Newsletter #5 – October 2023
Warm greetings to all of you! I am Manos Karousos and I welcome you to the fifth newsletter of the blog! October is in the history books with lots of news from around the world! So grab a snack, hold your beer, sit back and relax, and let me show you what news caught my attention in the last 30 days!
This month’s newsletter is dedicated to women’s basketball legend Tasha Butts, pioneer actor Richard Roundtree, and soccer player and Manchester United legend Sir Bobby Charlton, who are no longer with us.
Once again, I want to thank you for supporting my blog and I hope you enjoy my content. Do not forget to subscribe, share, comment and suggest new topics for discussion.
Around the WNBA!
Las Vegas Aces is back-to-back WNBA Champions – What a farewell! After putting big numbers on the regular season (34W – 6L) and being 1st on ppg and 2nd on apg and opg and clinching the 1st spot from the Western Conference, the Las Vegas Aces lived up to their hype to the end. After sweeping the Chicago Sky in the quarter finals (2-0) and the Dallas Wings in the semi-finals (3-0) it was time to face their archrivals for this season, the New York Liberty. The journey to winning another ring was anything but easy. After an explosive start in which they won their first two games, the Aces suffered a loss in their third game in New York. In addition, “point gawd” Chelsea Gray and solid defender and starting center Kiah Stokes were injured. Without two of their starters, but with a lot of heart and an outstanding A’ja Wilson (Finals MVP), they managed to win in the final seconds of Game 4 and celebrate the chip. The Las Vegas Aces are part of a very special group of teams that have won two straight titles, along with the Los Angeles Sparks (2001 & 20002) and the Houston Comets Dream Team, who have won four in a row (1997, 1998, 1999, 2000). Is that a dynasty?
WNBA End-of-Season Awards (part 2) – It is the time of the year when the best and most effective players in the league receive their awards. Let’s complete the catalog with the rest of them!
“The Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award is presented each season to a player who exemplifies the ideals of sportsmanship on the court, including ethical behavior, fair play and integrity. The award is named for the late Kim Perrot, who helped guide the Houston Comets to their first two WNBA championships before passing away in August 1999 after a seven-month battle with cancer. Chicago Sky center Elizabeth Williams has been named the recipient of the 2023 Kim Perrot Sportsmanship Award, the WNBA announced today. Williams has earned the honor for the first time and joins Swin Cash (2013) as players to win the award with the Sky”. For the full list of the award winner click the following link
As for the Rookie of the Year award, I warned people three months ago! In the June newsletter, I wondered if Aliyah Boston was already the strongest candidate for the ROY Award. A few months later, I was right. In case you missed it click on the following link! Congrats to the winners and onto the next ones!
WNBA expansion team in Bay Area, awarded to Golden State Warriors – It was time for the league to expand into new cities and create new teams. Year after year, the WNBA made great efforts to evolve and make the product more profitable and interesting. The 2023 regular season was a milestone in the league's history books. It brought record-breaking viewership, attendance and digital engagement as the league continued its business transformation.
As we read on the official site of WNBA: “The offseason featured the most-viewed WNBA Draft since 2004, followed by a sold-out preseason game in Toronto, the most-watched regular season in 21 years and a digital transformation centered on the WNBA App and WNBA.com. Other highlights this year included the addition of CarMax as a WNBA Changemaker and ION as a broadcast partner.”
Joe Lacob, co-executive chairman and CEO of the Warriors, and Peter Guber, co-executive chairman of the Warriors, will also own and manage the new team. In addition, Chase Center in San Francisco will be the team’s home court and Golden State’s facility in Oakland, which was used by the Warriors until 2019, will serve as the club’s headquarters. The new team will join the league in 2025. There are also rumors that after Oakland, the city of Portland will be the next to have a WNBA team. Let’s hope that these rumors will come true.
We should encourage this kind of investment because it will help women’s basketball grow. But we should also be aware of roster expansions to current teams. Players like Candace Parker have called for league expansion to prevent many talented athletes from being waived and going overseas to make money.
