Sports

Dreamville Announces Its Summer Chicago Pro-Am Basketball Tournament, Dreamville Chi-League

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The NBA may be winding up its 75th season soon, but basketball never stops. Summer hoops are an annual tradition, with the AAU season and summer pro-am leagues and tournaments kicking off even now (come on down to LA’s Drew League, where some of the best players in the world compete in the longest-running pro-am in America). A new name is about to join that illustrious collective, and it’s one that already has a longstanding tradition of its own of combining hip-hop and hoops: J. Cole’s Dreamville.

Dreamville is partnering with Wilson Sporting Goods Co. to announce the Dreamville Chi-League, a four-week tournament running throughout the month of August at the University of Illinois Chicago. The league will be co-sponsored by Gatorade and will pit eight teams of pro players, from NBA stars to overseas standouts, and local legends against each other for summer hoops glory. There will be men’s and women’s divisions, too, giving an equal opportunity to shine to all.

Wilson will be dropping limited-edition Dreamville products throughout August while hosting youth basketball clinics alongside the YMCA. Former NBA star Antoine Walker, who coached in a springtime iteration of the tournament, said in a statement, “Last season was the best pro-am I’ve been a part of, and I couldn’t be more excited to see what’s in store for this season. The history of this league is something to be celebrated and I’m proud to see its continued success.”

It remains to be seen whether Cole himself will lace up to participate in the league after playing out his contract for the Canadian Elite Basketball League’s Scarborough Shooting Stars, but it wouldn’t be a surprise, given how much he loves to play. I guess the only way to find out is to show up! You can find more information at dreamvillechileague.com.

Hooper Turned Rapper DC The Don Rates NBA Stars’ Rap Bars

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The rapper-hooper comparison might be a cliche, but cliches are cliches for a reason. It remains as true as ever: Rappers all want to be ballers and ballers all want to rap. Now, more than ever, the crossover (heh) has gotten ridiculous, blurring the lines between the two as former high school hoop stars like NLE Choppa and Quavo pen Billboard hits, and rap’s upper echelon guys get pro hoops co-signs from LeBron James like Lil Durk, sign pro contracts like J. Cole, or host their own in-home rec leagues like Drake.

Intriguingly enough, as more NBA stars dip their toes into rap careers, following in the footsteps of Shaq, Kobe, and Allen Iverson, it’s a little rarer to see ball players get serious about their rhymes. Of course, there’s Damian Lillard, who’s three albums deep into his career as Dame D.O.L.L.A., but for the most part, the current generation of NBA talent has yet to commit. Maybe they just need a little encouragement, and that’s where Milwaukee native/LA transplant DC The Don steps in.

The 6’7 rising rap star is best known for viral tracks like “Worst Day” and “Walk Thru,” but he’s probably just as well-known for his first song “Everything 1K” appearing in Big Baller Brand’s first sneaker commercial. That’s because he was a former Chino Hills High teammate of Lonzo Ball — another aspiring rhyme purveyor currently playing in the NBA — and his brothers LiAngelo and LaMelo. Obviously, DC went the other way, and so he’s willing to lend some of his expertise to rating NBA stars’ rap bars. Check out the video above.

Jaylen Brown Is Reportedly Joining Kanye West’s Donda Sports

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Jaylen Brown is on his way to the first NBA Finals of his career, as the Celtics finally broke through the Eastern Conference Finals ceiling on their fourth visit in the six years Brown has been on the roster, as he has developed into the Celtics second star alongside Jayson Tatum.

The former No. 3 overall pick has steadily improved over the course of his career and is now among the best two-way wings in the NBA, and as he prepares for an increased profile off of a Finals run, he’s making an off-court move to capitalize. TMZ reports Brown has signed with Kanye West’s Donda Sports, although it’s not abundantly clear what the exact relationship will be between the budding agency and the NBA star. Brown is currently on the second year of a four-year, $106 million deal with the Celtics that was negotiated by agent Jason Glushon.

