Hornets' Liam McNeeley to sign shoe endorsement contract with Nike
McNeeley was the Big East Freshman of the Year, averaging 14.5 points, six rebounds and 2.3 assists on 38.1% shooting from the field at UConn. He is the seventh player in program history to win the award, joining the likes of Stephon Castle, Rudy Gay and Khalid El-Amin.
The 29th pick joins a talented roster of players signed to Nike, headlined by LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Paul George and Devin Booker. Others, like Victor Wembanyama, Zaccharie Risacher and Chet Holmgren, also represent the Swoosh.
McNeeley is the latest first-year player to sign with an apparel company. Cooper Flagg (New Balance), Dylan Harper (Nike), VJ Edgecombe (Adidas), Kon Knueppel (Jordan Brand), Ace Bailey (Nike) and Jeremiah Fears (Adidas) have all previously signed with brands.
The 19-year-old debuted with the Hornets in the NBA Summer League, averaging 18 points, 8.5 rebounds and four assists on 42.9% shooting from 3-point range in two appearances. He produced a double-double on July 11 with 22 points, 12 rebounds and six assists.
McNeeley is part of a stacked draft class for the Hornets, along with Knueppel (No. 4 pick), Sion James (33rd pick) and Ryan Kalkbrenner (34th pick). The group won the summer league championship and will look to carry that momentum into next year.
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New York Times
20 minutes ago
- New York Times
Ozzy Osbourne: The rock star of Aston who said goodbye at Villa Park
If Aston Villa were going to use his music for their new kit launch video, Ozzy Osbourne wanted to be in it. 'We were approached in mid-late June,' his wife, Sharon Osbourne, told The Athletic in 2024. 'The pitch was that this was the first time Adidas was designing a kit for Aston Villa. Did Ozzy want to be involved? What a silly question.' Advertisement 'I was born in Aston and spent my childhood watching carloads of people going to the Villa football matches,' Ozzy added. Homeground, the creative agency Adidas entrusted with launching Villa's home kit last season, had approached Black Sabbath and their frontman, Ozzy Osbourne. They asked if they could use their song Paranoid, the club's previous walkout song that thumped around Villa Park every game before being replaced by Osbourne's Crazy Train. The band's team replied with one condition: 'If you're going to use it, they would really like to be in it.' 'Ozzy was very honoured to be asked to be included, especially with Geezer (Butler, Black Sabbath's bassist),' Sharon said. 'I went to Hollywood to see Ozzy and he was great,' Charlie Parker, creative director at Homeground, added. 'He is not as big a Villa fan as Geezer but he was saying how he used to live closer to the stadium than Geezer. He was talking about how he used to get paid to wash people's cars outside of Villa Park as a teenager. 'Deep down, Ozzy was doing it because he knew how much it would mean to Geezer. He told this amazing story about Sharon Osbourne's dad being the manager of the Electric Light Orchestra (ELO). Geezer walked in one day and Ozzy was playing an ELO vinyl. Geezer went mental and said, 'You can't play that because they're Blue Noses, Birmingham fans'.' The kit reveal was an astonishing success. In the first three days, it was watched 6.5million times on Instagram, surpassing other Adidas teams including Manchester United (4.8m), Newcastle United (3.7m) and Arsenal (1.7m). Parker led the video but the Osbournes put their own touches onto the shoot. It was Sharon's idea to feature their dog, Bugsy, in a Villa kit. 'It just so happens Bugsy's a Villa fan,' said Ozzy. 'He should be the team's lucky mascot. I mostly stuck to the script, but I Ozzy-fied a few lines.' On Tuesday, Osbourne died at the age of 76. News of his passing prompted a wave of tributes from across the globe, with Birmingham — where he was born and raised, the city that shaped him into a rock star — paying its respects. That evening, Black Sabbath's music could be heard as fans congregated by the band's mural close to Birmingham New Street railway station. Less than 400 yards away, others made their way to The Crown pub, known as the 'birthplace of heavy metal' and the venue where Black Sabbath played their first gig. The pub is closed but as a Grade II-listed building, it will not be knocked down — especially with pictures and paintings of Black Sabbath plastered on the walls outside. It did not take long for bouquets and messages to be left on the Black Sabbath bench on Broad Street. His roots lay in the Midlands, and Osbourne was a son of Birmingham. He was the fourth of six children and was born in Marston Green hospital. His father, John, was a toolmaker and Lillian, his mother, a factory worker. They lived in a cramped two-bedroom house at 14 Lodge Road in Aston, a 10-minute walk from Villa Park. Advertisement Osbourne and Black Sabbath transcended into superstardom and he spent most of his life outside Birmingham, but no one — especially not Osbourne himself — forgot where he came from. 