Basketball

Giveon had royalty present during his concert in L.A. on Monday ... 'cause the R&B singer brought out Lakers superstar LeBron James in the middle of his show!!

LeBron -- who was enjoying the Lakers' day off -- made a special guest appearance at the L.A. Live concert ... and judging from the reaction of the crowd, everyone was pumped.

The "Heartbreak Anniversary" crooner had to playfully persuade King James to come out and address the crowd ... chanting "LeBron, LeBron. LeBron," before the 4-time champ strolled out on stage.

"Make some noise for LeBron, please," Giveon said.

The entire interaction was dope ... as Bron -- who routinely shows love for his favorite musical artists -- embraced the songwriter in front of the packed crowd.

Of course, LBJ made sure to return the favor by giving a shoutout on his Instagram saying, "A star flat out. My brother @Giveon love my brother."

"Thank you to the GOAT @kingjames for coming out ... my brother 4L," Giveon replied.

If you listen closely enough, you can even hear chants of "MVP" from some of the concertgoers in the building.

And, judging from his latest string of performances, it's not hard to see why fans would be moved to shower LBJ with such high praise.

Antonio Brown clearly isn't trying to keep a low profile following his breakup with the Bucs ... 'cause just 1 day after his shirtless meltdown at MetLife Stadium, he got front-row tickets to the Nets game.

Broadcast cameras caught the troubled wideout sitting courtside at Barclays Center for Monday's Nets vs. Grizzlies tilt ... and the dude didn't look torn up at all despite losing his job roughly 24 hours earlier.

Brown was rockin' a COVID mask, tracksuit and sunglasses ... and was seen chatting it up with people around his seat as if nothing had happened with him the day before in the Jets vs. Buccaneers game.

Brown Instagrammed from his chair while at the game -- writing in a selfie video, "It's a new day hit up KD [Kevin Durant]" -- and he was even later spotted at dinner in NYC smiling and in good spirits.

Of course, the images aren't too surprising -- Brown has stayed in the public eye just about every minute since Tampa Bay kicked him off the team for quitting mid-game Sunday.

Brown has posted on social media constantly, dropped a rap song, and cruised around the streets of NY with celeb driver Danny Chalet.

Tristan Thompson is officially a dad of three -- revealing he's the father of a baby boy recently born to a woman from Houston after getting the results from a paternity test -- and apologizing to his former girlfriend and mother of his child, Khloe Kardashian, in the process.

The NBA star posted Monday, saying, "I take full responsibility for my actions. Now that paternity has been established, I look forward to amicably raising our son. I sincerely apologize to everyone I've hurt or disappointed throughout this ordeal both publicly and privately."

He then turns his attention to Khloe, with who he has daughter True, saying, "You don't deserve the heartache and humiliation I have caused you. You don't deserve the way I have treated you over the years. My actions have certainly not lined up with the way I view you."

He continues, "I have the utmost respect and love for you. Regardless of what you may think. Again, I am so incredibly sorry." Khloe and Tristan split in the summer.

It's an about-face for Tristan ... as we reported, he and Maralee have been duking it out in court over the paternity of the baby boy. As we told you ... Maralee Nichols sued Tristan for child support and claims he tried to pay her $75,000 to keep quiet about the baby.

Tristan's alleged messages claimed he's retiring after this NBA season, making him unemployed -- and, at least according to him -- requiring him to pay a smaller amount in child support.

TT asked a judge just last month for an emergency gag order to silence Maralee talking about the paternity case.

It's Tristan's third known child, and according to Maralee's timeline ... he was still publicly with Khloe when they hooked up back in March.

Both TT and KK have publicly supported each other since the split, and are co-parenting their daughter.

Two Kobe Bryant and LeBron James game-used jerseys just hit the auction block ... and TMZ Sports has learned they're so unique, they're expected to bring in over $100K apiece.

The white Bryant one is ultra-rare -- it's a "Noche Latina" Lakers uni that the Mamba wore when he played against the Bulls back in 2013.

The jersey features "Los Lakers" stitched onto the front for the Latin-themed night -- and, on the back, Bryant signed his name in white inside of the 2.

