50 Cent, Louisiana
by Jeroslyn JoVonn

November 16, 2024

50 Cent Reacts To Louisiana Eliminating $150M Film Tax Credit, ‘Everything Happens For A Reason’

50 Cent remains optimistic about the outcome of Louisiana's decision to eliminate its $150 million film tax credit.

Curtis “50 Cent” Jackson paused his online trolling to react to Louisiana’s rollback of film and television production tax credits.

On Nov. 13, Louisiana’s House of Representatives voted to repeal the $150 million film tax credit, known as House Bill 2, KSLA reports. As the bill heads to the Senate, 50 Cent addressed the news on social media, highlighting its potential impact on the media empire he established in Shreveport earlier this year.

“I know people in Shreveport are sick right now, stay positive everything happens for a reason,” the hip-hop artist captioned a repost of a news clip. “I want to thank you for supporting me with Humor Harmony having zero violent crimes for 16 days, believe it or not that made that event one of my biggest accomplishments.”

The news clip he shared features Shreveport Mayor Tom Arceneaux acknowledging that the tax credit cut is “not a lot of good news.'” He said that he and Senate members are collaborating on a resolution. The Mayor also highlighted how the change could affect 50 Cent’s efforts with his G-Unit Studios, which he established in Shreveport due to Louisiana’s film tax credit.

“I think we’ve all been looking at each other like… He has not indicated that that’s an absolute deal killer,” Arceneaux said. “But he came here for that. Well, he came here to film and obviously, that’s a part of the calculus of that.”

“So yes, it likely will have an impact on some of his decisions,” he added.

50 Cent’s response follows a private meeting last month with the Mayor and Governor to address the proposed tax cut. His successful Humor and Harmony Weekend brought a significant boost to Shreveport’s local economy and small businesses. The event showcased the rapper’s star power, drawing an impressive lineup of talent, including Dave Chappelle, musical performances by Master P, DaBaby, and Flo Rida, as well as a celebrity basketball game featuring Bow Wow, Andrew Johnson, 2 Chainz, and more.

Louisiana’s $150 million film tax credit was a crucial factor in Jackson’s decision to establish G-Unit Studios in Shreveport. Mayor Tom Arceneaux and the Shreveport City Council have strongly backed the credit, unanimously passing resolutions to encourage lawmakers to protect and expand it.

The tax credit positioned Louisiana as a leading destination for filmmakers, drawing numerous productions to the state. Over the past decade, it has hosted more than 700 projects, including films and TV series such as “Interview with the Vampire,” “National Treasure,” “Nickel Boys,” and “The Iron Claw,” among others.

Amid criticism from the local film community, several legislators pledged on the House floor to collaborate with the state Senate and the Governor’s office to preserve incentives for the entertainment industry.

“There’s a lot of panic about what we’re doing here,” said Rep. Steven Jackson, a Democrat from Shreveport, said.

“We have to get to a point where we’re more competitive to attract business so we stop losing our people,” said Rep. Julie Emerson, the Republican chair of the Ways and Means Committee. “We’re the only state in the South that’s losing population.”

RELATED CONTENT: 50 Cent Claims Omari Hardwick ‘Overvalues Himself’

howard basketball, investment, Kaleena Smith
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 16, 2024

Candace Parker Signs Kaleena Smith As First High Schooler With Adidas NIL Deal

The Ontario Christian High School sophomore is Parker's first signing as president of adidas Woman's Basketball.

A high school basketball player signed an NIL (name, likeness, and image) deal with sporting giant adidas to become the first to ink a deal with the German company. WNBA legend Candace Parker announced that the brand signed basketball high school prospect Kaleena Smith. This is the first athlete signed by Parker, the president of adidas Woman’s Basketball.

“I embrace any opportunity to challenge myself and improve my game, and I believe that’s what has fostered the confidence and skill I have on the court,” said Kaleena Smith in a written statement. “I’m blessed to be part of something Candace is creating and to get to do that with a brand like adidas who is taking a different approach to play a role to help grow the game for players like me. Plus, I’m really excited to get to rock the Harden sneakers this season.”

What’s amazing about Smith is that she is only in her second year in high school. The Ontario Christian High School sophomore is the top prospect in the Class of 2027. She was a member of the 2024 USA Women’s U17 National Team and named the 2023-2024 Girls Basketball MaxPreps National Freshman of the Year.

