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Following the Men’s Final Four Tournament in Glendale, Arizona, Charles Barkley once again shared his negative view of the Phoenix Suns’ current season.
During an interview with Cameron Cox of 12News, when questioned about the Suns’ potential to make a playoff run, Barkley swiftly replied, “No, they are not going to figure it out.”
He elaborated, “The leaders are not leading. So, you know, you are not going to turn it around this late in the season… They just really soft, and the leaders have not led.”
Gas on a fire: Caught up with Charles Barkley moments after the #FinalFour. Asked him about the #Suns…
"The leaders are not leading.. They're weak mentally.. They just really soft." @12SportsAZ pic.twitter.com/mQ6gaOCJ7u
— Cameron Cox (@CamCox12) April 9, 2024
While Barkley is a member of the Suns’ Ring of Honor and is undoubtedly one of the franchise’s all-time greats, he hasn’t shied away from voicing his concerns about the team’s performance this season.
Two months earlier, Barkley criticized Kevin Durant during the halftime show of the 2024 All-Star game, saying, “Kevin’s a follower. He’s not a leader. He’s proven that on all of his stops.”
Even the team noticed Barkley’s harsh critiques. Center Jusuf Nurkic highlighted Barkley’s failure to vote for Devin Booker as an All-Star, pointing out his negativity towards the Suns.
Suns legend opinion, but didn’t even vote for Book to be All-Star
Yeah, that makes sense.
— Jusuf Nurkić
(@bosnianbeast27) February 5, 2024
With only four games remaining in the season, the Suns are in the 6th spot in the Western Conference. Despite exceeding last year’s win total, the highly competitive West has left them battling for their playoff position as the final week approaches.
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Report: Celtics plotting 1 surprise move for next season
The 2025-26 season may end up as an experimental year for the Boston Celtics. The Celtics are planning to move veteran guard Payton Pritchard from the bench to the starting lineup next season, Grant Afseth of FastbreakJournal.com reported this week. Boston reportedly believes that Pritchard has earned a starting role through his years of steady development with their team. Afseth adds that the Celtics are plotting to bring newly-acquired guard Anfernee Simons, a former 20-ppg scorer, off the bench in a corresponding move. A report emerged earlier this week stating that Boston was having a difficult time trading Simons this summer. As such, they may have to open up the new season with Simons still on the roster. The news on Pritchard is surprising given that he is the NBA’s reigning Sixth Man of the Year. He has settled into a nice rhythm in his bench role, averaging 14.3 points and 3.5 assists per game last season on exemplary 47/41/85 shooting splits. On top of that, Pritchard has never been a full-time starter in his NBA career. Through his five seasons up to this point, Pritchard has only started in 17 of his 347 career appearances (almost always as a spot injury fill-in). But the Celtics are going to have to get creative next season with Jayson Tatum (Achilles) likely out for the whole year and Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis (both of whom started on Boston’s 2024 championship team) having been traded away this summer. As such, Pritchard (who was once unhappy with his diminished role on the Celtics) is reportedly set for a nice promotion.
Stephen A. Smith publicly challenges Packers QB Jordan Love
When Green Bay Packers franchise quarterback Jordan Love is healthy and firing on all cylinders, he's proved to be one of the more exciting young signal-callers in the NFL. ESPN talking head Stephen A. Smith believes Love is an extremely talented quarterback, but he did challenge the former first-round pick when he was asked where the Packers will rank among the top teams in the NFC this season. Love can put up numbers, but Smith wants to see Green Bay's quarterback do it when it really matters. "When I look at the Green Bay Packers, Jordan Love is a stud, and I get that. The brother can play...in the regular season," Smith said on ESPN's "First Take" on Thursday. "I'm looking for him to show up in big moments." Smith believes the Philadelphia Eagles, Washington Commanders, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions are all ahead of the Packers in the NFC because Love has yet to prove that he can be a consistent playoff talent. He threw for 272 yards and three touchdowns in his very first playoff appearance — a road win over the Dallas Cowboys — but in his last two playoff games, both losses, he's thrown for 406 yards and just two touchdowns compared to five interceptions. Three of those interceptions came last postseason in a wild-card loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. In order for the Packers to be contenders, Love has to prove that he can live up to the moment. It's a process for young quarterbacks, but he has all the pieces around him to be successful in 2025. Love is in the prime of his career, and there should be some high expectations on him as the Packers head into the 2025 season. General manager Brian Gutekunst has been clear that he wants the Packers to compete for championships, and they believe they have the quarterback to do it. That's why they gave Love a four-year $220 million contract extension heading into last season. Anyone can go out and have regular-season success. As such, Smith is right. Love has to start proving it in the playoffs.
