title: Dinosaur

text: The possibility that dinosaurs were the ancestors of birds was first suggested in 1868 by Thomas Henry Huxley. After the work of Gerhard Heilmann in the early 20th century, the theory of birds as dinosaur descendants was abandoned in favor of the idea of them being descendants of generalized thecodonts, with the key piece of evidence being the supposed lack of clavicles in dinosaurs. However, as later discoveries showed, clavicles (or a single fused wishbone, which derived from separate clavicles) were not actually absent; they had been found as early as 1924 in "Oviraptor", but misidentified as an interclavicle. In the 1970s, Ostrom revived the dinosaur–bird theory, which gained momentum in the coming decades with the advent of cladistic analysis, and a great increase in the discovery of small theropods and early birds. Of particular note have been the fossils of the Yixian Formation, where a variety of theropods and early birds have been found, often with feathers of some type. Birds share over a hundred distinct anatomical features with theropod dinosaurs, which are now generally accepted to have been their closest ancient relatives. They are most closely allied with maniraptoran coelurosaurs. A minority of scientists, most notably Alan Feduccia and Larry Martin, have proposed other evolutionary paths, including revised versions of Heilmann's basal archosaur proposal, or that maniraptoran theropods are the ancestors of birds but themselves are not dinosaurs, only convergent with dinosaurs.


title: Dinosaur

text: Feathers are one of the most recognizable characteristics of modern birds, and a trait that was also shared by several non-avian dinosaurs. Based on the current distribution of fossil evidence, it appears that feathers were an ancestral dinosaurian trait, though one that may have been selectively lost in some species. Direct fossil evidence of feathers or feather-like structures has been discovered in a diverse array of species in many non-avian dinosaur groups, both among saurischians and ornithischians. Simple, branched, feather-like structures are known from heterodontosaurids, primitive neornithischians, and theropods, and primitive ceratopsians. Evidence for true, vaned feathers similar to the flight feathers of modern birds has been found only in the theropod subgroup Maniraptora, which includes oviraptorosaurs, troodontids, dromaeosaurids, and birds. Feather-like structures known as pycnofibres have also been found in pterosaurs, suggesting the possibility that feather-like filaments may have been common in the bird lineage and evolved before the appearance of dinosaurs themselves. Research into the genetics of American alligators has also revealed that crocodylian scutes do possess feather-keratins during embryonic development, but these keratins are not expressed by the animals before hatching.


title: Dinosaur

text: "Archaeopteryx" was the first fossil found that revealed a potential connection between dinosaurs and birds. It is considered a transitional fossil, in that it displays features of both groups. Brought to light just two years after Charles Darwin's seminal "On the Origin of Species" (1859), its discovery spurred the nascent debate between proponents of evolutionary biology and creationism. This early bird is so dinosaur-like that, without a clear impression of feathers in the surrounding rock, at least one specimen was mistaken for the small theropod "Compsognathus". Since the 1990s, a number of additional feathered dinosaurs have been found, providing even stronger evidence of the close relationship between dinosaurs and modern birds. Most of these specimens were unearthed in the lagerstätte of the Yixian Formation, Liaoning, northeastern China, which was part of an island continent during the Cretaceous. Though feathers have been found in only a few locations, it is possible that non-avian dinosaurs elsewhere in the world were also feathered. The lack of widespread fossil evidence for feathered non-avian dinosaurs may be because delicate features like skin and feathers are seldom preserved by fossilization and thus often absent from the fossil record.


title: Dinosaur

text: The description of feathered dinosaurs has not been without controversy; perhaps the most vocal critics have been Alan Feduccia and Theagarten Lingham-Soliar, who have proposed that some purported feather-like fossils are the result of the decomposition of collagenous fiber that underlaid the dinosaurs' skin, and that maniraptoran dinosaurs with vaned feathers were not actually dinosaurs, but convergent with dinosaurs. However, their views have for the most part not been accepted by other researchers, to the point that the scientific nature of Feduccia's proposals has been questioned.


title: Dinosaur

text: Because feathers are often associated with birds, feathered dinosaurs are often touted as the missing link between birds and dinosaurs. However, the multiple skeletal features also shared by the two groups represent another important line of evidence for paleontologists. Areas of the skeleton with important similarities include the neck, pubis, wrist (semi-lunate carpal), arm and pectoral girdle, furcula (wishbone), and breast bone. Comparison of bird and dinosaur skeletons through cladistic analysis strengthens the case for the link.


title: Dinosaur

text: Large meat-eating dinosaurs had a complex system of air sacs similar to those found in modern birds, according to a 2005 investigation led by Patrick M. O'Connor. The lungs of theropod dinosaurs (carnivores that walked on two legs and had bird-like feet) likely pumped air into hollow sacs in their skeletons, as is the case in birds. "What was once formally considered unique to birds was present in some form in the ancestors of birds", O'Connor said. In 2008, scientists described "Aerosteon riocoloradensis", the skeleton of which supplies the strongest evidence to date of a dinosaur with a bird-like breathing system. CT scanning of "Aerosteon"'s fossil bones revealed evidence for the existence of air sacs within the animal's body cavity.


title: Dinosaur

text: Fossils of the troodonts "Mei" and "Sinornithoides" demonstrate that some dinosaurs slept with their heads tucked under their arms. This behavior, which may have helped to keep the head warm, is also characteristic of modern birds. Several deinonychosaur and oviraptorosaur specimens have also been found preserved on top of their nests, likely brooding in a bird-like manner. The ratio between egg volume and body mass of adults among these dinosaurs suggest that the eggs were primarily brooded by the male, and that the young were highly precocial, similar to many modern ground-dwelling birds.


title: Dinosaur

text: Some dinosaurs are known to have used gizzard stones like modern birds. These stones are swallowed by animals to aid digestion and break down food and hard fibers once they enter the stomach. When found in association with fossils, gizzard stones are called gastroliths.


title: Dinosaur

text: All non-avian dinosaurs and most lineages of birds became extinct in a mass extinction event, called the Cretaceous–Paleogene (K-Pg) extinction event, at the end of the Cretaceous period. Above the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary, which has been dated to 66.038 ± 0.025 million years ago, fossils of non-avian dinosaurs disappear abruptly; the absence of dinosaur fossils was historically used to assign rocks to the ensuing Cenozoic. The nature of the event that caused this mass extinction has been extensively studied since the 1970s, leading to the development of two mechanisms that are thought to have played major roles: an extraterrestrial impact event in the Yucatán Peninsula, along with flood basalt volcanism in India. However, the specific mechanisms of the extinction event and the extent of its effects on dinosaurs are still areas of ongoing research. Alongside dinosaurs, many other groups of animals became extinct: pterosaurs, marine reptiles such as mosasaurs and plesiosaurs, several groups of mammals, ammonites (nautilus-like mollusks), rudists (reef-building bivalves), and various groups of marine plankton. In all, approximately 47% of genera and 76% of species on Earth became extinct during the K-Pg extinction event. The relatively large size of most dinosaurs and the low diversity of small-bodied dinosaur species at the end of the Cretaceous may have contributed to their extinction; the extinction of the bird lineages that did not survive may also have been caused by a dependence on forest habitats or a lack of adaptations to eating seeds for survival.


title: Dinosaur

text: Just before the K-Pg extinction event, the number of non-avian dinosaur species that existed globally has been estimated at between 628 and 1078. It remains uncertain whether the diversity of dinosaurs was in gradual decline before the K-Pg extinction event, or whether dinosaurs were actually thriving prior to the extinction. Rock formations from the Maastrichtian epoch, which directly preceded the extinction, have been found to have lower diversity than the preceding Campanian epoch, which led to the prevailing view of a long-term decline in diversity. However, these comparisons did not account either for varying preservation potential between rock units or for different extents of exploration and excavation. In 1984, Dale Russell carried out an analysis to account for these biases, and found no evidence of a decline; another analysis by David Fastovsky and colleagues in 2004 even showed that dinosaur diversity continually increased until the extinction, but this analysis has been rebutted. Since then, different approaches based on statistics and mathematical models have variously supported either a sudden extinction or a gradual decline. End-Cretaceous trends in diversity may have varied between dinosaur lineages: it has been suggested that sauropods were not in decline, while ornithischians and theropods were in decline.


title: Dinosaur

text: The bolide impact hypothesis, first brought to wide attention in 1980 by Walter Alvarez, Luis Alvarez, and colleagues, attributes the K-Pg extinction event to a bolide (extraterrestrial projectile) impact. Alvarez and colleagues proposed that a sudden increase in iridium levels, recorded around the world in rock deposits at the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary, was direct evidence of the impact. Shocked quartz, indicative of a strong shockwave emanating from an impact, was also found worldwide. The actual impact site remained elusive until a crater measuring wide was discovered in the Yucatán Peninsula of southeastern Mexico, and was publicized in a 1991 paper by Alan Hildebrand and colleagues. Now, the bulk of the evidence suggests that a bolide wide impacted the Yucatán Peninsula 66 million years ago, forming this crater and creating a "kill mechanism" that triggered the extinction event.


title: Dinosaur

text: Within hours, the Chicxulub impact would have created immediate effects such as earthquakes, tsunamis, and a global firestorm that likely killed unsheltered animals and started wildfires. However, it would also have had longer-term consequences for the environment. Within days, sulphate aerosols released from rocks at the impact site would have contributed to acid rain and ocean acidification. Soot aerosols are thought to have spread around the world over the ensuing months and years; they would have cooled the surface of the Earth by reflecting thermal radiation, and greatly slowed photosynthesis by blocking out sunlight, thus creating an impact winter. (This role was ascribed to sulphate aerosols until experiments demonstrated otherwise.) The cessation of photosynthesis would have led to the collapse of food webs depending on leafy plants, which included all dinosaurs save for grain-eating birds.


title: Dinosaur

text: At the time of the K-Pg extinction, the Deccan Traps flood basalts of India were actively erupting. The eruptions can be separated into three phases around the K-Pg boundary, two prior to the boundary and one after. The second phase, which occurred very close to the boundary, would have extruded 70 to 80% of the volume of these eruptions in intermittent pulses that occurred around 100,000 years apart. Greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide and sulphur dioxide would have been released by this volcanic activity, resulting in climate change through temperature perturbations of roughly but possibly as high as . Like the Chicxulub impact, the eruptions may also have released sulphate aerosols, which would have caused acid rain and global cooling. However, due to large error margins in the dating of the eruptions, the role of the Deccan Traps in the K-Pg extinction remains unclear.