“When I think about the future of women’s basketball, it’s clear it’s in good hands with hoopers like Kaleena,” said Parker. “Not only is she a tenacious competitor on the court, she’s also someone who understands what’s required off it and is committed to putting in the work. We couldn’t be prouder to welcome her to the sisterhood of talented women who make up adidas Women’s Basketball.”

Along with Smith’s NIL arrangement, the sneaker brand will also sponsor her high school and AAU (Amateur Athletic Union) teams. Because of the partnership, the AAU team is joining the 3SSB Circuit.

RELATED CONTENT: College Softball Standout NiJaree Canady Reportedly Lands ‘Unprecedented’ NIL Deal

Dr. Henry W. B. “Hank” Smith III, Cardiologist
by Jeffrey McKinney

November 15, 2024

Retired Cardiologist Now Helping Black Americans Build Wealth And Improve Health

The extra capital will be aimed at boosting the well-being status for Black Americans.

A  medical care trailblazer and retired cardiologist, Dr. Henry W. B. “Hank” Smith III, is renowned for helping save the lives of people for nearly four decades.

Now, Smith is making another large contribution in assisting the Black community with building wealth and realizing other positive outcomes like enhancing health.

One of the first Black American cardiologists in Greensboro, North Carolina, Smith hung up his stethoscopes this past January. He had a  practice for 39 years,  retiring from Cone Health HeartCare. He told BLACK ENTERPRISE that he is spending his days encouraging collective giving to make the Black Investments in Greensboro (BIG) Equity Fund stronger financially.

MAKING AN IMPACT IN THE BLACK COMMUNITY WITH FUNDING

A Black-led permanent endowment at the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro, the fund was founded by Mae Douglas, Smith, and 10 other Black community leaders in 2019. They serve on its steering committee. Today it is worth $1.5 million, and the fund’s mission is to improve education, health, and economic conditions in Greensboro and Guilford County in North Carolina.

“Grants are made to fund programs and alliances that accomplish these goals.”

Demonstrating his support, Smith shared he and his wife, Cheryl, contributed around $110,000 to the fund and continue to give yearly. The Smiths live in Greensboro.

The first grant of $50,000 was made last year as the fund grew to provide short-term capital for Black contractors to buy surety bonding to allow bids for work projects. Smith says a second grant – likely for $100,000 –  will be made later this year or early 2025 to support apprentice programs for Black and underserved high school students. Learn more about the fund here.

AIMING TO DERAIL SYSTEMIC BARRIERS AND DISPARITY

As the fund grows, the extra capital will be aimed at boosting the well-being status for its recipients. With collective philanthropy, he says the fund’s growth is dependent upon continued contributions and market appreciation. “The grants will be upstream investments to remove systemic barriers that cause and perpetuate Black socioeconomic disparity.”

However, Smith’s desire to give back did not come easy. He developed a love for interventional cardiology after graduating from Harvard Medical School in 1978 and Morehouse College in 1974.

BECOMING A TOP CARDIOLOGIST AFTER CONQUERING OBSTACLES

He gravitated toward cardiology because of the high incidence of cardiovascular disease in America, specifically among African Americans. Smith says Morehouse repaired his low self-esteem and helped him understand that a career in medicine was possible.

He recalls there were no Black physicians in Statesboro, Georgia, where he grew up, and only a few white doctors seeing Blacks. He noted Blacks had to enter the office through the back door after all white patients were seen. “There were no role models. I did not consider medicine until after entering Morehouse and being nurtured by the HBCU environment, faculty, and  fellow students.”

On the pioneering front, Smith was an early adopter of using balloon and stent procedures for stopping heart attacks. He says “balloon angioplasty” was unproven when he first became a cardiologist but has evolved to become the treatment of choice for heart attacks and remains so today.

Further, Smith shared all his heart attack cases during the early years were tough because the equipment was primitive. However, he says things improved significantly during the late 1980s and early 1990s. “There are still improvements being made today, including doing most of the cases.

RELATED CONTENT: Cardiologist Breaks Barriers To Improve Women’s Healthcare

NJ boarding school, Black students, students, desegregation,
by Mary Spiller

November 15, 2024

4 Black Mead High School Student-Athletes & Their Parents Sue School For Failing To Protect Students From Racial Harassment

The lawsuit claims that Mead administration knew about the assaults and did nothing to protect the students.

