People Magazine Names Michael B. Jordan 2020's Sexiest Man Alive!
People has named Michael B. Jordan the Sexiest Man Alive in 2020.
The magazine announced the "Black Panther" star won the honor Tuesday night.
The 33-year-old actor is one of Hollywood's most eligible bachelors and keeps his love life under wraps. His Sexiest Man Alive win comes on the heels of musician John Legend's recent reign.
"It's a cool feeling," he said to People, about the title. "You know, everybody always made that joke, like, ‘Mike, this is the one thing you’re probably not going to get.' But it’s a good club to be a part of."
After working at a young age as a child model, Jordan wowed critics in the small but important role of Wallace in the HBO crime drama "The Wire." He went on to join the cast of the ABC soap "All My Children" in 2003 — replacing his future "Black Panther" co-star, the late Chadwick Boseman.
Jordan played quarterback Vince Howard in the NBC drama "Friday Night Lights," and earned more critical raves portraying shooting victim Oscar Grant in the 2013 biographical drama "Fruitvale Station."
By 2015, the brawny actor was starring in one action movie after another, playing Johnny Storm, the Human Torch, in Marvel's "Fantastic Four," and then Adonis "Donnie" Creed, the son of boxer Apollo Creed, in the "Rocky" sequel "Creed."
His biggest role to date just may be his much-lauded portrayal of supervillain Erik Killmonger in Marvel's "Black Panther," which found him battling Boseman's titular superhero character.
But getting into the mind of someone so sinister took a toll on Jordan's mental health. He told Oprah Winfrey during a February 2019 "SuperSoul Conversations" TV special that he began seeing a therapist after shooting wrapped.
"I got a little depressed. It was tough for me for a minute," he revealed. "Just readjusting to being around the people who care about me, getting that love that I shut out for a long time.""Honestly, therapy, just talking to somebody was something that really helped me out a lot," he said. "As a man, you know, we get a lot of slack for it... I don’t really subscribe to that. Because I feel everyone needs to unpack and talk."
The Sexiest Man Alive title has been awarded to celebrities like Patrick Swayze and John F. Kennedy Jr. since 1985. Denzel Washington was the first Black man to earn the title in 1996, and in recent years, it has gone to actors Dwayne Johnson and Idris Elba.
Jordan's kept a busy calendar since "Black Panther" wowed theatergoers, and will be seen next in the upcoming spy thriller "Without Remorse."
#RHOSL: Why Did Mary Crosby Marry Her Late Grandma’s Husband?
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City cast has a lot of stories to tell but is Mary Crosby’s story perhaps the strangest of them all?
After the premiere of the newest franchise, The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City, we tried to find out the details of why Mary Crosby married her late grandmother’s husband. When you first hear this fun fact, it might sound a little weird. Just kidding, obviously, it sounds weird because it is weird. But Mary had a good reason – her family fortune!
Back during BravoCon in Nov. 2019, Andy Cohen noted that they picked cities that were different and had something unique to offer viewers, such as Salt Lake City. “We’ve always tried to choose cities that have completely unique personalities and we also try to throw a little curveball now and then, pick somewhere that you maybe weren’t expecting,” according to Bravo’s Daily Dish. Mary marrying her grandfather? Check!
Mary’s Instagram is a feast for the eyes in itself, full of layered on filters and blurring, lots of slow-motion videos that could have been a photo. But what Mary lacks in ‘gramming skills, she makes up for in fun facts. “With a penchant for God, couture and only the finest champagne, Mary Cosby is a Pentecostal First Lady,” according to her official biography on BravoTV.com.
Her bio goes on to explain that in order to take over her family’s business empire of restaurants, churches, and other ventures, she had to marry her late grandmother’s second husband, Robert Cosby Sr. They married 20 years ago and had a son together. Mary commented that this part of her past has always made her a little guarded, which didn’t sit well with the ladies.