Teresa Weatherspoon is the new head coach of Chicago Sky – Chicago stands up! Women's basketball legend and HoF, Teresa Weatherspoon, has been named the new head coach of the 2021 WNBA Chamions. Let’s reminisce and get to know Coach Weatherspoon better on Sky’s WNBA page:
“She was selected No. 10 overall to New York in the WNBA’s inaugural draft in 1997. Weatherspoon then spent a legendary eight-year career in the league, with her first seven seasons with New York (1997-2003) and her final year with Los Angeles (2004). She led the Liberty to the first-ever WNBA Finals in 1997 and 1999. Weatherspoon is No. 2 on the Liberty’s All-Time Minutes played list (6,842), No. 1 All-Time Assists (1,306) and No. 1 in All-Time Steals (453) for the franchise. She returned to New York as the Liberty’s first Director of Player and Franchise Development from 2015 to 2019. In 2016, she was named to the league’s Top-20 best and most influential players in WNBA history. She is a five-time WNBA All-Star Starter (1999-2003), four-time All-WNBA Second Team (1997-2000), two-time WNBA Defensive Player of the Year (1997-98) — the first WNBA player ever to be named DPOY in 1997 — league leader in Assists and Steals in 1997, WNBA All-Decade Team Honorable Mention (2006) and named to WNBA Top-15 players (2011). Internationally, the Pineland, Texas native is also a two-time Olympic Games medalist, earning Gold in 1988 and Bronze in 1992 with Team USA. She also spent six years of playing career in Italy, where she was named a six-time Italian League All-Star (1989-94) and a two-time Russian League Champion (1995-96).”
As far as it concerns her coaching duties: “She began her coaching career in 2007 as head coach of the Westchester Phantoms of the American Basketball Association. In 2008, she joined the coaching staff at Louisiana Tech and was promoted to head coach in 2009. She led her alma mater to back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances (2010-11), a Western Athletic Conference Tournament title (2010) and a WAC regular-season championship (2009, 2011). The two-time All-American tallied a 99-71 record as the Lady Techsters’ head coach. She also led Louisiana Tech to an NCAA Championship as a player in 1988 and is the No. 1 All-Time Assist leader in school history (958). Her No. 11 jersey is now retired at LA Tech. On September 20, 2023, Weatherspoon was one of six LA Tech legends to be honored with a statue at the school. Most recently, the New Orleans Pelicans hired Weatherspoon as a two-way player development coach in 2019 and stayed on the coaching staff as an assistant until 2023.”
Weatherspoon now joins a very special club, that of coaches that were former WNBA players. Are we excited enough to see her coaching on the big league? Of course. Can we predict her impact on the Chicago Sky’s organization? Partially yes! She will definitely bring new elements to the Chicago player’s game, but it is not so safe to predict the exact level of success for the upcoming season.
Nate Tibbetts is the new head coach of Phoenix Mercury – NBA and NBA G – League veteran Nate Tibbetts was named the new head coach of the Phoenix Mercury this month. Tibbetts has been in the game for nearly two decades, spending most of his time as an assistant coach with the Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers and Cleveland Cavaliers while working in the G- League with the Tulsa 66ers and Sioux Falls Skyforce. This comes after former Phoenix Mercury head coach Vanessa Nygaard was fired in late June due to the club’s poor performance, and after Nikki Blue remains in place for the remainder of the season following Nygaard’s dismissal. Interestingly, this will be the first coaching experience in women’s basketball for Nate Tibbets, which brings Mercury general manager Nick U’Ren into criticism. Not to mention, Tibbetts will be the highest paid coach in the league according to Adrian Wojnarowksi. Will Nate Tibbetts be a good fit for Phoenix and the WNBA? Only time will tell!
Tom Brady has been officially approved as a minority owner of Las Vegas Aces – Seven-time Super Bowl champion and mega soccer star Tom Brady has officially become a minority owner of the Las Vegas Aces. WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert made the seven-month rumors official truth after issuing an official statement on Brady’s acquisition. Brady had already attended Aces games in May, but also actively showed his support in Game 1 of the Finals. And guess what? He was very lucky, because the Las Vegas Aces won the first game and then the championship. So now Tom Brady already has his first ring as an owner in women’s sports. Winners on all fronts!
