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Potential No. 1 draft pick Alexandre Sarr is excited about the opportunity to play for the Atlanta Hawks

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CHICAGO – As the 2024 NBA draft lottery was announced, 6-foot-1 Alexandre Sarr stretched out his long legs in the front row in hopes of checking out where he’ll play next season. After the stunning results were publicly announced, the much-touted Frenchman learned he could return to Atlanta to play for the lottery-lucky Hawks.

“I’m very excited,” Sarr told Andscape after Sunday’s draft lottery at McCormick Place West. “I just discovered what the order is. It tells me what team I will likely be working with…

“Jastrzębie is an exciting organization. They are going in the right direction. It’s great that they have the No. 1 pick.”

The Hawks entered the NBA draft lottery with only a 3% likelihood of landing the first pick on this yr’s draft. The only other time Atlanta made a top pick was in 1975 when it chosen David Thompson, who opted to sign a six-year, $3 million contract with the Denver Nuggets of the American Basketball Association. The first round of the 2024 NBA draft will happen on June 26 in Brooklyn, New York.

Hawks general manager Landry Fields said he was “shocked” to learn his franchise was the favorite.

“You look at percentages. But when I saw that we weren’t between 10th and 12th place, that’s how we made it to the top four. I thought to myself, “Okay. We feel good about it. ” said Fields, who didn’t bring the talisman with him. “A small surprise, but also a lot of emotions.”

Atlanta Hawks general manager Landry Fields looks at the 2024 NBA draft lottery on May 12 in Chicago.

Marc J. Spears for Andscape

Just before the sweepstakes was revealed, Hawks executive vice chairman and chief communications officer Garin Narain told people on his team, the NBA and the media that he had a sense his franchise could be highly valued. More than an hour earlier, Hawks vice chairman of player personnel Daniel Starkman wasn’t quite as optimistic as the odds were fifth-worst. But when the lottery combination was revealed behind closed doors, Starkey began to notice that a shocking result was on the horizon. The Hawks’ winning combination was 6-10-14-13, which resulted in the No. 1 pick.

Starkey and the remainder of the lottery viewers, including Utah Jazz general manager Danny Ainge, were locked out of messaging and unable to leave the secured room until the draft results were made public.

“I looked like the (winning) ball went out,” Starkey told Andscape. “I didn’t know how to react. Nobody in the room knows me. I behaved professionally. It got a little livelier when Landry was able to feel the excitement. I didn’t know what the protocol was. Internally I was excited.”

A yr ago, one other Frenchman, Victor Wembanyama, was the clear favorite to be chosen number 1 in the 2023 NBA draft. The Spurs team chosen the 6-foot-1 center as their best, and he didn’t disappoint, winning the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award. together there is no consensus No. 1, Sarr is it is currently expected to be a alternative by ESPN NBA draft analyst Jonathan Givony.

Sarr, 19, is averaging 9.4 points, 0.9 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks this season and averaging 17.3 minutes for Perth in the Australian National Basketball League. He began gaining interest from NBA scouts after playing in two exhibition games against G League Ignite in Las Vegas in September 2023. Sarr showed off his athleticism with high dunks and shot blocking, and he rebounded well and guarded much shorter players. Sarra’s brother, Olivier, is a two-way player for the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Sarr believes he needs to be first alternative.

“I bring lots of versatility with me. I can really make an impact. I’m changing the rules of the game defensively,” Sarr told Andscape.

With all due respect to Sarr, nevertheless, expect the Hawks to do their due diligence.

Fields said the Hawks will “take a deep dive” in evaluating draft prospects. He wasn’t sure how a lot of them he would consider when deciding on the most suitable option. Other potential top draft prospects the Hawks could work with and visit include JL Bourg forward Zaccharie Risacher, Kentucky point guards Reed Sheppard and Robert Dillingham, G League Ignite forward Matas Buzelis and Connecticut center Donovan Clingan.

Last season, the Hawks missed the playoffs with a disappointing 36-46 record and a loss in the play-in tournament. Atlanta has two standout guards who’ve been in trade rumors for months, three-time NBA All-Star Trae Young and 2022 Dejounte Murray.

