Posts tagged with "espn"

ESPN Leadership Dinner

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On Thursday, November 14th at 6:30 PM ESPN celebrated today’s visionaries and their role on leveraging innovation to impact change. The dinner will take place ahead of Beyond Innovation – an annual event hosted by Beyond Sport, which will convene a series of leaders and innovators across sports, technology, government and education to inspire cross-sector discussion and partnership on innovative solutions to the global STEM workforce crisis.

Both Thursday’s dinner and Beyond Innovation are private, invite only events. Thursday’s dinner kicked things off and was headlined by David Goldstein of SpaceX. Goldstein will give his perspective on the tech space and the opportunity to advance, such as landscape, insights on where the tech world is sitting at the moment, what does it take to work as a leader in tech, and lightly touch on the sport angle and how they can connect/engage.

Thursday night’s turnout was phenomenal at the iconic Dodger Stadium. Beyond Innovation started the topic of conversation about how important the role of sports and STEM education is to our community.

David Goldstein, retired Air Force colonel, gave a very motivating speech on what it takes to be a good leader.

“You need to inspire, engage and have grit in what you do to help others get to their destination and be able to pass that knowledge on to our upcoming leaders as well.”

BZEES RALLY COLLECTION

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By Armon Hayes × Vaughn Lowery

360 Magazine attended the ultimate tailgate party held at the Arlo Hotel Soho in NYC. Bzees new FALL/WINTER 19 Rally Collection launch showed off the brands spirit of women’s empowerment to live boldly. Special guest Sage Steele and daughters featured the following trendy footwear styles – Secret Peep Toe (sandal starting at $59) and Romance Bootie (at $69). Certainly these ladies know about active life styles.

Founder/CEO Lori McDermid birth the collection inspired by sports and the women’s interaction of life’s daily demands. Taking their best selling silhouettes in a boot and sandal, available in your favorite team colors for the sporty girl in you. Comfy and made for any women who means Bzeesness.

A dynamic design; an upper soft stretch knit with no seam and binding for a custom fit. Engineered soles with cloud technology weighing in at 4-6 oz, making it extremely lightweight. This collection is on trend to the fashion footwear community and effortlessly transitions from day to night (even moms preparing for back to school). The desire for comfort and functionality while trendsetting can be a sacrifice; that’s an old stigma washed away with these machine washable air-dry styles.

NBA Expands Second Annual Jr. NBA Global Championship

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The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced details of the second annual Jr. NBA Global Championship, a youth basketball tournament for the top 13- and 14-year-old boys and girls teams from around the world that will be held Aug. 6-11 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Fla. Thirty-two teams will participate in a week of on-court competition and off-court programming centered on the Jr. NBA’s core values of teamwork, respect, determination and community.

The NBA will introduce a new layer of local competitions, including more than 20 local tournaments – 14 of which will be hosted by NBA teams in their respective markets – to expand the pool of participating boys and girls teams in the U.S. The Dallas Mavericks will host a local qualifying tournament and teams that win at The Sportsplex Dallas, March 22-24^th, 2019, will receive an automatic bid to Jr. NBA Global Championship South Regional Tournament in Dallas, June 7-9^th, 2019.

Long-time league partner and leading basketball stakeholder USA Basketball will enhance all domestic competitions and help increase accessibility by accrediting local tournaments, again licensing participating coaches, supporting all eight U.S. regional tournaments and promoting best practices through the implementation of the NBA and USA Basketball Youth Guidelines.

Qualifying competitions will tip off in January 2019 and run through June 2019. In the U.S., the winning boys and girls teams from each of the new local tournaments will advance to one of eight regional tournaments in the spring.

The international competition, which will once again leverage the Jr. NBA’s extensive global reach, will expand to additional countries and territories. Top players from the Caribbean will now have the opportunity to compete alongside players from South America for a chance to represent Latin America in the Jr. NBA Global Championship. The Asia Pacific regional competition will expand to include youth from Australia, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam.

The winning boys and girls teams from each of the eight U.S. regional tournaments (Central, Mid-Atlantic, Midwest, Northeast, Northwest, South, Southeast and West) and the boys and girls teams representing the eight international regions (Africa, Asia Pacific, Canada, China, Europe & Middle East, India, Latin America, and Mexico) will receive all-expenses-paid trips to compete in the culminating event in Orlando. U.S. teams will have the opportunity to register online for a chance to compete in their respective regional tournament.

The Jr. NBA Global Championship will feature boys and girls divisions, separated into U.S. and international brackets that begin with round-robin play and continue with single-elimination competition. The winners of the U.S. and international brackets will play in the global championship games on Aug. 11.

