Basketball

File under: Big man problems.

Shaquille O'Neal proved his size is no match for furniture ... 'cause the Big Aristotle broke his chair while giving relationship advice to women, and the viral moment was caught on video!!

The hilarious mishap happened on an episode of Shaq's "The Big Podcast" -- when O'Neal and his co-host, Nischelle Turner, were talking about what leads people to ghost each other ... when disaster struck!

Shaq offered his response ... leaning back and stretching then suddenly, you hear a crack and a look of concern on the face of the gentle giant.

"I broke the chair, I broke the damn chair," O'Neal said to Turner, who was in awe at what she just witnessed.

50-year-old Shaq -- who stands over 7 feet tall and weighs over 300 pounds -- laughed about the blunder. However, O'Neal knew the jokes would fly once the Internet saw the footage.

O'Neal admittedly struggled with his weight during the pandemic ... but the big fella has been making strides to get back on the right track, including exploring options like going vegan.

Cops circulating crime scene photos isn't unique to the Kobe Bryant crash -- it's been happening since the O.J. Simpson murder case -- with an ex-LAPD officer testifying he saw a polaroid of Nicole Brown Simpson's dead body.

Former Los Angeles Police Department officer Adam Bercovici, an expert witness hired by Vanessa Bryant's legal team, testified he and other cops at his station saw a close-up of Nicole's body following her June 1994 murder.

The former police officer testified illicit photos of human remains -- so-called "death books" -- are common among law enforcement ... and not something unique to the Kobe crash.

Bercovici testified there were no legitimate reasons for the deputies to take photographs of the remains.

Despite this being an issue that's painful for the family and friends of the deceased, Bercovici says not nearly enough has been done to end the practice.

Luella Weireter, wife of an LAFD fire captain also took the stand, testifying she witnessed a group, including another fire captain, view the photos at a local awards show about three weeks after the fatal crash.

Weireter, who says she did not look at the photos, overheard another man say "I can't believe I just looked at Kobe's burnt-up body and now I'm about to eat."

It's just one of the ghastly and gruesome moments from the trial ... which started earlier this week, and has been very emotional for Vanessa and her family.

Bryant sobbed in court Thursday during opening statements, when her attorney told the 10-person jury that 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies snapped pics of Kobe and Gigi's bodies at the helicopter crash scene for nothing personal use.

Vanessa's lawyer says she lives "in fear, anxiety and terror" that the pics will someday be released ... saying she will be forever haunted by the deputies' actions.

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, who was Kobe's agent, took the stand Thursday and was barely able to speak when talking about his close relationship with KB.

On Thursday, the jury heard from a bartender in L.A. ... who testified a deputy showed him crash scene photos at his bar. Bryant's attorney showed screen grabs from surveillance video that appeared to show the bartender laughing after seeing the grisly photos.

In her lawsuit, Vanessa claims the deputies' conduct caused her severe emotional distress, saying the photos were an invasion of privacy. Lawyers for L.A. County say Vanessa's emotional distress is a result of the fatal crash, not the photos.

LeBron James and his wife, Savannah, just added more ink to their body art collection ... getting matching hand tattoos to honor their three kids -- Bronny, Bryce, and Zhuri.

The Lakers superstar got his new ink done by famous tat artist Ganga Tattoo -- who just recently gave Bronny his first tat -- and showed off the finished product on his social media page Thursday night.

On LBJ's shooting hand, he got the initials "B.B.Z." placed underneath a crown. Savannah revealed she got the "B.B.Z." on her right hand as well.

They both were in love with the new ink ... Savannah -- who married Bron in 2013 -- shared the clip with the caption, "♥♥♥ BBZ over everything!"

It's been a great summer for LeBron and his kids -- the fam has spent a lot of time together, and the King and his two boys even got to hoop together at the Lakers' practice facility earlier this month.

Meanwhile, Bronny and Bryce played organized basketball together for the first time in Europe earlier this week -- and LeBron was pumped for it!

"Man I'm literally watching Bronny and Bryce on the court together for the first time in a game situation!!" James said on Twitter watching his kids on TV.

"This is INSANE!! I'm EMOTIONAL AF!! WOW"

The late Bill Russell is getting the ultimate tribute -- the NBA just announced the Celtics legend's No. 6 will be retired throughout the league ... making him the first player to receive such an honor.

The Association just announced the move minutes ago ... with commish Adam Silver explaining the decision.

"Bill Russell's unparalleled success on the court and pioneering civil rights activism deserve to be honored in a unique and historic way," Silver said. "Permanently retiring his No. 6 across every NBA team ensures that Bill's transcendent career will always be recognized."

Current players who don the number -- most notably Lakers superstar LeBron James -- will not have to make a change ... as the league says those who currently wear No. 6 will be grandfathered.

