Daily Archives: June 1, 2022

With Memorial Day weekend in the rear view mirror, fantasy baseball league standings have really started to take shape. By now, managers are well-aware of their teams strengths and weaknesses, and the odds of fixing their flaws via the waiver wire are slowing fading. All of these factors add up to the trade market becoming the best way to change the course of a fantasy season.

I recommend that that managers search for their best value deals in June by using their league standings and for you Yahoo Fantasy Plus subscribers, take advantage of the trade hub to help find your ideal trade partners. The plan should be to find teams who running away with specific categories, and then to approach their managers with the idea of trading from an area of strength. For example, a manager with a 15-homer lead over the next competitor is more likely than other teams to consider trading away one of their top sluggers. Also, the manager with the 15-homer lead is most likely to have a wide array of successful sluggers to choose from. This plan wont work in every category of every league, but in most leagues, about half of the categories will have one or two teams who have separated themselves from the pack.

Here are some players who should be involved in plenty of deals this week.

Perez recently returned from an IL stint, and this has been a quiet season for him overall (.588 OPS). There are many Perez managers who are now regretting drafting him, worrying that they invested a premium draft pick on someone who will never again come close to repeat his gaudy numbers from last year (48 homers, 121 RBIs). But the massive totals from last season also serve as a reminder that when he gets hot, Perez can carry a fantasy squad by providing huge numbers from the catcher position. For this reason, the 32-year-old is a great trade target for managers who need to take chances to turn around their season.

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I can hear some managers telling me that there is no way Soto is going to come cheap. Well, the 23-year-old is hitting .232 with 16 RBIs in a terrible lineup, and I can guarantee that managers in some Yahoo leagues have grown frustrated with him. If you dont believe me, check out his Trade Market page. Soto started slowly last year as well, with his two worst months coming in April and May, before he turned it on and posted a 1.164 OPS in the second half of the season. June might be the perfect month to acquire him.

Juan Soto's slow start could make some fantasy baseball managers desperate enough to trade the slugger at a discounted price. (Photo by Rob Tringali/MLB Photos via Getty Images)

Wood is 53 percent rostered, which makes him available on the waiver wire in shallow leagues and an easy trade target in 12-team formats. Like many San Francisco pitchers, the right-hander struggled in May, and he now owns poor ratios (4.81 ERA, 1.47 WHIP) this season. But there is plenty to like about a starter with a 45:13 K:BB ratio in 43 innings, and he has mostly been felled by a .360 BABIP and a 16.1 percent HR/FB rate. I dont expect Wood to be a fantasy savior, but he should be a helpful lineup member once his luck evens out.

Clase has the lowest saves total of any top-tier closer, which makes him a worthwhile target on the trade market. Some of his managers might be getting more saves from their other closers, which will allow them to consider moving Clase in return for someone at a position of need. The Guardians are not going to win the 2022 World Series, but they should give Clase more chances to close out games in the coming weeks, and he has the skills to convert saves in bunches.

Kimbrel has struggled of late, giving up five runs (four earned) in his past three appearances. And while some fantasy analysts are worried about him, Im not one of them. The right-hander hasnt had control problems this year, nor has he given up many home runs. He is also collecting strikeouts at a reasonable rate for a closer. I dont see Kimbrel as a top-tier closer, but as part of an outstanding Dodgers team, I can see him getting to 30 saves.

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At age 34, Martinez remains an excellent hitter. But his .363 average will likely make him overvalued on the trade market. The slugger has enjoyed a .469 BABIP, and his rates of strikeouts and walks are similar to his marks in previous seasons. His batted ball tendencies havent changed much either, which is not surprising for a player of his age. Overall, Martinez perfectly fits the description of a sell-high player.

I put Bard in this article two weeks ago, and his sell-high window remains option. The right-hander ranks sixth in baseball with 11 saves, but this is a ride you want to get off of right now. Things typically dont end well for Colorado closers, and the guess here is that Bard does not have enough talent to reverse that trend. His ratios are solid (3.12 ERA, 0.98 WHIP) and unless you are desperate to keep him for his saves, I would look to trade him for a useful player at another position.

Gorman perfectly fits the profile of a high-level prospect who is off to a great start and gets fantasy managers dreaming about what he could become over the next few months. And while young players in these situations sometimes meet expectations, they often fall short once Major League hurlers have had a longer look at them. I have nothing against Gorman as a prospect, but he might be worth more on the trade market than on your roster right now.

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Fantasy Baseball Trade Analyzer: Deals are best way to improve teams at this point - Yahoo Sports

It's Bobby Brown's prerogative to dish some dirt in his A&E original biography and he delivers.

Part one of the two-night event took place Monday and was chock full of juicy tidbits about the singer's decades in the spotlight. The singer gave his unfiltered takes on his rise to stardom, getting booted from New Edition after clashing with his bandmates over his scene-stealing antics and then striking out on his own as a solo performer in Biography: Bobby Brown. The performer known for his Gumby 'do lived an excessive lifestyle at the height of fame, dropping $1 million in a day just because, and that included an out of control sex life with him admitting he was a sex addict. Brown also detailed romances with Whitney Houston and Janet Jackson, and a fling with Madonna.

Despite how it ended, Brown and Houston had a full-blown love affair, which began at the 1989 Soul Train Awards. He recalled feeling good that night, being recognized for the first time for his solo career, then going backstage only to have the songbird dubbed "The Voice" hit on him.