There were whispers that Mary was somehow involved in her grandmother’s death, but we doubt that. The rest of the story is weird enough without any of those rumors!
Mary says she is tiny but mighty and has a penchant for nice things, just like any good housewife does. It isn’t clear yet if Mary was friends with any of these ladies before filming or not, but we can’t wait to see their reactions to her. If they are anything like the reactions on Twitter, this is going to be good, ladies!
The Real Housewives of Salt Lake City is on Bravo every Wednesday at 10 PM.
#MusicNews Mary J. Blige Covers Wham!’s ‘Last Christmas’!
The Queen of Hip Hop Soul Mary J. Blige has teamed up with Amazon Music to take on Wham!’s 1984 holiday smash, “Last Christmas.” The reimagined version is one of the many exclusive Amazon Originals to be released by established and emerging singers this holiday season.
Blige, with her wavering voice running like liquid soul across a reverent and refreshed production, promises herself that she won’t get caught opening gifts alone during the best time of the year.
“I’ve always loved how ‘Last Christmas’ walks the line between being upbeat and heartbroken — all while still remaining one of the catchiest holiday songs,” Blige said in a press statement. “It’s one of the most unique holiday songs, and I’m excited for my fans to hear my take on it this holiday season on Amazon Music.”
LISTEN HERE
Throughout the year, Blige has been gifting fans with all sorts of new music. The Grammy winner shared a 2021 Best Original Song contender titled “See What You’ve Done” for the PBS documentary Belly of the Beast. She also reunited with producer Chucky Thompson for the Body Cam closing-credits song called “Can’t Be Life.”
On November 20, Blige is reissuing her seminal 1994 album My Life. It will include exclusive commentary from the reigning queen of hip-hop and soul on the heartfelt songs.
#HipHopNews: Tory Lanez Pleads Not Guilty in Megan Thee Stallion Shooting!
Tory Lanez pleaded not guilty on Wednesday (Nov. 18) in the alleged Megan Thee Stallion shooting.
According to the Los Angeles District Attorney's office, the rapper, born Daystar Peterson, is due back in court on January 20, 2021. Last month, he was charged with one felony count each of assault with a semiautomatic firearm – personal use of a firearm – and carrying a loaded, unregistered firearm in a vehicle. He also faces a gun allegation and that he personally inflicted great bodily injury.
Everything We Know About the Alleged Fight Involving Megan Thee Stallion & Tory Lanez (So Far)
At his first court appearance by phone, his bail was set and posted at $190,000, and he was ordered not to contact Megan and to surrender all of his guns. If convicted, the rapper faces a maximum state prison sentence of 22 years and eight months.
In July, the two artists got into an argument while driving through the Hollywood Hills. When Meg exited the vehicle, Lanez allegedly shot her several times in the foot. In August, the "Hot Girl" rapper for the first time named Lanez as the individual who shot her.
On November 13, Megan provided the most detailed account of the shooting incident, describing how her alleged assailant begged her to not tell police what happened and even offered money for silence.
“[At this point] I'm really scared,” Megan told GQ in their Men of the Year issue, in which she's dubbed Rapper of the Year. “Because this is like right in the middle of all the [police brutality] protesting. Police are just killing everybody for no reason, and I'm thinking, ‘I can't believe you even think I want to take some money. Like, you just shot me.’"
Bobby Brown’s Son Bobby Jr. Dies At 28!
The son of R&B singer Bobby Brown has died at the age of 28.
According to TMZ, Bobby Brown Jr. was found dead in his Los Angeles home on Wednesday. A cause of death has not been revealed, but sources tell the outlet foul play is not involved.
Bobby Jr. was the former New Edition member’s son with Kim Ward, who he dated prior to getting engaged to Whitney Houston.
Bobby Jr. was also the half-brother of Bobbi Kristina, Brown and Houston's daughter who passed away in 2015. Houston tragically died three years earlier in 2012.
Fresh Prince Reunion: Will Smith and Janet Hubert End Their 27-Year Feud — Plus, the Two Aunt Viv’s Finally Meet!
