Basketball

Roy Williams got LIT in the locker room!!!

The North Carolina coach fueled the crazy post-game celebration right after the Tar Heels beat the Zags in the NCAA Championship game ... screaming, yelling, showering people with non-alcoholic beverages.

The legendary coach even gave his guys an impromptu math test about how the tournament went from 64 teams down to 1 ... see, academics matter!

Shawn Marion has 2 words for the people attacking Lonzo Ball's shooting motion -- "F*ck 'em."

The ex-NBA star can relate to Ball in the sense that people "sarcastically" poked fun at his unorthodox shooting style back when he was playing in the league.

For the record, Marion says there were a bunch of NBA players who took shots at his form -- "but not during the game cause I be busting their ass."

Now, with LeBron James clowning Ball -- Marion says the future NBA star has to follow suit ... keep hitting shots and everyone else will pipe down.

Aaron Rodgers was ride or die for the West Coast, and especially Tupac, Saturday night in Phoenix. Sorry, Green Bay.

Rodgers was at a Final Four party where The Chainsmokers were headlining, but between sets the DJ decided to shout out the Packers QB with a "discount double-check" reference. Then watch what happened when he cued up Pac's "Hit 'Em Up."

Aaron was all in ... rapping along and throwin' up Ws!

Hooker activity is on the rise in Phoenix during Final Four weekend -- but cops tell TMZ Sports they've created a special task force looking to bust anyone trying to pay cash for ass.

Duke University is going on the attack over t-shirts mocking their star basketball player, Grayson Allen ... demanding the clothing company shut the shirt sale down ASAP.

The shirts pissing off the Blue Devils are being sold by Smack Apparel and feature a silhouette of a basketball player with the #3 jersey and the words, "Yo Grayson... Why You Trippin'?"

Duke fired off a cease and desist to Smack -- claiming the company is using Grayson's name and image without permission ... and they're threatening legal action if Smack doesn't comply.

Smack ain't exactly backing down ... owner Wayne Curtiss shot back with a letter of his own to Duke's lawyers claiming his right to create a satirical shirt is protected by the 1st Amendment.

Curtiss does, however, offer a compromise -- he'll fly out to Duke to ask 50 people if they believe the shirt is sponsored or endorsed by Duke or Grayson.

If more than 5 say 'Yes,' he'll cease all production. If not, he wants to be reimbursed for his time and travel expenses.

Spoiler Alert -- there's no chance in hell Duke will agree. Seems like this fight is bound for court.

Good news for LeBron James ... Nelly totally gets why NBA teams are resting their marquee players, saying the guys are playing a ton of minutes and need a break sometimes.

Bad news for Lebron James ... Nelly ain't with NBA teams resting their marquee players, saying he'd be super bummed if he took his son to a game, and the big stars were missing.

Nelly said both things when he was out at LAX, and it's clear the competitive athlete in him is having a vicious battle with the loving dad in him.

The action wasn't just on the court at the famous McDonald's All-American high school hoops game Wednesday ... a huge brawl broke out in the concourse and it was all caught on video.

FYI, the McDonald's game is a BIG DEAL in high school sports -- bringing together the top prep players in the country ... almost all of whom are already serious NBA prospects.

But after the final buzzer, roughly a dozen people went to war in the 300 level of the United Center in Chicago -- throwing haymakers and slamming each other to the floor.

Fortunately, in video obtained by the Chicago Sun-Times, you can see multiple security team members rushing in and breaking the whole thing up.

Maverick Carter, the guy who helped LeBron James score a fortune with Nike, nearly got his own loot jacked in a burglary ... TMZ Sports has learned.

LBJ's honcho of all business deals has a crib in the Hollywood Hills, naturally, and got an unwanted visitor on March 22. According to law enforcement sources ... Maverick heard a sound outside his home around 2:30 AM and flipped on his exterior lights.

He didn't see anything, but called police anyway ... just to be sure.

We're told LAPD officers didn't find any signs of a break-in and left -- but in the morning, Maverick reviewed his surveillance video, and BAM ... there he was. Clear as day, Maverick could see a man in a black ski mask skulking around his property and trying to open doors.