The jersey also features some significant patches -- there's a "JB" on the front to honor Jerry Buss, and there's also a "Noche Latina" emblem placed on the chest. A "Noche Latina Latin Nights" logo sits on the front tail, too.

James' jersey, meanwhile, doesn't come with an autograph ... but what makes it so unique is that it's a uniform he wore several times during his first season as a Laker.

The guys at Goldin, which is running the auctions, tell us the 37-year-old actually wore the uni for six games in the 2018-19 season -- recording three triple-doubles and a 36-point game with it on.

Both pieces are now on the auction block -- and we're told the Bryant jersey may go for $125k while James' could go up to $150k.

It pays to have your very own full-sized basketball court at home ... just ask Drake, who shared a cute video of his son draining a bucket at only 4 years old!!!

The Toronto rapper posted a video Wednesday showing Adonis take 10 dribbles -- while showing off his counting skills -- before firing up a shot ... and making it. It's hard to tell who is more excited, Adonis or his friend, but there's plenty of excitement to go around.

Another interesting part, it sounds like Adonis' mom, Sophie, is the one recording the clip ... so you gotta imagine she was able to spend the holiday at Drake's mansion as they all celebrated Christmas together.

It's not the first time Drake's shown off Adonis' basketball skills, we've seen him playing on smaller hoops before ... but to score on a 10 foot basket at 4 is pretty impressive.

The Big Diesel is officially The Big Generous now ... 'cause Shaquille O'Neal just raised $2 MILLION for charity -- all by selling some unique NFTs of himself.

The NBA legend, along with NFT platform Notables, dropped the collection of the digital images earlier this month ... and TMZ Sports has learned they all sold out on Monday.

In total, they brought in a small fortune -- which Shaq and his camp say is all going toward The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation, which helps underserved youth in America.

The NFTs were pretty awesome -- each one featured unique depictions of The Big Aristotle ... showing the former Lakers superstar in different costumes with funny facial expressions.

Some had him in Lakers-colored gear, while others had him wearing a Magic-themed uniform. Some even showed him with donuts, pizza and Christmas lights.

Shaq's team says they're all "1-of-1 unique digital collectibles" -- and the hope is they continue to bring in money for charity going forward.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar says LeBron James' use of a COVID Spider-Man meme was so reckless ... it could cost people their lives.

The NBA legend sounded off on the Lakers superstar in a scathing post on Monday ... ripping LeBron for sharing an image that showed three Spider-Mans pointing at each other.

In the meme -- shared by LeBron over the weekend -- the Spider-Mans were labeled "COVID," "Flu" and "Cold" ... and LeBron captioned the image by saying, "Help me out folks."

Abdul-Jabbar said he was so peeved by the implication of the post ... he straight-up called it all a "blow to [James'] worthy legacy."

"By posting the uninformed meme," Abdul-Jabbar said, "LeBron has encouraged vaccine hesitancy which puts lives and livelihoods at risk."

Abdul-Jabbar then implored James to urge people to get the vaccines ... saying his support for the shots "could save thousands of Black lives right now."

As we reported, LeBron is vaccinated ... although he's said he will not pressure people to do the same, telling reporters before the season "That's not my job."

NBA star Jordan Clarkson was so pissed off over a fan's heckling on Monday ... he attempted to go after the man in the stands, but fortunately, he was held back by his teammates.

The Jazz guard's drama with the fan happened during Utah's game with the Spurs in San Antonio ... when Clarkson clearly had enough of a fan's ribbing.

According to journalist Raul Dominguez Jr., as Clarkson was headed toward his bench during a timeout ... a fan stood up and had words with the basketball player.

A short time later, Dominguez Jr. reported, Clarkson took steps toward going after the fan.

Thankfully, Clarkson's teammates and security stepped in before things turned ugly ... and ultimately, the fan was ejected from the arena.

After the game, Clarkson told reporters the fan had absolutely crossed the line with his trash talk -- saying the dude's comments were straight-up "malicious."

"The guy just keeps antagonizing me, like almost challenges me, like, 'What you going to do?'" Clarkson said. "Fans got to learn, we human. We people too."

