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Minnesota Timberwolves protect superstar Anthony Edwards – Andscape

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7 months ago

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Anthony Edwards will not be the rapper Andre 3000, but the brand new era of ATLien is proof that the South still has something to say. With his future so promising, protecting Edwards is barely natural. The Minnesota Timberwolves defenseman has probably the most charming personalities in a league stuffed with eccentric stars, while also being one in every of its fiercest competitors. He is an elite talker and predator of the very best order, a ruthless two-way man feat of strengthand aspiring pitchman (including being the brand new face of “Sprit”“Obey Your Want” Campaign.” next to the track star Sha’Carri Richardson). He also owns the most popular basketball shoe in the marketplace, the Adidas Ae 1s. It feels like hyperbole, but the subsequent few months could change Edwards’ life, profession and future.

Rooting for Edwards is simple. There is a sadistic enjoyment of it that runs parallel to the sport that’s, to cite one other Atlanta resident“cooler than a polar bear’s fingernails.” The way Edwards plays is so calm and controlled – yet addictive and explosive – that you simply wonder what his best years will probably be if he gets this good. Since being the highest pick in 2020, he has improved facets of his game each season. But this 12 months, his fourth, Edwards prevailed the proverbial leap. His free throw efficiency increased by almost 7% to 83.6%. His efficiency and playmaking have also improved (his assists have yielded 1,024 points in comparison with place to begin guard Mike Conley’s 1,049 points), and Edwards has firmly taken control of a team that hasn’t seen such success and excitement for the reason that early 2000s from Wolves forward Kevin Garnett and team president Flip Saunders, who was later appointed coach. In Minnesota’s first-round series against the Phoenix Suns, Edwards set a profession playoff scoring record almost along the whole line. Simply put, Edwards is not any longer knocking on the NBA’s door. Now he’s paying off his mortgage here.

“I’m probably at 40%” of his peak form, Edwards said in April in. “I haven’t even touched my peak yet.”

When asked how long it could take for him to turn into the NBA’s best player, Edwards didn’t hesitate. “About two or three years,” he said.

There’s a well-recognized calm about Edwards that may not related to basketball. Each of us has met someone like him sooner or later in our lives. It’s a co-worker, cousin, classmate, or friend whose supreme self-confidence is endearing, not off-putting. At just 22 years old, Edwards is the conductor of the Timberwolves’ offensive and defensive orchestra – the team finished the season because the third seed within the Western Conference, and the one thing standing before the team’s first conference finals appearance in 20 years is the presumptive MVP and reigning champion.

A couple of days before the playoffs began, Edwards laughed as he considered his growing importance within the league. It’s not that he doesn’t care – he really does. He doesn’t struggle with imposter syndrome either. It’s amazing that on the age of twenty-two he has a lot weight on his shoulders.

“It’s great fun,” Andscape said. “I have to be prepared for that because I know it comes with a lot of responsibility off the field.”

Former NBA star Grant Hill (left) poses with Anthony Edwards (right) in Sprite’s recent “Obey Your Thirst” campaign.

Leprechaun

Edwards is the photosynthesis of basketball – everyone else gains life from the sunshine his heroism produces. Although the world appears to be in turmoil straight away – from college campuses to conflicts abroad and in our hometowns — watching Edwards offers fleeting but essential moments of happiness. Edwards is that lucky person. Fairly and unfairly, he bears this responsibility.

It’s very easy to protect Edwards because we all know you possibly can’t protect everyone from all the things. Since becoming knowledgeable, he has made mistakes, e.g throwing chairs after a foul loss and using anti-gay language on social media, co for which he later apologized. But most 22-year-olds are different from organizational leaders. Most of them do not need the favorable opinion of NBA legend Michael Jordan I’m joyful to confess it how much they need “kill” the competition after which exit and do it like Edwards just did with Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker. And most 22-year-olds will not be on the very short list of candidates face multi-billion dollar international sports league. Even though Edwards is one step away from stardom, the road between basketball paradise and fairy-tale hell is razor-thin.

