Link to article: https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2025/05/07/nbas-russell-westbrook-launches-ai-enabled-funeral-planning-startup-.html

Article text:

National Basketball Association superstar Russell Westbrook is taking a shot off the court at simplifying funeral planning with artificial intelligence.

The famed Denver Nuggets point guard on Wednesday announced the launch of Eazewell, a startup that uses AI technology to streamline the process for coordinating funerals. Westbrook founded the venture with former Charlotte Hornets star Kemba Walker and childhood friend Donnell Beverly Jr., who serves as president of Russell Westbrook Enterprises and CEO and co-founder of Eazewell.

"My whole career, on and off the court, has been about stepping up decisively in the moments that matter most," Westbrook wrote in a statement to CNBC. Westbrook and the Nuggets are currently facing the Oklahoma City Thunder in the NBA Western Conference semifinals. "Eazewell is exactly that — a decisive solution to a very real problem."

The Los Angeles-based company uses AI to curate funeral options catered to each user's budgets and preferences. The platform assists with paperwork, budget planning, invitations and overlooked tasks such as canceling a deceased loved one's utility bills and social media accounts. Eazewell currently has 11 employees and has already tested its beta platform with more than 1,000 families.

Eazewell has not disclosed funding but has revenue agreements with partner services. The startup is also working on partnerships with finance and life insurance companies in the space. The service is free to use and does not have an ads component "at this stage," a company spokesperson said.

"We're trying to take the weight off people's shoulders as much as we can, and make this process so much easier for people," Walker told CNBC in a phone interview. Walker played college basketball with Beverly at the University of Connecticut.

Eazewell traces its origins to Westbrook and Beverly's high school days, when their friend and basketball teammate Khelcey Barrs III passed away unexpectedly from an enlarged heart. Westbrook commemorates Barrs to this day by wearing a bracelet with the initials "KB3" in every NBA game he plays and on his signature Jordan Why Not Zer0.6 "Khelcey Barrs" shoe.

"It's a reminder that life can change in an instant," Westbrook said. "You don't get to choose the moment, but you do get to choose how you respond."

The experience left a lasting effect on the two friends, Beverly said, but it wasn't until the death of Beverly's parents that he experienced funeral planning hurdles firsthand. Beverly said the experience was "messy" and "grueling."

Disillusioned and frustrated by the process after the death of his mother and father in 2016 and 2023, respectively, Beverly turned to his close friends to come up with the solution that became Eazewell.

"It just seems like the perfect time to really turn our shared pain into purpose," Beverly said.

One of Eazewell's most innovative features is its voice-activated AI agent that can gather cost quotes and call funeral homes on a user's behalf.

Recent advancements in AI have only recently made it possible to automate tasks and create agents that can manage these jobs in an empathetic and compassionate manner, said Viviane Ghaderi, Eazewell's tech chief and a former Amazon executive.

Stephen Stokols, an Eazewell investor and CEO of Tru Skye Ventures, an early-stage sports technology and wellness venture firm, said these "transformational" AI advancements helping bring the funeral industry out of the "dark ages" initially drew him to the project.

Walker said he hopes Eazewell can offer users the tools to navigate a topic that is not taught in school or early life.

"We know how important it is to have someone by your side to help with the details that come after a loss," Westbrook said.

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Please don’t let this be a scam that tarnishes Kemba’s spotless reputation…

Source

 

All-Interview Results:

1st Team All-Interview:

• Steph Curry (Top 2 finisher)
• Kevin Durant (Top 2 finisher)
• Giannis Antetokounmpo
• Donovan Mitchell
• Draymond Green

2nd Team All-Interview:

• Mike Conley
• Tyrese Haliburton
• Bam Adebayo
• Josh Hart
• Damian Lillard

 

Other 15 Finalists:

• Paolo Banchero
• Cade Cunningham
• DeMar DeRozan
• Donte DiVincenz
• Anthony Edwards
• Rudy Gobert
• Al Horford
• Kyrie Irving
• C.J. McCollum
• Tyrese Maxey
• Georges Niang
• Kristaps Porzingis
• Austin Reaves
• Fred VanVleet
• Victor Wembanyama

 

What it is:

The All-Interview team, once a staple of the NBA’s official slate of awards, was discontinued after the 2003-04 season. The PBWA is bringing it back now, as a way to recognize the players who consistently provide the insights, details and depth that bring our stories to life, while meeting (or exceeding) their mandated media obligations.

