TMZ.com The 2021 NBA All-Star Game is in Atlanta -- so it's only fitting organizers booked the woman behind "Midnight Train to Georgia" to sing the national anthem! The NBA announced the legendary Gladys Knight will do the honors of singing the Star-Spangled Banner at the State Farm Arena on March 7, as part of a tribute to HBCUs [historically black colleges and universities]. In fact, the NBA notes Knight graduated from Shaw University in North Carolina -- one of the oldest HBCUs in the country. Knight has experience singing the anthem at high-profile events -- remember when she crushed it at the Super Bowl in 2019?! As for the NBA All-Star Game, entertainment will also include an original rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing” -- known as the Black National Anthem -- to be performed by the Clark Atlanta University Philharmonic Society Choir. "The rendition will honor NAACP leader and Black national anthem songwriter James Weldon Johnson, who … [Read more...] about Gladys Knight Tapped to Sing National Anthem at 2021 NBA All-Star Game
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Merritt Wever-Led ‘Midday Black Midnight Blue’ Acquired By Good Deed; Coral Peña, Nicole Byer Board ‘Thelma’; More – Film Briefs
EXCLUSIVE : Good Deed Entertainment has acquired North American and UK rights to the indie drama Midday Black Midnight Blue , starring 2x Emmy winner Merritt Wever ( Godless ), slating it for a day-and-date release in June. The first feature from writer-directors Samantha Soule and Daniel Talbott, also starring Chris Stack (AMC’s Interview with the Vampire ) and Soule ( Godless ), follows Ian (Stack) as he grapples with his shifting memories of Liv (Soule), a woman he once loved. For Ian, it’s a chance run-in with Liv’s sister (Wever) that sparks a journey in which he has a chance to reconnect to the light and fight his way back to life. The film, which world premiered at last year’s Seattle Film Festival, is produced by Soule, Talbott and Stack, as well as Lovell Holder and Addie Johnson Talbott. Exec producers are Timothy Farrell, Conner Marx and Will Pullen. GDE’s EVP of Acquisitions Erik Donley negotiated Midday Black ‘s deal for the company, with … [Read more...] about Merritt Wever-Led ‘Midday Black Midnight Blue’ Acquired By Good Deed; Coral Peña, Nicole Byer Board ‘Thelma’; More – Film Briefs
Luka Doncic Fined $35K For Making Money Gesture At Referee During Warriors Game
How ironic is this -- Luka Doncic just got hit with a $35k fine on Friday ... after the NBA superstar made a money gesture toward a referee during the controversial ending of the Warriors vs. Mavericks game. ICYMI ... the Mavericks hooper made the gesture after he missed a contested layup with 1.7 seconds left in the game at the American Airlines Center on Wednesday -- when he felt he was fouled, but didn't get a call. L u k a m o n e y pic.twitter.com/pXJ25XTZCB — James Burnes (@JamesBurnes8) March 23, 2023 @JamesBurnes8 Of course, Doncic's signal was clearly an expression of frustration -- after all, the Warriors got two free points in the third quarter after a questionable officiating decision ... and the Mavs ended up losing, 127-125. Regardless of how the Mavs feel about the officiating that night, the league penalized the four-time All-Star minutes ago, saying the hand signal was an "inappropriate and unprofessional gesture." The Dallas … [Read more...] about Luka Doncic Fined $35K For Making Money Gesture At Referee During Warriors Game
NYC Mayor Eric Adams On Willis Reed’s Legacy, ‘He’s New York’
TMZSports.com NYC Mayor Eric Adams will always revere Knicks legend Willis Reed for the two championships he brought to the city of New York ... but he tells TMZ Sports that Reed's perseverance in the face of adversity is what makes him an icon in NY. We spoke to Mayor Adams just days after Reed passed away at 80 years old ... and asked what Reed's legacy means to him now that the NBA legend is no longer with us. "Willis Reed was my guy," Mayor Adams said. "He showed the resiliency of New York. Everyone remembers that championship game. Walking on one knee. His scoring the points. He's New York." "We may have lost him physically, but he will always be here spiritually," he added. Gallery Launch Gallery Getty Reed -- a seven-time All-Star and two-time NBA champion -- passed away on Tuesday ... and had been reportedly battling congestive heart failure. Willis -- affectionately known as "The Captain" -- won two titles with the Knicks … [Read more...] about NYC Mayor Eric Adams On Willis Reed’s Legacy, ‘He’s New York’