Author: News Polite

Upset with the Opulence of the Rich? But the World’s Children Are Paying the Bill — Global Issues

“The world’s richest countries are providing healthier environments for children within their borders, yet are disproportionately contributing to the destruction of the global environment”. Credit: Ashfaq Yusufzai/IPS
  • by Baher Kamal (madrid)
  • Inter Press Service

MADRID, May 30 (IPS) – The excesses committed by rich people can be deadly–and in fact they are. Be it about food, energy or overall waste, such excesses have been depleting the world’s natural resources and pushing both current and future generations towards the edge of a predictable abyss.

See how

Over-consumption in the world’s richest countries is destroying children’s environments globally, explains UNICEF (the UN Children Fund) in its report Innocenti Report Card 17: Places and Spaces.

“The world’s richest countries are providing healthier environments for children within their borders, yet are disproportionately contributing to the destruction of the global environment.”

In fact, if everybody in the world consumed resources at the rate people do in Economic Cooperation and Development OECD (38 countries), and the European Union (EU) States (27), the equivalent of 3.3 Earths would be needed to keep up with consumption levels.

But if everyone were to consume resources at the rate at which people in Canada, Luxembourg and the United States do, at least five Earths would be needed

UNICEF compares how both OECD and the EU countries fare in providing healthy environments for children.

For this purpose, it features indicators such as exposure to harmful pollutants including toxic air, pesticides, damp and lead; access to light, green spaces and safe roads; and countries’ contributions to the climate crisis, consumption of resources, and the dumping of e-waste.

Destroying children’s environment.. And lives

“Not only are the majority of rich countries failing to provide healthy environments for children within their borders, they are also contributing to the destruction of children’s environments in other parts of the world,” said Gunilla Olsson, Director of UNICEF Office of Research – Innocenti.

“Mounting waste, harmful pollutants and exhausted natural resources are taking a toll on our children’s physical and mental health and threatening our planet’s sustainability.

Learn more, please

The Innocenti Report includes other key findings. See some of them:

  • Over 20 million children have elevated levels of lead in their blood. Lead is one of the most dangerous environmental toxic substances.
  • Finland, Iceland and Norway rank in the top third for providing a healthy environment for their children yet rank in the bottom third for the world at large, with high rates of emissions, e-waste and consumption.
  • In Iceland, Latvia, Portugal and the United Kingdom 1 in 5 children is exposed to damp and mould at home; while in Cyprus, Hungary and Turkey more than 1 in 4 children is exposed.
  • Many children are breathing toxic air both outside and inside their homes. Mexico has among the highest number of years of healthy life lost due to air pollution at 3.7 years per thousand children, while Finland and Japan have the lowest at 0.2 years.
  • In Belgium, Czech Republic, Israel, the Netherlands, Poland and Switzerland more than 1 in 12 children are exposed to high pesticide pollution.
  • Pesticide pollution has been linked with cancer, including childhood leukaemia and can harm children’s nervous, cardiovascular, digestive, reproductive, endocrine, blood and immune systems.

But there is more, much more…

Sadly enough, all the above is not the sole cause that damages the present and future of children. See, for example:

  • The shocking extent of exploitative baby formula milk marketing. The world’s leading health specialised body (WHO) revealed the “… insidious, exploitative, aggressive, misleading and pervasive” marketing tricks used by the baby formula milk business with the sole aim of increasing, even more, their already high profits.
  • Severe wasting: UNICEF warns that the number of children with severe wasting is rising and getting worse. Its report Severe wasting: An overlooked child survival emergency shows that in spite of rising levels of severe wasting in children and rising costs for life-saving treatment, global financing to save the lives of children suffering from wasting is also under threat.
  • Severe wasting – where children are too thin for their height resulting in weakened immune systems – is the most immediate, visible and life-threatening form of malnutrition. Worldwide, at least 13.6 million children under five suffer from severe wasting, resulting in 1 in 5 deaths among this age group.
  • Migrant children: Around the world, migrant children are facing alarming levels of xenophobia, the socioeconomic consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic, and limited access to essential services, according to UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
  • Children in war: Nearly 90% of people in Syria live in poverty. More than 6.5 million children need urgent assistance – the greatest number of Syrian children in need since the conflict began. There, only one in four young children get the diets they need to grow healthy. The price of the average food basket has nearly doubled in 2021 alone. In Yemen, 45% of children are stunted and over 86% have anaemia; In other Middle East countries, like Lebanon, 94% of young children are not receiving the diets they need, while over 40% of women and children under the age of five have anaemia;
  • Child soldiers: Thousands of children are recruited and used in armed conflicts across the world. Between 2005 and 2020, more than 93,000 children were verified as recruited and used by parties to conflict, although the actual number of cases is believed to be much higher.These boys and girls suffer extensive forms of exploitation and abuse that are not fully captured by that term. Warring parties use children not only as fighters, but as scouts, cooks, porters, guards, messengers and more. Many, especially girls, are also subjected to gender-based violence.
  • Child forced labour: There are more than 160 million children forced in labour. They are children washing clothes in rivers, begging on the streets, hawking, walking for kilometres in search of water and firewood, their tiny hands competing with older, experienced hands to pick coffee or tea, or as child soldiers are familiar sights in Africa and Asia, explains IPS journalist Joyce Chimbi.

Resources are scarce

There are too many other crimes being committed against the world’s children.

One of them is really staggering: the very organisation: UNICEF, which was created 75 years ago to cover the emergencies of European children who fell victims of the Europe-launched II World War, is now bady short of vitally needed funding to save the lives of millions of world’s children.

Not only, a good part of these scarce resources is justifiably devoted to saving children of yet another European war.

© Inter Press Service (2022) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service

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Inter Milan chief provides updates on Ivan Perisic & Paulo Dybala

Inter Milan chief provides updates on Ivan Perisic & Paulo Dybala

 

Inter Milan CEO Beppe Marotta has, on Monday, spoken out over both the club’s pursuit of Paulo Dybala, and predicted departure of Ivan Perisic.

First up comes the latest on the future of hitman Dybala.

Argentine international Dybala has of course long been primed to seek out a new club this summer, after Italian giants Juventus came to the difficult decision not to renew the contract of their one-time star man.

A whole host of top clubs, in turn, have inevitably been tipped as potential destinations for the 28-year-old, albeit with one, in the form of Inter Milan, viewed as the clear frontrunner.

This of course comes despite the Nerazzurri’s status as one of Juventus’ fiercest rivals.

Speaking to the media on Monday, it therefore came as little surprise when his side’s pursuit of Dybala was put to Inter CEO Beppe Marotta.

And the Italian went on to confirm that the ‘hope’ on the blue side of Milan is that they will ultimately manage to do enough to snap up the gifted attacker on a free transfer:

As Inter eye one potentially significant addition to the club’s attacking ranks, though, a key member of Simone Inzaghi’s current setup appears primed for an imminent departure.

The player in question? Ivan Perisic.

Wide-man Perisic has too been tipped for pastures new ahead of next season, ahead of the imminent expiration of his current terms at the San Siro.

And Marotta all but confirmed that the Croatian’s future does indeed lie away from Milan on Monday evening, with Perisic expected to put pen to paper on a deal with Premier League outfit Tottenham any day now.

 

Tottenham ‘green light’ sale of another midfielder as Conte’s overhaul ramps up

Alessandro Bastoni ‘reluctant’ to leave Inter Milan as Perisic set for Tottenham medical

 



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Shortage Amidst Plenty — Global Issues

  • Opinion by Frederic Mousseau (san francisco, usa)
  • Inter Press Service
  • The writer is Policy Director at The Oakland Institute, San Francisco

SAN FRANCISCO, USA, May 30 (IPS) – India is being asked by the US government and the IMF to reconsider its decision to suspend wheat exports. Their cited concern is that export restrictions will exacerbate food shortages amidst Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. But the argument does not stand ground technically or morally.