One of probably the most interesting things about Edwards’ story is the way it all materialized. He experienced great grief after the death of his mother Yvette and grandmother Shirley from cancer in 2015 when he was in eighth grade. Edwards he turned this trauma into joy as a tribute to the 2 women who raised him this manner. Is known unconditional protection and love through his siblings who were involved in his upbringing and provided the steadiness that allowed him to grow into the person he’s today. And now Edwards is on the verge of world takeover. After sending their favorite player, the Suns move forward Kevin Durantin the primary round of the playoffs, Edwards now faces probably the most complex challenge of his still young profession: the Denver Nuggets. It’s a rematch of last 12 months’s playoffs and probably the most anticipated second-round clash, with at its core a test of will that tugs on the soul of basketball. One page is run by the very best player on the planet, Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and the playoffs’ best player, guard Jamal Murray – wish to take control of the primary half of the last decade with one other title. On the opposite side are Edwards and the Timberwolves, who’re near basketball nirvana, but they know they need to undergo hell first.

Every game from now until the top of the Timberwolves season could feature a number of the biggest moments of Edwards’ life. After the playoffs are over, the 2024 Paris Olympics will happen, through which Edwards will play a major role — perhaps he’ll even start — in Team USA’s fight for the gold medal. Then there’s the NBA upcoming media rights deal and the way players like Edwards impact the longer term of the league.

Compared to where he was a decade ago, Edwards’ life has modified dramatically in a brief time frame. And in fact he’s still getting used to it.

“Seeing how people treat me, how I interact with kids and seeing their reaction,” Edwards said, gives me goosebumps. “Honestly, I’d say most individuals’s response after they meet me. I never imagined that individuals would cry and be very joyful after they saw me.

“It’s the best feeling ever,” he said, flashing his megawatt, mischievous smile that will at some point join Los Angeles Lakers great Magic Johnson’s as probably the most recognizable smile in the sport.

It’s very easy to protect Edwards because he gives us goosebumps after we watch him play. Since the start of the playoffs, the one player on the team is Lakers forward LeBron James before Edwards’ 100 million views generated on social media. Since Edwards, nobody has gained more Instagram followers for the reason that playoffs began. However, online clout without real-life results is far more of a curse than a present. Minnesota won’t outperform Denver or beyond if Edwards’ cocktail of talent, heroics and tenacity alone is superior. He will need his teammates, whom Edwards praises continually. They share the identical ideology, and the euphoria they pursue demands brotherhood, not dictatorship.

Edwards at all times said this moment was coming. However, living within the moment doesn’t mean being stuck in it. He knows that at some point he’ll get up and be the old guard within the league that everyone seems to be after. The player outside will talk trash to him similar to he did with Durant. And like Durant, Edwards can have to salute him when the time comes. A game is a game, he knows it.

When he thinks about what his life will probably be like when he turns 40, Edwards is each optimistic and anxious. He hopes that the older version will give you the option to inform him that he has done a great job of approaching life the suitable way. Mistakes will occur because no life will probably be complete without them. But hopefully they will not define him. We hope that individual and team successes will proceed. But basketball won’t define him either… let’s hope so.

“Hopefully I can start finding something that I like to do outside of basketball,” Edwards said. “One day I know it will end.”

It’s really easy to protect Edwards because he’s right. The sun sets and the characters finally have to return to terms with the remaining of their lives. For now, nevertheless, Edwards is just getting began and the world does indeed lie before him. All we have now to do is let the story tell itself.

Justin Tinsley is a senior culture author at Andscape. He firmly believes that “Cash Money Records Takes the Eggs in the ’99s and ’00s” is probably the most influential statement of his generation.


This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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An attempt to save the image of Jeff Bezos’ future wife backfired after weeks of outrage and ridicule over her skimpy outfit

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2 days ago

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December 9, 2024

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Lauren Sánchez has apparently gained a popularity for her fashion hits and misses as social media users began following her every move.

Billionaire Jeff Bezos’ current fiancée stepped into the highlight long before she met the Amazon co-founder, after years spent as co-host of “Good Day LA,” a reporter for “Extra” and host of “So You Think You Can Dance,” and he even starred in a number of movies like “Ted 2.”

