Basketball

Brittney Griner's wife says she's completely heartbroken over her wife's detainment in Russia ... saying in an emotional social media post, "My heart, our hearts, are all skipping beats everyday that goes by without hearing from you."

Griner has reportedly been kept in Russia the past few weeks after she was allegedly caught with vape cartridges in her bag while traveling through an airport.

Communication between Griner and her family has apparently been few and far between since she was taken into custody ... and Cherelle Griner said Monday morning it's all been excruciating.

"There are no words to express this pain," Cherelle said. "I'm hurting, we're hurting. We await the day to love on you as a family."

Cherelle added that she's having trouble doing anything without wondering if the WNBA star is safe.

U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken declined to get into specifics of the Griner case on Sunday ... but he said any citizen who is being held in a foreign country will get assistance.

"Whenever an American is detained anywhere in the world," Blinken said, "we of course stand ready to provide every possible assistance."

He added, "We have an embassy team that's working on the cases of other Americans who are detained in Russia. We're doing everything we can to see to it that their rights are upheld and respected."

They say time heals all, but that's not the case when it comes to Kyrie Irving and Celtics fans ... 'cause the NBA star just compared the Boston fanbase to "a scorned girlfriend" after getting heckled during Sunday's matchup.

Celtics fans chanted "Kyrie sucks" late in the 4th quarter in Boston's 126-120 win ... and Irving addressed the hate during his postgame interview.

"It's like the scorned girlfriend who wants an explanation on why I left, but still hoping for a text back," Irving said of the jeers. "I'm just like, 'It was fun while it lasted.'"

Of course, the relationship between Irving and Celtics fans soured when KI declined an option to return to the franchise after playing only two seasons for the team ... despite previously saying he was planning to stay long-term.

Since then, C's fans have made it a point to boo and show their disproval for Irving every time he returns to Boston ... making sure he's well aware they haven't forgotten how he left them hanging.

Despite the remarks, Irving did say he was grateful for the time he spent as a Celtic ... and he still remains close with a lot of the guys he played with, like Jayson Tatum, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown.

The relationship with JT appeared to shine through ... as Tatum tried to quiet the fans from saying "Kyrie sucks" as Brown shot free throws.

Brittney Griner's wife is breaking her silence since news broke about the WNBA star being detained in Russia -- and her first message is one of gratitude.

Cherelle Griner hopped on IG Sunday to post a photo of herself with BG, adding a caption that read ... "Thank you to everyone who has reached out to me regarding my wife’s safe return from Russia. Your prayers and support are greatly appreciated. I love my wife wholeheartedly, so this message comes during one of the weakest moments of my life."

She adds, "I understand that many of you have grown to love BG over the years and have concerns and want details. Please honor our privacy as we continue to work on getting my wife home safely."

As you know ... Brittney is in Russian custody at the moment, and apparently has been for a good while now -- since at least February when she was busted on suspicion of a drug charge.

She's alleged to have had vape cartridges in her bag while traveling through an airport -- and the Russian authorities even released video capturing the moment they searched her stuff.

Kobe Bryant's shooting shirt from his iconic 81-point game just sold for a massive $277,000 at auction -- and the lucky buyer also got a one-of-one NFT that came with it.

The shirt is a one-of-a-kind piece ... not only was it worn by the Mamba before he scored the 2nd-most points ever in an NBA game (back in 2006), experts at Sotheby's tell TMZ Sports it's the ONLY worn piece from that game on the market.

We're told it was worn six other times by Kobe, too -- including in the 2006 playoffs.

We're also told the shoes from that historic game were sent to the Basketball Hall of Fame and the uniform is owned by Bryant's family -- so this might be the only Bryant-donned item from the game that ever becomes available.

The auction for the shooting shirt closed last week -- and after a bunch of bidding, the rare piece sold for a total of $277,200.

The lucky buyer is David Kohler, President of SCP Auctions and owner of one of the largest private Lakers memorabilia collections in the world, and he said after the sale he's pumped to now own the item.

"After collecting Kobe Bryant memorabilia throughout many years, I am thrilled and honored to add this very special artifact from one of the most significant games in NBA history to my collection," Kohler said.

Brittney Griner, WNBA superstar and 2x Olympic gold medalist, was reportedly detained in Russia after customs officials say they found hashish oil in the hoopers luggage ... and she could now face 10 years in prison.

On Saturday, the Russian Federal Customs Service announced they'd detained an American basketball player back in February after finding vape cartridges in her bags while traveling through Sheremetyevo airport -- about 20 miles from Moscow.

