BBall News: MJ’s Son No Longer a Baller

Jeffrey Jordan is Michael Jordan's son. That little proposition, as it relates to basketball, can not be an easy one for any offspring to undertake.

It's not just that your dad was a great NBA basketball player. Your dad was the single greatest basketball player who ever lived. Your entire life, you're not just a classmate to your friends. You're the son of their hero. Imagine that! For all of the sundry benefits of being Jordan's son -- the money, the basketball shoes, the unimaginably awesome toys you'd get as a kid -- the specter of anticipation, of "hey, that's Michael Jordan's son out there" would haunt you for as long as you played basketball.

It appears those days are over for Jordan's eldest offspring. Jeffrey Jordan, a walk-on-turned-scholarship-athlete at Illinois, has apparently decided to hang up his balling kicks for good:

"I loved playing for the Fighting Illini and appreciate the support I was given by my teammates, coaches and the great fans here," Jordan said. "But I have come to the point where I'm ready to focus on life after basketball. I will concentrate on earning my degree from the University of Illinois and the opportunities that await upon graduating."

Click to read.

www.yourblackworld.com

Black news: Lebron Visits Barack Obama

The White House. A movie premiere in Maryland. A store opening in Harlem.

LeBron James is making the rounds this summer.

Fully recovered after undergoing surgery two weeks ago to have a benign growth on his jaw removed, the NBA's MVP is keeping a busy schedule.

On Monday, Cleveland's All-Star forward and a group of close friends visited President Barack Obama and were given a tour of the West Wing before attending the U.S. premiere of "More Than A Game," a documentary about the basketball star and his friends' rise to national champions while playing at St. Vincent-St. Mary High School in Akron, Ohio.

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www.yourblackgossip.blogspot.com

Your News: Ex NFL Star Michael Stahan to Marry Nicole Murphy

Looks like Michael Strahan's post-NFL keeps getting better. Awhile back we announced that Strahan just signed a deal with FOX to star in his own sitcom this fall and now he'll be marrying Eddie Murphy's ex-lady, Nicole Murphy. The two have been dating for some time now and according to People Magazine, Strahan popped the question on a beach in the Bahamas.
"I have a great relationship and she's a great girl," Strahan told People. "I don't like to talk much about my private life, but I'm really happy."

Click to read more.

Kobe Bryant’s Amazing Off Court Comeback

by Dr. Boyce Watkins

Syracuse University

Kobe Bryant started his career with the LA Lakers as a tremendous athlete with a valuable brand. His stock rose like an elevator, as Madison Avenue loved him as much as Laker fans. Then life took a strange twist. First, there was the nasty departure of Shaquille O'neal, which instantly reduced Kobe and the Lakers to "also-rans" in the NBA playoffs. A man who was used to winning championships was reduced to simply playing for pay.

Off the court, things got even worse. In 2003, Kobe was accused of a horrifically embarrassing sexual assault, a case that was later dropped. But even though the charges were dropped, the case still had a lasting impact on Bryant's reputation: Sponsors ran the other way and everyone wondered if Kobe might turn into another "coulda, woulda, shoulda" black athlete.

But he persisted. The Lakers got a little bit better every year, with that improvement culminating in what some believe to be Kobe's first "real championship" this year; a title without the boost of a dominant big man. For the first time, the Lakers are champions under Kobe's watch. He has proven that he is more than a replica of Anfernee Hardaway.

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Falcons Release Michael Vick

The Falcons have officially slammed the door shut on the Michael Vick era.

He was released from the team Friday and is free to sign with any team in the National Football League.

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“It’s a situation that we have been thinking about for quite some time,” Falcons general manager Thomas Dimitroff said. “We did our due diligence. We’ve been searching around the league and were looking for some interest as far as a trade.

“In the very end, we came to a conclusion that it was time. It was best for both us and Michael Vick to move on, to turn the chapter.”

The Falcons said several teams were interested in trading for Vick.

“But in the very end, without mentioning the teams, they just felt like it was not the right time to do it for them,” Dimitroff said. “We just decided to move forward.”