title: Dinosaur

text: Before 2000, arguments that the Deccan Traps eruptions—as opposed to the Chicxulub impact—caused the extinction were usually linked to the view that the extinction was gradual. Prior to the discovery of the Chicxulub crater, the Deccan Traps were used to explain the global iridium layer; even after the crater's discovery, the impact was still thought to only have had a regional, not global, effect on the extinction event. In response, Luis Alvarez rejected volcanic activity as an explanation for the iridium layer and the extinction as a whole. Since then, however, most researchers have adopted a more moderate position, which identifies the Chicxulub impact as the primary progenitor of the extinction while also recognizing that the Deccan Traps may also have played a role. Walter Alvarez himself has acknowledged that the Deccan Traps and other ecological factors may have contributed to the extinctions in addition to the Chicxulub impact. Some estimates have placed the start of the second phase in the Deccan Traps eruptions within 50,000 years after the Chicxulub impact. Combined with mathematical modelling of the seismic waves that would have been generated by the impact, this has led to the suggestion that the Chicxulub impact may have triggered these eruptions by increasing the permeability of the mantle plume underlying the Deccan Traps.


title: Dinosaur

text: Whether the Deccan Traps were a major cause of the extinction, on par with the Chicxulub impact, remains uncertain. Proponents consider the climatic impact of the sulphur dioxide released to have been on par with the Chicxulub impact, and also note the role of flood basalt volcanism in other mass extinctions like the Permian-Triassic extinction event. They consider the Chicxulub impact to have worsened the ongoing climate change caused by the eruptions. Meanwhile, detractors point out the sudden nature of the extinction and that other pulses in Deccan Traps activity of comparable magnitude did not appear to have caused extinctions. They also contend that the causes of different mass extinctions should be assessed separately. In 2020, Alfio Chiarenza and colleagues suggested that the Deccan Traps may even have had the opposite effect: they suggested that the long-term warming caused by its carbon dioxide emissions may have dampened the impact winter from the Chicxulub impact.


title: Dinosaur

text: Non-avian dinosaur remains have occasionally been found above the K-Pg boundary. In 2000, Spencer Lucas and colleagues reported the discovery of a single hadrosaur right femur in the San Juan Basin of New Mexico, and described it as evidence of Paleocene dinosaurs. The rock unit in which the bone was discovered has been dated to the early Paleocene epoch, approximately 64.8 million years ago. If the bone was not re-deposited by weathering action, it would provide evidence that some dinosaur populations may have survived at least half a million years into the Cenozoic. Other evidence includes the presence of dinosaur remains in the Hell Creek Formation up to above the Cretaceous–Paleogene boundary, representing 40,000 years of elapsed time. This has been used to support the view that the K-Pg extinction was gradual. However, these supposed Paleocene dinosaurs are considered by many other researchers to be reworked, that is, washed out of their original locations and then re-buried in younger sediments. The age estimates have also been considered unreliable.


title: Dinosaur

text: By human standards, dinosaurs were creatures of fantastic appearance and often enormous size. As such, they have captured the popular imagination and become an enduring part of human culture. The entry of the word "dinosaur" into the common vernacular reflects the animals' cultural importance: in English, "dinosaur" is commonly used to describe anything that is impractically large, obsolete, or bound for extinction.


title: Dinosaur

text: Public enthusiasm for dinosaurs first developed in Victorian England, where in 1854, three decades after the first scientific descriptions of dinosaur remains, a menagerie of lifelike dinosaur sculptures was unveiled in London's Crystal Palace Park. The Crystal Palace dinosaurs proved so popular that a strong market in smaller replicas soon developed. In subsequent decades, dinosaur exhibits opened at parks and museums around the world, ensuring that successive generations would be introduced to the animals in an immersive and exciting way. The enduring popularity of dinosaurs, in its turn, has resulted in significant public funding for dinosaur science, and has frequently spurred new discoveries. In the United States, for example, the competition between museums for public attention led directly to the Bone Wars of the 1880s and 1890s, during which a pair of feuding paleontologists made enormous scientific contributions.


title: Dinosaur

text: The popular preoccupation with dinosaurs has ensured their appearance in literature, film, and other media. Beginning in 1852 with a passing mention in Charles Dickens "Bleak House", dinosaurs have been featured in large numbers of fictional works. Jules Verne's 1864 novel "Journey to the Center of the Earth", Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 1912 book "The Lost World", the 1914 animated film "Gertie the Dinosaur" (featuring the first animated dinosaur), the iconic 1933 film "King Kong", the 1954 "Godzilla" and its many sequels, the best-selling 1990 novel "Jurassic Park" by Michael Crichton and its 1993 film adaptation are just a few notable examples of dinosaur appearances in fiction. Authors of general-interest non-fiction works about dinosaurs, including some prominent paleontologists, have often sought to use the animals as a way to educate readers about science in general. Dinosaurs are ubiquitous in advertising; numerous companies have referenced dinosaurs in printed or televised advertisements, either in order to sell their own products or in order to characterize their rivals as slow-moving, dim-witted, or obsolete.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Kyrie Andrew Irving (; , ; born March 23, 1992) is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named the Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft. A seven-time All-Star and three-time member of the All-NBA Team, he won an NBA championship with the Cavaliers in 2016.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving played college basketball for the Duke Blue Devils before joining the Cavaliers in 2011. He won the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award for the 2014 All-Star Game. In the 2016 NBA Finals, Irving made the championship-winning three-point field goal to complete the Cavaliers' historic comeback over the Golden State Warriors. After another Finals appearance in 2017, Irving requested a trade and was dealt to the Boston Celtics. He played as a Celtic for two seasons, after which he signed with the Brooklyn Nets as a free agent in 2019. He has also played for the United States national team, with which he won gold at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. In February 2020, he was elected vice-president of the National Basketball Players Association, replacing Pau Gasol.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Throughout his career, Irving has promoted numerous conspiracy theories. His refusal to get the COVID-19 vaccine led to him missing the majority of games in the 2021–2022 NBA season. Some of these conspiracies, including support of the movie "", have been characterized as antisemitic.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: He has written, directed and acted in a number of advertisements as the role of "Uncle Drew", which became a feature film in 2018. He has starred as himself in "Kickin' It" (2012) and has done voicework in "We Bare Bears" (2016) and "Family Guy" (2018).