HBO Max’s Fresh Prince of Bel-Air reunion couldn’t have come along at a better time — and we aren’t just talking about the special’s one-day early release.
At a moment when our country feels more divided than ever, there’s something truly uplifting about watching Will Smith and Janet Hubert — feuding co-stars who famously hadn’t spoken in 27 years — sitting down to speak their truth, sort out their differences and heal from their shared experiences. (And this 75-minute special is nothing if not healing.)
Smith’s long-awaited talk with the original Aunt Viv comes midway through the reunion, which is now available to stream. Seated in a stunning recreation of the show’s iconic living room, surrounded by six of his former costars, Smith drops this uncomfortable segue: “As a family, we have our things we talk about… and we have our things that we don’t talk about.”
The others, especially poor Tatyana Ali, appear visibly concerned, while the viewers knows exactly where he’s going with this. “We never really, together, publicly talk about Janet — and what happened,” he says. “I couldn’t celebrate 30 years of Fresh Prince without finding a way to celebrate Janet.”
For those in need of a refresher, Smith is referring to Janet Hubert, the actress who portrayed Vivian Banks for The Fresh Prince‘s first three seasons (1990–1993). Ultimately replaced by Daphne Maxwell Reid for the show’s final three seasons (1993–1996), Hubert chronicled her difficult departure — much of which she blamed on Smith, who was a producer at the time — in her 2009 memoir Perfection Is Not a Sitcom Mom.
Fresh Prince Reunion Will SmithWhat follows is an absolute gut-punch of a pre-taped segment, in which Smith and Hubert finally sit down for a one-on-one discussion about their lingering issues.
“I just wanted to know one thing: Why?” Hubert asks Smith, already beginning to tear up. “Why so far? You guys went so far. I lost so much. How do we heal?”
It soon becomes abundantly clear that Smith didn’t know what was happening in Hubert’s private life at the time. So she explains, via a taped confessional: “During that third season, when I got pregnant, there were a lot of things going on in my life, and in Will’s life as well,” Hubert tells the camera. “There was some friction because I was pregnant [and] my home life was not good at all. I was no longer laughing, smiling and joking because there were things going on that nobody knew about. The cast had no idea what was going on.”
“During her pregnancy, I wasn’t sensitive,” Smith acknowledges in his own interview. “I wasn’t perceptive. Now that I’ve had three kids, I learned some things that I did not know at the time, and I would do things very differently. I can see where I made the set very difficult for Janet.”
Then Hubert gets into the business of it all: “They offered me this really bad deal in the third season. They said, ‘You’ve got two months and two weeks of work, and you cannot work anywhere else.’ That meant my salary was cut. I had a new baby and a husband who was out of work, so I said no. I did not accept their offer. I was never ‘fired.’ That misconception was always put out there. I was trapped. What else could I do? So they said, ‘Fine, we’re going to recast your role.’ And I said, ‘Fine. What can I say?’ I was hurt deeply. Deeply.”
After hearing her side of the story, Smith tells her, “I was 21 years old. Everything was a threat to me.” When Hubert asks why he saw her as a threat, he clarifies, “Not you — the world. I was so driven by fear.”
“But you didn’t realize I was going through a lot at home,” Hubert says. “You didn’t know. A very abusive marriage.”
To this, Smith says, “I’ve had children, I’ve been divorced, I’m in my second marriage. I can see now the level of pain and struggle it was for you just to show up everyday.”
Then Hubert makes sure Smith knows exactly what he cost her. “Words can kill,” she said. “I lost everything. Reputation, everything. You were able to move forward, but you know … calling a Black woman ‘difficult’ in Hollywood is the kiss of death. It’s hard enough being a dark-skinned Black woman in this business.”
“Thank you for sharing that with me,” Smith tells her in the end. “When I look back now, it’s obvious that you were having a hard time. I felt like you hated me. I could not do a 30-year celebration of this show and not celebrate you — celebrate your contribution to this show, to my life. … You’re still my Aunt Viv.”
