The Dallas Mavericks, or at least the summer version of themselves, knocked off Cam Boozer and the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night to win their first game of the Las Vegas Summer League. As the old adage goes, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas, and that should be true of any grandiose Summer League takes from Dallas’ first three games.
South
Veterans group issues strong rebuke of South by Southwest band boycotts over US Army sponsorship
A Veterans Affairs group addressed the boycott by dozens of artists and bands who left the South by Southwest (SXSW) festival in Austin, Texas, in protest of the U.S. Army’s sponsorship, claiming the groups supplied weapons to Israel to support “their violent oppression of the Palestinian people.”
In February, the Austin for Palestine Coalition launched a campaign that called for a protest and boycott of SXSW because the U.S. Army was a “Super Sponsor” of the event. In response, 80 artists, bands and performers pulled their scheduled appearances as a show of support for Palestinians.
“We are heeding the call of Palestinian civil society to engage in Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions against Israeli occupation and those supplying arms to Israel for its genocide against the Palestinian people,” an Instagram post by the Austin for Palestine Coalition read. “SXSW must disinvite Raytheon (RTX), its subsidiary Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems to the conference and festivals in the city of Austin.”
“Raytheon, Collins Aerospace, and BAE Systems have direct ties to the arming of Israel, supporting their violent oppression of the Palestinian people,” the post continued. “Raytheon manufactures missiles, bombs, and other weapon systems for the Israeli military to use against Palestinians.”
A sign in front of Speakeasy on Congress Avenue in Austin, Texas, on March 11, 2022, welcomes visitors back to SXSW for the first time in three years. (Jim Bennett/WireImage)
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On Tuesday, a few days after the conclusion of SXSW, National Commander Duane Sarmiento of the Veterans of Foreign Wars responded to the boycott, stating the organization “fully supports free speech,” but warned that the artists who pulled out of the festival “missed out on a great opportunity for needed exposure.”
“They seem to have forgotten it’s the good men and women of the U.S. Army who fought and died for their opportunity to perform in the U.S., or not,” he said. “Their decision will have lasting impacts on their careers, and if free speech enthusiasts like Horse Jumper of Love, Squirrel Flower, Lip Critic or any other artist who cancelled their appearance in Austin again get the opportunity to come to our great nation, we invite them to visit with some of our Army veterans to gain some insight into the positive world impacts they’re responsible for.”
Squirrel Flower, also known as Ella Williams, who was named by Commander Sarmiento, wrote on Instagram on March 4 explaining she was pulling out of the SXSW festival because it was “platforming defense contractors including Raytheon subsidiaries as well as the US Army, a main sponsor of the festival.”
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“Genocide profiteers like Raytheon supply weapons to the IDF, paid for by our taxes,” she wrote. “A music festival should not include war profiteers. I refuse to be complicit in this and withdrawl [sic] my art and labor in protest.”
From left: Peter Hall, Alex Garland, Kirsten Dunst, Cailee Spaeny and Wagner Moura appear at the premiere of “Civil War” as part of SXSW 2024. (Chris Saucedo/SXSW Conference & Festivals via Getty Images)
Other artists posted public notices that they were pulling out for similar reasons.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott told the bands and performers: “Bye. Don’t come back.”
“We are proud of the U.S. military in Texas. If you don’t like it, don’t come here,” he added.
SXSW rebuked his statement in a post on Instagram that it “does not agree” with the Texas governor, adding it “welcomes diverse viewpoints” including the decision of performers to withdraw from the event.
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“These institutions are often leaders in emerging technologies, and we believe it’s better to understand how their approach will impact our lives,” the statement said. “The Army’s sponsorship is part of our commitment to bring forward ideas that shape our world.”
A view of 6th Street during the 2023 SXSW Conference and Festivals in Austin, Texas, on March 10, 2023. (Hutton Supancic/Getty Images for SXSW)
“We have and will continue to support human rights for all,” the statement concluded. “The situation in the Middle East is tragic, and it illuminates the heightened importance of standing together against injustice.”