“I feel good about what we will build next,” Fields told Andscape. “We have a lot of great players in Atlanta.”

(*1*)
Top NBA draft prospect Alexandre Sarr (right) speaks to the media during the 2024 NBA draft lottery in Chicago on May 12.

Marc J. Spears for Andscape

There is a powerful possibility that the Hawks will visit Sarra privately this week during the NBA draft. The Washington Wizards, Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs have the second, third and fourth picks, respectively, and will also request visits. Then, Sarr said, he’ll return to Santa Barbara, California, for further training and preparation for team visits. Fields told Andscape that he has watched Sarr play in Australia this season, but declined to reveal what he thinks of him as a player.

If Sarr is chosen by the Hawks, he can have no problem acclimating to Atlanta after his recent two-year stint in Atlanta. He played for Overtime Elite in Atlanta from 2021-2023 before signing with Perth last season. Overtime Elite was founded in 2021 and serves as a pathway for elite teenage basketball players to play in the league against other talented players on their way to the NBA or other skilled leagues. Former Overtime Elite guards Amen and Ausar Thompson were the fourth and fifth picks, respectively, in the 2023 NBA Draft.

Sarr said that when he played for Overtime Elite, he attended “a lot of Hawks games” and enjoyed the “awe of the crowd.”

“I do know somewhat about Atlanta. I didn’t do much. I used to be just on my way to school and at the gym. It’s an important city,” Sarr said.

Sarr could be comfortable playing in Atlanta. Time will tell if the Hawks feel the same. Atlanta has a alternative: draft him, select one other prospect, or trade him for one other player. This is an enormous and unexpected problem for Atlanta, considering it has overcome overwhelming odds to land in such a coveted position.

Asked if the Hawks would keep the No. 1 pick, Landry told Andscape: “I do not know. We’ll see.”

Marc J. Spears is Andscape’s senior NBA author. He used to have the opportunity to dunk on you, but he hasn’t been able to do it for years and his knees still hurt.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Michael Jordan invests in the Courtside Ventures VC fund

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Micheal Jordan, Brightness In Black,storyCorp, Jordan Bran


After adding greater than $2 billion to his personal fortune after selling the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, basketball legend Michael Jordan put a few of his money right into a sports fund to boost $100 million.

According to Sportico, Jordan does investing in the Courtside Ventures enterprise capital fund, which focuses on sports, lifestyle and gaming.

The media received a text message from certainly one of Courtside Ventures’ business partners, Curtis Polk, confirming the details about Jordan’s investment. The amount he invested was not disclosed.

Polk is Jordan’s business partner and co-owner of the NASCAR 23XI Racing team.

Company website lists The Athletic, 100 Thieves and Jackpot.com as a part of its portfolio. According to Courtside Ventures’ LinkedIn profile, the company was founded in 2015 and is headquartered in New York.

The partners are Deepen Parikh, Vasu Kulkarni and Kai Bond. The group’s advisors include former NFL player Larry Fitzgerald and former DraftKings executive Sean Hurley.

In June, the company submitted approx Form D with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission outlining Courtside Ventures’ intentions to boost $100 million in its fourth round of funding. A complete of $190 million was raised in the first three rounds.

Jordan plays the role of an influence player. According to , he recently became the owner of a brand new Gulfstream G650ER private jet, useful for roughly $65 million.

Jordan has turn out to be an astute businessman since he retired from basketball and commenced investing in many ventures that increase his profits.

He and Polk, together with their 23XI Racing partner, racer Denny Hamlin, recently filed an antitrust lawsuit with one other automotive owner, Front Row Motorsports, against NASCAR and CEO Jim France, alleging that it engaged in anticompetitive practices to forestall fair competition on the sports market.


This article was originally published on : www.blackenterprise.com
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Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn has the experience and influence of being an NFL coach

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As the next NFL recruiting cycle begins, Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is once more a number one head coaching candidate. And rightly so.

Over the course of three seasons leading an impressive Lions offense that’s amongst the best and fun to look at in the league, Johnson has established himself as an astute X’s and O’s man. It’s easy to see why franchises trying to fill top coaching positions have been courting him over the last two cycles.

