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NBA All-Star Game musical director Adam Blackstone previews the performers and performances for Sunday night's game View the original article to see embedded media. Adam Blackstone will play a key role in bringing the 2021 NBA All-Star Game to life. As the league’s musical director for the weekend, Blackstone, who has worked with artists like Alicia Keys, Cardi B and Justin Timberlake as well as for events like the Super Bowl, Grammys and Oscars, is entrusted with working with the various performers to balance their creative and musical visions and to develop a smooth run of show. In the lead-up to Sunday's game in Atlanta, which will be played in front of a limited group of spectators , Blackstone teamed-up with various HBCU musical groups, including the Grambling State University Tiger Marching Band and Florida A&M University Marching 100, to weave their identities into the broadcast. For the game’s player introductions, the FAMU band will be backing Team LeBron whi...

Adam Silver said Saturday that he expects next season to be as "so-called normal as possible." View the original article to see embedded media. NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Saturday in a virtual press conference ahead of the 2021 All-Star Game that he expects a stronger sense of normalcy next season.  "But the plan remains to try to resume our season as close to so-called normal as possible next year," Silver said. "It was one of the reasons why, in setting the schedule this year, we decided to stop in mid-July. We both wanted to allow those players who wanted to participate in the Olympics to do so, but in addition we realized if we were going to get back on cycle, and the players were going to get the appropriate downtime before the season began, we didn’t want to go deep into the summer or fall, as we did last season." This year's postseason is scheduled to be begin on May 22 and end July 22 at the latest, just prior to the beginning of t...

Team LeBron or Team Durant? The Crossover makes their All-Star weekend predictions. View the original article to see embedded media. The Crossover staff makes their All-Star weekend predictions ahead of tonight’s action. Chris Mannix Skills: Luka Doncic Three-point: Stephen Curry Dunk: Obi Toppin ASG winner : Team LeBron The biggest question comes in the dunk contest. Specifically, who is Cassius Stanley? The anonymity of the NBA’s once marquee Saturday event is something the league needs to address, but for now I’m expecting something spectacular from Toppin, the Knicks hyperathletic rookie. And I like the games within the game on Sunday: Giannis vs. James Harden, Jokic against Embiid in a battle of MVP candidates. And the return off the Elam ending guarantees a compelling ending. I’m taking Team LeBron, with a duel between Stephen Curry and Kyrie Irving deciding the game at the end. Michael Pina Skills:  Chris Paul Three-point: Stephen Curry Dunk:  Anfernee...

Once a staple of All-Star Weekend, the NBA Legends Classic suffered the same fate as its former stars and role players View the original article to see embedded media. On the same evening in February 1988 that Michael Jordan outdueled Dominique Wilkins in one of the NBA’s great slam dunk competitions, fans in Chicago Stadium witnessed a number of other basketball stars in action. Celtics greats John Havlicek and Dave Cowens took the floor alongside fellow Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson. Rick Barry, another multi-time All-Star and Hall of Famer, headlined an opposing team that featured notables like Doug Collins and Jerry Sloan. “The one thing I’m looking at these guys, [is] we’ve got more knee braces and bandages than we ever thought we’d see,” player turned game analyst Steve “Snapper” Jones said to open the 1988 NBA Legends Classic broadcast. “We better have the paramedics standing by.” The latter collection of stars had long since retired from professional basketball. But with ...

Kansas announced they've placed head football coach Les Miles on administrative leave and will conduct its own investigation. Kansas athletic director Jeff Long announced on Friday that he has placed Les Miles on administrative leave following consecutive days of reports concerning his behavior towards women students while at LSU .  The University of Kansas will also conduct its own investigation into the allegations against Miles, according to Long. As of Friday evening, Long said they have not seen the Husch Blackwell and Taylor Porter reports, which details the alleged inappropriate misconduct.  “Today, I placed head football coach Les Miles on administrative leave as we conduct a full review to determine the appropriate next steps,” Long said in his statement . “Even though the allegations against him occurred at LSU, we take these matters very seriously at KU. “Now that we have access to this information, we will take the coming days to fully review the material and...

