Basketball

Hey, NCAA -- here's a simple solution to all your corruption problems ... PAY YOUR DAMN PLAYERS -- so says former NBA star Stephen Jackson.

Stack wasn't too in the know on college basketball's recruiting scandal when we got him at LAX ... but he told TMZ Sports he was 100% behind the idea of NCAA hoops stars makin' bank.

"If you can go to war at 18 and kill yourself, why you can't get paid for basketball?"

College hoops icon Dick Vitale is taking the NCAA to task ... blasting the league for having a dirty underbelly and calling for the jobs of any coaches found guilty of corruption.

"There’s a cesspool that’s existing in college basketball and on the scholastic level," Vitale said -- taking aim at NCAA eligibility requirements and AAU basketball.

Dicky V says he's "crushed" over the FBI corruption sting that came to light this week ... where 4 CBB coaches were arrested and charged with federal crimes.

The legendary analyst tells us to reserve judgement until the coaches have their day in court ... but stresses that these allegations cannot be taken lightly now that the feds are involved.

College hoops hall of famer Jay Williams says the world of college hoops didn't JUST get dirty ... telling TMZ Sports he was offered money during his recruitment but turned it down.

Jay sat down with the guys on the "TMZ Sports" TV show and talked about the scandal rocking the NCAA ... 4 big-name coaches and an Adidas honcho being arrested after an FBI corruption sting.

Williams claims the money grab game is nothing new, and when asked if he himself had been offered any money during his recruitment -- he was the nation's #3 recruit in '99 -- Jay kept it real.

"Yes, we did. I was lucky enough because my mother and father both had jobs. My mother had been involved in education, and my dad had been involved with Amex for 20 years, and they're like, 'We don't need that.'"

Despite the fact he turned down the cash, Jay says he doesn't blame any kid for taking the greenbacks -- acknowledging they all don't have the same advantages.

"I'm not gonna use my experience to slight somebody who does need that. You are going into a business, regardless of whether the outside world looks at you like you're going into the purity of college basketball, it's not that way at all. Everybody is profiting off you."

Auburn assistant coach Chuck Person has been suspended without pay effective immediately, the university announced on Tuesday, following his arrest in the NCAA basketball corruption scandal.

“This morning’s news is shocking. We are saddened, angry and disappointed. We have suspended Coach Person without pay effective immediately," the school said in a statement.

"We are committed to playing by the rules, and that’s what we expect from our coaches. In the meantime, Auburn is working closely with law enforcement, and we will help them in their investigation in any way we can.”

As we previously reported, Person -- a former NBA star with the Pacers -- allegedly took thousands of dollars in bribes to steer players to a financial advisor and high-end suit-maker.

USC athletic director, Lynn Swann says he was "shocked" to find out about the arrest of asst. basketball coach, Tony Bland ... but the University vows to "cooperate fully" with authorities.

"We were shocked to learn this morning through news reports about the FBI investigation and arrests related to NCAA basketball programs, including the arrest of USC assistant Tony Bland," Swann said in a statement.

"USC Athletics maintains the highest standards in athletic compliance across all of our programs and does not tolerate misconduct in any way."

"We will cooperate fully with the investigation and will assist authorities as needed, and if these allegations are true, will take the needed actions."

9:31 AM -- All 10 suspects -- including the 4 coaches -- have now been arrested, officials say.

8:57 AM PT -- The U.S. Attorney's Office is about to hold a news conference to explain the charges. The conference is set to begin in a few minutes.

The FBI claims Jim Gatto -- the Director of Global Marketing for Adidas Basketball -- paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes to funnel top prospects to Adidas sponsored colleges ... including Louisville.

It's all part of a massive probe into corruption in NCAA basketball -- spelled out in 3 separate criminal complaints.

One of the probes centered around Auburn assistant coach Chuck Person, who allegedly took thousands of dollars in bribes to steer players to a financial advisor and a high-end suit-maker.

The 3rd probe included USC assistant coach Tony Bland, Oklahoma State coach Lamont Evans and Book Richardson from the University of Arizona.

In total, we're told 10 people are facing charges. Eight of those people have been arrested.

It's all in court docs filed by the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of NY and obtained by TMZ Sports.

First, Gatto ...

