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☆ Jack Nicholson watches on courtside as LA Lakers dominate Memphis Grizzles to end series
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-29 | by ( Aimee Lewis | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +1 min

CNN —Hollywood great Jack Nicholson watched the LA Lakers put on a dominant display against the Memphis Grizzles Friday in Game 6 of the first-round series. Kevork Djansezian/Getty ImagesDetermined to avoid a Game 7 in Memphis, the Lakers beat the second-seeded Grizzles 125-85 to end the series. Victory for the Kings, the third seeds, at home on Sunday would mean a first playoff series win in 19 years and would eliminate the defending champions. Malik Monk scored 28 points for the Kings, De’Aaron Fox ended with 26 points, including a game-high 11 assists, and Keegan Murray 15 points. Steph Curry scored 29 points for a Warriors team who did not come close to threatening the Kings.

☆ Durant signs 'lifetime contract' with Nike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-28 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

April 28 (Reuters) - Phoenix Suns' Kevin Durant has signed a 'lifetime contract' with sportswear giant Nike, the NBA star said on Friday, following in the footsteps of greats Michael Jordan and LeBron James as the only basketball players to have lifetime deals. Durant, 34, has been with Nike since he made his NBA debut in 2007 -- the season he won the Rookie of the Year award -- and has released 15 different pairs of basketball sneakers. "When I first signed with Nike, I couldn't have dreamed of how far we'd go in this partnership. We've done amazing work creatively and philanthropically," Durant, a twice NBA champion and 13-times All Star, said in a statement via Boardroom. Nike has supported Durant's involvement in grassroots basketball by helping refurbish courts in communities across the world through the Durant Family Foundation.

☆ Prescient bets by the likes of Shaquille O'Neal and Serena Williams have triggered an explosion in tech investing among Europe's sports stars
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Callum Burroughs | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +8 min

European sports stars are following US counterparts, such as Shaquille O'Neal, in betting on tech. O'Neal, who also made early bets on Google and Lyft, has shown how sports stars can become successful venture capitalists once their playing careers end. He's not alone in the US, with the football star Tom Brady and the basketball stars LeBron James and Steph Curry all actively investing in tech. The tennis legend Serena Williams went a step further and set up her own fund, Serena Ventures. Shaquille O'Neal has proven to be a shrewd tech investor with early bets on Ring, Google, and Lyft.

☆ How Elon Musk upended Twitter and his own reputation in 6 months as CEO
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( Clare Duffy | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +11 min

But it’s not clear just how and when Musk might return Twitter to growth. Musk’s primary plan to grow Twitter’s business through an overhauled subscription strategy has resulted in much chaos but only a limited number of actual subscriptions. In the process, Musk has also upended his own reputation. Disrupting the digital town squareFor years, what differentiated Twitter from other social platforms was that it served as a central hub for real-time news. Tesla (TSLA) shareholders recently complained to the company’s board that Musk appears “overcommitted.”“His reputation has been diminished significantly with Twitter … and once you lose it, it’s very difficult to recover,” Klepper said.

☆ NBA roundup: Jimmy Butler, Heat eliminate Bucks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-27 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/3] Apr 26, 2023; Milwaukee, Wisconsin, USA; Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler (22) drives against Milwaukee Bucks guard Jrue Holiday (21) during game five of the 2023 NBA Playoffs at Fiserv Forum. Butler followed up his franchise-playoff-record, 56-point performance in Game 4 by helping the eighth-seeded Heat overcome a 16-point, fourth-quarter deficit with 12 straight Heat points during one stretch before converting an alley-oop in the final second to force overtime. Bam Adebayo collected 20 points, 10 rebounds and 10 assists for the Heat, who will face the fifth-seeded New York Knicks in the Eastern Conference semifinals. Antetokounmpo recorded 38 points and 20 rebounds and Khris Middleton pumped in 33 points for the Bucks. Anthony Davis amassed 31 points and 19 rebounds and Austin Reaves registered 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists for the seventh-seeded Lakers.

