News

*A group of white supremacist YouTubers are using a new app to trick celebrities like former NFL quarterback Brett Favre and rapper Soulja Boy into making coded anti-Semitic videos.

Now, Favre and Soulja Boy are doing some serious backtracking after a report from BuzzFeed News revealed that they had been bamboozled.

via mashable.com:

The app, Cameo, seems pretty harmless on its face. It connects Average Joes with celebrities, and allows the former to pay the latter to make some kind of statement. Cameo calls them “personalized video shoutouts.”

According to BuzzFeed News, white supremacists used the app to get in touch with Brett Favre and Soulja Boy, and then paid them to made cryptic statements that were ostensibly supportive of U.S. troops but were filled with anti-Semitic dog whistles.

JEMELE HILL, EVANDER HOLLYFIELD AND MORE HIT THE CARPET FOR WILDER VS. FURY (PHOTOS)

The group reportedly responsible calls itself the Goyim Defense League (GDL), and they used Cameo to get Favre to issue a statement containing their coded anti-Semitic message.

According to Cameo, a message from Favre costs $500.

“Brett Favre here with a shoutout to the Handsome Truth and the GDL boys,” Favre reportedly says in the video viewed by BuzzFeed News. “You guys are patriots in my eyes. So keep waking them up and don’t let the small get you down. Keep fighting, too, and don’t ever forget the U.S.S. Liberty and the men and women who died on that day. God bless and take care.”  

According to the report, the usage of “small” is allegedly a slur for yarmulkes, and the U.S.S. Liberty is a naval ship that was “accidentally” attacked in 1967 by Israeli forces.

Favre maybe didn’t realize exactly what he was saying, and he posted a statement to Facebook denouncing the hate group.

“I was distressed to learn that the request came from an anti-Semitic group that reposted my video with comments implying that I endorsed their mission,” read the statement in part. “Nothing could be further from the truth. I am therefore donating my $500 Cameo fee to Charities supporting their fight against hate and bigotry.”

DUANE MARTIN ACCUSED OF USING LOAN FROM WILL & JADA IN BANKRUPTCY SCAM

Meanwhile, Soulja Boy recorded a similar video promoting GDL ideology.

“Shoutout to Handsome Truth and Sway at GDL,” the rapper says in a video viewed by Buzzfeed News, “GDL for life, bitch.”

A representative for Soulja Boy told the outlet that the rapper was unaware of the group’s affiliation.

“Soulja Boy was unaware that the video on Cameo was tied to a group that promotes hate.”

In any event, according to The Root, the video below may or may not be Soulja Boy describing his retaliation on the GDL when he had been tricked.

An app spokesperson told BuzzFeed News that the videos were removed and that the user who paid for them was banned. The company hopes to prevent something like this from happening again by rolling out new filters.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/white-supremacist-group-tricked-brett-favre-and-soulja-boy-into-promoting-anti-semitism/

*There’s probably quite a few of you out there who were expecting something different at the end of the night this past Saturday night after seeing these two big tall heavyweights battle for twelve rounds. And I’ve heard from a lot of people who’ve had differing opinions on who they thought actually won this contest. But to be totally honest with you after having been in and around this sport for nearly thirty years, and having been ringside for fights like Holmes vs Witherspoon, Duran vs Benitez, Dokes vs Weaver, Holmes vs Cooney, Tyson vs Holifield, Jones vs Tarver, ( I could go on and on folks)  and Bowe vs Holyfield just to name a few. I really don’t believe that this fight lived up to those great fights.

But with all that said, with everyone sitting on the edge of their seats throughout the bout this writer was really expecting a lot more hard hitting action to occur than what took place. As this one got going in the early portion of this event both fighters were seen measuring each other out with Fury sticking out the jab and dancing out of the way of Wilder’s powerful right hands. I was really impressed with the way he used his foot work and feinting, he put on an excellent display of boxing. And in some ways it seemed as if Wilder was hesitant to get in close to really land some good shots and when he did it looked like he was trying too hard to knockout Fury who would quickly get out of the way to avoid getting hit. This went on for several rounds up to the beginning of the ninth when I had Fury way ahead on points until Wilder finally connected with that powerful right hand to Fury’s head and dropped him. He then got back up and into the fight for the next three rounds until nearly the end of the twelveth when Wilder dropped him again this time with a more powerful shot that seemed like he wasn’t going get backup from. But low and behold, he found enough resilience to get backup and into the fight until the bell rang for the end of the bout.

But even that wasn’t enough to declare Wilder the clear winner of the fight which was ultimately ruled a split decision draw. So now there’s talk of the two of them coming back together for a rematch that’s if and when they can sit down and work out all the logistics to make that happen.

Nevertheless, it was a great promotional build up for this fight that this writer compares to Mayweather vs Mc Gregor another huge event that had an black American going against someone from the North Atlantic region of the world. And if there’s still people out there that seem to think that boxing is dead, then let me tell you all something it really isn’t and thank God all mighty Adonis Stevenson isn’t either after that grueling match in Quebec, Canada Saturday night in which we nearly lost him after getting knocked out in the eleventh against Oleksandr “The Nail”Govzdyk and losing his WBC light heavyweight title.

