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☆ Taylor Swift’s Viral Era
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-11 | by ( Matt Stevens | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +4 min

Taylor Swift, wearing a long green gown, takes a swan dive pose and jumps into a hole in the stage. A large crowd of Taylor Swift fans sing together in a parking lot outside of her concert. Taylor performs in a “full on deluge.”Rain pours down on a smiling Taylor Swift as she performs onstage. Taylor Swift, sitting at a piano, explains to concertgoers that it is malfunctioning and playing itself. The actor Taylor Lautner enters the stage with a backflip to greet Taylor Swift.

Persons: Taylor, Taylor Swift, Arlington , Texas Taylor, Joe Alwyn, “, ” Taylor, Matty Healy, Nashville Taylor, Matty, Philadelphia “, ” Taylor Swift, Taylor concertgoer Keith Urban, fanboying, Phoebe Bridgers, Bo Burnham, N.B.A, Taylor’s, Aaron Rodgers, she’s, Chicago Taylor, Minneapolis Taylor, John ”, John Mayer, ”, Cincinnati Taylor, Taylor Lautner, Denver Taylor, Seattle Taylor, “ Taylor, Taylor can’t, Travis Kelce, Mexico City Taylor Organizations: Ticketmaster, Philadelphia, Spice, Taylor, Independence, Swift, Federal Reserve, Seattle Locations: Glendale, Ariz, Arlington , Texas, Tampa, Fla, Tampa’s, East Rutherford, N.J, Chicago, Minneapolis, ” Kansas City, Mo, Philadelphia, Seattle, Inglewood, Calif, Mexico City

☆ The N.B.A. Player Who Might See His Mom at Union Meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-06 | by ( Tania Ganguli | More About Tania Ganguli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The National Basketball Players Association is the union for N.B.A. But Terri Jackson is no ordinary N.B.A. players’ union, and, in February, she was invited to the N.B.A. players’ union’s winter meeting. When he finished, Terri Jackson said, she wanted to get up and cheer; she was so happy to see the maturity he showed.

Persons: Terri Jackson, Jaren Jackson Jr Organizations: Basketball Players, N.B.A, Memphis Grizzlies

☆ The N.B.A. and Its Owners Fight for Change. But Not Necessarily the Same Change.
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-02 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In June 2022, on the same day the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, Adam Silver, the N.B.A. commissioner, released a statement jointly with the W.N.B.A.’s commissioner, Cathy Engelbert. The Magic are owned by the DeVos family, well-known conservatives. Betsy DeVos, the daughter-in-law of the former Magic chairman Richard DeVos, who died in 2018, was former president Donald J. Trump’s education secretary. The check was written on May 19, according to a team spokesman.

Persons: Roe, Wade, Adam Silver, ’, Cathy Engelbert, Silver, Engelbert, —, Ron DeSantis, Betsy DeVos, Richard DeVos, Donald J, DeSantis Organizations: Orlando Magic, Gov, Republican Locations: Florida

LeBron James Jr., the son of the N.B.A. star LeBron James, suffered a cardiac arrest while practicing at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles on Monday and was taken to the hospital for treatment in the intensive care unit, according to a statement from a spokesman for LeBron James and his wife, Savannah. The younger James, known as Bronny, is now in stable condition and no longer in the I.C.U., the statement said. “LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the U.S.C. He is the eldest of the Lakers star LeBron James’s three children.

Persons: LeBron James Jr, LeBron James, James, LeBron, Bronny James, LeBron James’s Organizations: University of Southern, Los Angeles Fire Department, Street, Galen Center, U.S.C, Lakers, Ohio State Locations: University of Southern California, Los Angeles, Savannah, Oregon

ESPN has held talks with some of the most powerful leagues in professional sports, including the National Football League, the National Basketball Association and Major League Baseball, about taking a minority stake in its business. Disney’s chief executive, Robert A. Iger, said in a CNBC interview last week that the company was “looking for strategic partners” that could help ESPN with either distribution or content. “But we want to stay in the sports business,” said Mr. Iger, whose contract with Disney was recently extended through 2026. Selling a stake in ESPN could give Disney a cash infusion as it faces pricey renewals with sports leagues including the N.B.A., which is sure to demand a premium for the rights to show its games in the coming years. Hearst, the owner of magazines like Cosmopolitan and information services like Fitch Group, owns a minority stake in ESPN.