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving was born in Melbourne, Australia, on March 23, 1992; the son of Drederick Irving and Elizabeth (née Larson) Irving, American expatriates. He has an older sister, Asia, and a younger sister, London. His father, Drederick, played college basketball at Boston University alongside Shawn Teague (father of Jeff and Marquis Teague) and under coach Rick Pitino. After completing his college career, Irving's father moved to Australia to play professionally for the Bulleen Boomers in the SEABL. Irving and his family lived in the Melbourne suburb of Kew before relocating to the United States when he was two years old. He holds dual American and Australian citizenship. Although he was born left-handed, Irving was discouraged from using his left hand while he studied in a Catholic school in 1996.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: His mother, who was African American and Lakota, died of an illness when he was four, and Drederick raised him along with the help of Irving's aunts. In 2004, Irving's father remarried, to Shetellia Riley, who as of March 2022 is Kyrie Irving's agent. Irving is an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving grew up in West Orange, New Jersey, where he frequently attended his father's adult-league games. His inspiration to play in the NBA came after playing at Continental Airlines Arena during a school trip in fourth grade, when he declared, "I will play in the NBA, I promise." Due to his father's connection to Boston University, Irving spent a lot of time in Boston, including at BU's basketball skills camp. Irving said that in fifth grade, he was offered a scholarship to Boston University by then-head coach Dennis Wolff. As a teenager, Irving played for the Road Runners of the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving played for Montclair Kimberley Academy in his freshman and sophomore years in high school. He averaged 26.5 points, 10.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds, and 3.6 steals and became only the second 1,000 point scorer in the school's history. In his sophomore year, he led MKA to its first New Jersey Prep 'B' state title. After that year, he transferred to St. Patrick High School because he felt he needed a bigger challenge. He had to sit out the first 30 days of St. Patrick's season due to the transfer. At St. Patrick, Irving played with Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, who was widely regarded as one of the best players in the class of 2011.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In his first season, Irving averaged 17.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 6.0 assists and 2.0 steals per game, and led the team to its third New Jersey Tournament of Champions title in four years. In August 2009, he led the USA East to the tournament title in the Nike Global Challenge. He was the MVP with 21.3 points and 4.3 assists per game. The next year, St. Patrick was banned from the state tournament for holding practice prior to the permitted start of the winter sports season. St. Patrick went 24–3 and won the Union County Tournament championship as he finished his senior year with 24.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On January 19, 2010, Irving was selected to the 2010 Junior National Select Team. The team played at the 2010 Nike Hoop Summit at the Rose Garden in Portland, Oregon, on April 10. He was also selected to play in the 2010 McDonald's All-American Game and the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic, where he was named co-MVP with Harrison Barnes. In June 2010, Irving was a part of the United States gold medal-winning team at the FIBA Americas Under-18 Championship.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving committed to Duke on October 22, 2009, in a television broadcast on ESPNU. Irving played with the Blue Devils during the 2010–11 basketball season under the guidance of head coach Mike Krzyzewski. Through the first eight games of the season, he averaged 17.4 points per game on 53.2% shooting, 5.1 assists, 3.8 rebounds and 1.5 steals.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving was a strong contender for NCAA Freshman of the Year until he suffered a severe ligament injury in his right big toe during the ninth game of the season. On March 17, the day before Duke played Hampton in the first round of the NCAA tournament, he returned for his first game since his injury.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Duke advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament but fell to Arizona. Irving scored 28 points in what turned out to be his last game for Duke.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving announced that he would forgo his final three seasons of eligibility and enter the 2011 NBA draft, where he was selected with the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers. Irving was named to the 2012 Rising Stars Challenge, where he played for Team Chuck. Irving scored 34 points in the game, going 8-of-8 from three-point range, and earned MVP honors. He also won the 2012 NBA Rookie of the Year Award with 117 of a possible 120 first-place votes. He was the only unanimous selection to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. For the season, Irving averaged 18.5 points, 5.4 assists and shot 46.9% from the field, including 39.9% on three-pointers.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: While practicing with the Cavaliers in the NBA Summer League on July 14, 2012, Irving sustained a broken right hand after reportedly slapping it against a padded wall after committing a turnover. "I am a little disappointed", he said. "I have to be more responsible about my health. It was just crazy. It happened so fast." It was announced that Irving would require hand surgery on July 18.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: At the start of the 2012–13 NBA season, Irving injured his index finger in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks. He played in the Cavaliers' next game, but the injury forced him to miss three weeks of action. In his second game back, while donning a black protective face mask to protect a broken bone he suffered against Milwaukee, Irving scored his then career-high 41 points against the New York Knicks. He became the youngest player in NBA history to score 40 points in Madison Square Garden; he was a year younger than Michael Jordan, who did it in 1985.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: The coaches selected Irving to play in his first All-Star game. He finished with 15 points, four assists, and three rebounds. He also participated in the Rising Stars Challenge again, scoring 32 points for Team Shaq in a losing effort. Irving participated in the Three-Point Contest and recorded 23 points in the final round to win the event. He ended his second season with averages of 22.5 points, 5.9 assists, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.5 steals per game.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Fans chose Irving to be the starting point guard for the Eastern Conference in the 2014 NBA All-Star game. He was the All-Star game MVP, recording 31 points and 14 assists as the East beat the West 163–155.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On February 28, 2014, Irving recorded his first career triple-double with 21 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 99–79 win over the Utah Jazz. This was also the Cavaliers' first triple-double since March 16, 2010. On April 5, 2014, Irving recorded a then career-high 44 points in a 96–94 overtime loss to the Charlotte Bobcats. Irving averaged 20.8 points, 6.1 assists, 3.6 rebounds, and 1.5 steals on the season.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On July 10, 2014, Irving signed a five-year, $90 million contract extension with the Cavaliers. His contract extension came in the wake of LeBron James's return to Cleveland and Kevin Love's trade request from Minnesota, as the trio teamed up to start a new "Big Three" in Cleveland. After a shaky start to the season, in which they fell to a record of 5–7 after a November 22 loss to Toronto, the Cavaliers went on an eight-game winning streak during which Irving averaged 19.3 points per game, including a 37-point game against the New York Knicks on December 4.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: After their streak-ending loss on December 11 to Oklahoma City, the Cavaliers went on to win just five more games in December, finishing 2014 at 18–14. All of the new Big Three missed time during December, contributing to team's inconsistency and mediocre play. The Cavaliers began their 2015 schedule on January 2 as they snapped a three-game losing streak with Irving's help. He scored 23 points, and with Love's 27, the Cavaliers defeated the Charlotte Hornets, 91–87. The Cavaliers' next game, against Dallas on January 4, was a season low for Irving, who scored just six points before leaving in the third quarter with lower back tightness; the Cavaliers lost, 109–90. Irving missed the next game, against Philadelphia, before returning to action on January 7 against Houston to tie a then first-half career high of 23 points. He finished the game with a then season-high 38 points, but could not lead the Cavaliers to a win as they lost 105–93, the team's seventh loss in nine games.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: After a six-game losing streak between January 4 and 13 dropped the Cavaliers to 19–20, Irving and James led them on a 12-game winning streak to bring them back into contention. During the streak, Irving averaged 24.5 points per game, including a then career-high 55 points on January 28 against Portland. His 11 three-pointers in that game set a Cavaliers franchise record while his 55 points were the second-most in Cavaliers history (behind James's 56) and the most scored in a home game, as well as the most points scored in Quicken Loans Arena history. His 28 first-half points also set a new career high for points in a half.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On March 12, 2015, Irving scored a career-high 57 points, including a buzzer-beating three-point shot to send the Cavaliers into overtime, in a 128–125 win over the San Antonio Spurs. It was the most points for a player in a regular-season game against the defending champion since January 14, 1962, when Wilt Chamberlain scored 62 points for the Philadelphia Warriors in a loss to the Celtics. The effort also surpassed the Cavaliers' franchise single-game scoring mark of 56 points, set by LeBron James against the Toronto Raptors on March 3, 2005.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving helped the Cavaliers win 34 of their final 43 games to finish the regular season as the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with a 53–29 overall record. In his first career playoff game on April 19, Irving scored 30 points in a 113–100 win over the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their first-round playoff matchup. He went on to help the Cavaliers reach the NBA Finals for just the second time in franchise history despite missing two games in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Atlanta Hawks with a knee injury. After leaving Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors in the overtime period with a knee injury, Irving was ruled out for the rest of the series the following day with a fractured left kneecap that required surgery, sidelining him for three to four months. The team lost the series to the Warriors in six games.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On August 27, 2015, Irving was ruled unlikely to be ready for opening night of the 2015–16 season due to the left kneecap fracture he suffered in Game 1 of the 2015 NBA Finals. He made his season debut on December 20, scoring 12 points in 17 minutes as a starter against the Philadelphia 76ers. On January 6, he scored a season-high 32 points in a 121–115 win over the Washington Wizards. On February 8, he tied his season high of 32 points and tied his career high of 12 assists in a 120–100 win over the Sacramento Kings. Two days later, he topped his season high mark with 35 points in a 120–111 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: The Cavaliers finished the regular season as the first seed in the Eastern Conference with a 57–25 record. In the first round of the playoffs, the Cavaliers faced the eighth-seeded Detroit Pistons, and in a Game 1 win on April 17, Irving scored a playoff career-high 31 points. He tied that mark with another 31-point game in Game 4 of the series, helping the Cavaliers sweep the Pistons. The Cavaliers went on to breeze through the Eastern Conference playoffs with a 12–2 record to reach the 2016 NBA Finals, where they faced Golden State for the second straight year. Irving struggled with his shot in his debut Finals game, going 7-of-22 from the field for 26 points, as the Cavaliers were defeated 104–89 in Game 1. Facing a 3–1 deficit following a Game 4 loss, Irving and LeBron James took over in Game 5, each scoring 41 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 112–97 win, forcing a Game 6. Irving and James became the first teammates to each score 40 points in an NBA Finals game. In Game 7, Irving hit a three-pointer with 53 seconds left in the game that propelled the Cavaliers to a 92–89 lead and an eventual 93–89 win. The Cavaliers won the series 4–3 and became the first team to rally from a 3–1 Finals deficit, ending a 52-year major sports championship drought in Cleveland.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On October 25, 2016, after receiving his first championship ring prior to the season opener, Irving scored a game-high 29 points in a 117–88 win over the New York Knicks. Three days later, he scored 26 points and hit a go-ahead three-pointer with 44.3 seconds remaining to lift the Cavaliers to a 94–91 win over the Toronto Raptors. On November 27, he scored 19 of his then season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter of the Cavaliers' 112–108 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. On December 5, he had a career-high 10th straight game with at least 20 points, finishing with 24 points in a 116–112 win over the Toronto Raptors. On December 21, he had 31 points and a career-high 13 assists in a 113–102 win over the Milwaukee Bucks. On January 23, 2017, he scored 35 of his season-high 49 points in the second half of the Cavaliers' 124–122 loss to the New Orleans Pelicans—their fifth loss in seven games. On February 1, he set a new career high with 14 assists in a 125–97 win over the Minnesota Timberwolves. On March 3, he had a 43-point effort in a 135–130 win over the Atlanta Hawks. In the game, the Cavaliers set the NBA regular-season record with 25 three-pointers. On March 19, he had a 46-point effort in a 125–120 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. On April 9, he had a 45-point effort in a 126–125 overtime loss to Atlanta.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Boston Celtics, Irving scored a playoff career-high 42 points to lead the Cavaliers to a 112–99 win, taking a 3–1 lead in the series. With 24 points in Game 5 of the series, he helped the Cavaliers defeat the Celtics 135–102 to claim their third straight Eastern Conference title and a return trip to the NBA Finals. After going down 3–0 in the 2017 NBA Finals, Irving scored 40 points in Game 4 to help Cleveland extend the series and avoid a sweep with a 137–116 win over the Golden State Warriors. The Cavaliers went on to lose to the Warriors in Game 5, losing the series 4–1.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In July 2017, Irving requested the Cavaliers to trade him, reportedly wanting to be more of the focal point of his own team instead of continuing to play alongside LeBron James. The next month, on August 22, he was traded to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Isaiah Thomas, Jae Crowder, Ante Žižić, and the rights to the Brooklyn Nets' 2018 first-round draft pick (that ultimately turned into Collin Sexton). Eight days later, the Celtics agreed to send the Cavaliers a 2020 second-round draft pick via the Miami Heat to complete the trade, as compensation for Thomas' failed physical.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In his debut for the Celtics in their season opener against the Cavaliers on October 17, 2017, Irving had 22 points and 10 assists in a 102–99 loss. He had a chance to tie it with a 3-pointer at the horn but missed. On October 30, 2017, he scored 24 points for the third straight game in helping the Celtics defeat the San Antonio Spurs 108–94. It was the Celtics' first win over the Spurs since 2011. Irving's 128 points in his first six games as a Celtic were the most since Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen each had 131 in 2007. On November 6, 2017, he scored 35 points in a 110–107 win over the Atlanta Hawks, recording his first 30-point game as a Celtic while scoring more points (245) than any player in his first 11 games with Boston. With the win over Atlanta, the Celtics improved to 9–2 with nine straight wins, setting their longest winning streak in seven years.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On November 20, 2017, he scored 10 of his season-high 47 points in overtime as the Celtics rallied from a double-digit deficit to beat the Dallas Mavericks 110–102, extending their winning streak to 16 games. The streak ended at 16 games with a loss to the Miami Heat two days later. On January 21, 2018, he scored 40 points in a 103–95 loss to the Orlando Magic. The Celtics had accumulated a 34–10 record by mid-January, but their loss to Orlando was their season-worst third straight defeat. On January 27, 2018, he scored 37 points on 13-for-18 shooting with five 3-pointers in a 109–105 loss to the Golden State Warriors. On February 28, 2018, Irving helped the Celtics improve to 4–0 following the All-Star break with a 134–106 win over the Charlotte Hornets. Irving led Boston with 34 points, making 13 of 18 shots overall and going 4-for-6 from three-point range in the first three quarters. On March 24, 2018, he was ruled out for three to six weeks after undergoing a minimally-invasive procedure to remove a tension wire in his left knee. Less than two weeks later, he was ruled out for the entire postseason, with a recovery time of four to five months, after another procedure was scheduled to remove two screws from his patella that were inserted in 2015 to repair a fracture he suffered during that year's NBA Finals.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In the Celtics' season opener on October 16, Irving played in his first game since March and had seven points and seven assists in a 105–87 win over the Philadelphia 76ers. He missed his first nine attempts from the field and did not score until finally connecting on a pair of free throws early in the third quarter. On October 30, after averaging 14 points through the first six games, Irving scored 31 points in a 108–105 win over the Detroit Pistons. On November 8, he scored 18 of his then season-high 39 points in the fourth quarter and overtime of the Celtics' 116–109 win over the Phoenix Suns. On November 16, he recorded a season-high 43 points and 11 assists in a 123–116 overtime win over the Toronto Raptors. It marked his first ever game scoring at least 40 points with 10 or more assists, and became the first Celtics player to do so since Antoine Walker in 2001. On December 12, he scored 38 points in a 130–125 overtime win over the Washington Wizards. On December 25, he recorded 40 points and 10 rebounds in a 121–114 overtime win over the 76ers. On December 29, he scored 22 of his 26 points in the second half of the Celtics' 112–103 win over the Memphis Grizzlies. His 13 assists matched his season best and was one short of his career high. On January 16, he recorded 27 points and a career-high 18 assists in a 117–108 win over the Raptors.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On January 21, he had a career-high eight steals in a 107–99 win over the Miami Heat. On January 26, he recorded 32 points and 10 assists in a 115–111 loss to the Golden State Warriors. It was his 11th double-double with points and assists, becoming the first Celtic with 11 of that kind of double-double since Larry Bird in 1986–87. It was also Irving's sixth straight game with at least 25 points, matching the longest such streak in his career. On March 14, he recorded his second career triple-double with 31 points, 12 assists and 10 rebounds in a 126–120 win over the Sacramento Kings, becoming the first Celtics player to record 30-plus points and a triple-double in the same game since Rajon Rondo in February 2012. Two days later, he had 30 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in a 129–120 win over the Atlanta Hawks. In his first playoff game as a Celtic, Irving became just third player in franchise history (joining Isaiah Thomas in 2015 and Jo Jo White in 1972) to have 20-plus points, five-plus assists and five-plus rebounds in his postseason debut with the team, helping Boston defeat the Indiana Pacers 84–74 in game one of their first-round series. In Game 2 of the series, Irving scored 37 points in a 99–91 win. In Game 1 of the second round, Irving had 26 points and a playoff career high-tying 11 assists in a 112–90 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On July 7, 2019, Irving signed with the Brooklyn Nets in free agency. On October 23, 2019, Irving debuted for the Nets with 50 points, eight rebounds, and seven assists in a 127–126 overtime loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves, becoming the first player in NBA history to score 50 points or more in a team debut. Irving became the seventh player in franchise history to score 50 points or more in a single game, and joins Stephon Marbury (2001) as the only one to also record 15 combined rebounds and assists. He also scored 25 of the Nets' 56 points in the first half.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving missed 26 games due to a right shoulder injury, and returned on January 12, 2020, scoring 21 points on a 10-of-11 shooting in the 108–86 win over the Atlanta Hawks. On January 25, Irving scored 45 points, also recording six rebounds and seven assists, to lead Brooklyn to a 121–111 overtime win over the Detroit Pistons. The next day, the Nets were scheduled to play the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, however Irving left the arena prior to tip-off, upon learning of the death of Kobe Bryant. On January 31, Irving scored a season-high 54 points on 19-of-23 shooting in a 133–118 win over the Chicago Bulls. On February 20, it was announced that Irving would undergo season-ending surgery on his injured shoulder.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In the Nets' season opener on December 22, Irving had 25 points, four assists, and four rebounds in a 125–99 win over the Golden State Warriors. On December 25, Irving had 37 points and eight assists in a 123–95 win over his former team, the Boston Celtics. On February 18, 2021, Irving was named an Eastern Conference starter for the 2021 NBA All-Star Game, his seventh selection. On May 6, Irving had a season-high 45 points in a 113–109 loss to the Dallas Mavericks. With the conclusion of the regular season, Irving became the ninth player in NBA history to join the 50–40–90 club, representing the shooting percentages from the field (.506), the three-point line (.402), and the free throw line (.922). Irving also became only the fourth player to average over 25.0 points, while making the 50–40–90 club, the others being Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, and Larry Bird.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving sprained his right ankle after landing on Giannis Antetokounmpo's foot during Game 4 of the Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks, and missed Game 5. The Nets lost the series in seven games.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On October 12, 2021, the Nets' general manager Sean Marks announced that Irving would be ineligible to play or practice with the team, due to the New York City COVID-19 vaccine mandate, until Irving is vaccinated. Despite remaining unvaccinated, on December 17, following a large number of players lost to injuries and health and safety protocols, as well as an inordinate minutes load on Kevin Durant and James Harden, the Nets announced that Irving would return to the team as a part-time player for games outside of the New York area and Toronto. On January 5, 2022, Irving made his season debut, recording 22 points, three rebounds and four assists, on 9-of-17 shooting in 31 minutes in a 129–121 victory over the Indiana Pacers.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On February 26, Irving scored a then season-high 38 points with five rebounds, five assists and two steals in a 126–123 win over the reigning champions Milwaukee Bucks. In February 2022, New York City mayor Eric Adams announced that the city would be lifting its vaccine requirement for indoor activities on March 7. However, Irving remained subject to a different workplace vaccine mandate that remained in place. In a public statement, Adams said that making a specific exemption for Irving would "send the wrong message" to other people employed in the city.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On March 8, Irving scored a then season-high 50 points on 15-of-19 shooting from the field and delivered six assists in a 132–121 win over the Charlotte Hornets. He became only the second guard in NBA history (after Michael Jordan) who would have multiple 50-point games while shooting 75 percent from the floor. On March 15, Irving scored 41 of his career-high and Nets franchise-record 60 points in the first half, grabbed six rebounds, delivered four assists along with 4 steals on 20-of-31 shooting from the field, including eight three-pointers, in a 150–108 win against the Orlando Magic. On March 23, Mayor Adams announced that the city would be relaxing its COVID-19 vaccine mandate, allowing Irving to play at the Barclays Center. On March 27, Irving made his home debut against the Charlotte Hornets, scoring 16 points in 41 minutes, in a 119–110 loss.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On April 12, Irving, in his first play-in appearance, scored 34 points and dished out 12 assists in an 115–108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers to secure the 7th spot for the playoffs. In Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs, Irving scored a game-high 39 points along with five rebounds, six assists, and 4 steals in an 115–114 loss against the Boston Celtics. Irving was fined $50,000 on April 19 for middle finger gestures and profane language to fans in Boston during Game 1 on April 17. Brooklyn would go on to lose to Boston in four games, and Irving was swept for the first time in his career.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Following the end of the season, there was speculation that Irving would decline his player option and pursue a sign-and-trade deal with another team. However, Irving ultimately opted into his $37 million player option, returning to the Nets for the 2022–23 NBA season. On November 3, 2022, the Nets suspended Irving for at least five NBA games due to his failure to "unequivocally say he has no antisemitic beliefs" and said that he is "currently unfit to be associated with the Brooklyn Nets." On December 16, Irving scored 32 points and put up a game-winning three-pointer in a 119–116 win over the Toronto Raptors.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In 2012, Irving was in contention for a position on the Australian team for the 2012 Olympics. However, he elected not to represent his nation of birth, instead focusing on selection for the United States national team for the 2016 Olympic Games.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving was a member of the United States national team that competed in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup. He helped lead Team USA to the gold medal and was subsequently named the tournament's MVP. He started all nine games in the tournament, averaging 12.1 points and 3.6 assists per game, including 26 points scored in the gold-medal game. He was then named the 2014 USA Basketball Male Athlete of the Year.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In 2016, Irving helped Team USA win the gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics. With the win, he became just the fourth member of Team USA to capture the NBA championship and an Olympic gold medal in the same year, joining LeBron James, Michael Jordan, and Scottie Pippen.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In 2012, Irving played the role of Uncle Drew in a series of Pepsi Max advertisements. He wrote and directed episode 2, in which he starred alongside Bill Russell and Kevin Love, and episode 3, in which he starred alongside Nate Robinson and Maya Moore. Irving also wrote and directed episode 4 of "Uncle Drew", which was released in November 2015, and in which he starred in alongside Baron Davis, J. B. Smoove, and Ray Allen. In 2017, the Uncle Drew advertisement series became a skit inside an old school diner featuring Pepsi in its current design, stored in a fridge with its original logo. Irving has also starred as the character in a feature film, "Uncle Drew", which also features former NBA stars, and was released in June 2018.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving appeared on an episode of the Disney XD series "Kickin' It" in 2012, and guest starred on "Family Guy", lending his voice for the season 17 (2018) episode "Big Trouble in Little Quahog".