Four former Mead High School football players and their parents filed a lawsuit on Nov. 8 against Mead School District for failing to protect the Black players and take action against the assaults, harassment, and racial discrimination the four student-athletes allegedly faced from their teammates.

The lawsuit described that two of the four players were assaulted by their white teammates with battery-powered massage guns while at Mead summer football camps at Eastern Washington University in 2022 and 2023. Following the assault, the white teammates involved told the other two student-athletes that they were “next.”

According to the Spokesman-Review, the 2023 massage gun assaults were reportedly recorded and sent around Mead High School and the surrounding community. The nearly 40-page lawsuit by Sweetser Law Office in Spokane and Connelly Law Offices is filing for damages because school administrators were allegedly made aware of the extensive abuse, and they repeatedly failed to report or take action against the racist conduct. Reports and videos of the assaults were reported in the next few months in 2023 to several members of the Mead staff, including the boys’ football coach, Keith Stamps, and athletic director, John Barrington.

The lawsuit said, “They inexplicably failed to inform the victims’ parents about the harassment in anything resembling a timely manner. The result: a group of white football players went unchecked as they tormented Black teammates.”

After the 2023 incident ran unchecked, the white teammates allegedly continued to torment the four Black students. The lawsuit described instances of intimidation, being called racial slurs, and even that one of the students was sexually assaulted in the school locker room by two of the white assailants. In January of the same year, the suit states that one of the Black players was punched and sprayed with water while inside a Mead wrestling team van in the school parking lot by one of the alleged white football team players. The incident caused him to have a panic attack and was allegedly witnessed by the wrestling coach, who called it “just a little stuff.”

It took eight long months after the 2023 assaults for school officials to inform the victims’ parents that their children had been assaulted, and the Mead students’ parents were stunned by the lack of action on the school officials’ part.

One parent claimed that they had reported some of the racial hatred and assaults to Mead in August, but the coach stated to the players, “In our day, we used a stick; you guys have gone soft.”

In a school meeting, Mead High Principal Kimberly Jensen claimed that their investigation indicated that the reported incidents didn’t rise to the level of hazing and that it was just “boys being boys.”

The mother of the player who was punched in the parking lot reported the incident to the school administration, but they allegedly did nothing. It was only when she reported the assault to an outside source that the player who punched him was to be held from practice for two weeks as punishment. Even then, the wrestling coach pushed the victim to agree to reduce the already short punishment to last just a single week. The lawsuit claims that there was a clear disregard for how the Mead administration handled the assaults since the victims were boys. One of the parents stated powerfully, “If this had been a girl involved, we’d call it gang rape.”

All four of the Black student plaintiffs have transferred from Mead due to the severity of harassment from their fellow teammates and other students and being repeatedly failed by the school system. The lawsuit states that one of the students was found to be researching how to commit suicide on a school computer.

Colin Prince of Connelly Law Offices said, “These clients, more than anything, feel a real responsibility to make sure that this doesn’t happen again or to anyone else.”

Travis Hanson, the Mead Superintendent, released a statement claiming that Mead doesn’t tolerate discrimination or harassment in its district schools.

Hanson wrote, “We are aware of the lawsuit that has been filed and take these allegations seriously. As this matter is now in litigation, we will not be commenting publicly about the numerous inaccuracies in the lawsuit or on the specifics of the case. Our attorney has asked that we allow the facts to come forward in the context of litigation. We recognize that litigation can be an inherently difficult process for all participants. The district does not want to make the process more difficult for the involved students or their families by debating this matter publicly. Any further comments will be at the discretion of the attorneys representing the district.”

He continued, “In a letter this spring to district parents, district officials said a significant number of student-athletes took part (both directly and indirectly) in inappropriate and offensive behavior that involved elements of hazing, including acts of intimidation and targeted harassment.”

“Details about what happened at team camp came in bits and pieces over an inordinately long period, and ultimately, the severity of what took place last summer was fully realized at a time months removed from the actual incidents.”

Mary J. Blige, Giuseppe Zanotti
by Mary Spiller

November 15, 2024

Giuseppe Zanotti & Mary J. Blige Collab On Iconic White Patent Knee-High Boots

The iconic white "Mary Boot" will retail at around $1,295.

Luxury Italian designer Giuseppe Zanotti and R&B legend Mary J. Blige are teaming up again to collaborate with another boot launch on the heels of their first drop’s success.

