Countdown to the start of NBA free agency

The countdown to the start of the July 1 NBA free agency period, when stars such as LeBron James(notes), Dwyane Wade(notes), Chris Bosh(notes) and others are expected to hit the market:

DAYS REMAINING: 2.

A BRON-STONE?: LeBron James is house shopping in New York. (Bear in mind, Dwyane Wade just bought a house in Chicago, Amare Stoudemire owns in Miami and Zydrunas Ilgauskas(notes) owns in New York as well, so this could mean absolutely nothing.) Fox Business Networks interviewed a real estate agent Tuesday who says King James looked at a condo in Greenwich Village over the weekend, checking the height of the ceilings, among other things. Asking price? Around $12.95 million. “It was actually quite interesting,” says Dolly Lenz, vice chairman of Prudential Douglas Elliman. And if for some reason LBJ doesn’t want to pony up cash, perhaps Dan Gilbert would arrange a Quicken loan … or not.

Joe Jackson Drops Request for $15,000 Monthly Stipend

Michael Jackson's father is withdrawing his request to receive more than $15,000 a month from his late son's estate

A court filing says Joe Jackson is dropping his bid to receive a monthly allowance in favor of pursuing a wrongful death lawsuit over his son's death.

Joe Jackson filed a lawsuit in federal court on Friday against Dr. Conrad Murray, who has been charged with involuntary manslaughter in the singer's death.

The Jackson family patriarch was omitted from his son's will, but in November sought a stipend to pay his monthly expenses.

The filing was first reported Monday by the celebrity website TMZ.

Joe Jackson's filing indicates he may renew his request for a stipend later if necessary.

Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia Dies at 92

Sen. Robert Byrd of West Virginia, a fiery orator versed in the classics and a hard-charging power broker who steered billions of federal dollars to the state of his Depression-era upbringing, died Monday. He was 92.

A spokesman for the family, Jesse Jacobs, said Byrd died peacefully at about 3 a.m. at Inova Hospital in Fairfax, Va. He had been in the hospital since late last week.

At first Byrd was believed to be suffering from heat exhaustion and severe dehydration, but other medical conditions developed. He had been in frail health for several years.

Byrd, a Democrat, was the longest-serving senator in history, holding his seat for more than 50 years. He was the Senate's majority leader for six of those years and was third in the line of succession to the presidency, behind House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a fellow West Virginian in the Senate, said it was his "greatest privilege" to serve with Byrd.

"I looked up to him, I fought next to him, and I am deeply saddened that he is gone," Rockefeller said.

The Senate Republican leader, Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, said Byrd "combined a devotion to the U.S. Constitution with a deep learning of history to defend the interests of his state and the traditions of the Senate."

"We will remember him for his fighter's spirit, his abiding faith, and for the many times he recalled the Senate to its purposes," McConnell said.

West Virginia Gov. Joe Manchin, a Democrat, will appoint Byrd's replacement. For a vacancy that occurs more than two years and six months before the expiration of a senator's term — Byrd's term was to end in January of 2013 — the appointee serves until an election is held to fill the rest of the term.

Byrd's death followed less than a year after the passing of venerable Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, a nationally recognizable figure who had been a most vociferous spokesman for liberal causes for years.

In comportment and style, Byrd often seemed a Senate throwback to a courtlier 19th century. He could recite poetry, quote the Bible, discuss the Constitutional Convention and detail the Peloponnesian Wars — and frequently did in Senate debates.

Yet there was nothing particularly courtly about Byrd's pursuit or exercise of power.

Byrd was a master of the Senate's bewildering rules and longtime chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, which controls a third of the $3 trillion federal budget. He was willing to use both to reward friends and punish those he viewed as having slighted him.

"Bob is a living encyclopedia, and legislative graveyards are filled with the bones of those who underestimated him," former House Speaker Jim Wright, D-Texas, once said in remarks Byrd later displayed in his office.

In 1971, Byrd ousted Kennedy, the Massachusetts senator, as the Democrats' second in command. He was elected majority leader in 1976 and held the post until Democrats lost control of the Senate four years later. He remained his party's leader through six years in the minority, then spent another two years as majority leader.

"I have tangled with him. He usually wins," former Sen. Dennis DeConcini, D-Ariz., once recalled.

DeConcini supported Byrd's bid for majority leader. "He reciprocated by helping me get on the Appropriations Committee," DeConcini said. Years later, DeConcini said, he displeased Byrd on another issue. "I didn't get on the Intelligence Committee when I thought I was up to get on it."

Byrd stepped aside as majority leader in 1989 when Democrats sought a more contemporary television spokesman. "I ran the Senate like a stern parent," Byrd wrote in his memoir, "Child of the Appalachian Coalfields." His consolation price was the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee, with control over almost limitless federal spending.

Within two years, he surpassed his announced five-year goal of making sure more than $1 billion in federal funds was sent back to West Virginia, money used to build highways, bridges, buildings and other facilities, some named after him.

Michael Jackson's Death: A Look Back At The First 24 Hours

The news of Michael Jackson's death one year ago Friday (June 25) seemed all the more shocking because it meant we had not only lost one of our most energetic, enigmatic and complex pop stars, but one whose entire adult life had been aimed at recapturing a childhood innocence he'd lost in service of entertaining us.

Jackson's yearning to remain eternally childlike and his whimsical, over-the-top notions of uniting the world through song made it that much harder to believe he'd died and then to accept that we would never again get to see him dazzle us with his signature live spectacle. Today, we take a look back at the rush of emotions we felt over the first 24 hours after the news broke that Jackson had died at age 50
Considered by many to be the world's greatest entertainer, Jackson was preparing for a sold-out, 50-show residency at London's O2 arena. Fans had snatched up more than $85 million worth of tickets for the This Is It shows, which would mark the self-proclaimed King of Pop's return to the stage after more than a decade in seclusion raising his three young children. Jackson had long been plotting his way back to the top following a devastating trial on child-molestation charges that ended in a 2005 acquittal, and the O2 shows — slated to begin July 13 — were promising to be a blockbuster re-emergence.

The excitement about the gigs, though, quickly turned to sadness on June 25, 2009, when news emerged in the early afternoon that the singer had been rushed to a Los Angeles hospital. In the initial hours, confusion reigned about what had happened to Jackson and what his condition was. Early reports said he had suffered cardiac arrest and was in critical condition after paramedics found him not breathing at his rented Holmby Hills, California, mansion. Some said he had already died or had died upon arrival at the hospital; others painted his condition as grave.

Within hours, the grim reality set in when it was confirmed that Jackson had died as a result of cardiac arrest. Despite decades of bizarre behavior, two high-profile allegations of inappropriate conduct with children and a maddening inability to recapture the singular magic of his greatest musical achievements, upon confirmation of his death Jackson's millions of fans turned to the thing that had always risen above his tabloid headlines for them: his music.

Jamaica Captures Christopher "Dudus" Coke

Now, Jamaica's top police officer is appealing for cool heads, urging Coke's gangland supporters to allow the law to take its course following his arrest Tuesday. Last month, fighting between security forces and gunmen loyal to the man dubbed by U.S. authorities as one of the world's most dangerous drug lords killed 76 people.

"I would like to appeal to the families, friends and sympathizers of Christopher Coke to remain calm," Police Commissioner Owen Ellington said after the capture of Jamaica's No. 1 fugitive, who eluded the bloody police offensive in his West Kingston slum stronghold.

Security forces "are taking every step possible to ensure his safety and well-being while he is in our custody," Ellington said Tuesday night, adding that legal proceedings against Coke should get under way quickly.

The 42-year-old Coke, who faces trial in New York on drug-trafficking and gunrunning charges, is said to fear suffering the same fate as his father, a gang leader who died in a prison fire in 1992 while awaiting extradition to the U.S. on drug charges.

Ellington said Coke was caught by police manning a vehicle checkpoint along a highway, but added that other "circumstances of (Coke's) arrest are being investigated." He said police were acting on intelligence.