Bobby Brown met Whitney Houston at an awards show in 1989 and they had a day-long first date the next day. They were engaged in 1991 and married in 1992. The pair, who battled addiction, separated in 2006, and she died in 2012. (Photo: L. Cohen/WireImage)

"I remember that night like it was yesterday," Brown said. Not only did he pick up the award for Best R&B/Urban Contemporary Album of the Year Male, but "it's also when I fell in love."

After performing "My Prerogative" and going backstage, "Whitney walked up and was bumping me. She just kept bumping me," he remembered. "I turned around and I said, 'You know you keep bumping me.' She said, 'I know.'"

"From there it was just love at first sight," he continued. "Something about her eyes made me melt inside. I said, 'If I ask you on a date, would you say yes?' She said, 'Of course.'"

Wasting no time, the next day they had their first date. It began with shopping in Beverly Hills, dinner at The Ivy and then "we just chilled for the rest of the evening." But the bad boy was smitten. "Just the way she looked at me from day one until the last day that we were together was always special."

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Bobby Brown looks back at his life and career in Biography: Bobby Brown on A&E. (Photo: Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

While night two of the doc gets into the sex, drugs and ultimate combustion of the pairing as well as the tragic death of their only child, Bobbi Kristina, Brown talked about his affection for Houston on the documentary's first night. He also opened up about the "crush of my life," Jackson.

"I had a big crush on Janet," whom he dated prior to Houston. "What was it about Janet? Everything. Her little smile. Body. Her dance moves. Her little laugh."

And while they "loved each other's company," they "didn't have that long of a relationship. The reason me and Janet broke off, she couldn't be with a man like myself. I'm from the projects. I'm hood. Her father" and manager Joe Jackson, "wouldn't allow her to be with someone like me. Janet was the crush of my life, but I was about to meet the love of my life," Houston.

He also spoke about a fling with Madonna. Asked if he slept with the Material Girl, he replied, "We didn't do any sleeping."

Bobby Brown was once arrested for violating a "lewd law" while simulating sexual acts on stage as he performed his song "Roni" in 1989. He said that was when his bad boy reputation really took off. He said the arrest, in Georgia, only helped his career because more people bought his music and went to his shows to see what the hype was about. (Photo: A+E Network)

Now 53, remarried to Alicia Etheredge and a dad to seven (five living), Brown spoke at length becoming a sex symbol, at just 15, and wild times with women that followed. He laughed about his crazy sexcapades, having multiple groupies in different hotel rooms at the same time as well as a wild night with Mike Tyson and two dozen women. He also spoke about his onstage arrest for lewdness in 1989 because simulating sex on the stage with audience members was part of his show in the Don't Be Cruel era. However, he also acknowledged that his addictions went beyond drugs and alcohol.

"I believe I was a sex addict," Brown admitted.

Looking back, "I definitely wish I got the guidance as far as sex was concerned. I didn't have anybody there to teach me. My dad was definitely not going to teach me. My mom was not going to teach me. My brother was too busy in his sex life to teach me. So I had to learn from all the older cats... I just wish, ya know, I would have been a lot safer."

The doc also looked at Brown's early years growing up poor in the Orchard Park Projects in Boston's Roxbury neighborhood. He was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and started drinking at age 7 or 8. He watched as his best friend was stabbed to death. His mother, a teacher, was arrested and the victim of police brutality, leading Brown to be removed from his home by social services. While under state care, he was molested by a priest.

"Wow, I didn't think I was going to talk about that," he admitted as he detailed the violation.

And that was the vibe of the first two parts of the doc, which also touches on the heartbreaking deaths of his kids Bobbi Kristina and son Bobby Jr.

"My life hasn't been easy," he admitted. "Just trying to find ways to cope with the loss of so many individuals in my life."

Parts three and four air Tuesday at 8 p.m. ET/PT on A&E. Brown's new docuseries, Bobby Brown: Every Little Step, debuts after the doc with new episodes then airing Tuesdays at 9 p.m. starting June 7.

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Bobby Brown details Whitney Houston making the 1st move in doc - Yahoo Entertainment

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg.Drew Angerer/Getty Images

A nonprofit advocacy group says a researcher's avatar was raped in the metaverse.

Other Meta users have also said they were sexually harassed or abused in the metaverse.

Meta investors wanted a report on harms facing metaverse users, but shareholders rejected the idea.

A researcher entered the metaverse wanting to study users' behavior on Meta's social-networking platform Horizon World. But within an hour after she donned her Oculus virtual-reality headset, she says, her avatar was raped in the virtual space.

"Metaverse: another cesspool of toxic content," a new report published by the nonprofit advocacy group SumOfUs on Tuesday, details the researcher's violent encounter in Meta's Horizon World.

According to SumOfUs' account, users invited the researcher to a private party on Horizon World earlier this month. Users in the same room then asked her to disable a setting that prevented others from getting within 4 feet of her.

The report linked to a video that the group says shows what happened to the researcher's avatar from her perspective. In the video, a male avatar is seen getting very close to her, while another male avatar stands nearby, watching. A bottle of what appears to be alcohol is then passed between the two avatars, per the 28-second video. Two male voices are heard making lewd comments in the video.