“We’re thrilled to revive the All-Interview team and pleased to have the league’s support in bringing it back,” said PBWA president Howard Beck. “You can’t tell great stories without great interviews. We’re truly grateful to the players who make our jobs more enjoyable and our stories more illuminating.”

More than four dozen players were nominated by PBWA members. Twenty-five finalists were selected by a PBWA subcommittee to create the official ballot, which was voted on by the entire membership. Players received two points for every first-team vote and one point for every second-team vote.

for me my pick would have to be the George king one played back in like the 60s and one played in 2018 but people are never talking about George king so who do you think?

This 2020s, there is no dynasty so far. From 2020 - 2024, we have 5 different champions (Lakers, Bucks, Warriors, Nuggets, Celtics)

That shows parity in this decade. Even this 2025 playoffs, we are never sure who will make the Finals. (Not unlike when we knew GSW and Cavs would always meet in the Finals in Mid 2010s)

But if you will guess, which team will be the next dynasty, what team is it?

My answer is... SPURS

Core: Wemby, Sochan, Vassell, Castle, (2 incoming Lotto Picks in 2025 draft), Fox

If they need a second star, they could potentially trade fox and other assets.

If there will be a new dynasty in 2030s. I think it will be the SAS.

What do you think?

PS:

This is because of Wemby (Barring Injuries) who is hyped as the best Generational Prospect since Lebron.

Shai's full statline: 34 PTS, 4 REB, 8 AST, 2 TOV, 3 PF, 11-13 FG, 1-2 3P, 11-11 FT, +51

Shai's +51 is the best ever in the NBA playoffs.

Good bounce back game for OKC after a game one L.

Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401769821

[Edit: reformatted]

‘19-’20 Raptors lose to the Celtics in the 2nd rd

‘20-'21 Lakers lose to the Suns in the 1st rd

‘21-'22 Bucks lose to the Celtics in the 2nd rd

‘22-'23 Warriors lose to the Lakers in the 2nd rd

‘23-'24 Nuggets lose to the Wolves in the 2nd rd

‘24-'25 Celtics ??

If the Knicks can defeat the Celtics the trend will continue. Also the Celtics will have tasted their own medicine (defeating the defending champions twice in this period)

Build me a simple 10 man rotation with nobody taller than 6'9". Ben Wallace would definitely be my 5, dray at the 4. Would love to have like a Gary Payton to lock down at the 1, or another pg who was like 6'5 for smaller who could ball out on D.

Habemus papam r/NBA. Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost has been elected to head the Catholic Church under the name Leo XIV. He is the first pope to hail from the United States. A once again historic conclave wrapped up just like that. And for 14 NBA teams in the 2026 NBA playoffs, they better begin saying their prayers, for they will be unfortunate to face one team... the Knicks.

You see, the result of the conclave has had this one correlation with the NBA since 2005. An NBA team that has a star player from the same country as the new pope will make the NBA Finals the year after the new pope seats in the Vatican.

Benedict XVI - Germany - elected in 2005 : Dirk Nowitzki - Germany - played in the 2006 NBA Finals

Francis - Argentina - elected in 2013 : Manu Ginobili - Argentina - played in the 2014 NBA Finals

Leo XIV - American - Villanova alumni - elected in 2025 : Jalen Brunson - American - Villanova alumni - ?

Now granted, I had to stretch this conspiracy to the alma mater of the new pope because it would discredit my tinfoil hat mind to include all of the American NBA players, and the Spurs made the NBA Finals the same year Francis came in, but this is my crackhead conspiracy and I can make shit up.

Congrats to the New York Knicks on winning the 2026 Eastern Conference Championship! Unless of course, Leon Rose or Gersson Rosas pulls a Nico. I've also got my eye on you, James.

