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What Had Happened Was

What Had Happened Was: 6/13/16

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    NBA: Finals-Golden State Warriors at Cleveland Cavaliers
    Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) exchanges words with Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green (23) during the fourth quarter in game four of the NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena. The Warriors won 108-97.
    By Ryan Cortes Rhiannon Walker Kofie Yeboah

    GAME. BLOUSES.

    Let’s call it a Lifetime Achievement Award for the Golden State Warriors’ Draymond Green, who will miss Monday night’s NBA Finals game. The swipe above made for Green’s fourth flagrant foul point this postseason, triggering an automatic suspension.

    Now, we can debate whether or not this should have been a flagrant or if Green merely hit the wrong man (it’s the latter, folks), but what isn’t up for dispute is this: Green has been kicking and flailing and wacking people for a long, long time.

    Suspend him now, if you wish (he’s long deserved to be punished for the way he’s forever colliding into people), but don’t lose sight of the selective morality here in the timing of the punishment. Hall of Famer Charles Barkley, current NBA player Matt Barnes and ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith have all criticized the NBA’s decision. Kick Oklahoma City Thunder center Steven Adams all you want. LeBron James, though? UNACCEPTABLE.

    But … umm …

    Oh.

    SOCIAL STATUS

    Over the weekend, people of color decided to show off how beautiful they are with their respective hashtags to #breaktheinternet. There aren’t enough representations of these groups in mainstream media, so why wait for those who control that, when we could do so ourselves?

    And on the night when people of color took all the accolades at the Tony Awards? We did not come to play, y’all.

    https://twitter.com/bombblackgirlss/status/741816343503114245

    https://twitter.com/JonnyTsnmi/status/741806137742331904

    BLESSINGS!

    Congratulations to the Pittsburgh Penguins’ Trevor Daley for winning the first Stanley Cup of his career. He was one of four black players in the Stanley Cup conference finals.

    Daley broke his ankle in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, but before that played 53 games, netting six goals and tallying 16 assists. In the playoffs, he contributed one goal and three assists for Pittsburgh.

    Daley played with the Dallas Stars for 12 seasons. In 2011, he recorded his 500th game with the team, but in July of 2015, the Stars traded him to the Chicago Blackhawks for Patrick Sharp and Stephen Johns.

    He played all of 29 games, recording six assists, before Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman traded Daley to the Pittsburgh Penguins in December of 2015, allowing him a fresh start.

    FOR THE CULTURE

    Leslie Odom Jr. won best lead actor in a musical during the 2016 Tony Awards for his portrayal of Aaron Burr in Hamilton. This year, Hamilton took home the awards for best featured actor and actress, respectively.

    The last time something similar occurred was in 1982 for Dreamgirls. Also, it took 70 years, but for the first time in the history of the Tony Awards, people of color took home all four awards for performance in musical.

    The New York Times wrote this extensive piece on how Muhammad Ali was Lonnie Ali’s first and greatest love.

    Anika Noni Rose, who recently appeared in the reboot of Roots, is producing a film about the life of Shirley Chisholm, who was the first woman elected to Congress and black person to ever run for presidential office in a major party.

    Lin-Manuel Miranda, the creator and star of Hamilton, recited a sonnet as an ode to the victims of the Orlando mass shooting during his acceptance speech at the Tony Awards.

    TOP THREE TWEETS

    Every morning we’ll hit you here with the best of what we saw on social media the previous night. Why? Why not?

    1. TABLES TURN

    2. IF WE’RE BEING HONEST

    3. YOU GET A JORDAN MEME

    #ICYMI

    Our own Clinton Yates sat down with the director of O.J.: Made In America, Ezra Edelman, following Part 1 of the documentary (it aired Saturday night and will replay Tuesday at 7 p.m. EST before Part 2) to discuss what we just witnessed. Check it out.

    PICTURE PERFECT

    Ryan Cortes is a staff writer for The Undefeated. Lemon pepper his wings.

    Rhiannon Walker is an associate editor at The Undefeated. She is a drinker of Sassy Cow Creamery chocolate milk, an owner of an extensive Disney VHS collection, and she might have a heart attack if Frank Ocean doesn't drop his second album.

    Kofie Yeboah asks for Sweet Tea at every restaurant and recites approximately 2.5 Spongebob lines per hour.

    This Story Tagged: NBA Playoffs LeBron James Golden State Warriors What Had Happened Was Draymond Green