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There will be no pity party for Paul Pierce -- the NBA legend's not wasting any time sulking over his departure from ESPN ... insisting he's already on the verge of a major comeback.

"Truth gonna bounce back like never before ... that's all you gotta know," so claimed "The Truth" on his way out of Il Pastaio restaurant in Beverly Hills Friday night.

So what's Paul's big move?? Well, we know Barstool Sports is making a recruiting push. In fact, Dave Portnoy personally tweeted out to Pierce just hours after his split with ESPN ... urging him to hit him up.

Pierce wouldn't dish out any details of his next gig after dinner though, but whatever it is ... he's pretty fired up about it.

As we reported ... ESPN parted ways with Pierce last week, though the network wouldn't reveal the reason for its decision.

"I'm sad, I'm very sad."

Anderson Silva was so shocked by the death of rap legend DMX, he could barely find the words -- but ultimately explained how the guy made such a tremendous impact on his life.

The MMA legend -- who's boxing Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. on June 19 --  famously used DMX's "Ain't No Sunshine" as his ring walkout song for years. Watch the video below, the fans went WILD!!!!

So, when we spotted Silva shooting a promo on Friday in the hours after X's passing, we had to ask his thoughts -- and you can feel the sadness.

Silva also tells us he plans on honoring DMX during the Chavez fight.

As for the fight itself, Anderson tells TMZ Sports he knows Chavez Jr. has a lifetime of experience as a boxer ... but he's up for the challenge and says he wouldn't have signed up if he didn't think he could win!

And, get this ... if Silva beats Chavez, he wants MORE boxing fights down the road and says he would seriously consider Jake and Logan Paul as future opponents.

DMX could soon have a statue or a street named after him in his hometown ... but first, the city of Yonkers, NY is welcoming the late rapper's family to hold his memorial service there, if they so choose.

A source close to X's family tells us there will be both a private and public memorial, and a meeting Monday to work to finalize possible plans, but Mayor Mike Spano tells TMZ ... he's in favor of DMX's family holding the memorial service at Yonkers Raceway, the city's largest outdoor venue, and wants to help make it happen.

Spano says X's hometown wants to ease the burden on his family, and the door is wide open for them to use the grounds of the horse racing facility, if they want to do so.

Yonkers Raceway has a seating capacity of 7,500, but under the state's COVID guidelines they'd be limited to 20 percent of that number. Mayor Spano says it would be fitting for folks to say goodbye to an icon like X in the city where he was raised.

A rep for the raceway says they've not had any official requests to host a memorial, and haven't had any large events since COVID-19 struck, but they're currently operating at 25% capacity.

As you know, DMX died Friday after he was hospitalized in a coma for a week ... following an overdose that cut off oxygen to his brain for about 30 minutes.

Regardless of where the family holds the memorial, we're told Yonkers will honor DMX with a lasting gesture ... Mayor Spano says that might mean a statue like another famous Yonkers native, Ella Fitzgerald, or a street mural or street naming.

Of course, the Mayor says it will largely depend on what X's family wants to do.

The Rock may be blowing smoke about running for President in 2024, but it's looking increasingly like he's serious.

A poll shows 46% of the people surveyed felt he'd be a good enough Prez to gain their support. And, check out our own TMZ poll today ... very similar.

He said, "I don't think our Founding Fathers EVER envisioned a six-four, bald, tattooed, half-Black, half-Samoan, tequila drinking, pick up truck driving, fanny pack wearing guy joining their club -- but if it ever happens it'd be my honor to serve you, the people."

It's unreal how Americans assume an entertainer they like could pivot to the White House, but that's clearly the case. At a point there's going to be a disclaimer for candidates ... NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED.

Asian hate crime is not peculiar to the United States. An Asian man was brutally attacked in London during a live stream, but he got a big assist from some enraged bystanders.

You see the perp kicking the man as the person live streaming, who goes by the name Sherwin, comes to his aid. The perp doesn't flee immediately but, as the victim repeatedly begs to "Call the police," he realizes what's up and flees.

The Asian man is bleeding from the head. It's unclear if he required medical attention. It's also unclear if the police came and hunted down the hater.

