July 2021

Giannis Antetokounmpo delivered a 50-point performance in Game 6 of the NBA Finals to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to their first championship since 1971, winning Finals MVP. His performance, including a crucial block late in the game, was immediately considered one of the great Finals performances in history.

At the Tokyo Olympics, Simone Biles withdrew from the team final and several individual events, citing mental health and a case of the 'twisties.' Her decision sparked a global conversation about athlete mental health and the pressures placed on Black women in sports. She returned to win a bronze on balance beam.

'Blinding Lights' spent a record 90 weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, breaking a record that had stood since the chart's founding. The Weeknd's achievement demonstrated the global reach of Black Canadian artists and cemented his place among the most commercially successful musicians of the streaming era.