Basketball

Former Lakers point guard Derek Fisher is giving basketball coaching another shot ... but not in the pros or college -- he's going to high school!!

The five-time NBA champion is back to planning Xs and Os after getting hired by Crespi Carmelite High School, a boys prep school in the greater Los Angeles area, officials announced Monday.

The gig marks Fisher's first return to the bench after being fired by the Los Angeles Sparks in June 2022, and his third job overall.

Remember, Kobe Bryant's ex-teammate and buddy started out as the New York Knicks' head coach from 2014 to 2016 ... and was let go after recording a 40-96 record.

Derek took over as the Sparks' head coach role in December 2018, where he would also eventually become general manager.

The 48-year-old Laker is now taking over the Encino-based program, which previously developed NBA talents like guard De'Anthony Melton and forward Brandon Williams.

Fisher's Celts will play in the Mission League ... where they will face off against the likes of Sierra Canyon, where Bronny James, Marvin Bagley III and Brandon Boston Jr. suited up ... and Notre Dame, where LeBron James' second-eldest son, Bryce, is reportedly considering attending next year.

One of the rarest Victor Wembanyama cards ever created was finally pulled this weekend ... and the guys who nabbed it absolutely lost their minds over the find!!!

The hobbyists over at Bleacher Breaks were the ones who scored the Bowman Chrome Superfractor rookie card ... and check out video they posted of the moment they realized what it was -- they went crazy.

Of course, they had good reason to scream their faces off after the piece was revealed ... it's a 1-of-1 -- meaning there's no other Wembanyama card in the world like it.

In fact, it's so unique ... some card experts estimate it could already sell for over $100,000!!!

Might sound unheard of for a guy who has yet to play in one regular season NBA game ... but Wembanaya memorabilia has exploded ever since he was selected No. 1 overall by the San Antonio Spurs earlier this summer -- due to all the hype surrounding the 7-foot-5 Frenchman's game.

His Vegas run-in with Britney Spears certainly didn't hurt his celebrity status either.

LeBron James took in a concert Thursday night, but it wasn't the Taylor Swift show in L.A. ... instead King James attended Brent Faiyaz's show in Toronto with good friend Draymond Green -- and the hoopers were clearly having a blast!

And for once, LeBron even knew the words! 😅

Concertgoers spotted the NBA champs and agent Rich Paul in what looks to be a VIP area, rockin' back and forth to Faiyaz's "Dead Man Walking" hit.

You can tell LeBron definitely knew the song ... he was singing word for word.

Of course, the NBA legend has been known to flub a line here and there in the past.

Whether it's a track by Lil Baby, Pop Smoke, or 6lack's "Stay Down" (remember "yabadabadodobo old navy" -- the lyrics are actually "Hoppin' out the car, no photos, baby.")

All kidding aside, it's awesome to see LeBron in good spirits, out and about ... after the terrifying health scare his family endured last week, when his son Bronny was hospitalized after going into cardiac arrest.

Diana Taurasi made history, and then she partied!

DT and the Phoenix Mercury were extra-lit, chuggin' champagne in the locker room after Thursday's game ... after the star guard became the first WNBA player to amass 10,000 points!

The record-breaking moment happened during the Mercury's game against the Atlanta Dream on Thursday, where the 10x All-Star dropped 42 points in a winning effort.

'We are a part of history," Mercury coach Nikki Blue said after the game. "That was so much fun. Let's do it again!" coach said, laughing.

That's when Taurasi, 41, got the party started, spraying champagne with her teammates, and drinking some bubbly, too ... while rocking her custom "The Drive To 10k" shirt.

Brittney Griner -- who is taking a mental health break from the team -- even pulled up for the special moment, rockin' a Taurasi jersey.

Taurasi leads the WNBA's all-time scoring list ... sitting atop a list of greats like Tina Thompson, Tamika Catching, Tina Charles, and her former UCONN teammate Sue Bird.

Of course, Taurasi is considered one of the best WNBA players ever and was even given the nickname "White Mamba" by Kobe Bryant.

Taurasi started her basketball career at Don Antonio Lugo in Chino, California and spent four seasons at UCONN where she won three NCAA titles under Geno Auriemma.

The 6-foot guard was the first overall pick in the 2004 WNBA draft and has won 3 championships, 2 WNBA Finals MVPs, and the 2009 WNBA MVP, amongst other accolades.