On top of the number retirement, the league says each player will wear a jersey patch honoring the 11-time champion ... and each court will display a tribute logo next to the scorer's table.

The honor is exactly what names like Magic Johnson and Mike Woodson were hoping for -- both former players called for the league to raise No. 6 in the rafters at every NBA arena.

Huge victory for Lamar Odom -- the ex-NBA star is finally in possession of his own Instagram page again ... after claiming his former management refused to give him access.

Odom shared his relief on the social media platform on Wednesday ... saying, "I'm back! Got access to my account thanks to Instagram."

Odom -- who was without his IG since late July -- was fighting like hell to get his account back. In fact, he literally went to the IG headquarters in California to get it handled this week.

It was an awful experience for LO, especially because his former management was desperately posting to get clout or make a few bucks right up until he regained control over the page again.

"Anything you saw posted in my story or on my page was not me posting or commenting from this page," Odom said.

The former hooper also praised his NEW management in the return message ... thanking Gina Rodriguez for her efforts in making things right.

Remember, Odom ripped his old team last month ... saying, "my social media is not yours! If I chose to leave, that's the decision I make. Your decision shouldn't be to highjack my social media."

Karl-Anthony Towns and his beau Jordyn Woods were spotted jewelry shoppin' in Italy this week -- and it's got us all wondering ... are those engagement rings they're looking at?!?

The couple has been out in Bellagio, Italy the past few days, soakin' in a vacation during KAT's NBA offseason ... and TMZ Sports has learned they popped into a jewelry store on Wednesday evening to browse through some bling.

Witnesses say they looked at necklaces and other items -- but at one point, they both appeared to lock in on the rings.

Of course, the two -- who have been dating since 2020 and have professed their love for each other continuously over the last two years -- are not yet engaged (at least not publicly), so their perusal of the store's finger band selection is intriguing!

Unclear if they bought anything they liked ... but we're told they looked super happy together nonetheless, calling each other pet names and holding hands.

An emotional Lakers GM Rob Pelinka took the stand -- barely able to speak when talking about how special his relationship with Kobe really was. Pelinka says he still considers Kobe to be his best friend, and that having Kobe as a friend was like knowing a super hero.

Pelinka revealed he was in church when he got a call about the helicopter crash, and rushed to meet Vanessa at John Wayne Airport. Pelinka says deputies took him and Vanessa close to the crash site, and were promised the area would be kept private.

Pelinka says Vanessa has fought to protect the beauty of her family, and if the photos from the scene were to get out, there's fear for what it could do to her daughters. He also revealed that in June 2020, Vanessa went to the site of the crash to touch the soil where Kobe and GiGi were before they went to heaven.

Vanessa Bryant dissolved into tears as her lawyer addressed the jury in opening statements, saying the 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who took photos of the bodies of her husband and child took the pictures "for a laugh like they were souvenirs."

Vanessa's lawyer said the deputies "poured salt in an unhealable wound" by using their cellphones to take the photos for personal use. The lawyer described "pictures of broken bodies, close-ups of limbs and burnt flesh."

The lawyer played the deposition of a Sheriff's detective who said his wife didn't want to see the photos, and that's when he told her they showed "piles of meat."

The attorney says Vanessa lives "in fear, anxiety and terror" that someday she and her family will see the photos.

The lawyer said Vanessa's children were her everything, Kobe was her everything, and she will be forever haunted by what the deputies did.

The crux of the case involves L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who took photos of the bodies of Kobe and daughter Gianna at the crash scene and then shared them with colleagues. In one case, a deputy allegedly showed the photos to a woman at a bar, and the bartender is the one who blew the whistle on him.

Vanessa claims in the lawsuit ... the conduct of the deputies caused her severe emotional distress, adding it was an invasion of privacy. Lawyers for L.A. County responded by claiming Vanessa's emotional distress is rooted in the crash, not the photos.

Remember that hot pink Michael Jackson hoodie Pete Davidson wore courtside as Stephen Curry broke the all-time three-point record at Madison Square Garden??

The look just got a lot more iconic ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the comedian just got the Marcel Zago-designed threads signed by the Golden State Warriors superstar!!

Of course, the former "SNL" star hilariously stood out like a sore thumb when Steph broke Ray Allen's NBA three-point record on December 14 ... jumping to his feet and cheering after Curry hit #2,974 in front of the packed arena.

Considering Pete's pink look will forever be in the background of the special moment, we're told his people reached out to Steph's memorabilia partner, USA Sports Marketing, in hopes of getting the hooper to sign the hoodie ... and Steph happily obliged!!

USA Sports Marketing -- Steph's memorabilia partner -- tells us they received the sweater from Pete's camp to have Curry sign it ... and the 4-time NBA champ thought the idea was hilarious.