FOX and FS1 will televise the Jr. NBA Global Championship in the U.S. as part of the multiyear partnership launched last year, while Tencent, the Exclusive Official Digital Partner of the NBA in China, and China Mobile Migu, the Official Telecom Carrier Immersion Platform of the NBA in China, will livestream the Jr. NBA Global Championship in China. Additional international media partners will be announced at a later date.

More than 300 boys and girls from 35 countries participated in the inaugural Jr. NBA Global Championship in August 2018. During the weeklong event, all 32 teams participated in off-court activities including life skills sessions, Disney park visits, a community service project, and educational meetings with current and former NBA and WNBA players and coaches. The Central girls (Kansas City, Mo.) defeated the Europe girls team 68-38, while the Central boys (Overland Park, Kan.) defeated the Africa & Middle East boys team 60-50 in the global championship games.

More information about the Jr. NBA Global Championship and dates for the U.S. regional tournaments can be found atJrNBA.com/GlobalChampionship. Registration for teams to compete in the Jr. NBA Global Championship is not yet open but those that sign up online will be notified as soon as registration information is available.

QUOTES:

NBA President, Social Responsibility & Player Programs Kathy Behrens:

“We are looking forward to building on the success of the inaugural Jr. NBA Global Championship to host another best-in-class event. The expanded programming and new strategic partnerships will allow more youth players from around the world to participate in this year’s event and have the opportunity to showcase their talents on a global stage.”

USA Basketball Chairman and Jr. NBA Leadership Council Chairman Retired General Martin E. Dempsey

“The Jr. NBA Global Championship is taking another positive step forward by bringing together several of basketball’s leading stakeholders to advance and grow the game at the youth level. The expanded Jr. NBA Global Championship, along with the USA Basketball U.S. Open Basketball Championships, will continue to promote age-appropriate rules, playing standards and safe play to help young players develop on and off the court.”

Three-time NBA Champion and Jr. NBA Global Championship Ambassador Dwyane Wade:

“I attended last year’s Jr. NBA Global Championship and it was incredible to witness the talent and passion displayed by boys and girls from around the world. This event offers a unique opportunity for young players to learn about different cultures while bonding through their love of the game.”

WNBA Champion and Jr. NBA Global Championship Ambassador Candace Parker:

“I’m thrilled to return as an ambassador for the Jr. NBA Global Championship, which is an amazing showcase and development opportunity for talented young players. I’m proud to support a program that will help advance the growth of girls basketball at all levels.”

Cheat Codes x ESPN’s Monday Night Football

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Tonight, ESPN will feature a special performance from multi-platinum, electronic/dance/pop group Cheat Codes (comprised of Trevor Dahl, Matthew Russell and Kevi Ford) during their broadcast of the Chicago Bears against the Seattle Seahawks. The performance of their hit “Feels Great” will include an appearance from track’s featured guest, CVBZ. Kick-off for the game is set for 8:15pm ET, with the performance slated to air during the Genesis Halftime Show (#GenesisHalftimeShow).

This performance marks the second National television appearance behind “Feels Great,” following Cheat Codes’ appearance on Jimmy Kimmel Live! earlier this year. “Feels Great” is approaching 2 million singles sold around the world and broke top 30 on U.S. pop radio.

2018 has been a banner year for the trio, with their single “No Promises” ft. Demi Lovato approaching 5X platinum certification globally including 1.7 million sales equivalents in North America. Billboard interviewed the trio earlier this summer for their Beat Break segment, in addition to a high-profile appearance at their Hot 100 Festival. The group were also hand picked by The Chainsmokers to join them for select dates this year, in addition to sets at Electric Daisy Carnival, Firefly Music Festival, Summerfest and Ultra Music Festival in Europe.

More recently, the trio collaborated with UK girl group Little Mix on the track “Only You” which is already generating buzz on streaming platforms having passed over 500,000 equivalents globally. The track reached #1 in the UK and is currently #38* in the U.S. and on rotation at 70 radio stations.

SLS World Tour at the Galen Center

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Red Bull & SLS (Street League Skateboarding) hosted their annual World Tour men’s prelims and finals at the USC Galen Center in Los Angeles. Some of the finalists featured Nyjah Huston, Chris Joslin and Yuto Horigome for the first stop of the tour. Horigome took first place with a stellar performance. The live event was broadcasted on ETN as well as replays/coverage on ESPN2 and ABC.

