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INSIDER

CHARLES BARKLEY

Inside Arizona's election audit, GOP fraud fantasies live on

On the floor of Veterans Memorial Coliseum, where Sir Charles Barkley once dunked basketballs and Hulk Hogan wrestled King Kong Bundy, 46 tables are arrayed in neat rows, each with a Lazy Susan in the middle. Seated at the tables are several dozen people, mostly Republicans, who spend hours watching ballots spin by, photographing them or inspecting them closely. This is Arizona’s extraordinary, partisan audit of the 2020 election results in the state's most populous county — ground zero for former President Donald Trump and a legion of his supporters who have refused to accept his loss in Arizona or in other battleground states.

news.yahoo.com

Elgin Baylor, Lakers great and aerialist pioneer, dies at 86

FILE - Elgin Baylor stands next to a statue, just unveiled, honoring the Minneapolis and Los Angeles Lakers great, outside Staples Center in Los Angeles, in this Friday, April 6, 2018, file photo. Elgin Baylor, the Lakers 11-time NBA All-Star, died Monday, March 22, 2021, of natural causes. The Lakers announced that Baylor died in Los Angeles with his wife, Elaine, and daughter Krystal by his side. Baylor’s second career as a personnel executive for 22 1/2 years with the woebegone Los Angeles Clippers was far less successful, but he remained a beloved figure in Los Angeles and beyond. A Los Angeles County jury unanimously ruled in the Clippers’ favor in March 2011, refusing to award any damages.

Embiid emerges as NBA MVP front-runner for East-best 76ers

FILE - In this Feb. 19, 2021, file photo, Philadelphia 76ers' Joel Embiid reacts after making a basket during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the Chicago Bulls in Philadelphia. “The fans are always there for me when I play,” Embiid said. Ad“It’s nice to have a big guy in the MVP talk,” Hall of Famer Shaquille O’Neal told The Associated Press. AdHe is trying to become the first Sixer to win NBA MVP — the fans call it an MVBiid campaign — since Iverson in 2001. Nobody can guard you.’ I think that’s a big reason he’s having the season he’s having.”Morey, though, is fine with Embiid shooting from deep.

James, Durant choose their teams for Sunday's All-Star Game

1 overall pick on Antetokounmpo — the NBA’s two-time reigning MVP from Milwaukee — in the draft for Sunday’s All-Star Game in Atlanta. Kevin Durant, who will not play in the All-Star Game because of injury but still is the captain for Team Durant, took Brooklyn teammate Kyrie Irving with his first pick. This is the fourth year of the NBA's playing captain format for the All-Star Game. It’s the All-Star Game, so there’s going to be some shenanigans out there. AdTHE COACHESRivers, who played in one All-Star Game, is coaching the game for the third time.

Suns keep rolling, top 76ers 120-111 for 5th straight win

Phoenix Suns guard Devin Booker (1) shoots against Philadelphia 76ers during the second half of an NBA basketball game, Saturday, Feb. 13, 2021, in Phoenix. Booker scored 36 points, Chris Paul added 18 points and 10 assists and the rising Phoenix Suns beat the Philadelphia 76ers 120-111 on Saturday for their fifth straight victory. Saric and Jae Crowder each hit 3-pointers to open the fourth quarter and extend the Suns' lead to 92-81. The Suns had an 11-2 run which gave them a 113-99 lead with 3:15 left to close out the win. E’Twaun Moore had 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting, Cam Johnson had nine points and Crowder added eight points and four rebounds.

Harris shot in final seconds leads 76ers past Lakers 107-106

James’ push of the 76ers big man got him hit with a flagrant 1 and Embiid cried foul. Harris swished a jumper with 3 seconds left, ending the Lakers’ 13-0 run and sending Philadelphia to a 107-106 victory over Los Angeles on Wednesday night. The 76ers lead the East at 13-6 and the Lakers are 14-5 in the West. James hit Anthony Davis for the go-ahead basket with 11.2 seconds to go for a 106-105 lead and cap that run. YOU AGAINGreen and backup center Dwight Howard played key roles in the Lakers’ championship last season.

CBS pushing for players to do their part to boost broadcast

FORT WORTH, Texas FORT WORTH, TexasJim Nantz will be alone in the broadcast booth when the PGA Tour resumes its schedule Thursday. In announcing the broadcast and productions plans for the return to golf, CBS Sports Chairman Sean McManus said the network would have what Nantz dubbed a confession cam." McManus also said the network has been working more aggressively to have players wear microphones, and that CBS already has received commitments from some players. If you had a chance to hear from 30 players in the field, you can't imagine what a difference that could make to our broadcast. And he'll be calling action at an event with no spectators, a policy of the PGA Tour for five straight tournaments until the Memorial on July 16-19.

Out of the Woods: Tiger emerges for TV match with Lefty, QBs

Another appeal to the Sunday made-for-TV exhibition, The Match: Champions for Charity, is a chance to see Tiger Woods swing a golf club for the first time in 98 days. One difference is the players will be in their own carts, whereas the four PGA Tour players last week carried their bags. Mickelson won their first made-for-TV match over Thanksgiving weekend in 2018, a pay-per-view event that ran into technical problems and was free for all. Woods was going for his seventh straight PGA Tour victory when Mickelson beat him at Torrey Pines in 2000. After this exhibition, golf has two weeks before the PGA Tour is set to return at Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas.

Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson's $10 million charity golf match set for May 24

Tiger Woods of the United States celebrates after sinking his putt on the 18th green to win during the final round of the Masters at Augusta National Golf Club on April 14, 2019 in Augusta, Georgia. PGA stars Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson will play their long-anticipated rematch on May 24 at 3 p.m., AT&T's WarnerMedia announced on Thursday. The charity golf outing will be held at the Medalist Golf Club in Hobe Sound, Florida. Woods and Mickelson last competed in an exclusive event in November 2018 at the Shadow Creek Golf Course in Las Vegas. The pair played in a $9 million winner-take-all prize in Las Vegas, which resulted in Mickelson beating Woods on the 22nd hole.

cnbc.com

NBA legend Charles Barkley once left a $25,000 tiphere's why he always tips a minimum of 20%

Former NBA star Charles Barkley is generous with the millions of dollars he accumulated over his 16-season career. That was after he won "about $700,000," he told O'Brien in a separate interview in 2014. "When I'm at restaurants, I am a big tipper," the retired NBA star told Jimmy Kimmel in 2017. As for the valet, they'll get about $300 for parking his car, O'Neal told Kimmel. He seems to follow Barkley's rule of thumb: "The more successful you are, the more you should tip," Barkley told O'Brien.

cnbc.com

Charles Barkley told a reporter 'I don't hit women but if I did I would hit you' and then apologized

Charles Barkley is apologizing after making "unacceptable" comments toward a female journalist this week. Axios reporter Alexi McCammond tweeted late Tuesday that the retired NBA basketball player told her, "I don't hit women but if I did I would hit you." McCammond said she immediately objected to the comments, and that Barkley told her she "couldn't take a joke." "My comment was inappropriate and unacceptable," Barkley said Wednesday in a statement issued by representatives. Correction: This story has been updated to correct when Axios reporter Alexi McCammond tweeted about her exchange with Charles Barkley.

cnbc.com