As you know, Asian hate crimes have exploded in the U.S. over the last year, thanks in part to Trump's dog-whistling over the coronavirus and the racist nickname he bestowed on it.

Tributes have been pouring in since DMX took his last breath Friday ... and one fan credits him with forging an understanding about her own dad who was gripped by addiction.

The woman wrote, "DMX is the reason I forgave my father after he passed for his years of addiction. We met in 2017 after I heard him from my room in the hallway of my hotel. It was all divine intervention. I ran to the hallway & met him. We spoke for 15 mins."

She goes on ... "We spoke about addiction & he encouraged me to forgive my father for what he couldn’t control. He said 'forgive him.' I needed to hear that. Of all people, it came from someone I grew up listening to bc of my dad ... Sometimes in the moment you don’t understand the significance of a moment until it’s passed. To this day, I credit X for helping me learn forgiveness. I am praying that he gives himself grace — in this lifetime and beyond. His words and impact have left a deep legacy."

Whitney Buha's recent cosmetic procedure was an eyebrow-raising failure, but she's not scared to try again ... because she says the pros of youthfulness outweigh the cons.

The life and style blogger from Chicago's still dealing with the effects of botched Botox injections from a month ago, which resulted in a droopy left eye and a wide-open right peeper.

ICYMI ... Whitney details in the vid what went down, and how the Botox clinic made her appearance far worse than before she came in.

Buha says on top of everything else ... she suffers from dryness in her right eye because it's open wider to compensate for her left eye, blurred vision and headaches.

The good news -- as you can see -- her eyes are returning to normal, and she says doctors have assured her this is all just temporary. Still, it's a pretty scary experience, so it begs the question ... will Whitney get Botox again???

She tells us it's very likely she will and offers a sensible explanation. One thing's for certain ... she won't be going back to the same clinic.

Whitney also says offers have been rolling in for free Botox from all over the country in wake of her ordeal.

Bill Maher obliterated the Oscars Friday night ... musing that the choices the Academy is making for best films require a name change to the Debbies ... as in Debbie Downer!!!

The 'Real Time' host ticked off the nominees for Best Motion Pic, and viewing may require a serious dose of Prozac, 'cause they're all super depressing.

Bill goes down the list -- "Judas and the Black Messiah," "Promising Young Woman, "The Sound of Metal," "Nomadland," "The Father," "Minari" ... Bill describes each and then lowers the boom with this ... "The 2021`Oscars, brought to you by razor blades, Kleenex and rope."

It's a hilarious ride ... Bill wonders, "What happened to show business? Did they all decide to quit cocaine at the same time?"

It wasn't just funny ... Bill had a point -- “Academy nominations used to say, ‘What great movies we make. Now they say, ‘Look what good people we are.’”

Kerry Washington learned an increasingly obvious lesson ... just don't say anything on social media, 'cause you'll get torn apart.

Kerry has now deleted her tweet suggesting an after-life connection between DMX and Prince Philip. She wrote, "Anybody else wondering what DMX and His Royal Highness Prince Phillip are chatting about together at the pearly gates? My love to both their families. May they both Rest in Peace."

The reaction was predictable ... “The assumption that DMX and that white man are going to the same place…now miss washington please…”

Another user took a stab with this ...  “One of them slid down the @LilNasX pole to hell, and it wasn’t DMX.”

And, then there's this ... “DMX and Prince Phillip going to two very different places…don’t lump in DMX with a white supremacist pls queen.”

Really tough week with DMX, and Tiger's accident case is closed, but was it reckless driving? So we gotta ask ...

Don't let these two almost identical images of Rihanna have you feeling confused! Snap out of it and focus on the task at hand here ... see if you have what it takes to spot any of the sneaky switches that have been made to this tricky pic!

The singer was recently seen on her way to dinner in New York City, and we have made a few changes to the original pic! Give it your best shot and see if you can uncover the differences between these two super similar snaps!

Bad Bunny is ready to shut up all of his wrestling critics -- he's been busting his ass to get ready for WrestleMania ... and Drew McIntyre admits he's seriously impressed.

