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Famous African-American NBA rookies in history

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Kobe Bryant, thegrio.com

Earl Lloyd was the primary black American to play in an official National Basketball Association (NBA) basketball game in October 1950. He debuted for the Washington Capitals and broke a barrier that allowed other notable African-American rookies to proceed making history in the game.

Magic Johnson: Revolutionizing the Point Guard Position

January 30, 1996: Guard Earvin (Magic) Johnson of the Los Angeles Lakers observes a game against the Golden State Warriors on the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. Compulsory pass: ALLSPORT USA /Allsport Compulsory pass: ALLSPORT USA /A

After leading his college team to the NCAA title in an exhilarating championship game, Magic Johnson was chosen by the Lakers as the primary overall pick. His debut season was in 1979-1980. While championship game this seasoncenter Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was injured. The Lakers chosen rookie center Johnson, who had previously played point guard, and he scored 42 points to secure the victory and the championship.

Johnson led the Lakers to quite a few victories, he was All-Star 12 timesand was a part of the long-lasting Dream Team on the 1992 Barcelona Olympics.

Michael Jordan: The Beginning of a Legend

Michael Jordan theGrio.com, NBA Rookies
Guard Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls stands on the court during a playoff game against the Utah Jazz on the Delta Center in Salt Lake City, Utah. Jazz won 104:93. June 6, 1997. (Photo: Brian Bahr /Allsport)

He was named Michael Jordan NBA Rookie of the Year for the 1984/85 season. A dominant player even in his rookie yr, Jordan said in the documentary that he knew the Bulls were his team of the long run and that he was its leader. He was also one among 45 players to turn into an All-Star in his rookie yr.

Jordan became a household name and helped the Chicago Bulls win quite a few championships. He He retired from the sport twicereturning to the court every time before ultimately retiring after two NBA seasons with the Wizards, greater than 15 years after his rookie season.

Shaquille O’Neal: Domination from day one

Shaquille O'Neal, thegrio.com, NBA rookies
November 1, 1996: Los Angeles Lakers center Shaquille O’Neal observes a game against the Phoenix Suns on the Great Western Forum in Inglewood, California. The Lakers won this game 96-82. Must-Have: Jed Jacobsohn /Allsport

Shaq’s debut season in the NBA was in 1992-93, when he played for the Orlando Magic. Like Jordan, he was voted Rookie of the Year and played in the All-Star Game as a rookie. His influence on Magic was noticeable; his presence helped the team greater than twice the variety of games they won last season.

LeBron James: The Chosen One debuts

LeBron James theGrio.com
(Photo: Ronald Cortes/Getty Images)

LeBron James was an NBA draft pick first overall pick in 2003and won the Rookie of the Year award in the 2003-2004 season. In his rookie yr, James scored 40 points and had twelve 30-point games, and the next yr his numbers were even higher. Like Jordan, James proved that perfection can exist beyond the primary few years of play; continues to attain results in his twenty first season NBA games.

Kobe Bryant: early promise and development

Kobe Bryant, thegrio.com
A January 2006 photo shows Kobe Bryant talking about his 81-point game against the Toronto Raptors on the Los Angeles Lakers headquarters in El Segundo, California. The Lakers unveiled a memorial to Bryant on Thursday, honoring their late superstar with a 5-foot bronze likeness. (Photo: Reed Saxon/AP, file)

Kobe Bryant, who was drafted after highschool, was the youngest NBA rookie at 18 years old. Despite a difficult start in his debut yr in 1996-97, which included wrist and hip injuriesplaying many positions and requiring intensive learning for a young player, he still managed to win Slam Dunk Title in All-Stars. His constant development over the next seasons indicated that the promise he made earlier was not a coincidence. Bryant participated in multiple championship seasons, played in multiple All-Star games and won several MVP awards.

Other famous African-American debutants

Many other African-American players had good years as rookies and went on to turn into top NBA players. The list includes names corresponding to Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry, Reggie Miller, Charles Barkley and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.

An enduring legacy

Each of those players laid the inspiration for a legacy in their rookie yr, setting records and paving the way in which for others to attain future playing excellence.

