Game

Los Angeles, CA – December 10: Lakers’ LeBron James, right, pats the back of USC Trojans guard Bronny James (6) before the game against the Long Beach State 49ers at Galen Center in Los Angeles Sunday, Dec. 10, 2023. (Jason Armond / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Ross isn’t the first celebrity to defend Bronny after the Los Angeles Lakers selected him with the 55th pick in the NBA Draft, last week. Stephen A. Smith also said that he’s had enough of the criticism. “We live in a country where nepotism has taken place with white folks religiously forever,” Smith said on ESPN. “We’ve said little to nothing about it. In the NBA specifically, in a league where at least 70% of the players are Black, we’ve seen nepotism with white folks all over the place… and now this happens with LeBron James, a member of the Mount Rushmore of basketball, and all of a sudden you’ve got people running their mouths.”

Rick Ross Defends Bronny James

 
 
 
 
 
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Check out Rick Ross’ full comments on Bronny above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Rick Ross as well as Bronny James on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Stephen A Smith Is Sick And Tired Of The Bronny James Nepotism Criticism

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Flau’jae Johnson Details “Surreal Experience” Of Working With Lil Wayne

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Flau’jae Johnson was able to land a collaboration with Lil Wayne on the track, “Came Out a Beast,” from her new project, Best of Both Worlds. The LSU Tigers basketball star dropped the nine-track album on Friday. In a statement caught by Complex, she said of the collaboration: “Working with Lil Wayne on ‘Came Out a Beast’ was a surreal experience. His energy and talent pushed me to new heights.”

On the song, Flau’jae raps about her basketball skills over production by Dolla Baby. Fans on YouTube have been loving the track. “Flau’jae broke it down and Wayne rolled it up straight fire,” one user commented. Another wrote: “Shorty you a beast fr cause you still. Hooping at a high level and arguably one of the dopest female mcs out!! Keep grinding shorty the time is yours.” The project also features NLE Choppa and 2Rare.

Read More: Flau’jae Is Dropping An Album, Shows Off Artwork And Announces Release Date

Flau’jae Johnson Speaks During BET Experience Fan Fest

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 28: Flau’jae Johnson speaks during the NFL Voting Panel on the BETX Main Stage: Where Black Music Lives during the 2024 BET Experience Fan Fest at Los Angeles Convention Center on June 28, 2024, in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Bennett Raglin/Getty Images for BET)

The title of the album stems from her love of both basketball and music. “I love combining my two talents. Best of Both Worlds shows you don’t have to choose one path—you can excel in multiple arenas,” Flau’jae said. “This project reflects who I am—a basketball player, a rapper, and someone who refuses to be put in a box. I hope my fans can feel the passion and dedication I’ve poured into every song.”

Flau’jae Johnson Celebrates Working With Lil Wayne

 
 
 
 
 
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Check out a clip of Johnson hanging with Lil Wayne above. Be on the lookout for further updates on Lil Wayne as well as Flau’jae Johnson on HotNewHipHop.

Read More: Flau’jae Is Coming For The Throne On “First Person Shooter” Freestyle

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