Whitlock: Kevin Durant and Stephen A. Smith play 'the race card'



NBA superstar Kevin Durant accused critics of American basketball culture of taking indirect shots at black athletes under the guise of praising European player development — arguing that the criticism is simply masking frustration at black Americans dominating the sport.

Stephen A. Smith then backed Durant’s take on “The Stephen A. Smith Show,” claiming that globalization efforts are attempting to “whiten” the sport as a whole.

“I just don’t like the talk around the USA versus European style of how you approach the game. All I hear is, ‘AAU is destroying the game; the Euros do it right while the Americans do it wrong,’” Durant said in his rant.


“It’s a lot of bulls**t with that. I can read between the lines on that. It’s a shot at black Americans. We’re controlling the sport. They’re tired of us controlling the sport. ‘France is coming for you.’ Really? We smacked them boys,” he added.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m here to tell you I’m ten toes down on this with Kevin Durant. He’s a thousand percent right. America, when you talk about globalizing the sport, certainly money has everything to do with it,” Smith responded.

“But the other part in globalizing your brand is whitening the sport, too.”

While Smith agreed, BlazeTV host Jason Whitlock couldn’t agree less.

Whitlock tells Jay Skapinac on “Fearless” that Smith appears to be arguing that “white fans wouldn’t watch the NBA unless … these white Europeans were here.”

“I think that’s B.S. I don’t think white fans were crying out for these foreign-born players to come whiten up the league,” he says.

“Generally, it’s the people that are playing the race card and trying to race-bait, they’re actually the racist ones,” Skapinac chimes in.

“Like Kevin Durant has to talk about Euros versus Americans like it’s black and white, but he’s the one that’s making it that way. … He is the one that is invoking the race card and race-baiting,” he adds.

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Crossover Appeal

Allen Iverson finally wants to talk about practice.

"The Answer" opens Misunderstood: A Memoir recounting a question that would spawn one of the most legendary postgame press conference monologues in the history of professional sports: "So what about the situation with the practices?"

Iverson was off to the races

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Prediction markets let you 'bet' in states where gambling is banned: Here's how



Sites like Kalshi and Polymarket let you put money on who will win the Super Bowl, but they also let you guess when Taylor Swift is getting married or when and if the United States will strike Iran.

Americans can also make these predictions in any state.

'They can ban you if you make money. ... That's a scam.'

While it is true that many gambling websites offer bets for political outcomes and other non-sports wagers, what these prediction markets are doing is not technically gambling at all, and therefore fly right over any state gambling bans.

Alabama, Alaska, California, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Minnesota, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah are the 11 states that have restrictions/bans on sports betting, but prediction markets are not subject to these laws.

When users want to predict the price that a Pokémon card will go for at auction, under the law they are not placing a bet; they are entering into an "event contract."

What is a prediction market?

According to Gambling Insider, prediction markets operate like financial exchanges, which means they are regulated federally by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

Website Next.io notes that prediction markets do not need a sportsbook license, as there is no "house" setting the odds, and trading activity determines the prices for all event contracts. In sports betting, the house can set the odds to whatever it wants, but those odds are typically based on expertise in the sport or field.

RELATED: Polymarket bettors RAGE as the app says Maduro's capture doesn't count as an invasion

Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Prediction markets have no odds, and there is no bet slip. Rather, the user is purchasing a share like a commodity, which trades between $0 and $1, and the payouts on each share is $1.

The closer a share is to $1, the more likely the market thinks the event is going to happen. For example, if the share is 99 cents, if that event happens, the payout at $1 will be minimal. If it was traditional betting, in that case the bet would be made at odds of about 100:1; betting $100 would win $1.

In prediction markets, users can sell at any time — which is not always available for traditional gambling — and garner profit that way. If a share or contract is purchased at 50 cents and the price (likelihood) rises to 70 cents, the user can duck out to gain the difference. This is akin to selling a stock that has risen in price before a big merger or significant market event.