Curry and USA SM posed together with the hoodie ... and we're told it's going back to Pete, who will probably hold onto it forever.

Michael Jordan's game-worn jersey from his last NBA Finals win is hitting the auction block -- and if you're interested, you better have deep pockets ... 'cause it's estimated to sell for over 3 million bucks!!

TMZ Sports has learned this Chicago Bulls gear is from Game 1 of the 1998 NBA Finals  -- also known as MJ's iconic "Last Dance" season.

MJ wore the red jersey when he banked 33 points against the Utah Jazz -- and even though the Bulls lost, they ultimately won the series, 4-2  -- Jordan's 6th NBA championship.

Sotheby's Auction says this rare piece is one of the most coveted items for collectors.

"Jordan's 1998 NBA Finals Game 1 jersey is among the most highly desired pieces of sports memorabilia," Sotheby's said in a statement, "and the present example is one of just two Finals jerseys to ever appear at auction, from any of his six championships."

And, come September 6, you'll get your chance to place your bid. The auction house estimates the jersey will sell for around $3 million.

Sotheby's says that's the highest appraisal for His Airness' jersey, but when it comes to the G.O.A.T., a Finals jersey doesn't come cheap.

NBA star DeMar DeRozan gave fans an experience they'll never forget after balling out in the Drew League on Saturday -- posing for pics and signing autographs for them, and TMZ Sports has the video!!

The Chicago Bulls forward and his teammate, Patrick Williams, led the MMV Cheaters back from a 19-point deficit to come away with a 102-94 win over Young Citi ... large in part thanks to DeRozan's 36 points and 6 rebounds.

Williams added 14 points and 14 boards himself ... but it was DD who came away with the player of the game nod.

Fun fact -- Sunday was DeMar's 33rd birthday ... so the honor was an early present for him!!

DeRozan was super chill with fans hoping for selfies and signatures as he left the facility ... signing jerseys and smiling with fans before heading out.

The Drew League has been filled with huge names so far this summer -- remember, LeBron James played with DeRozan earlier this off-season ... as well as Trae Young and John Collins.

Things are getting ugly in Brooklyn -- Kevin Durant reportedly drew his line in the sand during a meeting with Nets owner Joe Tsai ... saying the only way he'll stay in New York is if coach Steve Nash and GM Sean Marks get the boot.

33-year-old KD has wanted out of BK since late June ... but as of yet, there hasn't been any progress in granting his wish due to the Nets' asking price to trade their best player.

Now, Shams Charania is reporting the superstar met with Tsai in London over the weekend to reveal his ultimatum ... with sources saying he doesn't have faith in the team's direction.

Durant -- who signed a 4-year, $198 million deal with BK last year -- is singing a different tune than he did in April -- he previously said he felt Nash was doing his job "perfectly," despite all the obstacles the Nets faced so far during his stint at the head of the bench.

"I think he’s done a great job," KD said at the time. "The last two years, he’s been dealt a wild hand. Injuries, trades, disgruntled players, guys in and out of the lineup, stuff that he can’t control."

"I felt like he’s handled it as best he could (and) I think it’s on us as players to make his job easier."

Paolo Banchero is responding to Dejounte Murray -- who torched the NBA rookie for allegedly changing after getting drafted first overall -- saying he's the "same humble kid" he's been.

The backstory. 19-year-old Banchero and 25-year-old Murray played in Isaiah Thomas' Pro-Am hoops tourney this weekend ... when Dejounte, guarded by Paolo, alley-ooped the ball to himself, and emphatically threw down a dunk.

The Atlanta Hawks guard put the highlight on his IG ... captioning, "WELCOME TO THE BIG LEAGUES!!!!!! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 Disrespectful They Said….. 🤷🏽‍♂️ Yeahhhhh I KNOW!!!!!!!!""

Murray also wrote ... "You tried to flex that #1 pick s**t on me when I been rooting for you when you was a kid asking to rebound for me [Paolo]. Don’t get on this internet saying nothing… You changed from the humble kid you always was and I stand on real s**t boy and YOU KNOW!!!!!!!! You made it and changed and I lost all respect!!"

But, Murray didn't get the last word ... Banchero answered on social media, writing, "Same humble kid. Always vouched for u bro. Don't switch tha narrative for tha internet."

Now we're all caught up.

Chances are this isn't over ... Murray, who was traded to the Hawks in June, and Banchero, Orlando Magic forward, are both in the Southeast Division ... and will come face-to-face on the court this season.

Ex-NBA player Mike Woodson agrees with Magic Johnson -- every team in the league should "absolutely" retire #6 in honor of Bill Russell ... telling TMZ Sports the Boston Celtics legend "was the s**t."