As of this posting Stevenson is now in a drug induced coma and his condition has improved from critical to stable. It is being reported that he has swelling of his brain so I’d like to encourage all of you boxing fans to keep him in your thoughts and prayers. Unfortunately sometimes this is the price that’s paid in this sport because it is such a brutal one and has always been since the days thousands of years ago in the Roman Colosium when men would wrap their hands with leather spikes and go toe to toe until someone would die. No matter what you may think of him, lets pray that Adonis continues to live.

“When the tide goes out, that’s when you’ll find out who’s been swimming naked”-Warren Buffett

Mohammed Mubarak can be reached at qmubarak06@aol.com for your comments. He’s an artist as well and you can go to mubarakart.com and qmubarak06 on instagram and view his works.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/ringside-update-wilder-vs-fury-the-epilogue/

*Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade opened up about their unique journey to becoming parents in an interviewwith Oprah Winfrey, airing Dec. 8 on OWN.

“You’re finally a mother at 46,” Oprah says in an all-new special, Oprah at Home with Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade & Their New Baby.

Union smiles while answering, “Yeah.”

The power couple, who wed in August 2014, was met with backlash from people who questioned why the actress made her baby announcement by way of photos showing Union resting in a hospital bed with her husband. Their daughter Kaavia James was born via surrogate.

“Everyone started talking about why she acting like she just had a baby,” Wade shares.

“You want to explain that?” Oprah asked Union.

“I’m already getting choked up. It’s still hard to let go,” Union added. She previously opened up about her struggles with infertility in her 2017 memoir “We’re Going to Need More Wine”. Gabby revealed she “had eight or nine miscarriages.”

“For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant — I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle or coming out of an IVF cycle,” wrote Union, who was diagnosed with Adenomyosis, a type of endometriosis that only occurs in the uterus.

“I never wanted kids. Then I became a stepmom, and there was no place I’d rather be than with them,” she told PEOPLE in September 2017.

Wade is dad to sons Xavier Zechariah, 5, Zion Malachi Airamis, 11, and Zaire Blessing Dwyane, 16. He also raises nephew Dahveon Morris, 17.

“So then I thought, ‘Well maybe I might be good at this, and maybe this is something I want to explore,’” she continued. “And I’m madly in love with this dude, so [having a baby] is something we could look into.”

Union and Wade’s Oprah interview will air on Winfrey’s “SuperSoul Sunday” and will stream on her Facebook page at 11 a.m. ET/PT. In addition, the interview will be available on Oprah’s “SuperSoul Conversations” podcast beginning Dec. 10 with part two available on Dec. 12.

“Oprah at Home with Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade & Their New Baby” will air on Dec. 8 at 8 p.m. ET/PT on OWN: Oprah Winfrey Network.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/gabrielle-union-reveals-she-faced-backlash-after-daughter-kaavias-birth-via-surrogate/

*Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade shared the first official photo of their first child together with Oprah and now the married couple have revealed that they will be appearing in an OWN special titled “Oprah at Home with Gabrielle Union, Dwyane Wade & Their New Baby.”

Union and Wade welcomed Kaavia James Union Wade via surrogate in early November. They sat down with the queen of media to talk about what life with a newborn baby has been like.

“From the Bottle to the Bassinet… No New Friends. Crew. Tight.  So excited to share what we have been working on with @oprah & @kaaviajames ,” Union captioned under a picture of her, her hubby and Oprah.

“We wanna thank @oprah for coming into our home to discuss our new bundle of joy!,” Wade wrote.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Jill Scott: Singer Explains Why She Simulates Sex Acts During Concert [LISTEN]

Union wrote about her fertility struggles in her 2017 memoir, “We’re Going to Need More Wine”:

“For three years, my body has been a prisoner of trying to get pregnant. I’ve either been about to go into an IVF cycle, in the middle of an IVF cycle, or coming out of an IVF cycle.

Gabby gushed about her baby girl on IG and noted that “She has 102 nicknames including but not limited to Kaav, Kaavi, Kaavi Baby, Kaavi J, Jamie, KJ, Nugget, Nug, Pooters.”

She added: “We wanted to include my family in her name so the “James” is from my uncle James Francis Glass who is also my godfather. Union is her middle name. I’ve waited this long so fo sho I was gonna get in there”

Kaavia means “work of art” in the Sanskrit language.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/gabrielle-union-dwyane-wade-and-their-new-daughter-join-oprah-for-exclusive-special/

*Magic Johnson’s daughter Elisa Johnson narrowly escaped from two armed men during a home invasion in San Fernando Valley over the weekend.

The 23-year-old was hanging out at an Airbnb, rented by her friends Sunday morning when two robbers entered the home and began terrorizing the 10 guests, holding them at gunpoint, according to TMZ.

Elisa was in one of the bedroom’s during the robbery when she overheard the disturbance and escaped out a sliding glass door and ran down the street to safety.

The intruders reportedly stole $30-$40,000 worth of jewelry, electronics and cash then fled the scene before police arrived. No one was injured. The investigation.

Now, Johnson, 23, is speaking out for the first time after the terrifying home invasion. She hopped on Instagram Stories to thank everyone who reached out with concern.. see her post above. 