The Rev. Al Miller, an influential evangelical preacher who facilitated the surrender of Coke's brother earlier this month, told The Associated Press that Coke was heading to surrender to authorities at the U.S. Embassy in Kingston when police stopped his convoy on a highway outside the capital.

"A contact was made on his behalf that he wanted to give himself in," Miller said. "I therefore made arrangements with his lawyers because he wanted to go ahead with the extradition process, so we communicated with the U.S. Embassy because that's where he would feel more comfortable."

Miller said police took Coke to the nearby Spanish Town police headquarters, then flew him to Kingston.

Last month, a U.S. law enforcement official in New York, speaking on condition of anonymity, told the AP that a lawyer for Coke was negotiating with the Justice Department about his client's possible safe removal to New York to face charges.

A phone listed for Coke's lead attorney, Don Foote, went unanswered.

Preet Bharara, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said, "We look forward to working closely with the Jamaican authorities to bring Coke to justice to face charges pending against him in Manhattan federal court."

Coke is wanted in New York on charges that he trafficked cocaine and marijuana as well as weapons between this Caribbean island and the United States. Coke, who typically avoids the limelight, faces life in prison if convicted.

Prime Minister Bruce Golding, whose Jamaica Labor Party has long counted on the support of gunmen inside Coke's stronghold in the Tivoli Gardens slum, opposed the U.S. extradition request for nine months before reversing himself under growing public pressure that threatened his political career. His stand also strained relations with the U.S.

Earlier this month, the main opposition party staged a no-confidence vote against Golding, which he survived after promising a sustained assault on the gangs that control poor politicized slums like Tivoli Gardens.

Jamaica's political history is intertwined with slum gangs that the two main parties helped organize — and some say armed — in Kingston's poor neighborhoods in the 1970s and '80s. The gangs controlled the streets and intimidated voters at election time. In recent years political violence has waned, and many of the killings in Kingston now are blamed on the drug and extortion trade.

Coke was born into Jamaica's gangland. His father, known as Jim Brown, was the leader of the notorious Shower Posse, a cocaine-trafficking gang with members in Jamaica and the U.S. that began operating in the 1980s and was named for its members' tendency to spray victims with bullets. The son took over from the father, U.S. authorities allege.

Hours before Coke's arrest, Jamaica's government extended a monthlong state of emergency to St. Catherine parish, where he was captured.

Golding has pledged to crush street gangs and replace their strong-armed rule with social programs for the poor. But the vow has a hollow ring in the gritty slums where "dons" like Coke have long provided services and imposed a disciplined law and order the government could never achieve. Slum dwellers have a deep distrust of the police, who are often seen as agents of the country's elite.

Harry Potter' Star Daniel Radcliffe Isn't Interested In 'Another Franchise

"Harry Potter" star Daniel Radcliffe is facing conflicting emotions these days. On one hand, Radcliffe is sad to see his time as the bespectacled hero come to an end. But on the other, he is very excited about his post-"Potter" possibilities.

When MTV News caught up with him, his role in the upcoming "All Quiet on the Western Front" had not been announced, but Radcliffe knew enough at the time to tell us: "There's lots of stuff on the horizon, but nothing in the immediate future."

Though the film world is essentially Radcliffe's oyster, given his "Potter" star power, one area in which fans are not as likely to see him is in another big franchise.

"I wouldn't like to get involved with another franchise at all, really," Radcliffe admitted. "I've done that, and I know what that's like, and it's been a wonderful thing. Going on to any other franchise after 'Potter' might seem a little bit of a letdown."

Instead, Radcliffe hopes to focus on making smaller independent films, but he didn't rule out blockbusters completely. "If the script came for an amazing huge film, it would be churlish to say no," he said.

What if said amazing script was for the role of Bilbo in "The Hobbit"? "Potter" director David Yates is rumored to be in consideration for the directing gig, after all.

"I don't think I would be asked to play Bilbo," Radcliffe said. "It's a ridiculous rivalry ["Harry Potter" vs. "Lord of the Rings"] completely built up by the media, but I certainly would be wary of getting involved in another magical fantasy franchise."

Ciara Says It 'Feels Really Good' To Get Andre 3000 On 'Ride' Remix

Ciara has found a way to make her sexy single "Ride" even hotter: a collaboration with Andre 3000, one of the most sought-after MCs in the game.

CiCi has recruited the Outkast rapper for a remix of "Ride," which also features fellow ATLien Ludacris. But the diva didn't land the collaboration alone; she brought in some music-industry bigwigs to help her out.

"My team actually kind of helped put that together. My A&R [rep] Mark [Pitts] and [RCA/Jive Label Group Chairman and CEO] Barry Weiss, they kinda worked it out," Ciara told MTV News about getting the MC, who is known for being selective when it comes to doling out features. "It was just a really cool thing for Dre to respond back and say he wanted to get on the record."

Ciara also revealed that the remix is not the first time she and the star tried to work together. "When I was doing [2006's] Evolution, I wanted him to do something with me, and we never got to do anything," Ciara said. "It's just really great timing now that we get to do something."

Ciara followers are used to hearing the singer rock with stars who rep the A, like Luda and Young Jeezy, but CiCi said fans are getting something fresh with the 3000 collabo. "My fans are getting an unexpected treat with it. He is, from what I understand, very selective and ... protective of his creativity, so it just feels really good to be able to rock with him," Ciara said.

There isn't yet a release date for her next album, Basic Instinct, but the star said fans can look out for it later this year.

"I'm really, like, 95 percent done right now with the record," Ciara said. "You're gonna be able to dance nonstop."

Are you excited to hear Ciara's collabo with Andre 3000? Let me know in the comments!

Rick Ross Says Michael Jackson Was 'One Of One'

Rick Ross says the impact Michael Jackson left on pop culture is immeasurable. Like many people around the globe, the Bawse is reflecting on Jackson's life and legacy with the one-year anniversary of his untimely death on Friday.

"My second album, Trilla, was named after Michael Jackson's Thriller album, which I feel is the number-one album in the history of musical life form," Ross told MTV's "Sucker Free" this past weekend in Atlanta at the Philips Arena during the Birthday Bash 15 concert. "Shout-out to Quincy Jones; send your boy a beat! Just to see [Michael's] story, him as a kid, his siblings. That was a story I felt that any black family growing up could relate to. To see the heights that he took it to at such a young age. He set so many trends. Of course he had a great voice. Of course the ladies loved him. They needed oxygen machines at his shows. People were fainting a lot of times. We don't speak enough on him being a fashion icon. His shades, the [Ray-Ban] Wings, those are the shades I wear to this day. He also became famous for the glove, the jacket, the socks, the penny loafers, the flooding pants. He was a fly dude. He impacted music and mankind in a special way. He's one of one. It'll never come again."

Ross' peers, such as Bun B, Ludacris and Busta Rhymes, have also talked to MTV News about Jackson this week. Rhymes insisted that Jackson's King of Pop nickname deserves an upgrade.

"It ain't even just the 'King of Pop' no more," Bus said. "I think we gon' bury that and we gon' give you the new attribute that goes along with your greatness, as the 'King of Music.' "

Ludacris Says Nicki Minaj And Lil' Kim Should Make A Record Together

What's a good way for Lil' Kim and Nicki Minaj to resolve their issues? Do a collabo, says Ludacris. If the two rap divas put their bewigged heads together and traded rhymes on a song, Luda thinks minds would be blown by the resulting track."I think if Lil' Kim and Nicki Minaj do a record together it's gonna kill the entire industry," Luda told MTV News. He added that the two femcees should take advantage of the lack of high-profile ladies in the game right now: "You don't have that many women in the industry so the lane is wide open."

The ATL rapper insisted that the two should work on music not only for themselves, but for their fans as well.

"The fact that we have females out there that's going back and forth — and I'm not saying it's either one's fault — I feel like y'all need to come together and squash all this bulls-- and make records together," Luda said. "Because [there's] a lot of women that wanna hear what the hell y'all got to say."