So far, with this trend-on-hold, the teams in question are 1-1, with Francis taking the W, and Benedict XVI taking the L.

Playoff Leaders in 4th Quarter Points Per Game:

1. Brunson (10.8)
2. SGA (8.3)
3. Mitchell (8.0)
4. Banchero (7.8)
5. Butler (7.6)

Full List Here

Teams are still leaving him and probably should be, but in games where the margins have all been one possession he is punishing teams just enough for scheming against him

This was inspired by the post defending Tatum while listing this award

It’s not about him though, just got me wondering since many people seemed to not respect it because it’s new and even people comparing it to an in season tournament championship

But looking at it, is it not kind of a prestigious award? It’s given to the best player on a Finals bound team, it should certainly hold more weight than an All-Star appearance for example

What does everyone think?

Source: https://www.espn.com/nba/boxscore/_/gameId/401769821

17/8/6, 6 TO’s, 46.7 TS%

Tough night for 3x MVP. The Nuggets get dominated in game 2.

Golden State's Stephen Curry has sustained a Grade 1 left hamstring strain and will be ruled out for Game 2 against Minnesota on Thursday, sources tell ESPN. It's the first strained muscle of Curry's career, so exact return timetable is unclear due to first rehab like this.

Source

Source

The source is paywalled but here's some interesting excerpts although the whole interview is great

“In the season when everybody’s talking s—, I have the power to go out on the court and change people’s opinions,” Haliburton said. “With the Olympics, what could I do? I wasn’t playing, so there was only so much response I could give you. And I think that I just got consumed with the negativity of people talking s—.”

Waiting to be cleared for on-court work again, Haliburton spent the rest of the summer dwelling on the Olympics clowning. When his performances became inconsistent at the start of the new season, his propensity for reading all sorts of online criticism became overwhelming.

“I got consumed with it to the point where I stopped seeking it, and that was a negative for me, because that’s not who I am,” he said. “I didn’t want to tackle things head-on. I didn’t want to look at myself in the mirror. I was just trying to almost run from the spotlight. I’ve always been a guy who pushed into that and I love being in that, so it was a weird feeling. I’ve never felt that insecurity before, and that was a reality check for me.”

---

Haliburton credits Embiid and Tatum for “keeping it 100” conversations that helped him build that immunity to rejection. Embiid, who has been subject to ridicule as he fails to stay healthy, has been texting with Haliburton throughout the postseason, imploring him to shoot the ball more.

“At some point, worrying about what my peers think only holds so much weight. I think my peers (whom) I really respect, that changes things,” Haliburton said. “For that poll, there’s no names to faces, it’s all anonymous. Having relationships with guys like Jayson and Joel, who are guys that I know at the top of the game, them being honest with me, that’s important. I respect their opinions more than anybody.”

They had a complete roster that complemented Luka and Kyrie skill set perfectly. Assuming Luka is still there and Kyrie doesn’t tear his ACL, the original team could have been the favorites in the West based on how things are playing out currently.

The Celtics would still be a matchup problem but they may not even make it the finals this year.

Playoffs is all about matchups and Mavs roster + experience would have put them over any other team still remaining in the West. I think Clippers would have been a tough matchup though.

From the East, I would favor original Mavs over current Knicks & Pacers. It would be a great series vs Cavs and perhaps they would be underdogs vs Celtics. I think they would have had a legitimate chance to beat any team though and win a chip.

Post-trade Mavs even with healthy AD & Kyrie (but minus Luka and Grimes), loses in second round. They could have beat some teams like Grizzlies, Lakers, maybe Rockets but would likely lose to the remaining teams in the playoffs.

May 8, 2025 – Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant headline the inaugural NBA All-Interview team, which honors the players who are consistently thoughtful, insightful and engaging with the media, the Professional Basketball Writers Association announced today.

Curry, of the Golden State Warriors, and Durant, of the Phoenix Suns, were the top finishers in a vote of PBWA members and are joined on the 2024-25 All-Interview first team by Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Donovan Mitchell of the Cleveland Cavaliers and Draymond Green of the Warriors.

