Lessons from an NBA dad to his son, Memphis Grizzlies star Jaren Jackson Jr.

The first time Jaren Jackson Jr. took the court at Michigan State University, his name was not called in the starting lineup. His father Jaren Jackson Sr. was disappointed but knew his son’s moment to shine was around the corner. 

“I think it was an exhibition game. And this particular game, J did not start,” Jackson Sr. told USA TODAY Sports. “He was a highly recruited player going to Michigan State so a lot was expected as one of the top freshmen coming in. He was kind of penciled in as a starter. But he didn't start this game for whatever reason.” 

Jackson Sr. did not call Tom Izzo the next day to ask why his sought-after son was not on the floor immediately. He did not want to pull the “NBA dad card.” Instead, he patiently waited.

Chris Hayes Dismantles Tucker Carlson’s Latest ‘Crazy, Crazy’ Conspiracy Theory

MSNBC’s Chris Hayes on Wednesday expressed incredulity at the latest conspiracy theory being pushed on Fox News by its prime-time personality Tucker Carlson.

Carlson on Tuesday suggested the FBI was actually somehow involved in the deadly Capitol riot carried out by supporters of ex-President Donald Trump on Jan. 6.

Hayes slammed Carlson for “selling his audience in his, you know, ‘just asking questions’ way, that the entire thing — the storming of the Capitol by a mob of rioters — was a false flag set up by the FBI.”

“This conspiracy theory, the feds are behind the Capitol riot, is based on a report from this fringe right-wing publication, Revolver, which we know Donald Trump likes. It’s crazy, crazy stuff,” Hayes continued. “It’s in the same category as Hugo Chávez’s ghost changing votes and Italians using magical satellites to get into voting machines.”

The aim was “to break the consensus of reality so that people can be manipulated and radicalized,” Hayes said. “It is incredibly dangerous, and it is working.”

Check out the video here:

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Summer is here! What to know about the summer solstice, aka ‘longest day of the year’

The temperature in Western and Southwestern U.S. has been in the triple digits for a few weeks now, but don’t be surprised if someone tells you it technically isn’t summer yet.

The first day of summer 2021 is June 20 at 11:32 p.m. EDT. It’s often called the longest day of the year because it’s the day with the most daylight (every “day” has 24 hours).  

For many cultures around the world, the first day of summer is welcomed with celebrations and rituals that recognize the sun’s importance to human life. Summer solstice observations take many forms around the world.

While it marks the first day of summer, the real heat is still to come. On average, there is a one-month lag between the solstice and peak summer temperatures, according to climatologist Brian Brettschneider. That’s why July is almost always the hottest month of the year in most locations. 

Here are facts about the summer solstice:

What is the summer solstice?

The summer solstice is the day when the sun travels its longest path through the sky and reaches its highest point.

Due to the tilt of the Earth on its axis, the North Pole is shifted almost directly toward the sun, hence the long hours of daylight, according to Britannica.com.

In the Northern Hemisphere, the solstice occurs between June 20 and 22.In the Southern Hemisphere, the summer solstice occurs on Dec. 21 or 22.

Sixers’ Seth Curry shooting his way out of the shadow of brother Steph

Seth Curry had spent two nondescript seasons in the NBA before he signed with Sacramento in 2015.

He played just four games those first two seasons — on call-up from the G League where he spent most of his time and on a 10-day contract.

It wasn’t until the final month of the 2015-16 that Curry began to see consistent minutes with the Kings, and he produced. It's also when it started to become apparent that Curry had a future in the NBA.

He had four 20-point performances, shot 31-for-64 (48.4%) on 3-pointers and averaged 15.2 points in 11 games.

"I always believed I was good enough," said Curry, the younger brother of Golden State’s Steph Curry. "It was just a matter of getting an opportunity and making the most out of it. I knew the confidence I had in myself and just maximizing what I do best and getting an opportunity to show at an NBA level and being consistent with it. That’s pretty much it."

Herald morning quiz: June 21

Test your brains with the Herald’s afternoon quiz. Be sure to check back on nzherald.co.nz for the morning quiz tomorrow.

To challenge yourself with more quizzes, CLICK HERE.

GOP Lawmaker Tried To Explain Critical Race Theory And Wow It Got Weird

The Republican lawmaker behind a bill that would ban critical race theory in Alabama schools was asked to explain that theory. 

It didn’t go well.

State Rep. Chris Pringle told Alabama Media Group columnist Kyle Whitmire his bill was “pretty simple.”

“All it says is you can’t teach critical race theory in K-12 or higher education in the state of Alabama,” Pringle said. 

When asked what that meant, Pringle claimed ― incorrectly ― that it “teaches that certain children are inherently bad people because of the color of their skin, period.” 

According to Education Week, critical race theory is a concept that says racism “is not merely the product of individual bias or prejudice, but also something embedded in legal systems and policies.” 

Pringle also claimed that people who didn’t “buy into” critical race theory were being sent to government “reeducation camps.” When Whitmire asked for evidence, Pringle cited an unspecified report he was reading that “doesn’t say who it was, it just says a government that held these — these training sessions” then claimed he couldn’t find the link.

Pringle ultimately said his bill was to “start the conversation” and griped about “cancel society” despite the fact that he was actually attempting to do the canceling in this case. 

Read the full report here.