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Lebron James blasts NBA amid series of All-star injuries

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WHAT’S BEING CLAIMED:

  • Lebron James blamed the latest series of All-star injuries due to the NBA’s condensed game schedule.
  • He felt sorry for the fans for not being able to watch their favorite players on the court.
  • ESPN concluded that this season had the highest injury rates in the league’s history.

Amid the recent series of NBA players (Kawhi Leonard, Kyrie Irving, James Harden, Anthony Davis etc.) getting injured, Los Angeles Lakers superstar Lebron James can’t help but blame the league again for the tight game schedule this season.

James attributed the rise of player injuries due to the lack of rest given the condensed schedule implemented by NBA November last year.

“They all didn’t wanna listen to me about the start of the season. I knew exactly what would happen. I only wanted to protect the well being of the players which ultimately is the PRODUCT & BENEFIT of OUR GAME! These injuries aren’t just “PART OF THE GAME,” the king tweeted, adding that “It’s the lack of PURE RIM REST before starting back up. 8, possibly 9 ALL-STARS have missed Playoff games (most in league history).”

“This is the best time of the year for our league and fans but missing a ton of our favorite players. It’s insane. If there’s one person who knows about the body and how it “works all year round it’s ME!,” he continued.

James said he was speaking on behalf of the players and confessed that it’s sad to see those injuries especially during these playoffs.

The king also touched on the financial aspect of the issue ━ since the league took a bad hit last year due to the pandemic.

“And I know all about the business side too/factors so don’t even try me! I get it,” James argued.

Nearly two and half months after the Los Angeles Lakers won the NBA Finals at Walt Disney World, the current season already began last December 22. The league recorded its shortest offseason in history. It also marked the most brief offseason across the four major men’s professional sports leagues in the US.

At the time, James also expressed his objection against the new policy.

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On Wednesday night, the NBA issued a statement in response to James’ criticism.

“Injury rates were virtually the same this season as they were during 2019-20 while starter-level and All-Star players missed games due to injury at similar rates last seasons,” NBA representative Mike Bass said, per Marc Stein from The New York Times

“While injuries are an unfortunate reality of our game, we recognize the enormous sacrifices NBA players and teams have made to play through this pandemic.”

Based on the tracking by ESPN, however, it supported James’ claim that this season had the most number of injuries, especially for star players.

The sports outlet said that this season, All-Stars missed 19 percent of games in a single season ━ the highest percentage in NBA’s history.

Source: AOL.com

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Conor McGregor Accidentally KO’s Miami Heat Mascot in Skit Gone Wrong [Video]

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In a Nutshell:

  • Ex-UFC champion Conor McGregor participated in an unexpected boxing stunt with Miami Heat’s mascot, Burnie, during a promotional event in the middle of an NBA Finals game.
  • McGregor knocked down Burnie with a left hook, leading to the mascot requiring medical attention and pain medication. The identity of the man inside the mascot suit has not been revealed.
  • McGregor was at the game to promote a pain-relief spray, and his antic of punching the mascot and then attempting to ‘heal’ him with the spray drew boos from the crowd.

The arena buzzed with excitement during the third-quarter stoppage of Game 4 of the NBA Finals, but not for the usual reasons.

It wasn’t a slam dunk, a three-pointer, or even a dramatic foul that had the crowd gasping – it was the sight of ex-UFC champion Conor McGregor, landing a left hook on Burnie, the Miami Heat’s lovable mascot.

The flame-faced mascot found himself in an unexpected ring match during a promotional skit that took a wrong turn.

Burnie, donned in oversized boxing gloves and a robe reminiscent of a fighter’s pre-match ensemble, received a one-two combo from McGregor that would make an experienced UFC fighter grimace.

After McGregor landed a left hook that knocked Burnie to the floor, he delivered another punch for good measure.

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It’s the kind of dramatic scene you’d expect in a UFC octagon, but not the hardwood court of an NBA game.

The crowd response was a medley of boos and gasps even before the bizarre bit started.

McGregor, who was at the game to promote a pain-relief spray, had already piqued the crowd’s ire before his ill-advised spar with the mascot.

Once the mascot was down, McGregor attempted to ‘heal’ the damage done by spraying the pain-relief product on Burnie.

Meanwhile, members of the Heat’s in-game promotional team had the unexpected task of dragging the battered Burnie off the court.

The man inside Burnie’s costume, whose identity was not revealed, had to seek medical attention following the unexpected showdown.

The Heat confirmed on Saturday that he was recuperating at home, aided by pain medication.

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As for McGregor, this stunt marks another bizarre event in a rather quiet period of his career.

He hasn’t stepped into the octagon since injuring his left leg during a match against Dustin Poirier at UFC 264 in July 2021.

His last victory dates back to January 2020.