Persons: Robert A, ”, Iger, Hearst Organizations: ESPN, National Football League, National Basketball Association, Major League Baseball, Walt Disney Company, Disney, CNBC, Cosmopolitan, Fitch Group

☆ Aliyah Boston Has Officially Arrived
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Claire Fahy | More About Claire Fahy | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Aliyah Boston said she usually keeps it cool when she faces the star basketball players she grew up watching on television. Boston, a rookie power forward and center for the Indiana Fever, was in a close contest against the Las Vegas Aces and she was shoulder to shoulder with her childhood idol, Candace Parker. “It was unreal,” Boston said. This is serious business.’”Fifteen years ago, when Boston was just 6 years old, Parker won the W.N.B.A.’s Rookie of the Year Award. Now Boston is on track to do the same.

Persons: Boston, Candace Parker, “, ’, Parker Organizations: Indiana, Las Vegas Aces Locations: Boston, “

☆ Why Basketball Is So Popular Off Broadway
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-17 | by ( Sopan Deb | More About Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

In Inua Ellams’s new play, “The Half-God of Rainfall,” the gods play thunderous games of basketball in the heavens. Basketball hasn’t just been on the playgrounds of New York City this summer. While basketball is not as popular as, say, American football, its cultural reach surpasses that of other American team sports because its players are among the most publicly recognizable. “Watching a basketball game is the same excitement I get from watching great theater,” said Taibi Magar, the director of “The Half-God of Rainfall.” “It’s like embodied conflict. When you’re watching Broadway, you feel just like you’re watching N.B.A.

Persons: Rajiv Joseph’s “ King James, ”, LeBron James, Basketball hasn’t, Taibi Magar, “, It’s, you’re Organizations: Forbes Locations: Arkansas, New York City

☆ Victor Wembanyama Gets Introduction to N.B.A. Fame and Game in Las Vegas
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-08 | by ( Tania Ganguli | More About Tania Ganguli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The walls around Victor Wembanyama, as he sat for a news conference Friday night at the Thomas and Mack Center, were plastered with images of past winners of the Las Vegas Summer League tournament. The summer league debuted the year after James’s rookie season, so its first marquee rookie was Dwight Howard, the top pick in 2004. As Wembanyama spoke with reporters, a picture of a smiling Howard could be seen on a wall to his right. The closest real comparison is to James’s entry into the league in 2003. Wembanyama had just finished his debut performance in a Spurs jersey, when he scored nine points with eight rebounds, three assists and five blocks.

Persons: Victor Wembanyama, LeBron James, Dwight Howard, Wembanyama, Howard Organizations: Thomas, Mack Center, Las Vegas Summer League, “ Lakers, San Antonio Spurs, Spurs Locations: Victor

☆ Britney Spears Seeks Apology After Encounter With Victor Wembanyama’s Security
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-06 | by ( Santul Nerkar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The singer Britney Spears asked for an apology on Thursday after accusing a member of a star N.B.A. player’s security detail of striking her in the face outside a Las Vegas restaurant when she tried to greet the player, Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs. Spears said that she was still waiting for an apology from the player, his security and his team. He is expected to play in the N.B.A.’s summer league starting Friday in Las Vegas. The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department did not respond to an email request for comment.

Persons: Britney Spears, Victor Wembanyama, Spears, ”, “ Organizations: San Antonio Spurs, Spurs, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department Locations: Las Vegas

☆ How ‘Swagger’ Raised Its Game
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-27 | by ( Calum Marsh | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The first season of “Swagger,” a sports drama set in the high-stakes world of high school basketball in the Washington, D.C., suburb of Seat Pleasant, Md., was released in fall 2021 to moderate critical acclaim. The creator, Reggie Rock Bythewood, and his cast and crew were proud of what they had accomplished. But for the show’s second season, which premiered on Apple TV+ last week, Bythewood’s ambitions were much bigger. And he wanted to use the story of a prep school sports team to make a statement about the country. The second season jumps ahead to Jace’s senior year as the demands of budding fame and the pressure of mounting expectations reach a fever pitch.