☆ Twitter grants UK far-right party Britain First 'official organization' label
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Ryan Browne | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Twitter labeled the British far-right political party Britain First an "official organization," raising questions about the direction in which Elon Musk has taken the platform after its content moderation and verification overhaul. When clicking on the checkmark, a textbox shows the message: "This account is verified because it's an official organization on Twitter." On April 20, about 400,000 legacy-verified Twitter accounts lost their blue checkmarks as part of Musk's drive to gain the platform more money from subscriptions. Individual users must pay $8 for a membership with Twitter Blue, which gives them features such as the blue tick and the ability to edit tweets. In response to those labels, NPR and CBC announced they would stop using Twitter in an official capacity to disseminate reporting.

☆ How Elon Musk transformed Twitter’s blue check from status symbol into a badge of shame
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

Over the weekend, numerous high-profile people announced — with apparent despair — that they too had been “punished” with verification badges. Twitter Verified account seen in an iPhone screen in Vancouver, Canada, on Dec. 9 2022. Instead of conveying authenticity, Twitter verification is now fraught with multiple conflicting messages. For weeks, many legacy verified users had signaled they would not be paying for Twitter Blue. It doesn’t benefit Twitter for celebrity accounts to be buried along with the other non-paying accounts Musk has said the platform will demote.

☆ Twitter descends into chaos as users lash out over Elon Musk's blue-check reversal for celebrities: 'Feel my wrath Tesla man!'
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Hasan Chowdhury | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Blue checks were reinstated on several accounts but users said they hadn't paid for them. Rapper Lil Nas X, whose blue check remained, tweeted that he didn't pay for Twitter Blue. Some users who had died, including Kobe Bryant and Anthony Bourdain, had blue checks on their profiles. The ongoing confusion highlights the challenges Musk has faced in getting people to sign up for Twitter Blue. Bloomberg reported that traffic data showed only 4% of people who visited the Twitter Blue sales website in March subscribed.

☆ NBA roundup: Anthony Davis, Lakers sprint past Grizzlies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

[1/5] Apr 22, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dennis Schroder (17) shoots the ball against Memphis Grizzlies forward David Roddy (27) in the fourth quarter during game three of the 2023 NBA playoffs at Crypto.com Arena. LeBron James added 25 points and nine rebounds as the Lakers took a 2-1 lead in the Western Conference matchup. D'Angelo Russell had 17 points and Rui Hachimura scored 16 for Los Angeles, which led by as many as 29 points in the wire-to-wire victory. Desmond Bane (18 points) ended the Morant run with a 3-pointer that cut the Los Angeles lead to 108-99 with 1:24 remaining. James Harden collected 17 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds.

☆ Here's some of the best memes about Elon Musk's Twitter Blue chaos
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Jyoti Mann | Sam Tabahriti | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

He started removing all legacy blue checkmarks this week — but it seems to have backfired. Here are some of the best memes to have come from the social-media chaos. Twitter started removing legacy blue checkmarks on Thursday, as Elon Musk targeted what he described as a "deeply corrupted," "lords & peasants" system. Musk is even paying for certain celebrities to stay on Twitter Blue, including Stephen King, LeBron James, and William Shatner — all of whom either criticized the new arrangement or refused to pay. Insider browsed the social-media app for some of the best memes to have come out of the chaos.

☆ LeBron James leads the Los Angeles Lakers to a 111-101 win and 2-1 series lead against the Memphis Grizzlies
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-23 | by ( Patrick Sung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James and center Anthony Davis had strong performances to help lead LA to a big 111-101 win over the Grizzlies in front of a sold-out crowd at Staples Center on Saturday to take a 2-1 lead in their best-of-seven first round NBA Playoff series. Brooks was ejected from Game 3 for a flagrant 2 foul on LeBron James. Anthony Davis had a massive night, racking up 31 points, 17 rebounds and three blocks. Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/Getty ImagesAfter the game, James said that the game wasn’t about making a “statement” to Brooks and the rest of the Grizzlies. Sixers forward Tobias Harris led the way for Philly with 25 points and 12 rebounds in what is Brooklyn’s second straight first-round sweep.