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving's shoe deal with Nike is worth , as of 2019. His signature sneakers were the second best-selling line of 2017, behind LeBron James'. The NPD Group no longer tracks signature sneakers but projected that the trend continued into 2018. Irving's themed sneaker collaborations include that of the television shows "Friends" and "SpongeBob SquarePants". The latter collection sold out immediately.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving enjoys reading and has a journal. He also likes to sing, dance, and play the baritone sax. His godfather is former NBA player Rod Strickland. His cousin, Isaiah Briscoe, was a highly rated basketball player who played at the University of Kentucky before declaring for the 2017 NBA draft. Irving and his ex-girlfriend have a daughter.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In May 2011, Irving made a promise to his father to finish his bachelor's degree at Duke within five years. However, in 2016, having not achieved his degree, he claimed he was putting his plans on hold, stating, "when I leave the game of basketball, then I'll focus on the next step of my life". In 2015, he launched his PSD Underwear collection.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In August 2018, Irving and his older sister were honored with a "welcome home" ceremony at Standing Rock Indian Reservation, acknowledging their family ties to the community, and in gratitude for Irving's activism on behalf of the water protectors at the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. Irving's mother was known to the tribe, though she was "adopted out" at a young age, and their late grandmother and great-grandparents also had ties to the reservation community. Since then, he has continued to honor his Lakota heritage through donations to the tribe, designing Nike shoes dedicated to the Lakota people, as well as burning sage before every game. In 2021, his petition for citizenship was granted and he became an enrolled member of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Starting with the 2016–17 season, Irving moved to a predominantly plant-based diet, which he also referenced in a December 2017 Nike ad. Since then, Irving has moved to a 100% plant-based diet.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In April 2021, Irving announced that he is committed to Islam (and other religions), saying "For me, in terms of my faith and what I believe in, being part of the Muslim community, being committed to Islam, and also just being committed to all races and cultures, religions, just having an understanding and respect". Irving has been fasting for Ramadan since 2021.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In November 2016, Irving tweeted his support for the water protectors at the Standing Rock Indian Reservation who were demonstrating against the Dakota Access Pipeline in North Dakota. Protesters said the pipeline, which crosses under the river and across the region's aquifer, violates treaty law and sacred burial grounds on the land at Standing Rock; there is urgent concern that the crude oil passing through the pipeline threatens the safety of the drinking water supply of not only the Standing Rock community, but that of many surrounding communities, both Native and non-Native.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: He has donated to various social causes through his K.A.I. Family Foundation. In 2020, he donated a home to the family of George Floyd. Irving paid off student debt for students from Lincoln University. Irving committed $1.5 million to help pay WNBA players who opted out of playing during the COVID-19 pandemic. Irving donated over $300,000 to food banks and with City Harvest on his birthday. He donated 17 pallets of food to the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On July 29, 2021, Irving built a solar water center in Pakistan with Paani Project through his K.A.I. Family Foundation.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: In February 2017, Irving stated in an interview for a podcast that he believes that the Earth is flat. In a later interview, he was less forceful in advancing his flat Earth belief, encouraging people to "do their own research" into the topic. In September 2017, Irving denied these claims and said that media misunderstood him as he was joking. However, in a June 2018 interview, when asked if he would admit that the world is round, he said "I don't know. I really don't", and added that people should "do [their] own research for what [they] want to believe in" because "Our educational system is flawed". In October 2018, Irving apologized for his original flat Earth comments but stopped short of saying if he still thinks the Earth is flat.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving also stated that he believes in other conspiracy theories, such as the idea that John F. Kennedy was killed because he wanted to end the banking cartel.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic and his hesitancy to receive a vaccine against the virus, Irving has shared and interacted with social media posts from a conspiracy theorist on Instagram, claiming that "secret societies are administering vaccines in a plot to connect Black people to a master computer for a plan of Satan".


