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Jay-Z is expanding his sports roster. The rapper and businessman’s Roc Nation Sports announced on social media on Monday (July 10) that it has landed a deal with Italy’s Series A soccer league. Explore Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The “strategic partnership” between the two aims to […]
No charges will be filed following a brief investigation of the altercation involving pop star Britney Spears, San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama and a member of the player’s security team, Las Vegas police said Friday after determining she inadvertently “hit herself in the face.”
Spears said she was struck by a security guard as she tried to approach Wembanyama near a restaurant in a Las Vegas casino complex on Wednesday night. Wembanyama said a person, who he later found out was Spears, grabbed him from behind.
The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department said Spears had actually struck herself when someone pushed her hand off Wembanyama as she reached up to tap the No. 1 overall pick.
In its investigation, which is now over, police determined that the security guard did not willfully or unlawfully use force or violence against Spears. No arrests were made and no one was cited, the report said.
In the report, police said surveillance footage of the event “showed Britney going to tap the Spurs player on the shoulder. When she touched the player (redacted) pushes her hand off of the player without looking which causes Britney’s hand to hit herself in the face.”
Spears filed a police report after the incident outside the restaurant, alleging battery. On Friday, she posted a reaction to Instagram with a caption that said “Either way I’m still a huge fan of the NBA player … it’s not his fault his security hit me.”
Wembanyama was making his NBA Summer League debut for the Spurs in Las Vegas on Friday night. The 7-foot-3 French teen was the No. 1 pick in last month’s NBA draft and is entering the league with as much acclaim as anyone since LeBron James in 2003.
The altercation happened Wednesday night; Spears said she recognized Wembanyama at another hotel earlier in the evening and when seeing him again entering a restaurant at the Aria Resort & Casino she “decided to approach him and congratulate him on his success.”
Spears said Thursday, “His security then back handed me in the face without looking back, in front of a crowd. Nearly knocking me down and causing my glasses off my face.”
Police interviewed security guards for the Spurs and Spears, both of whom said pushing a hand off someone’s shoulder is a standard response, according to the report. The security guard for the Spurs said he spoke with Spears afterward, identified himself and apologized. Spears’ security team said she also apologized, the police report said.
Spears’ attorney in Los Angeles, Mathew Rosengart, did not immediately respond to telephone and email messages Friday about the police report.
Spears said Thursday in posts on Twitter and Instagram that the run-in was “super embarrassing,” and denied grabbing Wembanyama, saying she only “tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention.” She also said that she was hopeful of getting an apology from the team or the security guard who she said was involved.
Wembanyama had a different account of the events. He said security advised him to not stop for anyone as he walked into the restaurant, mindful that pausing could cause a stir and allow a crowd to build. He said one person was shouting “sir, sir” to him, “and that person grabbed me from behind,” he said.
He was told hours later that person was Spears. He never saw her, he said, because he never turned around.
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Saturday (July 8) will finally see Alex Volkanovski go up against Yair Rodriguez during the UFC 290 featherweight championship. This event will also feature co-headliners Brandon Moreno and Alexandre Pantoja who will face off for the flyweight title.
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These matches along with preliminary fights will happen in-person at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. That means unless you’ve scored tickets and hopped on some travel deals, you’ll need to tune into ESPN+ to catch all the action.
On Friday (July 7), UFC took to Twitter to post the official fighter odds featuring a graphic of the contenders and the predicted outcome for each match.
If you can’t make it to Las Vegas this time around, take advantage of streaming options and catch all the excitement from the comfort of your sofa. Other fights you can look forward to viewing include Robert Whittaker vs. Dricus Du Plessis (middleweight), Jalin Turner vs. Dan Hooker (lightweight), Bo Nickal vs. Val Woodburn (middleweight), Robbie Lawler vs. Niko Price (welterweight), Jack Della Maddalena vs. Josiah Harrell (welterweight), Yazmin Jauregui vs. Denis Gnomes and more.
Early preliminary matches will begin at 8 p.m. ET all leading up to the championship matchup of Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez at 10 p.m.
Keep reading to learn how to watch UFC 290 below.
How to Watch Volkanovski vs. Rodriguez
UFC 290 is available to watch exclusively through pay-per-view on ESPN+.
You can get an ESPN+ subscription for $9.99/month, or save over 15% with an ESPN+ Annual Plan at $99.99/year. You can also bundle ESPN+ with Disney+ and Hulu for $13.99/month here.