Taylor Swift's New Song 'Ruin the Friendship' Sparks Blake Lively Speculation Amid Legal Drama
Swifties are buzzing over Taylor Swift's newly announced song "Ruin the Friendship," with many wondering if it's a nod to a rumored rift between the pop star and longtime friend Blake Lively. The speculation comes as Lively is locked in a high-profile legal battle with It Ends With Us co-star and director Justin Baldoni. The track, listed on Swift's upcoming album The Life of a Showgirl — set to drop Oct. 3 — was revealed during her appearance on boyfriend Travis Kelce's "New Heights" podcast. According to Yahoo, some fans quickly linked the title to reports that Swift had distanced herself from Lively after Baldoni named her in his since-dismissed $400 million defamation suit. In court documents, Baldoni accused Lively of using Swift's influence to gain creative control of the film and even shared alleged texts in which Lively referred to Swift as one of her "dragons." Lively has accused Baldoni of sexual harassment and running a smear campaign against her — claims he denies. Evidence Shows Taylor Swift Wrote Song Before Lively Drama Began While the theory gained traction online, the timeline tells a different story. Swift shared that she wrote The Life of a Showgirl during the summer of 2024, while touring Europe, months before Lively's allegations became public in December. "I'd do three shows, take a few days off, fly to Sweden to record, and then head back to tour," she said on the podcast, ENews said. Adding to the doubt, Swift and Lively were last seen together in October 2024 on a double date with Kelce and Lively's husband, Ryan Reynolds. The couple also attended Swift's Eras Tour earlier that year. In January 2025, a source told E! News that rumors of a falling-out were "not true." Swift, who has been friends with Lively for over a decade and is godmother to her four children, has often publicly praised the "Gossip Girl" alum. In past interviews, she even said Lively and Reynolds were among the first to hear her new music. While Swift's lyrics have often drawn from personal experiences, "Ruin the Friendship" could easily be about something else entirely. Neither Swift nor Lively has commented on the speculation.
Jimmy Garoppolo's pass to Davante Adams draws attention for wrong reasons
Jimmy Garoppolo and Davante Adams have been reunited on the Los Angeles Rams, and the star receiver may have nightmares over one throw that came his way on Thursday. The Rams and New Orleans Saints held a joint training camp practice on Thursday. At one point during an 11-on-11 scrimmage, Garoppolo floated a pass toward Adams into traffic over the middle of the field. Adams did not make the catch, and for good reason. He was between three defenders and was fortunate that hitting was not allowed. Otherwise, he probably would have gotten throttled. It is possible that Garoppolo threw the pass knowing Adams was not going to be hit by a defender. The veteran quarterback would probably think twice about making a throw like that during an actual game — or so Adams hopes. Adams was one of the players featured on the Netflix documentary series "Receivers" last year. During one of the episodes, Adams was shown ranting about Garoppolo when the two were teammates on the Raiders. Adams was heard saying he needed to get out of Las Vegas "before I lose my (expletive) life." The six-time Pro Bowl receiver also said he had "never been hit this many (expletive) times in my career." Garoppolo is now the backup with the Rams and has been taking first-team reps while Matthew Stafford nurses a back injury. Adams said in an interview last month that he loves Garoppolo and chalked any previous issues up to everyone being "pretty miserable" when the Raiders were losing. The Rams are hoping Stafford will be fully healthy by Week 1. If he is not, Garoppolo may have to play. The quarterback had better get those so-called "hospital balls" out of his system in training camp.
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