Basketball

Victor Wembanyama mania is in full effect -- the future No. 1 overall pick in the NBA Draft was mobbed by fans as he touched down in the U.S. on Monday ... and the scene was crazy!!

The 19-year-old French phenom is at the center of the basketball world ahead of Thursday's festivities ... and all signs point to the San Antonio Spurs taking him as soon as they're on the clock.

Wembanyama immediately got a taste of what it will be like to be a celebrity in America when he landed at JFK airport ... being met with a large group of supporters.

Fans brought basketballs, magazines, and custom jerseys in hopes of getting an autograph from the 7'5" hooper ... and based on the footage, he was patient enough to sign as much as he could before heading into a sprinter van.

"I don't know how they knew what flight I was on, but it's fun," Wembanyama said of the impromptu meet-and-greet. "It's different, seeing that you can have such impact on people."

21 Savage spent his Father's Day being a wholesome father figure to dozens of kids at a youth basketball clinic hosted by his own org ... and with plenty of celeb assistance!!!

The "Her Loss" rapper recruited NBA ballers like Nassir Little of the Portland Trail Blazers, Jay Scrubb and Kevon Harris of the Orlando Magic, London Johnson from the NBA G League Team Ignite and NCAA champ Flau'jae Johnson.

They were all there to coach the kids on the basketball skills needed to get to the next level.

21's Leading By Example Foundation camp partnered with the nonprofit Freedom Is a Choice Inc to launch the camp, held in his hometown neighborhood of Dekalb County, GA.

The event was designed to help kids who grew up just like him -- the player's ages ranged between 10 to 13 years old ... and all have fathers who are currently incarerated.

21's got a lil' game himself ... he's been in the lab with Lethal Shooter perfecting his jumper.

Mercy Miller, the high school hoops star of rap legend Master P, was convinced he wanted to be a Duke Blue Devil ... that is until he met with University of Houston coach Kelvin Sampson.

17-year-old Mercy, a star at Notre Dame High School (they won a state title last season), committed to play at Houston (a #1 seed in this year's NCAA Tourney) a few months back, in part because Sampson, one of the best coaches in college hoops, told the Miller family he saw something special in their son.

"[Coach Sampson] recognized Mercy's talent from 9th-grade summer and he said he's been around a lot of special players, some of the top players in the world and he said the way he felt about Mercy was only like three other players that he felt like that about when he seen him," P told Babcock.

Those players ... "It was Lebron James, Westbrook and then Derrick Rose," according to the mogul.

"It was between Houston and Duke for me when I was growing up. When I went to Houston, I really fell in love with it. When they offered me, Coach Kelvin Sampson -- he's a great guy and the connection was there so I just felt might as well just wrap it up and get this over with," Mercy told us.

"I was shocked because he always wanted to go to Duke but when the coach left Duke and then he was like 'Dad I'm ready, I made up my mind' and coach Kelvin Sampson, he's a straight guy," Mercy's dad said.

FYI, Mercy will go to Houston in 2024, after his senior high school season at the Sherman Oaks school.

We also talked to Mercy about the advantages (and possible disadvantages) of having a famous dad.

"I feel like there's really no disadvantage to it like that. I'm blessed to be in this position with the family I have, the dad I have. Sometimes, I guess, people can say I do this and I had the opportunity I had just because my dad is who he is, but I put the work in."

"Everything is not given. Nothing is given in this world so I take it for what it is," Mercy said.

Of course, players who come from famous families sometimes face unfair criticism. Just look at Bronny James, whose game is constantly picked apart online by people yelling nepotism!

Wood Harris is getting the stamp of approval from the guy he portrayed in LeBron James' new "Shooting Stars" movie ... 'cause St. Vincent-St. Mary head coach Dru Joyce says the actor was spectacular!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the Lakers superstar's longtime childhood coach about the new Peacock flick that documents the historic rise of LeBron and his teammates Sian Cotton, Romeo Travis, Willie McGee and Lil Dru en route to high school championships ... and he said he was pleased with the end result.

