Nike Made $80 Million On Sales of Air Jordan 11 Legend Blue

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According to SportScanInfo, Nike made $80 million dollars as a result of selling close to 480,000 pairs of Air Jordan 11 Legend Blue sneakers in an estimated three hour window that coincided with the shoe’s online and in-store release. To put that in perspective, there are businesses in Oregon whose annual sales fail to clear the $80 million mark. Nike has raised the bar yet again with the conclusion of this year’s holiday Jordan 11 release. The anticipation now begins to build for next year’s traditional Jordan 11 holiday drop.

Detroit Pistons waive Josh Smith

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The Detroit Pistons on Monday waived veteran forward Josh Smith, who still had two years and at least $26 million remaining on his contract after this season.

The 29-year-old Smith was averaging 13.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists per game this season.

“Our team has not performed the way we had expected throughout the first third of the season and adjustments need to be made in terms of our focus and direction,” coach and team president Stan Van Gundy said in a statement.

“We are shifting priorities to aggressively develop our younger players while also expanding the roles of other players in the current rotation to improve performance and build for our future. As we expand certain roles, others will be reduced. In fairness to Josh, being a highly versatile 10-year veteran in this league, we feel it’s best to give him his freedom to move forward. We have full respect for Josh as a player and a person.”

If Smith clears waivers over the next 48 hours, he will have the right to go elsewhere as a free agent. By choosing to waive Smith now, Detroit will have to pay off what is owed to Smith beyond this season, but the Pistons can reduce the yearly hit to the $5 million range over the next few years with the NBA’s stretch provision.

NBA front-office sources told ESPN.com’s Marc Stein that the Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers are among the teams that will have interest in Smith when he clears waivers Wednesday.

As ESPN.com reported in both June and July, Sacramento tried to tried for Smith, offering various packages that included the likes of Jason Thompson, Derrick Williams and Carl Landry. The Pistons ultimately resisted all such overtures.

Smith was on pace to be the first NBA player to shoot below 40 percent on field goals and below 50 percent on free-throw attempts while taking at least 12 shots per game, according to ESPN Stats & Information.

The Pistons acquired Smith as a free agent after the 2012-13 season. In 105 games with Detroit, he averaged 15.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists.

Smith was drafted with the 17th overall selection in the 2004 NBA draft by the Atlanta Hawks.

David Banner (@THEREALBANNER) Message to America on Sway in the Morning

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David Banner swings by Sway in the Morning to speak his mind. He has a message to our culture and gives us tips and a probable solution.

“How can black people be held accountable for things they do, when they don’t know what they’re doing.” Says Banner. “We don’t know why we hate ourselves. We don’t know why we’re doing what we do.”

Further more, he suggests to have a strong “Knowledge of self” and tells us to “create our own. Distribute our own, and buy our own.” While comparing ourselves to the “White Supremacy.”

Utah To Unveil the Largest US Ski Resort

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Utah is set to become home to the largest ski resort in the US, with a $50 million injection that will include a high-speed, two-way gondola that connects Park City Mountain Resort and the neighboring slopes of Canyons Resort.

In total, that means that skiers will have access to more than 7,300 acres of terrain.

The project is being called “one of the most ambitious and impactful plans undertaken at any resort in US ski history” by parent company and mountain resort operator Vail Resorts.

If the plan receives regulatory approval, the money would first go towards building an “Interconnect Gondola,” an eight-passenger ride that would start at the base of Park City at Silverlode Lift, going to the Flatiron Lift at Canyons.

Existing lifts would be upgraded to increase passenger capacity and reduce crowding. Money would also go towards expanding and upgrading resort restaurants with increased seating as well as improving maintenance and upgrades to snowmaking equipment.

The project is scheduled to be complete for the 2015-2016 ski season.

Under the new scheme, the unified resort would be named ‘Park City Mountain Resort’ and the Canyons base area renamed ‘Canyons at Park City.’

Robb Report Acquired For $60 Million by Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert

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Cleveland Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert has purchased the Robb Report, ending months of negotiations over the 38-year-old magazine for the ultra rich. The billionaire, who made the deal through his Rockbridge Growth Equity, is said to have paid around $60 million for a majority stake in one-magazine company CurtCo Robb Report. The negotiations, which The Post first reported in May, dragged on in part because CurtCo CEO Bill Curtis wanted to run magazine for new owners. The deal will keep Curtis involved as a minority partner and his management team in place. Investment partners, including GE Capital, TD Bank and Western Presidio, have been bought out. “We have been nicely capitalized and our debt has been reduced to a small faction of what it was,” Curtis said in an e-mail to the Malibu, Calif.-based staff. – Read more Via NYPOST

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