From another season with NBA King LeBron James to the return of gymnastics royalty, here's what's happening in entertainment.
The King's Return
The 2023 ESPY Awards went down in Los Angeles last night and, as expected, it was a star-studded affair that paid tribute to the U.S. Women's National Soccer Team, honored Damar Hamlin and the Buffalo Bills medical crew that saved his life, and included a major announcement from LeBron James.
After receiving the award for Best Record-Breaking Performance, honoring the NBA star's rise to all-time leading scorer, he confirmed that he will be returning to the floor for his 21st season.
"I love this game. I love the game of basketball," he said. "I don't care how many more points I score or what I can or cannot do on the floor. The real question for me is 'Can I play without cheating this game?' The day I can't give the game everything on the floor is the day I'll be done. Lucky for you guys, that day is not today."
James confirmed that he has "a lot left" in the tank so we should expect to see him playing for years to come.
Fresh off of her first U.S national title win in the 100 meter final last weekend, Sha'Carri Richardson questioned why she was not invited to this year's ESPY Awards.
"The ESPYS invited me when my life was in shambles as if I was a charity case. The disrespect that track & field receives in the USA alone is nasty. Half of the athletes there now could not do what we do on our WORST day," she said in a tweet.
Richardson was referring to her 2021 season, when she won the 100 meter final to advance to the Tokyo Olympics, but was later disqualified after testing positive for marijuana. In recent weeks, she has been campaigning for track and field sprinters to unionize to address low pay and called for a meeting of athletes ahead of the national competition. It is likely she sought to use the ESPYs platform to bring even more attention to her cause – particularly as she continues to dominate in the sport.
Olympic gold medal gymnast Gabby Douglas has announced she's ready to get back into competition.
Douglas' last competition was the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. After that, she announced she was stepping back to focus on her mental health. In 2017 the world learned about the abuse many top gymnasts, including Douglas, suffered while in the care of USA Gymnastics team doctor Larry Nassar.
Former teammates Simone Biles and Suni Lee have also indicated they want to compete in Paris, so a reunion of heavy-hitters could be on the horizon.
It's no secret tech giant Amazon has a mission of becoming a major player in sports media, and the company is poised to make progress on that goal in 2022. Amazon Prime Video will be the exclusive home to Thursday Night Football for the 2022-23 NFL season. In December, the New York Post reported that Amazon is in the beginning stages of developing studio sports programs, and hopes to soon have a full daily lineup of sports shows. Front Office Sports senior reporter A.J. Perez joined Cheddar News' Closing Bell to discuss.
The seven-time Pro Bowler Antonio Brown thrust himself into the spotlight again after an on-field meltdown against the New York jets that ended with him pulling off his jersey and exiting the field at MetLife Stadium, leading his Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Bruce Arians to say that Brown was "no longer a buc." Sports commentator and former quarterback Lester Ricard Jr. joined Cheddar's "Closing Bell" to discuss the troubled star's latest actions as well as his checkered past few years in and around the league. "About three or four years ago, Antonio Brown, his career was trending towards a Hall of Famer, one of the best wide receivers of all time," said Ricard Jr. "I don't know if he's self-imploding or whatever's going on with him." Ricard went on to speculate about a specific hit Brown may have taken years back he felt could have led to the current behavior.
Sports betting is going mainstream in the United States. Dozens of states have legalized it, California is set to do the same this year. Arizona, which legalized sports betting in September, set new national records for gambling in its first months. Daniel Graetzer, CEO of Maximbet, joins Cheddar News to discuss what's next for the booming industry.
There is a new player in the mobile app stock trading space.
Zingeroo recently announced a funding round of $8.5 million. The company says it aims to bring 'friendly competition' to stock trading, by literally breaking trading down into daily and weekly competitions between friends. Zingeroo also says it hopes its new approach can make trading more accessible, educational, and social than ever before. Zingeroo co-founder and CEO Zoe Barry joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell for more.
Back in July of 2021, the NCAA announced a new policy in favor of allowing student-athletes to be given the chance to gain income through endorsement deals as well as public appearances. The Name, Image, and Likeness policy have found great appreciation among athletes who now can grow their businesses without having to sacrifice their playing eligibility. However, some critics believe this new policy could cause some chaos in the locker room. Sports Reporter at the Wall Street Journal Laine Higgins, joined Cheddar to discuss more.
Chris Vannini, National College Football Reporter for The Athletic, joins Cheddar News' Closing Bell, where he breaks down the complications COVID-19 is having on college bowl season, with five games cancelled as of Thursday.
Eric Mitchell, sports analyst and co-founder & head of media relations at Lifeflip Media joins Cheddar News to discuss how covid-19 is impacting pro sports.
Brandon Marcello, National College Football Reporter for 247Sports, breaks down each of the two semifinal matchups and explains why the smart money is on the two SEC teams.
Sponsored by BetMGM
