Basketball

LeBron James left little to the imagination while speaking with reporters after the Lakers game on Wednesday ... answering questions in a tiny towel!!

The King apparently didn't have time to throw on some street clothes before getting bombarded with questions after L.A.'s road win over the Chicago Bulls ... but he didn't seem to mind, cracking jokes and praising his teammate, Austin Reaves, as he talked about the matchup.

But the interview was overshadowed by the fact 38-year-old Bron was pretty naked -- aside from a towel securely tied at the hip -- and most of his left thigh was clearly visible.

The nearly-nude Q&A has some wondering whether it's necessary for the media to have access to players right after they get out of the showers ... with others loving the clip out of sheer horniness by dropping some pretty NSFW reactions on Twitter.

As for the game, the Lakers beat the Bulls 121-110 ... and Reaves got revenge on Patrick Beverley for hitting LeBron with the "too small" gesture when the two teams met earlier this week.

Forget playing at Ohio State or USC, Lavar Ball says Bronny James should head to Australia following high school ... and spend the 2023-24 season playing pro Down Under.

The big Baller explained to Sporting News Australia this week that he believes the unconventional move to the NBL would make LeBron James' kid much more NBA ready -- just as he says it did for his own son, LaMelo Ball.

"You playing against grown men and you getting paid," the 55-year-old said. "If you want to play basketball and you really that dude, why am I sitting in class trying to pass a chemistry test? I don’t wanna play no chemistry. I don't wanna practice no Spanish. No!"

"I wanna wake up, go practice, go back to sleep, go practice, have a game, practice. That’s all I wanna do. I don’t wanna be like, ‘Hey, I’ll meet you in the student union for study hall.'"

If Bronny does take the overseas route, LaVar believes it could result in a huge monetary windfall for the 18-year-old too ... explaining the McDonald's All-American could gain a massive following -- and sell out gyms everywhere.

"You can go set your own stage across the water," Ball said. "He already got the name. So people wanna see [him]. He gon' fill the gym up."

LeBron's offspring is still undecided on what he wants to do next season -- but he'll have to make a choice soon ... he graduates from Sierra Canyon in just a couple weeks.

Jamirah Shutes -- the Univ. of Memphis women's basketball player who was hit with a criminal charge last week after socking an opponent in the face following a game -- pled not guilty in the case on Wednesday, TMZ Sports has learned.

Shutes' attorney, Steven Crossmock, appeared in court in Ohio on the Tigers player's behalf to submit the plea. He did not immediately have a comment on the case following the proceedings.

She's now tentatively due back in court for another hearing in the case next month.

As we reported, Shutes was charged with assault on Friday ... one day after she punched Bowling Green State Univ. star Elissa Brett in the handshake line following their round of 16 game in the women's NIT.

Brett suffered swelling in her right eye as a result of the punch, according to cops, but she was able to play in BGSU's win over Florida on Monday.

It's still unclear what prompted the strike.

Steve Kerr is optimistic Andrew Wiggins will play again this season ... saying Tuesday night there's "hope" the All-Star forward can rejoin the Warriors in the near future.

Kerr was asked about Wiggins -- who hasn't played an NBA game since Feb.13 due to family reasons -- prior to the Warriors' 120-109 victory over the Pelicans, and he said that the 28-year-old has been "working out every day," but a timeline for his return is still up in the air.

"Beyond that, once he's back, our training staff will be able to get with him and see where he is," Kerr said Tuesday. "He's been training on his own."

Kerr hesitated to label Wiggins' extended absence from the team as "indefinite" ... but said because his status remains uncertain, "it's also appropriate because we don't know."

The Warriors have remained tight-lipped about the specific reason(s) why Wiggins isn't available to play -- but Draymond Green didn't mince words after rumors started circulating online about why his teammate has been MIA.

"I'm not here to say whether it's true or false. I don't know -- not my business!!" Green said on his podcast. "But [the] point being, it's not yours either!!"

"That's insane!! That's nuts!! The fact that people are so nosy and so consumed on what someone else do in their life, not basketball, in their life that THAT is the story ... with no confirmation of nothing?! Sometimes people disgust me."

LeBron James took a day away from the Lakers to put on his Dad hat and watch his son at the McDonald's All-America Game -- and, by the looks of things, he couldn't have been happier to do it!!