She faced criticism for posting a sultry selfie in November in a negligee-inspired gown by designer Laura Basca. In October, the 54-year-old again faced backlash when she showed off her latex Halloween costume as Catwoman.

Now, weeks after being deemed “cheap” and tasteless, the founder of Black Ops Aviation has turn out to be a subject of discussion.

Jeff Bezos’ fiancée Lauren Sánchez shows off a “winter white” look, weeks after critics slammed her busty latex outfit. (Photos: @laurenwsanchez/Instagram, Theimagedirect.com via Page Six)

On December 5, Sánchez and the business mogul attended The New York Times’ DealBook event in New York City. For the occasion, she wore a white Alexander McQueen suit and a white lace corset. The beaming bride-to-be sent two mirror selfies of her outfit, which she signed: “winter white.”

One follower particularly was stunned by the whole look he ejaculated that she was “very attractive and beautiful, gorgeous and stunning, charming and fantastic young lady, sexy, charming, charming and elegant” in the photos that Sánchez took.

Two other people swooned over the photos and wrote: “So chic and elegant!” and “You look great.” But as you would possibly expect from online viewers, not everyone was impressed.

When Page six published paparazzi photos from the trip, the critic commented: “It’s 30 degrees in New York and she gets out of the limo in a white Miami smock, her bra visible to everyone. No taste. Nothing. A cashmere turtleneck, flannel trousers and a wool jacket can be classy.

Someone else sharply asked: “Who can be the first to tell her that she looks tacky and not elegant and refined? Does she even know what sophistication means? A 3rd person noted: “She looks more like she’s wearing a bathrobe.”

Another person wrote in a comment from a licensed pilot: “White means…” possibly referring to rumors that Sánchez and Bezos are scheduled to exchange vows over Christmas. At least one person doubted the couple would have the opportunity to say “I do.” This person said: “This will be the longest engagement ever. They will NEVER get married and we all know why!!!!”

Sánchez told the “Today” show hosts that she was in the process of planning the big day last month. She didn’t comment on speculation about exchanging Christmas vows.

Renewed interest and scrutiny of Sánchez has increased as the pair have been spotted in various locations in recent months. The couple reportedly began dating in 2018. Their engagement was announced five years later, in May 2023. Their upcoming wedding can be a second journey for each of them.

Sánchez was previously married to celebrity agent Patric Whitesell, with whom she has two children. She can be the mother of a son, whom she shares with Pro Football Hall of Famer Tony Gonzalez. Bezos was married to the mother of his three children, Mackenzie Scott, for 25 years once they divorced in 2019.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Apart from the song with singer-songwriter India Shawn – Andscape

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2 days ago

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December 9, 2024

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India Shawn is a contemporary muse with a chilled nature, crafting love stories and heartfelt tales in smooth, charming songs. With over a decade of experience in the music industry as a singer-songwriter, Shawn has incredible strength. She was born in Los Angeles, and her musical roots reach throughout the country. Beginning her profession in her hometown, Shawn eventually found herself in Atlanta, where she immersed herself in the city’s deep-rooted R&B scene, further shaping her artistry.

“I transferred to ATL, I was in 10th grade, and that’s when my music journey really started,” Shawn told Andscape. “I met people who were trying to get by, so I ended up recording and learned what songwriting was really early on.”

Before releasing her debut EP in 2012, Shawn wrote songs and collaborated with artists similar to Chris Brown, El DeBarge, Keri Hilson and Monica. In 2013, she gained much more notoriety when Solange Knowles published her song “I’m Alive” on the Saint Heron compilationmarking her as an artist value watching.

Following the release of the single “There Must Be a God” from the Andscape soundtrack, she caught up with Shawn to learn more about the muse behind the vibes.

Singer India Shawn grew up singing in church with her family. “I feel like most of us R&B kids have that experience,” she said.

