MagazinAisle

Author: rb809rb

  • World faces food ‘catastrophe’ if Strait of Hormuz disruption persists: FAO

    World faces food ‘catastrophe’ if Strait of Hormuz disruption persists: FAO

    Global agriculture is highly exposed to the waterway blockage, risking higher commodity prices and food inflation.

    Published On 14 Apr 2026

    A prolonged disruption in the Strait of Hormuz could result in a global food “catastrophe”, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has warned, as shipments of critical agricultural inputs remain blocked in the key waterway due to the US-Israel war on Iran.

    Food prices have not risen yet because existing stocks are absorbing the shock, the United Nations body’s chief economist, Maximo Torero, said in an interview on Monday, alongside David Laborde, director of FAO’s agrifood economics division.

    Recommended Stories

    list of 3 itemsend of list

    But if traffic through the strait does not resume, the shocks to energy and fertiliser markets will translate into higher commodity and retail prices later this year and into 2027, Laborde added.

    Exports of 20 to 45 percent of key agrifood inputs rely on sea passage through the Strait of Hormuz, according to the FAO.

    “We are in an input crisis; we don’t want to make it a catastrophe,” said Laborde. “The difference depends on the actions we take.”

    “Right now, we don’t have a food crisis because we have food availability,” Torero added, noting that the increase in gas and oil prices has not translated yet into higher costs for bread and wheat, for example, thanks to ample supplies coming out of a good harvest season. “But this is now,” the economist said.

    Fertilisers

    Nearly half of the world’s traded urea – the most widely used fertiliser – and large volumes of other fertilisers are exported from Gulf countries via the Strait of Hormuz, making global agriculture highly exposed to any disruption there.

    Recent disruptions to gas supplies and shipping have already forced fertiliser plants, which use natural gas to manufacture fertiliser, in the Gulf and beyond to shut or cut their output.

    Should traffic continue to stall in the chokepoint, farmers will be forced to produce with less fertiliser or increase the cost of their product, Torero said.

    “This is why it’s so essential that the ceasefire continue and is so essential that it is not just a ceasefire, but also that vessels start moving,” he said. “The clock is ticking.”

    Torero added that poorer countries were most exposed because planting calendars meant delays in access to key inputs could quickly translate into lower output, higher inflation and slower global growth.

    Iran has brought traffic through the strait to a near-total halt in response to attacks from the United States and Israel, which launched a war on Tehran on February 28, killing Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.

    The move has triggered a global energy crisis, doubling at times the prices of oil and gas compared with pre-war levels.

    Over the weekend, Iranian and US representatives held a 21-hour marathon negotiation to reach an agreement for a permanent ceasefire, but failed to achieve a breakthrough.

    US President Donald Trump then decided to impose a naval blockade on the strait. He said the navy would hunt down and interdict ships in international waters that had paid Iran a toll to traverse the strait.

    Later, the US military said it would block all maritime traffic entering and exiting Iranian ports, including those in the Gulf and the Gulf of Oman.

  • Iran slams YouTube ban on pro-Iranian group’s Lego-style AI videos

    Iran slams YouTube ban on pro-Iranian group’s Lego-style AI videos

    Iran’s Foreign Ministry spokesman says the move aims to ‘suppress the truth about their illegal war on Iran’.

    Published On 14 Apr 2026

    Iran has condemned a ban imposed by YouTube on a pro-Iranian group that releases Lego-style artificial intelligence videos after posting one lampooning United States President Donald Trump and declaring “Iran won” last week.

    Explosive Media said on X last week that YouTube suspended its account for “violent content”, while the group’s other online accounts appeared unaffected.

    Recommended Stories

    list of 4 itemsend of list

    “Seriously! Are our LEGO-style animations actually violent?” Explosive Media asked, in its post on Friday.

    Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Esmaeil Baghaei said the ban was a move to suppress “the truth” about the US-Israel war on Iran.

    “In a land that proudly hosts Pixar, DreamWorks Animation, and The Walt Disney Company, an independent animated YouTube channel – which had organically grown by depicting U.S. aggression & warmongering, and garnered millions of viewers – was abruptly shut down!! Why?!” he posted on X on Monday.

    Baghaei added: “Simply to suppress the truth about their ‘illegal war’ on Iran and shield the American administration’s false narrative from any competing voice.”

    Meme videos on Trump

    Explosive Media, a group of pro-Iran creators that describes itself as independent but is widely suspected of having ties to the Iranian government, has produced a series of such videos that have racked up millions of views during the conflict.

    “The way to crush imperialism has been shown to the world. Trump surrendered. IRAN WON,” read the caption of its video on X after the two-week ceasefire agreement was announced on April 7.

    “TACO will always remain TACO,” it added, referring to the acronym “Trump always chickens out”.

    Another clip on X depicted Trump – caricatured with an oversized yellow head and a flaming backside – holding a sign that read: “VICTORY! I am a loser.”

    Explosive Media, whose videos often tap into US popular culture, seems to be portraying Trump as old, isolated, and prone to childish tantrums, seemingly disconnected from reality.

  • Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight Lineup: ‘Butterfly Jam’ Starring Barry Keoghan and Riley Keough, Radu Jude’s Next Film and More

    Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight Lineup: ‘Butterfly Jam’ Starring Barry Keoghan and Riley Keough, Radu Jude’s Next Film and More

    Directors‘ Fortnight, the independent sidebar competition that runs alongside the Cannes Film Festival, is adding a splash of star power to its 58th edition, alongside some major filmmaking names from the world of independent cinema.

    Heading a typically eclectic lineup, the 2026 event is opening with “Butterly Fly,” the English-language debut from Kantemir Balagov, the Russian director behind the acclaimed 2019 drama “Beanpole.” The film, set in a tight-knit U.S. community of Circassian immigrants, stars Barry Keoghan, Riley Keough, Harry Melling and Monica Bellucci.

    Elsewhere, Romanian auteur Radu Jude returns with a quick-fire following up to last year’s “Dracula” with his adaptation of Octave Mirbeau’s “The Diary of a Chambermaid,” starring Ana Dumitrascu, Vincent Macaigne and Mélanie Thierry.

    From the U.S., Reed Van Dyk brings his debut feature “Atonement,” starring Kenneth Branagh, Hiam Abbass, and Boyd Holbrook. Set during the early days of the Iraq War and inspired by real events, the film follows a U.S. marine’s attempts to reconcile with the survivor of a firefight that devastated an Iraqi family.

    Thanks to Directors’ Fortnight, Clio Barnard becomes the solitary British filmmaker in the Cannes lineup. The celebrated indie director returns to the competition for a third time with “I See Buildings Fall Like Lighting.” Adapted by Enda Walsh from Keiran Goddard’s novel, the film — about five friends who grew up on a council estate — is led by an ensemble of fast-rising talent, including Anthony Boyle, Joe Cole, Jay Lycurgo, Daryl McCormack and Lola Petticrew.

    From Argentina, Lisandro Alonso returns to Cannes once again with “Double Freedom,” which comes almost quarter of a century after his debut feature, “La Libertad” premiered in Un Certain Regard and set a benchmark for so-called slow cinema.

    South Korean writer-director July Jung returns to the Croisette with “Dora.” The film, starring Sakura Ando and Kim Doyeon, centers on a young woman whose physical and emotional illness begins to lift when she falls in love. One of the more consistent Korean presences at Cannes, Jung’s debut “A Girl at My Door” screened in Un Certain Regard in 2014, while “Next Sohee” closed Critics’ Week in 2022.

    Of three animated features in the lineup of features, “La Vertige” closes this year’s Directors’ Fortnight, while also marking the second film debuting on the Croisette from Quentin Dupieux, whose absurdist comedy “Full Phil” — starring Woody Harrelson and Kristen Stewart — is in the Midnight Screening section. The film was shot entirely in 3D using motion-capture.

    See the Directors’ Fortnight 2026 feature selection below.

    “Butterfly Jam,” Kantemir Balagov — opening film
    “Once Upon a Time in Harlem,” William Greaves & David Greaves
    “Femme De Chambre” (“The Diary of a Chambermaid”), Radu Jude
    “Dora,” July Jung
    “Gabin,” Maxence Voiseux
    “Clarissa,” Arie Esiri and Chuko Esiri
    “L’espèce Explosive” (“Too Many Beasts”), Sarah Arnold
    “Low Expectations,” Eivind Landsvik
    “Double Freedom,” Lisandro Alonso
    “We Are Aliens,” Kohei Kadowaki
    “Merci D’être Venu” (“Thanks for Coming”), Alain Cavalier – Documentaire
    “I See Buildings Fall Like Lighting,” Clio Barnard
    “Atonement,” Reed Van Dyk
    “Shana” De Lila Pinell
    “Death Has No Master,” Jorge Thielen Armand
    “Carmen, L’oiseau Rebelle,” Sébastien Laudenbach
    “9 Temples to Heaven,” Sompot Chidgasornpongse
    “Le Vertige,” Quentin Dupieux — closing film

  • ‘Buen Camino,’ Italy’s Highest-Grossing Movie of All Time, Set for Spanish Remake (EXCLUSIVE)

    ‘Buen Camino,’ Italy’s Highest-Grossing Movie of All Time, Set for Spanish Remake (EXCLUSIVE)

    Spain’s AF Films has acquired Spanish remake rights to “Buen Camino,” the Italian comedy that recently became the country’s all-time highest-grossing film by scoring a whopping more than $82 million local box office haul.

    The “Buen Camino” adaptation agreement between AF Films and Italian sales company Piperplay is the first remake deal to be announced since the comedy – starring local comedy sensation Checco Zalone as a rich and debauched father who zips around in a red Ferrari searching for his runaway daughter along Spain’s famous Camino de Santiago spiritual pilgrimage –became an Italian box office sensation that generated buzz elsewhere in the world.

    The protagonist, Checco, is forced to leave his gilded life behind to search for Cristal, his missing teenage daughter. “He thus finds himself, against his will, on the Camino de Santiago, amid hardship, blisters, clashes, and revelations. But this unexpected journey will become the only chance for father and daughter to truly get to know each other,” as the official synopsis puts it

    Piperplay is also in advanced talks to sell “Buen Camino” remake rights to France and Germany. 