Making the All-Interview second team are Mike Conley Jr. of the Minnesota Timberwolves, Tyrese Haliburton of the Indiana Pacers, Bam Adebayo of the Miami Heat, Josh Hart of the New York Knicks and Damian Lillard of the Bucks.

The All-Interview team, once a staple of the NBA’s official slate of awards, was discontinued after the 2003-04 season. The PBWA is bringing it back now, as a way to recognize the players who consistently provide the insights, details and depth that bring our stories to life, while meeting (or exceeding) their mandated media obligations.

“We’re thrilled to revive the All-Interview team and pleased to have the league’s support in bringing it back,” said PBWA president Howard Beck. “You can’t tell great stories without great interviews. We’re truly grateful to the players who make our jobs more enjoyable and our stories more illuminating.”

More than four dozen players were nominated by PBWA members. Twenty-five finalists were selected by a PBWA subcommittee to create the official ballot, which was voted on by the entire membership. Players received two points for every first-team vote and one point for every second-team vote.

The other 15 finalists, in alphabetical order, were: Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic), Cade Cunningham (Detroit Pistons), DeMar DeRozan (Sacramento Kings), Donte DiVincenzo (Minnesota Timberwolves), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves), Rudy Gobert (Minnesota Timberwolves), Al Horford (Boston Celtics), Kyrie Irving (Dallas Mavericks), C.J. McCollum (New Orleans Pelicans), Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers), Georges Niang (Cleveland Cavaliers/Atlanta Hawks), Kristaps Porzingis (Boston Celtics), Austin Reaves (Los Angeles Lakers), Fred VanVleet (Houston Rockets) and Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs).

The All-Interview team joins the PBWA’s three longstanding appreciation awards:

• The Magic Johnson Award, presented annually since 2000-01, honors the NBA player who best combines excellence on the court with cooperation and grace in dealing with the media and fans.

  • The Rudy Tomjanovich Award, launched in 2010-11, honors an NBA head coach for his cooperation with the media and fans, as well as his excellence on the court.

• The Brian McIntyre Award, launched in 2006-07, is presented to the team media-relations staff that best exemplifies standards of professionalism and excellence.

The 2024-25 honorees for all three awards will be announced later this month.

The PBWA is composed of more than 200 writers and editors who cover the NBA regularly for newspapers, magazines and online news outlets.>

source: https://probasketballwriters.org/pbwa-relaunches-all-interview-team-curry-durant-and-antetokounmpo-among-honorees/

I’m not a Knicks fan but if that isn’t evidence of mental toughness and a never-say-die attitude, then I don’t know what is.

We have had so many wild games in these playoffs, with huge momentum swings and crazy finishes, and those are really the type of games where toughness and composure matter the most.

I’m going to have mad respect for whichever teams make it through this gauntlet.

Shai with his best game of the playoffs helps OKC tie the series 1-1. Jokic didn't have a good game, very uncharacteristic from him. The Thunder were able to play very physical against him and made him work for every bucket he got.

source: Thunder 149-106 Nuggets (May 7, 2025) Final Score - ESPN

I watched all his buckets from the other night. Aside from two, he uses the same pattern every drive:

Fast first step. Fast drive, yet somehow he still can stop on a dime. He’ll get the defender flying backwards via their momentum. He pushes slightly with his off-arm for even more space and now he has a wide open shot. That’s why there’s always so much space when the shot goes up.

He’s elite athletically with the first step, acceleration and stopping on a dime at such high rate of speed. Most players are lucky to be able to do even one of those things as well as SGA, let alone combining all of them

It’s a chain reaction and he strings them all together perfectly. That’s what makes him different. Not to mention, he’s great at reads and I think he already knows what spot he’s going to shoot from in advance. Like Kawhi. Very little wasted movement.

Not praise or criticism and not a ground-breaking bball style. Just an observation from someone who loves mechanics. What do ya’ll think? Am I just stating the obvious?

Best, - Warriors in 4

EDIT : link to compilation I was watching