Category Archives: Immortality

Every so often, the NBA playoffs bring iconic moments. Consider the magnificent block Giannis Antetokounmpo had against DeAndre Ayton in Game 4 of this years Finals. Or the rundown block LeBron James had against the Warriors in 2016 (and notice that the block was kept in bounds and that Cleveland got the possession - very smart play). Or take this play by Michael Jordan against the Cavaliers in his era when nobody was going to get by the Bulls.

However, there is one iconic moment that took place even before the ball went up to start the game.

Were referring to the 1970 Finals between the Lakers and the Knicks. Willis Reed entered Game 7 with a torn thigh muscle and was not expected to play. He was determined though and took treatment - probably cortisone - and hobbled out shortly before the game started.

His assignment was Wilt Chamberlain, the most supremely talented big man in the history of sports. Not just basketball. Sports. You can take any athlete over 6-8 and Chamberlain could have mastered that sport and won. Thats how spectacular his talent was.

Thats what Reed had to deal with - on one leg.

Nonetheless, he had the crowd in a frenzy and after he hit the first two shots of the game, the energy in Madison Square Garden was off the charts. There was no way LA could match it.

Afterwards, Howard Cosell told Reed that [y]ou exemplify the very best that the human spirit can offer.

This is one of the legendary moments in all of sports.

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YouTube Gold: Its Hard To Think Of Anyone Who Ever Showed More Heart In A Basketball Game Than This - Duke Basketball Report

50 Cents much awaited new show Raising Kanan, a part of the POWER spinoff series, debuts on Sunday, July 18.

The G-Unit mogul is confident that the show will be even bigger than the original Power which ended up being one of the highest rated shows on the Starz network. Up next is the Black Mafia Family series on Starz, and along with it will come new music from the rapper in form of a soundtrack.

However, in a new interview with The Independent, 50 was asked about his long delayed Street King Immortal album which he originally started promoting back in 2012. Even until a couple of years ago, there was hope that the album might see the light of day as back in 2018, he had mentioned that it was coming at the end of that year.

But it looks like 50 has finally decided to scrap the album. When the topic came up, Curtis says the original version of that album will not be released but to make up for it, he will drop new music in September. That is most likely in reference to the soundtrack hes putting together for BMF.

That original version is not [being released], but Im releasing new music in September, he said. He also added that Eminem will not feature on the project as he didnt get to finish the songs he recorded with him for the SKI album (remember Champions ?) I didnt finish the tracks with him Im not gonna tell whos on it because Im the most exciting person [on the album].

Lets hope we get at least a few 50 Cent songs on the upcoming soundtrack. Last week, it was also announced that 50 will also be producing a Hip-Hop competition show Unrapped at ABC.

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50 Cent Confirms He Has Scrapped The Original 'Street King Immortal' Album | HipHop-N-More - HipHop-N-More

19 July 2021, 13:39 | Updated: 19 July 2021, 14:31

The official anthem of the Olympics is heard when the Olympic flag is raised and lowered at the opening and closing ceremonies.

This is the story of the stirring choral anthem that marked the first-ever modern Olympic Games in 1896 and will mark the Games as they return in 2021.

The Olympic Hymn is a choral cantata composed by Greek opera composer Spyridon Samaras, with lyrics by the Greek poet Kostis Palamas.

It was written for the first summer Olympic Games in modern history, which took place in Athens and saw fourteen nations, and over 200 athletes, compete in the Greek capital.

It was Demetrius Vikelas, the first president of the International Olympic Committee (IOC), who chose both artists to pen this important work. The hymn was first heard during the Opening Ceremony of the first instalment of the games, which was formally called the Games of the I Olympiad.

Read more: The best classical music written for the Olympic Games

For the following Olympics, nations took on the tradition of commissioning their own anthems for ceremonies, until 1956 when the hymn was used again. In 1958, the IOC declared Samaras Olympic Hymn the official anthem of the games, and it was sung, in its English version, at the 1960 Winter Olympics in Squaw Valley in the US.