Taylor Swift shared a special moment with Kobe and Vanessa Bryant's daughter, Bianka, during her "Eras" Tour stop in Los Angeles ... gifting the 6-year-old her "Red" hat and a big hug.

Vanessa and her daughters were among the Swifties for the singer's first of six sold-out concerts at SoFi Stadium on Thursday ... with mom decked out in a custom jean jacket to honor the late Lakers legend.

But, it was Bianka who had her wildest dreams come true ... with Swift picking her out of the crowd and bringing her up to the stage in the middle of the show.

For those who don't know, Swift gives out her iconic hat to one lucky fan every time she performs "22" ... something that's been quite the phenomenon throughout the tour.

Taylor shared a warm embrace with Bianka -- she hugged her and said a few words before putting the hat on her head ... and the entire stadium erupted in cheers and applause over the gesture.

"We love you @taylorswift ❤️," Vanessa said on Instagram.

The Bryant family has been tied to Swift for years -- not only are they all huge fans, but Kobe also took the stage at Staples Center to reveal a banner to honor her record for sold-out shows at the venue in 2015.

Gigi was also a massive Swiftie ... and Vanessa shared a throwback of her late daughter rocking out to "You Belong With Me" prior to attending Thursday's show.

Magic Johnson's having the time of his life on his annual summer yacht vacation, gassing up the jet ski and hitting the beautiful Ionian Sea off the coast of Greece ... and boy, was he flyin'!

The NBA legend made his name on land, but turned into a bit of a water sports athlete on Thursday ... posting video -- wearing a life jacket (safety first) -- ripping around on a white and black jet ski.

You can see Johnson was all smiles as he sent it, full throttle, amidst the gorgeous scenery.

"I got my jet ski on for a few hours this morning in Myrtos Bay on Kefalonia Island, Greece," the 63-year-old said.

"There is no greater thrill for me than being out on the water and seeing some beautiful coastlines, especially in a country like Greece."

Johnson also surprised his wife, Cookie, and her friends with a photo shoot ... with the famous Flying Dresses Santorini.

"My wife Cookie looks absolutely STUNNING in her gold flying dress!" Johnson said.

Last month, Magic and his wife of nearly 32 years welcomed good friends Samuel L. Jackson and Judge Mathis, among others, on their 292-foot yacht.

Stephen Curry and his wife, Ayesha, are celebrating their 12-year anniversary in the best way ... enjoying a romantic getaway in Greece -- and their pics from the trip will make you jealous.

The Golden State Warriors superstar and his partner have been living it up in Europe all week ... and they haven't shied away from documenting the whole vacation on social media.

The Currys appear to be without their three kids during the trip ... and if that's the case, they're taking full advantage of the uninterrupted time together -- with boat trips, fancy dinners and plenty of wine.

Ayesha posted about their anniversary on July 30 ... saying, "12 years of being married to my best friend and love of my life. 15 years of dates and making memories."

"So much more to go. I love this man so much!!! Feeling blessed beyond measure ... okay back to celebrating."

And they did just that ... 'cause the Currys have been soaking in the R&R for days, and it doesn't look like they're slowing down anytime soon.

Devonte' Graham will be out for the first two games of the Spurs' season ... after the NBA suspended the 28-year-old guard days after he pleaded guilty to DWI, stemming from his arrest last year.

"San Antonio Spurs guard Devonte' Graham has been suspended for two games without pay for pleading guilty to a charge of impaired driving, in violation of the law of the State of North Carolina," the NBA announced on Wednesday.

The league continued ... "Graham’s suspension will commence with the next NBA regular season game that he is eligible and able to play."

We broke the story last week ... the 28-year-old was sentenced to unsupervised probation for 12 months after he had admitted to driving while impaired (a misdemeanor) back on July 7, 2022. The incident happened in Raleigh, N.C. when Graham -- a member of the Pelicans at the time -- had been pulled over for allegedly going 63 MPH in a 40 MPH zone at around 3 AM.

Cops said his blood alcohol content at the time was above the legal limit ... claiming he blew a .11.

Ja Morant just ensured he'll take the Mamba Mentality wherever he goes forever now ... 'cause the NBA superstar just got a massive new back tattoo, featuring two Kobe Bryant tributes.

The Memphis Grizzlies point guard hit up Andres Ortega and his Onder Ink team to get the new tats ... and on Saturday, the artist flew to Miami to put the work down.