Market in New Delhi. Credit: The Oakland Institute

There is no food shortage. According to a May 6, 2022 report by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), the world enjoys “a relatively comfortable supply level” of cereals. This is confirmed by the World Bank, which noted that global stocks of cereals are at historically high levels and that about three-quarters of Russian and Ukrainian wheat exports had already been delivered before the war started.

These numbers are consistent with data from the Ukrainian Ministry of Agriculture that reported on May 19 that the country exported 46.51 million tons of cereals in the 2021/22 season, versus 40.85 million the previous year.

In a repeat of 2007-2008 food crisis, it is speculation which is the key factor behind the current rise in food prices in international markets. As reported by the Lighthouse Reports, “speculators have flooded commodity markets in attempts to make a profit out of escalating prices.” A striking example are two top commodity-linked “exchange traded funds” (ETFs) which have received US$1.2 billion of investments – compared to just US$197 million for the whole of 2021 – a 600 percent increase.

According to the New York Times, “in April, speculators were responsible for 72 percent of the buying activity on the Paris wheat market, up from 25 percent before the pandemic.” Olivier De Schutter, UN Special Rapporteur on Extreme Poverty and Human Rights, has rightly observed that “speculative activity by powerful institutional investors who are generally unconcerned with agricultural market fundamentals are indeed betting on hunger, and exacerbating it.”

Maize harvest, Gambella, Ethiopia. Credit: The Oakland Institute

Instead of food shortage, the reality is that the world produces far more food than we eat. Over 33 percent of the food produced globally is used for animal feed as well as for other non-food uses, mainly agro-fuels.

The US produces roughly 400 million tons of corn, but over 40 percent of this amount – 160 million tons – goes to ethanol production, while another 40 percent goes to animal feed, and only 10 percent is used as food whereas another 10 percent is exported. India was not expected to export more than 10 million tons of wheat in 2022-2023, which is insignificant in comparison to the US numbers.

The increasing amount of food diverted to the production of agro-fuels – again as in the 2007-2008 crisis – is another major factor fueling tension in the global cereal markets. As noted in a 2009 analysis, “although biofuels still account for only 1.5 percent of the global liquid fuels supply, they accounted for almost half the increase in the consumption of major food crops in 2006–07, mostly because of corn-based ethanol produced in the United States.”

In the US, ethanol production increased from 3.6 million barrels in 2001 to over 102 million in 2019. Despite the fact that ethanol is at least 24 percent more carbon-intensive than gasoline, under pressure from the Congress and the industry, the Biden administration has just taken steps to encourage further ethanol production while continuing to heavily subsidize it.

The US call against trade restrictions has been echoed by the World Bank, the International Monetary Fund, the World Food Programme, and the World Trade Organization, who are urging “all countries to keep trade open and avoid restrictive measures such as export bans on food or fertilizer that further exacerbate the suffering of the most vulnerable people.”

But if governments and international institutions are serious about eliminating human suffering caused by high food prices, they should abstain from pressuring countries who are trying to maintain food supply at a level which will allow national food security. It is essential that they recognize and respect food sovereignty of all nations.

Immediate key measures that countries should be taking to relieve pressure on world markets are to reduce the amount of food used as fuel, curb speculation on food products – specifically restricting the so-called future commodity markets where speculators bet on future prices.

Both the US and the European Union have instruments and mechanisms in place that allow them to act, with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA). What is missing is the political will to act.

What is not missing is hypocrisy. The US government-funded ethanol industry uses the equivalent of 35 percent of the global world trade of cereals of 473 million tons. The Indian export ban set to prevent hunger will affect less than 2 percent of this amount.

Meanwhile, previous research on the 2007-2008 food crisis brings evidence that India and other countries were successful in preventing price transmission to domestic markets through trade regulation measures. For example, the price of rice actually decreased in Indonesia in 2008 while it was escalating in neighboring countries.

