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Celtics clinch first championship in 16 years

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  It cements Tatum and Brown's status as a legendary duo and could be the start of a new era of dominance for the team. Stunning stat: With their 18th championship, the Celtics broke the tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for most titles in NBA history. The Boston Celtics will soon raise a record 18th championship banner into the rafters of TD Garden. The Cs' stifling defense and a combined 52 points from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown led the team to a 106-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks to cap off the NBA Finals. Why it matters: The win ends a 16-year drought for the Celtics, during which All-Star caliber players failed to bring the team all the way.

Brooklyn pastor ‘Bling Bishop’ sentenced to 9 years for fraud and extortion, US attorney says

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  Lamor Whitehead, a flashy Brooklyn pastor nicknamed the “Bling Bishop,” was sentenced Monday to nine years in prison after being convicted of using a parishioner’s retirement savings and trying to extort a businessman, the US Attorney for the Southern District of New York announced. Whitehead was found guilty in March of two counts of wire fraud, as well as one count each of attempted wire fraud, attempted extortion and making false statements to federal law enforcement agents. The convictions are from three separate schemes. In addition to his prison sentence, the 45-year-old New Jersey man “was sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay $85,000 in restitution and forfeit $95,000,” according to a news release from the US attorney’s office and court documents. “Lamor Whitehead is a con man who stole millions of dollars in a string of financial frauds and even stole from one of his own parishioners. He lied to federal agents, and again to the Court at his trial

Angela Bofill, “I Try” and “I’m On Your Side” Singer, Dies at 70

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  Angela Bofill, the singer-songwriter behind hits “I Try,” “This Time I’ll Be Sweeter” and “I’m On Your Side,” has died. She was 70. The Cuban-Puerto Rican musician died on Thursday at her daughter’s home in Vallejo, California, her friend and rep Rich Engel told People. A cause of death was not immediately available. Engel also shared the news of her passing on Bofill’s Facebook page in two separate posts. “ON BEHALF OF MY DEAR FRIEND ANGIE, I AM SADDENED TO ANNOUNCE HER PASSING ON THE MORNING OF JUNE 13TH,” he wrote in the first social media post, before sharing funeral information. In the second post, he added, “JUST TO CLEAR UP THE CONFUSION. ON BEHALF OF SHAUNA BOFILL, HUSBAND CHRIS PORTUGUESE, WE ARE SADDENED BUT MUST REPORT THAT THE PASSING OF ANGELA YESTERDAY IS INDEED TRUE. WE THANK MELBA MOORE AND MAYSA FOR THEIR EARLY CONDOLENCES. THANKS FOR YOUR MANY POSTS.” Angela Tomasa Bofill was born on May 2, 1954, in Brooklyn, to a Cuban father and Puerto Rican mother. As a teen, s

From ‘Bad Boys’ to “Baby Boy”: Sean Paul on Collaborating With Will Smith and Beyoncé

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   Sean Paul says he usually writes songs for women, but when Will Smith called him to collaborate on a song for Bad Boys: Ride or Die, he needed him to turn up his inner bad boy. “He sent me the song with him on it already and basically asked me to do a verse, and I went in. I usually don’t do badman lyrics, I’m more for the ladies, but the movie is called Bad Boys,” the Grammy-winning reggae-dancehall artist tells The Hollywood Reporter. “The track was dope and it’s definitely reflective of Run DMC, [LL Cool J’s] ‘Rock the Bells,’ old-school hip-hop with that energy.” Smith and Paul join forces on the beat laden track “Light Em Up,” one of the 10 songs on the soundtrack accompanying the film that opened to a victorious $56.5 million at the domestic box office. Paul, 51, recalls meeting Smith earlier in his career: In the early 2000s when he appeared on the soundtrack for the animated film Shark Tale, which Smith voiced the main character, and at one of his concerts, where he and S

House of the Dragon’ renewed for Season 3House Targaryen’s Dance of the Dragons in will continue for another season. HBO on Thursday announced that “Game of Thrones” prequel series “House of the Dragon” will return for Season 3, according to a news release. (HBO, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.) The announcement comes before the show’s sophomore season debuts on Sunday.

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  House Targaryen’s Dance of the Dragons in will continue for another season. HBO on Thursday announced that “Game of Thrones” prequel series “House of the Dragon” will return for Season 3, according to a news release. (HBO, like CNN, is owned by Warner Bros. Discovery.) The announcement comes before the show’s sophomore season debuts on Sunday. “We are in awe of the dragon-sized effort the entire team has put into the creation of a spectacular Season 2, with a scope and scale that is only rivaled by its heart. We could not be more thrilled to continue the story of House Targaryen and watch this team burn bright again for Season 3,” HBO programming Francesca Orsi said in a statement on Thursday. “House of the Dragon” is based on author George R.R. Martin’s 2018 book “Fire & Blood,” which is set 200 years before the events in “Game of Thrones” and tells the story of House Targaryen’s civil war. The TV series debuted in 2022 and drew in millions of viewers in its first season. Nota

Why Aamir Khan’s son Junaid’s debut film ’Maharaj’ not releasing today? Explained

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  The Gujarat High Court on June 13 temporarily restrained the release of Amir Khan's son Junaid's OTT film ‘Maharaj.’ The film was slated to release on Netflix on June 14. According to LiveLaw report, the Gujarat High Court's decision was prompted by a petition filed on behalf of devotees of Lord Krishna and followers of the Pustimarg sect. They contended that the film could potentially disturb public order and provoke violence against their communities and the Hindu religion.  Since yesterday, hashtags like 'Boycott Netflix' is trending on social media platform X. Section of users are calling for a ban on "Maharaj", claiming the upcoming period drama hurts religious sentiments.  What is ‘Maharaj’ about? According to the makers, "Maharaj" is set in pre-independent India and is based on the Maharaj Libel Case of 1862, which was ignited by "allegations of misconduct by a prominent figure". In a press release issued by Netflix last month

Will Smith’s ‘Bad Boys 4’ press tour is reminding people why they became fans

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 Now, this is a story all about how Will Smith’s life got flipped, turned upside down - and how he appears to be working hard to fix that. Smith has been making the rounds promoting his latest project, “Bad Boys: Ride or Die,” the fourth in his film franchise with Martin Lawrence. It’s not his first film since he slapped Chris Rock on stage at the 2022 Academy Awards after the comedian made a joke about Smith’s wife, Jada Pinkett Smith. The summer popcorn movie, however, is performing better than his other projects that more immediately followed the incident. Smith’s historical slave drama “Emancipation” released six months after the Oscars controversy that resulted in the actor getting banned from the event for a decade. That press tour was selective, somber and scaled-back. Smith acknowledged at the time that some audiences might not be willing to support the movie due to his starring role in it. “I completely understand — if someone is not ready, I would absolutely respect that an