    “Buen Camino,” which is produced by Italy’s Vuelta-owned Indiana Production, launched in Italy via Medusa distribution on Dec. 25 and went on to dominate the Italian market, holding the box office spot for the following five weeks, drawing more than 9 million Italians. More significantly, the film surpassed Zalone’s previously held records for a local title, the last of which was with 2016’s “Quo Vado,” about a Southern Italian slacker hellbent on holding on to his parasitic government job even when he is transferred to the North Pole.

    Due to its more universal storyline “Buen Camino” can make for more congenial remake material than Zalone’s previous pictures, possibly proving that local comedies can travel.

    “We are now in exactly the same position that were were in with “Quo Vado” 10 years ago. The world outside Italy is astonished at our box office haul and wondering, “How did these guys pull it off?,” Buen Camino director Gennaro Nunziante said in an interview with Variety.

    “But this time we’ve taken it to the next level, and not just in terms of box office. This film has much more international appeal compared with “Quo Vado,” he noted.

    “Buen Camino proved that a story about a father, a daughter, and a road can become a box office phenomenon with no franchise behind it. That’s exactly why it travels,” said Indiana partner Daniel Campos Pavoncelli in a statement.

    “We’re very honored that this idea from Gennaro Nunziante and Luca Medici (aka Checco Zalone) is drawing such a broad appeal,” he added.

    “The Spanish-language remake is the logical next step: the Camino de Santiago is Spanish territory, Spanish culture, and a potential audience that already knows the geography. We are very proud to have AF Films do this remake,” Campos Pavoncelli went on to point out.

    Commented AF chief Frank Aziza: “At AF Films, we feel deeply connected to ‘Buen Camino’ because it is a story that, through humor, speaks to something essential: human relationships and second chances.”

    “We are drawn to projects like this one, which have the ability to make audiences laugh and feel at the same time, while inviting them to see themselves reflected in the characters.”

    AF Films, which operates between Europe and the U.S., is known for developing high-end feature films and prestige TV projects through strategic studio alliances and cross-border financing models. Recent projects in which AF have been involved include Sundance standout “Sorry, Baby”; thriller “Above and Below,” toplining Antonio Banderas; action movie “Hammer Down,” that they are developing with “Oppenheimer” producer Charles Roven; and HBO Max series “Mariachis.”

  • Doctor Doom Predicts AI-Powered Boom of World Economy

    Nouriel Roubini, also known as Doctor Doom after his accurate prediction of the 2008 financial crisis, has now turned bullish, anticipating a rise in the world economy linked to the implementation of tech and artificial intelligence (AI), with China and the U.S. at the helm.

    Key Takeaways:

    • Nouriel Roubini predicts AI will drive markets, pushing future US growth to 4% by 2030 despite politics.
    • At the Greenwich Economic Forum, Roubini noted AI is no bubble, driving tech markets for the next 20 years.
    • Per Roubini, US tech dynamism ignores politics; AI innovation will push future economic growth to 10% by 2050.

    Nouriel ‘Doctor Doom’ Roubini Forecasts Jump In World Economies As AI Grows

    While some analysts have become pessimistic about the effects of the growing international adoption of artificial intelligence (AI), others believe it will usher in an era of accelerated productivity and growth.

    Nouriel Roubini, also known as “Doctor Doom” for its constant pessimistic predictions about the course of the world economy, has turned bullish in this regard and is now expecting AI to become one of the key drivers of growth. This new era of growth, supported by several drivers, including IA and semiconductors, will principally benefit the U.S. and China, the main innovators in these fields.

    Roubini, famous for predicting the 2008 financial crisis, assumes that AI is a technology that will keep evolving and is not a bubble, as many in the financial world fear. At the Greenwich Economic Forum in Hong Kong, he stated:

    “That fundamental story – regardless of geopolitics, regardless of climate change, regardless of populism – is the driver for the next 10 to 20 years, and is a positive for the world at large”

    For Roubini, AI might spur an annual growth of 4% in the U.S. economy by 2030, and this might climb 6% by 2040 and 10% by 2050, an acceleration that would be independent of any geopolitical shocks like the current Middle East conflict.

    “I think, eventually, technology dominates over the medium term, but we can cause a lot of damage in the short run by doing lots of stupid things,” he declared.

    According to SCMP, the economist also disregarded the political leadership’s relevance in this new era, stressing that even with “Mickey Mouse” as president of the U.S., the economy will keep growing because the U.S. tech sector has its own dynamism to ensure this growth rate.

  • Can STABLE target $0.034 after a strong bounce from KEY support?

    Can STABLE target $0.034 after a strong bounce from KEY support?

    Stable [$STABLE] price action is showing renewed strength after a successful reversal from key trend line support near $0.025. The reaction from this level appears to be firm and timely, as the token’s price action did not hesitate upon hitting the zone. Buyers just stepped in quickly and pushed token prices higher.

    This kind of move often marks the early phase of a continuation, especially when it follows a controlled pullback rather than a sharp breakdown.

    Trendline support reinforces the market structure

    The bounce from $0.025 tells more than affirming the significance of the short-term support. Indeed, it reinforces the broader bullish structure that has been building over recent sessions. On the daily chart, the price action respected the trend line and reversed without violating key levels.

    That behavior matters. It indicates that the market is still trading within a structured trend rather than slipping into weakness. Buyers are defending positions, and the move higher reflects confidence rather than short covering.