Joyce admits he was a bit nervous to watch the movie at first -- after all, Hollywood has its way with things -- but once he checked it out, all his worries went away.

"The thing that I was most concerned about, what I wanted to see portrayed most was the friendship and how the friendship was built," Joyce told us. "So, that came across very clear. So, I was happy."

Joyce believes Harris did a great job showing his real coaching skills ... which focused much more on raising good young men than simply basketball players.

In fact, Joyce told us Harris reached out and bounced ideas prior to shooting scenes ... but ultimately, "I just kind of let him run with it."

"I thought he caught the essence of me."

Bob Huggins was arrested for DUI in Pennsylvania -- and his bosses at West Virginia University are already well aware of it.

The WVU men's basketball HC was busted Friday night in Pittsburgh after cops observed a vehicle in the middle of a road with a flat tire -- which turned into a suspicious scene for Pittsburgh PD after they say they saw Huggins struggling mightily to get his car to the side of the road.

Suspecting he might be intoxicated, the officers initiated field sobriety tests ... which they say BH failed. At that point, they threw on the cuffs and hauled him to jail on suspicion of DUI.

WVU addressed his arrest, saying ... "West Virginia University is aware of an incident last night involving Head Men’s Basketball Coach Bob Huggins, for which he was charged with Driving Under the Influence (DUI) in the City of Pittsburgh."

They add, "We are gathering more information and will take appropriate action once the review is complete." BTW, reports say the SUV he was driving was a lease ... courtesy of West Virginia University.

The woman who accused Conor McGregor of rape was seen on video with the UFC star at a club table just minutes after she says the sexual assault happened.

The footage, obtained by TMZ Sports, was shot at around 12:40 a.m. on June 10 inside the Kaseya Center in Miami ... roughly half an hour or so after the woman claims he attacked her inside of a bathroom following Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

In the clips, you can see McGregor and the woman appearing to exchange words while holding drinks ... before Conor eventually leaves the area.

According to the woman's attorney, Ariel Mitchell, the video shows her client and McGregor were "visibly awkwardly interacting with each other" -- something she alleges the two were not doing prior to their restroom encounter.

"My client has always stated that there would be video of before and after, and in those videos she emphasized that the difference in the interactions between them would be visibly noticeable," Mitchell said in a statement to TMZ Sports. "This again is another video that supports what my client has been saying and supports what she told the police since the inception of this incident."

McGregor's attorney, meanwhile, says the footage shows what he's been claiming all along ... that the allegations are false.

"While the claimant's story has changed yet again," Barbara R. Llanes said in a statement, "our account of the evening has never changed. This video only reinforces our position. We look forward to the swift conclusion of the investigation."

Previous video that we obtained showed McGregor and the woman had been interacting at the club throughout the evening. In one vid, he was seen flexing with her as music blared. In another, the 34-year-old was seen grabbing the woman by her hand and leading her into a bathroom.

The woman has claimed while inside of the restroom ... Conor kissed her without her consent, forced her to perform oral sex, and attempted to sodomize her.

McGregor has been adamant that the woman's claims are "no more than a shakedown."

Ja Morant filmed himself holding a toy gun back on May 14 in an effort to show his family and friends that he did not have a real firearm during his now-infamous Instagram Live sesh ... and TMZ Sports has just obtained the footage.

In the video, you can see Morant -- easily identified by his unique tattoos -- attempting to show the weapon was nothing more than a lighter.

Morant used the flames that came out of the phony gun to ignite some candles ... before he appeared to say in the clip, "You hold it, and everything comes out."

We're told Ja sent the video around to those close to him after they had questioned why he was seen brandishing a firearm in a social media video yet again.

You'll recall, Ja was initially suspended for the act in March ... though on May 13, he was filmed doing it once more while listening to NBA YoungBoy's album with a pal in a car.

Ja never publicly stated the gun was not a real one ... though Claudia Jordan said on "The Breakfast Club" earlier this month that some inside of the Grizzlies guard's camp had informed her it was fake.

Either way, Adam Silver punished Morant over it all regardless ... hitting him with a 25-game suspension on Friday morning.

