Sports
Venture capitalist Henry L. McNamara reveals Snoop Dogg’s alleged Olympic profits
When Snoop Dogg gained widespread popularity because of his presence on the Olympic Games in Paris, presented by NBC, Henry L. McNamara posted a shocking message on social media.
McNamara, a New York-based enterprise capitalist and member of the 2020 enterprise capital class of 30 Under 30, took to Twitter on Aug. 4 to assert that an NBC executive told him the rapper and music producer was being paid $500,000 per day, plus expenses.
“Sitting next to an NBC executive at dinner, he said Snoop was getting $500,000 a day plus expenses to be here and promote the Olympics. From gin and juice to a few million to be a celebrity at the Olympics – what a world,” McNamara wrote.
McNamara’s claim was met with disbelief by the outlet that cited the source, who apparently believed that NBC would essentially allow Snoop Dogg to function a free correspondent during most major Olympic events.
Some have also compared Snoop’s alleged salary to that of American athletes who win medals, but there isn’t a evidence that McNamara’s claims are substantiated, only an alleged conversation with an anonymous NBC executive.
Meanwhile, Snoop Dogg was introduced by NBC because the “Happiness Ambassador” and like McNamara, introduced Snoopy’s unlikely rise to fame as a vice presidential candidate alongside Dr. Dre on “Gin & Juice” to turn into a sensation along with her stellar performance on the Olympic Games in Paris.
Mark Anthony Neal, a professor of African and African-American studies at Duke University, told the outlet: “I’m not sure who bet on Snoop becoming America’s sweetheart in the ’90s. Nobody expected it back then.”
In 2021, NBC hired Snoop to host a late-night highlight reel with Kevin Hart, and executives were so pleased with the outcomes that they wanted more Snoop. NBC wanted the rapper to fill the role of “roaming correspondent” at that 12 months’s Olympics, which the artist apparently agreed to, given his ubiquity at several events.
According to , Snoop could help boost NBC’s coverage, with Molly Solomon, executive producer of NBC’s Olympic coverage, describing Snoop as an “ambassador of happiness” in an interview with the network.
Take a glance discussed a number of the reasons he believes he has been successful as an Olympic ambassador from The Associated Press, telling the media, “When the lights are on, that’s when I shine the best. This opportunity for me was nothing more than a chance to show the world what it should look like when you put the right person in the right environment.”
Martha Stewart, who celebrated her 83rd birthday by competing within the Olympic equestrian competition with Snoop on Aug. 3, said in an interview that his real talent was his likability and ease of relating.
“I think he did an incredible job at the Olympics. It’s a celebration of the best athleticism in the world, and he made it so accessible to everyone. That’s his talent. Everyone loves him,” Stewart said.
Snoop believes the important thing to getting audiences to love him is that he just is himself and the audience feels it’s authentic and not only a performance.
“This is what I do. I do it every day. That’s why it’s not hard for me,” Snoop said. “It’s not like acting. These parts that we do. They’re comfortable. They’re not stretched or forced. It’s me, me.”
Snoop continued: “But remember, I’m a rapper. So no rapper has ever done what I do. It’s the limitations of the field that I come from,” Snoop told the AP. “Rappers shouldn’t do that. I tend to do the unthinkable.”
Sports
NBC Sports will debut “Growing Up: The JuJu Watkins Documentary Series” later this month.
College basketball phenom JuJu Watkins will appear in a six-episode docuseries debuting on NBC and the Peacock network. NBC Sports announced.
The first two episodes of On will air on Saturday, November 23 at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT on NBC and Peacock. Watkins became the all-time leading freshman in Division I scoring with 920 points.
Additionally, during her rookie season on the University of Southern California, she took the Trojans to the Elite Eight for the primary time in 30 years.
More stories for JuJu Watkins, who becomes the primary female college hockey player to star in and executive produce her own show.
“On the Rise: JuJu Watkins” premieres November 23 and explores how @USCWBB The star’s strong ties to her Watts family and community fuel her tenacious… pic.twitter.com/0iX9Kibsln
— Conference room (@conferenceroom) November 11, 2024
The series is created with UNIINTERRUPTED, 4.4. Forty Media and PGR. The documentary will deal with the basketball player’s life on and off the court, in addition to her family and friends.