“We’ve said such hateful things about each other, and I’m sorry,” she says. (She also says, “I’m sorry that I’ve blasted you to pieces,” which is a far more entertaining apology.)
Fresh Prince Reunion. But that’s not the end! Smith invites Hubert to come to the next-day taping with the rest of the cast, so she can reunite with her former on-screen family — and meet her replacement for the very first time.
“Seeing Daphne and Janet — my two moms, the two Aunt Vivs — meet for the first time and embrace was the most incredible thing,” Karyn Parsons says in a confessional.
Adds DJ Jazzy Jeff, “That was chilling. That was a dream come true. That was a full-circle moment.”
And Ali sums up everyone’s reaction by simply saying, “It made my heart really full.”
Wonder Woman 1984' Finalizes Release Plans; Will Debut Christmas Day in Theaters & on HBO Max!
It’s official – Wonder Woman 1984 will be out in theaters on Christmas Day, December 25.
The film, starring Gal Gadot, Chris Pine and Kristin Wiig, will also head to HBO Max for a dual release, Warner Bros. Pictures announced today.
The December 25 release date comes after multiple delays throughout the pandemic.
Wonder Woman 1984 was originally scheduled for June 5 before moving to August 14, and then October 2. There is no set release date for international theaters just yet.
Wonder Woman 1984 will find the titular heroine facing off against two new foes: Max Lord and The Cheetah.
Director Patty Jenkins recently opened up about the delayed release of the film, and was very hopeful the movie would be out by December.
“We just don’t know what the course of COVID is going to be like,” she told Variety.
Cardi B Will Be Named as Billboard’s Woman of the Year at ‘Women in Music’ Event!
Cardi B will be named as Billboard’s Woman of the Year for 2020 at the Women in Music event to be held on December 10.
According to Billboard’s official Twitter account, the Woman of the Year award is given “to an act whose music, performances, cultural influence and activism defined this year.” The event, which will be hosted by Teyana Taylor, will be streamed here at 8 p.m. Eastern on December 10.
In addition to Cardi B, Jennifer Lopez will be honored with the Icon Award, an award previously given to Aretha Franklin, Cyndi Lauper and Alanis Morissette. Dua Lipa will receive the Powerhouse Award, the prize given to “an act whose music dominated streaming, sales and radio this year.” The Rising Star award will be given to Chloe x Halle while the legendary Dolly Parton will receive the Hitmaker Award, an “honor [that] recognizes a songwriter whose compositions have significantly impacted culture,” according to the magazine’s website.
The press release on the awards describes 2020 as a “year unlike any other” but despite everything “Cardi B has continued to thrive with her Billboard Hot 100 chart-topper “WAP,” a brand-new Reebok collection and her political activism.” Cardi B thanked Billboard for the award on Instagram saying:
Thank you Billboard!Now I can bring up the stats but that will take me all day 😉Bitch broke records!Thank you BARDIGANG with out y’all encouraging while the world 🌍 was against me and criticizing every move I wouldn’t have gotten here everyday and use my voice for a change
Naya Rivera’s Ex-Husband Files Wrongful Death Lawsuit On Behalf Of Son!
Ryan Dorsey has filed a wrongful death lawsuit on behalf of his and Naya Rivera's five-year-old son, Josey.
According to TMZ, the late actress' ex-husband, whom she was married to from 2014 to 2018, is suing Ventura County, California, claiming they are responsible for Naya's death because the boat she and Josey were on in Lake Piru in July did not comply with U.S. Coast Guard safety standards.
“[The boat] was not equipped with a safely accessible ladder, adequate rope, an anchor, a radio or any security mechanisms to prevent swimmers from being separated from their boats,” the court documents, filed by Ryan's attorney Amjad Khan, claim. “Disturbingly, later inspection revealed that the boat was not even equipped with any flotation or lifesaving devices, in direct violation of California law, which requires that all pontoons longer than 16 feet be equipped with flotation devices.”
