Aaron Gordon Gifts Jamal Murray 'JM27' Pendant ... Ahead Of NBA Finals

ARROW BLING
Instagram / @milehighjewelers

Aaron Gordon is a helluva basketball player and apparently one whale of a teammate too ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the Nuggets star gifted Jamal Murray a sick diamond pendant before the start of this week's NBA Finals.

We're told AG was so thrilled over the way Murray's helped lead Denver this season ... he hit up Mile High Jewelers to make a custom piece to show his appreciation.

Gordon wanted the new bling to represent Murray's signature on-court celebration ... and the jeweler certainly delivered.

You can see the piece features a bow and arrow ... with Murray's initials and jersey No. 27 in it. We're told it's all filled with 10 carats of white and blue VVS diamonds.

We're also told it took 10 days to make, which is an expedited time as Gordon wanted to be sure Murray had it before the start of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

And, check out the video, Murray was pumped to receive it earlier this week!!

"[Aaron] wanted to show his appreciation for his outstanding play, effort and being a great teammate/brother during his time in Denver," the jeweler told us.

Murray is certainly deserving of the present from Gordon -- the 26-year-old averaged 20 points, 6.2 assists and 4 rebounds per game in the regular season ... and has absolutely balled out this playoffs.

Up next for Jamal ... pairing a new NBA championship ring with the necklace? Stay tuned!

Heat vs. Nuggets NBA Finals WAGS ... It's All or Nothing!!!

The NBA Finals are underway ... and while most of the sports world is focused on Nikola Jokic and Jimmy Butler, it's time to put the spotlight on the REAL stars of the series -- the wives and girlfriends of the Miami Heat and Denver Nuggets!!

Jokic's wife, Natalija, has been supporting the 2-time MVP ever since he was in high school ... and continues to do so in the stands throughout her man's pro career (alongside his famous brothers).

Kentavious Caldwell-Pope's pregnant wife, McKenzie, might pull up to a few games with her growing baby bump ... and DeAndre Jordan's "boo bear", Bethany, will certainly be pulling for her man as well.

When it comes to the Heat, expect to see Udonis Haslem's wife, Faith ... considering this may very well be her last chance to watch his games before he retires.

Kevin Love's model wife, Kate, knows her way around the Finals dating back to his days in Cleveland ... and there's hope Katya Elise Henry will get to catch Tyler Herro come back from injury and get some minutes.

It's not just the players with beautiful partners -- Erik Spoelstra's wife, Nikki, has been there every step of the way ... and we're sure she helped keep him calm throughout the Eastern Conference Finals.

The only downside?? One team -- and their ladies -- will go home without the Larry O'Brien trophy ... but hey, that's how the cookie crumbles.

The Game, Dom Kennedy Helping Start Summer Hoops League ... Benefitting College Players

College hoopers looking for a place to showcase their skills this summer just got some great news ... The Game, Dom Kennedy and a host of other hip hop stars are helping to start a new basketball league in L.A.!!

The program is called the Real Run College Basketball Summer League -- and it's all slated to begin on June 17 ... and run until August 13.

It'll feature both women's and men's basketball players ... and ex-NBA player Pooh Jeter, who's partnering up with Real Run founder Deanthony Langston, tells TMZ Sports he's hoping it'll change countless lives.

RAPPERS & HOOPERS
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Jeter explained ... the league will not only offer high-level games for college players, but rappers like Game, Dom Kennedy, BlueBucks Clan and G PERICO will all be in charge of teams -- and will help provide athletes a bridge from sports to musical culture in addition to on-court competition.

"A lot of the rappers was like, 'This is something amazing,'" said Jeter, an L.A. native who played for the Sacramento Kings in 2010. "'This is something we can change the game with.'"

Jeter says college basketball stars like Boogie Ellis and JuJu Watkins have already planned to play ... and he's hoping it will all eventually inspire other musicians to join in too.

"I would love for Diddy and Snoop or whoever!" Jeter said. "If you from L.A., show up, and let's do something amazing for our community."

A WHOLE PACKAGE
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In addition to it all, Jeter -- who also owns an L.A. sneaker store called Laced -- said participants in the league can also take part in a nine-week virtual learning program with NBA execs and others that will help them learn about mental health, finance, media, fashion, music, real estate, marketing and more.

NBA Finals Broncos In Building For Game 1 ... Peyton, Russ, Payton

The Denver Nuggets had a ton of horsepower rooting for them in the stands during Game 1 of the NBA Finals ... 'cause current and former Broncos like Peyton Manning, Russell Wilson and coach Sean Payton were present for the big win!!