Russian customs didn't identify the person taken into custody, but TASS, a Russian news agency, citing sources, ID'd the player as Griner, center for the Phoenix Mercury.

Customs released surveillance video on Saturday appearing to show Griner, wearing a mask, going through airport security. The clip shows what appears to be a security official removing a package from the traveler's bag.

According to a statement from Russian Customs, the traveler was flying from New York to Russia. At some point, they claim a drug dog alerted to her carry-on bag. Soon after they claim they found the vapes.

The statement says Russian officials have opened up a drug trafficking investigation ... a charge that could carry a five to ten-year prison sentence, if convicted.

Lindsay Kagawa Colas, Brittney's agent, issued the following statement.

"We are aware of the situation with Brittney Griner in Russia and are in close contact with her, her legal representation in Russia, her family, her teams, and the WNBA and NBA."

Colas continued ... "As this is an ongoing legal matter, we are not able to comment further on the specifics of her case but can confirm that as we work to get her home, her mental and physical health remain our primary concern."

The WNBA also released a statement pledging their support for Griner, saying their main objective was to return her to the USA as soon as possible.

31-year-old Griner, the 1st overall pick in the 2014 WNBA Draft, is one of the best players in the league. Brittney is a 7x All-Star, 2x Scoring Champ, 2x WNBA Defensive Player of the Year, and a WNBA champion.

Despite her accolades, Griner and other WNBA players routinely hoop in Russia ... as women can earn significantly more money than what the WNBA pays.

Griner is no stranger to the country. She's won four championships with the Russian Euroleague team, UMMC Ekaterinburg.

It's not publicly known where, or if, Griner is being held ... as the detainment allegedly occurred in February.

It's a perilous time for an American to be held in Russia. Relations between the two countries are incredibly strained, as Vladimir Putin's military invaded and attacked Ukraine, and the west responded with harsh sanctions, dealing a significant blow to Russia's economy.

Shaquille O'Neal's turning 50 this weekend, but he ain't slowing down ... in fact, the NBA legend's literally getting faster after getting a brand new, customized Dodge Charger Hellcat for his big day.

The NBA Hall of Famer -- who's turning the big 50 on March 6 -- showed off his new whip on Friday ... saying it's the "best birthday ever!"

The car looks awesome ... with it's custom silver and red paint job and scissor doors (like on a Lamborghini). It also has the words "Diesel Dog Mafia" painted on the hood.

And, it's not just any old Charger ... it's a Hellcat, with about 800 horsepower.

Shaq was extremely hyped and thanked Swaggpack Shaq, Atlanta Street Xecs and Padgett Motor Sports for getting him the bday ride.

"Best car club ever," Shaq said, "love you guys thanks."

Shaq (of course) also had to take a shot at his buddy Chuck.

"I feel like Charles Barkley eating a piece of chocolate cake."

Saweetie tapped in for an epic dance-off with the mascot at the Clippers game on Thursday ... droppin' low and shaking it in front of the whole arena -- and TMZ Sports has the vid!!!

The stars flocked to Crypto.com Arena to watch the Lakers get wrecked by the Clips ... with Justin Bieber, Rami Malek, Normani, Israel Adesanya and more getting a front-row seat for the matchup.

But, it was the "Best Friend" rapper who ended up stealing the show during the 4th quarter ... getting up and dancing with Chuck the Condor as "Conga" by Gloria Estefan blared over the speakers.

Check out the vid -- the fans in attendance went nuts for the spontaneous dance competition ... with folks cheering and whistling as it unfolded.

Safe to say Saweetie came away with the W ... but you can't say that about the Lakers, who stunk up the place once again in the 132-111 defeat.

The Lakers are now 27-35 and have lost 4 games in a row.

How does the man with a $195 million contract treat himself for his birthday?! By copping a Richard Mille watch worth $500k!

TMZ Sports has learned the Boston Celtics star wanted to celebrate the big 2-4 with a big new watch -- so he hit up celeb jeweler Eric Da Jeweler.

It's not just any watch, BTW ... it's a Richard Mille, which are famously known for their unique designs, cases and quality material.

Tatum copped the all-white RM055 Bubba Watson watch that has skeletonized movement and a grade 5 titanium case band and back bezel.

When it comes to the price -- we're told it cost JT $500k!

That may seem like a lot but the 6-foot-8 hooper already made over $57 million since the Celtics drafted him in 2017.