‘RHOA’ STAR TANYA SAM IS SERVING #BLACKGIRLMAGIC IN THE TECH INDUSTRY

In related news, Laila Ali – daughter of Muhammad Ali – is speaking out after accidentally hitting an elderly man with her car.

In the statement shared to Instagram, she wrote, “As was reported, I was involved in a minor parking lot accident yesterday. I am okay, and am praying that the elderly gentlemen who was walking behind my car as I was backing up is okay.”

Ali was backing up in a parking lot of a shopping center when she accidentally hit the man. He was reportedly treated by paramedics on the scene and then transported by ambulance to a hospital. According to TMZ, the man was in stable condition.

Laila’s daughter Sydney was also in the car at the time of the incident, but is “okay.”

The retired boxer was not arrested or cited but that could change as the incident is still being investigated by police.

Ali concluded her message: “I am thankful for the medical responders and La county sheriff’s department, both of whom arrived promptly and tended to the situation with urgency and calm. Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me concerned.”

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/elisa-johnson-on-escaping-home-invasion-laila-ali-on-hitting-elderly-man-with-her-car/

*Former NFL star Ray Lewis has reached a settlement in the $1.7 million dollar lawsuit he filed against his longtime friend & former lawyer, Marc Rosen, theJasmineBRAND.com exclusively reports. Lewis alleges Rosen screwed him out of millions by having him invest in risky ventures.

Lewis explained in his lawsuit that he worked with Rosen for several years on various matters. In 2008, his lawyer convinced him that it would be a lucrative business move to lend his name and likeness to an entertainment complex he was working on called MVP Entertainment. Rosen explained that none of Ray’s own money would be used to invest, but in 2010, Lewis unknowingly signed a series of loan documents, one for 1.5 million and another for 2.5 million.

The ex-NFL star said he learned about the loans in 2011, when Rosen approached him for an additional 200k to fund his business venture. Lewis agreed to obtain another bank loan for 200k for a grand total of 1.7 million that his lawyer promised to pay him back.

PATTI LABELLE GIVING ARIANA GRANDE PROPS REMINDS FOLKS SHE’S A BROWN-FACED WHITE CULTURE VULTURE

When the business venture failed to launch, Ray was on the hook for the 1.7 million dollar loan. He filed suit against his ex-lawyer for malpractice, breach of contract and Fraud. He demanded Rosen pay him back the 1.7 million + damages for his actions.

Rosen fired back at the lawsuit, claiming that he was never Ray’s full-time lawyer, rather his “business partner”.

On April 27th, docs were filed in the case explaining that Lewis and Rosen had reached a settlement in the 1.7 million dollar legal battle. Per the deal, all claims against the other will be dismissed and the case will be closed. The terms of the settlement will remain confidential.

*Matt Barnes is probably on Amazon right now looking for something special for his lawyer for Christmas … all because he’s got some extra cash to do so now that his child support payments to Gloria Govan have been lowered, substantially.

Barnes went to court to have his payments reduced and according to legal docs obtained by The Blast, the former NBA star was granted his request of reduced payments to the “Basketball Wives” star.

Would you believe Barnes was shelling over $20k to Govan every month to cover expenses for their two son. However, now that Barnes no longer has all that NBA money coming in, he asked that his payments be lowered to a more reasonable amount.

The number he had in mind was $7,500, which works out to $3,750 per child, and the judge agreed.

At first glance that seems to be bad news for Govan, and it is, but it’s not completely bad for her. That’s because the reduction is only temporary while the two continue hashing out their many issues.

Wait a minute! Thjere’s more good news for Matt Barnes. Dude is also celebrating the birth of his newest son, Ashton Joseph Barnes, with model Anansa Sims (see baby’s Instagram pic below).

RACHEL DOLEZAL COMPARES HER MEMOIR TO MICHELLE OBAMAS’ AND GETS DRAGGED

RAPPER 2 MILLY IS SUING EPIC GAMES FOR EXPLOITING THE CULTURE AND STEALING DANCE MOVES FOR ‘FORTNITE’

In related news, Gloria Govan’s future husband, Derek Fisher,  was named Friday as the new head-coach of the LA Sparks, the team he watched play at Staples Center while helping the Lakers win five NBA championships as their point guard. It’s Fisher’s second stint as a head coach in the pro ranks. He was fired from the New York Knicks in 2016.

And just in case you’re thinking this is a step down or not a good move for Fisher, he counters with an au contraire, mi amigo.

“This opportunity is not a step down, sideways, backwards, somehow different than the men’s game,” Fisher told a room full of media at a downtown hotel, insisting the WNBA isn’t a steppingstone. “There isn’t a future outside of what we’re here to talk about today.”

Read/learn MORE about Derek Fisher’s latest move at ESPN.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/matt-barnes-wins-huge-child-support-reduction-battle-with-gloria-govan/

*Saturday night Kyler Murray celebrated the biggest night of his college football career when he won the Heisman trophy. By Midnight, offensive Tweets he sent as a teenager had emerged and his career milestone took a backseat to mainstream media’s coverage of his 2012 Tweets.