In a part of the video SumOfUs opted not to share but describe, the researcher "was led into a private room at a party where she was raped by a user who kept telling her to turn around so he could do it from behind while users outside the window could see all while another user in the room watched and passed around a vodka bottle," per the report.

Even though it happened in virtual reality, the incident left the researcher "disoriented," she said in the report. The researcher noted her controller vibrated when the male avatars touched her, resulting in a physical sensation that was a result of what she was experiencing online.

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"One part of my brain was like WTF is happening, the other part was like this isn't a real body, and another part was like, this is important research," she said in the report.

SumOfUs researchers also reported experiencing homophobic and racial slurs in Horizon World and said they witnessed gun violence on the platform.

"We think these incidents show that Meta needs to pause its headlong rush into the metaverse it has shown it's unable to moderate existing platforms causing serious harms to individuals and communities," a SumOfUs spokesperson told Insider.

"In Horizon Worlds, Personal Boundary is default on at almost 4 foot for non-friends to make it easier to avoid unwanted interactions. We don't recommend turning off the safety feature with people you do not know. We want everyone using our products to have a good experience and easily find the tools that can help in situations like these, so we can investigate and take action," a Meta spokesperson said in a statement sent to Insider.

Meta launched Horizon Worlds in December to users 18 and up in the US and Canada. By February, there were at least 300,000 users on the platform, according to The Verge.

Four other users also recently said their avatars were sexually assaulted or harassed in Horizon World and other Meta VR platforms, according to the SumOfUs report.

In November, a beta tester reported that her avatar had been groped in Horizon Worlds.

At the time, a Meta representative, Kristina Milian, told MIT Technology Review that users should have "a positive experience with safety tools that are easy to find and it's never a user's fault if they don't use all the features we offer." She continued: "We will continue to improve our UI and to better understand how people use our tools so that users are able to report things easily and reliably. Our goal is to make Horizon Worlds safe, and we are committed to doing that work."

But the next month, a metaverse researcher named Nina Jane Patel said in a post on Medium that within 60 seconds after she joined Horizon Worlds, three to four male-looking avatars gang-raped her avatar.

That same month, The New York Times reported that a female player's avatar was groped on a Meta-owned shooter game. Separately, a player on the sports game Echo VR said a male player told her he had recorded her voice so he could "jerk off" to her cursing.

MetaverseThinkhubstudio

Meta has staked its future on building its immersive metaverse virtual reality. It plowed $10 billion into designing the metaverse. CEO Mark Zuckerberg is playing the long game with his investment, recently saying the project could continue to lose money for three to five years, Insider reported.

At least two major Meta investors, however, were alarmed by emerging details of harassment and abuse on its metaverse platforms.

In December, the investors Arjuna Capital and Storebrand Asset Management, together with SumOfUs and several other advocacy organizations, co-filed a motion demanding that Meta publish a report examining any harms users could face on its metaverse platforms, they said in a press release.

"Investors need to understand the scope of these potential harms, and weigh in on whether or not this is a good idea before we throw good money after bad," Arjuna Capital's managing partner Natasha Lamb said in the release.

At Meta's Wednesday shareholder meeting, a proposal was introduced to complete a third-party assessment of "potential psychological and civil and human rights harms to users that may be caused by the use and abuse of the platform" and "whether harms can be mitigated or avoided, or are unavoidable risks inherent in the technology."

However, the proposal was voted down.

Earlier this month, Nick Clegg, the president for global affairs at Meta Platforms, said in a blog post that "the rules and safety features of the metaverse regardless of the floor will not be identical to the ones currently in place for social media" and "nor should they be."

But, he continued: "In the physical world, as well as the internet, people shout and swear and do all kinds of unpleasant things that aren't prohibited by law, and they harass and attack people in ways that are. The metaverse will be no different. People who want to misuse technologies will always find ways to do it."

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A researcher's avatar was sexually assaulted on a metaverse platform owned by Meta, making her the latest victim of sexual abuse on Meta's platforms,...

On the afternoon of June 30, 2019, Kevin Durant posted on Instagram that he would be leaving the Golden State Warriors. The next day, Kyrie Irving made it official that he would depart the Boston Celtics as an unrestricted free agent.

The destination for both: Brooklyn.

The NBA was abuzz, of course. Durant and Irving were considered two of the 10 best players in the league. Maybe top five.

Now they were united in making a so-called super team and possible champion out of a forlorn Nets franchise that lived in the shadow of the New York Knicks despite that franchises decades of playoff frustrations.

It was supposed to be just a matter of time before Brooklyn was competing in, let alone winning, the NBA Finals.

And, in turn, there were huge questions about what each left behind. Golden States roster was full of aging role players and an injured Klay Thompson. Boston had a bunch of promising young players but no leader just two years prior, the Celtics traded three players and three draft picks to Cleveland for Irving.

It was a dark day for both teams.

The Warriors' championship run appeared over after Kevin Durant left the Bay Area for Brooklyn. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

Well, a funny thing happened en route to the dynasty in Brooklyn and the rebuilds of the Celtics and Warriors.

The Nets have won a whopping one playoff series in three seasons plagued by injuries, vaccine debates and drama.

Meanwhile, Golden State hosts Boston on Thursday (9 p.m. ET) in the opening game of the Finals.

The reasons are varied, but you couldnt blame either franchise for enjoying a bit of schadenfreude at the turn of events.