Eric tells us he made the special delivery to JT out in Boston the night before his big day -- giving Tatum some time to enjoy his gift ahead of the Grizzlies-Celtics game.

Tatum's 4-year-old son, Deuce, also delivered a dope gift -- by making him a bday video of all his favorite childhood spots in his hometown of St. Louis.

It's been over a week since the NBA All-Star Game ... but Macy Gray is STILL wondering if LeBron James was laughing at her anthem performance.

The singer took to TikTok on Wednesday to try to get clarity on the situation, asking her 100,000 followers if they think LBJ was really cracking up over her rendition of the "Star-Spangled Banner."

"Ya'll really think LeBron was laughing at me?" she asked. "I heard he wasn't but maybe."

If you missed it ... in the buildup to the Association's All-Star contest, Gray took center court and belted out a unique version of the national anthem.

Some found it fun, some found quirky -- and many believed LeBron found it straight-up funny, as the King was snickering throughout the song.

People, though, speculated LeBron was giggling about something else -- perhaps Steph Curry related. LeBron never clarified, leaving everyone wondering, what was so funny??

Seems Gray is still trying to get to the bottom of it ... but at this point, it probably ain't happening. So, what do you think, yes or no?!

Jayson Tatum has played with a ton of great players so far in his career, but his best teammate might very well be his son, Deuce ... who wished his NBA Star dad a happy birthday by hitting up some of his favorite childhood spots!!

The Celtics forward is celebrating his 24th birthday on Thursday ... and posted a video on social media of his adorable son showing him some love on the special day.

The video starts out with 4-year-old Deuce in a Cardinals jersey ... which, of course, is only fitting since Tatum is a native of St. Louis, Missouri.

Deuce is seen jumping excitedly in front of a place where JT has childhood ties to ... before the video transitions to Tatum's favorite pizza spot.

Deuce then hit up Tatum's old high school, Chaminade College Preparatory School ... where Jayson averaged 26.0 points and 11.0 rebounds per game his sophomore season.

After leaving his dad's old stomping grounds, Deuce made his way to the gym at the WOHL community center in St. Louis ... while wearing his pop's Celtics jersey.

The video's precious ... with Deuce signing off by saying, "This is St. Louis," as Nelly's hit song "St. Louie" plays in the background.

Tatum will have his hands full when he plays Ja Morant and the Grizzlies later on his birthday ... but don't be surprised if he balls out and has a career game in honor of the occasion.

Jack Harlow's acting career is poppin' -- the rap star just reportedly landed the lead role in the "White Men Can't Jump" reboot ... after his FIRST EVER audition.

The "Nail Tech" MC will play Billy Hoyle, which was Woody Harrelson's role in the original film back in 1992, according to Deadline.

23-year-old Harlow -- who has zero acting experience -- apparently wowed producers from the jump ... helping pave the way to his first on-screen gig.

Of course, the OG flick starred Harrelson and Wesley Snipes -- which followed the story of two on-court rivals who team up to start hustling people on the court.

Harlow is known to be a pretty solid hooper in real life -- he's been in numerous celebrity basketball games over the years ... most recently, the NBA Celeb Game during All-Star Weekend in Cleveland, where he showed off his range with multiple 4-point plays.

The reboot is produced by Kenya Barris and his Khalabo Ink Society banner ... and executive produced by NBA star Blake Griffin, NFLer Ryan Kalil and Noah Weinstein of Mortal Media.

The New Orleans Pelicans showed their support for Ukraine on Wednesday -- donning all yellow socks during their game against the Sacramento Kings to raise awareness.

Brandon Ingram, CJ McCollum and the rest of the squad showed up to their homecourt in New Orleans with the socks on ... and said afterward it was all in an effort to show solidarity with the country as it's in the throes of war with Russia.

"It's tough to talk about that topic," said Jonas Valanciunas, who is from Lithuania. "It's a big mess. We're just trying to bring more attention."

"The enemy still out there," JV added. "Innocent people still dying. The whole world talking about sanctions, support, prayers, but something else has to be done because the war is still going on."

He continued, "Attention has to be brought to Ukraine people."

The socks ended up being good luck for the Pelicans ... as they won the game 125 to 95. Valanciunas scored 17 in the contest and added 14 rebounds.

This is amazing.

The college hoops community is stepping up and helping Tennessee Volunteers guard Zakai Zeigler's family in a big way ... by raising more than $200,000 after his family home was destroyed in a fire.