A first look with Puma Basketball

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Days after it was announced that Jay-Z was named Creative Director, Puma Basketball gave a first look at its new shoe “The Clyde Court Disrupt” inspired by Knicks Legend Clyde Frazier. Vibrant colors with a fashion forward appearance to fit the b-ball aesthetic but these aren’t the average kicks. These sneakers have been engineered to improve footing, flexibility, jumping, control and numerous things needed for the court. Many players are enthusiastic about this new release including Marvin Bagley III and DeAndre Ayton who are part of the Puma family. The estimated released date is the fall of 2018.

Bagley and Ayton rocking The Clyde court disrupt sneakers.

Karam McCullough holding The Clyde court disrupt sneakers

By : Frank Pena

Assist : Chenier Paris

DUCKWRTH DROPS ‘BOY’ MUSIC VIDEO

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Critically acclaimed Los Angeles rapper DUCKWRTH uncovers the music video for his latest single “Boy” today.

Watch it HERE.

Rapping upside down, Duckwrth weaves a compelling tale over a sonic backdrop brought to life by bright visuals intercut with an unflinchingly intense chase scene. Conceived as a story by DUCKWRTH and Mettenarrative, the cinematic clip lives up to his reputation as the game’s most intriguing new outlier.

Highsnobiety wrote, “DUCKWRTH’s an XTRA UUGLY Mixtape was among our favorite under the radar hip-hop releases of last year, a collection of sharply-honed songs that fully displayed why the LA-based rapper has so rapidly built a devoted a fanbase.”

“Boy” stands out as the latest single to be released from his applauded 2018 project an XTRA UUGLY Mixtape—available now.

Paper recently praised him writing, “The rapper, for lack of a better descriptor expertly blends hip hop, funk and rock to create a truly eccentric and undisputedly unique sound (think Outkast meets N.E.R.D. meets something entirely out of this world.”

Since the release of his sophomore project, an XTRA UUGLY Mixtape, in November, “Duckwrth hit the ground running.” (XXL) He toured North America alongside Rich Brian, performing more than 30 shows in less than two months. He collaborated with Urban Outfitters for an exclusive in-store release of his ‘BOY’ t-shirts and XTRA UUGLY cassette tapes, as well as connected with the brand for a special live performance at Space 1520 in Hollywood. He dominated headlines at SXSW in Austin, where he was named one of the festival’s best new artists by Paste Magazine and blessed the lineups of 10 showcases including Pandora, VEVO, Tumblr and Clash Magazine. While Duckwrth has been on the road, his music has continued to grow with tracks like “I’m Dead” ft. Sabrina Claudio and “Rare Panther + Beach House” combining for over 3M streams on Spotfiy. His Michael Jackson-inspired music video for “MICHUUL.” has racked up nearly 500K views and the track was featured on HULU’s Mary Kills People and in EA Games’ Need For Speed. Duckwrth’s music also recently received placements on HBO’s Bill Maher, ESPN’s Music of the Month and Amazon Music’s Q1 Radio Campaign. With recent profiles by ILY Mag, i-D, Clash Magazine and Afropunk, upcoming festival appearances at Bonnaroo, Westward Festival and Afropunk, and more new visuals on the way, Duckwrth is showing why he’s been called “LA’s newest, and arguably soon to be best export.” (Paper Mag)

Devon Gilfillian Releases ‘TROUBLEMAKER’

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Devon Gilfillian’s new song, ‘Troublemaker, will be heard during 2018 NFL Draft programming, airing on NFL Network, FOX and ESPN from April 26-28. The song, which has also been tapped for this NFL ad, is now available for download/streaming on all digital droppable platforms HERE. Today, Gilfillian will perform the national anthem before Round 1 of the 2018 NFL Draft, which takes place in Arlington, TX NFL.com/DraftExperience.

Now signed to Capitol Records, Gilfillian grew up outside Philadelphia and took up the electric guitar at age 14. After moving to Nashville to pursue music full-time, he self-released his first EP in 2016. The five-song collection of originals showcased Gilfillian’s soulful style is a powerful blend of R&B, blues, rock and gospel. The EP won praise from NPR Music’s Ann Powers, who noted, “His self-released, self-titled debut EP captures his exuberance and musical openness, setting the stage for what promises to be a brilliant career.” Listen to his performance on NPR’s World Cafe Nashville HERE.

Gilfillian sold out his first-ever headline shows in Philadelphia and Nashville and has supported such artists as Keith Urban, Gladys Knight, Marc Broussard, Jimmy Vaughn, The Lone Bellow, Drew Holcomb and the Neighbors, Anderson East and The Fray. Check out his thoughts on time travel, Isaac Hayes, his dream collaboration and his biggest nightmare in this Q&A from The Bluegrass Situation.