The “Family Affair” singer codesigned a white patent leather thigh-high boot that echoes the original “Mary Boot.”

Zanotti and Blige’s new boot is a nod to the original that launched back in May, which was a shiny rose gold color. The new white patent Mary Boot is the exact design that Blige wore onstage at her Strength of a Woman festival earlier this year. The shoes are even more iconic, as the custom-made pair she wore onstage is now perched in the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

It launches Nov 15, at the same time as her latest album, “Gratitude,” drops. It will retail at around $1,295. When Blige performed during the Strength of a Woman Festival at Barclays Center on May 11 in New York City, she said, “I’m truly so thankful to my fans. The reaction to my first boot collaboration with Giuseppe blew me away. The new thigh-high version made in winter white patent was born from what my fans wanted. I’ve been asked for years about making my own thigh-high boots, and it’s exciting that they’re here now, and I get to continue working with my friend Giuseppe.”

Zanotti’s website described the boot as being “Born from the collaboration between iconic Italian designer Giuseppe Zanotti and multi-hyphenate award-winning artist Mary J. Blige.”

The description continues, “The Mary Boot encapsulates the unique and celebrated styles of both talents. Statement boots have long been associated as a signature of Mary’s style, and through this collaboration, using striking and innovative design, fine materials, and attention to detail, the two have come together to make the Must Have style of the season.” The boot stands with a heel height of 105 mm, which posed no problem for Blige to cut up on stage.

The singer is well known for her iconic thigh-high boot looks throughout her music career, and the “Queen of Hip Hop & Soul” has made it a part of her brand.

RELATED CONTENT: Mary J. Blige Recalls Fashion Boutiques ‘Rejecting’ Her, Misa Hylton From Purchasing Clothes

national debt, federal grant
by Mitti Hicks

November 15, 2024

Here’s Why It Will Become Easier To Find Federal Grants

It will now become more accessible to find federal grants through the government.

It will now become more accessible to find federal grants through the government. The four dozen grant-awarding agencies will streamline how federal grants are advertised and promoted. In the past, people would find out about grants available through Notice of Funding Opportunities (NOFO) the various agencies would send out. 

It has traditionally been unclear, and the wording has caused grantees to hire people to help them write the application because it hasn’t been user-friendly.

“These plans will result in the simplification of hundreds of NOFOs throughout next year, which will lower the burden for tens of thousands of grant applicants,” the Office of Management and Budget wrote in its update to the President’s Management Agenda. “This will build on NOFO simplification pilots that agencies conducted in fiscal 2024, including AmeriCorps’ work to reduce the word count of their AmeriCorps State and National NOFO by one-third and the Department of Transportation’s cutting their Tribal Transit NOFO nearly in half.”

OMB is keeping its promise to simplify NOFOs to bring transparency to the more than reported $1.2 trillion agencies across the government grant each year.

Simplifying NOFOs is a broader priority of bringing the grants management community closer through the Council of Federal Financial Assistance (COFFA).

In 2023, OMB launched COFFA to identify opportunities to reduce the burden on applicants or recipients.

“We are improving our program effectiveness by ensuring efficient delivery, and we are sharing best practices across the board. So we’re not going to just continue to focus on those differences, but instead identify where, in fact, we can and should be learning from each other,” said Deidre Harrison, the co-chairwoman of the council and deputy controller at OMB.

OMB said that making grants easier to find is an example of the council’s progress.

RELATED CONTENT: Springboard For The Arts Awards $500 Monthly Grants To Minnesota Artists

taraji, Henson, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, 75k, 500k, offered, the color purple, Taraji P. Henson
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 15, 2024

Taraji P. Henson Partners With Seven Daughters As Strategic Advisor And Creative Collaborator

The 'Empire' actor says, 'I can't wait to reintroduce the world to Seven Daughters.'

Actress Taraji P. Henson has a new empire to conquer.

The Academy Award-nominated entrepreneur was introduced by the Terlato Wine Group as a strategic advisor and creative collaborator for Seven Daughters. After visiting Italy, Henson searched to find a team to assist her in creating her own wine. She approached Terlato Wine Group to collaborate and from this, a new partnership was born.

“Taraji is an extraordinary talent whose impact on both culture and business is apparent. We are thrilled to realize the vibrant energy she will bring to the wine industry,” says Bill Terlato, president and CEO of Terlato Wine Group, in a written statement. “Through our collaboration, we are pleased to unveil the refreshed Seven Daughters Moscato and continue to build on enhancing brand visibility, deepening consumer connections, and driving growth in the Moscato category.”