ESPN+ $9.99/month
You won’t just have access to the UFC 290 fight through an ESPN+ membership. You’ll also be able to watch live games in other sports, NFL drafts, NFL playoffs, MLB games and exclusive on-demand videos, as well as access content from what was formerly known as ESPN Insider. In addition to games, ESPN+ has original shows to stream on-demand, including game recaps, NBA finals and analyses hosted by Peyton Manning, a shorter version of NFL Primetime, as well as full replays of historic NFL games and limited series such as Man in the Arena: Tom Brady and Derek Jeter’s documentary series The Captain.
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Pickleball is having a major moment, with more and more people grabbing a paddle, throwing on their sneakers and hitting the courts. The sport has rapidly grown in popularity — especially throughout America, as an estimated 36.6 million people played the sport between August 2021 to August 2022, CNBC reported.
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Even celebrities have been hopping on the healthy trend, with Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck being spotted playing Tuesday (July 4). In a tweet from @BenniferUpdates, you can see a video of the two sporting some casual athletic wear while hitting the ball across the court.
With more pickleball courts popping up, playing the sport has now become easier — but what exactly is it? If you’ve never heard of the game before or want a quick rundown on all the essential info, we’ve gathered all you need to know to get started on your pickleball journey.
Keep reading to learn what the sport is, how to play and what you need to get started.
What is Pickleball?
The sport may look like a supersized version of ping-pong, but there are a lot more elements that go into playing. The game combines elements of tennis, ping-pong and badminton, according to USA Pickleball. Since it only requires a paddle, a plastic ball with holes and a net, it’s versatile enough to be played indoors or outdoors, allowing for year-round play. A traditional court is usually the size of a badminton court and you can even play on a double or single team.
How to Play Pickleball
One of the reasons the game has become so well-loved is for how easy it is to learn. To start off, someone serves underhand diagonally (and the serve can’t go above your waist). Only one serve is allowed unless it hits the net and lands within the bounds. The serve must also bounce twice — meaning it bounces when it’s served to the other side and then must bounce again when it’s returned to the server.
Iit’s OK to volley with the team, which means you can hit it across the court without waiting for the ball to bounce. You’ll notice on the court a rectangle in front of the net, which is referred to as the “kitchen.” This area is strictly out of bounds unless you’re hitting the ball off a bounce — other than that, stay out of the kitchen!
If your team scores a point, then the server switches to the left square and serves diagonally from there. The switching and serving continues after every point until you lose possession of the ball. Games usually play until someone reaches 11 points and are typically won by two points.
If you need a visual, Pickleballerz USA has a step-by-step video you can follow below.
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Best Pickleball Gear, According to Shoppers
Before you head to the nearest court, make sure you have the right pickleball sets to get you started. If you plan to play outdoors, be sure to pack some sunscreen in your backpack and pair it with some leggings for optimum movement. Whether you have a court nearby or want to set one up in your backyard, keep reading to stock up on all the essentials.
Amazon
Tearplex Pickleball Set of 4
$29.99 $44.99 33% OFF
Tearplex’s Pickleball Set comes with four paddles in red and blue to differentiate teams if you play singles or double. The set is also labeled as an Amazon Choice for pickleball equipment with a rating of 4.6 stars — and we can see why. For those hot sweaty rounds, you can use cooling towels provided during your breaks in between rounds — or when you need to switch out balls with one of the four provided. Everything can also be carried and stored away in the handy bag provided.
Amazon
VINSGUIR Pickleball Paddles Set
$46.99 $57.99 19% OFF
Just need a paddle and spare? This popular paddle set has earned a 4.7 star rating on Amazon with almost 3,000 shoppers rating it five stars for how, affordable, lightweight and comfortable they are to use. Reviewers even label it a beginner-friendly design with one shopper saying they “strongly recommend it if you are looking for an intro set.”
Amazon
Fostoy Pickleball Net Set with Wheels
$132.99
Set up your own pickleball court in your backyard with the help of the Fostoy Pickleball Net Set. Not only does it come with a stainless steel net, but features four paddles, eight balls and a handy carrying case. It’s also an Amazon Choice product with a 4.6 star rating for its ease of setup and ability to seamlessly move from one spot to another (thanks to its built-in wheels).
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of sunglasses deals, the best speakers and portable chargers.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — San Antonio Spurs rookie Victor Wembanyama said Thursday (July 6) he believes Britney Spears grabbed him from behind as he was walking into a restaurant at a Las Vegas casino, and that the security detail he was with pushed the pop star away.
Wembanyama said he wasn’t told that Spears was the person who grabbed him until hours later.
