NBA

Today, October 19th, wear and promote purple as much as possible. Join millions of people who will be donning purple for Spirit Day promoting the ban of bullying. Post photos of you and your friends wearing purple to Twitter and Instagram with hashtag #SpiritDay. And, see which celebrities and public figures are going purple at http://glaad.org/spiritday.

Millions wear purple on Spirit Day as a sign of support for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) youth and to speak out against bullying. Spirit Day started in 2010 as a response to the young people who had taken their own lives. Every year schools, sports leagues, organizations, churches, companies and stars stand up to bullying and "go purple."

You may be familiar with Rony Seikaly aka 'The Spin Doctor' on the basketball court, but his nickname is equally fitting to his increasingly notable DJ career. The former NBA star grew up with a love for music and has been DJing since the age of 14. Only recently, though, has he taken his passion to the next level. Seikaly has upcoming residencies in Ibiza and Atlantic, as well as a fourteen track compilation soon to be released on June 8th. Check out the interview below to learn about a whole different side to Rony.
Your upcoming compilation CD "Nervous Nitelife Presents Rony Seikaly” comes out June 5th. What can we expect to hear on this album? What type of audience does your music cater to? I think the sound that I have is not a sound that you generally hear. It's very specific, it's melodic and underground, not "pop-y." My sound is almost a genre that people have to discover…so what I'm trying to do is get people's ears to open up and listen to different sounds. Not necessarily love everything but be open.
What can you tell us about your upcoming residencies at LIO in Ibiza and REVEL in Atlantic City?
I'm really looking forward to them. I think it's everyone's dream to get a residency in IBIZA so to get a gig there and be coupled with all the amazing DJs that perform there really means you have to ensure you're at the top of your game. And Atlantic City is something new, which is a challenge and coming from an athletic background I always love challenges.
As a DJ, you get to travel the globe to perform. What are some of your favorite places to work?
I love IBIZA, New York City and I love playing in Paris. Those are the ones that stand out. I read a quote you said - "Sports will always be my love. But music will always be my passion." How has your transition from basketball star to DJ been? Have friends and family, as well as fans been supportive of your new endeavor?
I always dreamed of being a professional athlete but I never dreamed of being a DJ or touring. That all happened organically. The reason is that I've always been tied to music, music has always been in my house, I've always had turn tables and I'd DJ for my friends and they would encourage me to DJ for the public. Initially I never wanted to because it was something personal and I figured I'd get criticized for doing it. Eventually I realized that I'd rather fulfill myself than please everyone else so I embarked on this voyage and it's the best thing I've done besides basketball.
What musicians have been your biggest inspirations?
I grew up in the disco era so Donna Summer and Barry White were big initially. After that I was into the early stages of hip-hop: Kurtis Blow, LL Cool J and Run DMC. From there it morphed more into The Police and soft rock and eventually back into House music in the early '90s where it's remained ever since.

Do you have any favorite tracks on your new album?
I like Dessert Nights, it gives a glimpse of my sound and the music that I love. This album has all different sounds, all very uplifting. Not banging and not too soft. Its a good CD for a car, something to chill with.
What is one thing you have always wanted to do but haven't had a chance to do yet?
I've never thought of it. I live my life every day and I feel very very blessed.

Last Tuesday, a gala benefit for National Urban Technology Center, a national non-profit dedicated to helping provide technology for underserved youth with programs in over 700 schools across America, be honored NBA legend John Starks, with a Humanitarian Award. The 2011 Urban Tech Humanitarian Award acknowledges the work of John Starks and the John Starks Foundation as advocates for change. Both the man and the foundation strive to provide under-served youths with positive opportunities, including academic scholarships. Other honorees at this event include Jessica Isaacs, and Ramon Gonzalez. Maurice Dubois served as the emcee, while other celebrities such as Dennis Walcott, Dominic Fumusa, Richard Kind, Callie Thorne, Nadia Dajani, Steven Byrd, and more were all in attendance. The gala took place at Capitale, with a cocktail reception at 6pm, followed by dinner, the awards ceremony, and a live & silent auction at 7:30pm.

In a recent game, Kobe Bryant was caught on camera using a gay slur. He was fined $100.000 by the NBA and apologized publicly. The basketball player also promised he would change his ways; and he seems to be on the right track.

Following the incident, he and his Los Angeles Lakers teammates have released a PSA calling for "understanding, compassion and acceptance" where we can hear Bryant saying, "There are all kinds of people in the world, that's what makes the world special."