Brionna Jones to be Director of Player Personnel at University of Maryland – University of Maryland welcomes former Connecticut Sun player and center Brionna Jones as director of Player Personnel for the 2023-2024 season. Jones, who graduated in 2017, played significantly for the Terrapins during her college days. During her tenure from 2013-2017, Jones was a member of the team that made it to the Final Fours twice in 2014 and 2015. She scored 1,982 points and is the third-leading rebounder in Maryland history.
“I am very excited to be able to come back to the University of Maryland and help out the team this upcoming season," Jones said. "I am looking forward to getting a chance to work with and get to know the amazing young women I have gotten to watch from afar over the last few years. I am thankful to be able to get my first insight into the coaching side of basketball at my alma mater working with Coach Frese, and I cannot wait to get started!”
As for her accolades in the WNBA, she was the 8th player selected by the Connecticut Sun in 2017 and in the last 6 years she has been named WNBA All Star twice, WNBA Most Improved Player in 2021 and WNBA Sixth Player of the Year in 2022. She averaged 15.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game before suffering a ruptured Achilles tendon last June. I salute the move by Brionna Jones as she never forgets her alma mater and gives back.
What’s New NBA?
Shaquille O’Neal & Allen Iverson have taken over the positions of president and vice president of basketball programs at Reebok – Reebok is ready to get back into basketball by hiring its greatest athletes into leadership positions. O’Neal and Iverson have been under the Reebok umbrella for nearly thirty years, making them ideally suited to revitalize the company's basketball division. More specifically, Shaquille O’Neal will serve as president in charge of business strategy and partnerships, while Allen Iverson will serve as vice president in charge of player recruitment, community-based initiatives and athletic activities such as the existing Iverson Classics. If you ask me, these are the right men in the right place at the right time.
De’Aaron Fox Signs Multi-Year Deal With Curry Brand & Under Armour – They may be rivals on the court, but off it they are officially business partners. Curry Brand has officially announced that Sacramento Kings superstar De'Aaron Fox will be their first signature athlete. Curry and Fox will work closely to expand the basketball horizons of aspiring athletes, from hosting camps to mentoring. Curry Brand operates under the umbrella of Under Armour, which signed Stephen Curry ten years ago. From then on, the rest was history, as the “Chef” is now considered one of the best point guards in basketball and the best shooter of all time. Curry’s style of play is so influential that even college players have adopted it. Speaking of college players: I remember De’Aaron Fox from his Kentucky days and immediately thought this kid was special and would be a problem for others in the league. From his tears after UNC's elimination in the Elite 8 to his NBA All-Star selection, he's proven he's cut from a different cloth, and as a Kings fan, I‘m overjoyed to have watched him grow so much.
Andre Iguodala announces retirement – After 19 seasons in the NBA, 2015 NBA Finals MVP Andre Iguodala announces his retirement from the league. He was selected 9th overall in the 2004 draft by the Philadelphia 76ers. He spent 8 years there and was named an NBA All–Star in 2012. From there he was sent to the Denver Nuggets as part of a four-man team that sent Dwight Howard from the Magic to the Lakers, where he stayed for just one year before joining the Golden State Warriors and becoming a member of the dynasty as we know it today. There he won 4 NBA championships and the MVP of the 2015 NBA Finals. He also spent two seasons with the Miami Heat before returning to the Oakland club and ending his career.
“It’s just the right time,” Iguodala, 39, told Andscape in a phone interview. “Time started to get limited for me and I didn’t want to put anything in the back seat. I didn’t want to have to try to delegate time anymore. Especially with on the court, off the court with family. A lot. “You want to play at a high level. But then family is a lot. My son is 16 and then two girls. So, [I’m] looking forward to seeing them grow up in those important years.”
Enjoy retirement Andre, you have nothing left to prove, you were a force during your time as a player!