RELATED: Jeffrey Epstein was BANNED from Xbox Live — for harassing other gamers

STRDEL/AFP via Getty Images

Major gambling networks like DraftKings and FanDuel have started to include predictions, which offer a much wider audience by expanding to a national market. DraftKings, for example, also allows for predictions on the stock market and cryptocurrency, which mirrors what most financial apps are becoming: banking and stock-trading hubs.

In November, Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan called traditional sportsbooks "a ripoff," criticizing the fact that one can only "trade against the house."

"They can ban you if you make money, and they can profile you as a user and change the prices based on you. That's a scam," he said.

The practice does have its higher-profile critics. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) said in January that prediction markets "need to be stopped" and that they threaten "the integrity of the sport."

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'Domestic Front of Resistance': Black Radicals Bankrolled by Dem Megadonors Say It's 'Wartime' Against US Government

Left-wing activists funded by Atlantic owner Laurene Powell Jobs, Democratic megadonor George Soros, and organizations like the National Basketball Association called for a "domestic front of resistance" and "wartime" footing against the federal government at a black radical organizing conference last week.

The post 'Domestic Front of Resistance': Black Radicals Bankrolled by Dem Megadonors Say It's 'Wartime' Against US Government appeared first on .

Meet The Lutheran Kid From Wisconsin Taking The NBA By Storm

Knueppel has an opportunity to establish a powerful platform, one where a faith-first, servant-leader approach can achieve success at the highest level.

NBA legend calls on Trump to implement mandatory military service



A Hall of Fame basketball player says that mandatory service would help Americans with discipline and structure.

Compulsory service is required in many first-world countries, like South Korea, Finland, and Sweden. While duties and service time vary, many believe the requirement can foster a more responsible citizenry.

'Learn how to defend yourself. Shoot and handle guns properly.'

A former NBA player and champion, 6'10" Dwight Howard recently called upon President Trump to consider implementing a mandatory term of service for Americans.

"I honestly feel like the president should make one year of service mandatory for everyone born in America," Howard wrote on X. "A lot of other countries do it. And I think it would help with discipline and structure."

Howard then asked, "I'm curious what yall think[:] would this help America or nah[?]"

RELATED: NBA players finally drop brutal truth bombs on WNBA stars: 'It should be common sense'

— (@)

Howard responded to a few reader remarks, including one who suggested such service could be performed during summers while a student is in high school.

In response, Howard revealed his stance on the duration for service.

"Everyone should do a year," he wrote.

Another reader suggested mandatory customer service work for Americans, such as working in "retail, serving, bartending," or answering phones. That notion saw Howard remain steadfast in his opinion that Americans should perform military service.

"I think military service would be better," he replied. "Learn how to defend yourself. Shoot and handle guns properly. The bond and respect for each other would go up."

RELATED: Rookie NFL QB declared the new Obama — and the 'most powerful black man since 2009'

Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images

Following his NBA career, Howard played basketball overseas in the T1 League in Taiwan, where he again became a star. Perhaps this is where his inspiration came from, as Taiwan has a mandatory 12 months of military training for males ages 18-36, according to World Population Review.

Howard has discipline and law enforcement in his family's background; an archived USA Basketball profile notes that his father, Dwight Sr., was a Georgia state trooper as of 2007.

According to Sky News, approximately 80 countries have some form of mandatory service or conscription. Some countries reportedly have mandatory service for women, as well, such as Sudan, Morocco, Mozambique, North Korea, and Sweden.

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Rookie NFL QB declared the new Obama — and the 'most powerful black man since 2009'



Former NBA player Kendrick Perkins just made huge claims about one of the NFL's newest stars.

Perkins, an NBA champion who played 14 seasons in the league, is known for making bold statements during in his role as a sports analyst. Sometimes, those statements are about ethnicity.

'You ran. You ran with the TV!'

In 2023, for example, Perkins came under fire for not only falsely claiming that the panel that votes for the NBA MVP is 80% white, but for claiming that the vote favors white players — despite less than one-fifth of MVP recipients being white.

It should come as no surprise, then, that Perkins was being completely serious when he made more race-based comments in a video he posted on Tuesday.