Persons: “ Swagger, ”, Reggie Rock Bythewood, ” Bythewood, ‘ Swagger ’, Jace Carson, Isaiah Hill, Jace, Jenna, Shinelle, Quvenzhané Wallis, Ike, O’Shea Jackson Jr, Jace’s Organizations: D.C, Apple Locations: Washington, Seat Pleasant, Md

☆ Thompson Twins Are Ready for the N.B.A., but Not to Split Up
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-25 | by ( David Gardner | Maansi Srivastava | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Even then, they were apprehensive about climbing the ladder to an observation deck that isn’t open to the public. Then they went to a court to shoot a segment with the “Today” show, went to two brand photo shoots and finished the day working out with the popular N.B.A. On Wednesday, they did a series of interviews arranged by the N.B.A. After Ausar hit a deep 3-pointer over the fence, they returned to their hotel to try on their suits. They also teased the idea of trading places with each other when they were selected, to see if anyone noticed.

Persons: Chris Brickley, curt, Ausar, Waraire Boswell, Amen Organizations: Empire, Barclays Center, The New York Times Locations: Brooklyn

☆ Victor Wembanyama Buzz Has San Antonio Businesses Eager to Cash In
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-24 | by ( Santul Nerkar | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

“It felt in the city at that moment like we had won another championship,” he said. Brandon Gayle, chief operating officer of the Spurs, said the team had seen a sharp increase in demand for season tickets — and from a younger, more diverse demographic than usual. Gayle said the Spurs wanted to expand their reach further into Mexico and Austin, Texas, where the team has played several games in recent seasons. They were in the bottom five the past two seasonsCarly Tovar represents the second generation of a three-generation Spurs family. The Spurs won their first title in 1999, when Carly was in high school.

Persons: ”, Brandon Gayle, Gayle, San, Carly Tovar, Mario Calderon, Ralph Tovar, Carly Organizations: Spurs, . Census, T Center, The Spurs, Knicks Locations: Antonio’s, Mexico, Austin , Texas, San Antonio, Dallas

☆ The New York Times News Quiz, June 23, 2023
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

1 pick in the N.B.A. Draft was a 19-year-old from France, whom some experts consider the best pro basketball prospect since LeBron James. What is his name?

Persons: LeBron James Locations: France

☆ After Midnight at the N.B.A. Draft, Dreams Still Come True
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-23 | by ( Sopan Deb | Hiroko Masuike | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Mark Tatum, the deputy commissioner of the N.B.A., had an important job — though not a glamorous one — on Thursday night. Shortly after 11 p.m., Tatum clocked in to begin announcing the names of the players who had been selected in the second round of the N.B.A. By then, the crowd had thinned, leaving just dozens of scattered fans — and sharply dressed but tired family members — as his audience. There might have been tumbleweeds somewhere. Commissioner Adam Silver had received prime billing at 8 p.m., calling the names and shaking the hands of the most-hyped prospects in the first round, such as Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller and Scoot Henderson — the top three picks.

Persons: Mark Tatum, Tatum, —, Adam Silver, Victor Wembanyama, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson Organizations: Barclays Center

☆ Chris Paul Headed to Golden State in Trade From Wizards
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Washington Wizards plan to trade Chris Paul to Golden State for guard Jordan Poole after reaching an agreement to acquire Paul from the Phoenix Suns earlier this week, according to a person familiar with the deals who was not authorized to discuss them publicly. draft, continues a chaotic off-season for Paul, a 12-time All-Star guard who has spent the past three seasons in Phoenix. Paul, 38, said he was caught off guard on Sunday when he learned that the Suns planned to trade him. The Wizards’ deal with the Suns is expected to send Bradley Beal, a three-time All-Star guard, to Phoenix, according to the person. “No matter how you are with them or what you do, you realize that in this business, nobody owes you anything, as it should be.”