Murray tweets, which were reportedly sent when he was around 14 or 15 years old, featured a homophobic slurthat was directed at a friend. They were allegedly deleted at some point early Sunday morning, and the athlete issued an apology.

Peep his response below.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Black LGBT Community Won’t Support Sandra Bland HBO Doc Over Her Homophobic Comments – VIDEO

In related news, former Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt has entered counseling for alcohol and anger management.

According to NFL Media, Hunt is being investigated by the NFL for three separate violent incidents that occurred in the past year. He was released by Kansas City last month after a video emerged of him physically assaulting a white woman at a hotel in Cleveland back in February.

It was later revealed that he also allegedly punched a man while visiting an Ohio resort in June and attacked a man at a nightclub in January.

What happened in that hotel between the former NFLer and Abby Ottinger — a 19-year-old Kent State student — early on the morning of Feb. 10 was unknown by the public until Nov. 30, when TMZ published a portion of the video showing Abby being knocked down in a hallway and kicked by Hunt.

“I’m asking for forgiveness and I definitely believe I deserve forgiveness,” Hunt told ESPN following the release of the hotel clip. “Everything is really happening fast right now and I just want everybody to forgive me. I know it’s going to be hard. I made a bad choice and I’m not going to let this bring me down.”

An ESPN report confirms that Ottinger called Hunt a n*gger and struck him during the altercation.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/kyler-murray-apologizes-for-homophobic-tweets-kareem-hunt-enters-anger-management-counseling/

*Olympic gold medalist Simone Biles is opening up for the first time publicly about how she’s coping with having to relive the sexual abuse she suffered at the hands of former USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar.

“I’m on anxiety medicine now because I had a lot of ups and downs throughout the year and trying to figure out what was wrong,” Biles said Tuesday on “Good Morning America.” “I go to therapy pretty regularly.”

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Exclusive Clip: Retribution Mode – ‘McCall Gets Along with Everybody’ [WATCH]

“It’s not easy but the people surrounding me are some of the best so it makes it a little easier,” she added.

In January, Nassar was sentenced to up to 175 years in prison for sexually abusing over 150 gymnasts — including Biles, 21.  In January, she wrote about Nassar in a letter on Twitter.

“I too am one of the many survivors that was sexually abused by Larry Nassar,” said the athlete. “Please believe me when I say it was a lot harder to first speak those words out loud than it is now to put them on paper. There are many reasons that I have been reluctant to share my story, but I know now it is not my fault.”

Continued Biles, “For too long I’ve asked myself, ‘Was I too naive? Was it my fault?’ I now know the answers to those questions. No. No, it was not my fault. No, I will not and should not carry the guilt that belongs to Larry Nassar, USAG, and others.”

The four-time Olympic gold medalist made history recently when she became the first female gymnast to win four World Championships. She also graces the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s blockbuster year-end issue.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/simone-biles-takes-anxiety-medication-to-cope-with-larry-nassar-abuse-watch/

*Put simply, you could theoretically place NBA players into two camps: loose cannon or solid as a rock. Teams certainly need both, but it’s the latter that we’re more interested in today. There are, of course, loose cannons a-plenty in the National Basketball Association.

We’re talking the likes of Draymond Green (will yell at you in locker rooms), Chris Paul (bark is worse than his bite, but still kind of annoying), Kevin Durant (will take personal offence to every Instagram comment about him selling out) and not forgetting Kawhi Leonard (will simply disappear from your team for a couple of months).

All that said, we’re keen to focus on the everyday heroes and the teammates who just seem like the kind of people who won’t renege on a promise, will turn up to your birthday party on time, and will pay you back that 10 bucks they owe without you even having to ask for it.

LeBron James

He’s The King, after all, so what kind of person can’t trust their ruler? For one, the man brought a championship to Cleveland in 2016 just like he said he would, and somehow didn’t blow a gasket after J.R. Smith’s boneheaded blunder in the Game 1 of the 2018 Finals. Sure, he bolted from the Cavs for the sunny shores of L.A., but who could blame him for not wanting to play with that band of misfits? Plus, the guy will appear in Space Jam 2, built a school in his hometown of Akron for underprivileged kids and even stuck up for Steph Curry’s decision not to visit President Trump at the White House (a yearly tradition with other presidents) after the Warriors won the championship in 2017.

Klay Thompson

Not just rock solid from the 3-point line, Klay is a guy you can set your watch to. While other Warriors players are somewhat polarizing (Draymond Green, Kevin Durant and Steph Curry), Klay is universally loved and someone who just oozes chill. Thompson has no drama or diva tendencies, he’s just a guy who shoots well, plays hard, and then returns home to his beloved dog, Rocco. Furthermore, Klay was just announced as a brand ambassador for Swiss luxury watch company, Tissot, and we can’t imagine a better fit for them (he joins ex-Spurs legend Tony Parker and Hawks rookie Trae Young). If we’re talking about comparing Klay to a list of Swiss watches then he’s not as fancy as a Rolex or complex as a Patek Philippe, but simply a Tissot which looks good and gets the job done when he’s called upon.