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On September 15, 2022, Irving shared a video on his Instagram story containing a rant by "InfoWars" creator and far-right conspiracy theorist Alex Jones. In the video, from 2002, Jones promotes the New World Order conspiracy theory and alleges that state actors are planning to oppress the public by intentionally releasing viruses. In a Substack post published on October 3, 2022, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar decried Irving's post, calling Jones "one of the most despicable human beings alive...to associate with him means you share his stench."


title: Kyrie Irving

text: Irving made his first tweet espousing Black Hebrew Israelite doctrine in March 2021. Black Hebrews espouse the ideology that black people are the real Jews, wherein antisemitism is common. On October 27, 2022, Irving tweeted a link to an Amazon listing page for "", a 2018 film based on a book of the same name, which promotes Black Hebrew Israelite ideology. The film includes denials that the Holocaust occurred, quotes attributed to Adolf Hitler and Henry Ford, claims that Jewish people worship Satan, and accusations that Jews controlled the Atlantic slave trade and currently control the media. In a tweet on October 28, 2022, Nets owner Joseph Tsai said he was "disappointed that Kyrie appears to support a film based on a book full of anti-semitic disinformation", and expressed his intent to address the issue further with Irving.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On October 29, 2022, Irving tweeted that deeming him antisemitic was "not justified", and that he intended to "learn from all walks of life and religions". The same day, during a postgame press availability at Barclays Center, Irving denied having any religious biases and defended the tweet, telling reporters that "[h]istory is not supposed to be hidden from anybody" and stating, "I'm not going to stand down on anything I believe in. I'm only going to get stronger because I'm not alone. I have a whole army around me." Irving deleted the tweet on or around October 30.


title: Kyrie Irving

text: On October 31, 2022, during a game between the Nets and the Indiana Pacers at Barclays Center, several attendees sitting courtside wore shirts bearing the phrase "Fight Antisemitism", an apparent reference to Irving's tweet. On November 2, 2022, Irving and the Nets jointly announced they would each donate US$500,000 to organizations combating religious hatred, and would work with the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) to create programming related to opposing antisemitism. Though he did not apologize for promoting the film, Irving was quoted as saying that he opposes "all forms of hatred and oppression and stand[s] strong with communities that are marginalized and impacted every day"; he added that he "[took] responsibility" for the impact of his tweet on the Jewish community. In a subsequent statement of his own, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, who is Jewish, criticized Irving for "not offer[ing] an unqualified apology" or expressly denouncing the film's content, and said he would meet with Irving "in the next week to discuss this situation".


title: Kyrie Irving

text: During a press availability on November 3, 2022, Irving admitted that some of the film's content was "unfortunate" and untrue, but did not apologize for promoting the film, saying he was "not the one who made the documentary". Irving suggested that focus on his promotion of the film was unfairly diverting attention away from African-American history, declaring at one point that "300 million of [his] ancestors are buried in America"; he added that he would be able to debunk any criticism leveled at him because of his propensity for "study[ing]", and that he "know[s] the Oxford dictionary". Asked directly if he held antisemitic beliefs, Irving did not give a yes-or-no response, saying only, "I cannot be antisemitic if I know where I come from." At 7:44 PM EDT that night, the Nets announced that they had suspended Irving without pay for at least five games, due to his "failure to disavow antisemitism when given a clear opportunity to do so" and "conduct detrimental to the team".


title: Kyrie Irving

text: ADL CEO Jonathan Greenblatt tweeted that Irving's suspension was "well-deserved", and said the ADL would reject Irving's previously announced donation. Four hours after the Nets' initial announcement of his suspension, Irving finally issued an apology via Instagram, writing in part, "To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize...I had no intentions to disrespect any Jewish cultural history regarding the Holocaust or perpetuate any hate. I am learning from this unfortunate event and hope we can find understanding between us all." Following Irving's apology, Nets General Manager Sean Marks said Irving would have to meet with Jewish leaders and with the team before he can return to play.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. (born September 27, 1982), known professionally as Lil Wayne, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record executive. His career began in 1995, at the age of 12, when he was signed by rapper Birdman, joining Cash Money Records as the youngest member of the label. From then on, Wayne was the flagship artist of Cash Money Records before ending his association with the company in June 2018. Regarded as one of the most influential hip hop artists of his generation by "XXL", he has often been cited as one of the greatest rappers of all time.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In 1995, Wayne was put in a duo with label-mate B.G. (at the time known as Lil Doogie) and they recorded an album, "True Story", released that year, although Wayne (at the time known as Baby D) only appeared on three tracks. Wayne and B.G. soon joined the southern hip hop group Hot Boys, with Cash Money label-mates Juvenile and Turk in 1997; they released their debut album "Get It How U Live!" in October that year. The Hot Boys became popular following the release of the album "Guerrilla Warfare" (1999) and the song "Bling Bling".


title: Lil Wayne

text: Lil Wayne's solo debut album "Tha Block Is Hot" (1999) was his solo breakthrough, and he reached higher popularity with his fourth album "Tha Carter" (2004) and fifth album "Tha Carter II" (2005), as well as several mixtapes and collaborations throughout 2006 and 2007. He gained more prominence within the music industry with his sixth album "Tha Carter III" (2008), with first-week sales of over one million copies in the US. The album won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Album and included successful singles "A Milli", "Got Money" (featuring T-Pain), and "Lollipop" (featuring Static Major)—the latter being his first single to reach number one on the "Billboard" Hot 100.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In February 2010, Wayne released his seventh studio album, "Rebirth", which experimented with rap rock and was met with generally negative reviews. A month later in March 2010, Lil Wayne began serving an 8-month jail sentence in New York after being convicted of criminal possession of a weapon stemming from an incident in July 2007. His eighth studio album "I Am Not a Human Being" (2010) was released during his incarceration, while his 2011 album "Tha Carter IV" was released following his release. "Tha Carter IV" sold 964,000 copies in its first week in the United States. His twelfth studio album "Tha Carter V" was released in 2018 after multiple delays. Wayne's thirteenth album, "Funeral", was released in early 2020.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Lil Wayne has sold over 120 million records worldwide, including more than 20 million albums and 70 million digital tracks in the United States, making him one of the world's best-selling music artists. He has won five Grammy Awards, 11 BET Awards, four "Billboard" Music Awards, two MTV Video Music Awards and eight NAACP Image Awards. On September 27, 2012, he became the first male artist to surpass Elvis Presley with the most entries on the "Billboard" Hot 100, with 109 songs. Lil Wayne also currently serves as the chief executive officer (CEO) of his own label, Young Money Entertainment.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Dwayne Michael Carter Jr. was born on September 27, 1982, and spent his first few years in the impoverished Hollygrove neighborhood of Uptown New Orleans, Louisiana's 17th Ward. His mother, a cook, gave birth to him when she was 19 years old. His parents divorced when he was two and his father permanently abandoned the family. When CBS interviewer Katie Couric asked why he used the name Wayne instead of his given name, Carter explained that "I dropped the D because I'm a junior and my father is living and he's not in my life and he's never been in my life. So I don't want to be Dwayne, I'd rather be Wayne". Asked if his father knew of this, Carter replied, "He knows now". Carter has said that he considers his deceased stepfather Reginald "Rabbit" McDonald to be his real father. Carter has a tattoo dedicated to McDonald.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Carter was enrolled in the gifted program at Lafayette Elementary School. He later attended Eleanor McMain Secondary School for two years, where he was an honor student and a member of the drama club, playing the Tin Man in the school's production of "The Wiz". After matriculating to Marion Abramson Senior High School, Carter dropped out at age 14 to focus on his musical career.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Carter wrote his first rap song at age eight. In the summer of 1991, he met rapper and Cash Money Records co-founder Bryan "Baby" Williams (known currently as Birdman), who mentored him and encouraged his love of hip-hop; Birdman included Carter on several Cash Money tracks, and Carter would often record freestyle raps on Williams' answering machine.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In 1994, at age 12, Carter suffered a near-fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound to the chest. At the time he said the injury was accidental. Decades later Carter claimed that it was an attempted suicide after he was told by his mother that he would have to end his rap-related associations. Carter credits off-duty police officer Robert Hoobler, who he calls "Uncle Bob", with saving his life by insisting the dying child be driven immediately to hospital in a police car rather than waiting for an ambulance to become available. Other accounts indicate that several officers played a part in deciding on and implementing that course of action.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In 1997, Carter joined the Hot Boys along with rappers Juvenile, B.G., and Turk. At age 14, Carter was the youngest member at the time. Hot Boys' debut album "Get It How U Live!" was released the same year, followed in 1999 by the group's major-label debut "Guerrilla Warfare", which reached No. 1 on the "Billboard" Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 5 on the "Billboard" 200. During their career, the Hot Boys had two charting singles, "We on Fire" from "Get It How U Live!" and "I Need a Hot Girl" from "Guerrilla Warfare". Carter was also featured on Juvenile's single "Back That Azz Up", which reached No. 18 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and No. 5 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks. "Let 'Em Burn", a compilation album of unreleased tracks recorded during 1999 and 2000, came out in 2003, several years after the group disbanded. It reached No. 3 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and No. 14 on the "Billboard" 200.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Carter's debut solo album, "Tha Block Is Hot", was released when he was 17 and featured significant contributions from the Hot Boys. It debuted at number 3 on the "Billboard" 200 and was later certified platinum by the RIAA less than two months after its release. The album earned Carter a 1999 "Source" magazine nomination for "Best New Artist", and also became a Top Ten hit. The lead single was "Tha Block Is Hot". After the release of "Tha Block Is Hot", Carter was featured on the single "Bling Bling", with B.G., Juvenile, and Big Tymers. Carter's verse appeared only on the radio version of the song, while on the album version he performed on the chorus.


