s/o to my bro @fredotovar / @Aplusfilmz !!!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
#MsLMstatus: Serena Williams Wins Roger Cup (August 14th-20th)
Serena Williams is looking like her victorious self leading into the U.S. Open. In her fourth tournament since sitting out 49 weeks because of injury and illness, Williams won the Rogers Cup on Sunday, beating Samantha Stosur 6-4, 6-2. A foot injury and then blood clots in her lungs sidelined the 29-year-old American after she won Wimbledon last year. Now she’s won two straight tournaments after taking the Stanford title July 31. Williams broke the 10th-seeded Stosur to go up 5-4 in the opening set. She would break the Australian’s serve twice more in the second in the 1 hour, 17-minute match, winning in emphatic fashion with her ninth ace. The formerly top-ranked Williams, a 13-time Grand Slam champion, was unseeded in the tournament and is ranked just 80th in the world as she continues her comeback.
-AP
Hip Hop History: Watch The Throne Set iTunes 1st Week Sales Record (August 14th-20th)
Jay-Z and Kanye's project pushed over 436k units in its debut and 321,000 copies were online, marking the second-largest digital week ever (behind Lady Gaga) and breaking iTunes’ one-week sales record — with nearly 290,000 digital copies sold through them (the other downloads came from Amazon and other retailers).
Hip Hop: Wale – The Eleven One Eleven Theory (MIXTAPE) (August 14th-20th)
Download Wale's "Eleven One Eleven Theory" Mixtape HERE!
NBA: 2K12 Releases Full Legend Lineup (August 14th-20th)
The “NBA’s Greatest” legends include:
Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (’86-’87 Lakers vs. Celtics)
Larry Bird (’85-’86 Celtics vs Hawks)
Wilt Chamberlain (’71-’72 Lakers vs Knicks)
Julius Erving (’84-’85 76ers vs Bucks)
Patrick Ewing (’94-’95 Knicks vs Magic)
Magic Johnson (’90-’91 Lakers vs Blazers)
Michael Jordan (’92-’93 Bulls vs Hornets)
Karl Malone (’97-’98 Jazz vs Spurs)
Hakeem Olajuwon (’93-’94 Rockets vs Nuggets)
Scottie Pippen (’95-’96 Bulls vs Sonics)
Oscar Robertson (’70-’71 Bucks vs Lakers)
Bill Russell (’64-’65 Celtics vs Lakers)
John Stockton (’97-’98 Jazz vs. Lakers)
Isiah Thomas (’88-’89 Pistons vs. Bulls)
Jerry West (’70-’71 Lakers vs Hawks)
NBA: Ty Lawson Signs With Lithuanian Team (August 14th-20th)
Ty Lawson will join Zalgiris Kaunas of Lithuania, signing a deal that will allow the Denver Nuggets point guard to return to the NBA if the lockout ends.
Paulius Motiejunas, the general director of Zalgiris Kaunas, confirmed the deal Monday night. A message was left for Lawson’s agent.
Lawson will team up with Sonny Weems, a former Nuggets guard who signed with the international squad last month. Unlike Lawson’s deal, Weems agreed to a contract without an NBA opt-out clause. Weems played last season for Toronto.
The speedy Lawson averaged 11.7 points and 4.7 assists last season for the Nuggets.
The Denver Post first reported the story. Lawson told the paper, “It’s the best situation for me to go out there.”
-AP
NBA: Rudy Fernandez Agrees To 4-Year Deal With Real Madrid (August 14th-20th)
Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Rudy Fernandez has indeed now agreed to a four-year deal to return to Spain and play for Real Madrid.
Fernandez will finish out his rookie contract with the Mavs, assuming the lockout does not wipe out the 2011-12 season. But, after the season, according to the report, Fernandez is prepared to leave the NBA after four seasons. The report says Fernandez will earn about $4.3 million a season in Spain.
In April, Fernandez terminated agent Andy Miller and hired Spanish agent David Carro.
Under the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement that expired July 1, Fernandez would earn $2.2 million next season with Dallas and could become a restricted free agent with a $3.2 million qualifying offer for the 2012-13 season. Fernandez, who will play at the Eurobasket with defending champion Spain starting later this month, averaged 8.6 ppg, 2.5 apg and 1.1 spg mostly in a reserve role with the Portland Trail Blazers last season. The Mavs traded for Fernandez and point guard Petteri Koponen on draft night, giving up first-round pick Jordan Hamilton from Texas and second-round pick Tanguy Ngombo.
The Mavs’ front office is prohibited from speaking to or about players during the lockout.
It certainly isn’t out of bounds to wonder if Mavs owner Mark Cuban and president of basketball operations Donnie Nelson would have been so quick to jettison youth if they weren’t confident they would be able to retain Fernandez beyond one season — a season that appears headed for at least a delayed start. After winning the franchise’s first NBA championship, the veteran-laden Mavs are in win-now mode, so it is possible that they still would have taken the risk to bring in Fernandez if for only next season.
- Jeff Caplan
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