Inking deals…
Caitlin Clark signs NIL deal with State Farm - Caitlin Clark, Iowa’s women's college basketball star, is the first college athlete to sign a contract with the insurance company. She joins a number of athletes who have already signed with State Farm, such as Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes and Golden State Warriors guard Chris Paul. Clark has also signed with Hy-Vee, Buick, Nike and H&R Block, among others. “State Farm is a team that looks out for others, which is exactly the kind of legacy I want to leave beyond the basketball court. “I’m honored to be the first college athlete to join the Good Neighbor team – in khakis of course and look forward to growing the women’s game together.” Clark said in a press release. Aside from her business ventures, Caitlin Clark was named the 2023 National Player of the Year for leading her team to the NCAA finals for the first time. She is also the fastest Division I basketball player, men’s or women’s, to score 1,500 career points in the last 20 seasons.
Angel Reese signs NIL deal with Reebok – LSU All-American superstar Angel Reese signed an NIL contract with Reebok this month, becoming the first addition under the presidency of Shaquile O’Neal. Reese led LSU to the NCAA women’s basketball title last spring and was named the tournament's Most Outstanding Player. She is undoubtedly the face of the college championship and hopefully we will have time to watch her grow as she is part of a tremendously talented generation of women's basketball players that will likely transform the WNBA league as well. Last but not least, the NCAA Women’s Basketball Championship in 2024 will be a high profile league and we can’t wait for it to get underway.
“I am honored to be working closely with one of my longtime mentors, Shaq, along with a brand that I have admired since I was just a little kid,” Angel Reese noted. “It means the world to me that they trust in me to extend their legacy to a new generation. Together, I think we have a great opportunity to do things differently, to inspire people to explore and express themselves unapologetically, and to show them how to look and feel good while doing it.” Shaquille O’Neal on his behalf shared that: “For my first appointment in this role, it had to be the GOAT. There is no one making a bigger impact on the game right now than Angel Reese.”
Redemption story…
Running track at Jesse Owens Athletic Complex in Dallas to be named after Sha’Carri Richardson – Haven’t I already said that this is Sha’Carri Richardson’s year so far? After winning three medals at the World Championships in August to become the first American to do so since Allyson Felix in 2017, the eccentric runner has reached a new milestone. The running track at John Kincaide Stadium at the Jesse Owens Athletic Complex in Dallas will now be named after her, as the Dallas Independent School District's Board of Trustees voted unanimously on Thursday, Oct. 19. Richardson commented on X about this: “This means so much. If you from the city, you know the stadium is rooted in memories. I’m literally speechless.” I have already warned you that it is time for the redemption of Richardson and that she is not back but better!
Remembering the greats…
Tasha Butts, women’s basketball legend, passes away – Veteran Women’s Basketball coach and former basketball player, Tasha Butts passed away this month after a two-year battle with breast cancer. Butts had a very detailed biography for those unfamiliar with her time as a basketball player. She attended Baldwin High School in Georgia and was the star of the school when she was named All-American and Gatorade Player of the Year in 2000. She remains the school's all-time leading scorer and her high school jersey was retired immediately after her graduation. She went on to play for the Tennessee Lady Vols under the direction of legendary coach Pat Summitt and was a teammate of HoF Tamika Catchings and Kara Lawson.
After earning her BSc degree in sports management, she moved to the WNBA, where she was drafted 20th overall in the 2nd round by the Minnesota Lynx. She stayed there for just one season before returning to her alma mater as an assistant, with whom she won the SEC Championship in 2005. That same year, Butts played overseas in Portugal and Israel. In addition to the Lynx, she had brief stints with the Charlotte Sting and Houston Comets in the WNBA.
As a coach, she had even more prestigious recognitions. She began her coaching career as an assistant coach at Duquesne College in 2007-2008 and moved from there to UCLA for three seasons. Her career continued to climb and in 2011 she transferred to LSU as an assistant coach where she spent 8 seasons. After her time at LSU, she transferred to Georgia Tech in April 2019, where she was promoted to associate head coach two years later. In April 2023, she transferred to Georgetown College, this time as head coach.
In November 2021, Tasha Butts announced that she had been diagnosed with advanced-stage metastatic breast cancer. The diagnosis sparked the Tasha Tough campaign, in which Georgia Tech athletes helped raise awareness of the disease and money to help women who cannot afford it receive quality treatment through the Kay Yow Cancer Fund. October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, so please get screened early and take care of your health.
