Basketball

You name a song after Tyler Herro, you get a Tyler Herro game-worn jersey!!

That's exactly what happened to Jack Harlow Monday night -- the rapper linked up with the Miami Heat star after they took on the Knicks ... and was gifted Herro's sweaty threads right off his back.

Of course, Harlow gave the 21-year-old sharp-shooter the ultimate shoutout in October 2020 with his single titled -- you guessed it -- "Tyler Herro."

In fact, Herro made a guest appearance in the music vid ... when Harlow says, "My homeboy, Tyler, he play in South Beach. He told me this summer he gon' fix my jumper."

Harlow -- who's fresh off performing the hit track on "Saturday Night Live" this past weekend -- decided to stay in town a few extra days to watch his buddy play at MSG ... all while mingling a bit more with 'SNL' star Pete Davidson.

Harlow and Herro got to chat after the game ... and posed for a pic on the court while Harlow held up his new gift.

BTW, Harlow picked a solid game to attend -- Herro racked up 18 points, 4 assists and 3 rebounds in the 98-88 win for the Heat.

No word on whether Herro ever helped Harlow with his jumper ... but the rapper DID team up with Quavo to beat Lil Baby and 2 Chainz in a celeb game during All-Star weekend.

It's all about the Benjamins when Lil Kim's on stage ...  which is why the rap legend made it rain with suitcases full of cash during her amazing performance Monday night at the Brooklyn Nets game!

The Nets booked Lil Kim to perform as part of the team's annual Women’s Empowerment Game -- which celebrated the "achievements, contributions, and overall impact women have had on our society."

Well, Kim has contributed to the world of hip-hop and fashion in a big way -- and when she hit the stage, she rocked Barclay's Center with some of her biggest hits.

The Queen B came through heavy in shiny Nets gear -- she had a role in the costume design -- and performed classics like "Ladies Night" and "Lighters Up" while the Brooklynettes danced beside her.

But, when "All About the Benjamins" came on, ya know Lil Kim had to make it rain with some dolla bills -- so the dance team busted out suitcases full of green!

Afterward, the team presented Kim with a special custom Nets jersey ... and her reaction was PRICELESS!

"Oh my God, I'm about to cry!" she screamed holding up the jersey ... "I always wanted my own jersey!".

FYI, Lil Kim was put on to the rap game back in the early '90s by late rapper Notorious B.I.G.

She's sold more than 15 million albums worldwide, won over 41 awards .. and is considered one of the best female rappers of all time.

"It's crazy seeing my dad. I'm like, 'Where's my mom? She's gonna come. And, obviously, she's not gonna show up. That affected me, but I go out there and play the best I can for this team."

Karl-Anthony Towns admits it was extremely emotional to have his father back in the stands at his NBA game on Monday -- the first time he's attended a game in person since the death of Karl's mom.

As we previously reported, Jackie Cruz-Towns passed from COVID-19 complications on April 13, 2020.

Jackie and her husband, Karl Towns Sr., were staples at their son's basketball games from the youth level all the way to the pros ... but Karl Sr. hadn't been to a game in person since her death.

That changed on Monday when Karl Sr. strutted into the Barclay's Center in Brooklyn to watch his son's Minnesota Timberwolves take on the Nets.

"Gonna do it for his mom tonight," Karl Sr. said on his way to his seat ... "Wolves, let's go!"

Unfortunately, Minnesota couldn't overcome that insane Nets offense and lost 112 to 107 -- but Karl Jr. played REALLY WELL, finishing with 31 points, 12 rebounds and 5 assists.

After the game, KAT opened up about what it meant to have his father back in the building.

"It was really the first time having family watch me playing in person,"  Towns said.

"He understood how upset I was after the loss ... But he came to me, and he told me something I don't know if he should've told me. It got me a little emotional. He told me my mom would've been proud with how I played tonight."

KAT said he also shared an emotional moment with his dad BEFORE tip-off.

