Basketball

Kobe Bryant would have turned 42 Sunday ... and there's literally a worldwide celebration of his life on TV, online and on walls across the world.

Murals honoring Kobe have popped up all over the globe, especially in the hometown of the Lakers ... in downtown L.A. near the Convention Center, as well as the Shoe Palace in the Fairfax District, a super-large mural in the San Fernando Valley ... and on and on.

The way it breaks down ... 331 murals around the world. There are 208 in SoCal, 267 in the U.S. and 64 internationally.

One mural in mid-City pays homage to Kobe, his daughter Gianna and the 7 others who perished in the helicopter crash last January.

Vanessa Bryant posted a loving and sad message about how much she misses Kobe and Gigi and how she wishes she could celebrate his big day.

Natalia, Kobe and Vanessa's 17-year-old daughter, took to Instagram to share a loving message about her favorite memories with her father.

On Saturday Vanessa posted images showing how various people are honoring Kobe on his birthday. She posted photos of flowers, comfort food and messages written in the sand.

Nike has created its own tribute on video, narrated by Kendrick Lamar, and it's both emotional and inspiring. It speaks to the legacy Kobe left behind.

Nike is dubbing this week "Mamba Week," and today is "Mamba Day." Nike is donating $1 million to the Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation, along with a promise to support the Mamba League.

As for the Lakers, well they have a playoff game Monday against the Portland Trail Blazers, and they'll wear their "Black Mamba" uniforms.

Ex-NBA player Gerald Wilkins allegedly punched a woman and a man at an Atlanta gas station around 3 AM -- and that's why he was arrested for battery, TMZ Sports has learned.

We broke the story ... Gerald Wilkins -- younger brother of NBA legend Dominique Wilkins -- was arrested on August 18 and faces 3 criminal charges, including battery.

Now, we've obtained the police report which spells out the allegations against him ... and it's not great.

Wilkins told cops he got into an argument with a female rideshare driver who refused to let him inside her car unless he ordered correctly through the app.

The driver claims Wilkins got so heated, he punched her in the shoulder -- and that's when 2 male witnesses jumped in to break it up.

One of the male witnesses claims he was punched in the face by Wilkins during the melee.

A 3rd witness, who was pumping gas at the time, seemed to back up the female driver's story ... that Wilkins was the instigator.

Wilkins says he called 911 and claimed to be the real victim -- telling the operator he was attacked.

But, cops didn't believe Gerald's story -- and ultimately arrested him.

Records show he's facing 3 criminal charges -- 2 counts of misdemeanor simple battery and 1 count of misdemeanor criminal trespass.

Ex-NBA player Gerald Wilkins -- younger bro of Dominique Wilkins -- was arrested Tuesday on 2 counts of battery and he's still behind bars, TMZ Sports has learned.

The 56-year-old was taken into custody in Cobb County, Georgia on August 18.

Records show he's facing 3 criminal charges -- 2 counts of misdemeanor simple battery and 1 count of misdemeanor criminal trespass.

We're working on the details.

Wilkins was a 2nd round pick in the 1985 NBA Draft and went on to play for the Knicks, Cleveland Cavs, Grizzlies and  Orlando Magic ... before finally retiring in 1999.

It's been a rough year for Wilkins who's facing a bunch of criminal charges stemming from multiple alleged incidents over the past few months.

Officials say he attacked a work colleague back on June 9 ... and was also involved in a domestic incident on June 6.

Before that, Wilkins was charged with assault for allegedly trying to force his way into a woman's home back in May.

LeBron James says he will officially join Team Biden -- and will actively campaign for the V.P. and Kamala Harris to defeat Donald Trump in the presidential election.

"We are at a time where we need change," LeBron said on VICE TV's "Cari & Jemele: Stick To Sports."

"In order for change, it's all about leadership -- and leadership starts at the top."

Remember, LeBron campaigned hard for Hillary Clinton during her 2016 presidential campaign -- even joining her on stage for a rally in Ohio.

Now, LeBron says he'll get his political machine up and cranking again to help Biden/Harris get into the White House this time around.

LeBron's issues with Donald Trump are well documented -- they've traded shots for years.

Bron has called Trump everything from a bum to a clown. Trump insulted Bron's intelligence.

So, when Jemele Hill -- who's also gone after Trump -- asked about Bron's intentions to help out Biden, James said it was an obvious decision.

"I think what's known don't need to be said," Bron explained on the show (premieres Wednesday at 10 PM ET).

Back in 2016, Bron had a ton of support from NBA players -- including J.R. Smith who joined him on stage during the Clinton rally.

A Harlem Globetrotters player says white Alabama news anchors threw a banana and other fruit at him during a January appearance ... and now he's coming forward to blast the men for the "disrespectful and egregious" act.