Following news of the ban, Morant apologized ... and vowed to be "a better man than what I've been showing you."

Brittney Griner isn't going to let one bad interaction spoil things for her supporters ... 'cause TMZ Sports has obtained video showing she was super friendly with a man looking for a pic with her on Friday.

The scene played out in front of the Phoenix Mercury's team hotel in D.C. -- just six days after YouTube personality Alex Stein bothered her at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

During the June 10 incident, the social media troll was seen on video pestering the WNBA star about the prisoner swap that freed her from Russian custody back in December.

But, Griner clearly isn't letting any of the sour encounter change her mentality ... because when a fan approached her about getting a photo right before the Mercury took on the Washington Mystics -- she was happy to oblige.

In fact, she did it twice!

You can see in our footage, the man tried to grab a shot with her as she was getting off the bus, but when it didn't come out well ... he asked her for another one, and she said OK, no problem.

Witnesses at the scene tell us she and her security were super friendly throughout the ordeal ... and seemed genuinely happy to be around BG/Mercury supporters.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are continuing a theme for the Kardashian family ... coming together to support their kids, despite a lot of past drama.

The exes both showed up for son Saint's basketball game Friday at the Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks ... though they both rolled up separately, with Kim bringing Saint to the game.

Kanye came with an entourage ... it doesn't look like his wife Bianca Censori was there this time ... but we've seen her support his kids recently, holding hands with North at Kanye's birthday party.

Kim and Kanye coming together to support Saint is an extension of what we've seen recently among the Kardashians.

Remember ... Kylie Jenner, Travis Scott, Khloe Kardashian, Angela White (formerly Blac Chyna) and Tristan Thompson were all under the same roof earlier this month to celebrate their little ones' finishing preschool.

LeBron James heard the Nuggets talkin' spit about the Lakers during their championship parade on Thursday ... and now, the NBA superstar is clapping back HARD.

In case you missed it, Michael Malone threw shade at reports of LBJ considering retirement after losing to Denver in the Western Conference Finals ... cracking jokes and claiming he was going to hang it up for good, too.

There was also a cringe moment at the rally, where Malone was referred to as "the Lakers' daddy."

James is now unloading on the Nuggets franchise ... saying he was minding his own business in Europe when he found out about the disses -- so he asked, "I'm on your mind that much huh???"

"I mean I guess I see why. 🤷🏾‍♂️," LeBron said on Instagram with a pic of him waving the starting flag at 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"But Wave the flag on these lames!! Please make being player cool again cause the lame machine is at an all-time high. Enjoy your light but just know I’m the SUN. I stay on forever!"

Here's a side of championship celebrations you don't see very often -- Nuggets hooper Bruce Brown revealed the aftermath of raging nonstop since Denver won the NBA Finals earlier this week ... admitting he's "hurting bad."

The 26-year-old posted some hungover content to his Instagram on Friday ... saying Nikola Jokic is to blame for his seat on the struggle bus.

"This is Nikola's fault," a clearly roughed-up Brown said from bed. "This is the Sombor Shuffle's fault that I'm down bad this bad ... and I want everyone to know that."

Brown admitted he had no idea what Jokic was handing him throughout the night ... but there's no doubt in his mind whatever it was was the source of his pain.

Brown -- who played a huge role in the Finals -- also begged for some "damn Pedialyte" to help him recover.

Of course, Brown was one of many Nuggets players letting loose during the team's parade and rally celebrations on Thursday ... which flowed into a night of raging at a Vegas nightclub.

A second gun video and yet another suspension won't cost Ja Morant his deal with Nike after all ... the Swoosh just announced it's still backing the NBA superstar.

In a statement released just minutes after Adam Silver banned Morant 25 games for waving a firearm on Instagram Live for the second time this year ... Nike announced it will not be severing its ties with the Grizzlies hooper.

"We are pleased that Ja is taking accountability and prioritizing his well-being," the shoe giant said. "We will continue to support him on and off the court."

