Entertainment
Best Sneakers Worn at the 2024 NBA All-Star Game – Andscape
NBA All-Star Weekend 2024 is already behind us. While fans and commentators proceed to debate over the weekend, the sneakers on display are undisputed. Sneakerheads were surprised by a mixture of recent colorways, family-inspired kicks, just a few retro kicks, and even first-edition debuts from a few of the NBA’s biggest stars.
It’s not only the players who’re in the highlight during this event; shoe firms at all times use the All-Star Game as a runway moment. While on-court models might not be as popular as they once were, the basketball category stays a key segment for innovation and the debut of cutting-edge footwear technology. The All-Star Game is an event where all the attention is targeted on a single game and the stars that make the sport what it’s. Just as necessary as which conference wins is what shoes these stars wear.
Here are a few of the best shoes seen in Indianapolis.
Kevin Durant – Nike KD 4 ‘Galaxy’ and Nike KD 16 “All-Star”
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Kevin Durant arrived at All-Star Weekend in a previously announced retro look and a fresh colorway of the Nike KD 16 to commemorate the weekend. The latest Nike KD 16 “All-Star” is the ninth colorway of his latest signature model. However, the real star of the evening were the Nike KD 4 “Galaxy” shoes. The sight of Durant’s retro look brought back memories of 2012, when he wore the shoe during the All-Star Game and won MVP.
Paolo Banchero – Air Jordan 38 Low PE
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Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero made his All-Star debut with some special Jordans to have a good time the occasion. The better of the bunch was the cool electric Air Jordan 38 Low PE in electric green, inspired by his hometown of Seattle and his mother Rhonda Smith-Banchero, who played professionally for the Seattle Reign in the American Basketball League, the short-lived predecessor to the WNBA.
Devin Booker – Nike Book 1 “Mirage”
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
The first release of Devin Booker’s first signature shoe – Book 1, it was a bit bumpy. Still, Nike worked time beyond regulation to reset the narrative. A brand new “Mirage” colorway was released over the weekend, and Booker, spoke to the media in Indianapolis, said the brand told him the sail-coloured shoe sold out in “two or three” minutes. There could also be brighter days ahead for the Phoenix Suns star.
Tyrese Maxey – New Balance Two Wxy V4 “Gamer Tag”
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Tyrese Maxey celebrated his first All-Star Game appearance by wearing a vivid red version of the newly released New Balance Two Wxy V4 “Gamer Tag” shoes. The only 76-yr-old on the court because of Joel Embiid’s injury, Maxey scored 10 points, three rebounds and three assists in 17 minutes on the court. An even bigger moment for the Philadelphia defenseman could have happened off the court because Kevin Durant was on the list as one among the players inspiring the next generation of hoopers.
Nikola Jokic – 361 Big3 Future High PE
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The two-time league MVP, Finals MVP and leader of the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets recently left Nike to develop into the face of Chinese footwear brand 361°. While his signature shoe continues to be being developed, Jokic donned the cotton candy-coloured 361° Big3 Future version for Sunday’s big game, benefiting from the highlight to presented its latest logoa jester’s hat made from the letters “N” and “J”.
Tyrese Haliburton – Nike Kobe 6 Protro PE
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
As the unofficial host of the weekend, Tyrese Haliburton deserved something special from Nike, which they did with a white Kobe 6 Protro with green accents. The Indiana Pacers guard rose to the occasion, scoring 32 points, including hitting his first five 3-point shots in the first quarter, and scoring 15 points in lower than 90 seconds. Quite a performance in front of the home crowd.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – Converse All Star BB Trilliant CX “What The”
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is one among the most stylish guys in the league. So it was only right that he went to court for a one-of-a-kind custom Converse by an artist and custom sneaker designer Darkphilknight. The loud, colourful knit concoction stood out as one among the more odd numbers seen on All-Star Sunday since Chris Webber wore chrome Dada CDubbz.
Damian Lillard – Adidas Dame 8 EXT PLY
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Only two players in league history have won Saturday’s tournament and likewise been named All-Star Game MVP: Michael Jordan and Damian Lillard. Lillard won a 3-point contest on Saturday before dropping 39 points to steer the Eastern Conference to victory at Sunday’s All-Star Game. On Sunday, he presented a red and blue version of the Adidas Dame 8 EXTPLY shoes Custom stadium kickstogether with the names of his three children etched along the ankle collar and the word “Dame Time” on the forefoot straps.
Adidas also took advantage of the weekend to supply Dame 9 preview and it looks sharp. The Stripes rim design team is absolutely on their toes as of late.
Giannis Antetokounmpo – Nike Zoom Freak 5 “Thanasis thanks for sharing”
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The Milwaukee Bucks star paid tribute to the late Kobe Bryant and his brother and teammate Thanasis, multi functional shoe – the Nike Zoom Freak 5 “Thanasis Thanks for Sharing.” The shoe borrows its red and white color scheme from Bryant’s signature Nike Kobe 4s, which just so happened to be the shoes Thanasis would share together with his younger brother while they were growing up together in Greece.