Henson will help Seven Daughters with their rebranding plan, which will include a new bottle design and an elevated logo, including “Easter eggs” that were inspired by Henson’s favorite things, implemented into the packaging of the wine. Included in the new packaging will be illustrations of her French Bulldog Buddha with a comb representing her passion for haircare, with a nod to her favorite tune by Prince, “Raspberry Beret.”

“I am excited to be working with Bill and his team as we unveil the next generation of Seven Daughters,” Henson stated. “I believe in celebrating every moment and never settling for less, so when it came time to team up with the brand, this was an easy decision because they embody those same principles. The new design reflects not only our shared vision but also celebrates the power of community and connection, and I can’t wait to reintroduce the world to Seven Daughters.”

Seven Daughters is a 2023 vintage Moscato Veneto IGT that retails for $14.99. It will satisfy your tongue with flavors of fresh white peaches, orange zest, lemon meringue, and almond. The brand was initially launched in 2006 by Terlato Wine Group.

RELATED CONTENT: AARP To Recognize Taraji P. Henson As Honorary Purpose Prize Recipient

Tennessee State University
by Mary Spiller

November 15, 2024

Tennessee State University Officials Claim Its ‘Out Of Money’ Following Complete School Board Removal Earlier This Year

TSU is still responsible for a $800,000 pay out to former President Glenda Glover.

Tennessee State officials convened on Thursday and announced that Tennessee State University is “out of money” as the university continues to pay an $800,000 contract to former President Glenda Glover to conclusion. House Speaker Cameron Sexton said on Nov. 14, that the results of its TSU financial examination revealed that there were numerous failures in leadership and management while Glover was in office.

Sexton stated, according to The Tennessean, “Why would you continue to pay her a lot of money to advise on a situation that we’re dealing with because of her leadership when she was at the helm of the university?” Glover’s contract with the university included at least $800,000 in pay although Sexton suggested that the total was higher, as the contract was put into place under the previous TSU school board that is no longer in place. The audit concluded during Thursday’s meeting affirmed that TSU is still in dire financial straits as it continues to pay out Glover.

Despite the state of Tennessee giving TSU over $30 million in cash over the course of recent months to try to maintain the institution’s financial stability, the university was still forced to lay off over 100 employees in October to save $11 million in salary expenditures as it struggled to make its total payroll. State officials stated at the meeting of the State Building Commission that much of TSU’s financial issues were exacerbated when it received a big boost in enrollment a few years ago, and a record number of students in the large class were offered scholarships to attend. The financial audit revealed that there was not adequate financial planning in place to continue paying for these scholarships long-term and that TSU was not suited to house so many students on its campus. This semester has seen enrollment tank, as students who were originally promised four-year scholarships left when the university couldn’t fund its commitment to them.

Earlier this year, state officials and lawmakers called for the total removal of TSU’s board over concerns about mismanagement, but now officials agree that TSU is out of money.

Tennessee Comptroller Jason Mumpower acknowledged that more layoffs would be needed to stabilize Tennessee State University financially. Mumpower continued to explain that the school should consider selling part of its downtown Nashville campus as well.

Mumpower told interim TSU President Ronald Johnson, “You’re here to take it down to the studs and rebuild it, I know you know that. You cannot let up. There is no reason for you to feel like the pressure has been relieved. The pressure is still on. The previous administration and trustees have driven this university to a breaking point.”

Johnson recognized that TSU’s previous board’s lack of proper management had caused the financial issues to continue to grow. “It has essentially put the institution in a crippled position. The legacy of that poor decision-making and lack of checks and balances is going to be with us for some time,” Johnson said.

Sexton claimed that Thursday’s meeting and audit proved that the removal of the previous TSU board was the right decision.

“I appreciate you coming in and showing us exactly what was going on to reiterate that what we did was the right decision in vacating the board and putting a new board in place,” Sexton said.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr, presidential race 2024
by Sharelle Burt

November 15, 2024

Lawmakers Divided On Trump Choosing Anti-Vaccine Conspiracy Theorist RFK Jr. For HHS Secretary

Would you be willing to work with Kennedy?

President-elect Donald Trump’s selection of anti-vaccine conspiracy theorist Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to be the next Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services has received mixed reactions from lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle, Politico reports. 