Other MCs have weighed in on the controversy as well. Miami hip-hop queen Trina said the Minaj and Kim drama reflects on all femcees. "This makes us all look bad. There's barely any female artists as is — we don't need this," Trina told MTV News.

50 Cent said that Kim should calm down with the swagger-jacking accusations because there is a lack of female hip-hop artists for Minaj to be inspired by. "It's obvious ... she was inspired by some of Kim's [style]. But that's not bad. There's not a whole lot of female artists that you can make reference to, so you'll see those little influences even stronger," 50 said in an interview with Power 98.3 FM in Phoenix.

Hip-hop vet Rah Digga also said the stars should keep it about the music. "My advice to everybody is just do you," Digga told MTV. "Make your music, don't pay attention to what's going on around you, just do what you do best and let the fans blog it out."

Do you think Nicki Minaj and Lil' Kim should collaborate on a song? Sound off in the comments below!

Mariah Carey Hit With Puppy Lawsuit ?

Mariah Carey's puppies are a financial handful.Dr. Cindy Bressler hit the R&B diva with a lawsuit claiming Mariah only paid $8,000 of a $38,000 bill in which Bessler extensively cared for Carey's Jack Russell puppies.

According to TMZ, Bessler stated she provided services for the dogs while Mariah was in Los Angeles promoting the movie "Precious." Bessler's attorney also noted that her client even helped deliver one of the pups last year while Carey was away.

Nas & Kelis Forced to Sell Home Due to Back Mortgage Payments

The drama between Nas and Kelis is far from over guys.

Though the two officially divorced last month, the Queensbridge rapper is behind $52,989.22 in mortgage payments. In addition, according legal documents obtained by TMZ, Nas still owes his ex-wife a little under $300,000 in spousal support.

In result of the back payments, Nas' legal rep Mark Vincent Kaplan issued a payment plan to the court in which his client will pay $17,500 up front and double up on orginal payments which total $7,800 each month to catch up.

The former couple plans to sell their estate as soon as possible.

Neither Kelis or Nas have commented on the matter.

Fat Joe Probed For Sexual Assault in Wisconsin

Bronx MC Fat Joe (born Joseph Cartagena) was apprehended by Madison, Wisconsin authorities after an unidentified female claimed the rapper and his entourage sexually assaulted her after a concert this past Sunday (June 20).

The 33-year-old female claims that she traveled back to the hotel with Joe's crew after he performed at The Orpheum Theater in Madison that night. She claims to have been assaulted by the entourage during the ride.

According to sources close to the investigation, Joe was briefly detained for questioning, but was not arrested or charged with any crime. He was released early Monday morning (June 21).

Son of Dallas chief dies in shootout with police

Just seven weeks after being sworn in as leader of the Dallas police force, David Brown learned on Father's Day that his 27-year-old son gunned down a suburban officer in a weekend shootout with police.

Investigators say 37-year-old Lancaster officer Craig Shaw was killed Sunday just minutes after Brown's son fatally shot a stranger in what authorities say was a random attack.

"This, in my opinion, is the worst possible personal tragedy any chief of police could have," said William Rathburn, who served as Dallas police chief from 1991 to 1993.

Brown, described by friends and colleagues as a hard-charging, private man, sent a message to the police department Tuesday acknowledging that the past few days had been "troubling and emotional." He offered condolences to the families of the two men his son killed.

"My family has not only lost a son, but a fellow police officer and a private citizen lost their lives at the hands of our son," Brown said in the statement. "That hurts so deeply I cannot adequately express the sadness I feel inside my heart."

His son, named David Brown Jr., had a minor criminal record, pleading no contest to misdemeanor delivery of marijuana in 2004 after originally being charged with a felony.

The younger Brown's live-in girlfriend, Misty Conaway, called Lancaster police to their apartment Sunday morning, seven hours before the shootings, according to 911 tapes released to local media outlets. She said Brown was having "a psychotic breakdown" and had hit her, local media reported. Conaway didn't file a formal complaint, but she and her children were taken to the police station.

More in the hot seat

Joe Jackson Sues Michael Jackson's Doctor for Wrongful Death

Jackson patriarch, Joe, has reportedly filed a lawsuit against Dr. Conrad Murray, Michael Jackson's former personal physician. According to Joe, hours before his son was given a lethal shot of Propofol, Murray was whooping it up by drinking at an L.A. strip club.


The grieving dad alleges that the good doctor was spotted kicking back a few at Sam Hofbrau, a popular topless strip club in downtown L.A. Joe's attorney, Brian Oxman, states in court documents, "It was reckless for him to 'drink' prior to administering anesthesia to Michael Jackson. He concealed his conduct from Michael Jackson."

The legal papers also claim that Murray administered a "polypharmacy of drugs," which brought on a slew of health problems that eventually led to Michael's demise.

Jay-Z Sued Over Private Jet -- Flight Time is Money

It costs Jay-Z roughly $250k to spend 55 hours on a private jet -- and that's with a celebrity discount -- but according to a new lawsuit, the rapper never paid the entire cost to fly like a boss.
Jay-Z -- aka Shawn Carter -- is being sued by Air Platinum Holding, a private jet company which claims Jigga spent 55 hours on their planes back in 2009 ... but only paid for 37 hours of service.

The suit also claims Jay-Z flaked out on some other payments as well -- here's how it all breaks down:

-- 18 hours of flight time at $4,500-per-hour (discounted from $6,000-per-hour) ... $81,000
-- Catering for 17 domestic flights ($500-per-flight) .... $8,500
-- Catering for 4 international flights ($750-per-flight) ... $3,000
-- International fees ... $8,500
-- Taxes ... $12,285
-- Luxury trip to England ... $24,200

It all adds up to $137,485.00 ... which is why most people just fly coach.

Calls to Jay-Z's reps have not been returned.

Lil Wayne Changes Plea in Drug Case‎, May Escape Jail Time

Famed rapper Lil Wayne entered a plea deal on a drug and weapons charge last Friday, that could prevent him from spending more time behind bars. If he were to spend more time in jail, this time around it would be in Arizona.


The 27-year-old made his live plea via video from New York City's Riker's Island jail, where he is currently serving a one-year sentence for attempted criminal possession of a weapon. Lil Wayne, whose real name is Dwayne Carter, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a dangerous drug.

The father of four's Arizona adventure dates back to January 2008, when his tour bus was stopped at a U.S. Border Patrol checkpoint about 80 miles east of Yuma. When his vehicle was searched by Drug Enforcement Administration officials, they reportedly found nearly four ounces of marijuana, just over an ounce of cocaine, 41 grams of Ecstasy and miscellaneous drug paraphernalia on the bus. A .40 caliber handgun that was registered to the Grammy Award-winning rapper was also discovered. Wayne does however, have a concealed weapons permit in Florida.

DEA agents preceeded to arrest Lil Wayne on the spot.

According to published reports, charges of possession of a narcotic drug for sale, misconduct involving weapons and possession of drug paraphernalia against him were dismissed in exchange for the plea.



Wayne will be sentenced on June 30, and there is talk that he could receive 36 months of probation for the Yuma, Arizona charges that could begin once his Riker's stint is done.

Son of Dallas Police Chief Suspected in Killing a Cop

Investigators are saying that they believe that the 27-year old son of Dallas Police Chief David Brown shot and killed a man in an apartment complex and then opened fire on responding officers, killing one. Brown's son was then shot to death in the incident.

David Brown Jr. appears to have shot 23-year old Jeremy McMillan on Sunday, and it is believed that he then opened fire on 37-year old Lancaster officer Craig Shaw, who was the first to die at the scene.

"This is a difficult time for all of us in law enforcement," said Dallas County Sheriff Lupe Valdez. Officers found weapons in Brown's car and his home, she said.

Lancaster Police Chief Keith Humphrey issued this statement about the death of Craig Shaw.