The WWE superstar says he's aware of some wrestlers in the company who aren't happy with Bad Bunny getting a prime match against The Miz during the biggest event of the year ... but those people need to get over it.

"Realistically, this is going to draw a lot of new eyes," McIntyre said on "TMZ Live" ... "He's not somebody that's just showing up for a paycheck. He doesn't have to. He's done pretty well in his chosen field of music, [he] won a Grammy."

Bad Bunny -- one of the biggest music stars in the world -- is a lifelong pro wrestling fan who's now in a major storyline with The Miz, which will come to a head this weekend at WrestleMania 37.

Some people have criticized Bunny's athletic ability. Others say he needs to work on his mic game.

But, Drew says he's been working out like a maniac at the WWE Performance Center in Orlando ... and insists Bunny will "shock a lot of people" when he steps in the ring.

"He's there week in, week out. I've been observing him from afar, he has a genuine passion for this. He's putting the work in, he's training almost every single day."

The other major storyline for WrestleMania 37 has to do with WWE allowing 25,000 fans to attend the event at Raymond James Stadium in person each night.

McIntyre says Vince McMahon and his team have spared no expense to keep the venue safe.

"It's gonna be a phenomenal event. For the fans watching at home, this is really cool not just in the sense that it's WrestleMania, it's such a spectacle."

WrestleMania 37 is kicking off this weekend and we're getting the competition started, and seeing which pro wrestler you're backing in each round!

We've put together a gallery of pics for you to scroll through and pick your favs! From Sasha Banks vs. Bianca Belair and Mike "The Miz" vs. Damian Priest, to Seth Rollins vs. Cesaro ... there's 37 matchups this weekend, and just as many votes to cast here!

In the first round here we've got Drew McIntyre vs. Bobby Lashley ... Click on the pic to vote who'd you rather, and scroll through the rest to see who else is going head-to-head!

After rallying for DMX all week, his fans are still pouring out their emotions, and showing him love in the hours after his death.

Almost immediately after the news of X's passing ... a makeshift memorial wall was started just outside White Plains Hospital in New York. The hip-hop icon's loyal followers are lighting candles, leaving flowers and stuffed animals ... and writing notes of love and support for X and his family.

Someone left 3 large mylar balloons to spell out DMX on the fencing.

Meanwhile, nearby fans are playing his music and break dancing to honor the 50-year-old rapper who died Friday after his organs started shutting down Thursday night.

TMZ broke the story ... DMX fell into a coma after an overdose last Friday. Doctors said his brain was deprived of oxygen for nearly 30 minutes, and the outlook was grim from the start.

The L.A. Dodgers got their World Series rings on Friday -- and good lord, SO. MANY. DIAMONDS!!!!!

The ring ceremony took place right before the Dodgers home opener against the Washington Nationals ... and it was special!!!

Each of the Dodgers players was introduced to the crowd by their childhood MLB heroes.

So, Mookie Betts was intro'd by Jimmy Rollins. Chase Utley introduced Cody Bellinger. And "Big Papi" David Ortiz did the honors for Julio Urias.

But, let's get to the hardware ...

Of course, each ring featured the Dodgers iconic "L.A." logo on top -- made from 17 genuine blue sapphires.

Notice the baseball diamond design -- featuring 4 large diamonds representing each of the bases.

The "infield" is loaded with 29 smaller diamonds, representing the number of home runs hit by the Dodgers during the 2020 postseason.

There are 16 more sapphires and 44 diamonds surrounding the perimeter of the top of the ring.

And, the sides??? You guessed it -- MORE DIAMONDS!!

According to MLB, the total number of diamonds just on the sides totals 96!

So, congrats to the champs -- the 32-year drought is over! Just make sure to keep those things in a safe!

DMX has died -- a week after suffering an overdose ... TMZ has learned.

TMZ broke the story ... X had virtually no brain function after he was deprived of oxygen for nearly 30 minutes following his overdose. Brain function never returned, and by Thursday his organs began failing while he remained on life support in a New York hospital.