The 29-year-old said he often has playful banter with courtside supporters during his games ... but he said to media members this exchange was very different.

"It did cross the line," Clarkson said. "I was walking away initially, and then he said something again. And, I turned back around and then he said it again. And, I'm just like, 'What's going on?!'"

Clarkson said he didn't press the issue further, explaining a potential fine and a possible suspension deterred him from escalating things.

Houston Rockets star Christian Wood nailed a fan in the forehead with a wayward pass on Monday ... and he felt so badly about it afterward, he offered up free tickets as an apology.

The wild scene all went down in the Rockets' tilt with the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center, when Wood was trying to start a fastbreak at the end of the first half.

Wood grabbed the rebound, turned, and then heaved a pass to his teammate that was so errant, it sailed into the stands and plunked a woman right in the noggin.

You can see in the video, the ball hit the fan flush -- sending her crashing to the ground.

Wood and the rest of his Rockets teammates clearly felt awful -- but somehow, the woman appeared to walk away without any sort of injuries.

After the game, Wood apologizes for the terrible throw ... saying, "happens to the best of us."

"Courtside tix to any rocket game of her choice," he added.

By the way, things didn't get much better for Wood as the night went on ... Houston ended up getting blown out, 123-99.

JWoww is the proud new benefactor of a safe space for people with disabilities at the Barclays Center in NYC -- a room for folks with sensory sensitivities ... all inspired by her kid.

The 'Jersey Shore' star broke down what exactly a sensory room is with us on "TMZ Live," and why she thinks it's going to help countless people with special needs in the arena for various events  ... and why she also hopes it's a trend that catches on nationwide.

Basically, it's a designated section of a facility -- like the one she just helped bestow on Barclays -- where people who might need to calm down from all the commotion on the main floor can decompress ... with a variety of activities, all of which engage the senses.

This is something folks with autism often struggle with, and a sensory room -- as JWoww explains -- can provide relief to a variety of individuals with an array of disabilities, like Down's Syndrome, PTSD ... or other afflictions that might require some type of quick stimulus therapy.

Her own son, Greyson Mathews, is the inspiration behind Barclays' new room -- which is now up and running. She's got a sweet story about her own journey with her son ... and hopes this is the start of a new norm at other public venues.

LeBron James seems to agree with Jay-Z -- that no one can stand on the same stage with him for a 'Verzuz' -- and maybe, just maybe, he feels the same way about himself on a basketball court.

LBJ was definitely feeling good Sunday night ... rapping along, line-by-line, to Jay's "Imaginary Player" while in the middle of what looks like a pretty swanky evening with his wife, Savannah, and friends.

What's interesting is ... the video plays like a public service announcement to all the haters dissing the Lakers for their sub-par season -- they're only 16-18 right now. Check the look on LeBron's face as he drops lines like, "Y'all rapping ass n***as, y'all funny to me ... Selling records, being you, but still you wanna be me."

As we previously reported ... Jay-Z recently shot down any hopes he would do a "Verzuz" battle, boasting there's no one on his level in hip-hop who even deserves to stand on a stage with him.

It's no secret LeBron's a big fan of Jigga -- so, you'd expect him to ride with Mr. Carter, but it's also clear certain Jay tracks are really speaking to the Lakers superstar right now.

BTW, LeBron's biz partner, Maverick Carter, joined in later, rapping with him to "Hova Song." Remember, Maverick was kicking it with Jay-Z, Adele and her BF, Rich Paul ... who, of course, is LBJ's agent.

Magic Johnson says he won't be tuning in when HBO's "Showtime" Lakers series comes out ... telling TMZ Sports he's "not looking forward to it."

"Winning Time: The Rise Of The Lakers Dynasty" -- starring John C. Reilly, Sally Field and Jason Segel -- is a highly-anticipated new drama series that covers the professional and personal lives of the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers.

While most people are excited to watch the show, Magic ain't one of them ... saying he's working on his own project.

"No, we got different shows coming out," Magic tells us. "I got one, then you got Jeanie Buss got one on Showtime coming out."

"Those are the ones I'm looking forward to."