Public interventions to prevent this transmission were a mix of trade facilitation policies (for instance, cutting import tariffs or negotiating with importers) and trade restrictions or regulations (such as export bans, use of public stocks, price control, and anti-speculation measures).

The success of measures taken to limit domestic inflation depended primarily on governments’ ability to control domestic availability and regulate markets, often based on pre-existing public systems. Export restrictions possibly contributed to increased inflation in global food markets but they constituted a fast and effective way to protect consumers by mitigating the effect of global markets on domestic prices.

But regardless of the trade measures that some countries may adopt, even in the absence of a global food shortage, the food crisis is real. Droughts, conflicts, and now high food prices, are threatening to starve hundreds of millions of people.

Unfortunately, the massive human suffering and hunger that was affecting many countries even prior to the war in Ukraine was barely met with adequate response from rich nations. UN humanitarian appeals for acute crises are chronically underfunded. In 2021, only 45 percent of the UN appeal for Yemen and the Horn of Africa was fulfilled, only 29 percent for Syria.

The US Congress just approved an aid of US$40 billion for Ukraine, including over US$26 billion of military aid. This is US$12 billion more than the US$28 billion that the US will spend globally in 2022 on international assistance through USAID.

Amidst the war on Ukraine, given the chronic shortfalls of funding to international assistance, it is critical that all countries ensure their solidarity and adequate support is provided to all victims. But beyond aid, the only reasonable decision would be for them to act decisively on the broader causes of the high food prices and curb speculation on food commodities and diversion of food for the production of fuel.

Unfortunately, given measures were not taken following the 2007-2008 food crisis, how likely is it to happen now. High income countries and international institutions may rather repeat their motto of “keep trade open” and continue business as usual. It is therefore up to governments in the Global South, in particular food deficit countries, to recognize this harsh reality and act to reduce their dependency on food imports by supporting their own farmers and proactively regulating their food and agricultural markets.

The Oakland Institute is an independent policy think tank that conducts research and advocacy on issues such as international development, environment, land, food, and agriculture.

IPS UN Bureau


Follow IPS News UN Bureau on Instagram

© Inter Press Service (2022) — All Rights ReservedOriginal source: Inter Press Service



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The Mandalorian Experience: 74 Photos From The Star Wars Celebration Exhibit

As a special treat to those in attendance at Star Wars Celebration 2022, The Mandalorian showrunner Jon Favreau revealed that a special exhibit of props, costumes, sets, and vehicles from The Mandalorian and The Book of Boba Fett was set up to check out and, surprisingly, it was more impressive than you might have expected. The team at Lucasfilm created a one-of-a-kind experience for fans of the Star Wars shows to get up close and personal with the series.

GameSpot was lucky enough to gain access to the exhibit and take a ton of photos for those that were unable to attend in person. From a fantastic look at Mando’s new ship to how the various animatronic characters work, The Mandalorian Experience was a very cool installation to check out. (And, of course, Grogu was there.)

Take a look at the 74 photos below for a peek behind the scenes of The Mandalorian, The Book of Boba Fett, and even Ahsoka Tano’s costume from her upcoming standalone series. And while you’re here, make sure to check out the best cosplay from Star Wars Celebration 2022.

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Ethereum sell-off fears rise as crypto hedge fund moves $60M ETH to an exchange

Ethereum’s native token Ether (ETH) rose by more than 5% to reach its intraday high above $1,930 on May 30. Nonetheless, the ETH/USD pair risks facing another sell-off round due to concerns about a massive ETH inflow into an exchange.

58.7K Ether transferred to FTX in May

On May 30, the Ether address allegedly associated with Three Arrow Capital — a Singapore-based crypto hedge fund, sent 32,000 ETH worth $60 million to the FTX crypto exchange within a span of an hour, on-chain data shows.

The bulk transfer, which follows the fund’s 26,700 ETH deposit to the same exchange earlier in May, raised suspicions that it would dump the Ether stash. That is primarily because, in theory, investors transfer crypto to their exchange wallets only when they want to sell them for other assets. 