The trio of NFL greats were in great spirits as the home team wrecked the Miami Heat 104-93 ... and they all had the best seats in Ball Arena.

Manning was smiling from ear to ear throughout the night ... even spending some time chopping it up with Shaquille O'Neal.

Wilson hit up the game with his stepson, Future Zahir ... and the youngster came dressed to support the hometown team, wearing a No. 27 Jamal Murray jersey.

Payton -- who joined the Broncos this offseason -- is clearly fitting in with his new home ... as the Super Bowl-winning coach appeared zoned in on all the action.

Not all the celebs stood by and watched, though ... 'cause comedian Ken Jeong hilariously bombed multiple half-court shots after watching Nuggets mascot "Rocky" nail a backward, over-the-head heave from the same spot.

"The Hangover" star was a good sport about it all ... and the raucous crowd got a kick out of his failures.

Game 2 is on Sunday ... and if the Nugs are any bit superstitious, we take it the whole crew will be back again.

LSU's Angel Reese Stars In New Rap Music Video ... With Latto & Cardi!!!

Angel Reese went from "you can't see me" to "you can see me everywhere" ... 'cause the LSU superstar is front and center in Latto and Cardi B's new music video!!

The 21-year-old hooper has been on top of the world ever since the Tigers beat Iowa to win the national championship in April ... securing huge opportunities like posing in the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue and raking in millions of dollars through endorsement deals.

Now, Reese can add yet another accomplishment to her list -- starring alongside Latto and Cardi in their visuals for the song, "Put It On Da Floor Again" ... which dropped Thursday night.

Reese makes several appearances during the grocery store scenes in the 3-minute video ... pushing Latto in a shopping cart and holding up a makeshift hoop as the Atlanta M.C. dunked a stuffed heart.

But the biggest highlight comes during Cardi's verse ... when she raps "I been ballin' so damn hard, coulda went to LSU" as the camera cuts to a mean-mugging Reese.

Reese tweeted about the cameo ... saying, "i told y’all i wanted to be a video vixen😭"

It's not the only LSU/Latto connection -- Reese's Flau'jae Johnson also dropped her own cover of the same song last month.

Geaux Tigers!!

Adam Silver No Ruling On Ja Morant Yet ... Coming After NBA Finals

FOCUSED ON FINALS

Ja Morant will have to wait at least a couple more days to learn his fate following his second gun video ... Adam Silver said Thursday the NBA will not announce anything regarding the Grizzlies superstar until after the Finals.

The commish spoke at length about Morant with reporters just before Game 1 of the Nuggets vs. Heat series ... and he made it clear, the league has basically wrapped its probe into the 23-year-old.

But, he said they don't want to announce any of their findings just yet ... out of respect for the Denver/Miami championship.

5/14/23
CAUGHT RED-HANDED
Instagram / @_dtap2

"We probably could have brought it to a head now," Silver said, "but we made the decision -- and I believe the Players Association agrees with us -- that it would be unfair to these players and to these teams in the middle of this series to announce the results of that investigation."

Silver added that because it's the offseason -- and Morant has already been suspended indefinitely by Memphis -- he didn't see any need expedite a ruling that could possibly overshadow the Finals.

"It seemed better to park that at the moment," he said.

Silver did not indicate whether or not Morant would be receiving a hefty suspension -- though he did say "the history of prior acts" and "the individual player's history" would factor into any sort of punishment.

3/4/23
MORANT ON LIVE

Of course, Morant has already been suspended once for flashing a gun on camera back in March ... and many expect a more lengthy ban to be coming following his most recent gun incident.

"My sense now is that shortly after the conclusion of the Finals," Silver added, "we will announce the outcome of that investigation."

For his part, Ja said after the second gun video surfaced last month he was taking "full accountability for" his actions ... and was "committed to continuing to work on myself."

Mike Breen My Wife Salvaged Invaluable Jersey From House Fire ... Autographed By Kobe

The fire that ravaged Mike Breen's home last year destroyed nearly everything he owned ... but he revealed this week that, somehow, an invaluable jersey that Kobe Bryant had signed for him was able to be salvaged.

The NBA announcer -- who will broadcast this month's Heat vs. Nuggets Finals series -- shared the amazing news while talking with The Athletic about the September blaze that burnt his Long Island home to the ground.

In the interview, Breen explained he had gotten the jersey from his ESPN family way back in 2014 ... in honor of the NBA allowing its players to wear nicknames on the backs of their uniforms.