Ryan also claims that Lake Piru did not have “a single sign anywhere — not at the entrance, at the dock, at the popular swimming area of Diablo Cove, not anywhere — warning of the lake’s strong currents, low visibility, high winds, changing water depths, underwater caves, ledges and drop offs, or the trees, brush and other debris that congest its waters due to the vastly changing water levels and winds.”
The suit additionally points out that the boat drifted away from Naya and Josey when they jumped into the lake for a swim and proper safety equipment could have prevented that, TMZ reported.
Naya was reported missing on July 8 after Josey was found alone on their rented boat. After a five-day search, the former Glee star’s body was found in the lake. She was 33.
Josey told investigators that he saw his mom “disappear under the surface of the water” as she yelled for help. Ventura County Sheriff Bill Ayub characterized Naya's death as a tragic accidental drowning.
As noted in the suit, Lake Piru has a “deadly history,” as “more than two dozen people" — at least 26 other people — have drowned in it since 195
Nipsey Hussle's Marathon Clothing Store Vandalized!
Nipsey Hussle's Marathon Clothing store was vandalized earlier this week.
On Tuesday (November 17), a good samaritan shared a series of videos of the damage to Twitter as well as footage of those in the community working together to clean up the strip mall that houses the late-rapper's clothing store.
The first video of the damage shows the clothing store's glass doors shattered as well as graffiti tagged on the outside of if. The footage additionally shows the neighboring businesses in the strip mall, which is located on Crenshaw Boulevard and Slauson Avenue in Los Angeles, that were hit by vandals, who also reportedly stole merchandise from the various shops.
Another video shows a few people in the community sweeping up the broken glass and starting the work to put everything back together.
I's unclear the motives behind the vandalism and who is behind it.
Nipsey's Marathon Clothing store opened in 2017. The late rapper was tragically shot and killed outside of the store in March 2019. Eric Holder, the alleged shooter, is currently awaiting trial in jail.
Charlie Brown: Apple Will Share ‘Peanuts’ Holiday Specials With PBS!
Good grief! Charlie Brown’s famous “Peanuts” holiday specials, once available in broad fashion each year via ABC and CBS, are now caught up in some of the complexities of the streaming era.
Apple, which in October unveiled its new rights to classic properties like “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” and “A Charlie Brown Christmas” as well as “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” for its streaming-video Apple TV service, said it would make the specials available on PBS and its PBS Kids outlet, adopting a “windowing” model for a classic kids property that has begun to take root in a new era for the TV business.
Apple in 2018 established ties to Charles Schulz’ time-honored “Peanuts” empire, which has its origins in a daily comic strip about characters like Lucy, Linus and Peppermint Patty. The pact intially called for Apple to develop original series, specials and shorts, including one featuring iconic canine Snoopy as an astronaut that would teach kids about science, technology and math. But the company’s bid to snap up the holiday specials raised eyebrows, as it placed the shows behind a paywall of sorts, even though Apple has promised to make them available for free viewing for a limited period of time. Apple’s streaming-video service costs $4.99 per month, and requires the subscriber to have a broadband connection in the home.
The companies said “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” will air on PBS and PBS Kids on November 22 at 7:30 pm, while “A Charlie Brown Christmas” will air on PBS and PBS Kids on December 13, 2020 at 7:30 pm. Apple will stream “Thanksgiving” for free between November 25 and November 27 and “Christmas” between December 11 and December 13. A window for the Halloween-themed “Great Pumpkin” appears to have already closed.
Other big media companies have grappled with the prospect of securing a popular kids’ media property traditionally considered part of broader viewing.
WarnerMedia’s HBO in 2015 struck a pact with Sesame Workshop that gave it first access to new episodes of “Sesame Street,” which were subsequently made available to the show’s longtime home, PBS, after a period of a few months. More recently, NBCUniversal’s streaming-video hub Peacock announced it would be the first home of a new season of “Curious George,” long a staple of the PBS lineup.