For a while following the second gun video, it appeared the relationship was in jeopardy ... as the co. had wiped all of his signature athletic shoes from its app and website. But now, it's clear -- the two are moving forward in lockstep.

Of course, Ja has had a relationship with Nike dating back to 2019 ... and he's become one of the faces of the company -- releasing his first-ever Ja 1 shoe a few months back.

It all clearly makes a ton of dollars and sense for both sides regardless ... as even with all of the controversy surrounding him, Morant's Ja 1 "Hunger" colorway drop sold out in a matter of minutes back in late May.

Longtime NBA player Tony Snell is opening up on a recent health discovery ... revealing he was diagnosed with autism last year.

The 31-year-old shared the news with "Today" on Friday ... saying his son's own diagnosis gave him the courage to get checked out as well.

As it turns out, Snell says the signs were there throughout his life ... explaining he was often independent and alone, and struggled to connect with people on a personal level.

"I was not surprised because I always felt different," Snell said. "I was just relieved like, 'Oh, this is why I am the way I am.' And it just made my whole life, everything about my life make so much sense."

"It was like a clarity, like putting some 3-D glasses on."

Snell believes if he knew his diagnosis earlier, he would have not made it in the NBA ... because people would have "put a limit or cap on my abilities."

The former 20th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft has played 9 seasons in the league ... suiting up for the Bulls, Bucks, Pistons, Hawks, Trail Blazers and Pelicans.

He currently plays for the G League's Maine Celtics.

Ja Morant will miss more than a quarter of the 2023-24 NBA season as a result of his second gun-flashing incident -- the league just slapped the Memphis Grizzlies star with a 25-game suspension.

Adam Silver announced the punishment just minutes ago ... saying, "Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games."

"The potential for other young people to emulate Ja's conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated."

Morant was initially suspended without pay after showing a gun while at a Colorado strip club in March ... which he later apologized for and vowed to seek help.

Just two months later, the All-Star was spotted holding a weapon during an Instagram Live session with his friend.

The suspension begins immediately ... and Ja is forbidden from attending any team events, including preseason games prior to the start of the 2023-24 campaign in October.

The punishment will also hurt Morant's pockets -- he will lose approximately $12 million in salary during his time away from the court.

"For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time," Silver added. "Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior."

There were rumors Morant's team was claiming the gun shown in the video was actually fake ... but the Association said Friday it concluded the firearm was real.

As part of the punishment, Morant will be required to meet certain conditions before he will get the green light to return to the court.

If he hits the criteria, Morant will be available to play in December.

Michael Jordan's run as owner of the Charlotte Hornets is coming to an end -- the basketball legend has agreed to sell the team to a group that includes several A-list stars.

The Hall of Famer will hand the reins over to businessmen Gabe Plotkin (who already owns part of the Hornets) and Rick Schnall.

The buyer group also includes rapper J. Cole and country singer Eric Church, the team announced Friday.

MJ initially bought a minority stake of the franchise back in 2006 ... and took the position of Managing Member of Basketball Operations.

He became a majority owner in 2010 ... buying the rest of the team from BET founder Robert L. Johnson for $275 million.

The two sides will put pen to paper in the next few days, according to reports.

Plotkin bought part of the Hornets back in 2019 ... a move that, in hindsight, is now considered the first step in phasing Jordan out of ownership.

Plotkin is the founder of Tallwoods Capital ... and Schnall is co-president of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a private equity firm.

The Denver Nuggets championship parade just took a somber turn ... a police officer was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries after being struck by a firetruck that was participating in the ceremonies.

According to the Denver Police Dept. ... the incident happened just minutes ago while the truck was driving along the parade route in the Mile High City.

You can see in video from the scene, Nuggets superstars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray -- as well as the Larry O'Brien trophy -- were on the vehicle when the accident occurred.

It's unclear how exactly the officer was hurt ... but cops said in a statement Thursday afternoon they have launched an investigation into it all.

Jokic and Murray were not harmed during the incident -- and both were escorted off the truck by officials. The two are now up onstage addressing the huge crowd of supporters that have been out since early Thursday morning celebrating the team's first-ever title.