"This community has lost a good officer, and we want you to understand we are heartbroken," said Humphrey. "What makes this so devastating was that this was Father's Day," he said. "You have an officer who was selfless, working on Father's Day so that the citizens of this city could be safe. A selfless officer who was always the first to respond."

Brown Jr. had been in trouble in the past. In 2003, he was arrested for selling marijuana and pleaded no contest. Humphrey said he believed that Brown Jr. lived in the apartment complex.

As the son of a police officer, I can't imagine how this could have happened. I also can't imagine how devastating and hurt the Brown family must be after this incident. When I was in college, I remember the attention that my father would get when I would get too many speeding tickets or involved in even minor incidents. To have one of his children accused of killing a fellow officer would be simply mind-boggling

Rasheed Wallace To Retire?

Boston Celtics coach Doc Rivers says that center Rasheed Wallace(notes) is probably going to retire.

Rivers said on WEEI-AM on Monday that Wallace told him before Game 7 of the NBA finals that he believed it was the last game of his career.

Wallace has two years left on the contract he signed with the Celtics last summer.

The 35-year-old would finish with 15,860 points and 7,321 rebounds in a 15-year career. The volatile big man was also the most ejected player of his era, with 30 ejections since such records started being kept in 1992.

He played with four teams, winning the NBA title with the Detroit Pistons in 2004.

The Celtics lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 7 of the NBA finals 93-89 on Thursday.

Jalen's Note:If Rasheed Wallace Retires then Boston Celtics will be missing an important key down in the paint.

'Say, Say, Say' Michael Jackson's Most Popular Song

When guessing which of Michael Jackson's songs could be his most popular, you wouldn't be faulted for thinking of "Billie Jean" or "Thriller." But according to statistics released by Billboard, MJ's most popular song was "Say, Say, Say," his duet with Paul McCartney.

Despite having several mega hits that are more familiar, "Say" stayed on the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six weeks in December 1983 and spent more weeks on the Top 10, 20 and Top 40 charts than "Bille Jean" which came in at number two. The duo's earlier collaboration on "The Girl is Mine" came in at number 10 while "Rock with Your" and "Man in The Mirror" were in the top 10.

On the eve of the anniversary of his death, Billboard also announced that Jackson's estate had generated nearly $1 billion in revenue thanks to merchandise, digital downloads, ringtones and the documentary "This is It," which became the highest-grossing concert film ever. Jackson has sold nine million albums domestically and 24 million worldwide since his death.

In Memoriam: Happy Birthday E. Lynn Harris

E. Lynn Harris would have been celebrating his 55th birthday today. The author of 11 novels died suddenly in Los Angeles last year. Born on June 20th, 1955 in Flint, Michigan, Harris studied journalism at the University of Arkansas and later worked as a computer salesman for IBM before self-publishing his first book, "Invisible Life" in 1991.

For a while, he sold the book from his car before signing a deal with a publisher in 1994. From then on, the openly gay author's star rose and he went on to sell four million books before his passing.

The New York Times obituary said Harris' books "married the superficial glamour of jet-setting potboilers with an emotional candor that shed light on a segment of society that had received little attention: Black men on the down low."

Harris is survived by his mother and three sisters. His 12th novel, "In My Father's House," will be posthumously released on June 22, 2010.

SAT Biased against Blacks, Says Study

The cries of racism with regard to the SAT have long sparked debate among educators and activists. A new paper published in the Harvard Educational Review will most likely reignite the discussion. Among its many findings the paper concluded that the SAT was in fact biased against Blacks.

"The SAT, a high-stakes test with significant consequences for the educational opportunities available to young people in the United States, favors one ethnic group over another," say the paper's co-authors.

Read more: http://www.essence.com/news/#ixzz0rW5cKZao

Teen Apologizes for Altercation With Cop

The Seattle teenager who was punched in the face by a policeman privately apologized to officer Ian Walsh for the altercation on Friday June 17, according to The Grio. On a cell-phone video, the 17-year-old African-American girl is seen shoving Walsh before he strikes her in the face. The girl was separately charged with third-degree assault, punishable by 30 days in detention. Now that the teenager has said she's sorry to Officer Walsh, when is he going to apologize for clocking her in the face with his fist? Just a thought. The city's Black police officers are standing behind their fellow law enforcer. According to the Seattle Medium, The Black Law Enforcement Association of Washington (BLEAW) publicly denounced the actions of the young woman and her friend who Officer Walsh was attempting to arrest for jaywalking.

'Toy Story 3' finds big play time with $109M debut

Movie fans have not outgrown the "Toy Story 3" gang.

The animated sequel about toys that come to life leaped to the No. 1 spot with a $109 million opening weekend, according to studio estimates Sunday.

"Toy Story 3" became the third animated film to top $100 million in the first weekend, joining "Shrek the Third" at $121.6 million and "Shrek 2" at $108 million.

It was by far the best debut for a film from Disney's Pixar Animation, topping "The Incredibles" at $70.5 million.

Reuniting voice stars Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, the movie has Woody the cowboy, Buzz Lightyear and their toy pals facing their mortality, worried they will end up on the scrap heap now that their kid has grown up.

"Whether you're a kid or a parent, you always come to a fork in the road where you make the decision of what to do about your toys. Therein lies the appeal of the movie," said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney.

That, and the fact that Woody, Buzz and the gang have become like family to "Toy Story" fans, he said.

"Somehow these characters have worked their way in. When you go there, you can see the audience is vested in the movie from the start. It doesn't take any time to warm up. The minute it hits the screen, they're in," Viane said.

"Toy Story 3" took over the No. 1 spot from Sony's "The Karate Kid," which pulled in $29 million to raise its 10-day total to $106.3 million.

The weekend's other new wide release, the Warner Bros. action tale "Jonah Hex," bombed with just $5.1 million. Adapted from the comic book series, "Jonah Hex" stars Josh Brolin as a disfigured 19th century bounty hunter tracking a villain who aims to unleash a doomsday weapon.

"Toy Story 3" took in an additional $44.8 million overseas, giving it a worldwide total of $153.8 million. The movie has opened in such countries as Mexico, Argentina and China but will not debut in most major foreign markets until July and August.

The film also maintains the perfect track record of Pixar, whose 11 films all have opened at No. 1, starting with the original "Toy Story" in 1995 and continuing with such hits as "Finding Nemo," "Ratatouille," "WALL-E" and last year's "Up."

"Disney-Pixar is the best box-office insurance policy you can have," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "It's a brand that just resonates with audiences. If they go to a Pixar movie, they know they're going to be entertained. They're going to have a great time and also get a message. There's always a positive lesson you walk away with."

The film gave a nice boost to Hollywood, whose overall receipts had lagged in May. Domestic revenues totaled $198 million, up 31 percent from the same weekend last year, when "The Proposal" led with $33.6 million.

"Toy Story 3" continued Hollywood's streak of 3-D hits. The 3-D version of the film accounted for 60 percent of revenues, though it played on more 2-D than 3-D screens, according to Disney.

Tickets for 3-D movies typically cost a few dollars more than 2-D versions.

"Toy Story 3" took in $8.4 million in 3-D showings at huge-screen IMAX theaters. That beat the IMAX record for an animated film previously held by "Monsters vs. Aliens" with $5.1 million.

In limited release, Fox Searchlight's comedy "Cyrus" debuted strongly with $180,289 in four theaters, averaging $45,072 a cinema, compared to $27,061 in 4,028 locations for "Toy Story 3."

"Cyrus" stars John C. Reilly, Marisa Tomei and Jonah Hill in the tale of a man whose new romance is jeopardized by his girlfriend's grown son, who wants his mom to himself. The film gradually expands to nationwide release through mid-July.

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday.

1. "Toy Story 3," $109 million.

2. "The Karate Kid," $29 million.

3. "The A-Team," $13.8 million.

4. "Get Him to the Greek," $6.1 million.