title: Lil Wayne

text: His second album, "Lights Out", was released in 2000, and failed to attain the level of success achieved by his debut but was certified gold by RIAA. Critics noted the lack of coherent narratives in his verses as evidence that he had yet to mature to the level of his fellow Hot Boys. The lead single was "Get Off the Corner", which was noticed for an improvement in its lyrical content and style. The second single, which received less attention, was "Shine" featuring the Hot Boys. Near the release of "Lights Out", Carter was featured on the single, "Number One Stunna" with Big Tymers and Juvenile, which peaked at number 24 on the Hot Rap Tracks chart.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Carter's third album, "500 Degreez", was released in 2002. It followed the format of his previous two, with significant contributions from the Hot Boys and Mannie Fresh. While being certified gold like its predecessor, it also failed to match the success of his debut. The title was a reference to the recently estranged Hot Boys member Juvenile's recording, "400 Degreez". The lead single was "Way of Life" which failed to match the success of his previous singles. After the release of "500 Degreez", Carter was featured on the single "Neva Get Enuf" by 3LW.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In the summer of 2004, Carter's fourth studio album, "Tha Carter", was released, marking what critics considered advancement in his rapping style and lyrical themes. In addition, the album's cover art featured the debut of Wayne's now-signature dreadlocks. "Tha Carter" gained Wayne significant recognition, selling 878,000 copies in the United States, while the single "Go DJ" became a Top 5 Hit on the R&B/Hip-Hop chart. After the release of "Tha Carter", Lil Wayne was featured in Destiny's Child's single "Soldier" with T.I., which peaked at number 3 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 and the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts.


title: Lil Wayne

text: "Tha Carter II", the follow-up to the original "Tha Carter" album, was released in December 2005, this time without production by longtime Cash Money Records producer Mannie Fresh, who had left the label. "Tha Carter II" sold more than 238,000 copies in its first week of release, debuting at number 2 on the "Billboard" 200 albums chart, and went on to sell 2,000,000 copies worldwide. The lead single "Fireman" became a hit in the US, peaking at 32 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. Other singles included "Grown Man" with Currensy, "Hustler Musik", and "Shooter" with R&B singer Robin Thicke. Carter also appeared on a remix of Bobby Valentino's "Tell Me", which rose to number 13 on the U.S. R&B Charts. In 2005, Carter was named president of Cash Money, and in the same year he founded Young Money Entertainment as an imprint of Cash Money. However, as of late 2007, Carter reported having stepped down from the management of both labels and had handed management of Young Money over to Cortez Bryant.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In 2006, Carter collaborated with Birdman for the album "Like Father, Like Son", whose first single "Stuntin' Like My Daddy", reached number 21 on the "Billboard" Hot 100.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Instead of a follow-up solo album, Carter began to reach his audience through a plethora of mixtapes and guest appearances on a variety of pop and hip hop singles. Of his many mixtapes, "Dedication 2" and "Da Drought 3" received the most media exposure and critical review. "Dedication 2", released in 2006, paired Carter with DJ Drama and contained the acclaimed socially conscious track "Georgia Bush", in which Carter critiqued former US president George W. Bush's response to the effects of Hurricane Katrina on the city of New Orleans. "Da Drought 3" was released the following year and was available for free legal download. It contained Carter rapping over a variety of beats from recent hits by other musicians. A number of prominent hip hop magazines such as "XXL" and "Vibe" covered the mixtape. Christian Hoard of "Rolling Stone" magazine considered the mixtapes "Da Drought 3" and "The Drought Is Over 2 (The Carter 3 Sessions)" "among the best albums of 2007".


title: Lil Wayne

text: Despite no album release for two years, Carter appeared in numerous singles as a featured performer, including "Gimme That" by Chris Brown, "Make It Rain" by Fat Joe, "You" by Lloyd, and "We Takin' Over" by DJ Khaled (also featuring Akon, T.I., Rick Ross, Fat Joe, and Birdman), "Duffle Bag Boy" by Playaz Circle, "Sweetest Girl (Dollar Bill)" by Wyclef Jean (also featuring Akon), and the remix to "I'm So Hood" by DJ Khaled (also featuring T-Pain, Young Jeezy, Ludacris, Busta Rhymes, Big Boi, Fat Joe, Birdman, and Rick Ross). All these singles charted within the top 20 spots on the "Billboard" Hot 100, Hot Rap Tracks, and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs charts. On Birdman's 2007 album, "5 * Stunna", Carter appeared on the singles "100 Million" and "I Run This" among several other tracks. Carter also appeared on tracks from albums "Getback" by Little Brother, "American Gangster" by Jay-Z, and "Graduation" by Kanye West and "Insomniac" by Enrique Iglesias. "Make it Rain", a Scott Storch production that peaked at number 13 on the Hot 100 and number two on the Hot Rap Tracks chart, was nominated for the Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for 2008.


title: Lil Wayne

text: "Vibe" magazine ranked a list of 77 of Lil Wayne's songs from 2007 and ranked his verse in DJ Khaled's "We Takin Over" as his best of 2007, with "Dough Is What I Got" (a freestyle over the beat of Jay-Z's "Show Me What You Got") from "Da Drought 3". At the end of 2007, an MTV poll selected Lil Wayne as "Hottest MC in the Game", "The New Yorker" magazine ranked him "Rapper of the Year", and "GQ" magazine named him "Workaholic of the Year". In 2008 he was named "Best MC" by "Rolling Stone". Another article, built around Lil Wayne's 2007 mixtape work, cites his creative practice as an example of post-performance creative practice.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In 2007, Carter stated that he would reunite with Hot Boys, with plans to release an album after B.G.'s solo album "Too Hood to Be Hollywood" was completed. "Tha Carter III" was originally scheduled to be released in 2007, but it was delayed after several recordings were leaked and distributed through mixtapes, including "The Drought Is Over Pt. 2" and "The Drought Is Over Pt. 4". Lil Wayne initially planned to release "The Leak", a separate album with leaked songs and four additional tracks, on December 18, 2007, with "Tha Carter III" delayed to March 18, 2008. Instead, "The Leak" became an EP with five songs and was released digitally on December 25, 2007.


title: Lil Wayne

text: "Tha Carter III" was released on June 10, 2008, with first-week sales of over 1 million copies, the first to do so since 50 Cent's "The Massacre" (2005). The album's first single "Lollipop", featuring Static Major, became the Carter's most successful song at the time, topping the "Billboard" Hot 100 and becoming his first top 10 single as a solo artist and his first number one on the chart. The third single "Got Money", featuring T-Pain, peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 100. "Tha Carter III" went on to win four Grammy Awards, including best rap album and best rap song, which he won for "Lollipop". On July 14, 2008, the Recording Industry Association of America certified "Tha Carter III" two times platinum. In October 2008, Lil Wayne announced plans to MTV News to re-release the album with new tracks, including a duet with Ludacris and remixes of "A Milli".


title: Lil Wayne

text: Carter also appeared on R&B singles "Girls Around the World" by Lloyd, "Love In This Club, Part II" by Usher, "Official Girl" by Cassie, "I'm So Paid" by Akon, "Turnin' Me On" by Keri Hilson, and "Can't Believe It" by T-Pain; rap singles "My Life" by The Game, "Shawty Say" by David Banner, "Swagga Like Us" by T.I., "Cutty Buddy" by Mike Jones, All My Life (In the Ghetto) by Jay Rock and the remix to "Certified" by Glasses Malone; and pop single "Let It Rock" by new Cash Money artist Kevin Rudolf.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In 2008, Carter performed at the Voodoo Experience in October in New Orleans, which was described by Jonathan Cohen of "Billboard" as his biggest hometown headlining set of his career. He also performed at the Virgin Mobile Music Fest with Kanye West, where they performed the remix of "Lollipop" and lip-synced to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You". Lil Wayne also performed at the 2008 MTV Video Music Awards with Kid Rock ("All Summer Long"), Leona Lewis ("DontGetIt (Misunderstood)") and T-Pain ("Got Money") and performed "Lollipop" and "Got Money" on the season premiere of "Saturday Night Live". He later performed at the homecoming rally at Vanderbilt University and the 2008 BET Hip Hop Awards, where he received 12 nominations. He won eight awards at the BET Hip Hop Awards, one of which included the "MVP" title. After M.I.A. dropped out of performing on the I Am Music Tour due to her pregnancy, Jay-Z performed "Mr. Carter" with Lil Wayne at select shows.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Following "Tha Carter III" achievement of selling over 3 million copies, becoming 2008's best-selling record, Carter re-signed with Cash Money Records for a multi-album deal.


