Mark Cuban Likes the Idea of NBA Season Starting on Christmas

The coronavirus pandemic has upended our world so much that nothing is set in stone anymore. Previously, Dallas Maverick owner Mark Cuban was hoping for a possible May return of the currently suspended NBA season, but he likes the idea of the season returning just in time for Christmas, according to CBS Sports.

A typical NBA season usually starts in the fall, sometime in October or November, and continues until late spring or early summer, stretching from April in the league’s earlier days into as late as June now. This week, during an appearance on ESPN’s Get Up, the Shark Tank host stated he would prefer that the NBA season starts around Christmas and that now may be the perfect opportunity to alter the schedule to do so.

“Honestly, it’s been something that I’ve been asking for more than 10 years. I’ve always thought that we should start on Christmas and go into the summer, but the response has always been that our television partners don’t want that because there are fewer households using television during the summer months. But everything is different right now. Particularly if we continue to be quarantined, then people are at home willing to watch the games. Nothing else is on other than SharkTank and SportsCenter and you guys, of course. But I think it really could be a great experiment for us, and if it works out well, then we could do it,” says Cuban.

Since the season is on lockdown, Cuban also said he doesn’t know when the season would pick back up.

“I have no idea. The only thing I know is that we’re putting safety first and that we’re not gonna take any chances, we’re not gonna do anything that risks the health or safety of our players, our fans, our staff, our whole organizations, so right now, I really don’t have anything new to say.”

“All the experts have got to say, ‘it’ll be absolutely safe.’ We cannot put anything ahead of the health and safety of our players and staff, that’s it, and it’s such a moving target, and nobody really has specifics. I haven’t had any conversations where anybody’s even discussed an actual date at this point.”

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2Rdp1sU

Cardi B Donates to NYC Healthcare Workers Following a Personal Healthscare

Belcalis “Cardi B Almánzar showed her appreciation to New York medical professionals on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19 by making a massive meal donation. According to the New York Post’s Page Six, the Grammy Award-winning rapper supplied 20,000 bottles of Owyn, a plant-based vegan meal supplement drink, to hospitals around the city.

Her rep said she wanted to provide sustenance for healthcare workers and ambulance crews who are too busy to have a proper meal in light of the coronavirus pandemic, TMZ reported.

The donation was reported days after the Bronx-born artist admitted herself to an emergency room. Although some fans feared that she may have contracted the coronavirus, the 27-year-old wife and mother revealed that she was suffering from severe stomach pains and vomiting that were unrelated to the novel virus.

“I was weighing at least 130 [pounds] and now I’m back to weighing 124. Like literally I weigh 124 because I was throwing up my f—ing life away, man,” she lamented while wearing a wrapped towel on her head, sunglasses, and a face mask on Instagram, reports Billboard. She added that she ate four bags of cotton candy and yogurt with peanut butter in an attempt to gain the weight she lost.

The “I Like It” rapper went on to say that she doesn’t have the coronavirus after spending time in the hospital for her stomach issues. “Yesterday, I was on Twitter, right, and one of my fans asked me, ‘Oh, why you haven’t gone on live?’ And I told her like, ‘Yo, I went to the hospital bi—. I was sick,'” she recalled. “And then today my publicist hit me up like, ‘Oh, I just wanted to tell you like ain’t nothing coronavirus-related or something.’ Thank God.”

Last year, Almanzar starred in Pepsi’s Super Bowl spot. She also launched a second signature clothing line with Fashion Nova in May, which reportedly sold out within 24 hours and generated $1 million in sales.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2X7N14A

Cardi B Donates to NYC Healthcare Workers Following a Personal Healthscare

Belcalis “Cardi B Almánzar showed her appreciation to New York medical professionals on the frontlines in the fight against COVID-19 by making a massive meal donation. According to the New York Post’s Page Six, the Grammy Award-winning rapper supplied 20,000 bottles of Owyn, a plant-based vegan meal supplement drink, to hospitals around the city.

Her rep said she wanted to provide sustenance for healthcare workers and ambulance crews who are too busy to have a proper meal in light of the coronavirus pandemic, TMZ reported.

The donation was reported days after the Bronx-born artist admitted herself to an emergency room. Although some fans feared that she may have contracted the coronavirus, the 27-year-old wife and mother revealed that she was suffering from severe stomach pains and vomiting that were unrelated to the novel virus.

“I was weighing at least 130 [pounds] and now I’m back to weighing 124. Like literally I weigh 124 because I was throwing up my f—ing life away, man,” she lamented while wearing a wrapped towel on her head, sunglasses, and a face mask on Instagram, reports Billboard. She added that she ate four bags of cotton candy and yogurt with peanut butter in an attempt to gain the weight she lost.