Two days after losing to the Bulls and one day before the two teams play in a rematch in Chicago, LBJ got away from his L.A. teammates for a night to catch Bronny James in the prestigious All-Star game in Houston, Texas.

The King had courtside seats for the 18-year-old's big night ... and you can tell, he was thrilled to watch his son in the event on his night off.

Bron, who himself played in the game in 2003, took selfies with his family in their floor seats -- before celebrating every big bucket that Bronny made.

In fact, after nearly every 3-pointer that Bronny sunk, LeBron stood up and made sure everyone knew it was his kid with the sharp shot.

Bronny gave Dad a ton to cheer about, too ... he hit FIVE 3-pointers, scoring 15 total points in the contest.

The young James ended up losing, but it ain't hard to see none of that mattered to LeBron, who was beaming with his son and the rest of his family after the game.

Caitlin Clark has turned John Cena into a huge fan of hers -- because after the Iowa star hit the wrestler's signature celebration during a historic game Sunday night ... he showed her big love on his social media page!!!

Clark went crazy in the Hawkeyes' 97-83 win over Louisville in the women's NCAA tournament's Elite Eight ... and at one moment in her triple-double performance, she broke out Cena's signature "You Can't See Me" move.

The gesture was, of course, fitting ... because Louisville simply couldn't stop the Iowa guard -- who finished the night with 41 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists.

Cena eventually got word of it all on Tuesday afternoon -- and gave Clark a HUGE shoutout on Twitter.

"Even if they could see you," the wrestler wrote, "they couldn’t guard you!"

"Congrats on the historic performance @CaitlinClark22," he added, "and to @IowaWBB on advancing to the Final Four!"

The two sports stars both now have some big weekends coming up -- Clark plays South Carolina on Friday night with a trip to the national championship on the line, while Cena will throw down with Austin Theory on Saturday evening at Wrestlemania 39.

NBA player Andre Drummond is going off the grid to improve his mental health ... saying he's quitting social media and changing his phone number to free his mind.

The Chicago Bulls center was open with his struggles to his 840k Twitter followers on Tuesday ... calling on anyone battling similar issues to seek help -- just like he is.

"Deleting all my social apps my Management will take over," Drummond said. "also changing my number .."

"Time to focus on my mental health. If you too are struggling with your mental health, you are not alone 💙 it’s okay to ask for help."

Andre -- who is averaging 6 points and nearly 7 rebounds a game for the Bulls this season --- has spoken out about mental health awareness previously ... and shared his path to wellness in a video with the National Basketball Players Association last year.

Bronny James took flight at the McDonald's All-American dunk contest on Monday night ... leaping over his younger bro for a sick slam -- but in the end, it wasn't enough to beat out a Duke commit to win the event.

LeBron's offspring participated in the prestigious skills competition two decades after The King won it all back in 2003 ... and the 18-year-old came thiiiiiiis close to repeating Dad's feat.

Bronny, a 6-foot-3 shooting guard, opened the competition with a self-lob, reverse dunk that scored a 65/70. His second throwdown -- a self-lob, one-handed windmill -- earned him a 57/70 and a place in the finals.

The Sierra Canyon star opened up the championship round by bringing out his younger brother, Bryce -- and dunking all over him ... an impressive accomplishment, considering the 15-year-old is 6-foot-5.

The slam got him a 63/70 ... but when Bronny wasn't able to complete his second dunk in the finals -- Blue Devils signee Sean Stewart took home the event's crown.

Bron was largely impressed with his boy's performance -- the Lakers superstar live-tweeted the whole event, critiquing the judges' scores ... while praising some of Bronny's work. His wife, Savannah, meanwhile, attended it all in-person, and gave Bronny 10s for every dunk.

Despite the loss Monday night, Bronny will have another opportunity to show out in Houston this week ... the actual McDonald's All-American Game tips off at 6 p.m. PT on Tuesday.

Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez are like a couple of clams ... looking happy as can be at the premiere and after-party of his brand new flick.

The 2 were having a blast Monday night at the world premiere of Ben's new movie, "Air" ... and, of course, the couple was holding court on their way into L.A.'s Regency Village Theater.

They even gave fans what they came for ... sharing a few kisses and chattin' it up with the photogs snapping pics. They might have been acting like they were the only 2 there, but they weren't -- Ben's costars Jason Bateman and Viola Davis were also there to kick off the film.

J Lo and her man were still giving honeymoon vibes at the after-party where they cozied up on a couch. You can see the meme now, can't ya? "Find someone who looks at you the way Ben looks at Jen."