Spears filed a police report saying she was struck by a security guard while trying to get the attention of Wembanyama, a person with knowledge of the matter said Thursday. The person spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the police report had yet to be released publicly.
Spears’ representatives did not respond to a request for comment and police officials did not immediately return a message seeking more details. Wembanyama said security advised him to not stop for anyone as he walked into the restaurant, mindful that pausing could cause a stir and allow a crowd to build.
“Something did happen, a little bit, when I was walking with some security from the team to some restaurant,” Wembanyama said. “We were in the hall. There was a lot of people, so people were calling [at] me, obviously. There was one person who was calling me but we talked before with security.
“I couldn’t stop. That person was calling me, ‘Sir, sir,’ and that person grabbed me from behind,” Wembanyama said. “I didn’t see what happened because I was walking straight and didn’t stop. That person grabbed me from behind — not on my shoulder, she grabbed me from behind. I just know the security pushed her away. I don’t know with how much force but security pushed her away. I didn’t stop to look so I could walk in and enjoy a nice dinner.”
TMZ first reported details of the event that took place Wednesday night near a restaurant at the ARIA hotel and casino. TMZ said Spears was in a group of four trying to enter a restaurant for dinner and that she “was swarmed by fans as she entered the casino.” TMZ said she noticed Wembanyama and tapped him on the shoulder in an effort to get his attention; Spears, the site said, wound up being struck in the face and having her glasses knocked off.
“I didn’t know for a couple hours, but when I came back to the hotel … I thought it was no big deal, and then security of the Spurs told me it was Britney Spears,” Wembanyama said. “At first, I was like, ‘You’re joking,’ but yeah, it turns out it was Britney Spears. I never saw her face. I just kept walking straight.”
He was unaware that the situation had made headlines until Thursday.
“I saw the news obviously this morning. I woke up to a couple of phone calls,” Wembanyama said.
Wembanyama will make his NBA Summer League debut with the Spurs on Friday night in Las Vegas against the Charlotte Hornets. He signed some autographs for fans at the ARIA on Wednesday night and did the same for a small number of onlookers as he entered a local high school for practice with the Spurs on Thursday morning.
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Cam’ron might have the hottest sports take of summer. He revealed why Draymond Green and Jordan Poole got into a fight.
As spotted on HipHopDX the Harlem, New York native discussed Jordan Poole’s recent trade from the Golden State Warriors to the Washington Wizards on the It Is What It Is show. The conversation quickly transitioned to Poole and Green’s infamous fight during a practice back in October. The “Get ‘Em Girls” rapper then went on to give a play by play of what led to the drama. “They said the first day he told Draymond Green — you know, Michigan and Michigan State have beef; Draymond Green’s from Michigan State, he’s from Michigan” he explained. “That’s already a lifetime rivalry right there,” Ma$e added.
“He told Draymond, ‘I f***ed more b****es in Michigan State than you when you went there,’” Cam said. “Then they was running sprints or something and he told Draymond, ‘Don’t worry about it, you’ll be in Sacramento next year.’ Killa alleges that things got really bad when Poole took a very personal shot at Draymond saying “‘Why is your Twitter handle @MoneyGreen when you broke and you not gonna get a new contract?’ And that’s the one that broke the camel’s back.” Naturally this clip quickly went viral and even was mentioned on FOX Sports’ First Things First. “It seems from the reporting of Cam’ron and Ma$e, it seems like the Jordan Poole-Draymond stuff in practice got very heated pre-punch,” Nick Wright said which was followed by a hearty laugh from Chris Broussard.
Neither Jordan Poole or Draymond Green have yet to comment on the matter. You can see Cam’ron and MA$E discuss the situation below.
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From an NCAA women’s national championship, to a Cardi B lyrical shout-out and Latto music video cameo, and now a 2023 ESPY Award nomination — LSU’s Angel Reese is having an unstoppable year.
Reese is among the newly announced 2023 nominees for ESPN’s ESPY Awards, nabbing a best breakthrough athlete nod for her starmaking turn leading the Louisiana State University women’s basketball team to the college title this past spring. And the championship was just the beginning: Reese recently made a cameo in Latto’s “Put It On Da Floor Again” music video, in which featured act Cardi B raps, “I been ballin’ so damn hard could’ve went to LSU.”
Reese will once again face off against Iowa basketball star Caitlin Clark, her NCAA finals foe, in the best breakthrough athlete category, as well as the San Francisco 49ers’ Brock Purdy and the Seattle Mariners’ Julio Rodríguez. (In addition to the individual nom, Reese’s Louisiana State Tigers are also up for best team at the awards show.)