    As long as the price holds above this support zone, the structure still leans to the bulls’ favour.

    Source: TradingView

    Liquidity at $0.034 Becomes the Immediate Magnet

    With momentum building, the market investors are shifting their attention to the liquidity cluster around $0.034. Over $500K worth of unmitigated liquidity sits in this price level. Borrowing from previous similar scenarios, the markets tend to move toward such zones as they represent areas of pending orders.

    The current price path suggests alignment toward that level. The move does not appear stretched yet, which increases the probability of a continuation push.

    Still, the reaction at $0.034 will be key. A clean sweep could open room for further expansion, while hesitation may trigger short-term consolidation.

    Source: Coinglass

    Stable’s funding rates suggest room for growth

    That’s not all; derivative data also sparks bullish signals. The asset’s Funding Rates remained relatively low, below 0% at press time, pointing to an undervalued market environment. The developments imply that the rally is not driven by excessive leverage, which reduces the risk of sudden reversals.

    This supports a healthier trend and suggests that the current move has room to develop before reaching overheated conditions.

    Source: Coinglass

    Will Stable sustain momentum?

    $STABLE is building a strong case for continuation. The trend line held. Momentum is rising. Liquidity sits just above the current price, and funding conditions remain supportive.

    For now, the path toward $0.034 looks technically justified. If buyers maintain control, the market could move to clear the liquidity cluster. The next reaction will determine what comes after.

    Final Summary

    • $STABLE price action is gaining momentum after a successful reversal from a key support.
    • Undervalued Funding Rates suggest the rally may extend further before reaching overheated conditions.
  • Well Go USA Is Sending ‘Train to Busan’ Back to Theaters, Sets Date for Yeon Sang-ho’s New Zombie Movie

    Well Go USA Is Sending ‘Train to Busan’ Back to Theaters, Sets Date for Yeon Sang-ho’s New Zombie Movie

    Zombie fans rejoice! Train to Busan, Yeon Sang-ho‘s 2016 Korean masterpiece, is heading back to theaters to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the film that reanimated the zombie genre. And that’s not all — Yeon’s new film about the pernicious undead has set its North American theatrical release date.

    Leading indie and specialist distributor Well Go USA Entertainment is bringing Train to Busan back to American and Canadian theaters on Aug. 14. The film will be presented in 4K for the first time in theaters. There are no details as yet how many theaters or where exactly the film will play.

    Train to Busan was a global smash hit when it was released. The film, which stars an ensemble cast including Gong Yoo, Jung Yu-mi and Don Lee, tells the story of a zombie apocalypse that suddenly breaks out and threatens the lives of passengers on a train between Seoul and Busan. The film was followed by the animated prequel Seoul Station (2016) and the standalone sequel Peninsula (2020).

    Well Go USA has also revealed that it has acquired the North American rights to Yeon’s newest zombie feature Colony. That film will have its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May, with a theatrical release set for Aug. 28 this year. Well Go USA has revealed a teaser trailer to the film (see below).

    Written and directed by Yeon, Colony, per a description from the producers, “follows Professor Se-jeong as she is thrust into a terrifying hellscape when a mutating virus is unleashed during a biotech conference, forcing authorities to seal the facility to contain the outbreak. Unable to escape, Se-jeong and a group of survivors must fight to stay alive as the infected undergo horrific transformations and threaten to spread the virus.”

    Colony stars Gianna Jun (My Sassy Girl) and Koo Kyo-hwan (Peninsula, Escape from Mogadishu).

  • Eurovision Song Contest to Stream for Free in U.S. on YouTube, in Addition to Peacock, as Executive Addresses Political Boycotts

    Eurovision Song Contest to Stream for Free in U.S. on YouTube, in Addition to Peacock, as Executive Addresses Political Boycotts

    Planet Earth, get ready for the madness that is Eurovision! A taste of Eurovision permeated the inaugural StreamTV Europe industry event in Lisbon, Portugal on Tuesday, courtesy of a session entitled: “The Original Song Contest: A Eurovision Case Study.”

    Now, the U.S. is getting a free option to follow all the fun and the fury of the annual singing competition, courtesy of YouTube. Jurian Van Der Meer, commercial director of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), who oversees all business and commercial activities related to the Eurovision Song Contest, broke the news during the panel that YouTube has struck a deal for the event, starting with this year’s 70th anniversary edition, taking place in Vienna, Austria. The deal covers the semifinals and final, which are also already available in the U.S. for Peacock subscribers.

    So far, “we didn’t really have a strategy for distributing our content” longer-term, including the national selection processes, Van der Meer shared on the Lisbon stage. Now, the free U.S. YouTube livestream will change that. The semifinals take place May 12 and 14, followed by the final on May 16.

    The exec told THR after the session that YouTube already streamed the song contest last year, but that was not widely known yet. YouTube’s deal covers the world, except for select markets where local broadcasters chose not to share the event with the streaming platform, including in the U.K. and Australia, he said.

    On stage, Van der Meer on Tuesday also addressed this year’s latest Eurovision conflict around a controversy surrounding last year’s public vote in Israel and the inclusion of Israel amid the Gaza war. While the debate led to rule changes, five countries decided to boycott this year’s edition. They are Iceland, Ireland, the Netherlands, Slovenia, and Spain. These five have not sent representatives to this year’s Eurovision Song Contest, but two of them, namely the Netherlands and Iceland, will air the event.