Ben also delivered a speech at Monday night's event ... giving his buddy and costar Matt Damon top billing as he called him the "biggest joy of my professional life."

Don't worry his wife got some attention too, telling her, "You’re fabulous, you’re amazing, you’re wonderful, good, kind, magnificent and I love you.”

Ben directed "Air," and produced it with Matt ... the movie's about the Nike sales team's efforts to strike a deal with an NBA rookie named Michael Jordan.

Washington Wizards shooting guard Bradley Beal -- a three-time NBA All-Star -- is under police investigation ... after he was involved in a confrontation with some hecklers following a game last week, TMZ Sports has learned.

The complaint against Beal was lodged on March 22, according to the Orlando Police Dept., roughly 24 hours after the basketball player was involved in a spat with two fans following his team's 122-112 loss to the Magic in Florida.

The dispute between Beal and the fans arose right after the 29-year-old hooper was walking down a tunnel to the Wizards' locker room area at Amway Center.

One of the guys in a group yelled at Beal, "You f***ed me [out of] $1,300, you f***!"

Beal then turned, walked toward the fans, and appeared to knock the hat off one of the guys' heads in response to the heckle.

Beal and the fans then jawed back and forth, with Beal calling the comment "disrespectful."

"Keep it a buck," Beal said. "I don't give a f*** about none of your bets or your parlays, bro. That ain't why I play the game."

Things were tense between Beal and the group -- with the men exchanging a flurry of words -- before the Wizards star was ushered into the locker room without further incident.

The jawing back and forth lasted about 50 seconds before Beal was ushered away.

But, the alleged victim contacted police and they met the following day. The fan told police Beal hit him in the head when he swatted the cap. Cops took a report for battery and began investigating.

Police watched cell phone video of the incident. They also went to the Amway Center in an attempt to hunt down surveillance video, but the incident occurred off camera.

The alleged victim told cops he wants to press charges against Beal, and police noted there was enough probable cause to charge Bradley with "simple battery," saying "charges will be filed at large with the State Attorney's Office."

As for the Wizards, they tell us ... “We are aware of the situation regarding Bradley Beal in Orlando but won’t have further comment until we’ve gathered more information.”

The Magic, meanwhile, tell us they are aware of the incident and are letting the OPD handle it.

Shaquille O'Neal is living up to his "Superman" moniker ... just days after the NBA legend had his hip replaced, he's already back in the gym working out!

The Hall of Famer shared video of himself walking into a gym using a crutch on Sunday, before sitting down at a machine and pumping out some arm/chest exercises.

"Bout to get my game back," Shaq wrote in the caption. "All you old dudes that hoop in @24hrfitness @lafitness @lifetimefitness I’m coming for yall."

It's pretty impressive when you realize the 51-year-old just went under the knife a week ago. As we previously reported, Shaq had been dealing with hip issues and is on the mend after successful surgery.

Shaq initially caused a bit of a panic when he shared a photo of him lying in a hospital bed, so fans will be happy to see him working out.

It's unclear exactly when The Big Fella will return to his "NBA on TNT" gig, though on his "The Big Podcast With Shaq" he said he planned to return by April 16.

The 4-time NBA champ also said he's going on a diet to lose weight ... and get an 8-pack.

Larry Johnson loves what he sees with the NY Knicks (granted, we talked to him before the Magic loss) ... and says if they keep hooping like they've been, he sees Jalen Brunson's squad making a run in the playoffs!

"I'm very happy with what we look like this year," the Knicks legend told Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) earlier this week.

"I do believe Jalen is the best player or he's definitely the most valuable, running the team and getting the people to their right spots."

Brunson -- who Johnson calls "nephew" (LJ was teammates with Jalen's dad, Rick Brunson) -- has been playing lights out since signing with New York for $104 million last July. At the time, pundits called him overpaid. Now, it's called one of the most team-friendly contracts in the sport.

Jalen's averaging 23.8 points, 6.2 assists and 3.5 rebounds per game.

During the season, the Knicks traded for Jalen's former Villanova teammate, Josh Hart ... and Johnson loves the move, lauding the former Blazers forward for being "a dog on defense."

"That's that New York mentality," Johnson said.

With Brunson playing like an All-Star, Hart's hustle, and the Knicks in fifth position in the East,  Johnson doesn't believe the Knicks will be a one-and-done playoff team.