BARON DAVIS x NBA ALL-STAR WEEKEND

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2-time NBA All-Star, Serial Entrepreneur and Master Connector, Baron Davis presented The BIG (Business Inside the Game) Power Summit events during NBA All-Star Weekend.

An invitation-only traveling series of highly-curated summits, workshops, and immersive experiences utilized explore how to create real business and social impact, The BIG Power Summit assembled a network of upper echelon thought-leaders, industry experts, and rising stars from diverse backgrounds to connect, learn, and engage in dynamic, yet exclusive environments.

BIG Lovefest : Wednesday, February 14 @ The Jeremy Hotel

The Summit began with the BIG LOVEFEST Valentine’s Day Women’s Networking Luncheon at the Jeremey Hotel at West Hollywood, hosted by ESPN Sports Center Anchor, Cari Champion and sounds by DJ, television personality, and fashion model DJ KISS. The event honored women in business, sports, and entertainment including motivating speeches by Los Angeles Sparks President/COO, Christine Simmons, ESPN Sports Center Host, Cari Champion, and Baron Davis.

Baron Davis with ESPN Sports Center Host Cari Champion

ESPN’s Jemele Hill

Welcome to LA : Thursday, February 15 @ The London Hotel

Curated to set the tone of celebration for the weekend with music provided by DJ, producer and photographer DJ D-Nice, who began his career in the mid-1980s with legendary hip hop group Boogie Down Productions.

Attendees include: Ice Cube, Retired NBA Champion Matt Barnes, executive producer of VH-1’s reality TV series, Basketball Wives, Shaunie O’Neal, Lil Wayne’s manager/Maverick Management, Cortez Bryant (Young Money), retired NBA player Amare Stoudemire, NBA “super fan”; James Goldstein, and two-time NBA All-Star MVP, Allen Iverson.

Ice Cube with Baron Davis

Allen Iverson, James Goldstein, and Baron Davis

The BIG Summit : Saturday, February 17 @ The London Hotel

Panel attendees were treated to thought leadership at the highest level brought together to exchange future-forward ideas around how to create real business and social impact, collaborations and opportunities that live at the intersection of sports, media, technology and culture, disrupting industries, and enriching our communities. Panelists include: Rapper, Actor, Producer, ICE CUBE, NBA All-Stars Chris Paul and David Robinson, Co-founder and President of Lyft, John Zimmer, and others. A viewing party of NBA All-Star televised events immediately followed the panel.

Additional panelists include: Film Producer, Scott Budnick, Philadelphia Eagles, Jay Ajayi, and Passionflix CEO, Tosca Musk (sister of Elon Musk).

Ice Cube, Hamet Watt, and John Zimmer

Scott Budnick, Jay Ajayi, David Robinson, and Chris Paul

Rae Sremmurd

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Today marks the premiere of “T’d Up,” the newest song from hip-hop duo Rae Sremmurd. Released via Eardruma Records/Interscope Records, and produced by Swae Lee, Metro Boomin and Darrel Jackson pka Boomanati DJ, “T’d Up” will be featured by ESPN in their NBA campaign to promote the hotly anticipated match up between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics on February 11, when LeBron James goes to Kyrie Irving’s house to see if he can tip the scales in the Cavs favor.

Watch the ESPN spot HERE

Listen to “T’d Up” HEREHERE

“T’d Up” will feature on Rae Sremmurd’s (Mississippi-bred brothers Swae Lee and Slim Jxmmi) upcoming third full-length,SR3MM. Made with their longtime producer Mike WiLL Made-It, SR3MM arrives as the follow-up to SremmLife 2—a 2016 album featuring the multi-platinum No. 1 hit “Black Beatles” (ft. Gucci Mane). SremmLife 2 drew acclaim from the likes of the New York Times, who noted that “the quieter innovation on this album is how, thanks to the more-meditative production, SremmLife 2is at times a commentary on and an updating of decades of Southern club rap.”

Released in 2015, Rae Sremmurd’s first full-length SremmLife debuted at the top of Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Rap Albums charts, in addition to cracking the Top 5 on the Top 200 Albums chart its first week. SremmLife also scored Rae Sremmurd five platinum-selling singles, including “No Flex Zone” and “No Type.”

Last August, Rae Sremmurd delivered “Perplexing Pegasus” and its accompanying video. The song was named a Best New Track by Pitchfork, who hailed the duo as “a two-man circus celebrating carefree living to the fullest, back-flipping through verses.”