    “Politics does come in once in a while, unfortunately,” explained Van der Meer. “The music is what we will have [our] focus on. We welcome everybody, but we also understand and respect … that people are having certain views.”

    Eurovision panel at StreamTV Europe in Lisbon, courtesy of Georg Szalai

    Tuesday’s Eurovision panel, hosted by media universe cartographer Evan Shapiro, also featured Filipe Ligeiro, who works on the digital strategy of Festival da Canção, one of the longest-running television programs in Portugal and the country’s national selection for the Eurovision Song Contest, who shared: “Eurovision for us is a really good global platform,” he said, explaining that last year’s Portuguese Eurovision entry, the band NAPA, is now one of the country’s hottest muscial acts.

    Yiğit Doğan Çelik, the chair and CEO of Merzigo Global, a media technology company focusing on the distribution and monetization of premium film, TV, and digital content across open video platforms, also touted the global opportunity for the song contest.

    Van der Meer also highlighted the recent EBU deal with Voxovation, S2O Productions and Thailand’s Channel 3 for the inaugural Eurovision Song Contest Asia in Bangkok on Nov. 14. Shouldn’t that competition be called Asiavision, Shapiro asked? Acknowledged the executive: “There’s a little debate.”

  • Heat great Udonis Haslem participates in Reddit AMA

    Heat great Udonis Haslem participates in Reddit AMA

    Heat great Udonis Haslem spilled the beans in a Reddit AMA.

    Udonis Haslem, a three-time NBA champion and 20-year member of the Miami Heat, shared insights from his playing career and current executive role as part of a Reddit AMA. Check out what he had to say:

    In 2014 Finals, where you played the Spurs for the second time. Much has been talked about the ball-movement of that Spurs team. I want to know how you see that series, especially as a vet in Miami.

    The ball movement was tremendous. Obviously, they were well coached. A lot of times, you get in situations where you look back, and you say that you beat yourself, and we wish we could do some things differently, but honestly, I can’t say that we beat ourselves. I just have to say that the Spurs were the better team in that series, and they beat us. Congratulations. It was just one of those things.–Udonis

    Since you played with the Heat for so long, you’ve had tons of different teammates, so which ones were your favorite ones, and do you have any funny stories involving them?

    I think everybody understands Dwyane. He’s my favorite teammate. Everybody knows the Dwyane Wade that they know now, and the great basketball player, and the great man, that he is now, but I remember meeting him, and I never met nobody that hadn’t been in a dentist so long with so many damn cavities.

    That’s just what I remember when we went to take our physicals. We used to do everything together, and we had to go to the dentist, and I was waiting in the dentist’s waiting room forever. I had never waited in the dentist’s waiting room that long for anything, and he was back there getting his teeth fixed, because he had so many cavities growing up, so that was funny, but Dwyane’s my favorite teammate.

    My older brother went to UF while you were there. He said he remembers you and the team riding around campus on golf carts lol. What’s your favorite memory at UF?

    I had so many great memories at UF. My favorite memory at UF is probably meeting my wife. I was standing in front of my dorm room outside with my pit bull, and I wasn’t supposed to have a dog on campus, or in my dorm room, anyway. I was one of those guys, I kind of defied all the rules. So I had a dog living with me on campus, and I was standing outside of my dorm room with my pit bull and a couple of my teammates.

    My now-wife, Faith, was coming back from track practice, walking past the dorm room, when she stopped and started playing with my dog. Then me and her started talking, and the rest is history. So that’s probably my favorite moment from UF.

    Out of all 20 of your seasons, which year was the most special to you personally?

    My final year was probably the most special to me, and that’s just because that was the year that wasn’t about me. I think every year up until that point was about me.

    It was about what I wanted to do, it was about extending my career, it was about playing for a championship, it was about all the things that you play this game for.

    I think my final year wasn’t about me.

    My final year was about everyone who sacrificed to help me get to that point in my career. Everybody who sacrificed for me to be the person that I needed to be, like my parents who sacrificed so much. The city of Miami that supported me for so long. My wife, while I was away, traveling so much, and my kids, while I was away. That final year was about them. I wanted them to celebrate that year.

    UD, HEAT lifer here. So refreshing to have your voice nationally reppin’ the 305. Can you share a bit about who helped prepare and mentor you for your budding career as an analyst and what it’s been like from your first TV appearance until now?

    I’ve had so many conversations with a lot of people. I’ve had conversations with the great Mark Jones, who’s about to retire, and he’s had an amazing career. I’ve had conversations with Isaiah Thomas, with my brother, Dwyane Wade. I’ve had conversations with just a couple of different people who are already on that level. Some of my Miami Heat family as well, the people over there in PR. Shout out to JJ, my guy, Jason Jackson.

    So many people I’ve had conversations with, about taking this step, and they all encouraged me, and I have to be honest about it, too. About 10 years ago, we were on vacation, and Dwyane told me that he thought I would be good at analysis and TV, and I told him he was crazy. But those are some people who helped me take this step and be more comfortable making the movement.