She is survived by her parents, Spencer Sr. and Evelyn; a brother, Spencer Jr. and a nephew, Marquis. The upcoming season will be dedicated to Tasha Butts and cancer initiatives. May you rest in peace, Miss Butts.
Richard Roundtree, the unmatchable Shaft, passes away – Richard Roundtree, the star of Shaft and one of the best-known actors of the Black Rise era of 1970s cinema, passed away this month after a battle with pancreatic cancer. Roundtree was active for more than 50 years, making him one of the most famous African-American actors. I first met him through the Netflix series “Family Reunion”, in which he played the lead role of a wise grandfather who teaches his family lessons about life while learning to deal with crises like the health problems he said he struggled with.
People of my generation grew up with Samuel L. Jackson as Shaft, and we thought there was no one cooler than him. But we were wrong! After seeing him in the original film directed by Gordon Parks in 1971, there was no doubt in my mind: he was cooler than cool, and at the same time he gave new qualities and elements to the African-American identity.
By portraying Shaft, he challenged conservative norms and American society's anachronistic and stereotypical views of African Americans. “He wasn’t just “the first Black action hero”, he introduced a whole new type of Black masculinity to mainstream cinema. Where previous Black stars such as Sidney Poitier had played civil, principled, unthreatening and asexual characters (or insulting caricatures), Roundtree’s Shaft was heroic, sexual, wisecracking and unapologetically, proudly Black”, as Steve Rose wrote on Guardian. I would like to go a step further and say that Richard Roundtree and Shaft were unapologetically winners.
He was born July 9, 1942, to John and Kathryn Roundtree in New Rochelle, New York. After graduating from New Rochelle High School, where he played for the school’s championship football team, he attended Southern Illinois University, but only for two years. In 1963, he left to begin a professional career as a model at Ebony Fashion Fair. He gained his first acting experience as a member of the Negro Ensemble Company. In addition to Shaft, Shaft’s Big Score! and Shaft in Africa, Roundtree starred in many films such as Man Friday alongside Peter O’ Toole, Se7en, Original Gangstas, What Men Want and television series such as Roots, Shaft (the television series that unfortunately did not have the same success as the films), Family Reunion and Cherish the Day. He also starred in John Singleton’s Shaft in 2000 and nineteen years later in Tim Story’s comedic adaptation of Shaft.
Sir Bobby Charlton, Manchester United and England National Soccer team legend, dies at 86 – He was undoubtedly the face of Manchester for many decades, and epitomized United's glory days in the 1960s. After surviving the Munich air disaster at the tender age of 20, which killed 23 people, including 8 United players, Charlton was destined to reach new heights. In his 17-year career with the Reds, he played 758 games and scored 249 goals. He also played 106 caps and scored 49 goals for the England national team. Just before the 1966 World Cup, Charlton was named Player of the Year and Europe's Footballer of the Year by the Football Writers' Association in quick succession. In 1994, he was knighted, having previously been awarded the Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) and the Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). In 2016, the South Stand at Old Trafford was renamed the Sir Bobby Charlton Stand.
Ladies make the world go round!
Ida B. Wells and Althea Gibson will be featured on New Quarters in 2025 – Civil rights activist Ida B. Wells and tennis pioneer Althea Gibson are among five female historical figures being honored in 2025. Ida B. Wells was one of the first civil rights activists to denounce systemic racism in America, writing articles against lynching and Jim Crow laws.
Born into slavery in Holly Springs, Mississippi, in 1862, Wells attended Rust College, where she worked as a teacher for a short time after graduation. She later moved to Memphis, Tennessee, where she became politically active. She protested racial discrimination and racism that greatly affected black Southerners. After witnessing the lynchings of many of her friends, she began to study all similar cases in depth. in 1892, she published a pamphlet entitled “Southern Horrors” in which she detailed her findings. Three years later, she published a book titled “A Red Record”, in which she addressed the fact that the lynching victims were African Americans who challenged white supremacy in all areas of life, from economics to ideology. In addition to the writings mentioned above, Wells had also written editorials in black newspapers and bought shares in Memphis newspapers such as the “Free Speech” and the “Headlight”. She also organized the anti-lynching movement in Britain, founding the British Anti–Lynching Society. She helped found the National Association of Colored Women (NACW) and was one of the founding members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP).