Steven Adams

Other than the fact that he’s built like a house of bricks, Adams is just that guy you absolutely want on your side in any fight. Resemblances to Game of Thrones’ Khal Drogo notwithstanding, Adams is a tough guy, a fierce competitor and a great ball player, but is well-known around the league for being an all-round good dude and a positive ball of energy. The fact that he hails from an awesome country like New Zealand only seals the deal as a trustworthy guy, but we’re still not sure why he already released an autobiography (My Life, My Fight) this year after only 5 seasons in the NBA…

Ricky Rubio

Any type of “pass first/shoot second” player will always feature high on any list of trustworthy players, which is just as well, because Rubio is definitely not known for his shooting skills. Still, Ricky is unbelievably nice, never picks a fight, and has one of the best man-bun and beard combos that the NBA has ever seen. Find us someone who could possibly dislike Rubio and we’ll send Steven Adams to sort things out.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/the-most-trustworthy-players-in-the-nba/

*ESPN The Magazine has revealed its list of the 20 most dominant athletes of 2018, which includes LeBron Jamesand gymnast Simone Biles, who bagged the #1 spot as the most dominant athlete of the year.

The Olympic gold medalist recently became the first female gymnast to win four World Championships. She spoke out on “GMA” after it was announced that she would grace the cover of ESPN The Magazine’s blockbuster year-end issue.

“I didn’t think it was real,” Biles said of the honor. “I was like, ‘You’re joking.’”

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Simone Biles Takes Anxiety Medication to Cope with Larry Nassar Abuse [WATCH]

ESPN’s Charlotte Gibson noted: “Biles unleashed a historic display of athleticism at the world championships, winning her record fourth all-around title by her largest margin yet, leading the U.S. team to gold, again by a record margin, and taking four other medals. That made her the first U.S. gymnast to medal at every event at a world championship — and doing all that with a kidney stone, after spending the night before qualifying in the hospital. Not that you needed more, but she also ran the table at this year’s U.S. Classic, after taking a two-year hiatus from her four-golds-and-a-bronze triumph in Rio. She is truly unstoppable.”

According to the press release, here’s how the rankings were determined:

“ESPN The Magazine’s “Dominant 20″ list was created by pitting the year’s best against their top rivals with cold, hard math. The process started by grading the athletes by the strongest performance measures available in their sport over their most recently completed season (except F1 numbers, which are through November 11, and NFL numbers, which are through November 26), including timed scores, earnings and, wherever possible, advanced metrics. Then, to put those achievements into historical perspective, top athletes in a sport were compared to the best in their field each year since 1998, and results were adjusted to put those athletes onto one common baseline, yielding our ratings.”

The Olympic gold medalist recently revealed for the first time publicly that she’s been taking anxiety medicine since revealing she was sexually abused by disgraced sports doctor Larry Nassar.

“I’m on anxiety medicine now because I had a lot of ups and downs throughout the year and trying to figure out what was wrong,” Biles said Tuesday on “Good Morning America.” “I go to therapy pretty regularly.”

“It’s not easy but the people surrounding me are some of the best so it makes it a little easier,” she added.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/espn-names-simone-biles-most-dominant-athlete-of-2018/

*NASA has reportedly offered to give NBA superstar Steph Curry a tour of one of its lunar labs after the Golden State Warrior said the moon landing never occurred.

Curry made the comment on an episode of the “Winging It” podcast, which posted Monday. According to Bleacher Report, he brought up the subject with fellow NBA players Vince Carter, Kent Bazemore and Andre Iguodala:

Curry: “We ever been to the moon?”

The other players: “Nope.”

Curry: “They’re gonna come get us. I don’t think so, either.”

Legend has it that Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin were the first astronauts to walk on the moon on July 20, 1969.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Rev. Run and Wife Honored at the 36th Annual Caucus Awards Dinner – EUR Exclusive!

Co-host Annie Finberg tried to give Curry a chance to clarify his statement. “You don’t think so?” she asked.

“Nuh uh,” he responded.

“You gotta do the research on Stanley Kubrick,” says Bazemore, referring to the acclaimed film director who was supposedly hired by NASA to fake the moon landing on an elaborate soundstage in L.A. 

NASA, meanwhile, invited Curry to come and see evidence that the moon landing was not a hoax.

“We’d love for Mr. Curry to tour the lunar lab at our Johnson Space Center in Houston, perhaps the next time the Warriors are in town to play the Rockets,” NASA spokesperson Allard Beutel told the New York Times. “We have hundreds of pounds of moon rocks stored there, and the Apollo mission control. During his visit, he can see firsthand what we did 50 years ago, as well as what we’re doing now to go back to the moon in the coming years, but this time to stay.”

In an email to Mashable, Beutel added that there is “lots of evidence NASA landed 12 American astronauts on the Moon from 1969 – 1972.”

No word on if Curry will accept the invitation but he tweeted an amusing response to the invitation.

This isn’t the first time that an NBA player went wild with a conspiracy theory. Last year, Boston Celtic Kyrie co-signed with the Flat Earth Society but later doubled down in an interview with The New York Times.

“I do research on both sides. I’m not against anyone that thinks the Earth is round,” he said back in June. “I’m not against anyone that thinks it’s flat. I just love hearing the debate. It’s fun to talk about.”

