Shawn Laib

Kent

Television and Film Journalist at Freelance

Professional Writer. @DenofGeekUS @themanualguide @wealthofgeeks @superjumpmag @yardbarker #BringBackOurSonics #DubNation #BlackLivesMatter 🏳️‍🌈

Articles

Ranking The NBA's Top 10 Players Entering The 2025 Offseason

3 days ago | stadiumrant.com | Shawn Laib

What’s more fun than ranking players? Nothing! That’s why, with the 2024-2025 NBA season over, it’s time to rank basketball’s best of the best entering the offseason. These are the NBA’s top 10 players to debate and discuss while waiting for NBA basketball to start up again. Hali’s 2025 playoff run will be told like a piece of mythology throughout NBA circles for generations to come.
The NBA's ultimate celebration tool: The victory cigar

5 days ago | themanual.com | Shawn Laib

Sports are synonymous with celebration. After winning the biggest trophy of their lives, athletes want to indulge in the payoff that comes with seeing their dreams realized. Teams go into the locker room, where a waterfall of champagne hits them in the eyes, and swimming goggles seem to be a requirement, lest you walk around on the best night of your life half blind.
The Most Quietly Revolutionary LGBTQ+ Moments in Sitcom History

5 days ago | denofgeek.com | Shawn Laib

Before there were shows specifically targeted at LGBTQ+ audiences, such as Heartstopper and Young Royals, queer viewers of the past often had to search for crumbs of representation on network TV sitcoms. The comedy series that were daring enough to recognize that gay people have always existed helped give hope to those who wondered if they were all alone in their queer plight.
Tony Soprano vs. Walter White: Who is the ultimate antihero?

1 week ago | themanual.com | Shawn Laib

Sports fans often debate between two heavyweight legends. For basketball, it’s LeBron James and Michael Jordan. Switching to tennis, you have Roger Federer fans and Rafael Nadal diehards. Debates like these are ingrained in the culture of athletics, but TV fans have their own version of this sparring match. Tony Soprano from The Sopranos and Walter White from Breaking Bad are the two characters who still send shockwaves through every drama in the 21st century.
Stephen A Smith Playing Solitaire During NBA Finals Should Be the Last Straw for ESPN

1 week ago | stadiumrant.com | Shawn Laib

Stephen A Smith seems to always be in the news for all the wrong reasons, but he took his clownery to a whole new level during Game 4 of the NBA Finals. A fan caught Smith playing solitaire on his phone during the heat of the action. This is the man getting paid millions to give his opinions on ESPN? Fans have been complaining that the NBA doesn’t feel very culturally relevant compared to the past. A large reason for this is how the games are covered on the biggest network in the business.
The 2025 Indiana Pacers Would Be The Most Surprising NBA Champion Since...

2 weeks ago | stadiumrant.com | Shawn Laib

The Indiana Pacers entered the 2025 NBA Finals as heavy underdogs to the Oklahoma City Thunder, and for good reason. OKC is a 68-win regular season team with a historic margin of victory. Still, the Pacers are only two wins away from bringing home their first title trophy since their ABA days. The Indiana Pacers sitting atop the throne would be the most surprising title result since the…The 2019 Toronto Raptors were a fantastic team, make no mistake about that.
Tyrese Haliburton’s Struggles Prove the Plight of Traditional Point Guards

2 weeks ago | stadiumrant.com | Shawn Laib

Tyrese Haliburton has turned into a lightning rod during the 2025 NBA Playoffs. His game-winning shots and fun celebrations have made him a fan favorite all over the country. The star point guard of the Indiana Pacers was voted the most overrated player in the league by his peers in an anonymous player poll earlier this year. Still, his late-game theatrics that lead his team back from the brink of despair on a seemingly every series basis have transformed him into a folk hero.
8 shows like You that are just as addictive and twisted

2 weeks ago | themanual.com | Shawn Laib

After five seasons of twists, murders, and weird obsessions, Joe Goldberg’s story on Netflix’s You has come to a close. The crime drama has been a staple on the streamer with its mix of great characters and binge-worthy mystery that makes it feel like the best parts of a true crime documentary you’d watch on Oxygen on a rainy Saturday afternoon while you’re sick.
Dystopian TV at its best: 8 must-see shows like The Handmaid’s Tale

3 weeks ago | themanual.com | Shawn Laib

If you’re like me, you might have been taken by surprise to find out that one of Hulu’s biggest original hits of the last decade was finally coming to a close this spring. The Handmaid’s Tale dominated dystopian television discourse in the mid-to-late 2010s. It proved Hulu’s worth in the streaming space and adapted Margaret Atwood’s novel for a new generation of fans.
Stranger Things Season 5 Trailer: The 5 Biggest Takeaways

3 weeks ago | denofgeek.com | Shawn Laib

After nearly three years of waiting since the ending of Stranger Things season 4, Netflix’s era-defining original series finally has a concluding release date and a teaser trailer with some remnants of the Upside Down sprinkled in for good measure. At least half of the trailer is dedicated to a recap of the previous four seasons of the show, but there are some key moments that help paint an early picture of what to expect in the final season without spoiling too much.