Apple and PBS will make the specials available in a format to which some viewers may not be accustomed: free from advertising. The trio of “Peanuts” specials aired for decades on CBS, which began running “A Charlie Brown Christmas” in 1965; “It’s The Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown” in 1966 and “A Charlie Brown Thanksgiving” in 1973. Ads for Coca-Cola and Dolly Madison cakes and pastries appeared in early broadcasts, followed later by commercials for candies like Almond Joy, Mounds and York Peppermint Patties (which had no tie to the “Peanuts” character with a similar name). ABC secured rights to the animated specials after 2000.
PBS has long positioned itself as having a strong mission to help bring early education to children, particularly those in low-income homes who may not have access to the latest technology or programming that runs on cable or digital media. PBS has more than 330 member stations, and in 2016 launched the PBS Kids digital-cable network to give younger viewers more access to programs such as “Daniel Tiger,” “Molly of Denali” and “Nature Cat.”
Mariah Carey Taps Ariana Grande, Tiffany Haddish, Snoop Dogg for Christmas Special!
Mariah Carey has enlisted Ariana Grande, Tiffany Haddish, Snoop Dogg, and more for her new holiday extravaganza, Mariah Carey’s Magical Christmas Special, premiering December 4th on Apple TV Plus.
The special, per a release, will center around Carey helping Santa solve a last-minute “holiday cheer crisis” at the North Pole to save Christmas. The show will feature a mix of musical performances and animation, while additional guests include Jennifer Hudson, Jermaine Dupri, Billy Eichner, Misty Copeland, and Mykal-Michelle Harris, plus Carey’s twins, Moroccan and Monroe.
To accompany the special, Carey will release a new single and music video, “Oh Santa!” on December 4th. Carey co-wrote the song and it will feature additional vocals from Grande and Hudson. A companion soundtrack for the special will arrive December 4th on Apple Music, before hitting other platforms on December 11th.
Carey is also set to sit down with Apple Music’s Zane Lowe for an interview that will air on December 7th. During the interview, Carey will discuss the songs on her special holiday playlist, as well as her new music and recent memoir, The Meaning of Mariah Carey. Capping it all off, Carey will appear on the Apple Music Hits radio station on Christmas, December 25th, for a six-hour Holiday Hits special.
Carey has fully embraced her role as pop culture’s Queen of Christmas in recent years, thanks primarily to the perennial popularity of her smash, “All I Want for Christmas Is You” (her 1994 holiday album, Merry Christmas, on which the song appears, has already begun its seasonal climb up the Rolling Stone Top 200 Albums chart).
In recent years, Carey has celebrated the holidays with an annual tour, a YouTube special, two Hallmark movies, and a Universal Pictures Home Entertainment release. Last year, she appeared in an Amazon documentary special, Mariah Carey Is Christmas: The Story of ‘All I Want for Christmas Is You,’ depicting a behind-the-scenes look at the creation of the hit single.
Lori Loughlin's Husband Mossimo Giannulli Spotted With Dramatic New Look Ahead of Prison Sentence!
Just days before he reports to prison, Mossimo Giannulli is nearly unrecognizable.
The 57-year-old fashion designer and husband of Lori Loughlin, who is due to begin his five month prison sentence this week for his role in the college admissions scandal, was spotted leaving an office building in Beverly Hills on Monday, Nov. 16 with a noticeable new look: a shaved head. While the star has ditched his full head of hair, he was sporting a white-gray beard. The facial hair is not new for Giannulli, though, as he's been photographed with a beard on several occasions since he and wife were first arrested in 2019. At the time, they were accused in an FBI affidavit of agreeing to "pay bribes totaling $500,000 in exchange for having their two daughters designated as recruits to the USC crew team—despite the fact that they did not participate in crew—thereby facilitating their admission to USC."