Irving later apologized for claiming the Earth is flat because science teachers said kids were starting to believe him.

Meanwhile… NASA chief Jim Bridenstine clapped back at Curry…saying: We Went To Moon 6 Times!!!

WATCH:

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/nasa-invites-steph-curry-to-tour-lunar-labs-after-saying-moon-landing-was-fake/

*Former NBA star Matt Barnes and his girlfriend, Anansa Sims, shared adorable photos online of their newborn baby son, Ashton Joseph Barnes.

Barnes, 38, announced his son’s birth on Instagram Saturday, writing: “Just in time for the Holidays … Ashton Joseph Barnes aka “AJ” 8lbs 13oz 22.5 inches @anansasims #ThreeKings”.

Matt is already father to 10-year-old twin sons, Carter and Isaiah, by reality TV star Gloria Govan. He recentlyreceived a reduction in child support after the judge overseeing the custody case between the ex-couple ruled in his favor.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Angela Bassett Talks Playing the Villain in ‘Bumblebee’ (EUR Exclusive/Watch!)

Barnes was paying Govan $20K a month in child support but argued that he couldn’t afford the hefty payments after retiring. The reduced monthly payments follow his legal win of primary custody of the boys.

On Tuesday, Barnes and Sims shared photos online of them bonding “skin-to-skin” with Ashton.

The proud mother captioned the images: “I couldn’t have done it without you my Love .. You talked me through every push… held my hand… and said exactly what I needed to hear to get our little man here .. #foreverlove #blessed”.

As noted by Sandra Rose, Anansa, 39, was criticized by social media users for wasting little time getting pregnant by Barnes after ending her marriage to the father of her 3 children, ages 5-7, in 2017.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/matt-barnes-and-anansa-sims-share-photos-of-newborn-son-ashton-joseph-barnes/

*Have you ever wondered what it would be like to get slapped by none-other than the legendary Michael Jordan?! Well, Charlotte Hornet’s player Malik Monk found last night (12-12-18).

OK, just so you know we wouldn’t consider it an honor to get bitch-slapped by the man some say is the GOAT as far as the NBA is concerned. And we don’t think Monk would disagree with us, either.

OK, here’s the backstory. As you most likely know, Jordan is the principal owner of the  Hornets;. Well, he, along with everybody watching the Hornets play the Detroit Pistons, observed Monk getting a really stupid technical foul that could have cost the team the game.

Obviously Jordan was so into the moment (translation: pissed off), that he reached back (like a dad upset with his kid) and thwacked the 20-year-old in the back of the head … in front of the world (because the game was televised).

LAURENCE FISHBURNE AT CENTER OF MESSY AFFAIR WITH MINISTER’S WIFE

Oh yeah, just so you know WHY Jordan was pissed, the Hornets were tied with the Pistons in the final seconds of Wednesday night’s contest … when Charlotte’s Jeremy Lamb knocked down a deep 2-pointer to go up 108-106. The Hornets bench went wild … and Monk ran on the court to celebrate.

JANET JACKSON JOINS THE 2019 CLASS OF ROCK & ROLL HALL OF FAME INDUCTEES

Only problem was … THE GAME WASN’T OVER YET.

Anyway, the referees went to replay and the Pistons were awarded a 1-shot technical.

And that’s when a super-perturbed (pissed off) Jordan let his left hand fly to back of Monk’s head. The Hornets ended up holding on for the win … so no harm, no foul as they say. However, we can only imagine what would’ve happened to young Mr. Monk.

Michael Jordan now says the slap was not malicious — but rather, a “tap of endearment.”

“It was like a big brother and little brother tap,” Jordan told the Associated Press … “No negative intent. Only love!”

Hopefully, Malik Monk will use the incident as a teachable moment and LEARN from it.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/a-pissed-off-michael-jordan-slaps-hornets-player-malik-monk-watch/

*Serena Williams made her return to the court earlier this year rocking a fierce Black Panther-inspired catsuit, which she said made her feel like a “warrior princess.”

“I call it, like, my Wakanda-inspired catsuit,” she revealed. “We designed it way before the movie, but still, it kind of reminds me of that. I’m always living in a fantasy world, I always wanted to be a superhero and it’s kind of my way of being a superhero.”

She also explained at the time that she had a history of blood clots and the suit was specifically designed to help prevent the clots from forming while on the court.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Groundbreaking Negro Leagues Centennial Team Bobblehead Series and Kickstarter Campaign Launched

Williams, 37, wore the compression catsuit at the 2018 French Open, prompting French Tennis Federation president Bernard Giudicelli to ban the one-piece.

During an interview with Tennis Magazine, Giudicelli stated: “We are going to ask the manufacturers to let us know what is coming. I believe we have sometimes gone too far. Serena’s outfit this year, for example, would no longer be accepted. You have to respect the game and the place.”

The ban sparked outrage on social media and support from folks like ex-pro tennis player Anne White (see clip below) and ex-Iran president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Now, the Women’s Tennis Association (WTA) has clarified the rules for female players’ clothing, including compression pieces like Serena’s catsuit.

“Leggings and mid-thigh-length compression shorts may be worn with or without a skirt, shorts, or dress,” the organization wrote, as reported by the BBC.  

