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It’s a homecoming for Master P. The New Orleans rap dignitary has been named the President of Basketball Operations at the University of New Orleans.
The move was made official during a press conference on Wednesday (Feb. 26) where P — born Percy Miller — revealed his plans to restore glory to his hometown university’s basketball program.
“Today is history,” he began. “We’ve come a long way. Growing up in New Orleans, when I was a kid, I looked at the University of New Orleans basketball program as probably one of the best in the country. Every kid wanted to come to the Lakefront Arena and be a part of this.”
Master P continued: “I’m just so appreciative and blessed that God has given me this opportunity … to rebuild this program. We gonna change this. This is our culture, this is our team and this is our family. We want to give that family love out here to the city to bring the people back where it should be at.”
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The No Limit Records boss is promising to “change the culture” at UNO, and he’s got his work cut out for him, as the Privateers fell to a lowly 4-25 following loss to Texas A&M-Commerce on Monday (Feb. 24). The team is yet to secure a win on its home floor this season.
The 2024-2025 Privateers season has been draped in controversy, as The Field of 68‘s Jeff Goodman reported on Wednesday that the University of New Orleans has held out four of its top five starters on suspension due to an ongoing gambling investigation.
The team has lost eight straight games in the players’ absence. They last suited up on Jan. 27. “Leading scorer James White (19.2 ppg), Jah Short (9.2 ppg), Dae Dae Hunter (8.2 ppg) and Jamond Vincent (7.8 ppg) have all been out since the 74-58 loss to UIW,” Goodman wrote. “There is currently an ongoing school and NCAA investigation.”
https://twitter.com/GoodmanHoops/status/1894744804015194305?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet
Master P has quite the hoops background in his own right. He was on a college basketball scholarship at the University of Houston before injuring his knee. P battled back to earn pre-season roster spots on the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors in 1998 and 1999, but was cut before the regular season.
He passed down his love of basketball to his children. P’s son Hercy Miller suits up for Southern Utah University, while Mercy Miller is a freshman at the University of Houston. The Houston Cougars are currently ranked No. 4 in the country and a bona fide National Championship contender.
Watch the full press conference below.
Like millions of Swifties everywhere, Travis Kelce‘s emotional-support artist is Taylor Swift — especially following his recent heartbreak at the 2025 Super Bowl. On the latest episode of their New Heights podcast posted Wednesday (Feb. 26), the tight end and his older brother, retired Philadelphia Eagles center Jason Kelce, opened up about the music they […]
Sure, Lionel Messi is a soccer superstar, but he’s also a mainstay in the music world, often getting shout-outs in lyrics from artists across the globe.
In fact, Apple Music has a whole playlist of songs that mention him, separated by continent and featuring songs by Justin Bieber, Travis Scott, Future, Lil Uzi Vert, Bad Bunny, Stormzy, Burna Boy and many more.
In new clips from his sit-down interview with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe, shared exclusively via Billboard, the Argentine athlete revealed that he’s “flattered” to be mentioned so often in song lyrics. “My sons also enjoy it and they are surprised to hear my name in a song,” he added of 12-year-old Thiago, 9-year-old Mateo and 6-year-old Ciro. “It’s actually really nice to be part of music from that angle.”
Messi continued, “For me, that is very moving and I am grateful to those who did it because I know that in all the lyrics, they mention me with lots of affection, flattering me for some reason.”
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However, it’s not the music that makes him a “cool dad”; it’s his athletic achievements, from leading Argentina to the World Cup in 2022 to his Inter Miami squad winning the 2023 Leagues Cup after his MLS debut. “My thing is the field,” he says. “When things work out well, and we have a chance to celebrate a title as a group or individually and to be able to enjoy it with them is special for me. … To achieve in this sport and to enjoy it with them, for me, that is the best.”
Messi also discussed his general relationship with music and how much sports and music are intertwined. “We listen to music in our everyday lives or before the matches and after the matches as well. The football environment and the locker room has music constantly,” he shares. “Generally, music is present in everything we do.”
He continues, “I’ve always had that craze of listening to music going to games or listening to music before matches. During my whole career, it’s always been this way. Football and music coexist in a lot of these moments and places.”
Watch the exclusive clip below. Zane Lowe’s full interview with Lionel Messi will be available on Apple Music, YouTube and MLS Season Pass beginning Friday (Feb. 28). Fans can watch Inter Miami and all of Major League Soccer’s 2025 season exclusively on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
From now on, the Yankees will celebrate being the kings of the hill only if they’ve earned it. As announced this week, the Major League Baseball team has decided to end its tradition of playing Frank Sinatra‘s “New York, New York” over stadium speakers at the end of each game, win or lose, now opting […]
Kevin Durant wants rap fans to stop arguing and enjoy the music. Over the weekend, the Phoenix Suns star took to X to share his opinion on J. Cole‘s latest song “Clouds” in a since-deleted tweet. “I don’t care about none of that fake tough guy sh–,” he quote-tweeted over a post sharing the song. […]
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Justin Bieber will make a rare public appearance today, as the singer takes to the ice for a charity hockey game benefitting LA wildfire relief.
Bieber, Ross Lynch, Steve Carell, Taylor Kitsch and Skylar Astin are among the celebrities participating in the event, titled, “Skate For LA Strong: A Celebration to Support the Fire Recovery Efforts in Los Angeles.” Four teams will play in a single-elimination format, with each team’s roster featuring a mix of celebrities and former NHL players, along with first responders from LAFD, LAcoFD and LAPD.
The hockey game will mark one of Bieber’s first official appearances in nearly a year. While the singer has been photographed out and about with wife Hailey — most recently at her Rhode Beauty pop-up in LA — he hasn’t headlined an event since playing a surprise Toronto show during NHL All-Star Weekend last February. Guess hockey brings out the best in Biebs.