After the couple pleaded not guilty in April 2019, they agreed to a plea deal in May with Giannulli pleading guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and honest services wire and mail fraud. In August, he was sentenced to five months in prison, two years of supervised release, 250 hours of community service and a $250,000 fine.
The former Fuller House actress pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire and mail fraud and was sentenced to two months in prison, which she is currently serving after reporting to FCI Dublin on Oct. 30.
Lori Loughlin's Life in Pictures Since the College Admissions Scandal
While the parents to Olivia Jade Giannulli, 21, and Isabella Rose Giannulli, 22, will both be in prison for Thanksgiving, there is a chance Loughlin will be home for Christmas.
Though she is currently slated for release on Sunday, Dec. 27, per documents obtained by E! News, "The Bureau of Prisons may release an inmate whose release date falls on a Saturday, Sunday or legal holiday, on the last preceding weekday unless it is necessary to detain the inmate for another jurisdiction seeking custody under a detainer, or for any other reason which might indicate that the inmate should not be released until the inmate's scheduled release date." As a result, the star could be released on Thursday, Dec. 24, as it is the last preceding weekday before the holiday and weekend.
In August, a source shed some light on the couple with their prison time approaching. "They are terrified about going to jail," the insider said, noting that the couple's fear stemmed from the spread of COVID-19 within prison systems.
Two months later, the time officially came for Loughlin to serve her time. "The girls were there saying their goodbyes before Lori headed off. It was a big moment for their family and everyone was very upset," a source described to E! News in October. "Although the girls knew it was coming and have had time to prepare, it's still devastating to see their mom go."
"Both Olivia and Bella are very distraught over it," the insider added.
"They are grateful it is for only two months, but are anxious knowing they will have a very different and hard holiday season this year."
Phoenix Suns complete trade to acquire Chris Paul from Oklahoma City Thunder!
The Phoenix Suns on Monday acquired All-Star guard Chris Paul in a trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder.
In return for Paul and forward Abdel Nader, the Thunder received Kelly Oubre Jr., Ricky Rubio, Ty Jerome, Jalen Lecque and a 2022 first-round pick from the Suns.
Suns owner Robert Sarver is bringing the future Hall of Fame guard and franchise leader to Phoenix, delivering star Devin Booker a running mate. After finishing last season by going 8-0 in the bubble and establishing momentum, the Suns are set to become a factor in the Western Conference this season.
NBA trade tracker: Grades and details for every deal
"We are excited to welcome Chris Paul and Abdel Nader to Phoenix," Suns general manager James Jones said in a statement. "Chris' leadership and competitive approach to the game will have an immeasurable impact on our team. Abdel possesses all the traits on and off the court that will complement our culture."
Paul, 35, reunites with Suns coach Monty Williams, who coached the point guard for one season (2010-11) in New Orleans. The team went 46-36 that season and lost in the first round of the playoffs.
"His basketball mind," Paul said of Williams in December, "I used to get so excited before games about the plays he was drawing up."
Paul was acquired by the Thunder from the Houston Rockets last summer in exchange for Russell Westbrook, two future first-round picks and two pick swaps. Adding another future first-rounder increases the haul for Westbrook to three firsts, plus the pick swaps (along with one successful year with Paul).
After one year in Oklahoma City, Chris Paul is heading to Phoenix. AP Photo/Michael Dwyer
Paul had a resurgent season with Oklahoma City, reclaiming his reputation as the "Point God," as he took command of OKC's young roster to lead it to a surprising playoff berth. Paul made the All-Star Game for the first time since 2016 and was named to an All-NBA team (second) for the first time since 2016.
He has been plagued by injuries at various times during his career, but Paul had one of his most complete and durable seasons with the Thunder, missing only one game because he was mourning the loss of close friend Kobe Bryant. In 70 games, Paul averaged 17.6 points, 6.7 assists and 5.0 rebounds. He also led the league in clutch-time scoring, spearheading the Thunder in close games, which is what propelled them to the 5-seed in the West.