Brown joins Aaron Donald with Donda Sports, as the NFL star announced his partnership with the agency this week — although he noted it was a partnership focused on off the field endorsements and ventures. Whether Brown is leaving Glushon Sports Management in total for Donda Sports or if he is joining them, like Donald, for off-field management remains to be seen, but either way it’s clear he’s getting ready to expand his brand with a new agency.

Kanye West Asked Aaron Donald To Be In One Of His Videos But The NFL Star Refused

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Kanye West is always trying something new and one of his latest ventures is Donda Sports, a marketing agency to represent athletes. Donda Sports recently bagged a major signee, as eight-time Pro Bowl defensive tackle Aaron Donald is now on board. The NFL star recently made the reveal and noted that he actually turned down the chance to be in one of his new boss’ music videos.

In a recent episode of the I Am Athlete podcast (as USA Today notes), Donald said of Ye, “He’s cool, man. He’s real cool, a cool dude. Got to talk a little bit. Vibe. Was at one of his video shoots. He actually wanted me to get in one of the videos, but I was like, ‘Nah.’ I was out of my element. But he was cool. He seemed cool. Real cool guy.”

He also noted of the Donda Sports signing, “It was an opportunity that came to us, me and [my wife], and it made sense. And hearing the whole spectrum of everything that’s going on and what they were going to be bringing, the family atmosphere that they got in Donda Sports. Not just me, but my wife being a part of that. For me, it was a no-brainer.”

Cardi B And Megan Thee Stallion Show Off Their Touchdown Dances As ‘Cardi Tries’ Football With The LA Chargers

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You know, it’s almost a shame that Cardi Tries, the show in which rapper Cardi B takes on a variety of alternative occupations for a day, is only available on Facebook Watch and Messenger. It’s an absolute delight, quite possibly the funniest show in production these days, and more people need to see it. It’s the perfect vehicle for Cardi’s outsized yet humble personality, and she’s quite a hoot as she attempts tasks such as cooking at a restaurant, officiating a wedding, and giving her husband Offset a tattoo.

The show’s latest episode brings in a special guest, as well: Cardi’s “WAP” collaborator Megan Thee Stallion, who’s become a charming all-around entertainer in her own right. The dynamic duo teams up to face their next challenge: Learning to play football with the help of the Los Angeles Chargers. Watching Cardi B tackle a blocking dummy twice her size in what look like youth size pads that are still too large is probably more entertaining than anything we’ll see come this preseason, while of course, Megan shows off her iron knees with a signature touchdown dance that won’t likely be replicated on the field anytime soon.

You can see the full episode below.

Some artists covered here are Warner Music artists. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.

The Warriors Seem To Win An NBA Title Every Year Kendrick Lamar Drops An Album… Is Another One On Deck?

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The Golden State Warriors just handled business in the Western Conference Finals and sent the Dallas Mavericks packing with a 4-1 series win. Now the Warriors are heading back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 2019 and will be a likely favorite against either the Boston Celtics or The Miami Heat — especially if the hip-hop gods work their magic with the Dubs again, because, are you ready for this? In the “Woah… that’s crazy!” department, every Kendrick Lamar album drop since 2015 has also been accompanied by a Golden State Warriors NBA Championship.

That’s right: When Kendrick dropped To Pimp A Butterfly in 2015, the Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers for the team’s first title since 1975. Then when DAMN. dropped in 2017, Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green, and company beat the Cavs again in the Finals. Finally, when Kendrick was at the helm of the excellent Black Panther Soundtrack in 2018, the Warriors cemented their dynasty with a third title, against the Cavs again, leaving LeBron James in the dust. Maybe if Kendrick hadn’t started taking a very long break from putting out albums, the Warriors wouldn’t have dropped the 2019 Finals to the Toronto Raptors?

(The exception to this rule is Untitled Unmastered, which was released in 2016, when the Warriors lost to the Cavs in seven games. However, Untitled Unmastered isn’t usually considered a proper studio album, since it’s made up of demos from the To Pimp A Butterfly era. So, objection overruled.)

So does this year’s release of Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers signify that another Warriors title is on the horizon? We’ll find out just how powerful this Kendrick/Warriors synergy is within the next two weeks. And somehow, even with the Raptors not making it anywhere close to the Finals this season, Drake still finds himself as a big winner here no matter what.

