What Had Happened Was Trending stories on the intersections of race, sports & culture
COLLEGE BASKETBALL: MAR 09 MEAC Championship – Morgan State v North Carolina Central NBA
Morgan State’s Phillip Carr (left) in action against North Carolina Central’s Zacarry Douglas (right) during a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament game at Norfolk Scope Arena in Norfolk, Virginia. Daniel Kucin Jr./Icon Sportswire

Knicks sign another HBCU player, Morgan State’s Phillip Carr

But Morehouse’s Tyrius Walker was waived to make room on roster

Isaiah George By

10:29 AMThese days the New York Knicks are doing things differently in the front office, and it’s showing in how they are building the team. They signed former Morgan State star Phillip Carr to a deal, showing once again they can recognize NBA talent from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs).

The Brooklyn, New York, native was a standout playing at Morgan, averaging nearly a double-double in his career besides being the team’s best defensive player.

Earlier in the summer, Carr landed a workout from the Washington Wizards along with his former teammate Tiwian Kendley, but only Kendley was chosen to play for their summer league team and eventually was signed to a deal.

Carr continued to train and look at other opportunities, such as playing overseas, before another chance at the NBA opened up.

Last month the Knicks contacted Carr for workouts, and after a couple of weeks the team saw what they needed to make an offer.

“First of all, it’s just an honor to play for the New York Knicks,” said Carr. “To be from New York and play for New York is crazy.”

The Knicks signed the undrafted rookie to a deal that will most likely move him to the team’s G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, as the regular season is right around the corner.

“Even them considering me just to be on the team affiliate is crazy to think about,” said Carr.

In the same day, the Knicks waived another former HBCU player, Morehouse guard Tyrius Walker, who signed to the Knicks in July. That move made room for Carr.

The Knicks have shown love to HBCU players in the past, and Carr now has the chance to become the next standout HBCU player whose game translated to the next level.

Marvin Webster, for example, played with the Knicks from 1979-84, and like Carr he played at Morgan State. Webster also helped Morgan State win an NCAA Division II national championship along with a national Player of the Year award. Charles Oakley played 10 years with the Knicks and played college ball at Virginia Union University.

More recently, Norfolk State alum Kyle O’Quinn played for the Knicks from 2015-17 and also like Carr was a Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference Defensive Player of the Year.

Going into the season, the Knicks have one of the NBA’s most diverse front offices. They have six African-Americans in leadership positions, including president Steve Mills, general manager Scott Perry and head coach David Fizdale.

Lisa Borders WNBA
WNBA president Lisa Borders addresses media members before Game 1 of the WNBA basketball finals between the Seattle Storm and the Washington Mystics in Seattle. The league announced Oct. 2 that she will become the first president and CEO of Time’s Up, an organization dedicated to safe, fair and dignified work for women. Elaine Thompson/Associated Press file photo

WNBA president Lisa Borders leaves post to become president and CEO of Time’s Up

Borders will continue to lead the charge for equality and justice for working women

Maya A. Jones By @mjay615

1:55 PMWNBA president Lisa Borders is stepping down from her current post to become the first president and CEO of Time’s Up.

Borders’ decision to step down as WNBA president comes after three seasons of continuous growth in the league. Since announcing Borders as its new president in 2016, the WNBA has seen its highest regular-season attendance in years, and 2018 was the most watched season in four years. Borders helped to establish player recognition and engagement by livestreaming games on social media platforms such as Twitter, and, for the first time, the popular NBA Live 18 video game included a full roster of WNBA players and teams, according to a press release.

Deputy commissioner Mark Tatum will step in on an interim basis to oversee WNBA operations as the league searches for a new president.

“It has been an honor and my absolute privilege leading the WNBA and being part of what it stands for,” Borders said in a statement. “I want to thank [NBA commissioner] Adam [Silver] for giving me the opportunity and support to help grow this league. I am most proud of the W players for their amazing talents on the court and their dedication to making an impact in their communities. I look forward to continuing my support for the W in my new role with Time’s Up. I will always be the W’s biggest advocate and fan.”

Before joining the WNBA, Borders was vice president of global community affairs at The Coca-Cola Co. and managed and maintained relationships in Mayor Shirley Franklin’s administration during her time as vice mayor of Atlanta. Borders continues to serve on the advisory board of the Association of National Advertisers’ #SeeHer initiative, which was created to eliminate bias against all women from advertising and media. The campaign seeks to increase the accurate portrayals of women and girls in U.S. advertising and media by 20 percent by 2020.