Maxwell Pearce -- AKA "Hops" -- says he was doing an interview with Fox 6 in Birmingham to promote an event ... when suddenly, people on set threw tangerines his way.

Shortly after ... the 24-year-old says one of the anchors took it a step further, and hurled a banana at him.

In footage from the interview ... you can see Pearce caught the fruit with a shocked expression on his face.

Now, after months of reflecting on the incident ... Pearce says he's going public with his feelings on the matter to raise awareness for just how unacceptable the acts were.

"Throwing fruit at me diminishes the Naismith Hall of Fame legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters to that of a circus," Pearce said in an emotional video over the weekend.

"But throwing a banana at a black man and passing it off as entertainment displays an unacceptable lack of awareness. And quite frankly, I'm having a very difficult time understanding how someone could work in the media field and not know that this is offensive."

Pearce added, "This carries deep racial undertones that date back to the early 1900s when black people were held on display in human zoos."

Pearce says he initially urged the news station for an apology, but "stood down" for fear of appearing combative.

But, Pearce claims after the tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor and George Floyd ... he felt it was necessary to shine a public light on what he went through.

Pearce told CNN this week that he did receive an apology from the news station over the fruit throwing ... but claims the anchors themselves have yet to reach out to him to say sorry.

"At this point it's not going to be sincere to me," Pearce said.

For its part, a station spokesperson released a statement on the matter to AL.com this week ... saying, "WBRC Fox6 would like to take this opportunity to again extend a heartfelt and sincere apology to Globetrotter Max Pearce."

DeSean Jackson went OFF on Danny Green during L.A.'s stunning loss to Portland on Tuesday ... with the NFL star calling the Lakers wing "weak," a "bum" and straight-up "trash."

"I don't care what anybody say," said the Philadelphia Eagles receiver, who grew up in L.A. "Danny Green, you weak as f*ck. You out there playing like a bum."

"Get him off the team, man. Trash."

Of course, Green didn't play his best in the Lakers' 100-93 playoff loss to the Trailblazers ... scoring just 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

In fact, Green, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Alex Caruso were all heavily criticized by NBA pundits for not giving LeBron James enough support in the game.

Seems DeSean couldn't agree more ... because he said he now believes the Lake Show is in big trouble in the rest of the series.

"I told ya'll Lakers, ya'll in trouble," DeSean said. "I'm a die-hard Laker fan, but I don't know. This ain't looking like us."

Jackson went on to praise the hell out of Damian Lillard for his 34-point night ... adding, "That boy Dame Lillard cold. Salute, Dame."

Game 2 in the series is set to tip-off Thursday ... and there's already been talks J.R. Smith and/or Dion Waiters should begin eating into Green's minutes.

Here it is ... video proof Toronto Raptors president Masai Ujiri was SHOVED FIRST in an altercation with a sheriff's deputy during the 2019 NBA Finals.

It's shocking footage considering the claims made by the deputy which painted Ujiri as the main aggressor in an incident that left him with multiple injuries.

Remember, a spokesperson for the Alameda County Sheriff's Dept. initially claimed they would pursue CRIMINAL CHARGES against Ujiri for allegedly striking the deputy in the moments after the Raptors won the title over the Golden State Warriors at Oracle Arena in Oakland.

Ujiri had denied wrongdoing -- but the deputy was adamant the NBA honcho committed misdemeanor battery on a law enforcement officer.

Now, new bodycam footage shows exactly how things went down -- and it seems obvious the cop overreacted in a dangerous way.

The footage shows Ujiri trying to pull out his credentials in a peaceful, nonthreatening way but the deputy freaked out and put his hands on Masai!!!

You can hear the deputy, Alan Strickland, tell Ujiri to "back the f*ck up" while shoving him in the chest.

Strickland pushed Ujiri again -- this time with two hands and using very aggressive force.

Ujiri replies, "Why did you push me? I’m the president of the Raptors."

That's when Ujiri responds by shoving back at the officer, but at that point ... what else is he supposed to do? He felt he was being attacked!?!

And, don't forget this part ... Strickland filed a federal lawsuit against Ujiri, the Raptors and the NBA back in February claiming he suffered serious injuries to his teeth, head, jaw and chin.

And, don't forget, officials initially said deputy claimed the altercation started because Ujiri didn't have the proper credentials -- but the video blows that whole argument out of the water.

Ujiri's attorneys told KTVU the video proves Deputy Alan Strickland was "undeniably the initial aggressor."

All eyes are on LeBron James before he takes the court for his first playoff game of the season ... and the Lakers superstar is sending a powerful message with his wardrobe:

"Make America Arrest The Cops Who Killed Breonna Taylor"

The demand comes in the form of a modified Donald Trump "MAGA" hat ... which POTUS made famous during his first campaign for presidency.