But, he doesn't foresee a ticker-tape parade, either.

"Definitely don't see them winning the championship this year. I see them going far," the 54-year-old said. "I can definitely see them winning the first series."

We also asked Larry -- an NCAA champ at UNLV -- about this year's tourney and the endless shocking upsets ... like number-one seeds Purdue and Kansas, amongst other teams, being sent home early.

"I like that," the former #1 overall draft pick said. "I like it being more competitive. I mean it didn't happen as often when I was around."

"I much love this more competitive tournament than like a blowout tournament."

Luka Doncic says he hasn't been happy on the court like he used to be -- and while he's publicly citing personal problems ... Twitter seems to be blaming Kyrie Irving.

The Dallas Mavericks PG talked to the press Friday night after the team's loss to the Charlotte Hornets -- which actually spurred boos from the home crowd ... amounting to a somewhat ugly scene in American Airlines Center. HC Jason Kidd said it was deserved.

There's a lot of criticism about the Mavs' lack of effort in this game ... especially from their two big stars -- Luka and Kyrie -- who haven't been gelling that well since KI came on.

When asked if this is as frustrated as he's been, Luka answered candidly ... saying yes, and then going on to explain that he feels like his attitude toward the game has changed of late -- namely, he's simply not as excited to play and has effectively lost his love of basketball.

Reporters asked him to elaborate -- as that sounds like a clear reference to Kyrie, as he appears to be the one big change in the Mavs organization lately -- and Luka pivoted.

He said he was dealing with stuff off the court, and suggested that's what's causing the issues in his game. The Internet, however, wasn't buying that ... and jumped to the conclusion Luka was, in fact, expressing thinly-veiled frustration about his new teammate.

Kyrie also spoke to the media and was defiant when asked about the fans booing ... saying they're more than welcome to come on down and play if they think they're up for it.

Eventually, he talked about the transition to the Mavs and how bumpy it's been -- the team is currently out of playoff contention -- and he also said it's been rough getting adjusted.

KI was quoted as saying ... "[W]e're still feeling each other out in a way of getting used to each other's efforts and attitudes and temperament. And that's a real thing. That's a human thing. That's a human element. Whether people believe it in basketball or not, there's a very fine line between winning basketball games and everyone being on the same page and losing basketball games and things splintering and pointing fingers."

Bill Maher has weighed in on nepo babies, and he's got no problem with it ... until a nepo baby says they succeeded on their own.

As the 'Real Time' host put it ... "Enjoy the good life, but don't say you didn't have a huge advantage." He says in showbiz, for example, getting in the door is 80% of the challenge ... i.e., nepo babies, shut up that you got the job on merit alone.

Now BM goes on to say there's one pure vestige of meritocracy left in America -- sports. He points to the NBA, where it's hard to argue the 450 players chosen are not the best in the world. He uses Bronny James as an example ... his NBA future is far from certain, despite his amazing dad. Bronny is really good, but if he gets on a team it's because he earned it.

Lamar Odom played the role of Santa about nine months early this year ... deciding to send a bunch of gifts to a hooper in Africa -- after he was inspired by the way the man was training with beat-up gear.

The baller's name is Nkwain Kennedy, and he's gained hundreds of thousands of followers on social media the past year or so after posting inspirational videos of himself working out with destroyed basketballs and tattered kicks.

A rep for Odom says the ex-LA Lakers star caught one of Kennedy's vids recently while scrolling through Instagram ... and he was so moved by the footage, he wanted to put together a care package for the guy.

Odom got in touch with Kennedy through social media, found out his shoe size and his Cameroon address and FedExed him a box full of goodies.

We're told the present included two Wilson basketballs, Reebok Allen Iverson and Nike Giannis Antetokounmpo kicks, some Nike socks ... and a handwritten note.

"To Nkwain," Odom wrote on the card. "Love the hustle. God bless."

Odom autographed the note as well.

It's been a month swarmed with buzzer-beating shots from the stars -- making social media a packed venue. With hella traveling and lots of knockout IG posts, these celebs did not hold back from bringing their A-game!

Nearly breaking the scoreboard ... gymnast Olivia Dunne threw up a perfect 10 after snapping a poolside bikini pic, while Megan Thee Stallion hit a slam dunk from the sheets. And, it was a shirtless showdown between Dwayne Johnson and Jersey Shore's Vinny Guadagnino ... may the best man win!