Breen's custom jersey was a Brooklyn one -- he was broadcasting a Nets game at the time -- and it featured "Gray Mamba" on the back.

The 62-year-old loved it so much, he eventually had Kobe -- the Black Mamba -- sign it for him ... adding that Bryant had written in his autograph, "From one Mamba to another."

Breen said he thought the prized possession was turned to ashes by the fire ... but he explained to The Athletic his wife was able to somehow locate it in the rubble, and have it restored.

Breen, though, did lose countless other belongings in the fire -- clothes, NBA memorabilia, a piano, and just about everything else -- but he said he was just grateful no one was hurt, and he was thankful for the outpouring of thoughts and prayers he received in wake of it all.

"This sounds kind of corny but something bad really happened," Breen said. "But it became this blessing because we received all this love and kindness from so many people. And it's hard to express how it feels to know that people really care about you and care about your family."

Damian Lillard Cosigns Jeff Van Gundy ... Let's Get Rid Of Halftime!

Damian Lillard agrees with former head coach turned broadcaster Jeff Van Gundy ... halftime's pointless, and the league would be wise to eliminate the 15-minute break!

"I’m w [Van Gundy] on halftime lol… I do not fw it," the 7x All-Star proclaimed on social media, responding to the former Knicks coach's proposed rule change.

It was during a recent interview with The Athletic that Van Gundy suggested several substantial ways to speed up/improve the game.

"This whole idea of what goes on at halftime, I think is so misunderstood," Jeff told the outlet. "It’s a lot of either praising what just happened or correcting. But you could do that in two minutes out by the bench in an elongated timeout."

Bottom line, Jeff feels halftime is too long and drawn out, describing it as "the biggest waste of time," adding players only need time to go to the bathroom and possibly make a few adjustments, which could be done within 5 minutes.

The 61-year-old analyst didn't stop at halftime ... JVG also said the NBA should save free throws for crunch time.

“So my most radical one is to eliminate free throws until the last four minutes,” Van Gundy said. "If you get fouled on a shooting foul, you just get the points. You don’t go to the line. And you don’t go to the line for technical free throws."

While the networks probably won't love Jeff's halftime idea (commercials!) -- likely making it a nonstarter -- Van Gundy is adamant his free throw rule change needs to be adopted.

"The only person that likes free throws is a play-by-play announcer because they can wax poetically about some story. It’s the extra point of the NBA. It serves no rational, reasonable purpose."

LeBron James 'Shooting Stars' Actors Nailed It!!! ... 'Unbelievable Job'

LePREMIERE JAMES
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LeBron James is giving his stamp of approval to the actors who played him and his high school teammates in an upcoming movie ... saying the talented group of guys knocked it out of the park.

The NBA superstar and the rest of the St. Vincent-St. Mary "Fab Five" squad attended the "Shooting Stars" premiere in Los Angeles on Wednesday ... and King James was super complimentary of the final product as he addressed the crowd before the start of the flick.

James admitted it was a weird experience for him, Romeo Travis, Sian Cotton, Willie McGee and Dru Joyce III to see their lives played out on the screen ... but said the cast perfected every last detail.

"You guys did an unbelievable job," James said.

Of course, the Peacock project -- produced by Bron's SpringHill Entertainment -- is based on the book James released alongside Buzz Bissinger in 2009 ... which focuses on James and Co.'s journey to winning high school state championships.

The flick stars names like Wood Harris, "Stranger Things" actor Caleb McLaughlin and high school phenom Mookie Cook ... and hits the streaming service on Friday.

NBA Ref Eric Lewis Sidelined From Working Finals ... Amid Twitter Burner Investigation

Longtime NBA referee Eric Lewis won't be needing his whistle anytime soon ... the league just announced he will not work the Finals amid an investigation into claims he used a Twitter burner account to defend himself and his colleagues.

The Association just announced the officials for the Denver Nuggets vs. Miami Heat series ... and Lewis, who previously worked the last four NBA Finals, was not one of the 12 individuals selected for the matchup.

NBA spokesperson Mike Bass confirmed the omission is directly related to the investigation ... saying, "Regarding Eric Lewis and the social media posts, we are continuing to review the matter, and he will not be working the Finals."

The NBA launched a probe into Lewis, a 19-year veteran who has officiated over 1,200 regular and postseason games, after a Twitter account responded to posts on league officiating, seemingly defending Lewis and his contemporaries.

The tweets in question have reportedly been deleted, but the account, listed under "Blair Cuttliff" with the handle @CuttliffBlair, is still active.

