Basketball
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Looks like embattled NBA superstar Ja Morant has just dodged another legal bullet as a judge has ruled in his favor in a case involving a physical altercation with a teenager during a pickup game in 2022.
According to TMZ, Ja Morant was handed a legal win when the judge overseeing a case where Morant was accused of putting hands on a then-17-year-old Joshua Holloway ruled that Morant was actually acting in self-defense when he hit Holloway when the two got into a scuffle on the court in Morant’s Eads, Tennessee, home. While many assumed this was another incident demonstrating Morant’s descent into the “thug” lifestyle he was seemingly embracing at the time, the judge felt Morant was justified in his actions, hence, handing the NBA player a victory in the case brought to him by the then-minor.
TMZ reports:
Joshua Holloway, who was 17 years old at the time of the incident, sued Morant back in Sept. 2022, alleging the Grizzlies point guard roughed him up while the two were competing on a basketball court at Ja’s Eads, Tenn. home.
Holloway claimed that during an in-game argument, he threw a ball at Morant and accidentally hit him in the face. He alleged Morant then became enraged, and socked him with a closed fist.
Morant, however, later argued he was acting in self-defense … explaining during December court proceedings that he was simply trying to protect himself from harm.
Luckily for Ja, the Shelby County judge judge felt the same way and said as much in his 44-page ruling. The case will move forward with the trial set to get underway later this month, but with this ruling it seems like Ja might be able to get out of this situation without having to cough up much of his $197 million salary.
What do y’all think of the judge ruling in Ja’s favor? Let us know in the comments section below.
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Ice Cube made waves by offering University of Iowa Hawkeyes star Caitlin Clark $5 million to play up to 10 games in the Big3, which would certainly shift things for the popular 3-on-3 league. Ice Cube says that as of now, Caitlin Clark has yet to respond and even said he’d move things around to not interfere with the WNBA schedule.
Ice Cube sat down with The Pat McAfee Show to share the finer points of the deal and how he hasn’t heard back from Clark presumably because the Hawkeyes are in the middle of the NCAA Women’s Basketball Tournament. As Cube explains, Clark, 22, can earn major coin for just 10 weeks of play within the Big3 and he realizes it’d be a big boost for the league he co-founded.
Clark is no doubt going to be a top selection heading into the 2024 WNBA Draft, in which the Indiana Fever owns the top pick overall. Considering Clark’s massive star power and ice-cold game on the court, the Fever’s choice should be a no-brainer.
Check out Ice Cube breaking down his offer to Caitlin Clark with Pat McAfee below.
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Source: Miami Dade PD / Miami Dade PD
The allegations against Diddy continues to get wilder and wilder. A former Syracuse University athlete has been arrested in connection to a drug investigation into the mogul.
According to Syracuse.com Brendan Paul was apprehended on Monday, March 25 at the Miami-Opa Locka Executive Airport. Miami-Dade Police Department officers claim they found cocaine and marijuana candy on his person. The affidavit details that this bust was a collaborative effort between the Miami-Dade Police Department, Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection. “The defendant had the contraband inside of his person travel bags, which he claimed prior to being searched,” the document reads.
He was released on $2,500 bond and is scheduled to appear at Miami-Dade Criminal Court on April 24. Brendan Paul played for the Syracuse University basketball team as a guard during his freshman and sophomore years before transferring to Fairmont State University for his final two years. After college he pursued a career in music and worked on Diddy’s The Love Album: Off the Grid album which was released in 2023. Brendan Paul was named as Combs’ drug mule in Rodney “Lil Rod” Jones Jr.’s civil lawsuit against the Bad Boy Entertainment mogul. Police did not comment on whether the illegal substances had any connection the Diddy.
This week federal agencies raided the “I Need A Girl” rapper’s homes in Los Angeles and Miami in connection to an sex trafficking investigation. He maintains his innocence via a statement from his lawyer. “There has been no finding of criminal or civil liability with any of these allegations,” attorney Aaron Dyers said. “Mr. Combs is innocent and will continue to fight every single day to clear his name.”
Since the tipoff of the 2023-2024 season, women’s college basketball sensation Caitlyn Clark has been buzzing. Her historic play not only has her seated to be the future No. 1 pick in this year’s WNBA draft, but even maybe the next superstar of Ice Cube’s BIG3 league after the West Coast rap legend reportedly offered […]
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March Madness is back! The 2024 NCAA men’s basketball championship began with the First Four on Tuesday (March 19).
Keep reading for the schedule and ways to watch and stream March Madness games.