"Me and my dad got emotional before the game. Because he made his presence known. It affected me because my mom always did that.”

“My mom would be the one to go to the stanchion or be there and wave at me until I said hi to her or came and hugged her.”

The Michigan Wolverines women's basketball team has NEVER been more excited to get the hell OFF an airplane after going through a terrifying emergency landing Saturday night following their NCAA tourney loss.

The team aircraft had major issues while flying through a string of nasty thunderstorms after departing from San Antonio -- and at one point, the cabin lost pressure and oxygen masks dropped from the ceiling.

Yeah, really scary stuff.

It all took place late Saturday after Michigan suffered a heartbreaking overtime loss to Baylor in the Sweet 16 round of the NCAA Tournament.

After an 8:16 PM take-off on a Boeing 737-400 aircraft, the flight experienced rough turbulence on the way back to Ann Arbor.

The decision was made to divert the plane to Evansville, Indiana for an emergency landing -- requiring the pilots to make an "aggressive descent."

The plane eventually touched down safely just after 10 PM -- and while no one suffered any major injuries, a few passengers reported bloody noses and obviously some were shaken up.

Another plane eventually flew the team from Indiana back to Ann Arbor.

After the incident, Michigan assistant coach Toyelle Wilson tweeted -- "Just went through the worst flying experience. We are flying back to MI & hit a storm- lost pressurization- the oxygen masks dropped from the compartments."

"Told bc we dropped at a certain feet & had to use them. We have just emergency landed in Evansville, IN. Please [prayer emoji] for us."

To their credit, the team posed for a thumbs-up photo after the plane landed safely.

Hercy Miller -- rap legend Master P's H.S. hoop-star son -- is one of the best players in the country ... but despite being recruited by basketball powerhouses, he's taking his talents to an HBCU!!

TMZ Sports talked to P and Hercy -- an 18-year-old, 6'3" senior point guard at Minnehaha Academy in MN -- moments after the younger Miller announced he was choosing Tennessee State over the likes of USC, UCLA, Missouri, LSU and other Power 5 conference programs.

We asked Miller why he passed on schools that produced NBA stars like Russell Westbrook, Kevin Love, Ben Simmons, and DeMar DeRozan ... and his answer was powerful.

"I want to go a place with a good school, and I feel like if I go to a HBCU, I can put a spotlight on for all the HBCU’s around."

Hercy continued ... "I want to make a change. I want to make a difference. I’m the type of person, I want to be a leader, I want to lead my people. So I feel like going to Tennessee St. University is where I can be a part of the community and be a player at the same time."

Hercy -- whose brother Romeo played 2 seasons at USC -- says he has plans to play in the NBA ... something Master P says will NOT be an issue coming from an HBCU.

"If you look at the conference, Ja Morant played in the same conference. This is not just a regular school. This is a big conference that put a lot of pros into the league."

Of course, Morant went to Murray St. and was the 2nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft ... right after Zion Williamson.

Robert Covington -- Portland Trailblazers small forward -- attended Tennessee St. ... and has had a very solid NBA career.

As for P -- a legendary musician who played in the NBA, made movies and earned millions in the business world -- where does watching his young son commit to play college ball rank on his list of accomplishments?

"This is at the top of the totem pole for me."

NBA star DeMarcus Cousins has sold the AMAZING Las Vegas estate where he's lived since 2017 ... and made a 7-figure profit to boot.

The pad is unreal -- complete with a home theater, basketball court and a massive outdoor pool with waterfalls and a slide!!

Cousins listed the property back in September 2020 for $8 million ... and got pretty close to his asking price ... closing the sale at $7.5 mil.

And, since he bought the place for $6.5 million, it turned out to be a pretty solid investment.

No word on who purchased the estate -- but the new owner will have 10 bedrooms, 12 bathrooms, a sports media room ... and there's an elevator inside the home!!

There's also a state-of-the-art gym -- perfect for the COVID-conscious 2021 world we're all still living in.