The Super Bowl Halftime Show Will No Longer Be Sponsored By Pepsi

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Pepsi has announced that the company will no longer sponsor the NFL’s Super Bowl Halftime Show after 10 years as the musical partner for the show. In that time, fans have seen memorable performances from the likes of Beyonce, Bruno Mars, Lady Gaga, The Weekend, and most recently, Dr. Dre and friends. Although the beverage company didn’t give a reason for the change, a release on Twitter thanked the 26 musical acts who played the show over the past decade.

“After 10 years of iconic Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show performances, we have decided it’s time to pass the mic,” Pepsi’s official Twitter posted. “Thank you to the amazing artists and fans who helped us create some incredible moments along the way. Now on to the next stage… ” A follow-up tweet recounted some of the Halftime Show’s accolades over the past few years. Pepsi touted, “26 musical acts representing 168 Grammys and almost 1,000 Billboard hits have rocked the Pepsi Super Bowl Halftime Show stage over the past 10 years.”

There have been no similar announcements from the official NFL or Super Bowl Twitter accounts, the latter of which hasn’t been updated since December of 2021. Meanwhile, a press statement from Pepsi says that the company’s overall partnership with the NFL will continue, introducing new programming, sports drinks, and activations for the NFL.

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

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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.

ESPN’s ‘The Greatest Mixtape Ever’ 30 For 30 Will Tell The Story Of The And1 Mixtape Tour

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For kids that grew up in my generation, the And1 Mixtape Tour was appointment viewing. You’d come home from school, turn on ESPN2, and then go outside in your best tall tee and oversized basketball shorts and try to replicate what you saw from Hot Sauce, The Professor, Alimoe, Escalade, Skip To My Lou, and everyone else in the driveway.

Streetball’s boom in the early-to-mid 2000s was formative for a generation of hoopers, influencing the style and skills of players who would go on to play in the league and bring some of that flair from the hardtop to the hardwood. While legendary streetball courts like Rucker Park have been curating basketball culture for decades in cities like New York, the And1 Mixtape Tour brought that to people nationwide, and ESPN’s latest 30 for 30, The Greatest Mixtape Ever, will tell the story of the meteoric rise and legacy of the tour.

Jadakiss will narrate the documentary, with interviews with NBA players like Iman Shumpert, as it will take a look at the impact of the And1 Mixtape Tour on both hoops and hip-hop, and how it bridged those two worlds together in a beautiful marriage of basketball and music that redefined an era of both.

The Greatest Mixtape Ever will premier on May 31 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.

Lil Wayne And Mark Cuban Appeared To Squash Their Beef Courtside At The Mavericks’ Game 2 Playoff Game

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Last night’s Western Conference finals Game 2 was mostly memorable for the Warriors coming back from a 19-point deficit to beat the Mavericks and take a commanding 2-0 lead in the series as it heads back to Dallas. But while Kevon Looney was having the game of his life and Steph Curry and company were surgically picking apart the Mavs in the second half, Dallas owner Mark Cuban and Lil Wayne were settling a score themselves courtside.

Ahead of Game 1, a very messy Twitter beef between Cuban and Lil Wayne bubbled over with Weezy telling Cuban, “Mark Cuban don’t make me get u smacked boy U playin w me?? I will piss in ya fkn mouth ho.” Gross, right? This all stemmed from Cuban coming to Luka Doncic’s defense eight days after Weezy tweeted “Luka a ho.” At any rate, it seemed as though things were patched up between the pair last night at Game 2 in San Francisco. Lil Wayne and his son were sitting courtside and Cuban came up to fraternize with the pair, even giving err… lil Lil Wayne a high five.

And according to unofficial Lil Wayne beat reporter Skip Bayless (I know, this doesn’t make sense to anyone), Cuban was the one who invited Tunechi and his boy (whose name is actually Kam) to the game.

So it seems as though this short-lived beef has ended with nobody peeing in anyone else’s mouth. Thank God. But the chances of the pair celebrating a Championship together again took a big hit.