Conley will make his first career All-Star appearance in his 14th NBA season. He's averaging 16.1 points, 5.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game. Jazz point guard Mike Conley Jr. has reportedly been added to the 2021 NBA All-Star Game roster, according to Tony Jones of The Athletic . Conley's addition to the mid-season festivities is pending his clearance of the league's medical protocols. Conley will replace Suns guard Devin Booker, both in the All-Star Game and in the 3-point contest. Booker is dealing with a sprained left knee . Conley, who's 33 and in his 14th NBA season, will be making his first career All-Star appearance. He's averaging 16.1 points, 5.7 assists and 1.4 steals per game through 29 games this year, his second with the Jazz. In the All-Star draft between Team LeBron and Team Kevin Durant, the last two picks were Jazz All-Stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert. The decision felt like a snub against the team that's currently leading the Weste...

This week, we learned a darker side of the ex-Tigers coach, whose reputation is forever tarnished. We’ve had fun with Les Miles for long enough. That includes me, a person who reported on him for three years as a beat writer in Baton Rouge, a person who grew close to him after his firing from LSU in 2016, a person who even visited him once he was hired at Kansas in 2019. I thought I knew Les. Maybe most of us thought we knew Les. We were drawn to his quirky, kooky nature. The way he botched the English syntax. The way he launched into befuddling musings about national holidays. The way he smirked, his goofy gestures, the odd staring. He was different. He felt fun. He ate grass. He dressed up in costumes. He kissed a pig. Heck, the man once scaled a downtown Baton Rouge skyscraper. He even dabbled in stage acting, something for which he opened up to me about in a dimly lit casino ballroom some three years ago. This week, because of excellent investigative journalism , we learned...

Which year had the best All-Star jersey? The Crossover lists the top 10. The NBA All-Star break has arrived and one of the best parts of the weekend is when the league unveils the game uniforms.  While this year's jerseys have yet to be shown to the public, we are honoring the weekend with a look back at the best looks from 1985 until now.  Just missed the cut 2007 (Las Vegas) These uniforms get a lot of credit because they just scream “Vegas.” There seems to be a lot going on in terms of how these jerseys blend together but they weren't a total miss. 2015 (New York) These jerseys got killed when the NBA unveiled them, and rightfully so. No wording on the front and the full names on the back of the jersey missed the mark. I don’t hate them but if they would have simply put East/West on the front of the uniform, these would be in the Top 10 for sure.  10. 2019 (Charlotte) Jordan Brand went the minimalist route in 2018 and 2019, but the red-and-blue lining ...

Former LSU head football coach Les Miles was banned from being alone with female students following a 2013 sexual misconduct investigation. LSU released a lengthy report from law firm Husch Blackwell on Friday, detailing how the university handled past accounts of sexual misconduct and domestic assault, including sexual misconduct allegations against former head football coach Les Miles . Miles was banned from being alone with woman students following a 2013 investigation, according to an original internal report recently released by LSU . The initial report alleged Miles texted woman student workers on a burner phone, drove them alone to his condo and kissed a student on at least one occasion. Miles, who was directly involved with hiring student employees, reportedly "made it clear that he wanted these employees to have a certain 'look' (attractive, blond, fit)." Employees at the time that did not fit the description were to be given fewer hours or fired, accord...

Griffin has not played since Feb. 14. as he waited to be traded or bought out. Blake Griffin agreed to contract buyout with the Detroit Pistons and will become an unrestricted free agent on Friday, according to  ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski .  Griffin, a six-time NBA All-Star, has received interest from several playoff-caliber teams and is expected to make a decision on his next team after conversations with prospective teams, Wojnarowski reported.  The Nets, the Warriors, the Heat and the Trail Blazers have been named as the teams with interest in Griffin at the moment. Brooklyn is believed to be the leader to sign Griffin, according to James Edwards and Shams Charania of The Athletic .  Griffin has not played since Feb. 14. as  he waited to be traded or bought out. The biggest challenge in trading Griffin is the $36.6 million left on his contract this season. Prior to the buyout, he would have been owed $39 million for the 2021-22 season.  With Griffin...