The “I Like It” rapper went on to say that she doesn’t have the coronavirus after spending time in the hospital for her stomach issues. “Yesterday, I was on Twitter, right, and one of my fans asked me, ‘Oh, why you haven’t gone on live?’ And I told her like, ‘Yo, I went to the hospital bi—. I was sick,'” she recalled. “And then today my publicist hit me up like, ‘Oh, I just wanted to tell you like ain’t nothing coronavirus-related or something.’ Thank God.”

Last year, Almanzar starred in Pepsi’s Super Bowl spot. She also launched a second signature clothing line with Fashion Nova in May, which reportedly sold out within 24 hours and generated $1 million in sales.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2X7N14A

Rapper Slim Thug Opens Up About Recovering From Coronavirus (Video)

Stayve “Slim Thug” Thomas never expected to end up as one of the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have tested positive for the coronavirus. When the global pandemic first hit American soil last month, the self-described hypochondriac immediately limited his social activity and began wearing a mask and gloves whenever he went outside. The Houston-based rapper says he even went as far as to scold others on his Instagram page for not taking the social distancing guidelines seriously. Yet, as fate would have it, the 39-year-old hip hop star tested positive for the novel virus in the middle of March.

“I just had mild symptoms, just like a headache, fever, shortness of breath,” said the rapper in an interview with BLACK ENTERPRISE.

After experiencing symptoms, he asked his sister to make an appointment for him with his personal doctor. A day later he revealed to his 1.1 million Instagram followers that he had tested posted for the virus.

 

View this post on Instagram

 

Just found out I got Corona virus

A post shared by Slim Thug (@slimthug) on Mar 24, 2020 at 10:14am PDT

Thomas began taking hydroxychloroquine and zinc as prescribed by his doctor, but he also doubled up on a variety of herbs, vitamins, and teas to boost his immune system.

“I’ve been on a lot of herbs,” he says. That includes “oregano oil, black seed oil, spirulina, turmeric tea,” he said. In order to soothe his throat, which he said sometimes felt tight, he inhaled steam from a pot of boiling hot water filled with orange peels, sea salt, and onions. Fortunately, he says, “it didn’t hit me as hard as it hit a lot of other folks.”

In addition to the medicines and natural remedies, Thomas believes his active lifestyle helped him fight off the virus. “I usually run three miles, go to the gym, and box every day. I have high blood pressure so I try to stay on top of my fitness,” he said. “Health is wealth. It could have been a difference between me being in a hospital bed right now than just feeling mild symptoms. The most important thing you can do is take care of yourself.”

On Tuesday, he was happy to report that he is well on his way to recovery. “I feel good, actually. I feel like I’m back to normal now,” he said, adding that he still experiences “a little shortness of breath.” Nevertheless, he says he plans to remain in quarantine until he speaks to his doctor again.

Thomas, who released a new mixtape on March 27 titled “Thug Life,” says he’s looking forward to getting back to normal life once COVID-19 is contained and the social distancing guidelines are relaxed. “I can’t wait to ride one of my Old Schools and getting back to messing with my cars. That’s what I look forward to.”

Watch BLACK ENTERPRISE’s interview with Slim Thug below.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/3dTJvkj

Flikshop is Helping Inmates Stay Connected with Their Families During COVID-19 Crisis

Families with loved ones incarcerated are now further removed from them as prisons and correctional facilities around the country practice social distancing and have ended visitations due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

In response, Flikshop, a mobile app that allows people to upload and send photos to incarcerated friends and family members in the form of a physical postcard, has partnered with prisons and detention centers to ensure people stay in touch—in two cases for free.

Flikshop is working with correctional facilities in Colorado and Santa Clara, CA, to connect people with their loved ones. The arrangement is made possible by way of Flikshop Angels, a community-led activation that allows people to purchase Flikshop Credits gifted to children with incarcerated parents.

“We want every person in every cell to receive a Flikshop postcard every day,” Marcus Bullock, founder and CEO of the company, said in a statement. “That’s our mission.”

On March 31, the Colorado Department of Corrections announced on Facebook that friends and families can now send three free postcards to incarcerated people with the support of Flikshop Angels. “[Flikshop] is a small step for families to connect with their loved ones behind the walls, but one we are happy to support,” Dean Williams, executive director for the Colorado Department of Corrections, said.

Santa Clara County Juvenile Hall has also rallied for support to keep young people connected to their families during the health crisis. And they are now Flikshop Angels.

“Flikshop is a great service for our population,” said Sean Rooney, probation manager for Santa Clara County. “Hopefully this will go well and give other counties a great example to open up the possibilities for growth.”

Since the inception of Flikshop Angels, “angels” have helped to connect over 35,000 families and paid the tuition for eight Flikshop School of Business participants.

For the latest updates on how the health crisis is impacting the black community, click here.

from Black Enterprise https://ift.tt/2JExJMF