Golden State Warriors

Ja Morant shows how a 'good guy with a gun' can never be Black

Retrieved on: 
Friday, June 23, 2023

Ja Morant, the 23-year-old star point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, was barely 1 year old.

Key Points: 
  • Ja Morant, the 23-year-old star point guard for the Memphis Grizzlies, was barely 1 year old.
  • But his bursting athletic brilliance, so evocative of Iverson, comes with a cost: the perceived menace of the Black gangster.
  • On March 4, 2023, Morant posted an Instagram Live video of him displaying a gun at a Denver strip club.
  • Even when folks who look like Morant innocuously and legally possess a gun, they find themselves too easily typecast as villains.

Disciplining ‘thugs’ and ‘children’

    • When global sports icon Michael Jordan retired from basketball in 2003, the league found itself in a period of transition.
    • How would it continue to fill arenas, satisfy advertisers and spread its vision of a global game without its brightest star?
    • Not only did the NBA need a new crop of superstars to mitigate Jordan’s exit, but it also needed a fresh attitude.
    • Players openly professed their love for rap music, with stars like Shaquille O'Neal, Kobe Bryant, Iverson and others recording and releasing music.
    • “This guy is so worried about being cool: ‘Look at me, man: Life is like a rap video.’”

The NBA’s gun culture

    • In 2006, Stephen Jackson was suspended just seven games for firing a gun after an altercation at an Indianapolis strip club.
    • In 2010, Gilbert Arenas and Javaris Crittenton were suspended for 50 and 38 games, respectively, after pulling guns on each other in the Washington Wizards team facilities.
    • And in 2014, Raymond Felton was suspended four games after pleading guilty to charges stemming from an incident where he threatened his estranged wife with a gun.
    • In 2018, during a trip to Israel, Golden State Warriors star forward Draymond Green posed with an assault weapon.

Was this ever about guns?

    • To me, the answer is simple: In America, armed Black folks conjures pathological criminality.
    • So if people are so sure of Morant’s villainy, I ask without a hint of snark: What does responsible Black gun ownership look like?
    • To me, this was never about guns – just as, back in the early 2000s, it was never about rap music or baggy clothing.
    • According to this warped, uniquely American fantasy, “good guys with guns” can never look like Ja Morant – and good guys can always kill bad guys.

We're using VR to help find the next generation of basketball stars

Retrieved on: 
Monday, May 15, 2023

Many previous basketball superstars were first scouted as freakishly tall teenagers, but his game instead relies on clever movement, smooth dribbling and that famous pinpoint shooting.

Key Points: 
  • Many previous basketball superstars were first scouted as freakishly tall teenagers, but his game instead relies on clever movement, smooth dribbling and that famous pinpoint shooting.
  • To stay ahead of the game, coaches are switching from subjective to objective methods and using increasingly sophisticated processes, including virtual reality (VR).
  • Players wore stereoscopic glasses and watched a virtual twin of a real basketball court on a huge screen.
  • The virtual scene was constantly updated with the players’ point of view to make them feel they were inside the game.

Experience counts – even in simulators

    • Male players also released the ball to the basket at a lower angle compared with female players, even after adjusting for their height.
    • Probably the most important feature of sports simulators is the way they can manipulate visual information such as where the floor markings are or how far the player is from the basket.
    • Researchers in this field talk about “fidelity”, which is the ability of VR simulators to mimic real-world sports performance.
    • Yes, the best players have repeatable and almost flawless technique, as Curry demonstrated in the first clip.

KORE NBA MARKET INTEL REPORT REVEALS SPONSORSHIP, SOCIAL MEDIA TRENDS

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, May 10, 2023

NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- KORE has released its 2022-23 NBA Market Intelligence Report looking at key sponsorship insights and social media values, including the top sponsorship market sectors, the NBA's overall social footprint, the top NBA athletes on social media, and the top ten brands earning social media value through NBA partnerships. The report looked at the NBA season through the first round of the playoffs. 

Key Points: 
  • Basketball's Social Media Footprint Leads U.S. Sports
    NEW YORK, May 10, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- KORE has released its 2022-23 NBA Market Intelligence Report looking at key sponsorship insights and social media values, including the top sponsorship market sectors, the NBA's overall social footprint, the top NBA athletes on social media, and the top ten brands earning social media value through NBA partnerships.
  • "However, when it comes to social media followers and total engagement, the NBA is first among sports in the U.S."
    According to the KORE NBA report, overall sponsorship is up +2% year-over-year, and up +11% from 2019.
  • Nike leads all brands, earning the most value through social media NBA partnerships, followed by Google, State Farm, KIA, and Crypto.com.
  • To see the complete KORE 2022-23 NBA Market Intelligence Report reach out to KORE, here .

Super.com Raises $85M Series C to Grow Savings Super App for Everyday Americans

Retrieved on: 
Monday, April 24, 2023

SAN FRANCISCO, April 24, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Super.com, the savings super app company, today announces its Series C fundraising round, which closed at $85M, led by Inovia Capital, significantly increasing the valuation of the company since its March 2021 Series B raise.

Key Points: 
  • "Super.com's diversified business model now drives savings across all facets of our customers' lives, from travel to fintech.
  • It's great to see market excitement match our own as we rapidly build the first savings super app focused on everyday Americans," says Super.com CEO Hussein Fazal.
  • These customers were typically lower income and had lower credit scores: both factors adding difficulty and barriers in their everyday lives.
  • Armed with several products in the suite, Super.com went on to build an all-in-one savings super app for everyday Americans.

Challenged Athletes Foundation Announces Annual Grant Distribution Totaling $7 Million in Support for 3,996 Individuals Across 101 Different Sports

Retrieved on: 
Wednesday, April 12, 2023

CAF is a world leader in the adaptive sports movement and has supported thousands of athletes with physical challenges, empowering their lives through sport.