title: Lil Wayne

text: On November 11, 2008, Carter became the first hip hop act to perform at the Country Music Association Awards, playing "All Summer Long" alongside Kid Rock, in which Carter inaudibly strummed guitar strings alongside the guitarist in Kid Rock's band. Shortly after, Wayne was nominated for eight Grammys – the most for any artist nominated that year. He was then named the first MTV Man of the Year at the end of 2008. He won the Grammy Award for Best Rap Solo Performance for "A Milli", Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group for his appearance in T.I.'s single "Swagga Like Us", and Best Rap Song for "Lollipop". "Tha Carter III" won the award for Best Rap Album. MTV News listed Carter number two on their 2009 list of the Hottest MCs In The Game.


title: Lil Wayne

text: On January 6, 2009, Carter was a guest debater against Skip Bayless on the "1st & 10" segment of "ESPN First Take". On February 10, 2009, he appeared on ESPN's Around the Horn and beat out veterans Woody Paige, Jay Mariotti and fellow New Orleanian Michael Smith to win that show's episode. Prior to the 2009 Grammy Awards, Wayne was featured in an interview with Katie Couric. On February 7, 2009, he presented the Top Ten List on CBS's "Late Show with David Letterman". On April 24, 2009, he appeared on "The View", discussing his GED and addictions. In September 2009, Carter was profiled in an episode of VH1's "Behind the Music" and was a presenter of the 2009 MTV Movie Awards. In film, Carter produced and composed music for and starred in the direct-to-video film "Hurricane Season". A documentary of Carter, titled "The Carter", was released at the Sundance Film Festival.


title: Lil Wayne

text: On December 23, 2009, Carter released a collaboration album with Young Money, "We Are Young Money", with its lead single being "Every Girl". The second single was "BedRock", featuring Lloyd, with the third being "Roger That". On May 24, 2010, the album was certified gold by the RIAA with over 500,000 copies sold. Carter is featured on the song, "Revolver", with Madonna for her greatest hits album, "Celebration" (2009). He was also featured on a Weezer song, "Can't Stop Partying", on "Raditude" (2009). In late 2008, Carter announced plans to reissue "Tha Carter III" with leftover recordings, and was to be titled "Rebirth", originally scheduled to be released on April 7, 2009, before being delayed several times. "Rebirth" instead became his sixth solo album, released on February 2, 2010.


title: Lil Wayne

text: To support its release and that of "We Are Young Money", Carter was featured on the cover of "Rolling Stone" and headlined the 'Young Money Presents: America's Most Wanted Music Festival', a United States and Canada–only concert tour which began on July 29, 2009. "Prom Queen", the first official single, debuted on January 27, 2009, immediately after a live Internet broadcast on Ustream of his concert in San Diego. It peaked at number 15 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 charts. On December 3, 2009, the second single, "On Fire", produced by Cool & Dre "On Fire" peaked at number 33 on the "Billboard" Hot 100 charts. "Drop the World", which features Eminem, was the third single from the "Rebirth".


title: Lil Wayne

text: In an interview on MTV's Mixtape Monday, Carter asserted the possibility of "Tha Carter IV". He later announced that it would be released in late 2009 before the holiday season. Birdman had previously stated that "Tha Carter IV" would be packaged with "Rebirth" as a double disc album. However, Carter denied this idea saying that ""Tha Carter IV" deserves "Tha Carter IV"", adding that "We Are Young Money" may be packaged with "Rebirth". However, both albums were released separately.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Originally thought to be an EP, Carter released his tenth album, "I Am Not a Human Being", on his 28th birthday, September 27, 2010. The album has sold over 953,000 copies in the U.S. and spawned successful single "Right Above It", which peaked at No. 6 on the Billboard Hot 100. "Tha Carter IV" was later delayed into 2011, after Lil Wayne began recording from scratch after his release from prison. He described his first song since his release as "a 2010 version of "A Milli" on steroids". The album's lead single, "6 Foot 7 Foot" featuring Cory Gunz, was released on December 15, 2010, and made available for digital download on iTunes on December 16, 2010. The song is produced by Bangladesh, who also produced "A Milli".


title: Lil Wayne

text: On March 8, 2011, Carter released another song, "We Back Soon", produced by StreetRunner, though it was not included on the official track listing of "Tha Carter IV". The second single, "John", was released on March 24, 2011, which features Rick Ross and is produced by Polow Da Don. The album's artwork was unveiled on April 20, 2011. The album was originally scheduled to be released on May 16, 2011, but Mack Maine had confirmed its delay until June 21. On May 26, 2011, the third single, "How to Love", was released. A song called "Dear Anne "(Stan Part 2)"" was released in June. Carter said the song was a throwaway track from "Tha Carter III" and was originally supposed to be on "Tha Carter IV", but decided not to put it on there because of its age. Carter said that he liked the beat, but not the lyrics, and was thinking about revamping the song.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In July 2011, Carter confirmed in an interview with MTV that "Tha Carter IV" was finished, and was released on August 29, 2011. For preparation for "Tha Carter IV", Carter released a mixtape, "Sorry 4 the Wait", with all the beats coming from other artist's songs, similar to his mixtape "No Ceilings". "Tha Carter IV" debuted at number one on the "Billboard" 200, with first-week sales of 964,000 copies, making it Carter's third chart-topping album of his career. On January 8, 2012, according to Nielsen SoundScan was elected the seventh artist (second male artist) all-time best-selling tracks digital with 36,788,000 million to the end of 2011.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In October 2011, it was reported that Carter was working on sequels to both "I Am Not a Human Being" and "Rebirth". In January 2012, Birdman announced that he and Carter had finished recording "Like Father, Like Son 2". On November 22, 2012, he announced that "Tha Carter V" would be his final album.


title: Lil Wayne

text: After numerous delays, "I Am Not a Human Being II" was released on March 26, 2013, debuting at number two on the "Billboard" 200 selling 217,000 copies in its first week; "My Homies Still", "Love Me", and "No Worries" were released as singles prior to its release. The album was met with generally mixed reviews, with most critics noticing the declining quality of his releases. Carter toured North America with 2 Chainz and T.I. on the second America's Most Wanted Festival. On May 3, 2013, Pepsi dropped Carter, who was a spokesperson for Mountain Dew, due to offensive lyrics about civil rights icon Emmett Till. On September 1, 2013, Carter released the fifth instalment of the "Dedication" mixtape series, with "Dedication 5". The mixtape featured 29 tracks, with guest appearances from The Weeknd, Chance The Rapper, Jae Millz, Birdman, T.I., Vado, Kidd Kidd, and 2 Chainz among other members of Young Money.


title: Lil Wayne

text: On February 10, 2014, Drake tweeted "CARTER V". On October 18, 2013, Cash Money Records Vice President of Promotion Mel Smith, tweeted: "Happy Friday!! New YMCMB music coming soon!! Carter 5." Nearly four months later, in an interview with "The Griffin", released on February 14, 2014, Smith spoke on the upcoming album: "We're very close to dropping the album. It's going to be a huge surprise to everyone, it's an incredible album ... I can't release the date because he wants to surprise people, he wants his true fan base to get excited, but he's worked extremely hard on it and you won't be disappointed." On February 15, 2014, during the NBA All-Star Weekend festivities at Sprite's NBA All-Star concert at the House of Blues in New Orleans, Carter appeared as a special guest during Drake's set and performed various hits. Carter and Drake then announced that "Tha Carter V" would be released on May 5, 2014. However, on March 27, 2014, Carter's manager Cortez Bryant announced that the album had been delayed. Carter then serviced "Tha Carter V"s first single "Believe Me", which features vocals from Drake, to mainstream urban radio in the United States on May 6, 2014. Three more singles, "Krazy", "Grindin'" (featuring Drake) and "Start a Fire" (featuring Christina Milian), were also released for the album.


title: Lil Wayne

text: On December 4, 2014, just five days before the album was due to be released again, Carter issued a statement saying the album would not be released on its expected release date, due to his displeasure with Cash Money Records label-boss Birdman, refusing to release the album although it had been completed. Carter also expressed his feelings by stating he felt both he and his creativity were being held "prisoner".


title: Lil Wayne

text: On January 20, 2015, Carter self-released "Sorry 4 the Wait 2", a sequel to his 2011 mixtape, to compensate for the continued delay of "Tha Carter V". Upon "Sorry for the Wait 2"s release, it was said Wayne disses Birdman and Cash Money Records, several times throughout the mixtape. Birdman was reported to be upset with this. In late January 2015, Carter sued Birdman and Cash Money Records for $51 million. In February 2015, due to "Tha Carter V"s delay, Carter announced that a free album would be released prior to the fifth installment in his popular series. In June 2015, Carter joined Jay-Z's TIDAL, as an artist owner, kicking off the partnership by exclusively releasing a single on the service titled "Glory". He's also announced plans on his own TIDAL X concert series. On July 4, 2015, Carter released "Free Weezy Album", exclusively through TIDAL, under Young Money and Republic Records.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Carter and Birdman supposedly reconciled after being seen at Drake's NYE Party, at Miami's Club Liv, and in studio. On January 27, 2016, when rapper 2 Chainz released his "Felt Like Cappin" EP, Carter is featured on the lead single titled "Back On That Bullshit". On March 4, 2016, 2 Chainz released his third studio album, "ColleGrove". The album was initially a collaborative effort between 2 Chainz and Carter, but due to his record label issues, only 2 Chainz was credited as the primary artist. In 2017, Carter announced that he signed with Roc Nation. Later, Carter revealed that there was no official paperwork that he signed to the label. On June 28, 2016, Carter was one of the main singers in the song "Sucker for Pain", along with Wiz Khalifa and Imagine Dragons, for the DC Comics film "Suicide Squad". X Ambassadors and Ty Dolla Sign were also featured in the song. On August 8, 2017, he released the song "Like a Man" with sound engineer Onhel.


title: Lil Wayne

text: On June 7, 2018, it was announced that Carter had been released from Cash Money Records and will be releasing "Tha Carter V" via Universal Records.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In September 2016, Carter's song "No Mercy" debuted as the theme song for "" sports talk on FS1. Carter is a frequent guest on the program. On Christmas 2017, Carter released the mixtape "Dedication 6", the sixth instalment of the "Gangsta Grillz" chronology. The second part was released on January 26, 2018.