Of course, the Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers are set to tip-off for their first-round match-up in the NBA Playoffs from the Disney World bubble ... and LeBron has vowed to use his platform to raise social justice awareness throughout the season.

As we previously reported, a number of NBA superstars spoke with Taylor's mother, Tamika Palmer, last month ... and many have used their platform to demand justice.

The hat is also clearly another jab from James at POTUS -- and it's not the first time. LeBron has not his disdain for the President ... he's previously referred to him as a "bum" and a "clown."

LBJ also chose to wear a shirt with the phrase "by any means" ... as well as a pair of Nike Air Force 1s designed by African artist Karabo Poppy.

Talk about making a statement.

Mike Conley is BACK -- almost!!!

The Utah Jazz star has returned to the NBA bubble in Orlando -- ready for the playoffs -- just one day after his wife gave birth to their son, Elijah.

Now, the quarantine begins -- and if he passed all of the COVID-19 tests, he can rejoin his teammates in just a few days.

Conley had traveled from Orlando to a hospital in Columbus, Ohio on Sunday so he could be in the room when his wife, Mary, delivered. And, he made it!

The Utah Jazz said they supported Conley taking as much time as he needed to be with his family ... but Monday night,  he was already reporting for duty, according to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.

The quick turnaround means Conley MIGHT be cleared to return to action for Game 3 (Friday) of Utah's playoff series against the Denver Nuggets.

Like everyone who leaves the bubble, Conley must quarantine for several days and pass multiple COVID-19 tests before he'll be allowed to re-enter the bubble environment at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

Luka Doncic thinks it's RIDICULOUS the refs ejected his teammate Kristaps Porzingis for that NOTHING-BURGER of an altercation during Monday's playoff game.

... and LeBron James agrees!!

The Dallas Mavericks big man got the heave-ho for confronting Marcus Morris during an incident in the 3rd quarter.

KP was stepping up to defend Luka's honor -- after Marcus had gotten physical with him earlier. Nothing crazy. No punches. Just some minor shoving.

Still, Porzingis was tossed as a result -- and it pretty much spelled doom for the Mavs; chances at winning that critical Game 1 playoff game.

In fact, without KP, one of Dallas' best and most important players, the Mavs lost 118 to 110.

After the game, Luka not only defended Porzingis, he called out the refs in the process.

"I knew KP had my back. He did it for me, he did it for his teammate. He had my back."

"I don’t think it was fair to get him out of the game -- especially in the playoffs.”

"But you know, they decided -- so we had to play without him, which was tough."

Doncic wasn't the only one who was pissed about the bad officiating -- LeBron James and Dirk Nowitzki spoke out too.

"Man that was BOGUS AS HELL MAN!!!! Cmon man." James said on Twitter.

Nowitzki added, "The ejection is super soft."

Doncic carried the team once KP was ejected, scoring a game-high 42 points -- a record for the most points by any player in their first playoff appearance in NBA history.

Bet he would rather have the "W" instead though ...

The bubble life is over -- so it's back to the couple life for Kendall Jenner and Devin Booker.

The two have been inseparable since Devin's Phoenix Suns were bounced from the NBA Bubble last week ... picking up their romance right where it left off.

Check out 23-year-old Devin and 24-year-old Kendall running errands in Malibu Monday -- scooping up a brand new dog bowl for DB's pooch, Haven.

They're wearing masks! The dog's on a leash! They're doing everything right!

Remember, Devin left the Orlando bubble on Friday -- immediately hit Nobu for a fancy reunion dinner with Kendall on Saturday night. Can you blame him?!

Before the NBA season re-started, Devin and Kendall were getting pretty close ... even taking road trips together. Remember the quick Sedona getaway?

Devin played insanely well during the Suns' undefeated bubble run -- some say he should have been named MVP of the restart.

But, post-season life doesn't seem to bad either ...

Grammy-nominated singer Jessie Reyez just took a knee atop the CN Tower for the singing of "O Canada" before an NBA playoff game Monday ... and the video of the performance is powerful.

The Toronto Raptors posted the footage just before their tilt with the Brooklyn Nets ... showing Reyez on one knee singing the Canadian national anthem while locked into a harness at the top of the famous building.

Reyez' rendition of lasted for nearly 2 minutes ... and the shots of her on the ledge of the 1,800-foot-tall building were breathtaking.

You can also see in the video, she's wearing a mask around her neck that reads, "Breonna Taylor."

Of course, the 29-year-old's kneeling -- which went on for the duration of the song -- is clearly a showing of support for Colin Kaepernick in the fight to shine a spotlight on police brutality and social injustice.