    My knowledge of the game and basketball was always great. I’ve had great coaches. I played for Stan Van Gundy, Pat Riley, and Erik Spoelstra. You go down my college tree, I played for Billy Donovan. I played for Anthony Grant, who’s at Florida.

    You go down to high school, I played for Frank Martin, so I’ve had great coaching, so I have to obviously give them credit as well.

    What’s a piece of advice you would give to the rookie version of yourself? It can be about basketball but also about off-court stuff.

    Be patient. Your journey may not look like everybody else’s, but that doesn’t mean you’re not going to reach your destination, so just be patient.

    Udonis Haslem thinks Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets might be underrated heading into the playoffs.

    What are your predictions for the SoFi Play-In Tournament and the 2026 NBA playoffs?

    Are you kidding me? You know what my prediction is: the Miami Heat!

    Hopefully, fingers crossed. Charlotte’s been playing amazingly. It’s going to be a tough game, tough task, but hopefully they can get through that. And then hopefully they deal with the winner between Philadelphia and Orlando. And they haven’t beaten Orlando yet this year, so that’ll be a tall task. Detroit has played well. I’d be crazy to believe that anybody’s going to win the East besides Boston, the way they’ve played, getting Jayson Tatum back, and what Joe Mazzulla’s been able to do, shout out to them. And I think that the New York Knicks and Atlanta Hawks series is going to be very, very interesting.

    Out West, I don’t think that the Lakers are just going to get landslided like people think, just because Luka and Austin Reaves are out. I understand Houston has KD and those guys, but I think the Lakers are going to make that a series. I think JJ’s going to coach well, I think they’re going to compete, and I think they’re going to make that a series, so I don’t think that’s going to go the way people think that’s going to go. OKC has been amazing. I expect them to be right there in the Finals, but I’m really interested in watching the Denver Nuggets because they’re my surprise team. I think everybody’s looking at OKC and San Antonio right now, and I think everybody’s forgetting about Denver.

    Joker is playing amazing, Jamal Murray’s great, and they’re healthy.

    What was the most significant tactical change on defense from the time you entered the league to when you retired?

    So much more zone. I think when I came into the NBA, you would just use zone, because you couldn’t guard somebody. Well, actually, when I first came in, they didn’t have zone. And then they brought it back, but you really only use zone a little bit when you can’t guard somebody. I think now they use zone just to throw the team off, just to mess up the team’s rhythm, confuse them a little bit.

    I think the zone defense is something that has been technically a huge difference from when I first came into the league to the way they use it now. Sometimes they even pick up full court and fall back into a zone.

    I have lived here in the 305 since 1972. I taught in Liberty City and Allapattah and when I was a kid my dad took me to see Mychal Thompson play in high school with the Jackson 5. The heartbeat of our city was amplified big time in 1988 when Ted Arison got us a seat at the NBA table, then his son and grandson made that chair into a throne. 3 rings, 2 insane Jimmy runs to the Finals, and a Wilt-Bam-Kobe later, I want to ask you: How often do you sit back and enjoy the memories? Can you pick 1 favorite?

    Not as often as I should right now. I’m still building, I’m still growing, I’m still pushing.

    Every now and then, I sit back and think about the journey, and how amazing it’s been to be a part of those three championships, to be a kid growing up in Miami, and to watch the Miami Heat grow, to watch from that little first arena that was Overtown, and now moving a little bit down the street to downtown.

    Alonzo Mourning coming to Miami. And thinking that Juwan Howard was going to come to Miami and play with Alonzo Mourning, then that contract got rescinded.

    I just remember the history. I remember Tim James, who was from Liberty City, went to Northwestern, went to the University of Miami, and got drafted by the Miami Heat.

    He was the original Mr. Miami that played for the Heat before me and wore the number 40. So, if anybody wants to know the story of me wearing the number 40, it was to represent Tim James, who was the original kid from Miami, Liberty City, who played for the Miami Heat first. I was second. And my father also wore No. 40.

    So, yes, the history of the Heat runs through my veins, and I know it like my own history. So it’s been amazing to watch, but I don’t look back very often, because I’m too focused on looking forward.

    Hi UD! Appreciate all you did for Miami Heat. How do you personally define “Heat Culture?” Is it just a grind day-in and day-out? Waking up early at 5 am; first in, last out?

    I’m a person who gives up at the first sign of resistance: I cannot go to the gym because I don’t want to wake up early. What is the most important advice you have to be disciplined as you? For example, the story of you going from Undrafted to an NBA champion (and one day, the Hall!)

    If I could define Heat Culture, it’s about getting comfortable being uncomfortable. I think the way you do that is you embrace the suck. You embrace the struggle. You embrace the grind, and you live in those moments. Once again, understanding what the goal is. Heat Culture is also about enjoying somebody else’s success and understanding that it’s not always about you. You’re probably not going to have the role that you want, but you can still play a role in a winning situation. And also, Heat Culture is about sacrifice.

    That’s the biggest thing that people don’t understand. I think people feel like only role players have to sacrifice, but I think the stars have to sacrifice, the coaches have to sacrifice, I think everybody has to sacrifice, which, if you’re talking about winning the championship, I think that’s the biggest thing that people don’t want to do.

