Sports

Naomi Osaka has officially linked up with famed contemporary, Japanese artist Takashi Murakami to design a limited-edition Yonex tennis racket and accompanying bag. Both Osaka and Murakami have reimagined the iconic EZONE racket to feature Murakami’s signature cherry blossom motif atop a white base. Naomi’s name is printed on the throat of the racket, alongside kawaii silhouettes of a bear and kangaroo. In a recent interview with HYPEBAE, Osaka discussed what it was like collaborating with the legendary artist sharing, “Takashi is one of my favorite artists and we started messaging each other on Instagram a couple of years ago. We were both talking about something cool to work on together, so I suggested that we collaborate on my racket for the U.S. Open… and here we are!” The design motif...

TaylorMade has built the Milled Grind 3, with tour-proven performance using their RAW Face Technology. RAW wedges are preferred by most players and provide a consistent spin while also giving quality and function in rainy settings. TaylorMade’s Raised Micro-Ribs cover the complete face and sit among the traditional grooves. Its coarse and grained surface area gets better interaction between clubface and ball on pitch and flop shots. They are crafted to increase spin and improve the capability of shots on every side of the green. The latest iteration of the Milled Grind 3 wedges is offered in two finishes — Satin RAW Chrome and Satin RAW Black. Golfers have a range of loft choices which include 46°, 50°, 52°, 54°, 56°, 58° and 60°. In addition, an update from the previous Milled Grind 2 is ...

Lionel Messi‘s Paris Saint-Germain jerseys have sold out in just 30 minutes of being revealed on the online store. Fans also queued outside the PSG club shop for hours in a line that weaved all the way back to a nearby subway station. It’s reported that Neymar offered to give up his Number 10 jersey, but Messi refused and opted for Number 30, his debut number at FC Barcelona back in 2004. Around 832,000 copies were sold, earning the club a total of 90 million EUR (approx. 10.56 million USD) on its first day of jersey sales. This surpasses the 520,000 Cristiano Ronaldo jerseys sold when the star moved to Juventus in 2018. Following Messi’s move to PSG, the club jumped in rankings to become the third most valuable football club in the world, behind Manchester City and Chelsea FC. FC Barcelon...

Two-time NBA champion J.R. Smith is making a return to school. The retired player is enrolling at the North Carolina A&T State University to further his education in liberal studies, while also hoping to play for the school’s men’s golf team. Just 20 years ago, the retired NBA athlete had committed to the University of North Carolina but decided to forgo the college basketball route and entered the 2004 NBA draft. Smith recently spoke to a local news station about his decision to pursue higher education at this point in his post-NBA career. Smith said, “One of the best liberal studies programs is at A&T and it just so happens I’ve got deep roots in Carolina with Chris Paul, C.J. Paul. It’s been a long time since I’ve been in school. I’m excited though. It’s new challenge. I’ve got ...

A24 and Ryan Coogler are set to produce a new documentary about NBA Champion, Steph Curry. Underrated will reportedly follow the Golden State Warriors star’s rise to fame during his March Madness days with the Davidson Wildcats, where he became the NCAA’s scoring leader in 2009. A24 and Coogler’s Proximity Media will produce the documentary alongside Pete Nicks and Curry’s Unanimous Media with Erick Peyton; Nicks will direct the title. Curry is regarded as one of the most decorated NBA players, leading the Warriors to three championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and also nabbing MVP in 2015 and 2016. He was also selected as an NBA All-Star from 2014 to 2019 then again in 2021, and is currently second in all-time made three-pointers in NBA history behind Ray Allen. Stay tuned for an official ...

A24 and Ryan Coogler are set to produce a new documentary about NBA Champion, Steph Curry. Underrated will reportedly follow the Golden State Warriors star’s rise to fame during his March Madness days with the Davidson Wildcats, where he became the NCAA’s scoring leader in 2009. A24 and Coogler’s Proximity Media will produce the documentary alongside Pete Nicks and Curry’s Unanimous Media with Erick Peyton; Nicks will direct the title. Curry is regarded as one of the most decorated NBA players, leading the Warriors to three championships in 2015, 2017 and 2018 and also nabbing MVP in 2015 and 2016. He was also selected as an NBA All-Star from 2014 to 2019 then again in 2021, and is currently second in all-time made three-pointers in NBA history behind Ray Allen. Stay tuned for an official ...

The NBA and Spalding announced in June that its long-standing partnership will officially end by the 2020-21 season, and the sports equipment brand disclosed as to why the split occurred and what’s in store for the future. Spalding has been the first official ball of the NBA since 1983 following its competing supplier, Wilson, which served the NBA since 1946 for the first 37 seasons. Wilson will be reigniting its partnership as it will be taking over in the upcoming season. With the conclusion of the collaboration coming to an end after almost four decades, the basketball brand gave a brief low down on the reason as to the termination. “As an NBA partner, it has been our privilege to have Spalding played by the greatest athletes in the world,” reported by a Spalding representativ...

The NBA and Spalding announced in June that its long-standing partnership will officially end by the 2020-21 season, and the sports equipment brand disclosed as to why the split occurred and what’s in store for the future. Spalding has been the first official ball of the NBA since 1983 following its competing supplier, Wilson, which served the NBA since 1946 for the first 37 seasons. Wilson will be reigniting its partnership as it will be taking over in the upcoming season. With the conclusion of the collaboration coming to an end after almost four decades, the basketball brand gave a brief low down on the reason as to the termination. “As an NBA partner, it has been our privilege to have Spalding played by the greatest athletes in the world,” reported by a Spalding representativ...

The NFL recently announced an additional rule change that has sent football fans scratching their heads. Earlier this week, the organization have instructed game officials to be extra strict when enforcing taunting rules for the upcoming season. NFL Network’s own Tom Pelissero took to social media to announce the new rule writing, “The NFL’s annual rule change and points of emphasis video notes game officials have been instructed to strictly enforce taunting rules in 2021. Two violations result in an automatic ejection, with fines and even suspensions (!!) in play, too.” In the newly released video that details the new rules, the league explained the rule change in part due to “an increase in actions that clearly are not within the spirit and intent of this rule and not representative of t...

The NFL recently announced an additional rule change that has sent football fans scratching their heads. Earlier this week, the organization have instructed game officials to be extra strict when enforcing taunting rules for the upcoming season. NFL Network’s own Tom Pelissero took to social media to announce the new rule writing, “The NFL’s annual rule change and points of emphasis video notes game officials have been instructed to strictly enforce taunting rules in 2021. Two violations result in an automatic ejection, with fines and even suspensions (!!) in play, too.” In the newly released video that details the new rules, the league explained the rule change in part due to “an increase in actions that clearly are not within the spirit and intent of this rule and not representative of t...