Describing Cleveland Browns rookie quarterback Shedeur Sanders, son of NFL Hall of Fame player Deion Sanders, Perkins compared the 23-year-old's influence to a former president.

"Shedeur Sanders is the most powerful black man since 2009," Perkins said. "You know what happened in 2009? That's when President Obama got elected in office. He's the most powerful black man since 2009."

But Perkins did not stop there. He then claimed that most black men have visceral reactions when watching the young star perform.

RELATED: NBA players finally drop brutal truth bombs on WNBA stars: 'It should be common sense'

"You said you were sitting there watching the game in your house, and what you did?" he asked a co-host. "You ran. You ran with the TV!"

Perkins claimed Sanders' power comes from bringing "the whole black community together" and that he has yet to hear any black person say one bad thing about him.

"He has the balance of that, 'I'm arrogant, but I'm humble, too,'" Perkins added.

Not satisfied with the standard he had set for the young Browns player, Perkins again elevated his claim, stating that not only is Sanders the most powerful black man in sports, but he is "the most powerful player in sports."

There is another president that might agree with Perkins — but it's not Obama.

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Photo by Chris Unger/Getty Images

President Donald Trump has been praising Sanders since April when he declared for the NFL Draft. Sanders was taken in the fifth round after going through a series of disastrous interviews.

Trump openly asked if NFL owners were "stupid" for not drafting Sanders at the time and more recently piled praise on the QB after he won his first career start.

"Shedeur Sanders was GREAT. Wins first game, career start, as a pro (for Cleveland). Great Genes. I TOLD YOU SO!" Trump wrote on Truth Social.

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WNBA star just admitted the truth about biology — and her fellow players won't be happy



A WNBA player just may have put a tired debate to rest for good.

Indiana Fever guard Sophie Cunningham responded to comments made by a panel of male basketball players last week, and her willingness to agree with them might land her in hot water with gender activists.

'Men are just stronger, bigger, athletic; they just are a different build.'

On Tuesday, NBA players Michael Porter Jr. and Lonzo Ball and former pro LiAngelo Ball shot down claims from WNBA star Paige Bueckers, who said she could beat NBA player Josh Hart one-on-one. The panel also denied former NBA player Pat Beverley's claim that the WNBA champions could beat an NBA team.

By Thursday, Cunningham said dozens of people had sent her the remarks looking for her reaction.

"This is my personal opinion, but if you are a professional football player, basketball player ... if you're in that elite-level group, yeah, you should be able to beat the girls," she explained. "Like, I'm not surprised by that."

The 29-year-old then delivered a blunt message to her peers: "I just don't get why it's continuing to get brought up. And like, if women are saying that, like, he couldn't beat them, yeah, he could. Any NBA star or player could beat a female in high school," she said.

Cunningham's co-host on the "Show Me Something" podcast, West Wilson, had a different approach to Porter's comments. He put forward the notion that Porter has some sort of issue with women that caused him to bring up the topic.

RELATED: NBA players finally drop brutal truth bombs on WNBA stars: 'It should be common sense'

Wilson said Porter has been "talking about true women" for the last two years, adding that he believes the Brooklyn Nets player is "weirdly insecure about women being around him" and their "reflection of him."

The co-host was silenced when he read the contextual argument made by Porter. However, he omitted the portion of Porter's remarks in which he said he had played against Cunningham when he was in the eighth grade and easily defeated her.

"My sisters went to University of Missouri, and I was still a young dude, and they had me playing on the scout team," Porter said last week. "And they had a few WNBA players on their team, like Sophie Cunningham and a couple others. I think I was in seventh or eighth grade."

Cunningham then brought her co-host back down to earth with her next comments, admitting that a team of elite eighth-graders could indeed handle adult women on the court.

RELATED: WNBA player complains chartered planes are too small: 'We are grateful, but there's still work to be done'

- YouTube

"If they're future pros," she prefaced, "... it's probably true."

Cunningham continued, stating the obviously biological differences.

