Whether it be rock or hip hop, these are the greatest collaborations between some of music's biggest names and top artists from Latin America.
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The sports world is still reacting to the viral confrontation between LeBron James and Stephen A. Smith. James went up to Smith during the Los Angeles Lakers' game against the New York Knicks and asked the longtime ESPN personality to refrain from mentioning his son Bronny. Fans and analysts have fallen on both sides of the discussion. Some have said that James was out of line for criticizing a journalist for talking about a current player, and others feel that Smith has singled out James and his son. One former ESPN host falls in the second category, and he criticized Smith for calling the confrontation "weak." “OK, first of all, it’s not weak,” said former "SportsCenter" anchor Dan Patrick said on Wednesday's edition of his show (h/t Awful Announcing). “Because weak would’ve been tweeting something out. He confronted you. So, that’s not weak. He didn’t push him or anything; there were words exchanged.” Patrick attempted to add more perspective by explaining the rationale behind LeBron wanting to spend one season playing with his son, and how the Lakers have managed things this season. “It’s not like LeBron sent his son to Afghanistan. His son is on the Lakers, acting like he’s the 55th player drafted. He’s a bench player. He goes back and forth to the G League," Patrick said. "It felt like it was over and above what needed to be said. We all understand. Bronny’s not going to be in the league when LeBron retires. He’s just not good enough to play. He can be a G League guy. Should’ve stayed another year at USC, but his dad is probably saying, ‘I don’t know how much longer I’m gonna play. I want to play with you.’ This has been his goal." Patrick also mentioned that Smith seemed to question LeBron's parenting, and that the insinuation about his skills as a father may have led to the nature of the confrontation. "Once he talks about, ‘I’m pleading with you as a father,’ I can’t," LeBron appeared to say while speaking to Richard Jefferson on Saturday night in Boston. The issue appears to be resolved, as James now has bigger issues to deal with after suffering a groin injury in that game against the Celtics. We'll see how things play out, but it's clear that Smith's feelings on the matter aren't the same as everyone else's.
The Los Angeles Chargers went out to get one of the more talented offensive linemen prospects in this free agency cycle. They went out and landed behemoth guard Mekhi Becton. He agreed to a two-year deal with the Chargers franchise on Friday evening, according to Tim McManus of ESPN. He shined this year for the Philadelphia Eagles and managed to stay healthy during the 2024-2025 campaign. Becton plans on playing guard with the Chargers, the same position he played this year with the Philadelphia Eagles. Tipping the scales at 6-7, 363 pounds, Becton is one of the more massive human beings you’ll ever find, even in the NFL. And that’s certainly saying something. When he signed a one-year deal with the Eagles in April of 2024, Becton was given the chance to move to guard, since he would have gotten little playing time at the tackle position. And the move worked out beautifully, with the gifted offensive lineman having one of his best seasons yet in the NFL. In 15 games this year with Philadelphia, he played 903 snaps, logging 88 percent of the team’s total offensive snaps. It was the second highest total of his career thus far. Becton helped grade the road for one of the best players in the National Football League, running back Saquon Barkley. Barkley had his best season yet, 345 carries for 2,005 rushing yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground. Becton, Barkley, and the Eagles ground game were critical ingredients in guiding the team to the Super Bowl. In joining the Chargers, Becton will get to team up with former Notre Dame star Joe Alt, who tips the scales at 6-8, 322 pounds. That’s going to be quite the tandem in the trenches in Los Angeles. Pairing them up with head coach Jim Harbaugh, a coach that has shown a strong affinity for running the football over the years, and it sure could be exciting to watch the Chargers ground attack next season.
New Denver Broncos tight end Evan Engram sure found a way to make "NFL history in such a random way" as NBC 9 News sports reporter Scotty Gange put it. Engram, who signed with the team on Thursday, was photographed with a No. 1 Broncos jersey that has his name on it, which Gange highlighted on Friday. As DNVR sports reporter Henry Chisholm pointed out, that hasn't happened with a tight end "in at least 51 years" of NFL history. "No tight end has worn No. 1 in the five years since the NFL changed its jersey number rules, which had stood (with a few tweaks) since 1973," Chisholm wrote on X.com on Thursday. "That means Evan Engram is the first tight end to wear No. 1 in at least 51 years." Engram, who wore No. 17 with the Jacksonville Jaguars, needed a new number since Broncos wide receiver Devaughn Vele already took that number. Previously, Engram has worn No. 88 with the New York Giants, where he began his pro career in 2017 as a first-round draft pick out of Ole Miss. While Engram's jersey decision could have an impact on the fan base with jersey sales, his on-field play could make a difference for the Broncos this fall. Engram has a career average of 78 catches for 775 yards and four touchdowns per 17-game season. "I think Evan's going to be great on the Broncos this year, but regardless of how the dude plays, he's already a legendary tight end," Gange said.
The Dallas Stars brought in right wing Mikko Rantanen from the Carolina Hurricanes at the trade deadline. Prior to Rantanen’s arrival in Carolina, he was a longtime member of the Colorado Avalanche. The Avalanche host the Stars on Sunday, a game that will be a weird one for Rantanen. “It’s going to be weird, for sure,” Rantanen said via The Athletic. “You spend 9-10 years in one organization, and you get to know the city and then change comes and then you have to go back there and play in the visitors room, so it’s going to be different. But it’s good to see all the players that I got to know over the years. It should be a fun game to play against your old friends.” Rantanen highlighted some of the similarities he sees between the Stars and the Avalanche. He added how he thinks Dallas will be a good fit for him long-term. “They play puck possession, and I think there are similarities between Dallas and Colorado,” Rantanen said. “Like I’ve said many times, I tried my best in Carolina, but one of the reasons was for me to think where I really want to play hockey the next eight years and Dallas was a better fit on the ice. Better style of play for me that’s similar to Colorado, so I think that was one decision to be made.” Stars head coach Pete DeBoer is confident in Rantanen’s ability to thrive with the team. “Guys like that in the prime of their careers just don’t get moved very often and they sure don’t get moved in the division, even though it was a roundabout way,” DeBoer said. “… Those guys just don’t become available and when they do you have to act, and (general manager) Jim Nill did and our owner (R. Thomas Gaglardi).” After things did not go as planned with the Hurricanes, Rantanen‘s fresh slate in Dallas could be exactly what his career needs.