This really isnt about laughing at KD, Irving or the Nets. These Finals are actually the story of an old and often unfairly mocked NBA adage.

Players and coaches alone dont win championships; organizations win championships.

That was from the late Jerry Krause, who was the general manager of the Michael Jordan-led 1990 Chicago Bulls. The idea enraged and motivated MJ, but Krauses theory, while perhaps clumsy in its utterance, was correct.

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There was a measure of concern surrounding each franchise when its star players departed. Some fans may have even panicked.

Inside the front office of the Warriors and Celtics, there was resolve.

We made a risk Ill never regret that, then-general manager Danny Ainge said of trading so many assets for Kyrie. ... you just move on to the next deal.

Ainge didnt panic. No one with the Celtics did. They just stuck to the program and built around the young talent they had already drafted to support Irving. Maybe Kyrie headed to Brooklyn in part to play with a superstar in Durant, but he either didnt know or didnt care what he was leaving behind.

That includes Jayson Tatum (now 23), Robert Williams (24), Jaylen Brown (25) and Marcus Smart (27). Even as the 2021-22 season got off to a rocky start, the Celtics' front office, now led by former head coach Brad Stevens, didnt alter the plan. Tatum became a superstar. Smart the Defensive Player of the Year.

The Celtics' Jayson Tatum as well as fans erupt after his basket at the buzzer defeated Kyrie Irving and the Nets on April 17, 2022. (Photo by Jim Davis/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)

Golden State general manager Bob Myers admitted he was sad when Durant left. He harbored no ill will though and, meanwhile, continued the teams tradition of strong draft picks.

The Warriors plugged holes around the core of Stephen Curry, Draymond Green and a now-rehabbed Thompson. He drafted Jordan Poole in 2019 and traded for Andrew Wiggins and a future first-round selection that became Jonathan Kuminga. All three players are now essential pieces.

Six of Golden States top eight contributors in these playoffs (including big man Kevon Looney) were drafted by the franchise. None went higher than seventh overall. Golden State's average draft pick spot was 19.6.

The Warriors are older and more experienced 123 Finals games to Bostons collective zero but both clubs are now set up to be contenders for the next few years. They are rich with talent, well-coached and represent extremely well-run franchises.

They are the antithesis of the super team concept that seemed to be taking hold in the NBA only to yield mixed results.

It was Milwaukee after all, led by Giannis Antetokounmpo (the star the Bucks drafted 15th overall), who won it all last year.

And now itll be either a reboot of the Warriors' dynasty or the start of a potential new Celtics one this year.

One of these franchises will win a championship, just three seasons after they lost seemingly irreplaceable talent and simply shrugged it off.

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NBA Finals appeared light years away for Warriors, Celtics after exits of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving - Yahoo Sports

DAVOS, Switzerland The crypto faithful shouldn't expect Bank of America to make a major push into the sector anytime soon.

"No," replied Bank of America CEO Brian T. Moynihan when Yahoo Finance Live asked him at the World Economic Forum whether he felt like the company was missing out on the next big thing by not aggressively moving into crypto (full interview above).

Moynihan who has driven a major digital banking transformation as BofA's CEO for the last 12 years explained the bank is heavily regulated and that prevents an all-in maneuver into crypto.

The banking industry veteran also said that it's more fruitful for BofA to continue to focus on what it does being a bank and encouraging financial freedom.

"Our big thing is helping consumers in America have a successful financial life," Moynihan said. "Our life plans, financial planning tool four or five million users only started three years ago. That's what you need to do, is get people to learn how to make their money work more for them to help in their lives."

Chairman and CEO of Bank of America Brian T. Moynihan attends a session at the 50th World Economic Forum (WEF) annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, January 21, 2020. REUTERS/Denis Balibouse

Despite crypto's relatively robust presence at the World Economic Forum via various after-parties and the attendance of Ripple CEO Brad Garlinghouse and FTX President Brett Harrison, there remained a heavy skepticism on the digital currency among those Yahoo Finance spoke with.

The recent news is not pretty: Bitcoin's price recently fell below $30,000 amid a broader rout in all things tech, shares of companies that trade crypto such as Coinbase and Robinhood have been hammered, and the recent collapse of the TerraUSD stablecoin felt like a watershed moment to many observers.

Amid the carnage, Guggenheim's Scott Minerd told Bloomberg bitcoin could plunge to $8,000 and there were now a bunch of "yahoos" in the sector.

More Yahoo Finance coverage of WEF 2022:

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Brian Sozzi is an editor-at-large and anchor at Yahoo Finance. Follow Sozzi on Twitter @BrianSozzi and on LinkedIn.

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Why Bank of America won't be rushing into crypto anytime soon - Yahoo Finance

Following a dysfunctional 2018-19 season that ended with Kyrie Irving sabotaging the Boston Celtics in a second-round playoff exit and reneging on his commitment to re-sign with the storied franchise, Al Horford chose the security of a more lucrative $109 million offer from the Philadelphia 76ers to leave in free agency.

Two seasons later, the prodigal veteran found his way home to Boston, where the fledgling Celtics he left were preparing to spread their own All-Star wings, and together they delivered what had escaped Horford for 14 seasons and 141 playoff games, more than any other active player: his first NBA Finals appearance.