The Olympic Hymn from then on had an important place in the meticulously laid-out opening and closing ceremonies of the Olympics, the rigorous orders of which have been determined and entrenched by the IOC. Since being declared the official anthem, the hymn has been heard at every Olympic games during the Opening Ceremony as the Olympic Flag is raised, and during the Closing Ceremony when the flag is lowered.

The IOC decreed that the Olympic Hymn should be performed in Greek or English, or else in the host nations language as long as it was translated from the original Greek of Palamas pen.

Read more: Mr Bean joins London Symphony Orchestra for genius musical Olympics sketch

The piece itself is an optimistic, brass fanfare-fronted choral cantata in a major key. It has an invigorating melody that embodies strength and hope.

The songs words are also drenched in unfailingly uplifting messages of hope, bravery and victory, telling of the immortal Olympic Flame and how it can unite, inspire and bring honour as it lights the way for nations and our sporting heroes, as they come together every (mostly) four years.

With that, lets take a look at the rousing lyrics.

Olympian flame immortalWhose beacon lights our wayEmblaze our hearts with the fires of hopeOn this momentous day

As now we come across the worldTo share these Games of oldLet all the flags of every landIn brotherhood unfold

Sing out each nation, voices strongRise up in harmonyAll hail our brave OlympiansWith strains of victory

Olympic light burn on and onOer seas and mountains and plainsUnite, inspire, bring honour

To these ascending gamesMay valour reign victoriousAlong the path of golden way

As tomorrow's new champions now come forthRising to the fervent spirit of the gameLet splendour pervade each noble deedCrowned with glory and fame

And let fraternity and fellowshipSurround the soul of every nation

Oh flame, eternal in your firmament so brightIlluminate us with your everlasting lightThat grace and beauty and magnificence

Shine like the sunBlazing aboveBestow on us your honour, truth and love

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What is the Olympic Hymn, the choral cantata composed for the first-ever Summer Olympics in 1896? - Classic FM

Sentinels star Tyson TenZ Ngo has explained that he believes grinding to be the only defining factor between Diamond, Immortal, and Radiant players in Valorant.

While there are many factors outside of a players control, like being stuck alongside a four-stack of untalkative teammates or a Jett who refuses to entry, theres plenty of aspects that are in a players control when climbing Valorants ranked ladder.

The most obvious way to contribute is through having a pure mechanical ability to get kills. The difference in players ability to frag is much more obvious at lower levels, but, at elite ranks, players shooting ability is largely similar.

And TenZ who famously became the NA servers first player to reach the top rank of Radiant (or Valorant, as it was confusingly called back in beta) has explained that the ability to grind is the only real deciding factor between the top ranks.

On his July 16 Twitch stream, TenZ said that he believes theres not much difference between players in Diamond, Immortal, and Radiant.

There is no deciding factor for what makes an immortal player more distinguishable than a Radiant player, he said. It really is just who grinds more.

And at the end of the day, even Radiant and Diamonds to an extent are kind of the same sh*t.

TenZ had earlier spoken about a mental block that Diamond players can face when against Radiants, caused by intimidation over their opponents being a higher ELO.

Dont think about it. Dont let their ranks be scary, he advised.

Given how he took to Sentinels roster like a duck to water in turbulent circumstances its no surprise TenZ has such a winning mentality. Itll serve him well heading into the remainder of VCT Stage 3 as Sentinels continue their domination of NA (and potentially the world).

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TenZ explains why theres no real difference between top ranks in Valorant - Dexerto

For three years, the Warriors were the greatest team in basketballs modern era; an absurd assemblage of talent, led by Steph Curry, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, and the incomparable Kevin Durant.

By now, we know why Durant left the Dubs. Or, at least weve come to terms with his exit to Brooklyn.