Key Points: 
  • CAF is a world leader in the adaptive sports movement and has supported thousands of athletes with physical challenges, empowering their lives through sport.
  • Of those grants, 50% were first-time grant recipients and 46 were Purple Heart recipients.
  • This year, CAF collaborated with our partners, professional sports teams and Pro/Elite athletes to provide meaningful surprise grant presentations.
  • CAF is committed to supporting professional and emerging youth athletes who strive to compete at an elite level.

National Women’s Soccer League Announces Expansion to Bay Area, California

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, April 4, 2023

The National Women’s Soccer League today announced it has awarded expansion rights for team #14 to an investment group representing the Bay Area, California.

Key Points: 
  • The National Women’s Soccer League today announced it has awarded expansion rights for team #14 to an investment group representing the Bay Area, California.
  • Northern California has been a key generator of women’s soccer talent throughout the history of the sport, and the Bay Area is a top-ten media market known for its diverse culture and vibrant ecosystem of creativity and innovation.
  • Sixth Street is making the largest institutional investment in women’s professional soccer to date as the NWSL experiences record-breaking viewership, attendance, and sponsorship growth.
  • Inner Circle Sports continues to represent and advise the league on expansion matters.

UNDER ARMOUR AND STEPHEN CURRY ENTER LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 30, 2023

BALTIMORE, Md., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE: UA, UAA) today announced that it is strengthening its partnership with Golden State Warriors point guard and four-time NBA Champion Stephen Curry. The enhanced partnership is designed to capture market share, fuel business growth and create new business opportunities on a global basis. This next chapter of the partnership will build upon the success and accomplishments from the past decade to continue driving product solutions and innovation, impacting communities across the globe, and growing Under Armour and Curry Brand together. 

Key Points: 
  • BALTIMORE, Md., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE: UA, UAA) today announced that it is strengthening its partnership with Golden State Warriors point guard and four-time NBA Champion Stephen Curry.
  • "Stephen is one of the greatest talents of our generation," said Kevin Plank, Executive Chair and Brand Chief, Under Armour.
  • "If the past ten years have shown me anything, it's that Under Armour and I can build great things together," said Stephen Curry.
  • I believe in Under Armour and Curry Brand, the team now in place, and what we're doing together.

UNDER ARMOUR AND STEPHEN CURRY ENTER LONG-TERM PARTNERSHIP

Retrieved on: 
Thursday, March 30, 2023

BALTIMORE, Md., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE: UA, UAA) today announced that it is strengthening its partnership with Golden State Warriors point guard and four-time NBA Champion Stephen Curry. The enhanced partnership is designed to capture market share, fuel business growth and create new business opportunities on a global basis. This next chapter of the partnership will build upon the success and accomplishments from the past decade to continue driving product solutions and innovation, impacting communities across the globe, and growing Under Armour and Curry Brand together. 

Key Points: 
  • BALTIMORE, Md., March 30, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Under Armour, Inc. (NYSE: UA, UAA) today announced that it is strengthening its partnership with Golden State Warriors point guard and four-time NBA Champion Stephen Curry.
  • "Stephen is one of the greatest talents of our generation," said Kevin Plank, Executive Chair and Brand Chief, Under Armour.
  • "If the past ten years have shown me anything, it's that Under Armour and I can build great things together," said Stephen Curry.
  • I believe in Under Armour and Curry Brand, the team now in place, and what we're doing together.

Catapult to Launch Vector T7 Device for Indoor Sports

Retrieved on: 
Tuesday, March 7, 2023

Developed with the needs of basketball teams in mind, Vector T7 sets a new standard for athlete monitoring in indoor environments, including men’s and women’s basketball as well as volleyball.

Key Points: 
  • Developed with the needs of basketball teams in mind, Vector T7 sets a new standard for athlete monitoring in indoor environments, including men’s and women’s basketball as well as volleyball.
  • Improved Compliance: With a smaller and lighter device, athletes now have the option of wearing the device on the waist.
  • “Our mission at Catapult is to empower teams with the tools to unleash their potential,” said Will Lopes, CEO of Catapult.
  • The size and ease of the Vector T7 alone adds a huge benefit to our ability to get the most out of the Catapult system."

STEPH CURRY, KLAY THOMPSON AND GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS LEAD THE NOMINATIONS FOR 2023 LAUREUS WORLD SPORTS AWARDS

Retrieved on: 
Monday, February 20, 2023

 LONDON, Feb. 20, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The nominations for the 2023 Laureus World Sport Awards have been announced – and this year, the world's pre-eminent sporting Awards ceremony will celebrate not only athletes who thrilled sports fans over the previous 12 months, but several who will end their careers with a claim to be the greatest in the history of their sport.

Key Points: 
  • With a record 12 Nominations, the U.S. nominees include Steph Curry for Laureus World Sportsman of the Year for his role in leading the Golden State Warriors to a fourth NBA Championship in eight years, his teammate Klay Thompson, for Laureus World Sports Comeback of the Year following a dramatic comeback from injury and rounding out a Laureus first - three nominees from the same team – the Golden State Warriors for Laureus World Sports Team of the Year.
  • More than 1,400 members of the Laureus Global Nominations Panel decide on all but one category – the shortlist for the Laureus World Sportsperson with a Disability Award was chosen by a panel from the International Paralympics Committee.
  • What makes the Awards unique is the final stage: a vote by 71 Academy members of the Laureus World Sports Academy made up of athletes who redefined their sport and make up the ultimate jury on sporting greatness.
  • Past U.S. winners have included Tom Brady, Serena Williams, Lindsey Vonn, Missy Franklin, Patrick Mahomes, Kelly Slater, and the Chicago Cubs, as well as many more.