Horford anchored a dominant defensive effort against the Miami Heat in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals on Sunday night, and the three players whose careers he has shepherded in Boston Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart provided enough offense to survive a 100-96 series-clinching victory.

"Nobody deserves it more than this guy on my right right here, man," said Brown, who spent the first three seasons of his career playing alongside Horford and sat beside him on the postgame podium. "His energy, his demeanor, coming in every day, being a professional, taking care of his body, being a leader, I'm proud to be able to share this moment with a veteran, a mentor, a brother, a guy like Al Horford. He's been great all season, really my whole career. I'm happy to be able to share this moment with somebody like him."

Horford, whose maternal grandfather died before Boston's heartbreaking Game 6 loss, fell to his knees as the emotions hit on his first conference finals win in four tries. He hunched over and screamed a single word into the hardwood of FTX Arena. "Yes," he said repeatedly, before teammates helped him to his feet.

"My grandfather was somebody I was extremely close with, somebody I really care for," said Horford, "and all week my mom, my family told me to just go out there and play. That's something that he would have wanted me to do, to just continue on and try and stay focused and understand that he's at peace now."

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Horford became the biggest free-agent signing in Celtics history when he signed in 2016. His Atlanta Hawks had just beaten Boston in a first-round series, but they were swept by LeBron James' Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference semifinals, and he saw what the Celtics were building. Boston had Isaiah Thomas, Smart, a hodgepodge of hard workers and the last vestige of the 2008 championship Celtics two high lottery picks obtained from the Brooklyn Nets in exchange for Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett.

Horford led the Celtics to the East finals in 2017 and 2018, respectively the rookie years for No. 3 overall picks Brown and Tatum. Boston had traded Thomas for Irving and added Gordon Hayward between those two years, but season-ending injuries to both All-Stars left the Celtics with Brown and Tatum as their leading scorers in a seven-game loss to who else but LeBron's Cavs in the 2018 conference finals.

"When you lose those series, obviously it hurts and it's tough," said Tatum. "But you never forget it. That's what we all have in common. We've all been through those tough times, and we remember how that felt."

All the while, Horford was the consummate professional. He was ridiculed nationally for losing to LeBron in four straight playoffs and locally, where a Boston sports talk radio host nicknamed him "Average Al," ignoring Horford's contributions as a center who allows the Celtics to defend and space the floor offensively from all five positions. They just didn't have the firepower around him to match LeBron's greatness, at least not yet.

Boston Celtics big man Al Horford kisses the Eastern Conference championship trophy after defeating the Miami Heat to advance to the NBA Finals. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

So, when James left the East, and Irving undermined the Celtics, Horford faced another difficult career decision between an incumbent team with a sub-championship ceiling and the next young roster on the rise. He chose Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons and the Sixers, only to watch the evolving trio of Tatum, Brown and Smart lead Boston back to the 2020 Eastern Conference finals, where they lost to Miami in six games.

When Horford's frontcourt partnership with Embiid failed in Philadelphia, the five-time All-Star heard boos from Sixers fans and worse from their front office. They traded him, along with a lightly protected first-round pick, to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a salary dump. The Thunder put Horford on ice in their pursuit of a high lottery pick, and his career was headed for an unceremonious end, short of championship aspirations.

Only, the Celtics came calling again, once more needing him to captain a young crew who had fallen off course during a .500 season. Horford was available to anyone who could match his $27 million salary last summer, and nobody rang until Boston offered Kemba Walker and a first-round pick in a deal that was panned by some analytics-driven basketball people. Horford was the same as he ever was, undervalued.

The Celtics started this season on shaky ground, and first-year coach Ime Udoka reminded them of their instability at every downturn. Horford laid the foundation for their defensive identity, and he trusted the offensive development of Tatum, Brown and Smart. As necessary as Udoka's brutally honest criticism was, Boston needed Horford's steady hand to counterbalance the emotions on a young team still finding its way.

"When he came back, that gave us a sense of security," Smart said of Horford. "We've got Al back there. He's always going to make the right play on both ends, he's going to calm us down, he's going to show us what we missed, and he's going to help us learn the game even more. We appreciate everything that he brings to this game his mentality, his professionalism, and that's the big part for us, the way he comes in every day to work. We look up to that, and we try to implicate that into our lives and into our game."

Their faith in one another fueled a remarkable turnaround. Horford was the eldest in a brotherhood that formed the best team in basketball for the final four months of the regular season. Their bond on defense was as unbreakable as anything the league has seen since the last time the Celtics made the Finals in 2010, and the rising stars were realizing their potential. Tatum made the All-NBA first team, Smart was the Defensive Player of the Year, and Brown received votes for both the All-NBA and All-Defensive teams.

Just as important to Boston's success, Horford was Horford again. Given the chance to resurrect his career with a roster he helped raise, they lifted each other to heights no one imagined a year ago. They outgunned Kevin Durant's Nets, out-dueled Giannis Antetokounmpo's Bucks and, yes, outlasted Jimmy Butler's Heat.

"I've been a part of a lot of great teams, and I'm so proud of this group," said Horford. "I've seen [Brown] come in the league, take steps, take levels. I've seen [Tatum], the same thing. I've seen Smart grow. It's just special to be with them and be able to help them and be a part of this. I'm grateful to be in this position."

All that is left to hoist is the franchise's 18th banner. Only the three-time champion Golden State Warriors stand in the way of Horford's Hall of Fame legacy and fully realized potential for the roster he has mentored.