    I think people feel like only certain people have to sacrifice, but everybody has to sacrifice if you want to win a championship. You look at what the Lakers were able to do, and LeBron James had to move to the third row, and they were on a hell of a run until those guys got hurt. You look at when we had our run. Chris Bosh was one of the top three power forwards in the game, and took a third option to be on a championship team, so that’s a huge sacrifice.

    You’ve done a crazy good job at cultivating this mutual respect between yourself, the organization, and the fans. That is, your relationship with the team seems to be the most “about it” of anyone, it’s really difficult to imagine the Heat organization not having Udonis Haslem involved somewhere.

    Are there other people you think about in this sort of “ambassador” role for the organization? Like other guys around the league, players or staff, that you think as like “This guy is all about this team and this city”? Has there been anyone outside the org that you look to and think “I want to represent my team the way this person does”?

    Yeah, you think about guys like Nick Collison, who’s an Oklahoma City legend, and I think he’s one of the guys. I don’t know if he’s still in the front office there, but I think he’s all about that team, all about that city. So, shout out to Nick Collison for what he’s been able to do, and the relationship he has over there.

    I kind of carved out my own lane. I can’t really say that there’s anybody who does it the way I do it. I literally just came from practice yesterday with the Miami Heat. I flew all the way in from L.A. just to go to practice for the last game. I attend training camp, and when I say go to practice and attend training camp, I’m actually practicing and competing and running, and I’m part of the team with these guys.

    For these guys to listen to me, for these guys to respect me, I want to get to the bottom of it with these guys. So I start at the bottom, and I work up with these guys, and that’s where we build these relationships. So when I have to have those uncomfortable conversations with them, they trust me because we’ve built that relationship in our most vulnerable moments. We’re tired, we’re sweating, we’re beating each other up, and that’s where the respect and the love comes from. That’s the way I do it. That’s the way I tap in with these guys. It’s a little bit different. I don’t think most 45-year-old retired guys who played 20 years are going to training camp, running around, and beating these guys up and getting beaten up. But I enjoy it. The recovery is taking me a little longer than it used to. I still enjoy it because I earn their respect, and they listen to me.

    On the 2004-2005 Miami Heat team you played with:

    • Eddie Jones
    • Christian Laettner
    • Alonzo Mourning
    • Shaquille O’Neal
    • Steve Smith

    Do you think having that many 10 year+ veterans (who had productive careers in the NBA) helped you with accelerating your development in Year 2?

    If so: What specific gaps/weaknesses did any one of them (whether executing on the court or even mentally understanding something) directly help with you?

    And lastly: Is there any advice that any of them gave you (whether it was for the games, practice, conducting or maximizing yourself away from the team, or how to set yourself up post playing days) that any of them gave you that stuck with you throughout/during your career? Thank you.

    Yes, I learned so much from those guys. Alonzo Mourning was in the weight room every day. And as a basketball player, you don’t think that’s ideal to be in the weight room every day, but I learned from Alonzo just how to hit that weight room every day and just work on my body and build my body, and you don’t have to be lifting to gain actual muscle. Just lifting to be proactive and prevent injuries and different things like that.

    Eddie Jones was a South Florida legend. So for me, just being from South Florida, having the opportunity to play with Eddie Jones, I was in awe of him. So many guys, Steve Smith, “Smitty” too. I’m a Miami kid. Steve Smith is not from Miami. Eddie Jones is a South Florida guy, he’s from Pompano. Steve Smith is a Heat legend. So, coming from Miami, getting a chance to be around Steve Smith and play for Smitty, I was in awe of that.

    I wanted to learn as much from him. He talked to me about things off the court. Cars? That holds no value, young fella. Look into watches and different things like that. So I was able to learn those kinds of things from Steve Smith, and all these guys gave me a little bit of something that they had, and I was able to kind of turn it into how it authentically works for me and how I can be a veteran with those same skill sets that they had, but in my own authentic way.

    What was the best five minutes of basketball you’ve ever seen someone play? Teammate or opponent

    I’ve seen a lot of great basketball. I did not see the Kobe 81 game, so I didn’t see that with my own eyes. I saw Dwyane drop 55, I think, against the Knicks in Miami. So I probably would say that’s the one I’ve seen with my own eyes, when I was present. Watching on TV, just having the opportunity to watch my brother Bam score 83 was amazing. Just the first quarter alone, he scored 31. I was just in awe watching the first quarter.

    Udonis Haslem is frequently asked about his perspective for Ray Allen’s clutch 3 in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals.

    Hi Udonis, I’m a really huge fan of yours and was glued to my screen during the 2013 NBA Finals. Can I ask what was going through your head and your reaction when you saw Ray Allen hit that clutch 3-pointer to send the Spurs to overtime in Game 6?

    I had the perfect angle as a rebounder. You know when a shot comes from one side of the basket, it was coming from the right corner, that the rebound most likely will bounce to the left corner. So I was sitting right on the left corner baseline, right in front of the shot. When Ray released it, I knew it was good. I can tell, as a rebounding guy, that it was not long, it wasn’t short, it was right on target. So I kind of anticipated it going in.

    I mean, all that just happened so fast. But it also seemed like it was happening so slowly. And I just remember the shot going in, and I had the perfect angle watching it, and I just remember Ray saying, “Get those damn ropes out of here.”