Of course, Magic helped lead the "Showtime" Lakers to 5 NBA championships in the '80s ... alongside fellow NBA legends Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and James Worthy.

Johnson's Lakers have been celebrated over time ... for the impact they had on the league and for the up-tempo, fast-paced style of play they cultivated.

But Magic seems very adamant he's not thrilled about the release of the HBO project ... saying, "I'm not looking forward to it. I'm going to leave it at that."

Lakers co-owner Jesse Buss just got a whole lot richer -- and LeBron James just got a new neighbor -- 'cause the youngest of the six Buss siblings just sold his L.A. mansion next to LBJ's for $10.7 million.

Buss put the home on the market in October after buying it in 2018 ... and TMZ Sports has learned it just sold this week.

Buss got darn-near asking price for it -- he originally listed it through Jennifer Beron of Compass for $11 million -- and it's easy to see why.

In addition to being near LeBron's famous L.A. pad, the mansion has over 6,500 square feet and features 6 bedrooms, 9 bathrooms, a home theater, a yoga room, and an infinity pool which offers great views of the city and canyons.

There's more -- the crib also comes with a chef's kitchen with state-of-the-art appliances, a full gym, an illuminated bar, and a temperature-controlled wine cellar.

LeBron James is playing his hand on COVID, or at least it seems this way ... suggesting we've gotten a little crazy with panic over contracting the virus.

LeBron posted a meme called "Spider-Man Pointing at Spider-Man" ... featuring 3 Spidies -- one representing COVID, another representing the flu and the third repping the common cold.

When you break it down ... it seems LeBron is shading the NBA for protocols that have sidelined a bunch of players -- even some who have tested negative -- and canceled a number of games.

The Lakers have benched head coach Frank Vogel, along with Trevor Ariza, Kent Bazemore, Avery Bradley, Malik Monk and Austin Reaves ... all because of its COVID rules. There's a big game set for this weekend -- Lakers vs. Nets -- but Kevin Durant is out because of COVID protocols.

You'll recall ... LeBron played his cards close to the vest for a fairly long time before finally acknowledging back in September he was vaccinated, but he made it clear -- he wouldn't pressure other players to get jabbed, saying, "That's not my job."

Vanessa and Natalia Bryant have ventured into the world of advertising, and gotta say --  they are one effective duo.

Vanessa and her 18-year-old daughter fronted a new Lancome commercial, and for a bunch of reasons, it's super effective. First of all, they look great -- a prerequisite for hawking makeup.

Second, the way it's shot it fees really authentic ... a mother talking to her daughter about makeup and reminiscing about her oldest daughter growing up. At one point, Vanessa confesses she was in tears when she watched Natalia come down the stairs, all dressed up for homecoming.

And finally, they vibe really well on cam -- especially because of the way it's shot. It feels like a real conversation ... like viewers are just flies on a wall, and that's the mark of a successful ad.

Kenny "The Jet" Smith says the NBA should do their best to keep playing through the spike in COVID-19 cases ... but tells TMZ Sports if fan safety becomes an issue, ya gotta consider pausing the season.

We asked the former Rocket great if the league should follow the NHL's lead and pause their season ... and he says if the outbreaks are only affecting the players, the show must go on.

"No," Smith said at LAX. "I mean, the thought process should always be for the society, for the fans. It's not for the players. So meaning, we're just a part of society."

The NBA champ adds that although the money these games bring in is important, it ain't everything ... and if spectators are getting sick as a result of being close to each other, then the league needs to reconsider postponing the season.

"So, if society needs to shut down because of proximity, because you're in arenas, yes. But just because of players, no."

"It's the lives that matter," Smith says. "So, if the games itself are causing people to get COVID, then you have to think about pausing."

There's more -- we also asked the "Inside The NBA" analyst if it was a bad look that LeBron James walked into the arena with a cigar in his hand ... and he told us that he was in disbelief.

"You can't lose when you walk in with a cigar," Smith said. "And if we lost to them with a cigar, I'd be upset."

"It shows that he's not thinking about us," he added.

Kenny points out Celtics legend Red Auerbach would spark a stogie on the bench after wins .. joking maybe that's what LeBron was planning to do.