NBA players who wear either No. 8 or No. 24 have begun the process of changing their jersey numbers as a way of honoring Kobe Bryant in the aftermath of his death. Additionally, Los Angeles Lakers guard Quinn Cook has announced that he will no longer wear No. 2, the number worn by Kobe's 13-year old daughter Gianna, who was one of nine killed in the tragic helicopter crash on Sunday.

According to Shams Charania, Cook explained to The Athletic, “No. 2 is Gianna’s number. I feel it should be retired. It’s hers.”

LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers were originally scheduled to host the Los Angeles Clippers on Tuesday night, but the game was rightfully postponed in the aftermath of Kobe Bryant's death. One of the best ways for LeBron to cope with the passing of Kobe was to go watch his son, LeBron James Jr., and the rest of the Sierra Canyon boy's basketball team. And they didn't disappoint. 

As seen in the footage embedded below, Bronny threw down an impressive alley-oop off a baseline inbounds pass during the team's 83-57 victory over Campbell Hall.

When the news of Kobe Bryant’s death was announced on Sunday, the whole world was shocked. Kobe was loved and respected by so many people, including countless fellow celebrities, many of whom took to social media to share some heartfelt tributes to the late NBA star. One such celebrity was Chris Brown, who shared a photo of himself and Kobe on Instagram with the caption, “DEVASTATED!! RIP❤️KING.” Many of Kobe’s fans and admirers have been finding creative ways to honour Kobe’s legacy, and Chris is no exception. On Tuesday, the singer shared a photo on Instagram of the latest mural he’s been working on, in which he’s painted Kobe in his signature Lakers colours, purple and yellow.

“WORK IN PROGRESS!!! WE LOVE YOU KING❤️??,” Chris wrote in the caption. Though he may claim that the piece is a work in progress, it’s already coming together quite nicely, considering he’s only had a few days to work on it. It’s no secret that Chris has some major artistic talents beyond his musical abilities; he’s shared plenty of his artwork before, in the forms of painted and spray-painted murals, as well as drawings. It looks like he passed on his artistic gifts to his daughter, Royalty, too The memory of Kobe and his daughter, Gianna, who was also tragically killed in the same helicopter crash, has been preserved in plenty of other murals around the world, as well, including in L.A. and the city of Manila in the Phillipines.

A couple weeks ago rumors were circulating online that media conglomerate Barstool Sports was selling a minority stake of its company to a casino operator called Penn National, and it turns out the reports were true. On Wednesday, it was officially announced that Penn National Gaming and Barstool Sports have agreed on a $450 million dollar deal.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Penn National will first buy a 36 percent stake in Barstool for $163 million in cash and stock, which values the company at $450 million. In 3 years from now, the casino company will then have to pay another $62 million to bring its stake to 50 percent, with the ability to buy controlling ownership for an amount to be determined at the time.

Penn National, which runs & owns dozens of low-profile casinos and hotels around the US, will have exclusive rights to use the Barstool brand in its sports-betting products. They believe they can bring Barstool’s loyal fanbase and traffic to its casinos and upcoming new betting app.

For what its worth, a person briefed on Barstool’s business estimates the company generated between $90 million and $100 million in revenue last year, with the majority coming from podcasts, merchandise sales, and gambling deals. The rich keep getting richer I guess.

Check out El Pres’ official announcement of the deal (below).

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Barstool Sports Is Now Accepting Passengers to The Moon

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Dr. Umar Johnson is a Doctor of Clinical Psychology and Certified School Psychologist who is best known for spouting outrageous conspiracy theories. In one of his more well-known theories, he proposed that Meek Mill was released from prison in order for Bill Cosby to be convicted. His latest proposition, though, is rubbing people the wrong way, as it deals with the very recent death of Kobe Bryant. On Instagram live, Dr. Johnson explained that he believes that the helicopter crash that killed Kobe did not occur due to fog but rather was the intentional result of a dispute between Kobe and a pharmaceutical company over his signature nickname.

The latest in a slew of fantastic interviews on GGN, Snoop Dogg recently hosted T.I. for an extensive conversation on the culture. Finding common ground in their shared experience navigating the dope game, the conversation shifts to the importance of mentorship in hip-hop. “When I first came in I didn’t really have anybody to look to for guidance,” reflects Tip. “It wasn’t until later on in my career when I was introduced to people like you and Jay and Puff. As far as from Atlanta, everybody was so caught up in doing their own thing — rightfully so– wasn’t no time for turning back and teaching or nothing.” 

“I say I take my losses like I take my wins,” says Snoop, a few minutes later. “Every loss I took made me better and prepared me for the win. Sometimes when I win it’s a loss, because I think I did it right. I think I perfected it. But in every win there’s something I did wrong. So you gotta know how to take your losses.” 

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He proceeds to ask T.I. about the decision to broadcast his “Family Hustle” for the world to see. “You inspire my family to want to stay together, to want to be together,” gushes Snoop, prompting a proud laugh from Tip. “I was in prison,” recalls Tip. “I was noticing that every time something was reported about me or written about me always reflected back to one or two isolated moments. So I felt like it was because I haven’t given them enough. The plan was to show how diverse my lifestyle was. How much of a family man, a businessman I am. I was all these things.”

“In doing so, we found out the kids was stars,” laughs Tip. “They didn’t find their voice until the cameras came on. It’s like when you and your old lady in the room they gonna talk to you a certain way. Then when you walk out that room, they gonna be completely different kids. When the camera came on, it gave me the opportunity to see how they are when I’m not around. It was a pleasant surprise, and shit, they took the show over.”

Check out the full interview below, and big shout out to both Snoop and Tip for continuously holding it down. 