March Madness Schedule
March Madness officially started during Selection Sunday on March 17. The First Four in the men’s tournament will be held from March 19-20 with four games scheduled: Wagner vs. Howard at 6:40 p.m. ET on truTV, Colorado State vs. Virginia at 9:10 p.m. ET on truTV, Grambling vs. Montana State at 6:40 p.m. ET on truTV and Colorado vs. Boise State at 9:10 p.m. ET on truTV.
Friday’s games will broadcast across CBS, truTV, TBS, TNT and ESPN. Game day begins with Florida Atlantic vs. Northwestern airing Friday at 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS. Baylor vs. Colgate is scheduled for 12:40 p.m. ET on truTV, San Diego State vs. UAB at 1:45 p.m. on TNT, Marquette vs. Western Kentucky at 2 p.m. ET on TBS, and UConn vs. Stetson at 2:45 p.m. ET on CBS.
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The men’s Final Four is slated for April 6.
Sacred Heart and Presbyterian College will kick off the First Four women’s games on Wednesday (March 20) at 7 p.m. on ESPNU. The women’s basketball schedule includes Vanderbilt vs. Columbia at 9 p.m. ET on ESPNU on Wednesday. Thursday’s schedule will feature Auburn vs. Arizona at 7 p.m. on ESPNU and Holy Cross vs. UT Martin at 9 p.m. on ESPN2.
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North Carolina vs. Michigan State, Ohio State vs. Maine, LSU vs. Rice, Virginia Tech vs. Marshall, South Carolina vs. Sacred Heart/Presbyterian are on the schedule for Friday. This week’s women’s games will air across ESPN, ABC, ESPNU and ESPN2.
The women’s Final Four championship will take place on April 5.
How to Watch March Madness Games Without Cable
Whether you’re watching March Madness on your computer, phone or TV, streaming gives you plenty of variety and the ability to watch from anywhere.
Sports fans who already have access to ESPN, TNT, TBS, truTV, ABC and CBS through cable, satellite, internet (or an HD antenna for local channels), can watch March Madness games live, but for those who haven’t settled on a TV streamer, we’ve put together a few different options that are actually worth the money.
Fans can watch and stream March Madness games through DirecTV and other platforms that provide live television such as Hulu+ Live TV, Fubo, Sling TV and Max.
New customers can join DirectTV for just $69.99/month when you subscribe for 24 months. DirecTV is a good option because it offers cable channels and local channels including ABC, NBC, CBS and Fox, alongside TNT, TBS, truTV, ESPN, ESPN2, and ESPNU.
Subscribe to Max and stream NCAA games for as low as $5.83 per month when you prepay for a year. This is the first time that the steamers has offered access to all 2024 NCAA Division Men’s Basketball Championship games live in addition to studio coverage airing on TBS, TNT and truTV, including the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four National Semifinals and the 2024 Men’s National Championship.
This is the first time that Max will stream all the 2024 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship live games and studio coverage airing on TBS, TNT, and truTV — including the 2024 NCAA Men’s Final Four® National Semifinals and the 2024 Men’s National Championship. All tournament games on Max will be available to stream in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
In addition to game coverage, Max will debut the sports programs Max Bracket Breakdown on Thursday and Max Daily Replay on Friday. The tournament games will be available to stream on Max in Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.
The limited offer save you over 40% off Max streaming plans and applies to new, returning and existing customers.
Interested in more streaming deal? Sling TV starts at just $20 for the first month, and streamers like Fubo and DirecTV Stream offer free trials for up to a week.
With Sling, you can stream dozens of channels including ESPN, ESPN2, ESPN3, TNT, TBS, FS1, FX and more. Furthermore, Sling’s Ultimate Basketball Offers will save you $40 over four months.
Thinking about joining Philo? Unfortunately, channels like CBS, TNT and TBS are not available on Philo, but subscribers can stream 60+ channels for just $25/month and a free trial for 7-days.
You can stream select March Madness games and other CBS programs with Paramount+ with Showtime for $11.99/month after a free trial for the first week (click here for ways to land free Paramount+ for more than a week).
Watch TV shows, movies and more including Paramount+ Originals such as Halo, The Family Stone, Star Trek Picard, Special Opps: Lioness, 1883, Mayor of Kingstown, and CBS shows such as Ghosts, NCIS, CBS Mornings and Survivor.
In addition to movies and TV shows, documentaries, concert specials and CBS, Paramount+ subscribers can also watch other live sports such as soccer. And if you’re an Amazon Prime member, Paramount+ with Showtime is available on Prime Video.
Can you watch March Madness games on ESPN+? Although you won’t find the NCAA March Madness tournament on ESPN+, there are plenty of college sports games available including basketball, football, soccer and more.
Streaming internationally? Use ExpressVPN or NordVPN to access CBS, TBS, TNT, ESPN, Paramount+ and other platforms from outside the U.S.