Nonetheless, the number of Ether held by exchanges continued to drop in May, according to on-chain data tracked by Glassnode.

The ETH balance across all the crypto exchanges dropped from 20.45 million to 20.38 million month-to-date (MTD), underscoring that investors are holding their investments for the long term. 

Ethereum balance on exchanges. Source: Glassnode

ETH rebound weakens

Three Arrow’s massive Ether transfer to FTX coincides with ETH testing a critical support-turned-resistance level near $1,920 for a breakout, as shown below.

ETH/USD four-hour price chart. Source: TradingView

Simultaneously, Ether’s relative strength index is near its “overbought” threshold of 70, which as a rule of technical analysis tends to precede a sell-off. In other words, ETH could consolidate around $1,920 in the coming days before pulling back to its rising trendline support near $1,850.

Related: ‘Mega bullish signal’ or ‘real breakdown?’ 5 things to know in Bitcoin this week

Conversely, a decisive move above the $1,920-level, accompanied by a rise in trading volumes, could trigger a long-term upside setup shared by “Wolf,” a pseudonymous market analyst, as shown below.

ETH/USD weekly price chart. Source: Wolf/TradingView

The setup showcases the levels around $1,820 as support in a so-called accumulation range, with $4,000 serving as resistance on the other end. Wolf noted that the price could rally toward $4,000 “a few months from the Merge,” a highly-awaited upgrade that would make Ethereum a proof-of-stake protocol.

The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Cointelegraph.com. Every investment and trading move involves risk, you should conduct your own research when making a decision.



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All signs point to CeeDee Lamb having a breakout Year 3 in Dallas

The Dallas Cowboys are counting on CeeDee Lamb having a breakout season for them this fall.

If the Dallas Cowboys want to achieve all of their wildest dreams and aspirations for this upcoming NFL season, third-year pro CeeDee Lamb will have to have a breakout year for them.

By trading away Amari Cooper to the Cleveland Browns and having Michael Gallup still on the mend after last season, Lamb becomes the unquestioned No. 1 receiving option in Dallas. While Lamb is coming off his first Pro Bowl campaign and was sensational during his college days at Oklahoma, there are some signs of concern when it comes to the potential breakout season he needs to have.

Pro Football Hall of Fame wide receiver and Dallas native Tim Brown told ESPN’s Todd Archer this:

“I think CeeDee is in a situation where all of a sudden, he’s going to have a lot more attention on him and how he deals with that will tell the tale,” Brown told ESPN. “There’s going to be a guy over you and a safety creeping over and that means you got to go to work. You’ve got to learn how to do that, learn how to beat double coverage and then sometimes triple coverage. I think that’s going to be a big adjustment for him.”

Of course, everyone in the Cowboys organization, from head coach Mike McCarthy to quarterback Dak Prescott, thinks Lamb is more than capable of making the adjustments necessary to be a No. 1 wideout.

Frankly, it will be very difficult for the Cowboys to be a Super Bowl contender if Lamb is not elite.

Dallas Cowboys are expecting for CeeDee Lamb to have his breakout season

McCarthy sees the opportunity Lamb has ahead of him, believing he will take advantage of it.

“This is a great opportunity for him personally,” said McCarthy. “I think just the way we’ve established the offense, particularly in the passing game, the ability for those guys to play different positions, to create matchups and make it harder on the defense to double you and those type of things — my point is, playing in the slot a lot last year and now playing the flanker position (Cooper’s position).”

Again, the extra attention he will be getting is undeniable, but McCarthy thinks Lamb is up for it.

“We understand his rise in Year 3 that he’s going to get a lot more attention from the defense,” continued McCarthy. “But he’s doing all of the little things that are needed to get him ready to be the No. 1 guy.”

Lamb may have been a mid-first-round pick, but Dallas thought the world of him to pick him at No. 17 in the 2020 NFL Draft.

