Earlier today (Feb. 28), the reigning NBA MVP, Giannis Antetokounmpo addressed James Harden's comments that have been making headlines about his ability as a basketball player during a short interview prior to tonight's Bucks game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. During the 2020 NBA All-Star draft earlier this month, Charles Barkley asked the Nigerian Freak why he chose to pick Kemba Walker over James Harden during his drafting process against Lebron James. Without taking a moment to think about his answer, Antetokounmpo blatantly answered:
"I want somebody that’s going to pass the ball." 
Stacy Revere/Getty Images
During a one-on-one sitdown with ESPN's, Rachel Nichols, James Harden didn't seem to take too kindly to Antetokounmpo's comments stating:
"I averaged more assists than (Walker) I think. I don’t see what the joke is. But I didn’t even see it, I don’t pay attention to stuff like that. I just know that none of them can mess with me."
Harden then proceeded to go in on Giannis' size saying:
"I wish I could just run and be seven feet and just dunk. Like, that takes no skill at all. I gotta actually learn how to play basketball and how to have skill. I'll take that any day."
Antetokounmpo being the nonconfrontational person he is revealed that he holds no ill-will towards the league's leading scorer, responding:
"There hasn't been a back and forth. Like I'm not the type of guy—I never try to take stabs at somebody." Antetokounmpo said. "Maybe sometimes it might come out like that, but I'm definitely not. I'm just trying to do my job, which is win games and go back home to my family ... At the end of the day, if that's what he believes, that's what he believes. I can't say anything about it. I've just got to keep being focused."
While some media personalities may be trying to take sides, Antetokounmpo is focused on securing his first-ever NBA Champion a la James Harden. Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently averaging a total of 29.7 points per game while securing 13.7 rebounds while James Harden is averaging a league's best 35.2 points per game and dishing out 7.3 assists per game.
Check out Giannis Antetokounmpo's response to James Harden's animosity in the video provided below.
Chaka Khan’s All-Star Performance Compared To Fergie’s
Chaka Khan's incredibly long rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game has been met with comparisons to Fergie's cringeworthy performance of the national anthem the year before.
The 2020 NBA All-Star weekend was filled with some memorable moments, for better or for worse but people surely won't be forgetting Chaka Khan's performance during the National Anthem. If you'll recall, the 2018 All-Star Game was led by Fergie's rendition of the Star-Spangled Banner that produced a sequence of reactions that continue to live on as everyday-use memes. Unfortunately, things were equally shakey last night when Chaka Khan hit the stage to sing the National Anthem.
No one is disputing that Chaka Khan is a legend because she, in fact, is a breathing definition of the word but, as the saying goes, less is more and this time, it sounded like she simply overdid it. Immediately, the timeline was hit with a variety of reactions from praises to straight roasts. Many began to compare Chaka Khan's rendition to Fergie's rendition, although many were quick to defend the Queen Of Funk.
Despite the polarizing performance at the top of the game, it did turn out to be another successful weekend for the NBA. The All-Star Game included the introduction of a brand-new format for the game where the first three quarters were regarded as their own mini-games. However, the final quarter would add up the score from the previous three quarters with the winning team determined by who reaches 157 points first.
Peep the reactions to Chaka Khan's performance below.
Nas Tapped To Announce NBA & Hennessy Partnership
Nas narrated a commercial announcing the NBA and Hennessy’s new partnership, which makes the liquor brand the Official Spirit of the NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball.
Nas assumed his duties as brand ambassador for Hennessy this week by narrating a commercial to announce the liquor brand’s new partnership with the NBA. The multi-year deal, which solidifies Hennessy as the Official Spirit of the NBA, WNBA and USA Basketball, was announced on February 10th, ahead of this weekend’s 2020 NBA All-Star Game.
Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Hennessy
“We are pleased to be partnering with the NBA, a forward-thinking league that embodies our ‘Never stop. Never settle.’ mantra,” Hennessy’s Senior Vice President Giles Woodyer said in a press release. “There’s an energy pulsing through the NBA that compels it to evolve, to push the limits of its own potential. Our new collaborative journey is rooted in this joint passion and will explore the realms of legacy, culture and innovation.” The NBA mirrored these sentiments, as the NBA Senior Vice President of Media and Business Development, Dan Rossomondo, stated, “Our partnership with Hennessy provides an exciting opportunity to reach and engage with a broader segment of basketball fans around the NBA’s marquee moments. As the iconic brand continues to expand its business in sports marketing, we look forward to creating elevated experiences and unique initiatives that celebrate the game of basketball.”