☆ Twitter descends into chaos as news outlets and brands lose verification
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Brian Fung | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

Several prominent Twitter users including LeBron James, William Shatner and Stephen King also refused to pay to keep their verification badges, prompting Musk to personally intervene. “My Twitter account says I’ve subscribed to Twitter Blue. My Twitter account says I’ve given a phone number. Twitter verification is no longer an indicator that an account represents who it claims to represent; instead, it reflects that a user – or, apparently, the owner of Twitter – paid for Twitter Blue, the company’s subscription service. Isaacson, who is verified on Twitter as a subscriber to Twitter Blue, tweeted a photo of Musk on Thursday from SpaceX’s Starship launch site.

☆ Elon Musk is paying for a few of his favorite celebrities to stay on Twitter Blue, even after they dissed the new blue checks
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Matthew Loh | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said he's personally paying for several top celebrities' Twitter Blue subscriptions. Billionaire Elon Musk says he's personally paying for several well-known figures to stay on Twitter Blue after they refused to fork up $8 for a monthly subscription. "My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue. James received an email from Twitter offering free verification "on behalf of Elon Musk," the outlet reported. Musk on Wednesday responded to the online discussion of celebrities receiving free verification, saying he is "paying for a few personally" to keep their Twitter Blue subscriptions.

☆ Pope loses verified status on Twitter, US basketball star LeBron James remains
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-21 | by ( Yuvraj Malik | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

April 20 (Reuters) - Twitter on Thursday began removing legacy blue checkmarks from user profiles, with famous people including pop icon Beyonce and Pope Francis losing their verified statuses. Some personalities such as basketball star LeBron James and author Stephen King still had their checkmarks. "The Shining" author King, who has previously called Musk a terrible fit for Twitter, tweeted: "My Twitter account says I've subscribed to Twitter Blue. My Twitter account says I've given a phone number. U.S. non-profit National Public Radio (NPR) stopped posting content on its 52 official Twitter feeds after Twitter labeled it "state-affiliated media" and later "government-funded media".

☆ LeBron James told he is ‘old’ in spat with Dillion Brooks as Grizzlies even playoff series with Lakers
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

“I don’t care, he’s old,” Brooks, who finished the game with 12 points on 5-of-14 shooting during his 23 minutes on the court, told reporters. I know my guys know that.”Four-time NBA MVP James finished Wednesday’s game with 28 points and 10 rebounds. According to ESPN, the only player to score 40 against the Grizzlies in a game Brooks played this season was the Portland Trail Blazers’ Damian Lillard. He’s LeBron James. He’s shining.’“I can’t be looking at [him] that he’s LeBron James.

☆ NBA roundup: Short-handed Bucks even series with Heat
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Jimmy Butler had 25 points to pace the Heat, and Bam Adebayo added 18 points. Jaren Jackson Jr. had 18 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots and Desmond Bane added 17 points for the second-seeded Grizzlies. LeBron James had 28 points and 12 rebounds and Rui Hachimura added 20 points off the bench for the seventh-seeded Lakers. Michael Porter Jr. scored 16 points and Aaron Gordon had 12 points and 10 rebounds for top-seeded Denver. Denver went on an 8-0 run to open the final quarter, grabbing a 95-89 lead before Minnesota moved in front 99-98.

☆ Athletics acquire land for Las Vegas ballpark
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Athletics president Dave Kaval said the team was pushing ahead with plans for a new stadium in Las Vegas after the process to build a waterfront ballpark in Oakland stalled. "We have a pact in Las Vegas that we think can work and has the support from the league, so we are really putting all our focus in Las Vegas and the efforts there." MLB is the latest major sport league eager to get in on the Las Vegas action. "In 2021, given the continued lack of progress, MLB instructed the A's to explore a parallel path plan with Las Vegas. "We support the A’s turning their focus on Las Vegas and look forward to them bringing finality to this process by the end of the year."

☆ Elon Musk says news organizations should only tweet 10 stories a day, after he tweeted more than 100 times over the weekend
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-18 | by ( Pete Syme | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Elon Musk said on Fox News' "Tucker Carlson Tonight" that news organizations should limit tweets. During the interview, Musk discussed his decision to remove The New York Times' blue tick on Twitter. Carlson asked Musk about a tweet at the time in which he described the Times' feed as "the Twitter equivalent of diarrhea." According to the social-media tracker Socialblade, the newspaper tweeted an average of 110 times a day over the last two weeks. Last month, Musk overtook Barack Obama to become the most-followed account on Twitter, five months after buying the company.