Stephen Curry – Curry 4 Low FloTro “Dżem Curry”
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Stephen Curry’s Curry 4 Low FloTro Sunday kicks were inspired by his 2018 All-Star PE, which he was originally scheduled to wear during the 3-Point Contest this yr. Unfortunately, he missed the event because of injury, but all was eventually cleared up as the updated 2024 version features UA FLOW cushioning technology.
The blue and yellow FloTro 4s were a part of the “Curry Jam” collection, an arcade-inspired set that also included Curry 1 Retro decorated with flame graphics and the slogan “He’s On Fire!” slogan.
Jaylen Brown – ANTA Kai 1 and the mystery model
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Brown wore Kyrie Irving’s purple Ant shoes during the first half of the All-Star Game. But the real surprise was when he opted for all-black mystery shoes in the second half. Brown hasn’t been into sneakers for some time now, so could this be an indication of what is to come back?
LeBron James – Nike LeBron 21 “The First Year”
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Evan Yu/NBAE via Getty Images
LeBron James continued to pay tribute to Hall of Fame defenseman Deion Sanders by wearing the Nike LeBron 21 “Prime Year” shoes. The shoe draws inspiration from Deion Sanders’ iconic Nike Air DT Max ’96 – originally referred to as the Diamond Turf 3. James has called Sanders one among his childhood heroes and has paid homage to Coach Prime shoes in the past, most recently with two Diamond Turf-themed versions of LeBron’s 15 in white and red.
Anthony Edwards – Adidas AE1 ‘Future’
Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images
Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images
The best latest signature sneaker this season belongs to Anthony Edwards, and the metallic shades of “The Future” colorway of the Adidas AE1 shoes he wore on Sunday night looked gorgeous in the vivid lights. Adidas currently offers three of the three colorways available for this model, and there is no sign of them slowing down any time soon.
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. — The Illinois Supreme Court on Thursday overturned the choice to fireside an actor Jussie Smollett conviction on charges of organizing a racist and anti-gay attack on himself in downtown Chicago in 2019 and lying to police.
The the state’s highest court ruled that the special prosecutor shouldn’t have been allowed to intervene after the Cook County state’s attorney initially dropped charges against Smollett in exchange for waiving $10,000 bail and performing community service. The ruling and appeal didn’t address Smollett’s continued claim of innocence.
Smollett, who’s black and gay, claims two men attacked him, hurled racist and anti-gay slurs and placed a noose around his neck, resulting in an enormous seek for suspects by Chicago police and sparking a world uproar. Smollett was starring in a television drama that was filmed in Chicago, and prosecutors alleged that he organized the attack because he was unhappy with the studio’s response to hate mail he received.
“We are aware that this case has generated significant public interest and that many people were dissatisfied with the resolution of the original case and considered it unfair,” Justice Elizabeth Rochford wrote in a 5-0 decision. “Nevertheless, more unfair than the resolution of any single criminal case would be for this court to find that the state is not obliged to honor agreements on which people have relied to their detriment.”
Smollett’s attorneys argued that the case ended with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s office dropped initially 16 counts of disorderly conduct. A grand jury reinstated the fees after a special prosecutor took over the case. The jury convicted Smollett of five counts of disorderly conduct in 2021
Emails searching for comment were sent Thursday to Foxx’s office and Smollett’s attorney, who argued that Smollett was the victim of a racist and politicized justice system.
Testimony at trial showed that Smollett paid $3,500 to 2 men he knew to perform the attack. Prosecutors said he told them what insults to shout and shout that Smollett was in “MAGA country,” an apparent reference to Donald Trump’s presidential campaign slogan.
Smollett testified that “there was no fraud” and that he was the victim of a hate crime in his downtown Chicago neighborhood.
He was sentenced to 150 days in prison, six of which he had already served released pending further notice — 30 months probation and ordered to pay roughly $130,000 in restitution.
The state appeals court’s ruling upheld Smollett’s conviction, declaring that nobody promised Smollett that he would not face a brand new charge after accepting the unique deal.
Illinois Supreme Court Justice Mary Jane Theis and Justice Joy Cunningham didn’t take part in Thursday’s decision.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 27: Songwriter of the Year Award winner Lil Baby speaks on stage on the ASCAP R&S Music Celebration on the London Hotel on June 27, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lester Cohen/Getty Images for ASCAP)
Lil Baby will not be only considered one of the most important names in hip-hop – he can also be an aspiring entrepreneur who’s serious about taking his business knowledge to the subsequent level.
The GRAMMY Award-winning rapper recently participated in Harvard Business School’s “Launching New Ventures” program, a prestigious short course designed to help entrepreneurs grow their ventures through modern strategies. The program, which will not be a level-granting initiative, focuses on key entrepreneurial tools, including opportunity assessment, competitive evaluation and developing sustainable business models, – we read on this system’s website.