Althea Gibson (1927-2003) was the first African American to win Wimbledon and a pioneer of tennis. She popularized black tennis and was often compared to Jackie Robinson for her innovative style of play and refusal to give up hope. As William C. Rhoden wrote in 1977: “Althea Gibson and Wilma Rudolph are, without question, the most significant athletic forces among Black women in sports history… Even to those Blacks who hadn't the slightest idea of where or what Wimbledon was, her victory, like Jackie Robinson's in baseball and Johnson’s in boxing, proved again that Blacks, when given an opportunity, could compete at any level in American society.”
Since the inception of the American Women Quarters Program in 2022, a total of 20 women have been featured on the Quarters. Other notable women depicted on coins include writer Maya Angelou and astronaut Sally Ride. The other three women selected for 2025 are Girl Scouts founder Juliette Gordon Low, pioneering astronomer Dr. Vera Rubin and disability activist Stacey Park Milbern.
Narges Mohammadi wins Nobel Peace Prize – The imprisoned Iranian human rights activist has been awarded the prize “for her fight against the oppression of women in Iran and her fight to promote human rights and freedom for all”. She is one of the most well-known human rights activists in Iran, as she protests against the death penalty in the country. She has been convicted in numerous cases and repeatedly accused of spreading propaganda and acting against national security. Mohammadi is best known for her involvement with the human rights group Defenders of Human Rights Center, where she serves as vice president. “I will never stop striving for the realization of democracy, freedom and equality. Surely, the Nobel Peace Prize will make me more resilient, determined, hopeful and enthusiastic on this path, and it will accelerate my pace,” she said in the statement prepared in case she is named a Nobel laureate.
For those of you who want to have a clearer picture about women’s rights in Iran and why they protested after Mahsa Amini’s death I suggest you to watch the film “Rise” produced by Iranian activist, founder and CEO of London-based Evoca Foundation Naza Alakija. “RISE’ بپاخیز captures the #WomanLifeFreedom movement through the story of a teenage girl who resists the patriarchal ‘morality police’. Presented by Evoca Pictures and Executive Produced by Naza Alakija, Rise pays tribute to the movement, celebrating and honouring the fierce women of Iran along with women and girls across the globe.”
Holler if you hear me!
“Tupac Shakur: The Authorized Biography” by Staci Robinson released from Penguin Random House publishing – If you are a book lover, and even more so if you are a Tupac fan, the title of this post probably sounds familiar. How different? Staci Robinson is a novelist and screenwriter who happened to know Tupac Shakur and also worked closely on projects about him, such as the book titled: “Tupac Remembered: Bearing Witness to a Life and Legacy” and the FX documentary series “Dear Mama: The Saga of Afeni and Tupac Shakur.” This book is the result of the author's lengthy research, which was finally given the green light by family members and the estate of Tupac Amaru Shakur. Robinson digs deep into the Shakur family and provides us with many details that were unknown even to die-hard fans.
While I wait for my copy to arrive, I want to point out three parts of Hua Hsu’s article in the New Yorker that relate to Robinson's book on Tupac and caught my attention. The first has to do with the first marriage of Afeni Shakur, Tupac’s mother, to Lumumba Shakur, the leader of the Black Panthers in Harlem. The second has to do with the real reason for Tupac's birth name, Lesane Parish Crooks (he was named after Carol Crooks, Afeni’s cellmate, to protect him from undercover investigators who were wiretapping the Panthers), and the last has to do with Tupac’s plans for the future had he not been shot in September 1996. “He had plans for restaurants, a fashion line, a video game, a publishing company, a cookbook, a cartoon series, and a radio show”, Hsu reports in his article. And I only knew of his soon-to-be record label Makaveli Records under his production company Euphanasia.
Manos Karousos