“JuJu has the potential to set the standard for excellence on and off the field, and it is amazing to see her begin to maximize the opportunities in front of her with strategy and expertise, even at such a young age,” KLUTCH Sports Group founder and CEO Rich Paweł said in a written statement. “This docuseries chronicles her incredible journey to this point, highlighting her extraordinary talent, unwavering work ethic and the vital role her community plays in her success.”
The series will debut before No. 3 USC’s game against No. 6 Notre Dame on Nov. 23 at 4 p.m. Documentaries and games will be available on NBC and Peacock.
The remaining episodes will be released exclusively on Peacock for the rest of the season and might be viewed on the NBC Sports FAST channel, which is out there on Peacock and all major FAST channel distributors.
Recently, Watkins reportedly signed “the richest footwear endorsement deals in women’s basketball.”
Sports
Fear of God Athletics enters the amateur basketball portal thanks to cooperation with Overtime Elite
In collaboration with Adidas, dressmaker and founder of Fear of God Athletics Jerry Lorenzo has officially entered recent territory. Fear of God Athletics might be represented as the eighth team in the Atlanta Overtime Elite (OTE) youth basketball league.
According to a press release, Team Athletics might be equipped with performance uniforms and footwear designed by Fear of God Athletics throughout the 2024-25 season, representing, as the label puts it, “a commitment to the next generation of athletes.” It all began off victorious when the team defeated consecutive champions OTE City Reapers 97-90 at the OTE Arena, debuting on November 8 in recent uniforms and shoes.
“Giving back and being an example of what is possible for young men and women in the next generation is fueled by the fear of God,” said Lorenzo, son of former MLB player, coach and manager Jerry Manuel, during a fireplace chat with the former NBA player Matt Barnes at the partnership announcement event on November 7. “I grew up in a sports family. My dad did well in the big leagues. Now he works with Major League Baseball to bring top (African-American) talent back to baseball. It’s simply in our family to give back to the youth.”
“Jerry’s values and morals and what he stands for are consistent with what we are about in our program,” says Fear of God Athletics coach Cilk McSweeney, who joins the team after coaching Calvary Christian Academy in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, for 12 years, he said.
The collaboration comes just weeks before the December release of the Adidas x Fear of God II Basketball, Fear of God’s first true performance sneaker. The shoe has already appeared in NBA games, as has Los Angeles Lakers guard Gabe Vincent I wore it in lots of games this season.
The recent model is a continuation of the Adidas x Fear of God I model, which premiered in December 2023. Similarly, the Fear of God I model, worn by the players, was presented basketball teams from the University of Indiana and the University of Miamibut just for one game. Fear of God and Overtime Elite’s partnership is meant to be long-term and construct on the latter’s mission to equip basketball players ages 16-20 with the resources they need to take their talents to the next level through non-traditional pathways that emphasize academic acceleration and economic strengthening.
“Connecting with (Fear of God) provides greater exposure to our league and it is a common cause for them,” said Damien Wilkins, general manager and head of basketball at OTE. His role includes connecting the league with brands and providing players with exposure. “I also think it’s great for our players as well, as Fear of God is certainly popular with this age group. All our boys wear it anyway, so it made sense.
“I am very excited about the possibilities that can come from being a part of this relationship” – Shon Abaev, Fear of God Athletics senior point guard, currently ranked No. 29 on the ESPN 100 2025 highschool recruits listhe said. “I’ve already worn Fear of God and Essentials. I’m grateful to be able to wear the (Fear Of God Athletics) shoes on the court.”
Sports
Klay Thompson: ‘There’s no point in looking back’ on Golden State Warriors tenure
DENVER – For the Golden State Warriors and their fans, the return of four-time NBA champion Klay Thompson on Tuesday will likely be a celebration of one in all the best players in franchise history.
As for the brand new Dallas Mavericks defenseman, it doesn’t appear like his first game in the Bay Area against his old team has been circled on his calendar.
“This chapter is over,” Thompson told Andscape after the Mavericks’ 122-120 loss to the Denver Nuggets on Sunday night. “I’m in the technique of attempting to win here. There’s no point in losing anything when we’ve such a fantastic opportunity here to be great. There’s no point in looking back…
“I have to look to the future. I have to try to give it my all.”
The Warriors chosen Thompson with the eleventh pick in the 2011 NBA draft out of Washington State. The five-time NBA All-Star averaged 19.6 points and three.1 three-pointers per game over 11 seasons with the Warriors. Playing with the Warriors in Oakland, California and San Francisco, Thompson won 4 NBA championships and played in six NBA Finals.