"Every athlete's dream is to get to that final stage and have an opportunity," said Smart. "I've been here four years in the Eastern Conference finals, and I've been sent home every year. It feels really good, and it feels really good for Jayson and Jaylen. We've been together for the longest even Al, man. Al, just happy for him. He played all these games, and he works his tail off. He deserves it more than any of us."

We so rarely see a second chance in sports, or ever in life, but these Celtics are making of the most theirs.

Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at rohrbach_ben@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach

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Al Horford and Celtics he mentored making most of second chance at first NBA title - Yahoo Sports

Its hard to find a workplace norm the pandemic hasnt upended. Its increasingly rare for white-collar workers to go into the office five days a week. The definition of workwear is up for debate. Job-hopping no longer sets off alarm bells. And, as of right now, its decidedly a job seekers market.

But while change is everywhere in the workplace, theres one holdout that hasnt been updated during these unprecedented times: the rsum.

There's no shortage of advice and services to help people condense (or in some cases expand) their work experience into a single document. Googling how to write a rsum yields 3.98 billion results. Even pre-pandemic, it was difficult to write a rsum. It can be hard to know where to start, and the question can feel more urgent for recent college grads, whose relevant work experience might be shortor nonexistent.

New grads shouldnt worry too much, says Jim Beirne, a career center adviser at Washington University in St. Louis. The students have had such strange experiences over the past couple years, they cant really appreciate [the strong job market]. A lack of in-person experience isnt going to stop employers from snapping up fresh talent. But a bad rsum might.

The good news for entry-level employees: Rsum best practices are pretty straightforward, regardless of what kind of job youre applying for.

Marc Cenedella, founder of Leet Rsums, a rsum writing service, gives every young person he works with three tips for putting together a rsum.

No matter how artistically inclined you are, you shouldnt opt for a busy, complicated format. Stick with one column; avoid photos (including headshots), colors, or bar charts; and use a default font like Arial or Times New Roman, Cenedella advises. A rsum is not the place to show off your creativity.

Dont include lots of information that's irrelevant to the job you're applying for. Sure, you've got hobbies, interests, languages, favorite bands, and ambitions, Cenedella says. But keep the information that doesn't address your ability to be responsible, accountable, and a hard worker to a reasonable level.

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Dont fudge your college major or minor, any of your certifications or degrees, or relevant work experience. One of the few things employers check is to confirm the name and date of your degree, he says.

Cenedella references one famous example: In 2012, Scott Thompson stepped down as CEO of Yahoo after just four months when it was uncovered that he lied about majoring in computer science in college, when he actually majored in accounting.

The rsum is no place for wishful thinking, Cenedella says.

While rsums are fairly straightforward documents, it's still easy to screw them up.

Beth Hendler-Grunt, founder of the career coaching service Next Great Step, can rattle off a list of errors she sees new grads make time and again. You dont need to include totally irrelevant high school experiences. Dont forget to include your email at the topand it better be professional, with your first and last name. This is not the place for your BTSforever55@ or RaiderzFan74@.

Some of Hendler-Grunts best practices are more granular. She advises against saying responsible for at the beginning of each sentenceas in, "I'm responsible for the office filing system." Instead, use past-tense action verbs, like built, created, or developed, like, "I developed a filing system that streamlined the office organizational flow."

Don't forget to triple-check grammar and spelling. And when listing out educationparticularly if you dont have much work experienceflesh out what you accomplished in your classes, and how theyve prepared you for the working world.

If you didnt have any internships, Hendler-Grunt says, focus on what you did do. Many people dont have internships, but you had to have done something, she says. Was it a club, babysitting, a class project, or just something to fill your time? Find the story behind the skills you have.

That said, leave most of the storytelling to the cover letter. Your rsum and cover letter shouldnt look the same; thats pointless, Christine Cruzvergara, chief education strategy officer at Handshake, a career network for recent grads, tells Fortune. Your rsum should show your breadth of experience while your cover letter shows depth.

While the exact line-by-line format can vary, Cruzvergara sets some ground rules. Your rsum should very clearly highlight your education and work experience, and then experiences that are relevant to whatever industry youre trying to break into, she says. Its OK if that experience is just from volunteering or a class project. Whats important is using action verbs to show what you accomplished.

The students Cruzvergara work with often underplay their non-job experiences. They think theyve only worked in retail or babysat, she says. But the reality is, those experiences have so many transferable skills.

Companies might be hiring more new grads this year, but college students and recent grads still may be feeling equal parts directionless and restless.

I think theyre just confused and following what their friends do, Hendler-Grunt says. Thats the challenge of this demographic. They dont want to listen to their parents. And why should they? Often their parents are too far out of the game.

Hendler-Grunt has found success reaching a younger audience where they are: on TikTok. She regularly posts videos like 3 Reasons Why Your Rsum Isnt Getting Noticed and 4 Tips to Prepare for a Virtual Interview, in an effort to connect with young people and set the record straight about the most effective ways to find a job.

Hendler-Grunt is still getting used to TikTok, where she has to truncate her detailed thoughts and recommendations to fit the form. But she hopes the videos keep her viewers from submitting a garish, out-of-touch rsumwhether or not they ever click follow.