Many people in X's family were at the hospital over the last week, including his mom, fiancee and many of his kids.

A rep for his family tells TMZ, "We are deeply saddened to announce today that our loved one, DMX, birth name of Earl Simmons, passed away at 50 years old at White Plains Hospital with his family by his side after being placed on life support for the past few days. Earl was a warrior who fought till the very end."

The statement continues, "He loved his family with all of his heart and we cherish the times we spent with him. Earl’s music inspired countless fans across the world and his iconic legacy will live on forever. We appreciate all of the love and support during this incredibly difficult time. Please respect our privacy as we grieve the loss of our brother, father, uncle and the man the world knew as DMX. We will share information about his memorial service once details are finalized.”

DMX got his start in music back in the '80s, performing with Ready Ron -- while simultaneously serving time behind bars ... until he finally dedicated himself to music full-time in the '90s. He eventually got signed to Columbia Records' Ruffhouse imprint, and appeared on records with Jay-Z, LL Cool J, Mase and even the rock band Sum 41.

It wasn't until '98 that he truly broke out, when he released his Ruff Ryders debut studio album "It's Dark and Hell is Hot" to critical and mainstream acclaim ... not to mention he added his new canine persona.

'IDAHIH' produced 4 singles, including the well-known "Get At Me Dog," "How's It Goin' Down," "Stop Being Greedy" ... and the track that might perhaps his best known, the "Ruff Ryders' Anthem," which became to be the song everyone played to get hyped.

'Ruff Ryders'' has gone down in history as one of the greatest hip-hop songs ever, and it ended up making it on Billboard's Hot 100 chart.

He followed up that success quickly with a 2nd album later the same year -- "Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood" came out in December of '98, and ended up hitting #1. At the time, he was the second rapper to release back-to-back albums in the same year ... the first being Tupac.

At that point, DMX had cemented himself and his sound ... abrasive, rough around the edges, but also catchy and great for parties and getting amped. His third album hit that last point home with his single "Party Up (Up in Here)" ... another one of X's notorious songs that helped him get major play on radio, in clubs and in movies.

Speaking of movies, X himself made his feature film debut in 2000's "Romeo Must Die," which starred Jet Li playing a version of Romeo opposite Aaliyah.

He went on to star in a number of memorable flicks after that as the 2000s rolled on -- "Exit Wounds" and "Cradle 2 the Grave" come to mind ... so do "Never Die Alone" and "Last Hour." Safe to say, X was making a name for himself both in and out of music ... but of course, he was fighting legal battles in the background at the same time.

Over the years, he got rung up on many charges -- weapons, drugs, DUI and later tax evasion. He served time for some of those cases, but always continued his music career.

As he struggled with the law, X continued to crank out hits ... including the memorable "X Gon' Give It to Ya," "Where the Hood At?" and "Lord Give Me a Sign" as well as "We in Here."

He really seemed to turn his life around in 2019 after ending a 12-month sentence for tax evasion. DMX had long battled substance abuse and it was at this point that he did his last rehab stint.

Afterward, he was looking better than he had in years and made his return to the stage in December 2019 when he hit Hakkasan in Las Vegas, chatting it up and taking photos with fans before he hit the stage.

In another sign of just how beloved he was by fans and the industry ... DMX, of all people, created a new Christmas classic in 2012 when he freestyled his own version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer." It had all the charm his audience had come to love about the man.

In July 2020, fans worldwide watched as legends DMX and Snoop Dogg faced off in a Verzuz battle with over 500,000 viewers on Instagram Live.

The rappers complemented each other as they spit some of their most iconic tracks, like when DMX hopped on and joined Snoop for 'Ain't No Fun.' Snoop also got down with "Drop It Like It's Hot" and "Gin and Juice" while DMX spit "Where My Dogs At" and his megahit-song "X Gon' Give It To Ya," which brought Snoop out of his seat.

The last time our cameras caught him out was in July 2019 ... and DMX talked to us about the importance of being safe on movie sets when doing action scenes/stunts.

DMX is survived by his 15 children. The youngest was born in 2016 to his fiancee, Desiree Lindstrom.

X was 50.