It's unclear if Lewis was really behind the burner account. It's a big problem if he was ... as the NBA has a rule prohibiting referees from publicly commenting on officiating without authorization.

LeBron James even weighed in on the Lewis controversy over the weekend ... writing, "This Eric Lewis 💩 true??? 🤨."

LSU Star Flau'jae Johnson My Dream Rap Collab??? Get At Me, J. Cole!!!

KEEPIN' THE COLLABS COMIN'
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First, an NCAA championship ... up next -- a collab with J. Cole?!?

LSU hoops star Flau'jae Johnson says she's hoping that's exactly the way her life will play out ... telling TMZ Sports that after helping the Lady Tigers win a title, she's now got her sights set on making music with the "All My Life" rapper.

"J. Cole," she told us this week out at Sirius XM in Los Angeles, "that's my dream!"

If you're unfamiliar -- in addition to being one of the best women's basketball players in the country ... Johnson is also a rapper -- and a very talented one at that.

In fact, the 19-year-old is so good on the mic ... she's already signed with Roc Nation -- and Lil Wayne even said during her NCAA tournament run in April that he wanted to work with her in the near future.

While Johnson was for sure fired up about that -- she said this week she'd be all-in on a duet with Cole too ... and she's confident that it will happen!!

"He ain't reach out yet," she said with a smile, "but it should be coming soon."

For now, Johnson says she's got music on the way with rapper 2Rare.

As for how she's planning on balancing basketball and rap going forward -- the SEC Freshman of the Year says it'll take a lot of a discipline ... but she's sure LSU head coach Kim Mulkey will ensure that all happens.

"Coach don't play," Johnson said. "So I gotta stay tight."

Keep it up, Flau'jae!!!

SHEIN Removes Fake Jordan 11s ... Blames Third-Party Sellers

SHEIN is taking swift action after being accused of selling knockoff Jordan 11s on its site this week ... with the company telling TMZ Sports the product has been wiped from its store.

The Chinese-based online fast fashion retailer recently featured athletic kicks described as "professional basketball sports shoes for men" ... which were selling for $49.99.

However, the shoes looked just like the Air Jordan 11s (which come with a $225 retail price tag) ... all the way down to the patent leather mudguard. The only key difference?? The obvious absence of the iconic Jumpman logo.

Sneakerheads got wind of the bootleg kicks ... and quickly went to social media to call SHEIN out for the item.

One person joked on Twitter saying, "SHEIN got space jam 11s y’all better get y’all a pair" while another person tweeted, "Fordan 11s to go with my Fucci bag and Folex watch."

We reached out to Shein about the matter ... and the company is placing the blame on an outside retailer.

"SHEIN takes all claims of infringement seriously and we have removed the product in question," a spokesperson said Wednesday.

"Third-party sellers are required to comply with our SHEIN Marketplace policies and certify their products do not infringe IP."

It's not the only issue the company has -- the site also appears to have bootleg versions of the MSCHF Big Red Boots, Yeezys, Balenciaga, and more.

But based on SHEIN's statement, it sounds like that won't be the case for long.

Robert Horry Hakeem Better Than Shaq, Tim Duncan ... 'Number One By Far'

Robert Horry played alongside Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, and Tim Duncan -- three of the greatest players to ever grace a court -- but who was the best?? Big Shot Bob says it's The Dream, and it's not even close!

52-year-old Horry recently joined Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on their "All The Smoke" podcast ... when the convo turned to the 7x NBA champ's list of the top five big men in NBA history.

"Dream is number one by far," Horry told the guys. "Nobody wants to talk about it. I think you have these guys who are quiet. Dream, he's a really quiet guy. You can't get him to do much, to say much. So, we kind of veer away from him. We don't talk about him."

Of course, Horry was with Hakeem for four seasons, Shaq for seven, and Duncan for five.

Rob says if you look at the totality of Hakeem's career (winning Defensive Player of the Year and MVP in the same season), he deserves the top spot over Shaq and TD. Dream also made 12 All-Star teams.

Horry won back-to-back championships with Olajuwon in 1994 and 1995 before joining the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was an integral piece in winning three championships with Shaq and Kobe Bryant.

After his time in L.A., Rob finished his career with the Spurs, winning another two titles alongside Duncan.

As for who's the best ... pick your poison. All three legends have out-of-this-world numbers and career achievements.

Shaq won an MVP in 2000. He's also a 15x All-Star and 3x NBA Finals MVP. Duncan was a 2x NBA MVP and 15x All-NBA defender who was named to 15 All-Star games.

Ultimately, Rob says he's grateful he was able to play with Hakeem, Shaq, and Tim, but it's Olajuwon who gets the nod.