But with his return to the Bay Area and his first visit to the house that he helped build (remember that insane ground-breaking ceremony was that the moment he wanted out?), its fair to wonder what Durant left behind when he went east after the 2019 season.

Durant left to start something new. The Nets are his team. And as a franchise that has never won an NBA title, his successes there will be viewed favorably by the leagues proletariat and bourgeoisie alike.

A Nets title might arrive as soon as this season. Brooklyn is undoubtedly an awesome team with him, James Harden, and Kyrie Irving on the court together. He might even win a few there.

And to that, you can only tip your hat and be happy for his success. Lifes too short to hold grudges, especially unfounded ones.

I dont know how Durant would have found fulfillment in Golden State.But if he had found it here if he received what he sought in the summer of 2016 theres little doubt in my mind that the Warriors would go down as the greatest dynasty in modern basketball history.

Now, had Durant re-signed with the Warriors after their NBA Finals loss, I dont think much would have changed in the subsequent season.

Remember, the Warriors would have been without Klay Thompson and Durant and the teams depth attrition something that was undeniable in the Warriors 2019 playoff run would have likely been glaring.

(That said, we would not have been subjected to the play of DAngelo Russell, a big bonus.)

But I do think that the Warriors would still have Andre Iguodala in the Bay.

And my, what the Dubs wouldnt do to have him back in the fold.

But I dont know if Curry would have played the full season or if Draymond Green would have been more engaged, or if the Warriors would have added worthwhile veterans (at insane luxury-tax prices) to fill the gaps.

The Dubs probably would not have looked dynastic without Thompson and Durant. Id imagine their stay in the bubble would have been shorter than expected.

Itd be the reset year that the entire organization, deep down, secretly wanted. Being exceptional every day for five years takes a toll on you.

But had Durant stuck around, the Warriors would be the title favorites again this season, with or without Thompson.

And with Durant still in the fold, the Warriors would have been able to lure ring-chasing free agents, something they were no longer able to do this season after Thompsons injury. Durants stunning return to his old form, next to this Curry, would be more than enough for the Warriors on a nightly basis and in the playoffs.

There are some great duos around the NBA, but no one is even coming close to Durant and Curry as a one-two punch.

And in the years to come, that title favorite status would have likely remained intact. Currently, Durant and Curry are 32 years old. Thompson is 31, and Green 30, but would it be ridiculous to think that they could continue to be the NBAs dominant force until 2025? Who would have been able to assemble enough talent to take down that four-headed monster, even if their games started slipping a bit with age?

Had Durant remained a Warriors, Golden State might have fulfilled the prophecy: They might have truly ruined the NBA. How many titles would they have won with the two greatest shooters in NBA history, a sport-changing defender, and the greatest scorer the league has ever seen?

Five? Six? Seven?

It wouldnt be boring from our perspective, but the rest of the country maybe even the world might have turned the channel. Inevitability doesnt sell.

But it does create immortality.

To win as many titles as a continued Warriors dynasty could have stacked, in an era built for parity, against 29 teams, would have put Durant and company in a class of their own in the history of the NBA. No offense to Bill Russell and those Boston teams that won 11 titles between 1957 and 1969, but that was an era of expansion, as the league went from eight teams (with only two missing the playoffs, and one located in Fort Wayne, Indiana) to 14 during that stretch.

The Warriors only comparable would have been dynasties from other sports.

Forget the day-to-day narratives and Twitter commentary, Durant knew all of that was possible for Golden State when he left.

Hes a certain Hall of Famer, a perennial MVP candidate, and his number should be retired in three different cities, including in San Francisco. Thats locked in.

But if its all about titles Im told on the internet that it is then its OK to lament the missed opportunity, and to wonder how incredible the Warriors might have been, how dominant they would be, and how long they would have kept it up, with the great Durant in blue and gold.

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Kurtenbach: Kevin Durant passed on immortality when he left the Warriors, and thats OK - Santa Cruz Sentinel