Here we go. We may be witnessing the inception of the latest A-list power couple. We’ve got Jay-Z and Beyoncé. Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are madly in love. Cardi B and Offset bring that raunch to the red carpet every single time. Now, we may finally be nearing the romantic union of Rihanna and A$AP Rocky.

Earlier this month, Rihanna called things off with her billionaire boyfriend Hassan Jameel, kicking him to the curb and moving onto the bigger and better things. The same day that those reports broke, the multi-talented singer was spotted with A$AP Rocky at Yams Day 2020, honoring the life of the late A$AP Yams. New information suggests that the two musicians actually ended up staying the night together in the same hotel suite, perhaps confirming the fact that they’re dating.

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Neither of the two has confirmed anything thus far but, according to The Sun, things are casual for the time being. “Rihanna is reluctant to put a label on it as it’s so soon after Hassan,” reportedly said a source close to the pop star. “They’re really enjoying each other’s company and taking things easy as it’s still early days. It’s really casual between them and she’s not thinking about whether there’s a future with Rocky. She’s a newly-single girl having fun.”

A$AP Rocky and Rihanna have been entangled in dating rumors for the last seven years, beginning when they were spotted kissing off-screen on the set of the music video for “Fashion Killa.” It looks like they’re finally giving things a try. Do you think they’ve respectively found “the one?”

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With the world still reeling from the sudden deaths of Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others, many have begun reflecting on their favorite Mamba memories. Though many stemmed from his dominance on the court, some looked to Kobe’s short-lived but nevertheless badass stint as a rapper. As covered in our extensive “Rap Or Go To The League” editorial, exploring the history of ballers-turned-emcees, during the early nineties Kobe “was in the studio for hours at a time, writing and rewriting songs with tireless perfectionism.” While he never quite found the hip-hop success seen by his fellow Laker Shaquille O’Neal, it’s clear that Kobe possessed a solid ear for constructing flow. 

In honor of Kobe’s memory, it seems fitting to share a homage from his time chasing hip-hop ambitions. In 1998, Kobe linked up with Shaquille O’Neal for a guest verse on Respect, Shaq’s fourth studio album. Over an old-school beat from Clark Kent, Kobe kicks things off with some intellectual multisyllabic bars; his flow and subject matter is reminiscent of Canibus, particularly in the opening lines. “I reach destinations with split-second acceleration, it caps enough time to witness your bone evaporation,” raps The Mamba. “I kidnap planes for atmospherical advantage, my lyrical damage the rise for mental mechanics.”

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As art imitates life, Kobe’s dexterity is contrasted by Shaq Diesel’s sturdy flow. Evocative of the Notorious B.I.G, it’s almost surreal to revisit Shaq’s admittedly solid hip-hop career. Yet it’s Kobe’s verse that ultimately left the biggest impression. Even on collaborator Sonja Blade, who spoke about “3X’s Dope” during a Grantland interview. “When he laid that down, the whole studio erupted because it was like, ‘This guy is not playing.’ This was not A-B-C stuff,” she reflected. “You know what’s funny? He sounds dope,” she says afterward. “Compared to the rappers today, he’s dope. He sounds like an underground backpack rapper.”

Granted, Kobe would ultimately forsake his hip-hop dreams before anything substantial could manifest. But it’s still nice to remember another side of the legendary NBA superstar. Rest in peace Kobe Bryant — revisit some of his bars below. 

DJ Khaled welcomed “anotha one” last week when he and his wife wife welcomed their second child, Aalam. The famed producer and hype man made sure to keep us all in the loop of virtually every second of the process, which included updates before, during, and after the birth. As he should, Khaled has not held back on his excitement about having another child. He got some new ink for the occasion, tattooing Aalam’s footprint on his forearm next to a matching tattoo of Asahd’s footprints that he got after his first son’s birth in 2016. The father of two even revealed the name of his newborn baby onstage at the Grammys on Sunday, while he took part in accepting the award for Best Rap/Sung Performance for his collaboration with John Legend and the late Nipsey Hussle, “Higher.”

“I just had a new baby boy a week ago. His name is Aalam. It means ‘the world’ in Arabic,” Khaled told the crowd. “I also want to big-up my other son Asahd, I love you so much. Daddy will be home.” It looks like Asahd is taking a liking to his new little brother, as Khaled shared a photo on Instagram of his two sons side by side in bed. In the adorable photo, Asahd can be seen looking at his tiny sibling with wonder, as little Aalam sleeps soundly.

“BROTHERS ! ASAHD ! And AALAM !” Khaled wrote in the caption. He then shared the exact details of Aalam’s birth—”Jan 20 . 2020 Time 11 : 42 pm. AALAM 8 ponds 4 ounces”—before tossing in a few of his signature catchphrases: “WE THE BEST ! ?? MORE LOVE MORE BLESSINGS !”

Drake is showing love to the woman who made it all possible for him, his mother. Yesterday, January 28th was Sandi Graham’s 60th birthday, and to celebrate it her son Drake decided to shower her with love on Instagram.

Sharing a picture of his crib decked out in birthday balloons, which spells out “happy birthday,” Drizzy wrote a short, heartfelt caption along with it, wishing his “incredible” mother a happy birthday.

“Happy Birthday to my incredible mother” – Drake simply wrote.

The yearly shout out isn’t anything news from Drizzy as he’s been known to give Sandi a birthday shout in years past, but not every birthday is her 60th. And more importantly, most years don’t happen to fall on a day after the world is mourning the loss a mega celebrity like Kobe Bryant, so that makes all the more meaningful this time around. Check out his birthday shout out from a couple years back (below).