"His body of work was just incredible," Horry said, "and he's just a good dude, too, man."

Terrell Owens Titles Don't Define Careers ... 'Work Speaks For Itself'

A RING ISN'T EVERYTHING
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Terrell Owens wants the "ring culture" crowd to take a seat ... telling TMZ Sports championships shouldn't account for everything when it comes to respecting an athlete's greatness.

We caught up with Owens on the heels of 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony announcing his retirement last week ... and the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver told us although the Syracuse legend never won an NBA ring, he's still an all-time great.

Of course, T.O. and Melo have something in common -- both were among the best in their respective sports during their playing days ... but were never able to reach the pinnacle before walking away for good.

With that being said ... we asked T.O. about the folks trying to discredit ringless résumés ... and he feels it should have zero impact when it comes to legacy.

"Not everybody gets to win a championship," Owens said at LAX. "That's not the defining thing. Obviously, as an athlete, you want to compete. You obviously want to win a championship, but sometimes that's not in everybody's cards."

T.O. defended Melo ... saying his body of work in the pros playing most notably for the Nuggets and Knicks "speaks for itself" and warrants respect.

FYI -- former NY Giants running back Tiki Barber was one of the biggest talking heads to compare Melo to T.O. given how their careers played out ... saying, "Obviously one of the all-time greats. You're not even questioning his skill. You don’t question T.O.'s skill. But, you do start to question the winning. Did he ultimately win?"

COMPARABLE CAREERS
Tiki & Tierney

Owens didn't take the comment as a diss ... and went on to say despite not winning championships, they'll both have some bling that holds a lot of weight when it's all said and done.

"He's going to be a Hall of Famer," Owens said confidently. "And for me, a lot of people are like, 'Oh, well, you don't have a ring.' Well, essentially, he will have a ring. I do have a ring. I have a Hall of Fame ring, and not a lot of people can say that."

Boosie Badazz Hopes Gunna Never Sells Records Again!!! Prays On Downfall for Snitching

BLOCKING THE RAT
Big Homies House

Gunna is back in the public eye after taking a plea deal in the ongoing YSL RICO case ... but Boosie Badazz doesn't want to see him prosper any further.

TMZ Hip Hop obtained footage of Boosie's upcoming appearance on "The Big Homies House" podcast with Kodaq and Jojo ... and the Louisiana rapper didn't hold back from revealing his ill will for Gunna, even wishing he never sells another record again!

Boosie says the "pushin P" rapper would be better suited to continue his rap career in another country outside the U.S., and used the recent backlash from in-house YSL producer Wheezy to justify his point.

Wheezy, who produced several songs on Gunna's last album, including the trendsetting record "pushin P," recently distanced himself from Gunna over respect for Young Thug ... who's been dealing with loads of courtroom drama.

Boosie also dismissed the notion that Thug is fine with Gunna resuming his daily life ... and painted him as a turncoat from day one who was waiting on his chance to squirm free when things got tough.

Gunna was spotted at the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics Game 6 on Saturday, clearly immune to the criticism that Boosie and others have been hurling his way since he was released from jail last December.

Fans have been anticipating his musical comeback, which could understandably be experiencing delays ... considering his old producers don't want to work with him anymore.

Harlem Globetrotters Hooper Shatters Backboard ... With Vicious Dunk!!

DYNAMIC DUNK
Angelo Sharpless

Famed Harlem Globetrotter hooper Angelo Sharpless did his best Shaquille O'Neal impersonation over the weekend ... shattering a backboard after throwing down a monster dunk, and the wild moment was caught on video!

In the video, posted by Sharpless on social media, Angelo receives an outlet pass on a fast break, takes a few dribbles ... and blasts off, jumping from the low post area, nearly cocking the ball back to his head, and delivering an absolute hammer of a dunk.

The aftermath of the damage was telling -- the backboard's glass was shattered, and the rim was broken, as the crowd watched in disbelief.

Of course, Angelo's ferocious dunk was reminiscent of Shaq, who was known to have destroyed several backboards playing for the Orlando Magic, adding to his rep as an unstoppable force on the court.

Sharpless, a 6-foot-4 forward from Plymouth, NC, played his college ball at Elizabeth City State University ... and says he was inspired by Hall of Famer Magic Johnson and Carmelo Anthony growing up.

Angelo may not have Shaq's size, but he's still a force on the court, with career accolades including winning the CIAA Conference Player of the Year and CIAA Rookie Player of the Year.

Get this guy in a dunk contest!

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