Grand Canyon University hoops star Oscar Frayer -- who scored 8 points in his team's NCAA Tournament game Saturday -- died in a car crash Tuesday ... school officials confirmed.

He was just 23 years old.

Frayer was one of three people riding inside of an SUV at around 2:30 AM Tuesday in Lodi, Calif. when California Highway Patrol officials said it veered off the road and slammed into a CHP patrol vehicle.

Officials say the SUV then continued onward, struck a tree and became fully engulfed in flames. All 3 passengers in the SUV -- which included Frayer's older sister, Andrea Moore -- tragically died.

The CHP says two of its officers were injured in the wreck, but are expected to survive. CHP officials added "both will have a long road to recovery and we will eagerly await their return to full duty."

Frayer -- a senior this year -- is regarded as one of "the most accomplished players" in GCU basketball history, according to school officials ... and the team mourned his death in a lengthy statement released Thursday night.

"He was the heartbeat of our team with his vibrant, energetic personality," GCU men's basketball head coach Bryce Drew said.

"I cannot put into words the hurt and sadness we all feel, but we know he is in heaven and that gives us great joy to know we will be together again."

Frayer played 26 minutes in GCU's loss to Iowa on Saturday. The Lopes entered the tournament as a #15 seed.

The game was the 107th career start for Frayer at GCU ... and he had tweeted after the loss, "I bleed purple FOREVER!!!! THANK YOU LOPE NATION for the last 5 years..it’s been nothing less than amazing."

You come at the school president, you best not miss ... TWICE!!

The viral Virginia State student who got CROSSED UP by school president Makola M. Abdullah in a hilarious game of campus 1-on-1 sought his revenge this week ... and it may be time for our guy, Afo, to find a new sport.

The prez and Afo decided to take their friendly rivalry to the VSU basketball court this time around for a shooting contest ... and the spectacle was complete with cheerleaders, fans and even the school mascot!!

BTW -- If you thought Afo was gonna run away with the dub, you must've missed the first video ... 'cause Abdullah can straight-up HOOP!!

Afo was first up to shoot at the top of the 3-point arc ... and unfortunately for the student, he clanked it off the side of the rim.

How did Abdullah respond?? A PERFECT shot he was so confident in, he didn't even have to see it hit the bottom of the net before celebrating!!

Afo joked about the loss ... saying it was all due to "home court advantage" ... but we've got all the evidence we need to know who the true winner is!!

Abdullah took the higher road ... applauding everyone on campus for joining in on the harmless fun.

"Thank you all for your energy and spirit," the prez said Wednesday. "You are what makes @VSU_1882 a special place."

We interrupt this standard NBA post-game press conference ... WITH A SPECIAL VIDEO MESSAGE FROM DRAKE?!

Yep, the rap superstar FaceTime'd his pal Kyle Lowry while the Toronto Raptors star was facing the media following Wednesday night's game against the Denver Nuggets.

There are rumblings that Toronto will trade Lowry to another team before the NBA trade deadline (Thursday at 12 PM PT) -- which means Wednesday could have been the last time Lowry rocked the Raptors uniform.

During the presser, Lowry admitted it was "kind of weird tonight not knowing what the next step would be" ... but when Drake's name popped up on his cell phone, his mood changed.

"Guys, we have a special guest here," Lowry told reporters during the video news conference.

That's when Lowry held up his phone and showed everyone Drake was on FaceTime!

"If you guys have any questions, I’m here to translate," Drake said ... "I’m his translator!"

Lowry laughed a quipped back, "No you’re not. No!! I’ll hit you when I’m done, bro."

Really funny moment between Lowry and Drake -- who's not just a Raptors superfan, he's also the team's official "global ambassador."

Russell Wilson got to enjoy some sports from the stands for once on Tuesday ... hitting up the Stanford vs. Oklahoma State game in the NCAA women's tourney to watch his sister, Anna, ball out!!