We spoke with Woodson -- the current head coach of the Indiana Hoosiers -- out at LAX this week ... and asked about Magic's call for the NBA to honor the Hall of Fame center in a unique way.

"Absolutely. Absolutely," Woodson said. "That man set the stage for a lot of the players today. For me, a lot of the players before me. Bill Russell was the s***. I don't care how you cut it."

"At the end of the day, you look what he’s done in his career, and ... it's unbelievable," he added. "That’s all you can say. So, Magic’s not far off. What he's pushing for, the league should want to do that for him."

"The players should want to do it because again, he set the stage."

Woodson knows not everyone will be on board with the idea ... especially since the #6 is still worn by active players like LeBron James, who switched back to his Miami Heat digit last season.

But, Mike recognizes the impact Russell had on the NBA and the Celtics -- with whom he won 11 championships -- including 8 straight in the '60s.

"Well, listen ... at the end of the day, the Celtics have been a dominant organization for many, many years, and Bill Russell put ‘em on top," Woodson said. "I think what he’s done for the NBA stands alone."

Ultimately, Woodson thinks Magic was right to suggest #6 be retired ... and he believes the game's biggest superstars will support the idea out of respect for Russell.

"I think the league will do that. These players respect him enough. LeBron, [Kevin] Durant, [Steph] Curry, they respect what he did for our league."

Jayson Tatum is a straight-up savage ... the Boston Celtics star forward showed no mercy towards his little son, Deuce, rejecting his shot in a hilarious video!!

Tatum was hosting a youth basketball camp at his old high school, Chaminade College Preparatory School, in Missouri ... when he taught his 4-year-old son a hoops lesson the hard way.

In the clip, Deuce drives to the basket with dad trailing (that's traveling everywhere but the NBA). He stops, collects himself, and puts up a J ... when Tatum sends his shot flying!

Everyone seemed to get a kick out of the monster block ... especially Tatum, who was all smiles after channeling his inner Dikembe Mutombo.

Deuce's reaction was priceless ... and it's probably safe to say the kid has a bright future on the court if he's interested -- considering his dad is one of the best hoopers in the world.

Hours after Brittney Griner was sentenced by a Russian judge to 9 years in prison ... Trevor Noah went IN on the foreign country -- dragging Vladimir Putin, while calling Thursday's ruling complete "bulls***."

Noah held nothing back on "The Daily Show," accusing Russia of using Griner and her drug trial as political pawns to gain leverage on the U.S.

"We all know Russia doesn’t care about what Brittney Griner did," Noah said. "This is the same country that’s breaking every human rights law on the planet, but they’re like, ‘That woman has vape cartridge. She’s real criminal.'"

"Get the f*** out of here, man!"

Noah went on to repeatedly call Thursday's ruling "bulls***."

The comedian, though, did say there is a sliver of positive news to come out of Griner's sentence -- the U.S. and Russia can now seemingly begin prisoner swap talks earnestly.

And, Noah's clearly all in favor of giving the country whatever it wants to get the WNBA star back.

"Yeah, it seems like they win, but don’t forget, that person now has to live in Russia," Noah said. "Yeah, yeah. They’ll get there and be like, 'This whole country is prison. I miss food in Alcatraz, no!'"

Griner's Phoenix Mercury teammates, meanwhile, honored their star center with a 42-second moment of silence before their game against the Connecticut Sun on Thursday night.

Players from both teams linked arms during the pregame ceremony -- and at the tail-end of it all, an arena-wide "Bring Her Home!" chant broke out.

The U.S. government says it's doing everything it can to get Brittney Griner home ... but now there's a Justin from Canada looking to help out, too -- and it ain't Trudeau.

Justin Bieber is reacting to Griner's 9-year sentence for bringing cannabis oil into Russia ... saying it "hurts" to hear the news, but he doesn't want to sit around and do nothing.

"If anyone knows of anyway (sic) I can help please let me know."

Bieber is just one of many notable figures furious over the sentencing -- Kyrie Irving called on President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris to provide more info about Griner's status.

"What is truly happening with our Queen @brittneygriner @POTUS @VP?" the Brooklyn Nets superstar tweeted. "Please give us an Update."

WNBA star Lexie Brown added ... "Anyone that goes back to Russia to play is insane."

"Praying for BG man…this is breaking my heart seeing her right now 😔😔😔."

Ex-NFL star Robert Griffin III's reaction was simple -- "BRING BRITTNEY GRINER HOME!!!"

The NBA and WNBA released a joint statement ... saying Griner's verdict and sentencing was "unjustified and unfortunate," but reaffirmed the organizations will stop at nothing to make sure she comes home.

As we previously reported, the U.S. has made Russia a "very good offer" to bring her back to the States.