Dimitroff delivered the news to Vick with a personal phone call.

“He was accepting of it, as you could imagine,” Dimitroff said. “He was expecting it, I’m sure. He was upbeat.

“We respect him as an individual and as an athlete in this profession. It was the right thing to do. I’m happy that we had a conversation today.”

Vick remains suspended and would have to be reinstated by NFL commissioner Roger Goodell.

But his release allows him to negotiate with other teams. NFL franchises can sign suspended players, according to the league office.

Click to read.

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Donovan McNabb Signs for 24.5M guaranteed

PHILADELPHIA, June 12 (UPI) -- Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Donovan McNabb has agreed to a restructured contract with $24.5 million guaranteed, his agent said.

The deal was announced Friday at a news conference attended by Coach Andy Reid.

Read more on Black Sports.

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Mike Tyson Marries Again

Most likely riding a wave of emotion after the death of his daughter, Exodus, Mike Tyson married his girlfriend, Lakiha Spicer. According to the Associated Press, Tyson and Spicer, who is not the mother of Exodus, married at the La Bella Wedding Chapel in Las Vegas' Hilton Hotel-Casino.

Chapel owner Shawn Absher told AP that the couple came straight from the Clark County marriage bureau and got married around 10 p.m. This is Tyson's third marriage. His first to Robin Givens in 1988 lasted less than a year, and his marriage to Monica Turner in 1997 lasted five years.

Click to read.

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Athlete Becomes Successful Businessman

Jason Robertson is a man of many gifts. As an young man, he was an All-American baseball player, drafted by the New York Yankees straight out of high school. He was also listed by Essence Magazine as one of the most eligible bachelors in America for his good looks and success. If that were not enough, Jason retired from baseball and re-invented himself as a leading, award-winning entrepeneur.

Besides being a model of success for his 3 sons and celebrating his engagement to fiance Marshawn Evans, Jason is on a mission to teach other young men how to make the transition from successful athlete to outstanding businessman. Black Voices got a chance to catch up with Jason.

1) What do you do for a living?

I own an industrial packaging company. We sell corrugated boxes, bags, films, pallets, and we also provide warehousing and storage.

Click to read.

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Baseball: Barry Bonds and His Wife Part Ways

Barry Bonds’ wife has filed for legal separation.

The former San Francisco Giants’ slugger and Liz Watson were married in 1998 and have a 10-year-old daughter, Aisha.

Click to read.

 

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Kobe Rips 40 and also Lebron’s Legacy

As the Lakers and Magic prepped for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, LeBron James was undergoing five hours of dental surgery to remove a benign growth from his right jaw. Which was less painful than the metaphorical dental surgery he had to endure later.

Yes, rarely has a man been so conspicuous by his absence as the King was before, during and after Game 1 at the Staples Center. In the days leading up to the championship series, James had been torched for walking off the court without shaking hands after his Cavs had been eliminated by the Magic in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals, and compounding it by blowing off the mandatory media session.

Then, before Game 1 of the Finals on Thursday, commissioner David Stern announced that he had reversed his initial position and decided to fine James $25,000. Stern indicated that the walkoff and the media blowoff were both factors in the fine, but I don't buy that. James was fined for skipping the interview session, which is in keeping with precedent.

 

Click to read.

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Black News: Nike’s Worst Nightmare

 

Don't you just love those Nike commercials that feature puppet versions of Kobe Bryant and LeBron James? Those are hilarious.

How can you not laugh at the overload of chalk due to LeBron's excitement for the postseason?

Tell me you didn't laugh at Kobe getting on LeBron's case looking for his championship rings. I dare you.

Whichever commercials you enjoyed, you have to think about how much Nike has been freaking out about the fact that the Kobe vs. LeBron final that everybody and their momma wanted is not going to happen.

After winning a franchise record 66 games, it looked as if the Cleveland Cavaliers were on their way to a potential NBA championship. I repeat: potential—as in it may not happen.

When I first saw the Vitamin Water commercial in which people are debating over who is better between the two players, I knew something was going to go awry.

 

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