For Lil Baby, born Dominique Armani Jones, the move was greater than just earning bragging rights. Known for hits like and , the Atlanta native has all the time been open about his desire to construct a legacy beyond music. As head of his record label 4PF (Four Pockets Full), he is committed to creating opportunities for artists and running a business that will not be only profitable, but in addition influential. However, he realized that running a successful label required honing his skills, and Harvard was the right place for this.
Movie shared on X On Wednesday, we got to see Lil Baby participating within the show. The clip ended on a touching note as he was presented together with his certificate of completion, followed by a surprise ceremony organized by his family.
While critics were quick to indicate that he didn’t “graduate” from Harvard – despite misleading headlines – his decision to commit to this system is critical in itself. Shows like “Launching New Ventures” offer insights that may transform corporations and help entrepreneurs overcome challenges, and Lil Baby’s presence signals his commitment to constructing a legacy that goes far beyond music. For Lil Baby, the move is an element of a broader commitment to securing his position not only as a rapper, but in addition as a mogul. His commitment to self-improvement reflects the values he promotes through his music: perseverance, resilience and development.
It’s also value noting that Lil Baby’s decision to attend Harvard sends a powerful message to his community, especially Black entrepreneurs. In a world where barriers to business education still exist, his decision to pursue higher education shows that it’s never too late – or too unconventional – to take what you are promoting seriously.
As Lil Baby grows, one thing is obvious: his diligence knows no limits. Whether he’s behind the microphone or within the classroom, he proves that the important thing to success is to continually strive for more.
I actually remember November 1994. I used to be a sophomore in highschool and was still very clumsy and goofy. I hadn’t yet experienced what anyone would call a growth spurt, as evidenced by the very fact that my younger sister (three years younger) was taller than me. At this point in my life, I assumed I used to be destined to be certain I had a terrific personality that would give me a romantic future. I used to be told about one young student who was in love with me, but being 15 and never big, I didn’t really trust in my ability to pursue a dating life. In 1994, I saw myself because the Steve Urkel with no unreachable neighbor.
In 1994, I had a real love: music. I kept buying cassettes and compact discs; there was at all times music around me. Listening to the newest music from anyone and everybody was my hobby. Mary J. Blige was one in every of those artists that I used to be an enormous fan of. I mean, everyone really was. Her album “What’s the 411?” was released in July 1992, so when school began in August, it was one in every of those albums that everyone was talking about. “True Love” and him one other hip-hop remix the most popular songs were on fire and you can start an impromptu jam session in my middle school dining room by simply saying “true love” out loud.
To say that the anticipation for Mary’s second album was enormous can be the understatement of the yr. I still remember being blown away by the music video for the primary single “Be Happy” on MTV and BET’s “Video Soul”. I remember this mainly because I used to be so frightened about Mary’s life standing on those rocks. Of course she survived the video session, but I used to be very concerned for her safety. I could not imagine life without Mary. I purchased this single and mainly burned a hole in it.
Then got here the monster single “I’m Goin’ Down.” The remake of Rose Royce’s single from the movie “Car Wash” (titled “I’m Going Down”) had all of the black girls in my highschool able to break up with their boyfriends so that they too could sing about it lost love – teenage hormones cause strange problems. Let me just say this for the record: Mary’s version of this song is totally amazing. Her performance on the album is known; you can hear all the experience through her vocals.
If Mary stopped making music at this point, she would already be a legend, I actually consider that. But this whole album is a radiator from start to complete. Even today, once I hearken to “My Life”, my search ends in failure; “My Life” is largely a consolation at this point in my life. From “You Bring Me Joy” to the title track to the ultimate minute of “I Never Wanna Live Without You,” this album is a portal back in time to a version of me that was interested by what life had to supply. I used to be given the vocal type of Mary J. Blige to soundtrack this journey.
It’s also crazy to think about it this manner: “My Life” got here out at a time in my life once I was already driving a automotive. Sure, I used to be 15, but my father also let me drive himself, my siblings, and my friends wherever we would have liked to go because he got bored with running errands. We just agreed that if I got pulled over, he would not know I used to be taking the automotive. Coincidentally, although I used to be in a position to use the automotive at no cost for a solid yr before I could even apply for a driving license, I failed my driving test the primary time I took it on my sixteenth birthday. You’ve never seen a father more lost and upset in his son than my father was that day. We now call my father’s facial expressions “core memory.”
If you’re reading this because you’ve got seen the words of Mary J. Blige and “My Life,” you then, like me, are in a phase of life where you’re continually reminded that you’re not only getting old, but you might actually be old. I will not be old as hell, but I’m too old to be within the club, you realize?
Fortunately, nonetheless, my journey so far in my life includes a number of the best works of musical art in existence, similar to Mary J. Blige’s 1994 album “My Life.” This album – just like the profession of its lead voice, Mary J. Blige – brings me joy.
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