5. "Shrek Forever After," $5.5 million.

6. "Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time," $5.3 million.

7. "Killers," $5.1 million.

8. "Jonah Hex," $5.09 million.

9. "Iron Man 2," $2.7 million.

10. "Marmaduke," $2.65 million.

Snoop Dogg Banned from Festival in the Netherlands

Given Snoop Dogg's love of weed and the Netherlands' lax attitude towards marijuana, you'd think the country would welcome the rapper with open arms. That's why it's so surprising to hear that Snoop has been banned from performing at a free outdoor festival June 27th in the Hague. According to the Dutch News, city officials told the concert promoter to drop Snoop from the festival's lineup "in order to be able to guarantee the open and friendly character" of the event. The festival, called Parkpop, announced the lineup change on its website and said they were looking for a replacement act.

What's even more surprising about this turn of events is that Snoop is a regular visitor to the Netherlands and performs there at least once a year. However, the festival is supposed to be "family friendly," and Snoop does have some nasty stuff in his past. He was banned from the UK in 2006 after he got into a fight at Heathrow airport, and in 2007, Australia also banned him after he received three years' probation for gun and drug charges in California.

Coleman’s Ex Upset over Missing Cremation

Gary Coleman’s ex-wife says she was cheated of saying a final farewell to the actor because his cremation took place on Thursday in Sandy, Utah without anyone telling her. “She wanted to be there,” says Shielia Erickson, a rep for Coleman’s ex Shannon Price. Shielia says they found out about the cremation four hours after it happened. At the very least, Shielia says they should have been notified of the time, “even if we were saying a prayer at the time…It’s sad she didn’t know.” Less than 24 hours before these comments, Erickson told RadarOnline.com that Shannon did NOT want to visit Gary’s body one last time, because she felt she had said all of her goodbyes in the hospital. Shannnon made the decision to take Gary off life support even though he had signed a directive that he didn’t want the plug pulled.

Former NBA player Manute Bol dead at 47

Packed small college gym on a cold winter night in ’85, and a friend’s father had driven us to campus to see Manute Bol for ourselves. No one had ever seen such a sight on the basketball court, arms and legs that went on forever, rising and rising until they reached a narrow face with such uncertain eyes. Plopped across the world, here was Bol, a 7-foot-7 center out of the Sudan, out of your wildest imagination.

Near the end of the night, Bol had obliterated a muscular, undersized Division II center who had spent the night throwing elbows into his kidneys and chest. As Bol watched the final minute, we walked slowly behind the University of Bridgeport’s bench and some kid stopped a few feet from him and said loudly enough for Bol to hear: “Is he real? Can I touch him?”

I’ll never forget Bol glancing back toward him, his sad, soft eyes delivering an answer to a question that no one ever needed to ask. Basketball has never had a truer humanitarian, a most gregarious and generous gentleman. His life was an inspiration, heroic and ultimately tragic. Bol died on Saturday at age 47 in a Virginia hospital, and the wire report says he lost out to kidney disease and a painful skin condition.

“A beautiful man, someone you would never stop laughing with,” Jeff Ruland said by phone Saturday afternoon. Ruland had been a veteran when Bol arrived as a rookie with the Washington Bullets in ’85, and they had stayed in close contact through the years. “He always talked about how he had killed a lion with a spear in the Sudan, but I was always pretty sure he had done it with one of his free throws,” Ruland said.

Bol had planned to spend his life selling cows in the Sudan until one day he picked up a basketball, lurched to try to dunk and knocked out his front teeth. An improbable chain of circumstance and good fortune led him from the Sudan to the United States, from Cleveland State to the University of Bridgeport, from the Rhode Island Gulls of the United States Basketball League to a most improbable 10 seasons in the NBA.

Between funding Sudanese freedom fighters, children’s charities and a vice of casino gambling, Bol lost the several million dollars that he earned in the pros.

“He gave a lot of money away and he lost a lot gambling, too,” Ruland said. “If that guy didn’t have bad luck, he wouldn’t have any at all. Once, his ex-wife won a million dollars on the slot machines.”

After Sept. 11, 2001, Bol struggled to raise money for his Sudanese charities and let people make a mockery of a proud man. In exchange for donations, Bol wobbled on skates for a minor league hockey team and traded punches in televised celebrity boxing events. “My God, they’ve turned him into a circus act,” John Nash, the old Washington Bullets general manager, once told me.

To Bol, the only shame would be an unwillingness to use whatever means available to raise money and send it home. No, nothing was ever easy for him, except that laugh and a sweet, sweet disposition.


Still, it just seemed he could never catch a break. Six years ago, Bol made the mistake of climbing into the taxi cab of an unlicensed and drunk driver. The car crashed, Bol was thrown from the back seat and eventually lay for months in a hospital bed with a broken neck. Ruland and old friends would go visit him, and Manute Bol could still light up the room. Everything about Manute Bol – from those spindly arms and legs unfolding 7 feet, 7 inches, to his incredible story – was bigger than life.

“One of a kind,” Ruland said Saturday afternoon. “Never another like him.”

Hardly pretty, but title No. 16 plenty sweet for Lakers

Amazing how the human body works, how you can play in a series that goes seven games, and down to the final tense minute at that, and there's still enough energy left to celebrate madly.

Kobe Bryant can grab a court-length pass, allow the final seconds to tick away, tuck the ball under his armpit and then sprint around the floor, leaving sneaker marks. Ron Artest can go bonkers, as he is often accused of doing, and everyone would consider it a normal reaction. Andrew Bynum can go from teammate to teammate, leaping high and giving chest-bumps. Didn't he have a damaged knee? Did. Not. Matter.

"Caught up in the moment," as Kobe explained.

The Lakers put the wraps on another anticipated NBA Finals showdown with the Celtics, and while it wasn't a masterpiece -- more like Picasso peppered with pimples -- it was, in the words of coach Phil Jackson, done.

"It wasn't well done," he acknowledged. "But it was done."

Yes, after losing all four of their previous Game 7s against a Celtics franchise that had bedeviled them in decades past, the Lakers finally passed the test, or rather, the Ar-Test to clinch their second straight championship.

Lakers 83, Celtics 79 was done with Kobe, sloppy and confused, missing 18 of 24 shots and fumbling passes and by the third quarter being fitted for goat horns while flirting with infamy. It was done with Pau Gasol blowing free throws. It was done with the Celtics, showing commendable grit and determination, outplaying the Lakers for 3 ½ quarters. It was done with Ron Artest, brought to the Lakers controversially last offseason for this very moment, carrying the club offensively while giving spirited defense. And it was done when the better team and the finer player simply found a way.

It's championship No. 5 for Kobe, which brings him one shy of Michael Jordan and also gives him as he playfully put it, "one more than Shaq. He can take that to the bank." His troublesome night shifted suddenly and permanently at the 5-minute mark. Kobe's two free throws, followed by a soft jumper, put the Lakers up for good.

"It's whatever it takes to win a game," he said. "That's my job. You've got to figure out a way to help your team win, and nobody was better at that than MJ."

It's also No. 11 for Jackson, the most decorated coach in NBA history. He was non-committal about returning next season although he just gained leverage in upcoming contract talks, should he need a sledgehammer. Jackson has also expressed weariness about the grind and the pace, and raised health concerns. But he does have Kobe and Gasol, two good reasons to put retirement on hold.

"To have put in 114 games and coming out this way at the end, there's a certain sense of gratification," Jackson said.

And this is the first for Artest, the quirky forward whose 20 points and five steals made it possible to celebrate on the floor, and later in the post-game press conference, where he thanked everyone, even a box of Wheaties (don't ask).

"In a game that could go either way, I asked myself, 'What did I get myself into?" Artest said. "But you want to be good in those moments. I want to win. I trusted myself."

These are the 2010 Lakers, with a superstar in Kobe, a skillful big man in Gasol, surrounded by all the necessary pieces such as Lamar Odom and choreographed neatly by Jackson. They won't be categorized as one of the best teams in NBA history -- not even close -- just one game better than the next team. Or more accurately, six minutes better.