To bring the partnership to life, Nas was asked to narrate a commercial titled “The Lines,” in which white contours come together to outline the image of a basketball court and wrap around a bottle of the best-selling Cognac. “The laws of the game say the lines contain it but contain it, they fail,” Nas declares in the clip. “Cross the line. Move the line. Break the line. This game forever grows. Forever spreads. No corner of society out-of-bounds. A cultural force no whistle can stop. The court dimensions may be set. But this game is ever-expanding. The spirit of the NBA.”
Noel Vasquez/Getty Images for Hennessy
Nas, who has been representing Hennessy for almost 7 years now, also hosted the Hennessy All-Star Weekend Gentlemen’s Lounge at The Old Post Office in Chicago on Friday, alongside A$AP Ferg.
Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled & Quavo To Perform At NBA All-Star Game Halftime Show
Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, and Quavo will join Chance The Rapper to perform at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game halftime show.
Lil Wayne, DJ Khaled, and Quavo are set to perform at the 2020 NBA All-Star Game halftime show alongside scheduled headliner, Chance The Rapper. The game is set to take place at Chicago's United Center on Sunday, and the halftime show is turning out to be quite the star-studded affair.
As Wayne, Khaled, and Quavo are billed as "joining" Chance, the odds are in our favour that the four of them will be performing at least one of the collaborations they share amongst each other. Wayne, Quavo, and Chance are all featured on Khaled's 2017 hit, "I'm The One," along with Justin Bieber, and Chance and Quavo also hopped on Khaled's "No Brainer" with Bieber in 2018, though Wayne did not partake.
Paras Griffin/Getty Images for BET
Common is also expected to appear at the game on Sunday, to deliver give a speech about what basketball means to the city of Chicago and as well as to introduce the players. Common, Chance and Quavo are all set to play in the celebrity game on Friday, with Common and Chance serving as team captains. Other acts include Bad Bunny, Jidenna, and Chance's younger brother and fellow rapper, Taylor Bennett.
LeBron James Hilariously Shades Anthony Davis Over All-Star Draft
The All-Star draft is about to be entertaining.
LeBron James has been tasked with being an All-Star captain this season and fans are excited for the draft which will take place prior to the game. Essentially, LeBron and Giannis Antetokounmpo will go head-to-head and draft players for their respective teams. Last year's draft was a lot of fun and featured some playful trash-talking between the two players. Heading into the 2020 NBA All-Star game, we expect even more of that.
The starters for the game have been named and as you can imagine, Anthony Davis is one of those starters. After defeating the Brooklyn Nets last night, LeBron was asked whether or not he would be picking Davis in the draft. Of course, LeBron turned it into a bit of a joke as he said "I don't know if I like him like that."
LeBron picked AD first last season which ultimately led to speculation that Davis might come to the Lakers. Eventually, that speculation became a reality and now, the Lakers are first place in the Western Conference. If Giannis is smart, he will snag AD away from LeBron in order to create an unstoppable frontcourt. Regardless, we're going to have to wait and see what LeBron chooses to do.
Who do you think LeBron should draft onto his All-Star team?
LeBron James & Giannis Named All-Star Captains, Starters Revealed
These lineups are pretty stacked.
We're already at the midway point of the NBA season which means the All-Star game is only a few short weeks away. The game is going to go down on Sunday, February 16th in Chicago and fans are excited to see which players are going to end up in the game. Yesterday, fans got a glimpse at what the game will be like as the starters were finally revealed. Just like last year, LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo will serve as captains for the match.
The rest of the lineups are looking pretty stacked. In the Eastern Conference, the starters will be Giannis, Trae Young, Joel Embiid, Kemba Walker, and Pascal Siakim. Meanwhile, the Western Conference will feature LeBron, Kawhi Leonard, Luka Doncic, Anthony Davis, and James Harden.
It remains to be seen who else will be playing in the game. Fans are excited to see some of the best players in the world participate in what should be the biggest event of the year, aside from the playoffs, of course. With LeBron and AD teamed up together, the game will certainly be a ton of fun. Meanwhile, we hope Dwight Howard gets a spot considering he will be in the dunk contest.
What do you think of this crop of starters?