Perhaps franchise owners must also take an extended take a look at Johnson’s defensive counterpart, as Lions defensive quarterback Aaron Glenn is value far more attention. As it seems, Detroit coach Dan Campbell made a fantastic move by hiring each of his top lieutenants.

Although Glenn didn’t achieve his Detroit colleague’s rock star status during interviews, he played a serious role in the band’s impressive turnaround under Campbell. This season, Glenn has received high praise from around the league for keeping the Lions defense healthy, which lost several key players to injury, including star defensive end Aidan Hutchinson for the remainder of the season in Week 6.

Campbell praises Glenn for his work ethic and willingness, traits Campbell has admired in his friend since their days as NFL teammates and their time together as an assistant coach with the New Orleans Saints. What sets Glenn aside from many coaches is the way he runs, Campbell says, and any team owner can be sensible to present Glenn his own shop to run.

As the NFC North’s top team prepares for Sunday’s road game against the Indianapolis Colts, Glenn, 52, is making all the right moves on a defense shorthanded. While injuries are a component of life in skilled sports’ most dangerous workplace, some losses are far more difficult to beat than others.

In a 47-9 victory over the Dallas Cowboys, Hutchinson suffered two broken bones in his left leg and underwent season-ending surgery. The Pro Bowler entered the game leading the NFL in sacks, quarterback hits and pressures. The Lions were missing Marcus Davenport, who suffered a season-ending injury in Week 3.

Then, during a 52-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 11, linebacker Alex Anzalone suffered a broken forearm. He is predicted to be sidelined for a maximum of eight weeks. Detroit decided to step up its passing game by acquiring linebacker Za’Darius Smith in a trade with the Cleveland Browns, but it surely’s as much as Glenn to shoulder the defensive load and find latest ways to best utilize his remaining energetic players.

The evidence shows that Glenn performed well under duress.

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn watches from the sidelines during a Nov. 17 game at Ford Field in Detroit.

Steven King/Sportswire Icon

Against Detroit, opponents rating an average of 17.7 points and 94.8 rushing yards, which supplies the team fifth place in the league in each categories. The Lions (9-1) lead the Philadelphia Eagles by one game in the race for the top overall seed in the NFC playoffs, and Glenn is earning rave reviews for his contributions to their success.

The evidence of Glenn’s coaching acumen is each indisputable and overwhelming, said Troy Vincent, the NFL’s vp of football operations.

“Throughout Aaron’s NFL career and now in his current position as the Lions’ defensive coordinator, he has demonstrated extraordinary leadership, development and creativity,” Vincent wrote to Andscape in a text message Wednesday. “There is no denying his tremendous coaching ability, as evidenced by the Lions’ vastly improved defense.”

Since he and Glenn had briefly been teammates with the Dallas Cowboys, Campbell believed Glenn had what it took to in the future change into a fantastic coach.

Taken twelfth overall in the 1994 NFL Draft, Glenn had a 15-year profession with the Jets, Houston Texans, Cowboys, Jaguars and Saints. The three-time Pro Bowl running back then moved on to coaching and scouting, eventually working his way as much as the position of director of the Saints’ secondary under then-coach Sean Payton. Campbell coached the Saints on tight ends, and the Texas A&M graduates formed a bond.

After Campbell became Detroit’s coach in 2021, Glenn followed him to run the team’s defense. Make no mistake, hiring Glenn was one of Campbell’s most significant moves in his efforts to show around the troubled Lions.

In the 2008-09 season, the Lions went 0-16. Before the arrival of Campbell and general manager Brad Holmes, the Lions last won the league title in the 1993-94 season. Detroit hasn’t won a playoff game since the 1991-92 season. Last season, the Lions achieved each feats en path to the NFC Championship Game.

To their credit, the Lions have picked up on offense quicker than defense (they lead the league in scoring at 33.6 points per game), which contributed to Johnson being more wanted to potentially fill coaching vacancies than Glenn. However, Glenn has been interviewing for the last three cycles and Campbell is confident that Glenn is prepared to guide the entire team.