The only surprise about the back-to-back feat was how it was done despite Bynum playing with one leg. Otherwise, Kobe was understandably massive in the postseason, Gasol once again rode a perfect shotgun for the third year in a row, and all the other Lakers chipped in and played off those core players.

How will the 2010 Celtics be remembered? Fondly. Flawed, but fondly. After coughing and wheezing into the postseason, they found their gear and groove and pushed the Lakers to the limit. Their defense perplexed the Lakers through much of the series, especially in Game 7, played without starting center Kendrick Perkins. With Kobe misfiring and Kevin Garnett getting the best of Gasol and the lead swelling to 11, the Celtics had the Lakers reeling. But Father Time, perhaps, finally paid them an unwelcome visit in the final moments, their swagger sapped.

"We fought the good fight," said Ray Allen. "When people didn't believe in us, we stayed true to ourselves and made sure we came out and did our jobs every day. We didn't win the final game but we still have a lot of reasons to hold our heads high."

What the series also proved is how the Lakers and Celtics both deserved to be here. This wasn't an accidental meeting; it was an appropriate one. It had KG turning back the clock for the final three games and the Celtics playing in sync throughout the series. It had Kobe grabbing the MVP award with consistency (save for Game 7). You figure only the Celtics could shove the Lakers to the brink, and vice-versa. Seven games is enough evidence of that.

"It feels amazing to win a championship," Gasol said. "It definitely adds more when you beat Boston, especially considering the rivalry, the history of the franchises. It's the ultimate goal, the ultimate satisfaction."

The series itself wasn't the most poetic or the prettiest. But the final five minutes produced a suspenseful conclusion. And the celebration? That was easy to see, even through the fog created by purple-and-gold confetti.

"Dancing on the court," said Artest, "was better than I ever imagined."

Gulf spill could swing Obama's power play on energy policy

A bill that would do both has been stalled before Congress for months, as Republicans and even some Democrats claim it would raise energy costs and lead to lost jobs. But outrage over the black tendrils of oil spewing from BP’s broken well in the Gulf is creating new opportunities for the once moribund legislation.

A new poll from the Pew Research Center shows widespread public support for more renewable energy, tougher energy efficiency standards, and climate policies that would limit the harmful greenhouse gas emissions that are the source of global warming — even if such action would raise the price of energy. Surprisingly, a majority of Republicans in the poll supported taking steps to reduce climate change and protect the environment.

That’s the kind of support that Congress may find hard to ignore — and that President Obama is hoping to exploit.

In his June 15 Oval Office speech, the president made an impassioned plea to finally end America’s addiction to fossil fuel. “The tragedy unfolding on our coast is the most painful and powerful reminder yet that the time to embrace a clean energy future is now,” he said. The next day Obama followed up, calling key senators such as John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Richard Lugar (R-Ind.) to begin a push for legislation to reduce America’s dependence on oil. The president also summoned Scott Brown (R-Mass.) to the White House in a bid for bipartisan support.

There’s plenty of reason for skepticism — presidents have been making such promises for decades. So much so, in fact, that Comedy Central’s Jon Stewart did a skit Wednesday mocking the fact that every president since Richard Nixon has proclaimed the need for energy independence — in virtually identical terms.

The Most Disliked People In Sports.

Michael Vick has been out of prison for almost a year. He’s publicly apologized for his role in a dog-fighting ring that landed him behind bars for 21 months. He’s got an uncontroversial year on the football field behind him as a part-timer for the Philadelphia Eagles, who have picked up his option for another season.

Yet Vick’s image rehab is moving along at a snail’s pace. For the second year in a row, he tops our list of Most Disliked People in Sports, with 69 percent of those polled citing Vick as someone they “Dislike a lot,” “Dislike,” or “Dislike some” according to E-Poll Market Research.

The ASPCA turned down Vick’s offer to work with them on animal cruelty prevention. Nonetheless, Vick still appears poised for a recovery with the public. Unlike some athletes whose main talent seems to be getting in trouble, Vick was a popular and dynamic player before the dog-fighting episode – all he must do is repent for the single episode that sent his stock dropping like lead.

But it takes time, especially when minimal playing time leaves few opportunities to draw enough media attention to match the nonstop coverage his criminal case drew last year.

“The general public largely still knows him for the dog fighting,” says Gerry Philpott, E-Poll’s CEO, citing his unusually high 54 percent awareness rating. “If you were to limit the responses to just NFL fans, Vick’s number would probably skew lower.”

To measure public opinion of sports figures, E-Poll surveyed 1,100 people nationwide, aged 13 or older. Forbes limited eligibility to those currently active in sports as a player, coach, manager, broadcaster, agent or owner. A 10 percent minimum awareness level was also a prerequisite (that eliminated drug-using cyclist Floyd Landis and money-grubbing baseball agent Scott Boros, both very much disliked by the few but anonymous to the many).

Right behind Vick in this year’s poll: Oakland Raiders owner Al Davis, a longtime maverick with a history of clashing with the NFL, coaches and politicians in Northern and Southern California over stadium deals that have led him to move the club twice. Also making the list is fellow renegade NFL owner Jerry Jones, who likes to run the Dallas Cowboys as more of a free-standing business than as part of a league.

Others making an appearance: baseball’s steroid poster boys Alex Rodriguez and Mark McGwire (McGwire’s return to coaching this year made him eligible for the list), along with football wide receiver diva Terrell Owens and gun-wielding NBA star Gilbert Arenas.

The most significant new entries this year, unsurprisingly, are Tiger Woods and Ben Roethlisberger, the latest pair making tabloid headlines for their extracurricular activities. Woods’ infidelities have been well-chronicled since last fall, with most crisis management experts saying his public apology came too late. Now that he’s back on the course, most think a tournament win or two, coupled with good behavior, should get him back on track. But as with Vick, it takes time.

Roethlisberger, though, has his work cut out for him. While accusations of sexual assault against him by a Georgia college student didn’t lead to formal charges, the episode left the public with a picture of him as a 28-year-old frat boy.

The assault allegation “was bad, but the videos of Ben at the night club didn’t help him either,” says Cindy Rakowitz, a Los Angeles-based crisis management consultant. “His apology didn’t seem sincere, nor did it get as much air play as the video of him handing out shots and dancing to Miley Cyrus.”

And unlike Woods, he plays a team sport. The six-game suspension levied against him by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell hurts the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2010. Fans can be tough when what they see as selfish behavior has consequences for the team. The fans’ memo to Big Ben: Grow up.

Kobe’s Fifth Title Proves His Most Difficult.

After some bad shots and bad misses, Bryant had dissolved into a younger, far more cynical version of himself. He tried to do too much, digging himself deeper and deeper. When Bryant had wanted the magnitude of the moment to elevate him, it did the damndest thing for a long, long time: brought him to his knees.

“Pass the ball!” Phil Jackson barked in the Lakers huddles. “We’ve got to pass the ball.”

As the Celtics constructed a bigger and bigger lead, Bryant looked like a Vegas gambler trying to double down on his losses – only to lose again and again. The way Game 7 was going – the way that Bryant threatened to shoot these Lakers out of it – this magnificent playoff run threatened to end with a stain on him. Oh how Bryant would’ve been crucified for letting this championship slip away, letting these Celtics storm into the Staples Center and beat him twice in three years. Yes, Kobe was bleeping this up, and he would’ve never, ever been able to get over this one.

“You saw a determined Kobe Bryant who wanted to win,” Ron Artest(notes) said. “But it wasn’t with the team.”

Fifteen of his 20 shots had clanged off the rim before the start of the fourth quarter, and it was here that Derek Fisher(notes) grabbed him in the huddle. Here, Bryant realized there was a championship on the line – the death-grip that these Lakers and Celtics were locked in couldn’t survive his stubbornness, his hubris. Bryant had to accept that his shot was broken, that a storybook finish to his fifth title had been obliterated, and that he had to find a way to take Game 7 in a most unglamorous, unaesthetic way.