The best thing the Cowboys have going for them is they should be a good team in a lackluster NFC. While no team has repeated as division champions in the NFC East in coming up on two decades, Dallas stands as good of a chance as anyone to buck that trend. While the Philadelphia Eagles pose a real threat, the New York Giants don’t. And then there’s the Washington Commanders…

For Dallas to not only repeat as division champions, but get to the conference title bout for the first time since 1995, the Cowboys are going to need two things to happen: Prescott must play like a top-five quarterback, and Dan Quinn’s defense can’t skip a beat. Of course, Lamb’s breakout year will be an ancillary effect in all this, but those two things are the driving forces for the team.

Frankly, one can argue Lamb already had his breakout campaign. He did lead the team in receiving in his second season. However, with great power comes great responsibility. There is also great opportunity here. Lamb has the potential to be the best Cowboys’ wide receiver since Dez Bryant. He could even eclipse Receiver X should he and Prescott lead the Cowboys to the promised land.

It is going to be next to impossible for Dallas to win big if Lamb does not take that next huge step.

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Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade Celebrate Zaya Wade’s 15th Birthday

Gabrielle Union and Dwyane Wade are celebrating another year around the sun for their daughter Zaya Wade.

On May 29, the Cheaper by the Dozen actress shared a video on Instagram giving fans a sneak peek into “Camp Zaya” in honor of her 15th birthday celebration. “HAPPY 15th BIRTHDAY @zayawade,” Gabrielle captioned the post. “We all love you sooooooo much and you make us proud every single day! You are such a gift and a blessing in all our lives.”

The video starts off by showing the layout of “Camp Zaya,” which includes two large teepees, a tent, string lights and several chairs positioned around a fire pit. Viewers then get to see Zaya being serenaded with “Happy Birthday” by her older brother, Zaire Wade, before she blows out the candles on her birthday cake.

In another part of the video, Zaya playfully tries to get away from Zaire and their father as they try to throw her into the pool.

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Warhammer Skulls 2022: How to Watch and What to Expect

Warhammer Skulls is returning in 2022 for another week-long event filled with brand-new reveals, updates, deals, and a celebration of video games set in the Warhammer universe. This week-long Warhammer party will begin on June 1 with an announcement showcase and it will be filled with world premieres, new trailers, sneak peeks, and more.

We will be carrying the stream and IGN’s Max Scoville and YouTuber Bricky will be hosting the official post-show right after the livestream. As usual, this watch guide will provide you with everything you need to know to watch the stream, including when it starts, a list of places you can watch it with us, and what you can expect to see.

Warhammer Skulls 2022 Announcement Showcase Start Time

Warhammer Skulls’ announcement showcase will kick off the Warhammer festivities on June 1, 2022, at 10am PST/1pm EST/6pm BST. If you live in Australia, that translates to June 2 at 3am AEST.

Following the showcase, IGN’s Max Scoville and Warhammer Expert Bricky will be hosting the official post-show to break down all the biggest moments.

Where to Watch Warhammer Skulls 2022 Announcement Showcase

If you’re interested in watching Warhammer Skulls 2022, we’ll be hosting the show here and across our many channels on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, Twitter, Facebook, and more. Here’s the full list of places you can watch it with us:

What to Expect from Warhammer Skulls 2022

Warhammer Skulls 2022 will take place from June 1 through June 8 and promises to be an exciting week for fans of the Warhammer universe that will be filled with announcements, deals, updates, and much more.

The announcement showcase on June 1 will feature global premieres of new games alongside reveals from Warhammer 40,000: Darktide, Space Marine 2, and much more. There will also be update news for existing games like Total War: Warhammer III, Warhammer: Vermintide 2, and Warhammer 40,000: Battlesector.

After the show, Warhammer fans will be able to look forward to “enticing offers” on Warhammer video games, new content, DLC, and updates on existing games already out in the wild from June 1 to June 8.