India Shawn

Name:
India Shawn

Hometown:

Los Angeles

Artistic soundscape

Airy, soft, telling a story, multidimensional, soft, mysterious, atmospheric

The oldest musical memory

Shawn’s soulful sound is deeply rooted in her upbringing, with influences drawn from her childhood memories and the musical culture of her church. “I sing with my sister all the time, and I also grew up singing behind my mom in church. She was the leader of praise and worship. So I feel like most of us R&B kids have that experience,” Shawn said. “I had these little solos in church, and I believe what made me consider in it was that after the service people got here as much as me with tears of their eyes and said, ‘You really moved me while you sang.’ “These early moments of connection with music and audiences laid the foundation for conveying depth and sensitivity through her music.

Influences

For Shawn, music, especially R&B, has all the time held a special place in her life. “Me and my sister are harmonizing in the living room, just picking some of our favorite songs, including for me Mariah Carey, Babyface, Boyz II Men and (and) Brandy,” she said of her early music memories.

Creative process

Shawn often draws inspiration from real-life experiences and relationships that influence her music. She weaves this into the authenticity and atmosphere of her songs, but she didn’t immediately recognize where her inspiration got here from. “It’s funny that it took me so long to make that connection, but I realized that I was telling my whole story and presenting my business through my music,” she said. “It took me two albums to realize, wait a minute, I’m giving people a lot to understand here… these aren’t just songs. This is truly the life I live.”

Challenges and development

As Shawn’s profession grows, so do his moments of appreciation and reflection. “I literally just thought about a very gradual progression of my career. It’s like step by step, but there are more breakthrough moments. My first tour, which was so beautiful, I just knew I could pack a room and people knew my lyrics and sang my songs to me. Those moments that make the waiting not in vain.”

Shawn has plenty of recommendation for up-and-coming singer-songwriters. Her biggest sacrifice? Collaboration is essential. “I think (cooperation) is really why I’m still here. So find your people… you’ll know when it feels right, you’ll have that freedom and fluidity, and you’ll be able to really create things and create without having to think too much.” He also shares the importance of patience. “Just be patient during the journey. This has been a theme throughout my profession. Let it develop. I feel like more things come from being in that flow and being present reasonably than forcing all of it.

Current project

“There should be a God”, the lead single from Andscape , now streaming on Hulu, also serves as a teaser for Shawn’s solo album. “(This song) is such a manifestation of God’s love,” she said. “I think when you find yourself in a place of waiting, you can feel very hopeless. So when you see glimpses of God’s love again, or the fact that you know there is a higher power, there is a source that is thinking about you, has you in mind, has a perfect plan for you, it’s just like the clouds parting. And this is the moment, I understand. I understand that I had to go through all this to get here. And that’s exactly what I felt in the studio that day.”

Sheila Matthews is a digital producer at Andscape and a proud HBCU graduate. She believes “Return of the Mack” must have won a Grammy, and her Twitter mentions are open to all debate.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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ICYMI: Tessa Thompson’s Mocha Lip, Danielle Brooks’ Updo and More – Essence

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2 days ago

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December 9, 2024

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With just a number of weeks left until the tip of 2024, the celebrities are setting the tone for the brand new 12 months this week. And although mocha mousse is anticipated to be fashionable in 2025, neutral shades in darker tones have gotten more and more popular. Paired with an array of beauty eras – from elegant Twenties updos to 2000s-style round pink, the brand new Hollywood showcases its best 12 months-end beauty moments.

Tessa Thompson and Issa Rae are the newest to debut mocha lips holiday shade near the season, and Coco Jones’ lipstick was cranberry red. Doechii’s perforated suggestions and signature face-lift tape made it probably the most avant-garde look of the week, and within the sweetest moment, Chloe and Halle Bailey’s round pink cheeks made pink cheeks a winter styling staple.

From makeup to hairstyles, Sabrina Elba and Alva Claire opted for light, coffee colours, and Jourdan Dunn’s short hairstyle proved relevant at any time of the 12 months. Meanwhile, Lupita N’yongo, Danielle Brooks and Venus Williams’ braided buns showed just how classic this style may be.

In case you missed it, take a take a look at 17 of the very best celebrity beauty moments from the week below.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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