In the top two fields, Nikola Jokić of reigning NBA champs the Denver Nuggets will compete against New York Yankees slugger Aaron Judge, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes, and Argentinean soccer superstar Lionel Messi for the best athlete, men’s sports prize; while the best athlete, women’s sports category is between Olympic skier Mikaela Shiffrin, Portland Thorns soccer star Sophia Smith, Polish tennis champ Iga Świątek, and Las Vegas Aces WNBA player A’ja Wilson.
The 2023 ESPYs will broadcast live on Wednesday, July 12, at 8 p.m. ET on ABC from Los Angeles. Recipients of the ESPYs’ three pillar awards — the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage, the Jimmy V Award for Perseverance, and the Pat Tillman Award for Service — will be announced next week.
BEST ATHLETE, MEN’S SPORTSNikola Jokić, Denver NuggetsAaron Judge, New York YankeesPatrick Mahomes, Kansas City ChiefsLionel Messi, Argentina
BEST ATHLETE, WOMEN’S SPORTSMikaela Shiffrin, SkiSophia Smith, Portland ThornsIga Świątek, TennisA’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
BEST BREAKTHROUGH ATHLETECaitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s BasketballBrock Purdy, San Francisco 49ersAngel Reese, LSU Women’s BasketballJulio Rodríguez, Seattle Mariners
BEST RECORD-BREAKING PERFORMANCE–Novak Djokovic wins his 23rd Grand Slam title, defeating Casper Ruud in the French Open final. Breaking a tie with rival Rafael Nadal for the most major singles trophies in the history of men’s tennis, which dates to the 1800s–LeBron James surpasses Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for NBA career scoring record–Mikaela Shiffrin breaks the record for the most World Cup victories with her 87th win–Max Verstappen wins the Mexican Grand Prix, breaking the record for most wins in a season
BEST CHAMPIONSHIP PERFORMANCE–Leon Edwards, UFC – defeats Kamaru Usman by 5th-round KO to win UFC welterweight title, handing Usman his first UFC loss–Nikola Jokić, Denver Nuggets – 2023 NBA Finals MVP–Lionel Messi, Argentina – 2022 World Cup Final – scored 2 goals and scored in the penalty shootout to win Man of the Match and he won the Golden Ball as FIFA’s best player of the tournament–Rose Zhang, LPGA – defeated Jennifer Kupcho in a two-hole sudden death playoff, making history by winning by becoming the first woman in 72 years to win her first professional start.
BEST COMEBACK ATHLETE–Jon Jones, UFC – Jones’ first fight in the UFC since 2020. He was last seen in action against Dominick Reyes, where he defended his light-heavyweight championship at UFC 247. While Jon Jones was plotting a move to the heavyweight division, he and the UFC president did not see eye-to-eye over fighter pay. Jones felt that he needed to be paid more for a move up to the heavyweight division, which resulted in him delaying his return.–Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets – Murray missed the entirety of last season due to a torn ACL in his left knee. He suffered the injury in a game against the Golden State Warriors on April 12, 2021, and didn’t play in the 18 months since then.–Alyssa Thomas, Connecticut Sun – 2022 WNBA Comeback Player of the Year. Thomas missed all but six games last season while recovering from a torn Achilles tendon. The eight-year veteran has started all 36 of Connecticut’s games in 2022, and was an All- Star earlier this season. She leads the team in assists (6.1), steals (1.7) and minutes played (32.1).–Justin Verlander, Current New York Mets / Houston Astros – 2022 NL Comeback Player of the Year, after being limited to only six innings in 2020 and missing the entire ’21 season due to Tommy John surgery, the Astros’ ace returned this season to go 18-4 with a 1.75 ERA — the lowest by any AL pitcher since Pedro Martinez posted a 1.74 ERA in 2000.
