Sports
Roundtable: Who’s the Finals MVP?

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) shoots between Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green, left, and guard Stephen Curry during the second half of Game 2 of basketball’s NBA Finals in Oakland, Calif., Sunday, June 7, 2015. (Ezra Shaw/Getty Images Pool via AP)
(ESPN) – Through five games, the 2015 NBA Finals have been nothing short of spectacular. But which player has been most deserving of being named Finals MVP? Stephen Curry has rediscovered his form after a slow start, and Andre Iguodala has stepped into a starting role to lead the Warriors’ small-ball charge.
But it could be LeBron James, whose Cavaliers trail 3-2 heading into Tuesday’s Game 6, in the driver’s seat for the award despite Cleveland’s series deficit. His numbers this series — 36.6 points, 12.4 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game — make for an impressive résumé. And considering Cleveland is playing without stars Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love, LeBron’s case becomes even stronger.
So who’s the favorite right now? We posed the question to our panel of NBA experts.
Bay Area
Writer Marc Spears Honored in Oakland
Bay Area leaders and key notables in the city of Oakland congratulated Marc Spears, NBA writer for Andscape/ESPN for receiving the 2023 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award

Bay Area leaders and key notables in the city of Oakland congratulated Marc Spears, NBA writer for Andscape/ESPN for receiving the 2023 Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame Curt Gowdy Media Award. The event was held at Hiiiwav, a new location at 2781 Telegraph in Oakland recently purchased by Grammy Award-winner Bosko Kante and his wife Maya Kante. Pictured here, left to right, are Oakland African American Chamber of Commerce President Cathy Adams, Chef David Lawrence, Marc Spears, and Nola Turnage of Okta, Inc. Photo courtesy of Cathy Adams.
Black History
Singer Etta James and Athlete Archie Williams Inducted Into California Hall of Fame
Iconic singer Etta James and decorated track and field athlete Archie Williams join five other inductees set to receive the honor posthumously during a virtual ceremony, according to Newsom and his wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

By Joe W. Bowers Jr. and
Edward Henderson
California Black Media
Two Black Americans are members of the class of California’s 2023 Hall of Fame inductees.
Iconic singer Etta James and decorated track and field athlete Archie Williams join five other inductees set to receive the honor posthumously during a virtual ceremony, according to Newsom and his wife, First Partner Jennifer Siebel Newsom.
“The outstanding legacy of this group has and will continue to embody what it means to be a Californian,” said Gov. Gavin Newsom in a statement. “There is no doubt their legacies will continue to live on and inspire millions across our state for generations to come.”
Born Jamesetta Hawkins, ‘Etta James’ became the stage name of the Los Angeles-based singer who performed in various genres including blues, jazz, gospel, R&B, soul, and rock n’ roll. Her most popular recordings included “At Last,” “I Just Want to Make Love to You,” and “A Sunday Kind of Love.”
Archie Williams won an Olympic gold medal in 1936 for the 400-meter race in Berlin after completing his freshman year at UC Berkeley. The track star also set a world record at the NCAA Championships running it in 46.1 seconds.
The induction ceremony was held Aug. 22.
Bay Area
Olympian Stops by Nystrom Elementary to Read to Students
A Team USA Olympian was in the house Mon., July 17 at Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond, when three-time Track and Field Gold Medalist, Tianna Madison Bartoletta, stopped by to read to the students.

By Kathy Chouteau
A Team USA Olympian was in the house Mon., July 17 at Nystrom Elementary School in Richmond, when three-time Track and Field Gold Medalist, Tianna Madison Bartoletta, stopped by to read to the students.
The Olympian visited the “Read Aloud at Nystrom Elementary Freedom School” program as a guest reader of the book, “When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left,” by Marc Colagiovanni and also shared “a powerful message about overcoming your fears and frustrations by remembering who you are,” according to the West Contra Costa Unified School District (WCCUSD) on Facebook about the visit.
WCCUSD added that Nystrom’s special guest helped “support and uplift Freedom School students and to share the power of literacy.”

Tianna Bartoletta pauses in reading the book “When Things Aren’t Going Right, Go Left.” Photo courtesy of WCCUSD.
Bartoletta is not only a two-time Olympian and ‘three-peat’ Gold Medalist, she’s also a current member of Team USA in Track and Field, according to the WCCUSD. She earned a degree in Social Work from the University of Tennessee and also found time to start Club 360, a personal development program for young girls. A native of Tampa, Fla., the Olympian is also an advocate re: the Black maternal health crisis.
“Students were able to ask for advice, get autographs and share their morning routine of singing, dancing, mindfulness and affirmations,” said WCCUSD about the visit. “Thank you, Tianna Madison, for an experience that will inspire WCCUSD students for years to come!”
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