The job market might be hot, but that doesn't mean there isn't competition for the top jobs. Sure, it's a little old-fashioned that hiring managers are still relying on these one-sheets when deciding whether to set up an interview with a potential candidate (and some companies are trying to do away with them altogether). But a good rsum can help you get your foot in the door. Next step will be nailing that video interview.

This story was originally featured on Fortune.com

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Experts warn never put this on your rsumregardless of what job youre applying for - Yahoo Finance

MIAMI At the end of the regular season for the Miami Heat, before knowing their first-round playoff opponent, a majority of the players took a surprise trip to the Bahamas for a few days.

This was not a trip orchestrated by the Heat.

Most teams stay locked in the gym and in film sessions as they prepare to embark on the most important juncture of the season. However, Heat players raved about the trip, saying it was a welcomed excursion that provided a nice mental break and a bonding period beyond the ordinary.

Who initiated this rare pre-postseason getaway has never been disclosed.

When Yahoo Sports asked Heat coach Erik Spoelstra who was responsible for the trip, he offered a hint: Ill just say its someone we truly admire and respect. Youll have to find out who on your own."

Two logical candidates were Jimmy Butler and Udonis Haslem. When approached on the subject, each made it clear they did not organize the trip. They also declined to name the organizer.

A few days later, a league source with a connection to the Heat caught wind of the inquiries and reached out to Yahoo Sports: It was Kyle Lowry.

Yahoo Sports approached Spoelstra with this new information and he confirmed it.

Kyle met with me and told me what he wanted to do with the team. He had all the logistics figured out and I gave him my blessings, Spoelstra told Yahoo Sports. There are only about a handful of players like Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, Udonis Haslem whove played for this franchise that I know could have pulled off something like this. It shows you how special Kyle is and how much we really respect him as a person and a player.

Kyle Lowry has earned the admiration and respect among the Miami Heat organization and his teammates in his first season with the team. (Cole Burston/Getty Images)

Lowry an NBA champion, a six-time All-Star and a gold medalist is highly regarded by the franchise, and its the central reason why the Heat allowed the guard to orchestrate such a trip.

In his first season with the team, Lowry has earned glowing admiration from the organization and teammates.

However, Lowry's role on the court has prompted debate among observers. He has battled a right hamstring injury throughout the postseason, leading him to being in and out the lineup.

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Over the last two games in the Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics, Lowry has scored a combined three points on 1-of-12 shooting in an average of 23 minutes per game. Overall in this series, hes shooting 5-of-23. In a pivotal 93-80 loss in Game 5 on Wednesday night to put the Celtics up 3-2, Lowry scored zero points in 24 minutes on 0-of-6 shooting from the field while accumulating five fouls.

The 36-year-old has been a shell of himself on both ends of the court during this playoff run. He has lacked aggression when in the game.

Reserve point guard Gabe Vincent has proven to be the better option at this point, but Lowry possesses a wealth of postseason experience that is almost certainly factoring into the equation.

Were not going to make any kind of deflection or excuse, Spoelstra said after the loss. Boston beat us tonight. Lets be clear about that. There are guys that are far from 100 percent on both sides.

Lowry isnt the only one struggling. Over the last two games, the trio of Lowry, Butler and Max Strus is a combined 8-of-60 shooting. Strus is 0-for-16 from the field and 0-for-11 from three in that span.

Butler is clearly dealing with continual knee pain as hes not the dominant player hes been most of these playoffs.

Tyler Herro, the Sixth Man of the Year who has missed the last two games with a groin injury, will do all that he can to be available for Game 6.

With the Celtics one win away from advancing to the NBA Finals for the first time in 12 years, there isnt much tinkering Spoelstra can do to the starting lineup at this point. But if theres one glaring adjustment on the table, it is what to do with Lowry.

The veteran has earned his respect throughout his prolific career, but it might be time for Spoelstra to make him earn his minutes for this postseason.

Miami Heat forward Jimmy Butler and guard Kyle Lowry (7) gesture during a postgame news conference after Game 5 of the NBA Eastern Conference finals against the Boston Celtics. (AP)

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Why its tough for the Heat to sit Kyle Lowry - Yahoo Sports

No one feels bad for the Milwaukee Brewers these days. Sure, pitching injuries hurt. You miss a Freddy Peralta, you miss a Brandon Woodruff.

But the Brewers have an embarrassment of riches at the position. Corbin Burnes was outstanding over the weekend, and Monday at Chicago, Aaron Ashby stepped into the fray.

Ashby, a second-year left-hander, had his way at Wrigley Field. He held the Cubs to one run over six innings, walking two, striking out 12. It was a strong response to Ashbys last turn (5.2 IP, 1 R, 0 ER, 5 K) and ensures that he wont be leaving the rotation anytime soon.

The key for Ashbys long-term fantasy value is control. Hes walked 22 batters over 40 innings, which is too many. But hes mitigated that with a bunch of strikeouts 51 after Mondays start and by keeping the ball in the park (just three homers allowed). His ERA is down to 2.70, and the Statcast data validates that (2.87 expected ERA).

The wonky 1.33 WHIP? Thats the walks talking. Still, when someone posts a 12-strikeout game, you generally add the pitcher and ask questions later.

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Ashby mixes in four pitches, including a 95.9 mph fastball. His heater, curve and change all grade as plus pitches. He also comes from good stock; his uncle, Andy Ashby, had a 14-year career as a pitcher, made a couple of All-Star teams in the late 1990s.