LaVar Ball says his reality show should be coming to a TV near you very soon and brags that his family has a "hell of a story" to tell.

TMZ Sports broke the story ... LaVar is pitching a reality show and a documentary around Hollywood and from what we know, there's real interest.

LaVar appeared on "Undisputed" on FS1 this morning and expanded on the details -- saying there's zero chance anything on the show will be scripted because their real lives are already exciting enough.

Another Roy Jones will be dominating professional sports very soon ... except it won't be in boxing, and he won't be Jr., 'cause this RJ will be tearing up the NBA, according to his dad.

His dad is Roy Jones Jr., one of the greatest boxers of all time and he tells TMZ Sports his kid Roy Jones III -- who's killing it in Florida HS hoops -- is destined for NBA greatness.

"I know he has that potential, he's talented enough to make the NBA, yes."

Don't get it twisted, Roy says he's not at all pulling a LaVar Ball -- making outrageous claims about his kids -- but just says he believes in his son, who Roy says is getting recruited by colleges now.

Speaking of LaVar, Jones weighs in on the whole Ball vs LeBron situation, and what he has to say is very, very interesting.

Ron Artest III says he's can totally take LiAngelo Ball -- the middle of the Ball brothers -- if the two ever faced off in a mano-a-mano basketball game ... but, he was really nice about it.

Ron III -- a 6'7" basketball star himself -- is the same age (and size) as LiAngelo, so when we got him out in L.A. we had to ask how he feels like he measures up against the future UCLA Bruin.

Remember, Artest already got the best of another famous kid -- Shareef O'Neal -- besting Shaq's son when the two kid's teams faced off earlier this season ... and tells our guy he'd do it again.

The Big Baller wants to come to a small screen near you.

TMZ Sports has learned LaVar Ball is actively shopping various TV projects around town -- including a reality show and a documentary.

Sidney Wicks -- a 3x National Champ at UCLA -- says Lonzo Ball's subpar performance against Kentucky should NOT affect his draft status as a lock top 3 pick.

The Bruins legend says Ball's stellar season -- and not his 10-point performance against the Wildcats -- should determine his value to NBA teams.

How did LaVar Ball's antics go over with the other parents of UCLA players? Some loved him. Some hated him.

We spoke with some parents of Bruins basketball players who were on the 2017 squad with Lonzo Ball ... and it's clear, LaVar was just as polarizing in the family section as he is with the general public.

One parent told us they were sick and tired of LaVar by the end of the season -- "I would never do what he’s doing. He’s making it about himself. It’s like he’s trying to take the spotlight from his sons."

The parent added, "Lonzo is a great player. He didn’t need his dad to say all these things to make headlines. He’s a good enough player to let his game do the talking."

The parent told us LaVar was like a running joke in the stands. Parents would roll their eyes with every crazy comment he made.

Another parent saw things a lot differently ... telling us, "Was LaVar a distraction? Absolutely not."

"Parents acting like [LaVar] and the way he went about it is nothing new. It's part of the dynamic of athletics."

Luke Maye's business professor at UNC says he definitely WOULD HAVE given the kid a break if he skipped his 8 AM class ... only because Maye hasn't missed a single class all semester.

We spoke with C.J. Skender -- who was teaching his 8 AM accounting class Monday when he and Maye's classmates gave a standing ovation to the basketball star.

Skender says the video of Maye sitting in the front row isn't unusual -- "He's a great kid. Humble. Always comes to class."

In fact, Skender says he's a had a great experience with UNC superstar athletes from all sports over the years who attend class and participate .... even though they have MILLIONS waiting for them in the pros.

As for what Luke was studying this morning ... Skender says it's one of the most exciting topics in all of accounting! He's joking, by the way.

Josh Gordon wants the whole world -- mainly NFL GMs -- to know he's still a freak athlete, and he's proving it using a sport he doesn't even play.

Gordon is still waiting to be reinstated by the NFL, but is obviously staying in shape, and showed it off with a dazzling array of aerial rim rockers that he posted to social media.

There are reports the Browns will either trade or release Gordon, meaning he'll have to prove to some other team he's still got the tools to dominate.