March Madness Merch & Tickets: Where to Buy
And now, it’s time to talk merch. If you’re looking for March Madness merchandise you can find lots of gear at retailers such as Fanatics, FansEdge, Amazon, Dick’s Sporting Goods and the NCAA Shop.
You can find tickets available at StubHub, Vivid Seats, StubHub and Gametime.
Click here for the full 2024 NCAA men’s March Madness schedule and here for the women’s schedule.
Need a March Madness bracket? Download a printable bracket here.
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Billboard may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
The men’s college basketball postseason is upon us, with March Madness kicking off next week.
The First Four play-in games are set to take place Tuesday (March 19) in Dayton, Ohio, while the Final Four games will see the last remaining quartet of teams go head-to-head at State Farm Stadium in Glendale, Ariz., April 6-8. Cord-cutters don’t have to hunt for their nearest sports bar to watch March Madness live: For a limited time, Sling TV is offering up to 50% off the first month with access to all the 2024 March Madness games.
Selection Sunday takes place this weekend, on March 17, to determine the 68 teams competing in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Once the bracket has been revealed, March Madness will commence with teams competing across the U.S. in cities including Brooklyn, Charlotte, Indianapolis, Omaha, Pittsburgh, Salt Lake City, Spokane and Memphis.
Keep reading to learn when and how to livestream March Madness 2024 on Sling TV.
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When Does March Madness 2024 Start?
After Selection Sunday, March Madness will start on Tuesday (March 19) with two play-in games. Then the 64-team tournament games begin Thursday (March 21) and go until the Final Four games that begin on Saturday (April 6). See below for the full breakdown of the schedule.
First Four games: March 19-20
First Round (round of 64): March 21-22
Second Round (round of 32): March 23-24
Sweet 16 (regional semifinals): March 28-29
Elite Eight (regional finals): March 30-31
Final Four (national finals and championship): April 6, 8
How to Watch March Madness 2024 on Sling TV
Sling TV offers a variety of affordable streaming options that will allow you to stream March Madness 2024 live online. The live TV streaming platform is offering a limited-time promotion on eligible plans that will earn you up to half-off the first month, saving you as much as $20. Click here or the button below to start your subscription.
Sling TV has three different sports packages to choose from: Sling Orange, NBA League Pass and Sling Orange + NBA League Pass. With Sling Orange, you’ll receive a discount of 50% off for the first month, dropping the price down to $20 (reg. $40); national coverage on ESPN, TNT and more channels; access to ABC through ESPN3; and up to 50 hours of DVR storage. After your first month is up, you’ll be charged the regular subscription price of $40/month.
For even more basketball, NBA League Pass is slashing $5 off the first month, which takes the price down to a wallet-friendly $10. You’ll be able to watch all the out-of-market games (subject to local blackouts), more than 400 channels of free movies and TV shows through Sling Freestream, a $5 Sling credit toward your first month and 24/7 access to NBA TV.
And, if you want both plans, you can bundle the two together with Sling TV + NBA League Pass, which is on sale for only $50 for the first month (reg. $55).
Drake’s son Adonis Graham had the opportunity to meet one of his favorite hoopers when the Charlotte Hornets visited the Toronto Raptors. While his father is on the road for tour, Adonis pulled up to the Scotiabank Arena’s visiting locker room on Sunday (March 3) to spend some time with Hornets star LaMelo Ball, who […]
It’s rare for Travis Scott to be in Iowa, but women’s basketball phenom Caitlin Clark tends to bring the stars out. With Clark breaking the all-time NCAA scoring record for men and women on Sunday (March 3), La Flame had to be in the building to see the historic moment himself from a courtside view. […]
Latto is bringing her “Big Energy” to the court. The Grammy-nominated rapper is set to be headlining this year’s Super Saturday Concert presented by AT&T, which will take place on April 6 in Cleveland, Ohio, the night before the NCAA’s Women’s Final Four Division I Championship Game. The event is free to the public, with the […]
The odds of anyone making it into the NBA are slim to none. You have to be one of the world’s most skilled individuals to even dream about being drafted into the league — so when pro basketball players turn out to have additional talents on top of their sport, it’s almost not fair.
And yet, such is the case for Memphis Grizzlies teammates Brandon Clarke and Jaren Jackson Jr., who both release music under rap alter-egos, as well as the Denver Nuggets’ Zeke Nnaji, who just so happens to be a gifted pianist. These athletes are just three of several b-ballers with a penchant for the artform, carrying on an unofficial tradition of music in the NBA that’s lasted decades.