Ortega tells TMZ Sports ... Morant sat for 10 hours total -- while he and his team placed artwork all over the basketball player's back and torso.

The pieces came out great ... and there's now nods to the 23-year-old's life and hoops career all over his body.

On his back, Morant got the logos of his high school, college and NBA teams ... as well as his Nike logo and his jersey No. 12. He also got four aces, some dice, and the words "Life's a gamble."

In the Kobe portion of the ink, he got the Lakers legend's famous logo -- as well as his old No. 24 jersey number.

On his chest and stomach, Morant got his birth year, an eye, some doves, some crosses and a 100 emoji.

It's clear P.J. Washington is lovin' the offseason ... the NBA player couldn't keep his hands off his fiancée during their steamy bae-cation in the Caribbean! 🔥

The power forward -- who last played for the Charlotte Hornets -- and soon-to-be wife Alisah Chanel hopped aboard a flight and went to Soufriere, St. Lucia, for some rest and relaxation ... even taking a spa-type mud bath outside in the forest.

Once the two got out (all muddy), Washington -- who proposed to Chanel in 2022 -- jumped on the opportunity to leave his handprint on Chanel's butt ... and he took full advantage, leaving his mark on both cheeks!

The print didn't last long ... the couple washed off under a massive waterfall.

It's good to see Washington and Chanel still goin' strong after all of his relationship drama over the last few years ... which all went back to his relationship with 31-year-old IG influencer and fitness model Brittany Renner, whom he had a baby with. PJ started dating Chanel shortly after their breakup.

Many criticized the 24-year-old for having a child with Chanel and poppin' the question so fast, but it seems like things are workin' out perfectly!

Devin Booker appears to be moving on from Kendall Jenner just fine ... the NBA superstar was spotted partying on a yacht this week -- with a whole lot of bikini-clad girls.

The Phoenix Suns point guard was out on the big boat in Saint Tropez on Monday ... and his guests included some pals -- as well as a quartet of females.

Unclear if Booker -- who split with Kendall late in 2022 after a couple years of dating -- had any romantic interest in them ... though he appeared to be having a great time, regardless.

The 26-year-old and his group of friends initially got the party going on the ship -- before they cruised to shore on a dingy.

But, before touching sand, Booker dove in head first for a swim -- and his big smile showed the water temp was just fine. Eventually, he and the rest made it to land, where he gave some beachgoers a big wave.

Outside of NBA courts ... Devin hasn't been seen all that much since the Kendall breakup -- but it's clear he's doing all right as his ex has moved on with Bad Bunny.

In fact, Booker was seen over the weekend even sippin' some Cincoro Tequila with none other than Michael Jordan while kicking off his European vacation.

Barstool Sports founder Dave Portnoy is making any pizza lover's dream come true -- assembling some of the most famous pie joints for a massive festival ... and he's dubbing it the biggest of its kind.

El Pres -- who's reviewed more than 1,000 pizza places over the years -- spoke with TMZ Sports about his latest venture in the food industry ... the One Bite Pizza Festival, which is slated to go down September 23.

"I'm super psyched about it," Portnoy said. "I've always wanted to do a pizza festival, but I never gave it a ton of thought, because I didn't think it was possible."

But after brainstorming with his partner, Medium Rare -- the company behind events with guys like Shaquille O'Neal, Travis Kelce, and Rob Gronkowski -- Portnoy put together a roster of restaurants that he deems the best of its kind.

"Anybody who's a pizza fan, if you go look at the list of the pizza places that are involved in this, there has never been a better assembling of pizza places in the world ever."

"We have the top of the top of the top pizza places all participating."

Portnoy's foray into the biz started over an office convo about whether he could eat pizza every day for the rest of his life -- he made reviews of the spots he visited, made an app to help users find his top-rated restaurants, and even created his own frozen pie brand.

Now, Dave is bringing all his favorites in one place for people to chow down on some slices ... all while enjoying tunes from Teddy Swims, Barstool band Pup Punk and DJ IRIE.

The One Bite Fest goes down September 23 in Coney Island ... so fans have plenty of time to make room in their stomachs.

"There hasn't been ever in the world a bigger grouping of the best pizza places. This is it."

Tyler Herro is spending some of his offseason giving back to the community ... sharing his knowledge with a bunch of kids at a basketball camp in Los Angeles -- and he brought Glen "Big Baby" Davis along for the fun!!

