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The 2021-2022 NBA Regular Season kicked off on Tuesday as the Milwaukee Bucks raised their championship banner. Shortly after the Bucks raised their banner, the Lakers and Warriors faced off in an epic opening season battle. Hours later, the Knicks beat the Celtics in overtime. Two days into the season, a lot has happened and fans have a lot to be excited about. However, there is one major component to the NBA scene that is missing and his name is Kawhi Leonard.
While the NBA season is off to a fast start, the two-time NBA Finals MVP is out of action due to an injury he suffered at the end of last season. As Leonard works toward a full recovery, he has had his hand in a project that will not only shake things up on the court, but off of it as well. The 2019 NBA Champion is currently preparing for the release of Culture Jam Vol. 1. Bringing together the worlds of basketball and hip-hop culture, the California native has teamed up with Eesean Bolden of Virgin Music to create a musical project that features stars like Rod Wave, NBA Youngboy, Lil' Uzi Vert, Wale, Capella Grey, Ty Dolla $ign and many others.
Culture Jam is not just a musical project. It's a cultural event, no pun intended. One month after delivering Culture Jam Vol. 1, Leonard will host the inaugural Culture Jam Sports and Music Festival at the Shrine in Los Angeles. Hosted by Wayno, the festival will include a live performance from GRAMMY-nominated artist Cordae. Leonard, Goldenvoice and Virgin Music will also feature panels celebrating HBCUs, workshops on financial literacy and open discussions about mental health. To top it all off, G Herbo and Fivio Foreign will lead their respective teams in a celebrity basketball game that will feature WNBA stars like Te'a Cooper of the Los Angeles Sparks and Jewell Lloyd of the 2020 WNBA Champion Seattle Storm. High school prospects Mikey Williams and Hansel Emmanuel will also step on the court.
Culture Jam Vol. 1 will drop later tonight and tickets for the Culture Jam Sports and Music Festival will be available on October 22.
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