Uncle Andy was primarily a member of the Padres, the team Aaron faces next. Its last call for the Milwaukee lefty. Ashby is just under 50 percent rostered in Yahoo as we go to press.

Were getting close to last call on Christopher Morel, the new Cubs leadoff man. For the fourth straight day Monday, he stole a base. He also slotted leadoff for both games of the doubleheader; hes been there six straight times now. Morel, who we talked about last week, is slashing .286/.386/.469, with two homers and five steals over two weeks of play.

Christopher Morel is making a fantasy impact as a rookie. (AP Photo/Aaron Doster)

Morels lovely versatility makes him an easy kick-the-tires pickup. Hes currently eligible at second base, third base and the outfield for Yahoo gamers. He might pick up shortstop eligibility later this year.

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Morels plate discipline has earned raves from the Cubs and could keep him parked in the leadoff spot for a while. His current roster tag is 29 percent, but that could be doubled by the end of the week.

Morel was one of my most aggressive FAAB targets last weekend, adding him where I could. I also threw some offers at Tampa Bay reliever J.P. Feyereisen. His stat page, well, its too good to be true. Check what hes done over 23 innings: 5 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 4 BB, 25 K. That's an ERA of zero, a WHIP of 0.39.

We know that type of batted-ball luck is unsustainable, but we also know to trust the K/BB ratio. And the Rays like to use Feyereisen in high-leverage situations. Its led to four tidy wins for the righty, and he recorded his first save over the weekend.

Id prefer Feyereisen move his way into the closing mix, but Im not against some relief wins. And even with his outlier results to this point, theyre not that far from his career norms 2.34 ERA, 0.98 WHIP, .150 batting average allowed. And we know how valuable relievers on winning teams can be for fantasy purposes. You can still add Feyereisen in 60 percent of Yahoo leagues.

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Fantasy Baseball: Last call for Aaron Ashby on the waiver wire - Yahoo Sports

The luxury watch market has been on fire lately. Swiss watch exports in March (the latest dataset available) are up 11.4% from a year ago, hitting a market value of over $2 billion (the first time exports crossed that threshold this early in the year).

Success in the showrooms has translated into luxury watchmakers, both big and small, pushing forward with new models, including many capitalizing on another big watch fad, models featuring collaborations with high-end automakers.

British watchmaker Bremont, a company thats seen its status rise among luxury watch collectors, recently debuted two new updates to its watch "collabs" one featuring British marque Jaguar (TTM) with the Bremont Jaguar C-Type and the other with iconic U.K.-based Formula 1 team Williams F1 with the Bremont WR-22).

High-end cars and high-end watches may sound like a match made in heaven for wealthy men and women of a certain age. But it isnt just about a luxury pairing for luxurys sake; from a brand point of view, the collaborations highlight brands' similar design aesthetic or commitment to precision engineering.

Bremont Jaguar C-Type

Yahoo Finance caught up with Bremont co-founder Nick English from the Classic Car Club in Manhattan, where the brand was showcasing these two watches and other new models (as well as Williams F1 racing car to boot).

Were all engineers, and we all love design its a fusion of two like minds, English said about the collaboration with Jaguar. I think having an iconic British race car brand like Jaguar [paired with] and an iconic now for us, British watch brand like Bremont, where were trying to machine as much as we can in the U.K., it was a sort of synergy made in heaven.

Watches with mechanical movements (as opposed to quartz electronic battery movements) are usually powered internally by a mainspring, which then use intricate parts like barrels, wheels, and jewels all working in harmony to keep time. The analogy with a cars engine with its hundreds of moving parts is quite apt.

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Bremont WR-22

Sometimes both partners use similar parts or materials in the building of both watch and machine. Weve got engineers, weve got some of the same machines our case machines that they [Williams] use to manufacture parts, English says about Bremonts relationship with Williams F1. Were not experts on carbon fiber technology, but were learning quickly, and they are [experts], so theres a really lovely diffusion of skillset.

Porsche Design, the in-house design studio created by Porsche founder Ferdinand Porsches grandson "Butzi" Porsche, also embodies that sentiment. Part of the Porsche Lifestyle Group, Porsche Design works closely with the automakers customers who wish to personalize their Porsche Design watches, with materials from the car they actually own.

Porsche Design Chronograph 1

The colors, types of leather, and decorative stitching on these chronographs all originate from automotive production, Porsche Lifestyle CEO Dr. Jan Becker said in a statement to Yahoo Finance. This innovative concept fulfills the desire among many Porsche customers to design a chronograph for their wrist that matches the dream sports car in their garage.

Of course, a big reason why these collabs happen in the first place, is to make money. Though watchmakers acknowledge the financial wins here, founders like Bremonts English say the collaborations can help smaller watch brands push forward with branding, develop prestige, and challenge the big boys in the watch world.

People are realizing that there are brands after Rolex, and i think thats a really exciting development in the industry, because that hasn't always been the case, English said when discussing the state of the industry. There are some amazing people doing some amazing things, on a very unique level you know watches being made in the hundreds, not the millions, and I think that has some value in itself.

Pras Subramanian is a senior autos reporter for Yahoo Finance. You can follow him on Twitter and on Instagram.

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Cars and 'collabs': luxury watchmakers turn to autos for inspiration - Yahoo Finance