"I don't want to be unrealistic or delusional, like, men are just stronger, bigger, athletic; they just are a different build. And so if you put them up against females, well, yeah, they're gonna win. Duh," she said.

Wilson asked if any WNBA players thought they could beat a group of high-school boys, and Cunningham was more than willing to put a nail in the coffin.

"Dude, there's no way. ... If you put their best high-school [players] against the best WNBA ... the male and female are just so different. I just don't think that's a fair matchup," she admitted.

Interestingly, the duo went on to discuss Cunningham's basketball history, which included discussions of playing with Porter's older sisters.

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NBA players finally drop brutal truth bombs on WNBA stars: 'It should be common sense'



It seems some male basketball players are tired of having their skill levels compared to WNBA players.

After a former NBA player said the 2025 WNBA champions could beat an NBA team, a group of ballers decided to set the record straight with brutal honesty about how a matchup between the two sets of pros would play out.

'I wish this would stop being a conversation.'

NBA players Michael Porter Jr., Lonzo Ball, and former pro LiAngelo Ball brought up the comparison of NBA players versus WNBA players on a recent episode of the "Ball in the Family Podcast."

In just the second episode of the show's existence, Porter decided he would contribute to its newsworthiness by asking the panel if they had heard that WNBA star Paige Bueckers claimed she could beat an NBA player head-to-head.

"Did you see when she said that she would beat Josh Hart one-on-one?" Porter asked.

"No chance," the panel unanimously agreed, stating there was too big of a skill gap between Hart, who has averaged more than 10 points per game in his career, and a female pro.

The group then discussed what the age-appropriate matchup between a male and female basketball player would be, prompting the panel to drop brutal truths.

"Probably eighth grade," Porter theorized, revealing he had actual experience playing against female college players as a teen.

"My sisters went to University of Missouri, and I was still a young dude, and they had me playing on the scout team, and they had a few WNBA players on their team, like Sophie Cunningham and a couple others. I think I was in seventh or eighth grade," Porter continued.

He noted that he did indeed crush his female competitors at that time.

"It's just a difference. I wish this would stop being a conversation because it should be common sense. But like, it's just not," he said.

Any viewers who thought the other panel members would jump to the defense of female players at this point were sorely mistaken. Particularly Lonzo Ball pulled no punches.

RELATED: Toronto Raptors' Jontay Porter banned from NBA for life after disclosing info to bettor for $1.1 million bet

"I mean this as respectfully as possible, but ninth-grade Lonzo Ball in the WNBA is going crazy," he said, speaking in third person.

Ball then brought out the measuring stick:

"In ninth grade, I was over six feet and dunking. I'm coming through the lane. No girl in the WNBA is doing that. I'm going backdoor, 'Throw it up!' I'm looking like Jordan out there," he said.

Ball is no slouch in the NBA, and his 11-points per-game career average gives him the basis to make these claims.

"I mean this so respectfully. Middle school [and] down," he added.

Earlier in the podcast, Porter outed his pro team for having reprimanded him in the past for talking about the differences between male and female players.

He explained that even within the Brooklyn Nets organization, "We've had conversations. They would appreciate if I stayed clear of certain topics, you know what I mean? That's why the WNBA thing, that's just a topic that kind of — it's so sensitive nowadays. So I try to be aware of that."

According to OutKick, Porter had previously strongly implied that if the WNBA All-Star team or the women's Team USA basketball squad played the best male high school basketball players in the country, the boys would easily beat the women.

"It's one of them things, bro. You can't dance around it. In high school, when I was in high school ... if we played the WNBA All-Star team, that, no disrespect, bro. No disrespect. I'm not even gonna say it," Porter reportedly said.

RELATED: 'They're all hot garbage': Whitlock goes NUCLEAR on the WNBA

Las Vegas Aces holds up the championship trophy after winning Game Four of the 2025 WNBA Playoffs finals at Mortgage Matchup Center on October 10, 2025, in Phoenix, Arizona. Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images

In early October, 12-year NBA veteran (now retired) Pat Beverley said in an X post that the WNBA champion Las Vegas Aces could give an NBA team a run for their money on the court.