Thompson is sixth in Warriors history in points (15,531), fourth in games played (793) and second behind Stephen Curry in three-pointers made with 2,481. He scored 60 points in 29 minutes against the Indiana Pacers on December 5, 2016 and set an NBA record 14 three-pointers in a game against the Chicago Bulls on October 29, 2018.
With the early-season matchup against the Warriors looming, Thompson told Andscape he did not have time to reflect on his accomplishments.
“I appreciate it, but I’m still trying to keep going and keep winning here,” Thompson said Sunday during his postgame press conference.
In recent years, the Warriors have rewarded Curry, Draymond Green, Andrew Wiggins and current Washington Wizards goaltender Jordan Poole with latest contract extensions. Thompson, who missed 2019-2021 attributable to injury, didn’t reach the terms of his contract extension despite being eligible to play last season and have become an unrestricted free agent in June. The two-time All-NBA player averaged 17.9 points for the Warriors last season, his lowest scoring average because the 2012-13 season. After contract talks with Golden State stalled, the 34-year-old agreed to a three-year contract price $50 million against the Mavericks on July 1.
Asked if there was anything he was most dissatisfied about his departure, Thompson told Andscape: “Honestly, not really. This is what it looks like.”
While the Warriors missed the playoffs in the 2023-24 season, the Mavericks advanced to the NBA Finals with stars Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving. By signing with the Mavericks, Thompson joined a team that was the Western Conference champion while the Warriors seemed to be in decline.
However, Curry, Green and the Warriors began this season 8-2, tied with the Phoenix Suns and Oklahoma City Thunder for the perfect record in the West. The Mavericks are 5-5 and Thompson is third on the team in scoring (14.2 points per game).
Thompson told Andscape he’s confident this will likely be a “special” season for the Mavs.
“We have real experience and a chance to win,” Thompson said. “I do know we’re .500 immediately and we’re playing mediocre basketball. But in my experience, the season is long and you will have to peak at the suitable moment…
“You have to keep going, keep your emotions and stay the course. Keep a smile on your face. It’s a long (season). We have a chance to be special.”
Curry, Thompson and Green were amongst essentially the most successful trios in NBA history. He and the Warriors won 4 NBA championships with a combined 518 regular-season and playoff victories. Their 98 playoff wins rank third in NBA history amongst three-team teams, in accordance with ESPN Stats & Information research.
Has Thompson been in contact with Curry and Green?
“I’m locked up. Probably not,” Thompson told Andscape. “I’ll see them after I see them. That’s all.”
Thompson was beloved in the Bay Area for all the time being himself. Thompson threw paper airplanes constituted of boxes on the media after post-match press conferences and was well-known for having an English bulldog named Rocco who was pictured next to him in an motion figure doll handed out at a Warriors home game. He earned the nickname “Captain Klay” for sailing his boat across the San Francisco Bay to games on the Chase Center after the Warriors moved from Oakland to San Francisco in 2019.
Thompson told Andscape that the one thing he misses in regards to the Bay Area is “the water,” but he has no plans to take his boat to Tuesday’s game.
Golden State is looking Tuesday’s game against Dallas a “Captain Klay Salute.” Before introducing Thompson, the Warriors will play a one-minute tribute video. Curry is anticipated to deliver a speech in honor of Thompson, and all fans attending the sport will receive a white captain’s hat with the Warriors logo to tip their hat to Thompson in the course of the introduction. The Warriors have said they plan to retire Thompson’s No. 11 jersey sooner or later.
“I’m looking forward to it,” Golden State Warriors coach Steve Kerr said Sunday. “I feel all of us are. It will likely be very emotional. I do know our fans are ready for it and might’t wait to see Klay.
“I think it’s good news for the fans. Bravo for that,” Thompson said Sunday.
Coincidentally, this can be the primary NBA Cup game for the Warriors and Mavericks. Thompson was excited in regards to the second edition of the intraseason tournament, with the ultimate 4 going down in Las Vegas in December.
“Obviously it will be good to see the people you raced against,” Thompson said Sunday. “For me, it’s just one other November regular season game. Of course, the NBA Cup has greater implications. So it’s in our minds to win it.
Despite all of the Warriors’ plans and anticipated excitement, Thompson doesn’t think he’ll be distracted by all of the hype in his honor. He also told Andscape that he doesn’t expect his return to be emotional.
Why?
“I’ve been playing basketball a long time,” Thompson said Sunday. “Basketball is basketball.”
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