    And just the look on Bron’s face, and the excitement. In moments like that, with that team that has been put together, that team is put together to win. There’s no other reason you put together a super team but to win. And if a super team does not win, then it gets broken up, and that’s the reality of it. So I’m looking at this situation as if we don’t win, we might not be together next year. That’s the truth. You put together a super team for one reason only, and if it doesn’t get done, you break it up.

    You built a reputation as one of the most respected players in the league. What does it actually take to earn that kind of respect in a team?

    You have to be all the things that you say you are. You can’t talk about it and not be about it. I think so many times we hear people talk, talk, talk, but their actions don’t match their words. I’m a person who makes sure that my actions match my words.

    I might tell you, hey, I’m going to meet you at the gym tomorrow at 6 o’clock to shoot, and I do not want to get up tomorrow to meet you at 6 o’clock to shoot, but because I told you that, I’m going to do it. So for me, I think the reason why I’m so respected is that everything I say I’m going to do, I do it. I’m authentic with it. I’m also very, very selfless when it comes to my teammates, my team, my city, my community.

    I know how to celebrate other people and put other people first. Those are qualities that I think help people respect me. And I’m about winning. I’m about the right things. And I treat everybody the same way. I treat the janitor the same way I treat the CEO.

    What was the most pivotal point in your NBA journey?

    The most pivotal point in my NBA journey was when I didn’t get drafted. I really feel like having to go to Europe and going through that one year in Europe, I think that had to be a part of my journey. I think if I had gotten drafted, then I could have had a career that maybe lasted a few years, and I could have been out of the league.

    But that year, I had a chance to go to Europe. I matured a lot. I embrace the suck, like I talked about. You know, this sucks, but this is what my journey looks like. I embraced that. And I had a humongous chip on my shoulder. I’d probably call it a boulder. I probably had a boulder on my shoulder when I came back, and that helped me as well.

  • Waiting for kidney and pancreas transplants, Heat equipment manager remains focused on work

    Waiting for kidney and pancreas transplants, Heat equipment manager remains focused on work

    Rob Pimental, the Miami Heat’s director of team operations, awaits kidney and pancreas transplants.

    MIAMI (AP) — Rob Pimental is standing at his desk inside his office, getting through what’ll be another 12-hour day. The Miami Heat director of team operations is staring at an oversized computer screen, typing away on a flight plan, a half-eaten bowl of salad to the left of his keyboard.

    An IV stand on wheels is set up behind him. On the floor, a clear bag holds dialysis fluid.

    “Hey, don’t mind that,” he says to a visitor, as he nods toward the tubing and bag at his feet.

    This has been Pimental’s reality for nearly a year now. He’s been a Type 1 diabetic for about 30 years, and last spring his health took a serious turn — his kidneys began failing and, probably for a variety of reasons, his blood pressure was soaring. He’s been on a transplant list for months, awaiting both a new kidney and pancreas.

    The call might come this week. It might come next year. Nobody knows.

    “We’ve all just kind of wanted to rally around him,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “We support him as much as possible, but also we let him know, one, we love him, and two, we really appreciate everything that he does and that he’s still able to do it, despite everything.”

    April is National Donate Life Month, and it hits particularly close to home for the Heat. Alonzo Mourning, one of Miami’s all-time great players, a Hall of Famer and the team’s vice president for player programs, needed a life-saving kidney transplant in 2003. He’s been an invaluable resource for Pimental throughout this process.

    “That’s a big thing, having Zo around me all the time,” Pimental said. “He’s been through this and just to have him come in and walk me through some steps I didn’t understand and then just be there if I have a question, it means something. Sometimes he walks in and he’s like, ‘Man, you look good today. You good? You feeling good? You look good.’ That means a lot, because he knows what I’m going through.”

    Pimental — one of the league’s longest-tenured equipment managers — wasn’t on the plane that carried the Heat to the play-in tournament on Monday. He hasn’t been able to fly with the team this season, which is the biggest change to the way he’s handled the job that he’s had in Miami for 15 years.

    He gives himself dialysis twice a day and relies on the help of other Heat staffers and people he oversees probably more than ever before — along with constant comic relief from former Heat players Kyle Lowry and Kevin Love, who check in on Pimental all the time — but he’s still finding a way to make it work.

    “It’s meant a lot because he’s meant so much to us, as a mentor, as someone we look up to, as someone who has put so many years into this league,” said locker room manager Marvin Ulysse, who reports directly to Pimental. “I felt like it was our duty to get him through this journey. He’s a big brother to us. We’re like his human dialysis in a way.”

    Pimental hasn’t missed a beat, even though he can’t travel. When problems pop up, he handles them from home. He still works long days — but has also appreciated being around his wife and children more than he has in the past.

    That said, there are scary times. He often wakes up in the middle of the night and grabs at his phone, fearful that he’s missed the call telling him that organs are awaiting him. The unknown is stressful. He’s worried about what’ll happen to his kids if something happens to him.

    Each day, he said, brings hope.

    “Dialysis is working, I’m still here,” Pimental said. “Just like somebody said to me awhile back, you’ve got to learn how to string as many good days together as you can so when that one bad day comes, you can handle it. And that, I think, is what we’re doing right now. The Heat have been very, very supportive throughout this whole thing. But to be honest, the only motivation I need is my wife and my kids. To be here for them, that’s the only motivation I ever needed.”