Key Points
- LeBron James spoke publicly for the first time as a 76er at Monday's media day, wearing No. 23 ahead of his 24th NBA season.
- The Nike Air Bakin OG "Varsity Red" returns today for $88.
- Gorillaz bring "The Mountain Tour" with Little Simz and Deltron 3030 to Madison Square Garden tonight.
- Physical AI chipmaker SiMa.ai closed a $150 million Series C at a $1.45 billion valuation.
The Daily Briefing
NBA training camps open today after LeBron James made his first public remarks as a Philadelphia 76er on Monday. A vintage Nike basketball model returns at retail. Gorillaz play Madison Square Garden behind their new album. And a physical-AI chip startup closed a nine-figure funding round.
Sneakers
The Nike Air Bakin OG "Varsity Red" releases today for $88 at Nike.com and select retailers, part of Nike's early-2000s retro basketball lineup for September. Also dropping: the Nike Giannis Freak 8 "Metallic Gold" for $115, and the Entire Studios x adidas Feroza Low for $200, per WWD's September release calendar.
Elsewhere this week, we covered October's full drop calendar, including the Air Jordan 1 "Royal" and the Air Jordan 14's return.
Sports
LeBron James made his first public remarks as a Philadelphia 76er at Monday's media day in Camden, N.J., wearing No. 23 ahead of his 24th NBA season. He said, per NBA.com, "I didn't leave my family to lose in the second round." James joins a Philadelphia core of Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown and VJ Edgecombe. NBA training camps open league-wide today.
In Europe, the 2026-27 Premier League season features Arsenal, Manchester City, Manchester United, Aston Villa and Liverpool in this season's UEFA Champions League, per Sky Sports. Arsenal qualified for a fourth straight Champions League campaign after winning the Premier League, and are set to face PSG in the 2026 final in Budapest on May 30.
Culture
Gorillaz bring "The Mountain Tour" to Madison Square Garden tonight at 8 p.m., with special guests Little Simz and Deltron 3030. It's the band's first full North American tour since 2022, in support of their new album The Mountain.
Also today: Hernan Diaz's third novel, Ply, is released, and CultureCon runs through October 1 at Brooklyn's Duggal Greenhouse, per Do NYC's events calendar.
Technology
Physical AI chipmaker SiMa.ai closed a $150 million Series C, co-led by Fidelity Management & Research Company and Amplify, valuing the San Jose company at $1.45 billion and bringing its total funding to $500 million. The round adds AllianceBernstein, Baron Capital, J.P. Morgan and the State of Michigan as new investors. CEO Krishna Rangasayee said physical AI in humanoids, automotive and drones is "the gateway to a $50 trillion market."
Separately, Meta is opening an enterprise platform built around its Muse AI agents, offering APIs for businesses and developers.
Today on Uristocrat
Sneakers: New Balance debuted its first-ever Factory Worker Garden with Bleue Burnham's 991v1, and we published the full October release calendar, including the Air Jordan 1 "Royal."
Sports: LeBron James detailed why his friendship with Tyrese Maxey was a deciding factor in joining the 76ers, and Monday's Games to Watch covered Eagles-Bears on Monday Night Football.
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