In the NBA bubble, meanwhile, players and coaches continued with their demonstrations during the anthems ... with Raptors and Nets locking arms and kneeling on the court while Reyes' song played.

As we previously reported, the NBA has made countless efforts this summer to raise awareness for racial equality ... including suspending the rule that forced players to stand for pregame anthems.

Congrats to Utah Jazz star Mike Conley -- who raced out of the NBA Bubble to witness the birth of his child ... AND HE MADE IT JUST IN TIME!

32-year-old Conley left the bubble environment in Orlando on Sunday and hightailed it over to Columbus, Ohio to be with his wife, Mary, who was due on August 27.

But, the baby didn't feel like waiting around -- and when things started happening on Sunday, Conley made a grown-man decision!

The good news ... Conley arrived with time to spare, and posted a photo with Mary and their bouncing baby boy, Elijah, on Sunday night.

"[Mary] and baby are doing great," Conley reported on IG.

Conley says his oldest son wanted to name the kid "Lightning Thunder Michael Alex Conley" ...  but they settled on "Elijah Michael Conley" instead.

"What an awesome reminder of what’s important in life and what motivates us to be better," Conley added.

Conley -- who is averaging 14.4 points per game -- could return for some of Utah's 1st-round playoff series with Denver, but nothing is set in stone yet.

When/if he does return, Conley must quarantine for 4 days and then test negative on several COVID-19 tests before being allowed back in the bubble.

TMZ Sports obtained audio of the farewell speech LeBron James gave to the "Space Jam" cast and crew on his last day of shooting ... and it's emotional stuff.

The NBA superstar addressed the cast and crew in Summer 2019 (before the COVID pandemic) ... and explained why it was so important for him to take the role in the first place.

"I'm gonna be honest completely with you guys -- when I found out about the project, I was like it's 'Space Jam'! It’s a movie that I grew up watching. People in the movie that I idolize. I was like absolutely, I gotta do it. There’s no way I can turn down 'Space Jam'!"

Bron joked that he had second thoughts when he realized the production schedule was so demanding, but ultimately decided it was the opportunity of a lifetime.

"I’m just a small kid from Akron, Ohio -- a very small town outside of Cleveland. From a single-parent household, I’m the only child, my mother had absolutely nothing. She was walking around high school when she was 16 years old and she was pregnant with me as a high school sophomore. So, I’m really not supposed to be here."

"Growing up in the inner city, as an African-American kid, there’s no way you’re supposed to f*cking make it out. And, the fact that I’m who I am as an African-American adult now with 3 kids of my own, and I made it out of the situations that I was in. This sh*t is like extra credit for me man."

Bron proceeded to thank everyone involved with the movie -- saying, "Y'all say you appreciate me, but I’m sh*t without y'all."

As we previously reported, James invited some of his NBA pals and teammates to participate in the movie -- including  Damian Lillard, Klay Thompson and Anthony Davis.

Magic Johnson and his wife Cookie refuse to let that whole global pandemic thing stop them from their annual super-expensive, ballerrific Euro-Trip -- because they've just touched down in Croatia!

We've been covering Magic's summer trips for years -- he typically spends MILLIONS to rent fancy yachts for MONTHS to sail around the Amalfi Coast with his rich and famous friends.

But, with COVID still rearing its ugly head, the Johnson's are keeping more of a low profile this time around -- even rocking masks to try and limit their exposure. Smart!

Still, Magic and Cookie were spotted by fans in Dubrovnik -- and naturally, they smiled and posed for pics with anyone who asked while trying to keep a safe distance.

In previous years, we've seen Johnson Family Trip cameos from superstars like Samuel L. Jackson, LL Cool J, Holly Robinson Peete, Steve Harvey and more.

Unclear if the same crew will make it out this time around with the pandemic still affecting parts of the world.

Magic's vacations usually last around 6 weeks and can cost anywhere from $4 mil to $6 mil just on yacht fees!

In 2019, Magic's yacht featured a dining room area, movie theater, hot tub and massive outdoor deck.

Brooklyn Nets star DeAndre Jordan is doing his part to personally assist those combating the coronavirus -- by surprising 200 frontline workers with free meals!!

TMZ Sports has learned -- the 6'11" center popped up at the myCovidMD in Los Angeles on Thursday ... teaming up with Postmates to provide the large group of workers administrating COVID tests with food from one of his favorite local joints -- Harold & Belle’s.

We're told Jordan hooked the workers up with chicken creole and his personal fav -- veggie jambalaya.

Of course, it's a great gesture coming from Jordan -- who was unable to compete in the 2020 NBA restart after testing positive for COVID-19.