The Lakers were down four points on the way into the fourth quarter, and Fisher let loose on the Lakers sideline. “We’ve got 12 minutes to put it back together,” and that was as much about Bryant as anyone else. The Lakers no longer needed Bryant to be a superstar, but a grunt in the trenches against these relentless, proud Celtics. The Celtics had done everything needed to get themselves into position to hang around and ultimately steal the championship. Boston’s defense had made life miserable for Bryant in these two NBA Finals, and Bryant will be glad to never see them again come June.

Derek Fisher knows Bryant the best, and he’s the Laker who can talk to him. He listens. He could see Bryant playing too fast, too eager, too desperate. “He was seeing things that he wanted to do, but it was like he was a step-and-a-half too quick to get there,” Fisher noticed. “He’s so good at footwork and setting guys up and getting guys leaning one way and spinning out and going the other way. He was going too fast before the guys could even go for the move.

“He just had to slow himself down.”

Bryant stopped shooting contested shots and let the Lakers begin to breathe on offense. He started grabbing rebounds and getting to the free-throw line. This game had been a pure tractor pull, the most beautiful ugly game you’ll ever witness. Bryant stopped shooting that pretty jumper and started bulling his way to the rim. Fisher caught the Celtics with a 3-pointer to make it 64-64 with a little more than six minutes left, and finally Bryant made a deliberate, sure move on Ray Allen(notes) at the free-throw line. Kobe caught Allen with a crossover dribble, let Allen lunge left as he dribbled right, rose up and hit his only shot of the final quarter. It pushed the Lakers to a 68-64 lead. Despite the Celtics coming and coming, and coming, Los Angeles never trailed again. Bryant shot nine free throws in the fourth quarter and eight dropped into the basket.

“I’m just glad my teammates got us back in the game,” Bryant said later. “And I was thankful that I was able to make one damn shot at the end and make some free throws.”

Finally, they picked him up. These Lakers had come into Bryant’s life when he needed them so badly, when his post-Shaq life had been filled with such frustration. As hard as he’s been on this team, as relentlessly as he rides them, they’ll always know they bailed out Bryant in Game 7. Bryant had done it for them over and over again. Now they were there for him.

Eventually in Game 7, Bryant had to start trusting his teammates. He had no choice. Bryant had harbored as little faith in Artest as any of his teammates, but he finally understood that Artest had become an improbable offensive salvation on a night the Lakers shot 32 percent and still won an NBA championship.


“Late in the second half, he started to move the ball and attack and pass,” Artest said. “He trusted us … and he passed me the ball. He never passes me the ball, and he passed me the ball. …You can hear him in your head, ‘Ron, don’t shoot …don’t shoot.”

The way that Artest hears Bryant’s voice, Bryant still heard his own. On the eve of the NBA Finals, he had talked privately about how precious these opportunities are, about how he’s always telling himself don’t bleep this up. He would miss 18 of 24 shots, but get to the line 15 times and splice together 23 points and 15 rebounds. “When you don’t have your game and you find a way, that’s a champion,” his father Joe would say outside the locker room later.

Eventually, Kobe found his father for an embrace and simply said to him, “I got one for the thumb.” And he did. His fifth title was the hardest, and it represented a distancing of his Lakers past – even on a night when it felt like Bryant was teetering on falling into old traps.

“Just got one more than Shaq,” he sniffed. “You can take that to the bank. I don’t forget anything.”

Especially not the slights – real or imagined. Yes, Shaquille O’Neal(notes) stays on four rings and Bryant advances to his fifth. He still holds such disdain for Shaq and will never forgive him for what he considered years of mistreatment and disrespect. Now Bryant’s rounding third and heading for home on Michael Jordan and his six championships, and that inspires such a reverence out of him.

“It’s tough for me to really put that into any kind of context, because 90 percent of what I’ve learned and what I’ve figured out comes from him,” Bryant said. “This is not a situation where it’s a me-and-Shaq rivalry kind of thing. It’s a genuine love that I have for him and what he’s done for me.”

When everything had gone wrong for him on Thursday night, when it felt like he was letting Game 7 slip away, the lessons of Jordan drove Bryant. There would be no dominance out of him, no greatness – just a flawed star trying to grind through the nightmare of his championship life. “I had to do something,” Bryant said, and eventually that became the work of a rebounder, an unglamorous duty for the most glamorous Hollywood basketball star since Magic Johnson.

“Sometimes shots aren’t going to fall,” Bryant said, “but you’ve got to figure out something to help your team win, and nobody was better than that than M.J.”

When it was finished, the Lakers surrounded Kobe Bryant, and he lifted that MVP trophy toward the rafters where they’ll soon hang a 16th championship banner. He had never fought so hard for something in basketball, never felt so dazed staggering across the finish line. This had been the season when LeBron James(notes) was going to take his standing as the best player on the planet, when his body was supposedly too beat up, too old, to burden the brunt of a championship chase. Now, the Celtics were finally slain. The confetti fell, and on Bryant’s face, there appeared to be equal parts relief and joy.

Somewhere in Bryant’s thoughts, where he still tried to process it all late Thursday, you just had to know the words that flickered within that relentlessly, tortured mind. Beyond the brink of his worst Game 7 nightmare, beyond a basketball game that would’ve haunted him forever, you just knew that Kobe Bean Bryant was so grateful that he didn’t bleep this one up.

Central Florida's Marcus Jordan: Kobe's still no Michael

One of Michael Jordan's defining characteristics during his heyday as a corporate pitchman was his ability to preserve his polished image by never saying anything remotely controversial.

Central Florida guard Marcus Jordan, however, doesn't seem to have inherited that trait from his father.

As Kobe Bryant struggled through a nightmarish first half in Thursday night's decisive game of the NBA Finals, Marcus decided it was the ideal time to weigh in on the frequent comparisons between his father and the Lakers star. Here's what Michael's youngest son Tweeted late in the second quarter:

"NO ONE...And I Mean NO ONE Should Compare Kobe Bryant To My Dad And Say That He Is Anywhere Near Close To My Dad...He's Jagging This Game."


Then during halftime when ABC showed a chart comparing Bryant and Jordan in the NBA Finals, Marcus Tweeted, "I know y'all just seen the stats too" and "no comparison."

It's ironic that Marcus would be the one to make such a statement since he and older brother Jeffrey know all too well the burden of following in the footsteps of the greatest player in NBA history. They endured other kids following them to get a glimpse of their father, opposing fans chanting "You're no Michael" at high school and AAU games, and reporters badgering them about their vertical leaps or why they don't play with their tongue out.

'Karate Kid' kicks up $56 million, dominates 'A-Team'

Who would have thought a 12-year-old descended from Hollywood royalty would be the summer box office savior? Such is the case as Jaden Smith and his starring role in "The Karate Kid" propelled the box office to 11 percent up from last year at this time, when everyone was talking "The Hangover" and "Up."

He also dominated over the macho "A-Team," more than doubling the opening weekend gross of the '80s television adaptation. In a summer that's been primarily dominated by misfires, we'll take the good news even if it means Mr. Jaden Smith is going to command quite a paycheck the next time he lands a starring role.

From director Harald Zwart, "The Karate Kid" grossed an estimated $56 million and earned an A grade from audiences, according to exit pollster CinemaScore. It seems not even the 2 hour and 20 minute run time thwarted moviegoers from the China-set underdog story. And with such a strong score from audiences, "Karate Kid" is now on track to become one of summer's biggest hits. Don't be surprised if this film with the $40 million budget grosses well over $200 million before the summer is over.

In contrast, "The A-Team," earned $26 million for its opening frame. It's not a terrible start, but it is well beneath expectations. Its solid B+ grade from audiences should help the film hold in throughout the upcoming weeks. That's an outcome studio Twentieth Century Fox will be counting on. After a disappointment last weekend with "Marmaduke," Fox needs both "A-Team" and the upcoming "Knight & Day," starring Tom Cruise and Cameron Diaz, to be hits.

