nba

Kwame Brown Former No.1 NBA Pick On Playing With MJ, Kobe And Clears Air – ‘I’m Not Crazy’

Posted on by Phil Lam X

The former NBA first overall pick Kwame Brown, often known for being outspoken and his public rants about life, society and what’s wrong with culture and sports, joins The Pivot today for an in-depth conversation about who he truly is as a man and what he stands for.

Ryan, Channing and Fred sit down with Kwame to peel back the layers of this once basketball great and find out if it’s anger or frustration that fuel his words.

Selected as the first overall pick at age of 19 in 2001, Kwame talks about his experience as a child and rough upbringing to making it out to discover a life as not just a professional basketball player, but one of the best in the country at his young age.

Kwame talks about playing with Michael Jordan, the misconceptions of his rookie year and why he was labeled a problem player and later known as a bust. He shares his experience of playing with Kobe Bryant and being on the court for the legend’s historic 81 point performances and also how Kobe shaped him as a better player and man.

Sharing his truth regarding past issues and incidents between his ongoing battle with Stephen A Smith, the use of the word bust and former players speaking out on him- Kwame is not holding back and using his voice as an open book through his platform.

Working now to help today’s youth and provide an outlet and teach through his experiences, Kwame is focused on bringing reality to young men in the community and helping them evolve into better people with hope through opportunities.

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NBA Bans Off-White Cream-Colored Uniforms Due To Effect On TV Screens

Posted on by Phil Lam X

The light-colored jersey blends right in with the floorboards—causing problems for digital advertisers.

Just when you thought companies couldn’t possibly shove more advertisements into your eye sockets, technology proved it was possible. Digital (or virtual) ads are promos inserted into media post-production or in real time. They first emerged in video games, then started creeping into TV shows on streaming platforms. And during the pandemic, digital ads began making their way onto the basketball court in NBA broadcasts.

On top of ensuring that nowhere in sports is safe from commercialization, the virtual ads have had at least one other, unintended side effect: They killed a well-loved team uniform. In a green screen-style snafu, certain jerseys were too close in color to the polished wooden floors of NBA arenas. Thus, digital ads ended up distorted by players wearing the offending outfits, as first reported by Paul Lukas, the uniform-obsessed aesthetics aficionado who writes the popular UniWatch newsletter.

Specifically, the proliferation of digital ads forced the Milwaukee Bucks’ to give up their cream-colored jerseys. The uniforms were an alternate used during some games from 2017-2020. The colorway was inspired by the team’s home city nickname (in turn, inspired by a local building material). Fans of the Wisconsin franchise loved the look, according to Lukas who spoke with the Bucks’ chief marketing officer, Dustin Godsey. “It was incredibly well received,” Godsey told Lukas. “It helped us kind of build that Cream City brand.”

But there was a problem. The teams’ sponsors started noticing that players wearing the jerseys were getting in the way of their ads—and reported a “pixelation effect,” said Godsey. As a result, the Milwaukee uniforms (and all cream uniforms) were banned NBA-wide. The move also impacts the Philadelphia 76ers, who’ve had a “parchment” colored uniform variant in rotation for the past three seasons, according to Lukas.

It may seem a small thing, but the off-white prohibition is a clear signal of the growing influence that advertisers are having in the sports league and beyond—and the technology enabling that influence. Ad tech is big business, arguably the biggest business—maybe even the only business.

Source: Gizmodo

Tony Yayo On Kyrie Irving Controversy: My Media Trainer Told Me To Avoid Religion, Politics

Posted on by Phil Lam X

In this clip, Tony Yayo reacted to the controversy surrounding Kyrie Irving, and he explained that he was taught in media training to stay away from politics and religion. He added that there’s freedom of speech, but Tony added that you have to be careful not to disrespect people in the public eye. Vlad then explained how New York is unique, and Tony agreed, saying, “Everyone is tough.” Vlad went on to speak about how everyone takes the subway in New York, and they’re forced to be around one another. Tony explained that the best thing about New York is the melting pot of different backgrounds, and he spoke about growing up in Queens around all kinds of people.

Iman Shumpert Doesn’t Agree With Vlad’s Viral Gamer Tweet: That’s Insane Sir

Posted on by Phil Lam X

In this clip, Iman Shumpert spoke about gifting his wife, Teyana Taylor, a 1979 Corvette for their wedding anniversary, and he spoke about knowing the car from the movie “Rush Hour.” Iman also pointed out that Jordan used to drive around in vintage Corvettes, and one day Teyana spoke about loving that style. Iman explained that he wants Teyana to learn about the car and fix it up over time, and he detailed the skills that go into owning a vintage car. From there, Iman and Vlad debated about Vlad’s viral gamer tweet. Iman vehemently disagreed with Vlad about the claim that depression is at the heart of people playing games for hours on end. Iman laid out why he thought Vlad was ultimately overstating the point and called his take “strange” and “insane.”

Nick Young On His “Confused Meme” Becoming More Famous Than Him

Posted on by Phil Lam X

In this clip, Nick Young talks about his famous smiling meme, where it came from and why the image is almost more famous than he is at this point. This prompts the former NBA champion to state that he wishes there was a way for him to get paid for the meme which causes DJ Vlad to also indicate that his material often becomes memes that he doesn’t get paid for. As the discussion moves along, Nick shares what a big deal his meme has become in China, before talking about coming home and finding out that place had been burglarized.

Matt Barnes On Vlad’s Viral Tweet About Video Games Causing Depression

Posted on by Phil Lam X

In this clip, DJ Vlad asks former NBA champion Matt Barnes to share his thoughts on his highly publicized tweet that essentially denounced video games (because they are a form of depression). Matt reflects back to the days when used to play video games, such as Madden, during his playing career and said those were some of the most fun times of his life. This leads to a philosophical conversation about the importance of video games, making money from video games, and being addicted to video games. From there, the two men discuss DJ Vlad receiving death threats over the tweet, Kevin Durant’s pushback on the matter, and how video games can help with mental health.

Eddy Curry: Chicago Bulls Offered Me $400K A Year For 50 Years To Take A DNA Test, I Refused

Posted on by Phil Lam X

In this clip, Eddy Curry talked about some of the earlier days in his career before running into cardiac problems. Eddy described the situation as a stressful one as his career hung in the balance. He recalled the NBA offering him $400K annually for 50 years if he took a DNA test that showed he was more likely to develop heart problems. However, Eddy explained how his agent at the time showed him the negative precedent he would be setting for future Black players.

Iman Shumpert Breaks Down His Financial Moves So He Didn’t Need Money When He Left NBA, How He Lives Off Interest

Posted on by Phil Lam X

In this clip, Iman Shumpert talked about the Britney Griner situation and how it is ultimately a result of the WNBA’s low pay that Griner was in Russia in the first place. He also discussed whether he considered playing overseas after he hadn’t landed with an NBA franchise. He and Vlad discussed developing financial literacy through their respective journeys. Iman detailed having an accountant and a financial adviser, both whom hated one another but he said that kept both of them honest and secured his money. He also recounted never wanting to look at his bank account to avoid the shock of how much money he actually had accessible.

In this clip, Iman Shumpert discussed some of the methods and habits he’s formed (or not) around spending money. He said he never had an issue with spending and managed to save a lot of money over the course of his playing career as a result. At one point, Iman said he couldn’t fathom how athletes could go broke with all the financial incentives they’re contractually afforded.