In the documents, the FBI says Gatto tried to pay one player and his family $100,000 to get him to a school of Gatto's choice. Another player got $150k with the expectation that the player would sign with Adidas when he went to the NBA.

In the docs, the FBI says a coach at a major college in Florida told Gatto that he needed to pay a top player $150k so the player wouldn't attend another D1 school sponsored by a rival apparel company.

The coach allegedly told Gatto that the rival clothing company had also offered the player a "substantial sum of money."

The FBI says it has wiretapped phone calls catching Gatto and his conspirators in the act.

The FBI spells it out ...

"The investigation has revealed multiple instances of bribes paid by athlete advisors, including financial advisors and business managers, as well as high-level apparel company employees, and facilitated by coaches employed by NCAA division 1 universities, to student-athletes playing at or bound for NCAA D-1 universities, and the families of such athletes, in exchange for a commitment by those athletes to matriculate at a specific university and a promise to ultimately sign agreements to be represented by the bribe-payors once the athletes enter the NBA."

As for the case against Chuck Person, the FBI says he collected about $91,500 in bribes in exchange for funneling Auburn players to a particular financial advisor and a high-end suit maker, Rashan Michel.

The FBI says Person would use a portion of the bribes to pay off the families of high-priority recruits.

In one part of the documents, the FBI says Chuck met with a player and counseled him about how players secretly get away with NCAA violations.

He allegedly told one player, "The most important part is that you ... don't say nothing to anybody ... don't share with your sisters, don't share with any of the teammates, that's very important 'cause this is a violation ... of rules. But this is how the NBA players get it done."

"They get early relationships, and they form partnerships, they form trust, you get to know [financial advisor], you get to know Rashan a lot and like Rashan can get you suits and stuff ... you'll start looking like an NBA ball player, that's what you are."

Lonzo Ball's rap career just got real 'cause DJ Mustard, one of the greatest rap producers on planet Earth, just told TMZ Sports he's down to work with the Big Baller prince, for a big baller price.

If you don't know who Mustard is (you don't listen to music), he's made beats for peeps like YG, Rihanna, 2 Chainz, Travis Scott, Nicki Minaj, T.I., Big Sean, and Fergie.

He told us he'd be down to add Lonzo -- who just kicked off his rap career -- to that list when we got him out in Beverly Hills (shutting down Balenciaga), as long as the price is right.

Get your checkbook, LaVar.

Dakota Gonzalez definitely has a type as far as hot male bods go -- she's even got a top 3 when it comes to pro athletes in the game right now.

We got one half of the Gonzalez Twins -- the former star college basketball duo -- in Vegas Saturday for the first game of Master P's coed basketball league, and asked who she thought had the best bod in male sports.

Listen up Aaron Gordon, Paul George and Cristiano Ronaldo ... 'cause Dakota's calling you out by name. As for everyone else ... start working on getting cut and bulking up your arms -- that's kinda her thing.

Dakota also says P's league is off to an interesting start regarding the locker room situation. Sounds like it's sticking to the coed aspect in there too.

LeBron James has a message to the most powerful people on the planet -- the time is now to "step up" ... and lead the charge to make the world a better place.

LeBron delivered his statement in a video introducing the first ever Bloomberg Global Business Forum in NYC ... which featured talks with HUGE names like Bill Clinton, Justin Trudeau, Bill Gates and Tim Cook.

"We all know what’s happening right now ... how hard it is suddenly to understand so much in this world," James said.

"You’re in this room for a reason ... we’re leaders. We all know the world needs us to step up."

Lonzo Ball is gonna give it all to you in this video ... get ready.

You know dude's got hops ... so maybe the INSANE dunk is ho-hum everyday action for you (crazy). But check out the dance he busts after freakin' the dunk at the Lakers practice facility and ask yourself ...

Should Odell Beckham Jr. be looking over his shoulder? Is there a new king of the dance ready to take over professional sports and captivate us with his pre-game and in-game gyrations?

Add another intriguing name to the list of potential additions for BIG3 Season 2 ... cause former NBA star T.J. Ford says he's healthy and ready to ball out in Ice Cube's league.

We got T.J. leaving L.A. after catching Saturday's USC-Texas thriller -- which he told us was epic, BTW -- and the Longhorns legend holla'd at Cube for a roster spot next year.