But as noted by TMZ, Serena still faces problems with the catsuit, as the rule changes only apply to WTA Tournaments … NOT Grand Slams.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/serena-williams-womens-tennis-association-issues-rule-change-allowing-infamous-catsuit/

*Four-time NBA Champion John Salley, has joined the PureCrop1 team in an undisclosed equity position and business development program, according to a press release. In his capacity, “Salley will utilize, promote and share the PureCrop1 story as the brand continues to rise to the top of the healthy Agriculture industry.”

“I have successfully invested in several early-stage companies and feel PureCrop1 is a game changer, valuable to all sizes of Agriculture and can also be utilized by many companies I work with,” Salley said in a statement.

According to the website, PureCrop1 “Eliminates the use of antiquated toxic pesticides, insecticides, fungicides or microbe bacteria products.” 

“It’s all about clean Agriculture, and elimination of toxic products sprayed on our fruits, vegetables, plants and of course the exploding cannabis industry, said Sally. From my vantage point, PureCrop1 is an elite natural product, and is poised to grow by leaps and bounds in all forms of Agriculture.”

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: ESPN Names Simone Biles ‘Most Dominant Athlete Of 2018’

According to PureCrop1, its nontoxic pesticide “has proven to be an extremely valuable and effective formula that maximizes the plant or crop immune system.”

“I am really happy and excited to have John part of our team,” explained Ray Drysdale, Founder of PureCrop1. “John is well known, an intelligent successful business professional, and active in a healthy lifestyle. John reached out to me very early on a Saturday morning, and I was surprised on how much insight he had on our company. He will be a great fit for our business as not only will he be a spokesperson for PureCrop1, he will also use the product for his own Agriculture business investments and personal use.”

Sally, a vegan activist who travels around the world sharing how to eat and live healthy, previously took an ownership position in GreenSpace Labs, a biotech company that services cannabis patients and growers, LiveKindly reports. 

“I got involved with GreenSpace because I believe in the importance of clean cannabis, same as I believe in the importance of clean food,” Salley told Benzinga last March. “I always saw on movies that every drug was tested for purity. So why not test cannabis?”

Earlier this year, the former baller and his daughter, Tyla Salley, launched the premium cannabis brand Deuces22, named after his NBA number.

“There are a lot of cannabis brands all over the industry now, popping up and shutting down. But I wanted to make sure our brand was organic and, at the same time, luxury,” Tyla said. “I wanted people to know they can trust us, that we are not going to give them anything that can hurt them, but also that all the cannabis we provide is top shelf in every aspect, every time – and maintain this consistency over time.”

They hope to make Deuces22 available in CVS and Walgreens pharmacies.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/four-time-nba-champ-john-salley-partners-with-plant-based-pesticide-company-purecrop1-is-a-game-changer/

*Shareef O’Neal took to Twitter on December 13 to inform fans that he “made it” through a heart successful surgery and is now on the road to recovery.

“I made it, Thank you for all the love and support! I really appreciate all your thoughts and prayers, that’s what helped me through this surgery. I’m on the road to recovery, and I’ll be back soon…better than ever,” read a message on his official Twitter profile. His words, typed by Mimi O’Neal.

O’Neal, the son of Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal, was diagnosed with a heart condition in September during a routine check-up. He will reportedly miss his entire freshman season at UCLA, but he’s already talking about his return to the court.

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Ex-Luther Vandross, Beyonce Musician Accused of Holding Student in Sexual Servitude for 4 years

O’Neal’s mother Shaunie posted some photos and a heartfelt message about her baby boy on her Instagram prior to his surgery:

“This morning was by far my toughest moment being a Mom. If only I could take his place today. Could I at least go with him in that operating room and hold his hand. Separating from him as he was wheeled off to surgery was heartbreaking. THATS MY BABY! I don’t care how old, how big, how grown my kids get I still want to protect them. I had no control over any of this. But there is a God, I trust and believe He is in there with my baby right now and has complete control.”

As reported by SB Nation, surgery was required to fix an “electrical problem” in Shareef’s heart.

O’Neal, a four-star recruit and 6’9 power forward, was one of the top high school basketball players in the country this year and one of five top-100 recruits that committed to the UCLA Bruins.

TMZ recently reported that O’Neal still plans to attend his classes and he can’t wait to return t the sport. He posted the following on Twitter in November:

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/shareef-oneal-looking-forward-to-basketball-return-after-successful-heart-surgery/

*Remember the story the other day about the African child that former NBA great Dikembe Mutombo brought to the US for a surgery to remove a life-threatening tumor on his face? Unfortunately, the youngster went into cardiac arrest during the operation.

According to TMZ, sources familiar with the surgery say that at around 6 PM Sunday, more than 6 hours into the operation, the 8-year-old boy … his name is Matadi … went into cardiac arrest and was immediately taken to the Intensive Care Unit at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in L.A. We’re told he’s now in stable condition and is slowly recovering.

The report also stated that the emergency happened toward the end of the surgery, which began at 11:30 AM.