A 27-year-old Vancouver native, Clarke records music under the alias BCVS and dropped a pair of albums over the summer, the latter of which is a 14-track set titled Ride the Lightning. Jackson, 24, features on one of the LP’s songs, “How U Know?” under his stage name, Trip J. His newest album arrives Friday (Feb. 16), and he proudly tells Billboard that it’s his “best project to date.”
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Then there’s Nnaji, who’s been playing piano since he was first-grader. While his colleagues see music as a separate entity from their basketball careers, the 23-year-old power forward finds a surprising harmony between the two.
Ahead of 2024’s All-Star Weekend in Indianapolis, Billboard caught up with Clarke, Jackson and Nnaji about their musical pursuits off the court. See what they had to say below.
How long have you been a musician?
Brandon Clarke: I’ve been making music for about 2.5 years now. I got involved with it from just messing around in the studio with my teammate, Jaren [Jackson Jr.], a while back.
Jaren Jackson Jr.: I have been making music for over five years, but it all started in high school and college when I would rap with some of my friends and teammates. Early in my career in Memphis, I met one of my now producers who showed me the ins and outs of music engineering and how you can find your sound.
Zeke Nnaji: I’ve been playing piano since I was six years old. Growing up, I had a little toy piano I’d play a lot. My parents saw how much I enjoyed playing on that, so around the age of six, they enrolled me in piano lessons. From then on, I’ve been playing on my own and teaching myself new things.
How would you describe the music you make?
Brandon Clarke: The music is just me having fun and storytelling. I try not to take it too seriously, but it’s just fun to do.
Jaren Jackson Jr.: I would describe my music as effortless and authentic. It’s very versatile. You can listen to it while riding in the whip, walking around with your headphones in or at the house.
Zeke Nnaji: I like playing different genres of music, from ragtime to classical, jazz to modern music. I just like being able to hear a song, and if I enjoy that song, sit down and learn how to play it on piano. I do also compose some of my own music as well, I’ve been doing that since I was in fourth grade — it started off as little one-note songs here and there, and as I’ve gotten older, the songs become more complex and intricate.
How do you make time for music in your busy schedule as an athlete?
Brandon Clarke: It’s become something I love doing. It’s my No. 1 hobby outside of hoops. I have a studio inside of my house now, and I’m good friends with my engineer. I love to be able to find pockets of time to sit down and make a couple of songs. I listen to beats and write lyrics all the time on flights to and from cities we play in.
Jaren Jackson Jr.: When I first started making music, it used to take a lot longer. As I’ve developed in my career, I have gotten to a point where music feels effortless. Typically, it takes me around 15-30 minutes to make one song. I also find that I don’t have a ton of time on my hands during the NBA season. A lot of my work is done in the off-season.
Which artists are you most inspired by?
Brandon Clarke: Favorite musicians are Playboi Carti and Lil Uzi Vert, and they are definitely who I take inspiration from. I love the careless vibe of their music.
Jaren Jackson Jr.: Some of my favorite artists and influences in my career are Ken Carson, Baby Smoove, ICYTWAT and Midwxst. Living in Memphis defines a lot of my style and how I view making music. I’ve been fortunate to work with incredible artists that I have helped identify and put on, including Daicia, RAGEHARAJUKU and Fububanks.
What music goals do you have currently?
Brandon Clarke: I dropped a couple of albums in the summer, both just for fun! I don’t really care to advertise it much, the drop is just for me and the real locked-in fans, really. I’m currently not really working on any project, I’m just having fun discovering new sounds and seeing what I can create. Music-wise, I hope to just keep adding to my range of music I can make. I almost wanna start making some rock songs. I love rock, so that would be dope.
Jaren Jackson Jr.: Personally, I want to continue to find my sound and continue to get better in the space. I have learned so much in five years and know I will keep learning as time goes on. Aside from my personal goals, I also want all of my artists that I support to get record deals and awards and truly be the best they can be. The music industry is all about getting better and I want to continue growing with those who have been around me since day one.
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How, if at all, does your music overlap with your basketball career?
Brandon Clarke: For me, it’s just a great hobby. I try not to take it seriously like I take basketball, or else I start to lose the fun in it a little bit. I am my favorite artist really, so whenever I make new songs, it’s new music for me to bump.
Jaren Jackson Jr.: Making music is a huge stress reliever for me but also something I keep separate from my basketball career. I try not to let the two blend into one another.
Zeke Nnaji: Early on, I noticed a lot of correlations between practicing piano and playing basketball — the same dedication, the same practice that you have to put into your craft. The same hours of repetition you put on the keys to master a song can be applied to basketball when you’re trying to craft your shot. I noticed that the same kind of discipline I had on the piano, I could apply to basketball. It made both of them that much easier, being able to see how each helps the other.