Whether this outlandish display was a call for attention or just an ill-conceived gimmick, one thing’s for sure: Burnie might think twice before squaring up with another fighter.


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Canadian Woman Wins Annual Cheese-Rolling Race While Unconscious [Video]

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In a Nutshell:

  • Delaney Irving, a 19-year-old Canadian, has won the notoriously dangerous Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling Race in the United Kingdom, a victory she only realized after waking up from unconsciousness in a medical tent.
  • The event, a peculiar annual spectacle dating back 600 years, involves participants from across the globe who race down a steep 180-meter hill in pursuit of a wheel of Gloucester cheese that can reach speeds of up to 70 mph.
  • Despite significant safety concerns due to the event’s hazardous nature, the thrill of the chase and love for cheese continues to attract and amuse participants such as Manchester resident Matt Crolla, Japanese cheese lover Ryoya Minami, and Washington’s Cooper Cummings.

In a plot twist as unexpected as cheese curds in a poutine, a courageous 19-year-old Canadian, Delaney Irving, skated to victory in the UK’s annual cheese-rolling race.

Irving’s win was anything but ordinary; the trophy was a 7lb wheel of Gloucester cheese, and the competition so fierce, she had a blackout to prove it.

After a harsh trip and tumble that left her temporarily knocked out, our heroine woke up in a medical tent, realizing that she’d wheeled herself into history.

“I still don’t really believe it, but it feels great,” she modestly confessed to the BBC.

The only thing sharper than her tumble, it seems, was her rise to victory.

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The Cooper’s Hill Cheese-Rolling Race, a spectacle as intriguing as a mystery cheeseboard, is held annually in Gloucester, England.

It involves thrill-seekers chasing a wheel of cheese down a perilously steep 180-meter hill.

And it’s not just any slow roll: the cheese reaches speeds of up to 70 mph, adding a level of danger that’d make even a hard Parmesan crack.

The event, purportedly running annually for approximately 600 years, is known for drawing daredevils from around the globe.

With its steep hill and wild wheel of cheese, the event, which is more peculiar than blue cheese in a dessert, only seems to grow in its appeal with each passing year.

But Irving’s quick victory wasn’t as smooth as cream cheese.

Viral video footage shows her smacking her head before she tumbled across the finish line.

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“I remember running, then bumping my head, and then I woke up in the tent,” she recounted.

Cooper’s Hill, with its perilous slope, ensures that the cheese-rolling race has seen more participants in medical tents than an average sporting event.

Yet, it appears that danger doesn’t deter thrill-seekers and cheese enthusiasts from partaking in this annual spectacle.

Take for example, Matt Crolla, a Manchester resident, who won one of the races and conceded that participating was about “being an idiot.”

Then there’s Ryoya Minami, a dedicated cheese aficionado who traveled all the way from Japan.

When questioned about his motivation, Minami was succinct: “I love cheese.”

And let’s not forget Cooper Cummings, who journeyed from Washington, but didn’t manage to nab a wheel of cheese.

He maintained that “it was worth it simply to see the strange yearly ritual take place.”

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So if you were ever curious about how much someone might risk for cheese, these brave, albeit slightly unhinged individuals have your answer: ‘everything’.

No pain, no gain, no glory, and indeed, no cheese!


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Fowl Ball: MLB Pitcher Accidentally Hits Bird with a Pitch [Video]

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In a Nutshell:

  • Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen accidentally killed a bird with a baseball during his warm-up before a game against the Oakland Athletics. This incident was captured on video.
  • In a similar incident over 20 years ago, Diamondbacks pitcher Randy Johnson killed a bird with a pitch during a game. These are the only known instances in MLB history of a bird being struck and killed by a pitch.
  • In contrast to these unfortunate incidents, there have been lighter moments of animal interference in sports games, including a goose causing a commotion at a Dodgers game and a praying mantis sitting atop a player’s cap during a Nationals game.

In an unlikely turn of events, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher Zac Gallen accidentally struck and killed a bird during a pre-game warm-up, when his curveball hit the bird in mid-flight.

This unusual incident, captured on video, isn’t the first of its kind for the team; in 2001, Diamondbacks pitcher and Hall of Famer Randy Johnson similarly hit a bird with a fastball in a game against the New York Yankees.

These two occurrences are the only known instances in Major League Baseball history of a bird being killed by a pitch.

Although such tragic incidents involving birds are rare, there are numerous lighter stories of animal interference in sporting events.

For example, a game between the San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Dodgers was interrupted when a goose got loose on the field, leading the grounds crew on a comedic chase.

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Similarly, in 2021, two separate incidents of animal invasions occurred on the same day during different games.

In a game at Yankees Stadium against the Baltimore Orioles, a wandering cat caused a halt in play, while in Washington D.C., a praying mantis chose to perch atop the baseball cap of Nationals player Victor Robles during a game against the Phillies.


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