TMZ Sports has learned the Miami Heat guard and former NBA big man pulled up to the Yavneh Hebrew Academy last week ... and got an epic welcome as they spent time with the young hoopers.

The kids went completely crazy ... and we're told they got to do some basketball drills and get things signed by the NBA stars.

They also got some advice on how to become basketball players, just like Herro and Davis.

"We had to listen to our coaches, we had to listen to our teachers," Davis said. "We had to put in the time."

We're told Big Baby even offered his services to be the varsity team's basketball coach this upcoming season ... for free!!

Of course, Davis is an NBA champ and had nine successful seasons in the league. He even has some coaching experience ... leading the Charlotte Purple Jackets in The Basketball League.

Herro, on the other hand, won't have the time ... as the former Sixth Man of the Year is heading into his 5th season with the Heat after signing a 4-year extension for $130 million last season.

"Blame it on the a-a-a-a-a-alcohol" -- Jamie Foxx, T-Pain, and now, Paul Pierce ... 'cause the Celtics legend is opening up on his infamous stripper video that led to his ESPN firing -- saying he was boozin' hard the night he accidentally streamed his scandalous party on Instagram.

Pierce gave Lance Armstrong the lowdown on the whole controversy in the latest episode of the hit Fox celebrity competition show, "Stars on Mars" ... and he downplayed the whole incident -- even though he lost his TV gig over it.

The Truth explained he was playing poker at his friend's birthday party ... and there was "a lot of alcohol" involved.

"It was a big whole controversy," the Hall of Famer told Lance. "I mean it wasn't nothing illegal, but it was just girls ... girls shaking their ass."

Lance somehow knew nothing about the controversy ... so when he asked how the video even saw the light of day, Paul had to admit it was all his doing.

"I accidentally did, my dumb ass."

Lance hilariously scolded the hooper ... saying, "Bitch, how old are you?!"

Pierce enlisted fellow contestant Tinashe to vouch for the harmfulness of the clip ... and she said it wasn't all that bad on its own, but context had her understanding why it was such a big deal.

Of course, ESPN quickly parted ways with Pierce after the video went viral ... but he's seeing the silver lining in getting the boot, saying, "Maybe I wouldn't be on Mars if that didn't happen. See? Everything happens for a reason."

Working out at 5 AM sounds like torture, but Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams tells TMZ Sports he's actually loving his early sweat sessions with DeMar DeRozan ... praising his teammate for being a great mentor!!

The 14-year vet has enlisted his younger teammates to join him in the gym before the crack of dawn this offseason ... with the 2020 fourth-overall pick being one of those guys.

We caught up with Williams in L.A. this week ... and he said the workouts are going "real well," and he's improving all aspects of his game.

The former Florida State star praised DeRozan as a player and a mentor ... saying, "[There aren't] a lot of guys like him, for sure."

"He doesn't get half of the credit he deserves."

As for his expectations for the upcoming season, Williams has only one thing on his mind.

"Win. That's always the goal. That's the main focus coming in. Obviously, everybody kind of has their personal accolades of what they wanna see but winning takes care of everything. That's always been mine."

11:12 AM PT -- LeBron just posted a video of Bronny playing the piano, seemingly further confirming that his boy is doing alright.

LBJ wrote, "GRAND RISING!! God Is Great! @bronny YOU ARE AMAZING!!! Simple as that! Keep going Young 🤴🏾!!! We’re here right with you every step of the way!"

LeBron James took the whole fam out for dinner in L.A. Friday night ... and his son, Bronny, was right there by his side looking better than ever.

The Lakers legend was spotted heading inside Giorgio Baldi restaurant in Santa Monica with his wife, Savannah, and his kids Bryce, Zhuri and, of course, Bronny, who was the main attraction after his medical scare this week.

Check out these photos, obtained by TMZ, which show LeBron arm in arm with Bronny, who appears strong and alert.

This is great news after what happened Monday when 18-year-old Bronny went into cardiac arrest while working out at the University of Southern California's Galen Center.

TMZ broke the story ... and the 911 audio revealed just how frightening and chaotic the incident was for Bronny, who initially fell unconscious, but was awake by the time paramedics transported him to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center for treatment.

Bronny, who signed on to play for USC's basketball team in the spring, felt well enough to be released from the hospital Thursday.

LeBron has said Bronny is doing well, although doctors are still trying to determine what caused the teen's health issue.