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Want to watch Bieber playing in the LA strong charity hockey game? Here’s what you need to know.
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How to Watch Skate for LA Strong Hockey Game
Skate for LA Strong takes place live today, Sunday, February 23 at 6 p.m. ET / 3 p.m. PT. If you want to watch the charity hockey game on TV, the event will be broadcast live nationally on ESPN2, truTV and Sportsnet. In L.A., you can watch Bieber take to the ice on KCAL-TV.
How to Stream Skate for LA Strong Hockey Game Online Free
Want to watch the Skate for LA Strong event online? The NHL charity game is streaming on ESPN+. Log into your ESPN+ account to get a livestream of the event. Don’t have ESPN+? A subscription to the sports streaming service starts at just $11.99/month and gets you a live feed of Bieber’s hockey game in addition to thousands of hours of other live sports and on-demand content.
Don’t want to sign up for ESPN+? Use DirecTV Stream, a live TV streaming service that includes a live feed of ESPN as part of its channel lineup. DirecTV Stream has a free trial that you can use to watch Skate for LA Strong online free without cable. DirecTV lets you stream the hockey game from your phone, tablet, laptop or smart TV.
You can also stream Bieber’s charity NHL game online free through Fubo. Fubo is another live TV streamer that includes ESPN, and the service is currently offering a week-long free trial that you can use to livestream Skate for LA Strong free. Fubo’s free trial includes free DVR so you can record Bieber’s game to watch back on-demand as many times as you want.
In addition to Bieber playing on the ice, today’s event will also feature musical performances from Kaskade, Jordan Davis and Lauren Spencer-Smith. Danny DeVito, Snoop Dogg, Will Ferrell, Al Michaels, Cobie Smulders, Hannah Stocking, Vince Vaughn and Andrew Whitworth will serve as honorary coaches for the four teams.
L.A. Strong Skate Hockey Game Tickets
While this is a must-see event for many hockey fans and music fans, you actually won’t be able to get tickets to the game. Entry to the wildfire relief event is reserved for first responders, firefighters, and their families.
Bieber’s appearance comes on the heels of a cryptic message posted by the singer on Instagram Thursday, where he wrote that, “It’s time to grow up. Changing is about letting go! Today I’m letting go and remembering the weight isn’t on me to change,” he continued. “The weight is on God. So I give all my insecurities and my fears to him this morning.”
Justin Bieber is among the stars set to participate in a benefit hockey game aimed at raising funds for those impacted by the Los Angeles wildfires. Actor Steve Carell and musician Ross Lynch will join the Canadian superstar as they lace up for “Skate For LA Strong: A Celebration to Support the Fire Recovery Efforts […]
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. If you’re looking for great NBA merch, the Grateful Dead collection doesn’t miss. Taking inspiration from the legendary band’s iconic skull […]
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.
During NBA All-Star Weekend, the best of the best in pro basketball flocked to the Chase Center in San Francisco to show off their talent and skills for fans. Additionally, there are a number of premium sneaker drops from some of the top players in the NBA, including Ja Morant, Kyrie Irving, Victor Wembanyama, LaMelo Ball and others.
We rounded up the best of the best sneaker drops from Nike, New Balance, Puma and other brands. A few of them available now for purchase, while others come out within the new few weeks.
Some of the big standouts in 2025 are LeMelo Ball’s “oozy” Puma MB.04 sneakers in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles colorways for Leonard, Michelangelo, Raphael and Donatello, as well as Kyrie Irving’s Anta Kai 1 Speed “Bag Work” sneakers that were inspired by plastic takeout bags.
There are even a few Nike Air Jordan drops, with the Jordan 1s and Jordan 12s, that celebrate Michael Jordan’s 40th anniversary with the sports apparel company.
Ahead, you’ll find out picks for the best sneaker drops during NBA All-Star Weekend.
Puma
Puma x LaMelo Ball x TMNT MB.04
Nike
Nike Kobe 6 Protro ‘All-Star 2.0’
Anta
Anta Kai 1 Speed ‘Bag Work’
Nike
Nike Air Jordan 12 Retro ‘Black and Varsity Red’
Release date: Mar. 1 at 10 a.m. ET
Nike
Nike Jordan 1 Retro High OG ‘Bred’
New Balance
Bricks & Wood x New Balance 1000
Release date: Feb. 21 at 2:59 a.m. ET
Nike
Nike Ja 2 Scratch ‘Black Label’
Nike
Nike G.T. Hustle 3 Wembanyama ‘Black Label’
Nike
Nike Air Jordan 1 High OG ‘Black Toe’
Nike
Nike Air Foamposite One ‘Galaxy’
Release date: feb. 21 at 10 a.m. ET
Nike
Nike Dunk Low Retro SE ‘We Believe’
Nike
Nike Air Force 1 ’07 LV8 ‘We Believe’
Aside from basketball, the Nike Air Jordan 1 sneakers are the go-to shoes for a number of celebrities and top recording artists in pop culture for decades, such as Travis Scott, J Balvin, Teyana Taylor, Kid Ink, Common, Justin Timberlake, Paloma Mami and many others.
Want more? Shop more basketball sneakers below.
For more product recommendations, check out our roundups of the best Xbox deals, studio headphones and Nintendo Switch accessories.
On Saturday, Feb. 15, Billboard and EMPIRE came together at EMPIRE’s San Francisco studios to celebrate Billboard’s second annual Sports and Music issue, honoring some of the most powerful people operating at the intersection of the industries of sports and music. The issue, which features EMPIRE founder/CEO Ghazi on the cover, as well as a […]