The only problem ... Ford retired from the NBA before he turned 30 -- after serious neck injuries left him temporarily paralyzed.

FYI, Lamar Odom, Stephon Marbury and Gilbert Arenas have all been tied to the BIG3 ... so T.J. ain't the only risky proposal on Cube's plate.

BIG3's punching back at accusations it broke a deal with a competitor, and it's now suing that league for defamation.

Ice Cube's BIG3 slapped Champions League with a lawsuit after the CL claimed its league can't get off the ground and blamed the BIG3 for allegedly breaking a deal with Champions League.

In docs, filed by Mark Geragos, BIG3 says the Champions League posted a statement on its website that was a bald-faced lie. The CL said, "The issue is that Big3 violated the agreement that players would be able to play in both leagues even though all the players had prior agreements with the Champions League."

BIG3 says there was NEVER any agreement between between the 2 leagues and no BIG3 player was barred from honoring commitments to the Champions League. BIG3 goes as far as saying that 3 players who DID have a deal with CL were specifically allowed to play for Champions.

What's more ... BIG3 says the head of the Champions League is "a serial con-artist, fraudster and ponzi-schemer" who blames his failures on others.

LeBron James surprised the basketball team at Notre Dame High School in L.A. on Tuesday -- hitting the gym for a training session while his wife checked out the campus ... TMZ Sports has learned.

We're told Bron and Savannah James rolled up to the school in a chauffeured car around 6 PM and walked around campus before a workout on the court.

LeBron owns a home in Brentwood and there's talk he could be checking out various private schools to send his kids -- including 12-year-old Bronny, one of the best hoop prospects in the country.

Notre Dame is one of the top private schools in the area -- with an alumni list that includes Giancarlo Stanton, Rachel Bilson, Dave Navarro, Katharine McPhee and Jerry Mathers.

Any school would kill for Bron's kids -- but it's unclear if ND is seriously in the running.

It's a Catholic school ... so ... pray?

10:55 PM PT -- LeBron has posted a video thanking the school for opening the gym so he could work out after a long day of shooting commercials.

LeBron insists the kids had no idea he was coming and emphasizes that he was there to get his own workout in.

LBJ makes no mention of the school being a candidate for his own kids. Sorry, Knights.

Stephon Marbury's better off in the BIG3 ... but is in such crazy-good shape, he could hoop in the NBA too -- so says Al Harrington, one of Starbury's BFFs.

Al knows what he's talking about ... dude's a 16-year NBA vet and reigning BIG3 champ -- and, most importantly, chats with Marbury all the time.

Harrington was literally seconds away from hitting up Stephon when TMZ Sports found him in L.A. -- and asked if he seriously thought the 40-year-old could still ball with the best.

"Vince Carter doin’ it, so why not?" BUT ... "I think he’d be better served in the BIG3."

Al told us he's actually been recruiting Starbury for Ice Cube's league ... but it's up to his boy to choose -- or just DO BOTH!

If not ... there's always China.

LaVar Ball's company's so hot right now ... he's got famous rapper's kids wanting to work for him.

Snoop's son, Cordell Broadus, tells TMZ Sports ... he's totally down with the Big Baller Brand, and thinks he could be a valuable addition to their team. It's another ringing endorsement for LaVar and his boys ... on the heels of Jay-Z throwing his support behind BBB.

You remember ... Cordell was one of the top high school WRs in the country, committed to UCLA football but then quit to pursue other interests -- which include modeling.

He just made his NY Fashion Week debut at the Philipp Plein show, and it's clear Cordell has some design ideas for LaVar and his Big Baller $1,500 shoes.

Christmas is coming early for Kobe Bryant -- the Lakers are planning to retire his jersey before the Warriors game on Dec. 18 ... multiple sources tell TMZ Sports.

The Lakers aren't officially acknowledging it -- but the team sent a letter to Lakers season ticket holders advising them to "hold on to your tickets for the game on Dec. 18" for a "special event."

We've made some calls and everyone's saying the same thing ... it's Kobe's big night.

The big question ... which number will go up in Staples Center -- #8 or #24 ... or both? (Our money's on both).

The Lakers also play the Golden State Warriors that night -- so LaVar Ball can finally watch Lonzo take on Steph Curry!

Those tickets are gonna be PRICEY on StubHub.