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This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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‘I see a little filler and Botox’: New photos of Gabrielle Union Spark after plastic surgery Rumors from critics who say she has lost her ‘signature look’

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Almost 52-year-old actress Gabrielle Union continues to wow red carpets with her bronzed skin, radiant smile and signature long hair that has captivated her fans for over three many years.

However, some fans consider that the “distinctive look” that helped her gain support for Neutrogena within the early 2000s has dimmed in light of the brand new photos. Some speculate that she can have turned to cosmetic procedures to enhance her appearance and anti-aging.

Actress Gabrielle Union is sparking the talk about plastic surgery after a recent red carpet event. (Photo: Gabunion/Instagram.)

The “Bring It On” star recently attended George and Amal Clooney’s third annual bash, The Albies, on Thursday, September 26, in New York City with her husband, former NBA player and game show host Dwyane Wade.

She wore a stunning, sparkling seafoam one-shoulder Versace gown with a cut-out detail on the body and a high slit that showed off her long legs, creating a glamorous vibe. discussion on Lipstick Alley about your appearance.

“This is one of the few cases where the statement ‘such and such is the vision’ is accurate. She looks absolutely stunning, from head to toe. This dress is beautifully cut and the color is gorgeous (especially on her),” noted one fan.

The second comment was: “Looks lovely and well moisturized.”

However, not all comments were so enthusiastic. Some felt that Union’s appearance had been improved in a roundabout way, stating: “Lip injections and other facial procedures are annoying because she no longer has that signature look.”

Fans were quick to defend her in the course of the conversation and redirected the conversation.

“Gabby knows how to dress for her body type,” one user noted, adding: “She always looks good in her clothes. I don’t see any results, but I do see some filler and Botox.”

One person checked out the box office draw of “Deliver Us from Eve” and said, “She has a higher body than me. I even have to go to the gym.

Union’s athletic figure has been putting people to shame for years and has no intention of stopping. She recently posted photos from her quite a few vacations this summer on Instagram. In the photos posted on September 22, she will be seen taking what appears to be an outside shower within the buff.

Water cascades down her body, covering her hair, and as she poses with her back arched, fans couldn’t find an inch of fat on her body.

Even though the photo didn’t show the lady’s very private parts, some couldn’t help but drag her for selecting to reveal herself to almost your entire audience.

“I love you… but this is so disappointing… you’re an adult. I wish young black people had better, consistent role models. This is not needed for attention. ESPECIALLY for someone like you,” one person wrote. Someone else wrote: “Madam, that wasn’t even necessary! Even if you’re going through a mid-life crisis, it wasn’t even necessary!”

But not everyone was indignant with the mother of one.

One of her 21.4 million followers summed it up by writing: “We may not all agree with the choice of first photo…..but DANGGGGG! This is a 51 year old body that is STILL bodyinggggg!!!”

Whether she’s within the desert underwater or on the red carpet, Union is a beauty that’s definitely timeless and will proceed to show heads each with and without clothes on.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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‘So this farce is finally over’: Kanye West abandons wife Bianca Censori for China weeks after reports of his poor hygiene ‘made her feel like choking’

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kanye west bad hygiene

Kanye West appears to be traveling alone after being spotted in Hong Kong without his eye-catching co-star Bianca Censori, and he looked fairly sad while walking through the airport on Friday, September 27.

According to Daily mailThe 47-year-old rapper was scheduled to travel to Haikou, China. The Yeezy founder walked around Hong Kong International wearing a black jacket, black pants, a gray hoodie and sunglasses.

Kanye West bad hygiene
Kanye West reportedly made his wife Bianca Censori suffer as a consequence of the rapper’s poor hygiene habits. (Photo: Arnold Jerocki/Getty Images)

One person expressed belief that West’s solo appearance in China’s special administrative region could spell the top of his relationship with 29-year-old Censori.

A Daily Mail commenter wrote: “So this farce is finally over, thanks for that.” Someone else compared Ye to the late domestic terrorist the Unabomber, commenting, “Hey Kanye, stop appropriating Ted Kaczynski’s wardrobe.”

While netizens slammed West, fans in the actual world harassed the 24-time Grammy winner during his arrival in China.

The West was welcomed as a hero within the Asian nation. Video from TikTok will be seen surrounded by entourage and security as a crowd of supporters with cameras followed him across the airport.