Borders’ new role will allow her to continue the fight for the equality of working women on an even larger platform.

The Time’s Up organization, created in January by women in the entertainment industry to address systemic inequality, sexual assault and harassment in the workplace, has gained traction from celebrity supporters and has raised more than $20 million for its legal defense fund. Since February, more than 20,000 donors and 200 lawyers have volunteered their services to support the movement. And now, with Borders leading the efforts to ensure equality for women in the workplace, the organization is establishing its longevity and proving its dedication to the cause.

“The pursuit of safe, dignified and equal treatment in the workplace as a solution to the abuse of power is a mission that can be fulfilled. With Lisa’s skills and leadership, Time’s Up is now in the best position to achieve what we all started — to create a more positive future for workplace culture and a more powerful network for working women of all kinds,” said television producer and Time’s Up seed funder Shonda Rhimes.

Lil Wayne 36th Birthday Party/Carter V Release Party Hip-Hop
Lil Wayne attends his 36th birthday party and “Tha Carter V” release at Hubble on Sept. 28 in Los Angeles. Jerritt Clark/Getty Images for Young Money Records

Let’s celebrate Lil Wayne’s ‘Tha Carter V’ like it’s our birthday

23 tracks, but so much more to bump to on his much-anticipated fifth album

Zachary Bragg By

8:18 PMRap legend Weezy F. Baby (the F stands for “finally”) celebrated his birthday by giving his fans the best gift ever. He dropped his fifth and much-coveted album, Tha Carter V (C5), at midnight Thursday and folks were hype.

The artist, also known as Lil Wayne, Lil Tunechi or, formally, Dwayne Michael Carter Jr., finally broke a three-year album drought, and he didn’t disappoint. Lil Wayne showed off the wide range of his artistry throughout the 23-song album, successfully appealing to the varying tastes of his fan base.

Want a song to get your shoulders moving, shoot right to track four for “Uproar” with the classic Swizz Beatz production, guaranteed to get your head bobbing. Need motivation to reclaim your worth or “get back into your bag,” jump right to track three, “Dedicate.” Longing for love or a sense of family, then tracks one and 11 will satisfy you. For something more romantic, check track nine, “What About Me.” For the culture followers who are into gossip blogs, yes, he included his daughter, Reginae, on track 11, “Famous.”

From a man who has dominated rap with mixtapes with only his voice, C5 had a wide variety of features, as well as samples on almost every song. His last mixtape, Dedication 6: Reloaded, was released in January.

“You can’t spell fame without me, and may my hall of fame speech be short and sweet, like thank God, f— fame, and thank me,” said by Weezy on “Famous.”

Lil Tunechi definitely threw his name into the hat as one of the greatest lyricists regardless of era, after jumping into a sparring battle with current rap king Kendrick Lamar on the song “Mona Lisa.”

If you ask me, he cemented his title as the Best Rapper Alive. He not only reminded fans of his classic storytelling skills, but in an era that is now dominated by mumble rap, he also showed his style isn’t changing for anyone.

Tha Carter V isn’t flawless. I gave it a B-plus because some of the songs on the album don’t have the best replay value. Also, contrary to popular opinion, I think Nicki Minaj ruined his song on “Dark Side of the Moon” with her vocals. I’m not the only critic. Some tweets called the album “just mediocre.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/BoPU6o6nMPm/?utm_source=ig_embed

However, Lil Wayne still flows effortlessly, and his style of lyricism is still uncanny and unmatched, even when rappers are biting each other’s flows constantly (Desiigner being a carbon copy of Future.) Wayne has carved out his own space among the legends, from his double and triple entendres to his corny yet tasteful metaphors. Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. showed he can compete with not only your favorite rapper in this generation but your father’s favorite rapper too.

The icing on the cake was the shoutout to former President Barack Obama. You can hear No. 44 saying, “They might think they got a pretty good jump shot, or a pretty good flow, but our kids can all aspire to be LeBron or Lil Wayne,” on the track “Dedicate.” Wayne took this from Obama’s speech at the 100th anniversary of the NAACP. Brilliant.

Let us know what you think. Contact me on Twitter @ReyZach_

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