The unfortunate incident happened last month -- Zeigler's family apartment home, in Queens NY, was left dismantled after a fire started on the second floor of the 3-story building.

Thankfully, his family escaped safely ... but Zeigler's mother, Charmane, and his special-needs 4-year-old nephew, Nori, lost all of their belongings -- including his nephew's wheelchair, splints and other equipment.

The Vols sprang into action to help out -- starting a GoFundMe with a goal of $50k for "relief and recovery" for the freshman guard's family and Nori's care.

"Our administration did a terrific job. Once they got the news they jumped on it and got after it," Vols head coach Rick Barnes said of the gesture.

"Been doing what they have to do to get things in order so that we can help."

But, what's even better?? Within just a few hours after the fund went up, thousands of people donated -- raising over $200k!!

"The outpouring of support has been unbelievable!" Zeigler said Wednesday on Twitter, "We’ll get through this. All love, #VolNation!!"

You could say LeBron James had a crappy night.

The Lakers superstar described exactly how he was feeling after losing to the Dallas Mavericks at home on Tuesday ... saying bluntly, "I feel like poop right now."

The Lakers suffered a 109-104 loss at Crypto.com Arena ... their 7th L in 10 games.

After the disappointing outing, LeBron was asked about his confidence level as L.A. plummets to the bottom of the Western Conference ... and despite the lack of success and a clear feeling of sadness, he's still holding out hope for a turnaround.

"Until you stomp me out, cut my head off, bury me 12 feet under, then I got a chance," James said. "So, that's my confidence."

"At the end of the day, we gotta come in and win ball games and play better."

James then detailed how he's feeling during the slump ... saying, "I hate losing. I feel like poop right now, but tomorrow's a new day and I'mma be prepared and ready for the Clippers on Thursday."

James and Co. found themselves down big early against Luka Doncic and the Mavs ... a theme that's become all too familiar to Lakers fans this season.

The Lakers have been so awful this year -- their own fans booed them off the court on Sunday during an embarrassing loss to the Pelicans.

Tensions got so high during that game, James clapped back at a fan ... which he also addressed after Tuesday's game.

"If you follow my career, I will get into it with a fan. So, that wasn't nothing out of the ordinary for me," James said.

The 37-year-old said he doesn't mind fans booing or cheering him ... but he won't tolerate someone trying to tell him how to do his craft.

"Can't tell me how to play basketball. Not him. Not that guy."

Juli Boeheim -- the wife of legendary college basketball coach Jim Boeheim -- was robbed at gunpoint in Syracuse on Tuesday, according to local reports.

Boeheim was sitting in her car in the Destiny USA parking lot at around 2 PM ... when a minor approached her and started a conversation, per Syracuse.com.

A short time after, cops say the boy pointed a gun at Boeheim, reached into her car and grabbed her purse.

The boy then ran off with the purse and fled the scene with two accomplices in a car that was reported stolen, according to the report.

Luckily for Boeheim, she was not injured during the incident.

A search for potential suspects is underway ... and Syracuse cops are asking for anyone with additional information to call 315-442-5222.

Juli is co-founder of the Jim and Juli Boeheim Foundation, which helps young kids fight cancer in the New York area.

Juli and Jim first met at the Kentucky Derby in 1994 ... and were married in 1997.

Kobe Bryant was one of the most clutch players in the NBA, but he REALLY came through for Chandler Parsons during his rookie year -- 'cause the newly retired hooper says the Black Mamba once paid a $22,000 bill for him at a famous L.A. nightclub!!

Parsons joined former NBA players Stephen Jackson and Matt Barnes on their "All The Smoke" podcast this week ... where he shared how the encounter with Bryant went down.

Chandler says Kobe approached him in the fourth quarter of their game against the Lakers in 2012 ... telling the rookie he'd take care of him later that night if his team was spending more time in L.A.

Parsons says he got a text from none other than Kobe himself later that night ... confirming he arranged reservations for Chandler and his teammates at The Supper Club L.A.

When it was time to pay the bill at the spot, Parsons says the waitress walked up and gave him the check ... which came with a hefty price tag at the time.

Parsons admitted on the show he was worried that Bryant stuck him with the bill ... thinking it could have been some sort of rookie hazing into the NBA fraternity.

But, much to his surprise, the waitress told Parsons to "sign for Mr. Bryant" ... 'cause Kobe already took care of the tab.

The coolest part of the story is Parsons says he still has the text messages from Bryant ... proving that Kobe, indeed, did lookout for him after all.