Paul's sizable contract -- two years remaining at $80-plus million total -- combined with his age made him previously thought to be a nearly untradable player. But he has moved twice in two years, with the Suns believing that Paul's bounce-back season in OKC has paved the way to Western Conference contention and validating the price of his contract.
Chris Paul has been the central figure in several blockbuster trades during his NBA career, including one that was vetoed by the league.
The Thunder have a track record of working with star players and their representatives, and as they did with Carmelo Anthony, Paul George and Westbrook before, Thunder general manager Sam Presti worked with Paul's representatives at CAA, Ty Sullivan and Steve Heumann, to get Paul to his preferred destination.
"We want to thank Chris for the contributions he has made to the Thunder and the Oklahoma City community, both this season and during his initial tenure in 2005-06 with the Hornets," Presti said in a statement. "Chris has been the consummate leader and has left a tremendous legacy in a short period of time. We wish him and Abdel and their families only the best moving forward. We also look forward to welcoming Ricky, Kelly, Ty and Jalen to Oklahoma City and are excited for them to join the Thunder program."
For the Thunder, the move is part of the repositioning and rebuilding plan that was set into action after George was dealt to the LA Clippers, which resulted in Westbrook's moving to the Rockets. After agreeing to deal guard Dennis Schroder to the Los Angeles Lakers for a first-rounder, the Thunder have as many as 17 future first-round picks between the 2020 and 2026 drafts.
The Thunder might not be finished yet, either, with the potential to sign-and-trade unrestricted free agent Danilo Gallinari to a contender or move center Steven Adams for more draft capital. They also could reroute some of the recently acquired veterans, such as Danny Green (acquired in the Schroder trade), Rubio or Oubre.
For now, the Thunder embark on a long-awaited rebuild, handing the franchise keys to budding star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who tutored under Paul's guidance last season. Then they wait to cash in their war chest of draft picks, with their next future franchise star still possibly waiting to get his driver's license.
Holly Robinson Peete Opens Up About Donald Trump Calling Her The N-Word On The Set Of Celebrity Apprentice!
Holly Robinson Peete stopped by SiriusXM Urban View’s The Karen Hunter Show, and she opened up about racist comments Donald Trump made toward her while filming Celebrity Apprentice.
Robinson Peete appeared on the NBC reality show in 2010 and made it to the finale where she faced off against Poison lead singer Brett Michaels. During the interview, the actress revealed that she saw Trump speaking animatedly with the producers about choosing a winner when he referred to her as the N-word.
“When the producer told me when it happened, during the finale, I remember the moment. I wasn’t in earshot, but I could see them deciding between me and Bret Michaels,” she said. “…that was when I heard that he said, ‘They want the ‘N-word’ to win.’ Because I guess the network wanted me to win or me to be chosen, and Trump wanted Bret.”
“‘How could anybody believe that he wouldn’t say something like that?’” she continued. “I firmly believe he probably uses that language all the time. And then, by the time it sort of started resurfacing, I didn’t even really address it too much because I felt like, what difference is it going to make?”
“People have accepted the things that he said that are so vile about so many other people. What difference is it going to make if he said that about me?” she added.
Robinson Peete noted that she believes that power, ego, and narcissism have gotten the best of Trump. In the interview, she also expressed her frustrations with people’s behaviors that have been exhibited under Trump’s leadership, including those she considered friends.
AND FINALLY FROM “THE CRAZY PEOPLE SHOPPING AT WALMART” FILES
‘REAL DOLL FEATURED AT WALMART’
Recently a real doll has rolled into Walmart. We’ll call her Barbie, pun intended since she’s made of plastic. Barbie is a faux sugar baby who likes long rolls on the beach, and riding near the self checkout. Her dislikes are her lover’s grandson who constantly puts her in the toy box, and telling grandpa she’s “fake.
HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND ALL!!!
EFREM
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