"Idk if it's the [wine] but i really believe this Aces team could beat a NBA team," Beverley wrote.

The recent podcast panel reacted strongly to that claim with multiple guests simply responding, "That's crazy."

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LeBron James' closest allies now in the spotlight for shocking NBA gambling probe



Two members of LeBron James' inner circle are being investigated as part of the NBA's ongoing inquiries into gambling and insider tipoffs.

It's been nearly a month since the FBI released the shocking indictments of an NBA coach and player, along with a former NBA player.

'That player was not named in the team's injury report at the time. James did not play in that game.'

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, current Miami Heat player Terry Rozier, and former NBA player Damon Jones were indicted. Rozier was accused of sharing insider information to gamblers, while Billups was allegedly involved in illegal poker games hosted by Italian mob families; Jones was reportedly involved in both.

Now as the NBA continues its investigation, disaster could be around the corner for the league as Los Angeles Lakers personnel and those in close contact with James have reportedly surrendered their cell phones to an inquiring law firm hired by the NBA.

According to the Athletic, firm Wachtell, Lipton, Rosen & Katz has been contacting NBA teams to ask for cell phones, phone records, and other items. The firm has reportedly sought information from 10 Lakers employees, including assistant trainer Mike Mancias and executive administrator Randy Mims. Both have very close ties to James and reportedly gave up their cell phones voluntarily.

RELATED: NBA coach, former player arrested in Mafia-tied nationwide gambling bust

Randy Mims (L) and LeBron James attend a quarterfinal game of the 2018 NBA Summer League between the Lakers and the Detroit Pistons at the Thomas & Mack Center on July 15, 2018, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Mancias, 48, has reportedly been training James for around 20 years, while 50-year-old Mims has been associated with James since he was in high school in Akron, Ohio. James was drafted out of high school at 18 years old in 2003. Mims was described as James' uncle in a 2003 Sports Illustrated article.

The player connection

The following information reported by the Athletic is circumstantial in nature, and it is important to note that neither James, Mancias, nor Mims have been charged with any crimes.

As part of his alleged betting scheme, former player Jones is accused by law enforcement of selling information about the injuries of two Lakers players to bettors on at least two occasions. In his indictment, Jones is labeled as a coach or teammate of a "prominent NBA player," described as "Player 3," whose relationship he abused to sell information to professional gamblers.

According to prosecutors, Jones found out on February 9, 2023, that "Player 3" would not play in a game between the Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks and told someone to place a "big bet" on the Bucks based on Player 3's absence. That player was not named in the team's injury report at the time. James did not play in that game.

Furthermore, on January 15, 2024, Jones allegedly sold his knowledge on a "Player 4," who was allegedly injured. Jones was accused of passing on knowledge that Player 4's performance would be impacted by the injury in a game against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Federal authorities reportedly said that Jones "claimed to have learned from the trainer for 'Player 3' and 'Player 4' that 'Player 4' was hurt."

RELATED: Former NBA star Paul Pierce tells men to CHEAT on their girlfriends

The Miami Heat's LeBron James gets stretched by trainer Mike Mancias during practice for Game 3 of the NBA Finals at American Airlines Arena in Miami, Florida, Saturday, June 16, 2012. David Santiago/El Nuevo Herald/Tribune News Service via Getty Images

More connections, more charges

James' business manager and known business partner Maverick Carter reportedly told federal agents in 2021 that he bet on NBA games with an illegal bookmaker. In November 2021, Carter told federal agents he "could not remember placing any bets on the Lakers" and also denied placing bets for others, ESPN reported.

Carter revealed he put down about 20 bets on football and basketball games over the span of one year, ranging from $5,000 to $10,000. The bookie Carter used, Wayne Nix, pleaded guilty to participating in a large, offshore betting ring.

Carter was named in the aforementioned 2003 Sports Illustrated piece as one of those "closest to James on a daily basis," along with Mims. At the time, he was described as a former high school teammate who was three years older than James and employed by Nike to "take care of their $90 million man."

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