OFFSET’S FATHER CALLS CARDI B ‘SPITEFUL’; SAYS ‘ENVY & INSECURITIES’ LED TO BREAKUP

At this point it’s not known if the surgeons had completed the surgery, but based on the schedule they were literally operating under, it most likely happened as they were wrapping up.

Matadi and his family were staying at the Ronald McDonald house in Los Angeles leading up to Sunday’s procedure. Mutombo, who met the little boy during a visit to the Congo, greeted the boy and his family when they landed Wednesday in Los Angeles.

As you  can imagine, for all the obvious reasons, young Matadi’s tumor was life-threatening. What’s just as bad is that he was also shunned by his community. The story goes that the boy’s parents were forced to pull him from school and keep him confined to his room because of unrelenting hate he was getting.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/dikembe-mutombo-child-rx-nba-star-helping-with-face-tumor-suffers-cardiac-arrest-during-surgery/

*Video of a brutal, nasty fight of Washington Redskins player Montae Nicholson beating the crap out of a man at 2am Tuesday morning on a Northern Virginia street has found it’s way to TMZ Sports.

Here’s more via TMZ:

Nicholson — wearing a red hoodie — is going after another man in a jean jacket while other people in the melee desperately try to restrain him.

But, Nicholson is too strong and too angry — and refused to back out … instead, he throws several punches at his target … including a knockout blow.

You can see in the video, the man in the jean jacket appears to go limp as Nicholson hits him clean in the face.

One witness tells us the other man in the red sweatshirt was trying to break up the fight — but Montae was in such a rage, he slammed that guy to the ground and continued the beating.

Loudoun County Sheriffs eventually responded to the scene and arrested both Montae and a female companion. Montae was booked for assault and battery, and drunk in public. He was hauled to a nearby jail and released on a $2,500 bond a short time later.

REMY MA BACK IN HOSPITAL FOR EMERGENCY SURGERY DAYS AFTER CHILD BIRTH

UPDATE (see video above):

Redskins coach Jay Gruden says Nicholson will NOT play this weekend in their critical game against the Tennessee Titans.

Gruden says he’s aware of the TMZ Sports video and says he’ll take a look at it.

When asked if Nicholson would be benched for the rest of the season, Gruden said he hasn’t made up his mind yet.

He still has to speak with Montae personally.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/montae-nicholson-redskins-player-caught-on-video-brutally-beating-man-watch/

*Four years after Ray Rice, 31, knocked out his fiancée in an Atlantic City elevator, the former Baltimore Ravens running back is now reflecting on his past anger and speaking out about domestic violence.

“I hate that person,” Rice told “CBS This Morning” on Tuesday regarding the infamous 2014 tape that showed him dragging his now-wife Janay Palmer Rice,  unconscious and out of an elevator. The Ravens cut Rice after the shocking moment caught on camera. 

“I hate him … Somewhere down the line everybody who’s sayin’, ‘Does he deserve a second chance for football?’ And this, that and the other — I actually got my second chance.”

OTHER NEWS YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED: Twitter CEO Jack Dorsey Gave Azealia Banks His Beard Shavings to Create Protection Spell Against ISIS

Rice and his wife sat down with Gayle King to discuss life after that now infamous night at the Revel Hotel and Casino in February 2014. 

“One of the underlying issues for me was — I never wanted to ask for help,” Rice said about the personal problems he was dealing with prior to the incident. “Football, for me, was my counseling. It was my therapy. It was my psychologist. It was my everything.”

Rice says his mother experienced “a bad relationship” when he was a kid and it influenced how he began to normalize “abnormal things.”

“I was a man at 11, and then at 21 I got drafted and became a boy,” he said. “Yes. We didn’t have a physical abuse problem. But I can say there were different forms of abuse that take — that took place. Was it emotional? Financial? You get to the physical, and that’s obviously, like, if it’s one time, it’s still one time too many.”

Rice’s interview with King comes on the heels of security footage that emerged recently from a Cleveland hotel that shows former Kansas City Chiefs running back Kareem Hunt kicking a woman. Hunt was also quickly cut by the team.

“Well, obviously, you know, you look back and you see the similarities,” Rice said of the two incidents. “Early on you could feel like, ‘Why they keep bringing my name up?’ You can make excuses or you can actually do the hard work.”

Janay Rice married Ray weeks after he physically assaulted her and says she still has never seen that footage.

“I was there,” she said. “I lived it. I don’t really need to relive it over and over again just to appease the world.”

“But I think what’s misunderstood about us is that the friends we were before the incident,” Rice said. “That’s why, like I said, when I look at Kareem Hunt, I wanna know what his life was like. I want to know what happened in life. I know Kareem has apologized and has expressed remorse for survivors of domestic violence.”

She added: “And I’m not here to force people to understand,” she said. “It was never a thought whether I was going to leave or not, because I knew that that wasn’t him in that moment. This is somebody I’ve known since I was 15 years old. I knew that we had work to do, and I was willing to move forward and put in the work.”

Meanwhile, Rice has no interest in returning to the NFL.

“The pressure I was under of being a star, that was the person I hated the most,” he said.

Source Link: https://www.eurweb.com/2018/12/ray-rice-speaks-out-against-domestic-violence-says-hes-done-with-football/