Of course, Russ ain't the only star athlete in the Wilson fam -- 23-year-old Anna is a 5th-year senior for the #1 Cardinal ... and she put her skills on display in front of her Super Bowl-winning bro as her team punched their tickets to the Sweet 16!!

Wilson ended up going 4-5 from the field with 11 points in the 73-62 win over the #8 Cowgirls ... and you can tell big bro loved every second of it.

In fact, Russ fanboyed out during the starting lineup announcement ... documenting the whole thing on his IG story, cheering Stanford on from the crowd and tweeting his excitement for his sister's team.

"SWEET 16!!! Let’s Go @StanfordWBB," Wilson tweeted Tuesday night.

But, don't worry, Seahawks fans -- Russ was masked up (with a covering that featured his own signature logo) and social distanced ... so the guy was being safe.

The Cardinal will now face their next opponent on Saturday ... and we know Russ can't wait.

LaMelo Ball is officially on the mend after undergoing surgery to fix his fractured right wrist on Tuesday ... with the Charlotte Hornets rookie stepping out in NYC with his arm in a sling hours after going under the knife.

The youngest Ball brother flew to the Big Apple to have the procedure performed by Dr. Michelle Carlson at the Hospital for Special Surgery ... which will keep him sidelined for at least the next month.

19-year-old Ball was spotted leaving his hotel in NYC Tuesday afternoon in his Puma shirt and shoes ... as well as a pair of $1,100 Chrome Hearts sweatpants.

Of course, Melo went down with the injury on Saturday against the L.A. Clippers ... and the team initially feared he would miss the remainder of the season.

But, there's now hope the Rookie of the Year frontrunner could still return in 2021 ... depending on how quickly he heals up ... and if the Hornets can reach the playoffs (they're currently the 8th seed in the Eastern Conference).

Ball tweeted shortly after the surgery saying, "extremely blessed" ... which is great news all around.

"I just felt an emptiness in my stomach."

Colorado Buffalos head basketball coach Tad Boyle said coaching just hours after the tragic shooting in his school's Boulder hometown was VERY difficult ... explaining Monday, "It puts basketball in its proper place."

Boyle broke it down for media members after the Buffs lost their NCAA tournament second-round matchup to Florida State ... saying win or lose, the game didn't feel as significant as it should have after the "senseless act of violence" near campus.

"It puts this game in perspective," Boyle said. "It certainly puts losing in perspective."

"But even if we would have won this game and celebrated going to the Sweet 16, it would have put a damper on it. So my heart goes out to the families that were affected and those that lost their lives."

Ten people in total -- including a first-responding police officer -- were shot and killed when a gunman opened fire at a local Boulder, Colo. supermarket Monday afternoon.

Boyle said he didn't discuss the tragedy with his team prior to tip-off... noting he thought it was best to address it afterward.

"We've got to figure out a way to stop this stuff," Boyle said of the shooting. "I don't know the answer, but we've just got to figure out a way."

Colorado's other major sports teams sent condolences to victims in wake of the shooting ... with the Rockies, Broncos and Avalanche all issuing statements.

"Our heart breaks for the lives needlessly lost and our thoughts are with everyone affected by this shooting," the Rockies said, adding the team is "devastated."

The Broncos wrote, "Our hearts go out to the innocent victims, grocery store associates & families of those affected by today's shooting at a King Soopers in Boulder, Colo. We are grateful for the law enforcement & medical professionals who bravely responded to yet another senseless tragedy."

Added the Avalanche, "We are all deeply saddened by the events in Boulder today. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those impacted by this terrible act."

Bracket busted and need a new one?? President Barack Obama's autographed entry from the 2012 NCAA men's tournament is hitting the auction block ... and it's got a $10,000 starting bid!!

Of course, Obama is a huge fan of hoops ... and loves to share his March Madness picks for all to see -- for better or worse.