@onlyj790709 Ye West got here to Hai Kou, China again for his second Vultures concert on September 28. #kanyewest #ywest #yeezy #vultures2 #vultures #cpop #drama #shanghaispecial #fuminroad #anfuroad #xintiandi #wukangroad #fashion #voguechina #gqchina ♬ original sound – J790709

Ye’s solo trip comes weeks after Censori was reportedly “disgusted” by the looks of the rapper’s titanium and platinum grill.

She told her friends how discouraging it was,” In Touch Weekly reported, an anonymous source said. “Putting her lips – let alone tongue – anywhere near his metal piercings makes her want to choke.”

Insider further stating that West “has never been known for excellent hygiene. He doesn’t know any forensics about cleansing a grill, so most of the time his breath smells like cigarettes.

Artist of “Sępów 2”. returned to China for his first national appearance in 16 years earlier this month alongside Bianca, who accompanied him on his promotional tour.

What’s more, West and Kim’s 4 children traveled with him to China last week. North (11), Saint (8), Chicago (6) and Psalm (5) took the stage on the Wuyuan River Sports Stadium to perform alongside their father.

West’s latest solo trip to Hong Kong comes after reports that Kim Kardashian expressed concern about her parenting selections regarding her children with her recent wife.

Censori has been criticized repeatedly for her provocative outfits. But her husband’s ex apparently agreed with social media users who took issue with the Australian architect consistently showing skin and revealing body parts in her barely there clothing style.

“Kim thinks it’s inappropriate for Bianca to be around children dressed like that,” a source near Kardashian told The Sun.

The insider continued, “She’s more concerned about how casual Kanye’s parents are and how scantily clad their stepmother is.”

West’s tour of Asia as part of the “Vultures 2” listening event over the past few weeks has sparked heated debate over Censori’s clothing selections. During the couple’s trip to Seoul, South Korea on August 24, Bianca was more subdued. She opted to cover up more for this particular trip with her spouse and three stepchildren.

South Korea’s laws against nudity can have been the rationale why the Yeezy architecture chief donned a cream turtleneck dress as an alternative of her typical edgy look.

West, Censori, Saint and Psalm also went shopping in Tokyo, Japan on September 19. Censori wore a decent nude tank top with out a bra, which once more shocked some onlookers.

But she dressed this way throughout their relationship and marriage. West and Bianca first began dating rumors in January 2023. According to reports, the “Gold Digger” hitmaker and his newest muse tied the knot in an unofficial private ceremony in January 2023, just two months after Ye’s divorce.

After publicly declaring his love for Kim in his 2012 song “Cold,” West became engaged to the “Keeping Up with the Kardashians” reality star in October 2013. They married in Florence, Italy, in May 2014.

In 2016, rumors about problems within the Kardashian-West home began to flow into within the press. The relationship drama became public in 2020 when You revealed he was considering divorce.

However, it was Kim Kardashian who filed for divorce in February 2021. The criminal justice reform advocate finalized a separation agreement with West in November 2022 regarding child custody and funds.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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Indiana Fever vs. Connecticut Sun WNBA made me feel unsafe – Andscape

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In 2018, I attended my first WNBA game.

Six years ago, I drove from my home in Boston to Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut. It was certainly one of those early “camp games” that latest fans recently got so enthusiastic about this summer that the stands full of kids at the highest of the bowl. In my lower bowl section, I squeezed past a bunch of older lesbians who were good-naturedly harsh with the judges. I’ve never had more fun at a sporting event. I felt like I had found a version of home.

I’ve never felt anything but secure, welcome and celebrated at a WNBA game – until Wednesday night. The crowd at Game 2 of the primary round matchup between the Connecticut Sun and the Indiana Fever felt different, and never in a great way.

Although I’m an experienced sportswriter, I used to be not considered a member of the press on this case. Instead, I went to the match as a fan with my partner. Upon arrival, I quickly noticed that the gang was cheering for the visiting team, Fever. Most of the people sitting around me were also Fever fans, most of them wearing Caitlin Clark’s Fever ranger outfit.