World of Tanks fans will have even more to look forward to as a special Warhammer 40,000-themed Battle Pass was announced that will help them begin their new season with “some help from the Ultramarines, Death Guard, and the Evil Sunz.”

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SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time: No. 10, 2012-13 Miami Heat

We’ve dedicated an entire special issue,SLAM’s TOP 75 NBA Teams of All Time, to ranking the best 75 individual season teams ever. This week, we’re unveiling which squads made it on our top 10. To find out who else made it on the list, read here.

10. 2012-13 Miami Heat

Coach: Erik Spoelstra

Record: 66-16

Roster: Ray Allen, Chris Andersen, Joel Anthony, Shane Battier, Chris Bosh, Mario Chalmers, Norris Cole, Josh Harrellson, Terrel Harris, Udonis Haslem, Juwan Howard, LeBron James, James Jones, Rashard Lewis, Mike Miller, Dexter Pittman, Jarvis Varnado, Dwyane Wade

After LeBron James made his famous announcement that he had decided to play for Miami, he sat on a stage with Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade and talked about how many championships the trio would win with the Heat. “Not two. Not three…” And so on.

Well, after two years in South Beach, James had one title, not two. Nobody was restless, but there was clearly an expectation that after winning it all in 2012, Miami was about to start rolling.

The Big Three was on hand to try for a repeat, but the Heat had also added sharpshooter Ray Allen, who, though 37, provided some needed long-range production and finished the season making 41.9 percent of his three-point attempts. The formula worked. Miami rampaged to 66 wins, 12 better than any other Eastern Conference team.

James once again was the biggest star, leading the team in points, rebounds and assists. But Wade and Bosh were big every night, too. And while Allen was past the days when he could dominate with his long-range shooting, he was an undeniable weapon, as was do-everything forward Shane Battier, who actually shot a higher percentage from behind the arc than Allen did.

The regular season presented few hurdles for the Heat, and neither did the first two rounds of the playoffs. Miami swept Milwaukee in the first round and dusted away Chicago in five after that. But things got interesting in the Eastern Finals, when Indiana—led by Paul George and Roy Hibbert—extended the Heat to seven games in a series so heavy on defense that only one time did a team hit triple figures. In the finale, James scored 32, and Miami routed the Pacers, 99-76, to earn a Finals meeting with San Antonio.

The Eastern Finals series was great, but the Heat-Spurs showdown was even more dramatic. After five games, the Spurs held a 3-2 series lead, and it looked as if Pop’s bunch would close things out in the sixth contest. With 28.2 seconds left, the Spurs led, 94-89, but an Allen three-pointer with 5.2 left forced overtime, and the Heat ultimately prevailed. Game 7 was similarly dramatic. With San Antonio trailing by 2, Duncan missed a pair of shots close to the hoop, and the Heat held on to take the title. Though Miami wouldn’t win seven, as James had insinuated, the Heat had put up back-to-back banners, and that was still pretty darn good.

Get your copy of SLAM Presents TOP 75 NBA Teams Of All Time

Photos via Getty Images.



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The Very Best Star Wars Celebration 2022 Cosplay

Conventions are back! Star Wars Celebration 2022 happened over the weekend, bringing together Star Wars fans from all over the world as they celebrated the movies and TV shows they adore while learning about everything on the horizon from the franchise. We saw sneak peeks for The Mandalorian Season 3 and the upcoming Ahsoka Tano show, among many other projects in the works, but that’s not all.

Celebration is also home to the best Star Wars cosplay you’re going to find. You’ll find practically everything there, including mashups, odes to iconic characters, and so many tributes to the Saturday Night Live sketch that featured Kylo Ren on Undercover Boss. There were even a few people who decided to go against the grain and represent other movies and TV shows they love.

Walking around Star Wars Celebration over the weekend, we saw plenty of cosplayers we loved and gathered our very favorite here for you to enjoy. You may not have been able to go to Celebration, but hopefully, this will make your missing it a little bit easier to handle.

Image credit: Getty Images/AaronP/Bauer-Griffin/Contributor

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