This particular bracket is from when #44 teamed up with ESPN's Adam Katz to fill out his "office pool" entry back in 2012 ... and the whole thing was recorded for a segment called "BARACK-ETOLOGY."

Barack shared his picks live on the network ... channeling his inner Dick Vitale and explaining why he thought he had the perfect bracket.

Obama's bracket was filled out on a 63 by 36-inch whiteboard (which has since been framed) -- and after he made his picks, Barack signed it with a pen.

FYI, Obama's bracket was anything but perfect -- he picked North Carolina to win it all. Instead, Anthony Davis and the Kentucky Wildcats took home the title that season.

While BO's autographed bracket was busted, it's clearly a collector's item -- and will now go to the highest bidder courtesy of Goldin Auctions ... with bids starting at $10,000.

But, let's get real ... Obama memorabilia is always in high demand and with the sports collectibles market exploding in recent months, this thing could easily hit the 6-figure mark.

Bidding starts Tuesday ... good luck!!

Court Street turned into a rager for the ages after Ohio upset Virginia in the NCAA tourney ... and now, officials are trying like hell to keep fans from becoming COVID super spreaders if the Bobcats win again on Monday.

Folks in Athens flooded the streets, climbed lamp posts and crowd surfed after Jason Preston and the #13 Bobbies took down the defending champs in the first round on Saturday.

It was an insane sight to see ... and one that had to make Dr. Fauci's skin crawl.

The Athens City-County health department is hoping fans stand up and cheer responsibly if Ohio handles #5 Creighton and reaches the Sweet 16 on Monday ... laying down a list of safety tips to prevent spreading the coronavirus.

Some pointers include staying inside and watching from home, wearing masks and social distancing outside, putting up yard signs to show support, or hosting Zoom watch parties.

In other words, the health dept. is begging fans to do anything but cram together in the streets and breathe on each other without a mask on.

Will it work?? Probably not -- after all, OU used to be the #1 party school in the country -- but ya gotta admire the attempt to keep everyone safe.

Losing frickin' sucks ... and if you need any proof, just check out Rockets head coach Stephen Silas ... who had an equally sad and hilarious reaction to Houston's 20th-straight loss on Sunday.

The Rockets have become one of the worst teams in the league over the past 2 months ... and haven't won a game since before Valentine's Day(!!!)

After losing a close 114-112 contest to the OKC Thunder on Sunday, Silas was asked if he thought the weight of the losing streak was building and affecting how the Rockets play.

Visibly frustrated, Silas rubs his forehead and goes completely silent for an awkward 10 seconds to gather his thoughts ... before muttering one subdued, "Yeah."

You have to feel for the guy -- Silas is in his first season as an NBA head coach, and he was placed in an extremely tough situation to succeed.

If you don’t remember, James Harden forced his way out of Houston in January to go play in Brooklyn ... and Russell Westbrook was traded before the season even started.

On top of that, emerging star Christian Wood -- who was dominating so far this season -- missed a month due to an ankle injury.

Ever since Wood went down, the Rockets have been awful ... posting an 11-30 record so far this season.

It's good to be Michael B. Jordan!

Not only did the "Black Panther" star sit courtside when the Washington Wizards took on the Brooklyn Nets on Sunday ... but Russell Westbrook also gave him the jersey off his back!!

... and turns out, Russ has an 8-pack!

Brody's Wizards didn't get the win -- but they played well ... cutting a 14-point Nets lead down to 1 with just 3 minutes to go in the game.

Ultimately, the Nets emerged victorious in a 113 to 106 win -- thanks to 28 points from Kyrie Irving and 26 from James Harden.

Westbrook racked up 29 points, 13 rebounds and 13 assists -- and after the final buzzer ... he walked over to a masked-up Michael B. Jordan, dapped him up and gave him his jersey.

Russ also signed a personal message for the actor -- pretty cool moment.

Of course, Michael B. Jordan is also in pretty insane shape -- famously transforming his body for his roles in "Creed" and "Black Panther."