Persons: Chris Paul, Jordan Poole, Paul, Bradley Beal, ” Paul, ” Organizations: Washington Wizards, Golden State, Phoenix Suns, ESPN, Suns, Wizards, The New York Times Locations: Phoenix, Paul

☆ Victor Wembanyama Drafted No. 1 Overall by San Antonio Spurs
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-22 | by ( Tania Ganguli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

Victor Wembanyama had grown up in the suburbs of Paris dreaming about this moment since he was 12 years old. He had long felt as though he was different from everyone else, as though he could be great — and not just in basketball. The San Antonio Spurs selected Wembanyama No. 1 overall in Thursday’s N.B.A. “One of the best feelings of my life,” Wembanyama, 19, said.

Persons: Victor Wembanyama, He’d, Wembanyama, ” Wembanyama, “, I’ve Organizations: San Antonio Spurs, Barclays Center Locations: Paris, N.B.A, Brooklyn

☆ The Boot Camp for N.B.A. Hot Takes and Analysis
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-21 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He even stomped his feet a few times. Smith said he has been inspired by the many players who have started podcasts and especially by LeBron James and Stephen Curry, who have used their fame to create production companies. “It influences me a lot because I feel like we have a real voice and I feel like we have power that comes with it, being that we’re more than just ‘shut up and dribble’ players,” Smith said. Parker said no, and that he and Broussard discuss topics before their show. They use the ones they disagree on.

Persons: Smith, LeBron James, Stephen Curry, ” Smith, “, Rob Parker, ” Parker, Chris Broussard, ” Williams, Parker, Broussard Organizations: Fox Sports Locations: Las Vegas

☆ A Subway Ride With Victor Wembanyama to Yankee Stadium
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Tania Ganguli | Desiree Rios | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

It was a rather unremarkable Tuesday at Central Park West and Columbus Circle. A light breeze rustled the sycamore branches hanging over a bicycle rental kiosk filled with neat rows of mint green helmets. Then, at 4:41 p.m., a black Mercedes van crept through the jam of buses, police vehicles and flower-adorned bicycle cabs. He was on his way to Yankee Stadium to throw the ceremonial first pitch for Tuesday night’s game with Seattle. But before that, he wanted to try something he had never done: ride the New York City subway.

Persons: Mercedes van, “ It’s Victor Wembanyama, Wembanyama, LeBron James Organizations: Central Park West, Columbus, Barclays Center, San Antonio Spurs, Yankee, Seattle, New Locations: Brooklyn, New York City

☆ A Teen Basketball Star Took His Time Growing Up for the N.B.A.
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-20 | by ( Jonathan Abrams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

He had run from baseline to baseline, on a court that had splashes of black and red and the printed words of his mantra: Overly Determined to Dominate. At each end of the court, he had caught a pass and taken a shot. As a trainer passed to him, Scoot Henderson imagined that it was the end of a playoff game and that he had just stolen the basketball. He sank onto the first row of aluminum stands lining the court at his family’s gym north of Atlanta. He was exhausted and excited, focused on building “grown-man strength” for his looming transition to the N.B.A.

Persons: Scoot Henderson, Henderson Locations: Atlanta

☆ N.B.A. Draft Preview: After Victor Wembanyama, Watch for These Players
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( David Gardner | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The only mystery surrounding the top pick in this year’s N.B.A. On May 16, the San Antonio Spurs won the draft lottery, giving them the opportunity — or, perhaps more aptly, the obligation — to select Victor Wembanyama with the first overall pick. Wembanyama, a 7-foot-4 French superstar, is perhaps the most-hyped N.B.A. Within his eight-foot wingspan, Wembanyama has just about every skill N.B.A. “There is no better environment for him than the Spurs,” said Jonathan Givony, a draft analyst for ESPN.

Persons: Victor Wembanyama, LeBron James, Wembanyama, ”, Jonathan Givony Organizations: San Antonio Spurs, Spurs, ESPN

☆ ‘I Can’t Continue This Fight Any Longer’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Jonathan Abrams | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The aromatic vineyards of Würzburg and the city’s architectural masterpieces hardly registered with Tyrell Terry as he journeyed to the Franconia region of Germany in December. His life in basketball, once a source of joy to him, had collapsed into a debilitating and lonely loop, and he could see little beyond his own misery. If anything could renew his desire to play basketball, Terry reasoned, it would be joining up with his buddy Nico Carvacho, who now played in a professional league in Germany. In the mornings, he dashed to the bathroom, fell to his knees by the toilet and threw up. The cycle had come for him again, the same relentless anguish that had drained the enjoyment from his life and stripped away his N.B.A.