Details of Michael Jordan's huge money, 36-hour card game will leave you stunned 1 . Everybody knows gambling has been a big part of Michael Jordan’s life. We’ve all heard outrageous stories—confirmed and unconfirmed—over the years about Jordan’s habit. But former NBA star Antoine Walker dropped a previously unheard-of doozy this week during an appearance on the All Things Covered podcast. According to Walker, he once played a game of Spades with Jordan and two other guys for 36 straight hours. The buy-in was $20,000. Bets were going as high as $50,000. And at one point Jordan and Walker, who were playing as a team, were down $90,000. The story gets better. This card game took place right at the time Jordan was returning to the Bulls in 1995 after leaving to play baseball. According to Walker, Jordan canceled his scheduled press conference for that day to announce his return to the NBA because he was too consumed with the marathon game of Spades. Walker also revea...

The NBA All-Star rosters are set after LeBron James and Kevin Durant picked their respective teams. So, between the two star squads, who has the better team: LeBron or KD? Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg discussed whether James or Durant's lineup has the advantage with SI's Ben Pickman and Wilton Jackson. 

Ben Roethlisberger will be returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers after he agreed to restructure his deal in order to help the team improve the roster. Ben Roethlisberger will be returning to the Pittsburgh Steelers after he agreed to restructure his deal in order to help the team improve the roster. So, how should the AFC North, specifically the Cleveland Browns and Baltimore Ravens, feel about Roethlisberger's return? Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg discussed with SI fantasy and gambling analyst Bill Enright. 

James Harden is an MVP candidate, the Clippers need a point guard, why the Rockets are getting Cade Cunningham, and more. View the original article to see embedded media. With the 2020–21 NBA season’s All-Star break finally upon us, here are 10 takeaways from everything we’ve seen over the last few months, from league-wide trends, notable player and team performances, and general reactions that help explain one of the strangest years in the history of professional sports. 1. There is no favorite Thanks to an incredibly short turnaround, daily tests for COVID-19, anxiety-inducing isolation, the phrase “health and safety protocols” dictating who plays and who can’t, dozens of postponed games, little practice time, less team bonding opportunities, mental exhaustion, persistent injuries, overt caution sprung from a compressed schedule that’s driving trainers mad, no home court advantage, and many other elements that have made this season a grind unlike any before it, there is no clea...

"There's no slander to the Utah Jazz." Those were the words of LeBron James as Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert were the last players selected in the NBA All Star draft and right before he said no one plays with Utah in video games. So, should the Jazz feel disrespected? Sports Illustrated host Robin Lundberg discussed with Ashley Nicole Moss. 

LeBron James selected Giannis Antetokounmpo as his first pick for the NBA All-Star Game Draft, but the two players chosen last were perhaps more notable. View the original article to see embedded media. On Thursday, Team LeBron and Team Kevin Durant drafted their teams for this year's NBA All-Star Game, which is slated to take place in Atlanta on Sunday.   Team LeBron selected first, choosing two-time All-Star captain and back-to-back MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo as the No. 1 overall pick. Team Giannis lost by just two points in 2020 to Team LeBron.  Team Kevin Durant took Brooklyn Nets guard Kyrie Irving as the No. 2 overall pick. Due to a left hamstring strain, Durant will not be playing in the All-Star game. Instead, Celtics forward Jayson Tatum replaced the 11-time All-Star in the starter pool.  James stunned fans at the end of the draft by choosing Domantis Sabonis as his second-to-last pick, leaving the Utah Jazz's two All-Stars (Rudy Gobert and Donova...

Garnett said Thursday he will not be involved in the team's ownership bid moving forward. Kevin Garnett, who nearly eight months ago expressed his interest  in purchasing the Minnesota Timberwolves, will not be involved in the team's ownership acquisition moving forward. In Garnett's Instagram story on Thursday, he wrote that he "got the news that the process in trying to acquire the Timberwolves was over" for him and his group. The 15-time NBA All-Star did not provide specific details as to why his group was no longer a part of the bidding process to purchase the Timberwolves. Chris Hine of the  Star Tribune   said that a potential buyer has not yet emerged to take control of the franchise from Glen Taylor.  Garnett spent 12 of his 21 NBA seasons in Minnesota before playing with the Celtics and Nets. Garnett returned to the Timberwolves in 2015  to finish his playing career. When he rejoined, Garnett discussed wanting to join ownership or have a ke...