You can watch the video here

A 50,000-square-foot sports, lifestyle, and entertainment complex and 10,000-sqaure-foot NBA approved basketball court sounds like quite the playground, or vacation within a vacation. The JW Marriott Marquis in Miami is offering vacationers and locals alike just that -- a premier five star luxury hotel experience.

The new hotel, opening October 1, boasts a two-story entertainment facility featuring a high-tech media room, billiard room, Rik Rak Spa & Salon, as well as the Jim McLean Golf School (virtual golf facility with an indoor putting green), a virtual bowling room, and Met 2 Fitness -- a 4,500-square-foot state-of-the-art fitness center. In the unlikely event that you STILL aren't impressed, there is the 44-room Hotel Beaux Arts Miami, JW Marriot Marquis’ hotel-within-a-hotel (located above the main hotel), and French chef and restaurateur Daniel Boulud's db Bistro Moderne.

I've heard of face painting to show support for your sports team of choice, but slap an edible logo on my hot, cheesy pizza and I'm closing the box and stepping away.

The NBA has cooked up the idea that basketball fans who are so gung-ho about their teams won't mind chewing on a melted-on-top-of-an-already-baked-pizza logo to prove it. Novel? Sure. Necessary? No.

Logos, which are made out of sugar, starch and food coloring, won't be sold directly to consumers, but instead to over 1.200 independent pizza parlors nationwide. The logos are paper thin, and are to be placed on a piping hot pizza as soon as it exits the oven. The logo then, obviously, melts, and then it's up to you to devour your fandom in all of its logo-y, cheesy creepiness.

With inspirations ranging from Snoopy to Mickey Mouse, the designers of Mighty Fine have created a West Coast brand of fashionable t-shirts that have become a national success. Favorite childhood cartoons, like the masks of the Power Rangers and the incredibly cute smile of Hello Kitty, are printed on slinky and lightweight shirts, giving a vintage impression while styling modern and crafty phrases to go along with the iconic screen prints. The late artist Keith Haring serves as the inspiration for one line of t-shirts, incorporating pop culture into wearable designs which complement high-end labels with an edgy and laid back tone.

RJD2
Genre: Hip-Hop/Electronica/Rock
Website: www.rjselectricalconnections.com/

It is very likely that you have heard of RJD2 (born Ramble John Krohn) and haven’t even realized it yet. The DJ/producer has been making music since the mid-nineties when he was the background DJ for the Columbus, OH, rap group MHz. His name comes from a friend’s shout-out on a rap track that stuck with him. He later released a solo “mix CD” titled Your Face and Your Kneecaps under the Fondle ‘Em record label. A year later, he signed onto Definitive Jux, the record label operated by renowned DJ El-P, and released two highly acclaimed solo records Deadringer and Since We Last Spoke. During his time on Definitive Jux, he worked with fellow Columbus MC, Blueprint, and released two albums under the collaborative title Soul Position, the second of which was released under the Rhymesayers label. He continued to work with underground rappers producing beats for Cunninlynguists, Cage, MFDoom, Diverse, Aceyalone, and also producing a cover of Radiohead’s “Airbag,” for the album Exit Music. He released his third solo album, The Third Hand, after leaving Rhymesayers for the XL Recordings label, citing an interest in making music that was more “pop-friendly.” In 2009, he left XL Recordings to create his own record label, Electrical Connections, which is expected to release his first fully independent album, The Colossus, sometime next year.

Greenwich Village holds one of the most competitive public basketball courts in the country. The Cage, as its known, is an undersize patch of pavement where street-ballers become famous and talented players build or break their reputations. The last thing you would expect to see inside the chain link fence is a fashion show—but that’s what happened Monday night.

The city of New York rented out The Cage for $14,000 for the launch of JA Apparel Corporation, a design firm started by Joseph Abboud. The lower-priced men’s clothing line is being promoted by the NBA.

Ahh, there’s nothing like rounding out the year with a run-in with the law. For former NBA great Charles Barkley a DUI incident was on the menu. The NBA Hall of Famer was pulled over in Scottsdale, Arizona for rolling a stop sign around 1:30 a.m.

The officer who pulled him over smelled alcohol on Barkley’s breath and administered the standard field sobriety tests, which Barkely apparently failed. He was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving and his 2005 Infiniti was impounded. After receiving a blood test, Barkley was cited and released.

Barkley’s New Year’s resolution should be a no-brainer this year.