Persons: Tyrell Terry, Terry, Nico Carvacho, Snow, Carvacho Locations: Würzburg, Franconia, Germany

☆ Chris Paul Found Out About the Suns’ Trade From His Son
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-19 | by ( Sopan Deb | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Chris Paul was on a plane to New York on Sunday, to promote his new book, when he heard the news in a text from his 14-year-old son, Chris II: He had been traded. Paul, a 12-time All-Star, is one of the most accomplished point guards in N.B.A. He had recently finished his third season with the Phoenix Suns, a run that included a trip to the N.B.A. But the Suns preliminarily agreed on Sunday to a trade with the Washington Wizards for guard Bradley Beal, a three-time All-Star who will turn 30 next week. Representatives for the Suns and Thomas did not respond to a request for comment.

Persons: Chris Paul, Chris II, Paul, Kevin Durant, Bradley Beal, Mat Ishbia, Isiah Thomas, “, ”, Ishbia, Thomas Organizations: Phoenix Suns, Suns, Washington Wizards, The New York Times, of Fame Locations: New York, N.B.A

☆ N.B.A. Suspends Ja Morant for 25 Games After Second Gun Video
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-16 | by ( Sopan Deb | Tania Ganguli | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: 1 min

suspended Memphis Grizzlies guard Ja Morant for 25 games without pay to start the 2023-24 season after a league investigation found that he had posed with a gun in a video streamed on social media for the second time in just over two months. After the first video, in March, the N.B.A. suspended Morant for eight games, and he apologized. He apologized again after the second video, in May. “Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”

Persons: Ja Morant, Morant, Adam Silver, ” Silver, ” Organizations: Memphis Grizzlies, “

☆ Opinion | L.G.B.T.Q. Americans Could Become a ‘New Class of Political Refugees’
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-14 | by ( Charles M. Blow | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +2 min

According to research by the Clark University professor Abbie Goldberg published in January by the Williams Institute at the UCLA School of Law, which surveyed 113 parents in Florida who are L.G.B.T.Q. And as the study notes, for some families with L.G.B.T.Q. legislation creates “will be significant.” Uprooting and moving to get away from political persecution is a privileged option that’s just not feasible for everyone, at least in the short term. One high-profile family that resolved to leave Florida is that of Dwyane Wade, who won three N.B.A. The couple has a transgender daughter, 16-year-old Zaya, and Wade has said that Florida’s anti-L.G.B.T.Q.

Persons: Kelley Robinson, Abbie Goldberg, Florida’s, “, Goldberg, Dwyane Wade, Gabrielle Union, Wade, ” Organizations: Human Rights, Clark University, Williams Institute, UCLA School of Law, ” —, Miami Heat Locations: America, Florida, Miami, “

☆ House Passes Resolution Calling on Russia to Free U.S. Prisoners
▼ + stars: | 2023-06-13 | by ( Karoun Demirjian | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +3 min

Why It MattersThe House has weighed in to condemn Mr. Whelan’s detention in the past, but Tuesday’s resolution was the first time that either chamber of Congress had officially called for Mr. Gershkovich’s release. Mr. Gershkovich’s arrest came just a few months after a high-profile prisoner swap in which Brittney Griner, an American W.N.B.A. American officials tried and failed to secure the release of Mr. Whelan in the deal. Mr. Whelan, who holds American, Canadian, Irish and British passports, has insisted he was visiting Russia as a tourist, and was set up. It is not clear which Russian prisoners the Kremlin would seek in exchange for either Mr. Gershkovich or Mr. Whelan, or both.

Persons: Biden, Gershkovich’s, “, Marc Fogel, Vladimir Kara, Murza, Mr, Antony J, Blinken, Roger D, Carstens, Biden’s, Gershkovich, Soviet, Brittney, Viktor Bout, Whelan, Griner’s, ”, — Organizations: American, Kremlin Locations: U.S, Russia, Russian, American, Yekaterinburg, Moscow, United States

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