"Shrek Forever After" is still holding in well. The Dreamworks Animation film earned another $15.8 million, 38 percent less than what it made last weekend. That puts the film's cume at $210 million, a number that, while solid, will still likely end up far beneath any of the other Shrek releases.

In fourth place was holdover "Get Him to the Greek" which performed almost exactly like "Forgetting Sarah Marshall," the film where these lead characters originated. Earning another $10.1 million, the film dropped 43 percent for a total take of $36.5 million.

The Ashton Kutcher-Katherine Heigl-starrer "Killers" also fell off less than 50 percent for a fifth place slot. The romantic actioner that's been panned by critics grossed another $8 million, putting its total at $22.5 million.

Holdovers dominated the rest of the top ten with "Prince of Persia" grossing $6.5 million, a 53 percent drop that puts the film's three-week gross at $72.3 million.

"Marmaduke" took the seventh slot, falling 48 percent for its second session in theaters. The talking dog movie earned $6 million its second weekend in theaters for an anemic two-week gross of $22.2 million.

"Sex and the City 2" dropped 55 percent its third weekend, grossing another $5.5 million for a total cume of $84.7 million. It's practically impossible for this sequel to match the original which earned $152 million two summers ago.

"Iron Man 2" is on the verge of $300 million with an additional $4.5 million added to its coffers this weekend.

And poor "Splice" rounded out the top ten with another $2.8 million for the well-reviewed but poorly received horror film. Losing more than 60 percent of its value its second weekend, the Warner Bros. release has only grossed $13 million after two weekends in release.

Rapper Kid Cudi arrested on violence, drug charges

Kid Cudi has been charged with criminal mischief and possession of a controlled substance after an incident Friday at a woman's apartment in New York City.

The artist, 26, whose real name is Scott Mescudi, repeatedly pounded on and kicked the downtown apartment's door, ultimately using his bodily force to tear it off its hinges, police sources confirm to PEOPLE. Cudi also broke the woman's cell phone.

The substance he was found in possession of was liquid cocaine, according to a report in The Guardian. Per police sources, it is unclear whether he was intoxicated at the time.

He did make his scheduled appearance at the Bonnaroo festival in Tennessee on Saturday, telling the crowd he "really wanted to be here tonight."

Kid Cudi, who is from Cleveland, is a protégé of Kanye West, who signed him to his GOOD Music label in 2008 after hearing a single mix tape.

Cudi has had brushes with the law before, including an incident at a show in December, when he reportedly punched a concertgoer in Vancouver.

Gary Coleman Is Cremated 3 Weeks After Death?

Gary Coleman's remains were cremated Thursday and his ashes will be locked away until a court decides who should get them, the special administrator of his estate said.

"The proceeding was conducted in accordance with Mr. Coleman's desires as expressed in his will, that no funeral service, wake, or other ceremony memorialize his passing," attorney Robert Jeffs said Thursday.

A Utah judge appointed Jeffs to control the estate while he decides a will dispute between ex-wife Shannon Price and former business associate Anna Gray.

Coleman divorced Price in 2008, but they were living together in Santaquin, Utah, when he suffered a fall at home last month and died two days later of a brain hemorrhage at the Provo, Utah, hospital.

Price, 24, claimed in a petition that she was still Coleman's common-law wife. She filed a handwritten document from 2007 that, if validated by the court, would give her Coleman's estate.

A will signed by Coleman in 2005 named Gray as executor and awarded all of his estate to the Portland, Oregon, woman.

It is expected to take Utah District Judge James Taylor several months to hold a trial to decide which document is Coleman's last legal will. Until then, Jeffs said he would lock the actor's ashes in a vault.

Coleman was best known as the wisecracking youngster Arnold on "Diff'rent Strokes" from the late 1970s to the mid-1980s.

Tupac Shakur Remembered By Rick Ross, Bun B At Georgia Benefit Show

Tupac Shakur was known for reppin' Cali throughout his career, but the legendary artist's style has influenced a generation of Southern hip-hop stars as well. The South came out to pay tribute to the icon at the second annual 2Pac Birthday Concert Celebration on Wednesday, which would have been 'Pac's 39th birthday.

Rick Ross, Bun B and Roscoe Dash hit the stage at a benefit for the Tupac Amaru Shakur Foundation at the Tupac Amaru Shakur Center for the Arts in Stone Mountain, Georgia. Waka Flocka Flame, Gorilla Zoe and rising rapper Pill were in the building. Funnyman Mike Epps also came through to show his support.

"We came out to show love for the OG like we always do for the fallen soldiers about this time," Bun B told MTV News, who added that, more than a decade after his death, 'Pac's influential legacy is still going strong. "We just showing a lot of love to Tupac Shakur right now. Showing love, support to his mother Afeni, and let people know that, when you gone, you not forgotten, ever. Tupac is definitely a perfect example of that."

Roscoe Dash, whose rock-infused swagger is ostensibly different from 'Pac's intense street lyricism, said the hip-hop legend inspired him to be himself. "The reason why this day is so important to me is because Tupac really influenced me to just keep it real and not fake around and act like something I'm not," Dash told MTV News. "I just apply that in my everyday life, so I just want to come out here and give back."

With all his contributions to music, hip-hop is not forgetting 'Pac anytime soon. "Long live his legacy and R.I.P. Tupac Shakur," said Bun, who also sent a simple message to the late legend: "Happy birthday, big homie."

Lil Boosie Could Face Further Charges Following Murder Indictment

In addition to an indictment on first-degree murder charges handed down by a grand jury on Thursday, Baton Rouge, Louisiana, rapper Lil Boosie (born Torrence Hatch) could be facing additional murder counts based on an ongoing police investigation into five unsolved killings in the area.

According to The Advocate, Thursday's indictment — which stemmed from an incident in October that left 35-year-old Terry Boyd dead after two men fired shots through a window in his home — is part of what prosecutors are calling a murder-for-hire case.

East Baton Rouge Parish District Attorney Hillar Moore III told the paper that investigators are looking into whether Boosie, 27, and others are involved in at least five other killings in the area since early last year.

"We're investigating the others in a similar fashion," Moore said. "We are investigating the common pattern of these killings and money."

Boosie, already imprisoned since November for a probation violation, was also indicted on Thursday on multiple drug-possession charges and for an alleged scheme to smuggle illicit substances into the jail where he is being held. The Advocate reported that Boosie; girlfriend Walnita Decuir, 25; former correctional officer Joshua Wilson, 27, and fellow inmate Stacey Riley, 36, were all indicted on charges that they conspired to smuggle contraband, which included drugs such as codeine, marijuana, ecstasy and synthetic marijuana — into Dixon Correctional Institute, where Boosie is being held.

Boosie is not entitled to post bond on the first-degree murder charge and will remain incarcerated while that case moves forward. Moore declined to say how much money Boosie allegedly paid to have Boyd killed, who pulled the trigger or why Boyd was targeted.

Two other men, Michael Louding and Adrian Pittman, were also indicted on similar charges earlier this month in connection with Boyd's killing. In total, investigators are looking at six slayings over a 14-month period, from the February 9, 2009, shooting death of local rapper Chris "Nussie" Jackson to an April 1 double-murder of two local men.

In September, Boosie pleaded guilty to a third-offense marijuana possession charge and under a plea deal a judge was expected to sentence him to 10 years in prison with all but the first two years suspended, which would mean he'd be eligible for parole in one year. But after Boosie violated the terms of the deal in November by leaving his house during confinement, the judge doubled the term.

Now, Moore told the paper, he is going to ask the judge to revoke the deal and resentence Boosie to the original 10-year term.

A district attorney said the death penalty was not out of the question for Boosie in the murder case. A spokesperson for the rapper could not be reached for comment at press time.

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