'The Prince of Darkness' kept his gentle Brummie accent and remained an immense source of pride for locals and Villa supporters. In January, a large tifo of Osbourne (top picture) cascaded from on top of the Holte End at Villa Park before the 4-2 win against Celtic in the Champions League. He was always heard inside the stadium whenever Crazy Train played as the players emerged from the tunnel — but now he was seen. In reality, it felt inevitable that Osbourne's final public outing and concert came at Villa Park, 17 days before his death. The most fitting farewell in front of 45,000 enchanted fans, clad in black for the heavy metal gig. Repeatedly, Osbourne had announced his retirement, even as early as 1992 when he named a set of live dates as the No More Tours tour and then once again in 2018. Yet the pull of one more show at Villa Park, organised by his wife Sharon, who carried out interviews beforehand in a Villa shirt, and joined by a star-studded cast that included Metallica, Guns N' Roses and Steven Tyler of Aerosmith, was the appropriate goodbye. 'I was working as an artist liaison at the show, ensuring everyone had everything they needed,' Liam Howard tells The Athletic. 'The more I got to know some of my heroes, the more I caught on to something: they were as in awe of this event as anybody else. For these artists who have played to millions of people and sold millions of records, it was like none of that mattered in that moment. They were about to play on stage with Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne at Villa Park — back where it all began alongside people they grew up listening to and being inspired by. 'They all saw it as an honour to be a part of this once-in-a-lifetime event, as much as the fans and the staff and anybody else watching at home. It felt like this huge community gathering more than a gig, with Villa Park being the heavy metal HQ. 'As myself and a few others made space for Birmingham's most iconic madman as he passed us by backstage, he took the time to acknowledge every one of us with a smile and a thumbs up. A brief interaction, but one that epitomised just how cool and down to earth he was.' Osbourne performed five songs on his own and four more with Black Sabbath, comprising the original band members and reuniting for the first time in two decades. 'His passion for Birmingham is something I've never seen before,' says Tarik Simsek, who attended the concert. 'He even teared up a bit, which got us all emotional too. It was a special moment for everyone. Despite his age, he moved around with so much passion, belting out his classics. His voice was a bit raspy but full of that raw energy we all loved.' A clearly fragile Osbourne was determined. He moved as much as he could while sitting on a bat-shaped throne, having lived with Parkinson's disease in the latter part of his life. Ozzy Forever! — BlackSabbath (@BlackSabbath) July 22, 2025 'Aston Villa, it's so good to be on this stage,' Osbourne roared. 'I've been laid up for, like, f***ing six years, and you've no idea how I feel.' 'There wasn't a dry eye in the house for Mama I'm Coming Home and not one head left unbanged for Paranoid,' says Howard. 'He was unbelievable,' says Kieron Murphy, who watched in the crowd. 'I knew he was ill, so for him to do two sets was amazing to witness. We were all part of music history. He was and will always be a force of nature and the godfather of metal.' Advertisement Osbourne meant something to Birmingham and Villa. When the season begins, Crazy Train will be sung even louder and take on even greater meaning. 'It was the greatest day of my life,' says Murphy. 'Ozzy and Black Sabbath have shaped me. My grandad was from Aston and told me stories of waiting for his mum to finish work at the factory. Ozzy would be there as a teenager waiting for his mother, too. Black Sabbath came from Aston, Birmingham. We are free to love and embrace their legacy at my club, Aston Villa.'
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
🤌 Roma's third kit: pure elegance, historic badge, green tribute 🌳
Roma and adidas unveil the new "Third" jersey for the 2025/26 season, a fusion of style and symbolism that pays homage to the natural heritage of the Capital. The concept behind the design comes to life from the green areas and famous gardens of Rome, merging elegance and innovative spirit in a kit that does not go unnoticed. 🤩 Italian details and iconic logo White dominates the scene, but it's the details that make the difference: collar and iconic three adidas stripes on the shoulders are dyed green, recalling the Roman vegetation, while the adidas Originals logo and the historic 'ASR' trigram stand out in bright yellow, creating a strong visual contrast. To complete the look, a refined pattern inspired by the geometries of Italian gardens, a real touch of class that tells of an elegant and modern Rome. A detail that is noticed in the video shared by the yellow and red club to announce the new shirt number of Artem Dovbyk, who leaves the 11 (goes to the new acquisition Ferguson) to take the 9. The collaboration between the yellow and red club and adidas continues to focus on the combination of historical roots and contemporary spirit. In this case too, the inspiration comes from the club's archives and its most authentic symbolism, with the aim of creating a product that speaks to both long-time fans and new generations. 👀 Debut in Germany The official debut is expected for July 26, when Roma will wear the new jersey in the friendly against Kaiserslautern at the Fritz-Walter Stadion, in Germany. Fans will be able to purchase the new Third Kit from July 23 at the AS Roma Store, online at at selected adidas outlets, on the adidas app, at and at JD stores, the club's official retail partner. This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.
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