Seattle Storm Pull Out All the Stops for Sue Bird Retirement Event
The Seattle Storm bid farewell to one of the greatest to ever do it. Sue Bird spent the entirety of her 21 year WNBA career with the Seattle Storm. To thank her for her commitment to the team and the city, the Storm commemorated Bird’s retirement on Sunday, raising her No. 10 jersey to the rafters. Bird’s fiancé, OL Reign star Megan Rapinoe, and Macklemore co-hosted the evening’s festivities. The line up also featured former teammates from Bird’s Seattle and UConn teams, including Swin Cash and Lauren Jackson. Reflecting on her emotional speech, Bird said, “The connection I have with the city, with the fans, with this franchise and, again, like I said out there, what they’ve given me. I think a lot was made of what I’ve given them in my final year, but I really wanted to emphasize what all the people I named have given me and what I’ll take.” In Minneapolis, the Lynx honored Sylvia Fowles, raising her No. 34.
Djokovic Sets New Men’s Grand Slam Title Record with French Open Win
Novak Djokovic found himself in a familiar place on Sunday: the winner’s column. The Serbian superstar beat Norway’s Casper Ruud in straight sets to take home the title and $2.5 million prize at the 2023 French Open. With the victory, Djokovic set a new record for Grand Slam titles in men’s tennis, logging his 23rd. At 36 years old, he is also the oldest person to ever win the tournament.
Overseas Sales Drives ‘Transformers’ to the Top of Weekend Box Office
Despite a relatively slow weekend in domestic box offices, Transformers: Rise of the Beasts logged an impressive international performance. The blockbuster film, which features Pete Davidson, Michelle Yeoh, and Anthony Ramos, netted $60 million domestically. However, it was its $110 million in international sales that drove it past Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse, which drew $102.4 million in global sales. The newest installment in the Spider-Man series has already eclipsed the total sales of the first film in just over 10 days.
Matt Damon & Ben Affleck Strike Back in Wake of Trump’s Use of ‘Air’ Footage
The 2024 election cycle is heating up. As Donald Trump returns to the campaign trail, he has found himself in trouble yet again. This time, actors Matt Damon and Ben Affleck and their production company Artists Equity have spoken out that the former president. Trump used an extended clip of their film Air without securing the proper consents. In a statement a spokesperson said, “We hereby, expressly give notice that in the case of any use of material from ‘Air’ by the Trump campaign where approval or consent is required, we do not grant such consent.”
Andreessen Horowitz Makes First-ever International Expansion
Andreessen Horowitz is making international moves. The venture capital firm plans to open its first office outside of the US. It announced it will open in London. In recent months, the UK has inched towards greater clarity as it relates to crypto regulation. The London outpost will focus primarily on investing in the crypto and start-up markets in the UK and throughout Europe.
Diddy to Receive Hometown Icon Award
Diddy is headed back to where it all started. The Harlem-born multi-hyphenate is set to receive the Icon Award as part of the annual benefit for the iconic Apollo Theater. He took to Instagram to confirm the news, saying, “The champ is coming back home. The King is coming back home. The son is coming back home. Harlem, Harlem, Harlem. I’m coming back home.” The event will also honor Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and feature performances from MC Lyte, Wyclef Jean, and more.