☆ NBA roundup: Heat best Bucks in injury-riddled Game 1
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Bam Adebayo scored 22 points for the eighth-seeded Heat, who were playing less than 48 hours after qualifying for the playoffs by beating Chicago in a play-in elimination game. He stayed in the game for a bit before going to the locker room and returned briefly early in the second quarter before leaving the game for good. In his sixth career playoff game, Hachimura erupted for a playoff career high in scoring by shooting 11-for-14, including 5 of 6 from beyond the 3-point arc. Kevin Durant had 27 points, 11 assists and nine rebounds in his first playoff game for the fourth-seeded Suns. Devin Booker scored 26 points, Torrey Craig added 22 and Deandre Ayton had 18 points and eight rebounds for the Suns.

☆ James leads surging Lakers into playoffs, Bucks enter as favourites
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-14 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/2] Apr 11, 2023; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James (6) celebrates the victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves following overtime at Crypto.com Arena. By clinching the Western Conference's seventh seed, the Lakers earned the right to face electrifying guard Ja Morant and the No. He's going to get to the paint one way or another," ESPN NBA analyst JJ Reddick said on a conference call. "He's going to elevate. He's going to decide what the hell to do in the air and he's probably going to score.

☆ LeBron James Just Wanted a Chance at the Playoffs. Now He’s Got It.
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-12 | by ( Robert O Connell | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

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☆ NBA roundup: Warriors hang 157 on Blazers, glide into playoffs
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +12 min

Shaedon Sharpe added 18 points to go with a team-high seven rebounds, while Jeenathan Williams had 17 points for Portland. New Orleans' Brandon Ingram had 42 points and 12 rebounds, CJ McCollum scored 23 points and Trey Murphy III had 20. Lindell Wigginton scored 17 points and Bobby Portis had 16 for the Bucks. Jaden Hardy led all scorers with 25 points, with Theo Pinson forging a triple-double (23 points, 13 rebounds, 12 assists) for the Mavericks. De'Aaron Fox, who scored 13 points, played less than 18 minutes.

☆ NBA roundup: Mavs' playoff hopes dashed by Bulls
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-08 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +9 min

The result ended the Mavericks' hopes of reaching the Western Conference play-in tournament. Chicago, which had already clinched an Eastern Conference play-in spot, played without leading scorers DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine as well as Patrick Beverley. Orlando, which was in contention for a play-in spot over the past month following a 5-20 start, played its second game since being eliminated Tuesday. Grizzlies 137, Bucks 114Jaren Jackson Jr. scored 36 points to lead seven Memphis players in double figures as the Grizzlies clinched the No. Pascal Siakam scored 19 points, Precious Achiuwa added 16 points, and Fred VanVleet had 12 points and eight assists.

☆ The Toughest Ticket in Paris Isn’t Messi—It’s Wemby
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Joshua Robinson | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

LEVALLOIS-PERRET, France—The hottest ticket in French sports these days is for a sleepy gym on the outskirts of Paris, where basketball players duck under doorways and fans use halftime as a collective smoke break. Supporters come to games just 2,800 at a time, because that’s all the building here can fit. But those who do get inside have all made the trip for the same reason: a 7-foot-3 teenager named Victor Wembanyama. At 19, he’s the brightest NBA prospect since LeBron James, and soon, he’ll be on his way out of France.

[1/3] Las Vegas Grand Prix, Inc. CEO Renee Wilm and Terry Miller of Miller Project Management give a tour of the Las Vegas Grand Prix paddock construction site, in Paradise, Nevada, U.S., March 3, 2023. "We think this is going to the biggest sports and entertainment event of the year," Renee Wilm, the CEO of the Las Vegas Grand Prix, told Reuters. "There is no better way for Las Vegas to draw the attention of our international customers than through Formula One," Steve Hill, CEO of Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, told Reuters. JUST THE BEGINNINGAnd the Las Vegas sports bonanza won't stop at the F1 finish line. Reporting by Rory Carroll in Las Vegas Editing by Christian RadnedgeOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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