title: Lil Wayne

text: "Tha Carter V" was finally released on September 27, 2018, debuting at number one on the US "Billboard" 200 with 480,000 album-equivalent units, including 140,000 pure album sales. It is the second-largest streaming week for an album behind Drake's "Scorpion" with 433 million streams. It is also Carter's fourth US number-one album. Every song on the album charted on the "Billboard" 100, while simultaneously charting 4 songs in the top 10, also becoming the first artist to debut two songs in the top 5.


title: Lil Wayne

text: While Carter was working on "Tha Carter V", it was announced that his next album would be titled "Funeral". On January 23, 2020, he revealed the album's release date and album artwork. "Funeral" was released on January 31, and debuted at number-one on the US "Billboard" 200, with 139,000 album-equivalent units, becoming his fifth US number-one album. The album received generally positive reviews from music critics. On February 2, 2020, Lil Wayne competed in Season 3 of "The Masked Singer" after the Super Bowl LIV as "Robot". He was the first to be eliminated. Carter featured on Lil Baby's track "Forever", a track from Baby's second studio album, "My Turn", which was released on February 28, 2020. Carter also participates in the music video for the song, which was released on March 3, 2020. This marked the second collaboration for the two artists in 2020, with the first being on Carter's single "I Do It".


title: Lil Wayne

text: On April 24, 2020, Lil Wayne along with Dash Radio, launched his own radio show, Young Money Radio, on Apple Music. Wayne described the show as having "heavyweights calling in discussing sports, music, comedy, everything!". On July 3, Lil Wayne released his eleventh studio album, "Free Weezy Album" (2015) on streaming services to commemorate its five-year anniversary. The album charted at number 77 on the "Billboard" 200 the following week. On May 29, Wayne released the deluxe edition of "Funeral" featuring artists such as Doja Cat, Tory Lanez, Lil Uzi Vert, Benny The Butcher, Conway the Machine and Jessie Reyez. On August 28, Wayne released another old project, his 2009 mixtape "No Ceilings", for commercial release. He also celebrated the release by collaborating with ASAP Ferg on the song "No Ceilings". Wayne was featured on YoungBoy Never Broke Again's album "Top" on the track "My Window", released on September 11. His verse received praise from critics. On September 25, he released the deluxe edition of his twelfth album "Tha Carter V", to celebrate the album's two-year anniversary; it consists of songs that did not make the cut on the original album.


title: Lil Wayne

text: On November 27, 2020, Lil Wayne released the mixtape "No Ceilings 3", while announcing the album "I Am Not a Human Being III" for 2021, although it would not be released that year due to delays. On October 1, 2021, Wayne and Rich the Kid released a collaborative mixtape titled "Trust Fund Babies", along with a music video for the single "Feelin' Like Tunechi". The mixtape took roughly a month and a half to record. On their working relationship, Wayne said, "For me, it's the chemistry, it's the camaraderie because first of all, Rich like my little bro and me and Rich been rockin' for a minute".


title: Lil Wayne

text: Carter has announced several possible upcoming projects, including a collaborative album entitled "I Can't Feel My Face" with Harlem-based rapper Juelz Santana, that has been in production for several years. In late 2011, it was announced by Mack Maine that Carter and Juelz Santana had gone back to work on their collaborative album "I Can't Feel My Face", which had been delayed for a few years due to "label politics".


title: Lil Wayne

text: On June 19, 2008, Carter and T-Pain formed a duo called T-Wayne with plans to release an album, titled "He Raps, He Sings"; however, those plans have died down due to much of the material recorded for the album being leaked. T-Pain ultimately released "T-Wayne" in 2017.


title: Lil Wayne

text: According to an interview with Drake, in the December 2011 issue of "XXL", plans for an upcoming album with Carter had been scrapped for the time being because of the Jay-Z and Kanye West collaboration album "Watch the Throne" (2011).


title: Lil Wayne

text: In April 2012, on the premiere of MTV's Hip Hop POV, Carter sat down with Amanda Seales and spoke briefly about an album he put together titled "Devol" (loved, backwards), an album full of "love songs" that he wrote during his imprisonment at Rikers Island. In May 2013 he confirmed the album will still be released.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Carter's once ongoing litigation with Cash Money prevented numerous completed projects from being released. In January 2017, Young Money revealed the title of a planned Carter album called "Velvet". The album ended up leaking online in November 2018.


title: Lil Wayne

text: On March 29, 2011, in an interview with Hot 97's Angie Martinez, Carter announced that he would retire at age 35; saying "I have four kids", and that "I would feel selfish still going to the studio when it's such a vital point in their lives." He said in November 2012 that "Tha Carter V" will be his last album as he wanted to go into other interests.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In March 2014, Carter reconfirmed at SXSW that "Tha Carter V" will be his last album during his keynote with interviewer Elliot Wilson.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In September 2016, in regards to his contract dispute with Cash Money, he indicated a possible retirement on Twitter saying "I AM NOW DEFENSELESS and mentally DEFEATED" and then said, "I leave gracefully and thankful I luh my fanz but I'm done." Many rappers responded with respect and encouragement.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Carter has four children. His first child, daughter Reginae, was born November 29, 1998, when he was 16, to his high school sweetheart Toya Johnson. They later married on Valentine's Day 2004 and divorced in 2006. Internet rumors started circulating in August 2008 that Carter's daughter had died in a car crash, which however he quickly cleared up as false saying "Please allow me to dispel any rumors or speculations and report that my daughter is alive, healthy and surrounded by family who cares and loves her dearly. The rumors are completely false and unfounded; neither Reginae nor any other member of my family has been involved in any car accident."


title: Lil Wayne

text: His second child, Dwayne III, was born on October 22, 2008, at The Christ Hospital in Cincinnati to radio broadcaster Sarah Vivan. His third child, Cameron, was born to actress Lauren London on September 9, 2009. His fourth child, Neal, was born on November 30, 2009, to singer Nivea. Trina also became pregnant with Carter's child, but later suffered a miscarriage.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In July 2014, it was rumored that Carter was dating singer Christina Milian whom he attended the ESPY Awards with. They later confirmed their relationship in mid-2015 after which they received criticism from their interconnected exes, singer Nivea and songwriter The-Dream. They split at the end of 2015 after collaborating on various singles, videos, and concert dates.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In June 2020, it was announced that Wayne had started dating Denise Bidot, another model. In November 2020, they reportedly broke up over Wayne's endorsement of Donald Trump. Shortly after, it was reported that the couple had reconciled.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In an interview with "Blender", Carter revealed one of his favorite bands from childhood to be rock group Nirvana, and cites them as a major influence in his music.


title: Lil Wayne

text: Carter got his first tattoo at age 14 of his dad's name and his second was "Cash Money" across his stomach. His tattoos have grown to include a Jay-Z verse on his leg, "I Am Music" on his forehead and teardrops on his cheeks among many others. His most recent one is "Baked" on his forehead stylized as the Baker Skateboards logo. While playing in Newark Symphony Hall, Carter professed his belief "in God and His son, Jesus". During his 2011 tour in Australia with Eminem, before beginning his bracket he proclaimed his belief in God. One Christian minister says Carter's stated religiosity and the un-religious lyrical content of his music are incongruous.


title: Lil Wayne

text: After earning his GED, Carter enrolled at the University of Houston in January 2005. He dropped out in the same year due to his conflicting schedule. He also revealed on "The View" that he switched to the University of Phoenix and majored in psychology taking online courses. An article in "Urb" magazine in March 2007 asserted that Carter had been earning high grades at Houston.


title: Lil Wayne

text: On September 24, 2008, Carter published his first blog for ESPN in their issue, "ESPN The Magazine". Carter revealed he was a fan of tennis, the Green Bay Packers, the Boston Bruins, the Los Angeles Lakers and the Boston Red Sox. To commemorate the Packers' making it to Super Bowl XLV, he spoofed Wiz Khalifa's hit song "Black and Yellow" (which were the colors of the Packers' opponents, the Pittsburgh Steelers) in a song titled "Green and Yellow". He released a second version of the song in 2021, which was requested by the Packers, and updated with the current roster. Carter has continued writing for ESPN, notably reporting at the ESPN Super Bowl party. Carter made his debut on ESPN's daily sports round table show "Around The Horn" on February 10, 2009. Carter now currently sings the intro song "No Mercy" for the Fox Sports 1 sports debate show .


title: Lil Wayne

text: Carter received criticism after a video released by TMZ showed him apparently stepping on the U.S. flag. Carter later explained that "It was never my intention to desecrate the flag of the United States", and that he was shooting a video for a song on his upcoming album, "God Bless Amerika". He says the purpose of the flag was to show that "behind the American Flag was the Hoods of America".


title: Lil Wayne

text: In late 2016, Carter made statements critical of the Black Lives Matter movement, saying, "I don't feel connected to a damn thing that ain't got nothin' to do with me. If you do, you crazy as shit," adding that his status as a wealthy black man who has white fans is evidence that black people are valued in the United States.


title: Lil Wayne

text: In 2016, Carter purchased Player's Rep. Sports Agency, and became Young Money APAA sports, which hired NFL's first female sports agent, Nicole Lynn. She currently represents Seth Roberts, Cory Nelson, Jordan Evans, Malik Jefferson, Eric Harris, Quennen Williams, as well as NCAA coaches, and two former #1 Pro Softball draft picks.


title: Lil Wayne

text: On October 29, 2020, less than a week before the presidential election, Carter posted an image of him and President Donald Trump to Twitter. In the caption for the photo, Carter revealed that he and Trump had recently met to discuss criminal justice reform and Trump's Platinum Plan, an initiative which aims to raise access to capital in Black communities by almost $500 billion. Carter claimed Trump "listened to what we had to say today and assured he will and can get it done".


title: Lil Wayne

text: On October 25, 2012, Carter's private jet, bound for Los Angeles, made an emergency landing in Texas due to an in-flight medical episode. Lil Wayne was transferred to a local hospital upon arrival. TMZ and other media sources said that Carter had suffered a seizure aboard the plane. His publicist denied this, saying that he was in fact treated for "a severe migraine and dehydration".