Fox News Digital reached out to SXSW for comment.
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Fox News’ Lindsay Kornick contributed to this report.
Nonetheless, after attending the Mavericks’ first game in Vegas and loosely watching the last two, there are at least some big picture thoughts that I think could matter as we get closer to the NBA’s regular season.
The rooks have impressed far more than the sophomores
It’s not like Dallas was in a position where they needed a second-year guy to come to Vegas and show that they’re too good for Summer League. Cooper Flagg showed plenty enough last year in route to winning Rookie of the Year to avoid playing in Vegas again. The Mavericks did, however, bring each of their three two-way contract players to Vegas, and the results have been mixed at best.
Ryan Nembhard was legitimately terrible against the Lakers on Saturday night, with five turnovers complimenting his 3-for-11 night from the floor. John Poulakidas has been fine, albeit the shot has been a bit uninspiring after yet another 1-for-4 showing against Memphis on Monday. And then there’s Tyler Smith, who received a DNP – coaches decision on Monday against the Grizzlies after playing just 28 combined minutes in the first two contests.
Meanwhile, Morez Johnson Jr. had 27 points in game one, Sergio de Larrea just dropped 16 points and 12 assists in the win over Memphis, Tobi Lawal is doing some fun athletic stuff, and Seva Ishchenko has been better than I thought in his three games of action. That juxtaposition leaves Dallas in an interesting spot as they evaluate what the end of the roster will look like.
Morez Johnson Jr., Sergio de Larrea two-man actions should be a bench-group staple
One of the more intriguing things about the first two games was seeing the synergy of the Mavericks two first round selections. In game one against the Warriors, Morez Johnson Jr. and Sergio de Larrea hooked up for a couple of excellent possessions, with Johnson Jr. slipping a screen and de Larrea throwing an excellent pass, resulting in nice finishes at the rim.
As Sergio continued to get increasingly comfortable, you saw the best of him against Memphis. Twelve assists against that Memphis group is quite salty! De Larrea showed off his vision and passing creativity, throwing several pinpoint lobs for dunks. Of course, as the pair learns to scale this into the NBA there will be some challenges. But as an early return, I like the idea of this two-man tandem alongside Cooper Flagg and Kyrie Irving.
Seva Ishchenko isn’t ready for the NBA… yet
I’m actually more impressed with Ishchenko after the first week in Vegas than I thought! He’s been a pleasant surprise to watch, as he hasn’t been as overwhelmed athletically as many have feared. Granted, it’s been very hit or miss on that, but on the whole, he’s fit in quite nicely.
Another year or two of seasoning for The Big Lebowski would do him very well. The Mavericks should be angling for him to end up in a stronger European league than where he was last year, playing for Lokomotiv in Russia. Ishchenko needs to get stronger, which will help him overcome the issues he’s had finishing at the rim during the first week of Summer League. But there have been glimpses of what the vision there is. Here’s to hoping the Mavs can play the long game here.
Miami, FL
“We’re going to be champions”. Argentina fans in Miami Beach celebrate team’s win against England
It was a night Argentina fans in South Florida will never forget.
“It’s going to go crazy, this is unbelievable. We needed it, the country needs this,” said Carlo, a team Argentina fan.
“Feeling great, we got the cup,” said Joel Decima.
Collins Avenue and 73rd Street were a sea of blue and white as far as the eye could see.
Passionate fans flocked to the streets after Argentina pulled off a win over England, 2-1, sealing their spot in the World Cup final.
“I can’t believe it. It’s still sinking in, and it’s personal. This game is personal,” said Nicole Faria.
“Super. Super, happy. So happy. So, so proud of the team,” said Sylvia, an Argentina fan.
“What’s going to happen? We’re going to win. We’re going to be the champions. We will. We will take it,” said Carlo.
On Sunday, July 19, Argentina will take on Spain in New Jersey at 3 p.m. ET to see who takes home the World Cup.
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