After Trump made the selection on Nov. 14, lawmakers, both Republican and Democrat, opened up about their willingness to hear him out. Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) mentioned a number of issues that he agrees with Kennedy about, including those surrounding “tobacco and organic agriculture.” Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis celebrated the selection on X, saying he hopes Kennedy “leans into personal choice on vaccines rather than bans” and takes “on big pharma and the corporate ag oligopoly to improve our health.”

Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.) took the praise up a notch with claims that Kennedy could probably do more to “advance America’s health than anybody really in history.” “If President Trump wants him, I think he could [be confirmed to the Cabinet]. Why not?”

Fellow GOP lawmakers Sens. Tommy Tuberville of Alabama and Rand Paul of Kentucky reiterated similar feelings. Tuberville thinks it’s “great” that Kennedy is involved and would be open to moving forward with a confirmation of Kennedy’s appointment. Paul labeled the offspring of one of America’s most famous Democratic families “an important voice … for reassessing the crony capitalism that has big corporations, particularly Big Pharma, having an undue influence in regulation and approval of their drugs.”

According to Newsweek, loyal Trump ally and Georgia’s conservative congresswoman, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, warned GOP lawmakers of what would happen if they don’t confirm Trump’s cabinet picks. “Well, then they have to deal with Donald Trump, and they’ll have to deal with Elon Musk and his great new PAC and the American people,” she said.  

“This is a mandate.”

Trump’s selection of Kennedy did not come as a shock to a number of Americans as he endorsed the Republican President-elect after dropping out as an independent presidential nominee. In a statement, Trump said he thinks Kennedy would “restore these Agencies to the traditions of Gold Standard Scientific Research, and beacons of Transparency, to end the Chronic Disease epidemic, and to Make America Great and Healthy Again!” 

However, everyone isn’t too keen on the selection, given Kennedy’s extreme past comments on the COVID-19 pandemic, claiming the disease was “targeted to attack Caucasians and Black people.” “The people who are most immune are Ashkenazi Jews and Chinese,” he once said. 

Public health and medical experts issued warnings on Kennedy’s ideas as dangerous, highlighting specific concerns about his claim that vaccines cause autism. Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) loyalists have been quiet on celebrating Kennedy’s selection as they predict a war between pharma, food companies, and their allies on Capitol Hill. 

A spokesperson for the Make America Healthy Again PAC and former national field director for Kennedy’s presidential campaign, Jeff Hutt, said in order for policies to be successfully passed under this new potential leadership, “established Republicans are going to have to be the most brave.”

RELATED CONTENT: Concern Took Over Howard University On Election Night, ‘We’re Praying for Something That’s Bigger Than All of Us’

Big Meech, LeBron James
by Cedric 'BIG CED' Thornton

November 15, 2024

LeBron James Admits He’s ‘Not Going To Play That Much Longer’ In NBA

The NBA champion is playing in his 22nd season

LeBron James has the stat line of someone who still has many years left in the tank. In his 22nd season, he even has his son as a teammate. The talented baller has hinted that he is nearing the end of his storied career when he admitted to reporters that he’s “not going to play that much longer.”

After another great game on Nov. 13, the future NBA Hall of Famer didn’t exactly give a timeline but did intimate that it may be another year or two before he leaves the hardwood.

According to Sports Illustrated, after 11 games and with the team’s record of 7-4, the almost 40-year-old is averaging 24.3 points, 9.4 assists, and 8.1 rebounds while hitting 52% of his shots from the floor.

As he sat at his locker after the recent victory against the Memphis Grizzlies, where he scored another triple-double with 35 points, 14 assists, and 12 rebounds, he was asked how much longer he could continue playing.

He responded, “It’s not me, obviously; it’s the mind. Wherever my mind is is how the rest of my body’s gonna go or whatever the case may be. I don’t know, I don’t know. I’m not gonna play that much longer to be completely honest. I don’t know how many years that is, if it’s one or two years, whatever the case. The other night, I said I’m not playing until the wheels fall off. I’m not gonna be that guy. I’m not gonna be the guy that’s disrespecting the game because I just want to be out there on the floor. That won’t be me.”

The next game on the Lakers schedule is Nov. 15 against the San Antonio Spurs. Regardless of how many years James has left to play, with his already record-setting highlights throughout the seasons, he only adds to the legendary career when he steps on the floor and gives the game his all.

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