What’s The 411TV announced its list of 25 Most Interesting People of 2015, and the 21-time tennis grand slam winner, Serena Williams, along with five other sports figures made the cut.
The list of 25 leads with a tie between singer, songwriter, actor, and social activist Harry Belafonte; and social relevant photographer Steven Somerstein, who documented the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Civil Rights March. Serena Williams sits at No. 2.
The legendary tennis player won the first three tennis majors in 2015 and lost in the U.S. Open semifinals, thereby missing a calendar-year Grand Slam. Serena Williams, the world’s number one female tennis player, has 26 consecutive wins in majors.
With a spectacular career that has spanned more than 20-years, Williams took tennis lovers and aficionados on an incredible ride this past year, and we're still rooting for her.
Los Angeles Clippers Head Coach Glenn Anton "Doc" Rivers comes in at No. 6 on the list because he's a sage that helped to keep the NBA intact in a moment of serious crisis.
At No. 7 is Brooklyn Nets Head Coach Lionel Hollins; he made the list for the second time. We have learned a lot more about Coach Hollins in the past year: he's a straight-shooter, instructive, and he manages the New York media.
Golden State Warriors guard and NBA MVP Stephen Curry made the list at No. 8 because, as a fierce competitor, he understands his limitations and has developed strategies to overcome them; a lesson for us all.
Los Angeles Lakers small forward Metta World Peace is No. 13; he, too, is a fierce competitor and when he's in your presence, there's never a dull moment.
At No. 14 is New York Liberty forward Swintayla Marie “Swin” Cash; she has parlayed her prolific scoring and rebounding skills into a studio analyst gig for select New York Knicks games.
In the Honorable Mention category are former NBA player and Klay Thompson’s dad, Mychal Thompson; and Brooklyn Nets rookie small forward, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Although Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson is an NBA All-Star, the elder Thompson still has no problem giving his son fatherly advice. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson is currently sidelined with a broken ankle, but he is a selfless millennial who, along with his brother, bought his mother a house as soon as he signed his NBA contract.
What's The 411TV's 25 Most Interesting People of 2015 is an eclectic list of people interviewed by What's The 411TV reporters primarily as exclusives, but this year, we included a couple of group press conferences attended by our reporters. The list consists of people who have spurred a movement; those who have made an impact in their respective fields globally; iconic figures; athletes; coaches; entrepreneurs; and those making it happen behind the scenes. Domestic Violence dominated headlines in 2015, and two people, Katrina Walker and Melissa Holmes, survivors of domestic abuse, are on the list for telling their compelling stories and helping others. Ms. Walker, a mother of four children, left her abusive husband, found a job and then created 24-hour daycare centers in two states.
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Kobe Bryant recently announced his retirement as an NBA player, so we decided to post this video from Kobe's first Brooklyn Nets postgame press conference at the Barclays Center, which was recorded on February 5, 2013.
Despite having three players with double-doubles, the Nets lost to the Washington Wizards 111-96, at the Barclays Center on Sunday. Brooklyn Nets center Brook Lopez led his team with 19 points, 11 rebounds; Thaddeus Young scored 16 points 14 boards, and Jarrett Jack chipped in 15 points and 11 assists.
Although Bojan Bogdanovic, a member of the Nets starting five, didn’t have a double-double, he registered 14 points, five boards, and two assists.
As with other games, the final score doesn’t give the total story. The Nets were hanging close and even went up six late in the third quarter. Young even had 12 of his 14 rebounds in the first half.
However, Washington turned into real wizards going on a 16-2 run late in the fourth quarter. The Wizards were up 19 points with less than four minutes remaining and outscored the Nets 32-19.
The Nets starting five outscored the Wizards starting five 73-71. However, Washington’s bench saved the day, beating back the Nets’ reserves 40-23. Even Kris Humphries, who was married to Kim Kardashian for all of 72 days, chipped in 10 points for the Wizards.
Washington’s Marcin Gortat led all scorers with 25 points, seven rebounds, three assists, and one steal. John Wall added 22 points and 13 assists.
The Nets entered the fourth quarter down two points and then things began to unravel. It was as though the team had lost its compass; they had eight turnovers in the fourth quarter alone.
“I think they were kind of unforced,” Lopez explained about the turnovers in the fourth quarter. “I could’ve come to the ball more- I should’ve. I think we got up to playing at their pace a little bit and got away from our game. But, it definitely started defensively. I did a poor job on the pick and roll, and that led everything.”
”They hit a few big threes,” Lopez continued. “I don’t think we did a good job really of adjusting to what they were doing. It kind of just fell apart from there. They got hot and kept going.”
Losing is taking its toll on the team; the Nets (8-22) have lost their last six home games.
"We're the team we are at the moment," Brooklyn Nets head coach Lionel Hollins said of the Nets being 14 games under .500. "We're struggling to get better. We have starts of moving forward and then we have lags where we go backwards."
Next up: The Nets will play the Miami Heat on Monday.