“He has great vision to put together a plan,” Campbell told reporters in Detroit. “He understands football thoroughly. And if you start talking about his leadership, he’s one of those guys, he’s special. He is special. He has.

“His ability to communicate, relate, push, grind, love and demand – he has it all. He is an excellent speaker, he is an outstanding teacher. … That’s why I say I’m lucky to have him working with me.”

For Glenn, nothing is more essential than all the time setting the right example.

“I try to do everything I can to focus on the players,” Glenn said. “I’m trying to do everything I can to focus on the team and get the most out of… my staff to make sure we’re on track in terms of playing good defense. Everyone is different. And that makes it nice to be able to take advantage of each player’s unique characteristics and put them in the right positions (to be successful).”

Glenn’s coaching philosophy is easy: be authentic and make a positive impact on those around you.

Detroit Lions defensive coordinator Aaron Glenn reacts during the game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Ford Field in Detroit on November 17.

Junfu Han Network/USA TODAY via Imagn Images

“The most important thing is to be yourself,” Glenn said. “Players know a fake once they see one. And if you attempt to cheat this business, you’re going to get kicked out of it in a short time because then the respect factor disappears.

“For me, leadership comes down to one word –… How do you influence players? What influence do you have on coaches? Leadership isn’t about me giving pathetic speeches. They’ve heard this before. That’s how I influence these guys.”

The buzz around the league is that while Glenn has been considered for the head coaching position in previous cycles, he’s well-positioned to be a finalist for the position on this one. He can be one of the strongest candidates, said Rod Graves, leader of a gaggle that advises the NFL on diversity, equity and inclusion in the hiring process.

“Aaron has proven to be one of the best coaches in the NFL,” Graves, executive director of the Fritz Pollard Alliance, wrote to Andscape in a text message. “He joined the league’s elite as an excellent strategist.

“The Detroit Lions have developed an attitude of toughness, physicality and attention to detail. Aaron is a big reason for this. He trains like he plays.”

“There is an expectation that Aaron will undoubtedly be involved when head coaching positions become available. Maybe he will be the beginning of Coach Campbell’s tree,” Vincent wrote in a text message.

Even if Johnson continues to be the first to branch out on his own, Glenn definitely seems capable of rising higher. It’s only a matter of whether team owners pay more attention to others who’re improving.

Jason Reid is a senior NFL author at Andscape. He likes watching sports, especially any matches through which his son and daughter participate.

This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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Netflix sued over streaming issues during Mike Tyson and Jake Paul fight

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Mike Tyson, Jake Paul, Boxing, professional record, July 20, Texas Department of Licensing and Regulations


More than 60 million viewers reportedly tuned in to observe the Mike Tyson-Jake Paul boxing match, with many experiencing issues while streaming the event on Netflix. Given the issues one man needed to cope with because of streaming difficulties, he sued the streaming giant for $50 million.

According to , Florida resident Ronald “Blue” Denton filed a class-action lawsuit on November 18. The lawsuit related to a fight between the 2 men on Friday, November 15, which resulted in a unanimous decision victory for Paul over Tyson. The viewer is suing the corporate, amongst others. for breach of contract.

reports Denton wrote: “60 million Americans were thrilled to see “Iron” Mike Tyson, “The Baddest Man on the Planet,” versus award-winning YouTuber Jake Paul.” What they saw was “The Worst Streaming on the Planet.”

As the fight continued, many individuals on social media complained that they were having trouble watching the fight. Some complaints included buffering issues or inability to access the app.

Stating that “over 100,000 people have complained online,” the lawsuit said that “boxing fans, in addition to average Americans wanting to see the legend in what is probably going his final fight, have been faced with legendary issues including lack of access, streaming glitches and buffering issues.”

reported that Netflix admitted it was aware of its customers’ streaming issues during the boxing match.

“We don’t want to downplay the bad experience some members had and know we have a lot of room for improvement, but we still consider this event a huge success.”

Netflix announced that the fight was watched by 60 million people worldwide and peaked at 65 million concurrent streams.

Tyson (58), who has not boxed for several years, is over 30 years older than Paul (27).


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