BEST PLAYMichael Block Hole-in-One! GOLFJustin Jefferson with the Catch of the Century NFLAlly Lemos with the perfect corner to tie the National Championship game NCAATrinity Thomas Perfect 10 Tying the All-Time NCAA Record NCAA
BEST TEAMDenver Nuggets, NBAGeorgia Bulldogs, NCAA FootballKansas City Chiefs, NFLLas Vegas Aces, WNBALouisiana State Tigers, NCAA Women’s BasketballOklahoma Sooners, NCAA SoftballVegas Golden Knights, NHL
BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE, MEN’S SPORTSZach Edey, Purdue Men’s BasketballDuncan McGuire, Creighton SoccerBrennan O’Neill, Duke LacrosseCaleb Williams, USC Football
BEST COLLEGE ATHLETE, WOMEN’S SPORTSJordy Bahl, Oklahoma SoftballCaitlin Clark, Iowa Women’s BasketballIzzy Scane, Northwestern LacrosseTrinity Thomas, Florida Gators Gymnastics
BEST ATHLETE WITH A DISABILITYErica McKee, Sled Hockey TeamZach Miller, SnowboardingAaron Pike, Wheelchair Racing & Cross-Country SkiingSusannah Scaroni, Wheelchair Racing
BEST NFL PLAYERNick Bosa, San Francisco 49ersJalen Hurts, Philadelphia EaglesJustin Jefferson, Minnesota VikingsPatrick Mahomes, Kansas City Chiefs
BEST MLB PLAYERPaul Goldschmidt, St. Louis CardinalsAaron Judge, New York YankeesShohei Ohtani, Los Angeles AngelsJustin Verlander, Houston Astros
BEST NHL PLAYERJonathan Marchessault, Vegas Golden KnightsConnor McDavid, Edmonton OilersDavid Pastrňák, Boston BruinsLinus Ullmark, Boston Bruins
BEST NBA PLAYERJimmy Butler, Miami HeatJoel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ersNikola Jokić, Denver NuggetsJayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
BEST WNBA PLAYERSkylar Diggins-Smith, Phoenix MercuryCandace Parker, Chicago Sky (Current Las Vegas Aces)Breanna Stewart, Seattle Storm (Current New York Liberty)A’ja Wilson, Las Vegas Aces
BEST DRIVERBrittany Force, NHRAKyle Larson, NASCARJosef Newgarden, IndyCarMax Verstappen, F1
BEST UFC FIGHTERLeon EdwardsJon JonesIslam MakhachevAmanda Nunes
BEST BOXERGervonta DavisDevin HaneyClaressa ShieldsShakur Stevenson
BEST SOCCER PLAYERAitana Bonmatí, Spain/BarcelonaErling Haaland, Norway/Manchester CityLionel Messi, Argentina/PSGSophia Smith, USWNT/Portland Thorns
BEST GOLFERWyndham ClarkNelly KordaJon RahmScottie Scheffler
BEST TENNIS PLAYERCarlos AlcarazNovak DjokovicAryna SabalenkaIga Świątek
The new season of Ted Lasso might have come to a close, but soccer in the real world is just starting to heat up — especially on the women’s side. On Wednesday (June 21), a slew of celebrities ranging from Taylor Swift to Tim Howard joined forces to introduce the official USWNT FIFA Women’s World […]
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Ja Morant has been suspended 25 games by the NBA thanks to his love of waving firearms on social media. The vibe on Twitter is that the high-flying point guard got off light.
ESPN reports that on Friday (June 16), the NBA announced that the Memphis Grizzlies point guard had been suspended 25 games for “conduct detrimental to the league” at the start of the 2023-2024 NBA season. The formal suspension comes after a second incident in which Morant was seen brandishing a gun on social media, this time in May.
Back in March, the NBA suspended Morant for 8 games for a similar incident where he showed off a firearm on Instagram Live while in a club in Denver. In response to that situation, Morant reportedly enrolled in counseling.
After the second incident, NBA Twitter fully expected NBA Commissioner Adam Silver to drop the hammer on Morant, with many speculating at least a half a season on ice for the talented player. Now it’s a question of Morant staying on the straight and narrow after his second strike.
“Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games,” said NBA commissioner Adam Silver n a statement. “The potential for other young people to emulate Ja’s conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated.”
Silver added, “For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time. Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior.”
Source: Ronald Martinez / Getty
In response, Morant issued his own statement which address his assigned homework.
“I’ve had time to reflect and I realize how much hurt I’ve caused,” said Morant in a statement he released on Friday. “I want to apologize to the NBA, the Grizzlies, my teammates and the city of Memphis. To Adam Silver, Zach Kleiman and Robert Pera — who gave me the opportunity to be a professional athlete and have supported me — I’m sorry for the harm I’ve done. To the kids who look up to me, I’m sorry for failing you as a role model. I promise I’m going to be better. To all of my sponsors, I’m going to be a better representation of our brands. And to all of my fans, I’m going to make it up to you, I promise.”
Peep Twitter’s reactions to Ja Morant’s punishment in the gallery.
Aespa is gearing up to take the stage at New York City’s Governors Ball music festival this weekend, and they kicked off the fun over at Yankees Stadium. Three members of the superstar K-pop group took the mound at the New York Yankees game against the Chicago White Sox on Friday night (June 9) to […]