It didn’t worry me, but it surely surprised me. I heard (and wrote) about “The Caitlin Clark Effect” throughout the season, but this was the primary time I saw him in motion. As someone who has spent the higher a part of a decade attempting to tell anyone who will listen how great the WNBA is, I’m thrilled to see increasingly more people getting on board. But in a short time something began to disturb the gang.

“I felt very uncomfortable tonight.” Chanda Prescod-Weinsteina Sun fan who has been attending games since 2018 told Andscape. “It was disappointing that so many people from the area came out to support the opposing team. And on top of that, they gave our players a kind of vitriol that had racial undertones.” Prescod-Weinstein was at the sport along with her husband. They are each people of color, and Prescod-Weinstein is queer agent. As a result, “I didn’t feel safe questioning the nasty behavior of those around me,” Prescod-Weinstein said.

As the sport continued, a girl behind me said she saw Sun defender DiJonai Carrington shove Clark and have become increasingly outraged by it. Carrington then fell to the bottom and screamed, “What, did you trip on your eyelashes?”

At this point my partner asked her, “Are you going to be racist the whole game?” She huffed and puffed a bit, but calmed down. Then me he noticed a girl two sections away, getting up and dancing to the music. Her T-shirt read “No Nails” and she or he had cartoonishly long fake acrylic nails made of paper on her hands. It was clear she was mocking Carrington. There were several hats with the slogan “Make America Great Again”, including: man wearing a hat with the words “Trump 2024” written on it. and holding an indication that read: “Make Basketball Great Again #22.”

Every time the Fever scored a goal, the gang erupted, but it surely didn’t seem to be the fans were rooting for his or her team. It was like a threat. There was an ominous atmosphere within the constructing.

But it wasn’t at all times like this. “Most games are like a mini Pride event” – Kate, a Sun season ticket holder who asked that we only use her first name, she posted a video on TikTok about her experience at the sport,” Andscape said. “Last night felt like I was at a MAGA rally in Connecticut. It was furious.”

According to fans, this was something specific to the Fever audience. “We went to see the game (earlier this season) when Sky came to town and although there were a lot of Sky fans, the mood was different,” Prescod-Weinstein said. “A number of them were black women. No MAGA hats. This time there have been a number of older white people there who gave the impression to be there to hate our players slightly than simply be fans.

Both my partner and I are queer and trans. The WNBA has at all times been a league for us. In 2023, over 60% of players were African American, AND over 1 / 4 of them are openly queer. There was at the least one trans-nonbinary person this season within the league. The fandom has at all times felt prefer it reflects the demographics of the league. Thanks to this, the environment was secure for each players on the pitch and folks within the stands.


The atmosphere inside Mohegan Sun Arena on Wednesday night was the logical conclusion of the media coverage the WNBA has received this season and the league’s lack of appropriate response. With the increased audience got here greater interest, mostly from journalists and media outlets that had never covered the league. When these journalists parachute in, they don’t take with them an understanding of the culture, context and history of the game they’re covering. The result’s relationships that harm not only players but fans as well.

Coverage of the primary game between the teams on Sunday overwhelmingly focused on one play during which Carrington unintentionally poked Clark in the attention, continuing a season-long trend of coverage suggesting Clark was being targeted by the remainder of the league. Although each players claimed it was accidental, media reports emerged that Carrington – an openly gay black player – had aggressively attempted to bully Clark, a heterosexual white woman. The he led the story with header, , what the newspaper modified after it faced criticism. Sports podcaster Jason Whitlock claimed that Carrington “assaulted” ClarkESPN sportscaster Shannon Sharpe devoted a whole segment to the show, ESPN sent an in-game push notification concerning the spectacle and right-wing media I spent a day in the sector with him.

Carrington he tweeted among the threats she received, including racial slurs and rape and death threats. Is it any wonder that Clark’s fans showed up on the Mohegan Sun able to attack Carrington because the media is stoking such a fire? And is it any wonder Carrington did it? he called Fever fans the “nastiest” fans within the WNBA?

“In my 11-year career, I have never seen racist comments from Indiana Fever fans,” Sun forward Alyssa Thomas said after the sport. “We don’t want fans to humiliate us and call us racist names… It’s inappropriate and something has to be done, whether it’s them checking their fans or the league checking – there’s no time for that anymore.”

WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert got here under fire on September 9, when asked concerning the toxic fandom and racist harassment and vitriol that many players have experienced this season. Engelbert spoke concerning the need for competition in sports and emphasized that she encourages players to disregard trolls on social media. But as Wednesday’s game at Mohegan Sun Stadium showed, it isn’t nearly anonymous hate on the Internet. This is not even the primary time players have been in danger this season. June 5 someone asked the Chicago Sky players Chennedy Carter and Angel Reese outside the hotel after the sport against the Fever. Other players have commented on the impact fans’ behavior on their mental healthincluding Sky players Isabelle Harrison and Dana Evans.

“It’s not about rivalries or iconic figures driving the business model” – Terri Jackson, executive director of the Women’s National Basketball Players’ Association, – wrote within the statement after Engelbert’s remarks. “This type of toxic fandom should never be tolerated or left unchecked. It requires immediate action and, quite frankly, is long overdue.”

WNBA issued a press release after Wednesday’s game, stating that it will not tolerate “racist, derogatory or threatening comments towards players, teams and anyone associated with the league.” However, for a lot of, including some gamers, this statement is simply too little too late.

There is one other layer of such a racism that could be seen at Mohegan Sun Arena. The Sun is the one Native American-owned team within the league, an early investor in women’s basketball and plays on tribal lands. “I want people to be respectful when they come to Mohegan Arena, regardless of the team they support,” Prescod-Weinstein said. “Most of us come there as guests of Mohegan, on their land. Racism on this context has a special history and the league bears responsibility for it.

Having been at that game, I can let you know that essentially the most aggressive people in that crowd weren’t Indiana Fever fans – they were Clark fans. I didn’t see some other player’s name on a Fever jersey or jersey, and many of the Fever gear I saw clearly had Clark’s name and number on it. It’s now not enough to redirect the conversation back to basketball.

Clark was asked concerning the hate other players are feeling this season and confirmed that racism has no place within the league.

“No one in our league should have to face any form of racism, hurtful, disrespectful, hateful comments or threats of any kind,” he added. she told James Boyd about it “These will not be fans. These are trolls.

Carrington has been critical of Clark this season as she wondered how someone “cannot care that their name is used to justify racism, bigotry, misogyny, xenophobia, homophobia and their intersectionality.” She encouraged Clark, who hasn’t been very outspoken about her fans, to make use of her platform for good, saying that “silence is a luxury.” Following media coverage of Game 1, Washington Mystics guard Brittney Sykes expressed similar sentiment toward X.

“Even if you don’t WANT to take responsibility…. You STILL have responsibility! Speak up,” Sykes wrote. “There is no place for s – that is shown or said to women in our league… Do not use players to hide behind their true intentions of being mean, nasty and racist.”

It’s unfair that the media and a few of her fans are forcing Clark to be an avatar of white supremacy, but she’s going to must actively fight back. If her black colleagues are affected by racism and misogyny and she or he chooses silence, she chooses to benefit from the undeniable fact that she will select to not cope with it while they can not.


As my partner and I stood in the gang for a detailed-to-last-minute qualifying match, we should always have had an excellent time. Instead, we wondered if we should always leave early, frightened that the atmosphere would turn sour at any moment. We were afraid that Fever fans would riot if their team lost, but we were equally afraid that they’d riot in the event that they won.

“Caitlin played her first WNBA game in Connecticut and I was there,” Kate said. “The atmosphere was so positive and exciting that we focused on the kids who got here from everywhere in the world to see her play. “Something modified drastically between that first game and last night. The fan base has been taken over by the adults’ parasocial obsession. The energy shift was palpable and at times terrifying, something I had never experienced while playing W.

I looked around at the gang I didn’t recognize and burst into tears. This shouldn’t be the league these players have worked so hard to create. The Sun should give you the chance to give attention to the undeniable fact that, in pursuit of their team’s first championship, they’ve just advanced to the second round of the playoffs. Instead, they’d to handle the racism and vitriol their players were subjected to easily for doing their job.

If that is what game development looks like, I promise I don’t need it.

Frankie de la Cretaz is a contract author whose work focuses on the intersection of sports and gender. They are co-authors of the book “Hail Mary: The Rise and Fall of the National Women’s Soccer League.”


This article was originally published on : andscape.com
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