Basketball

The NBA season is over, but Trae Young is still doing ridiculous things on the hardwood ... here's the Hawks superstar hitting a game-winner in a pro-am match Monday that sent the arena into an absolute frenzy!!

The game -- part of Skinz League action in Oklahoma City -- was wild ... Trae was getting buckets, hitting 3-pointers from near the half-court logo and blowing by defenders with ease.

Highlight videos show the 22-year-old just went off ... yet, somehow, the dude's team found itself down 90-88 -- and facing some big-time smack talk.

But, in video Young posted late Monday night, you can see he let the chatter fuel him ... eventually hitting a dagger over the trash-talker with no time left on the clock to win the contest.

The shot created quite the scene, with dozens -- and maybe even hundreds -- of people leaving the stands to swarm Trae on the court!!

Don't worry ... Young escaped it all unharmed -- and you could see he was grinning ear to ear amid the chaos.

"When you talk that 💩," Trae said of the shot and the smack talk that preceded it, "just know you gotta back it up with me..! THIS FOR THE CITY❄️"

The game's ending was so sick, it drew the attention of LeBron James ... who commented on the video, "Straight Like That!!!"

A robot basketball player has made its debut at the Tokyo Olympics -- and it turns out, the thing is pretty damn good at shooting baskets ... almost scary good. Actually, just scary.

Check out this robot that Tokyo officials rolled out Sunday for what appears to be a halftime show during a basketball game there between Team USA and France ... which the U.S. ended up losing 83-76.

Besides that news, reporter Ann Killion captured the real headline-grabber ... and that would be this hunk of metal slowly and inartfully sinking shots from a fair distance -- including one basket it made from half-court!

Watch the clip ... the robot starts by swishing a 3-pointer, this after lining it up perfectly and eventually launching the ball straight through the net. Then, it heads down to the mid-court logo, where it does the same thing -- picking the ball up by itself, and then chucking it.

Sure enough, that ball goes through as well. Obviously, the robot can get buckets, and even though it's slow to the draw ... it's clearly quite accurate. Shoot, maybe Team USA shoulda recruited this thing to be one of their wingmen! They sure needed the help.

All jokes aside ... the fact this robot can actually make its way up and down the floor and put up shots on its own is pretty incredible. It's a testament to technology, but also ... perhaps a sign of what may come in the future. Who's to say they won't make a full-blown team of robots one day???

Considering what Boston Dynamics is doing with their robots and how far they've come in making them move seamlessly, like humans, something tells us that possibility is one that could come about. We certainly have the tech to do it -- but do we actually wanna???

The Milwaukee Bucks are hitting the streets to celebrate their NBA Finals victory ... and it's already filled with plenty of drunken debauchery!!

There are TONS of fans out around the city to get a glimpse of the new champs ... standing shoulder-to-shoulder as the players come through on busses.

P.J. Tucker is getting the parade's party vibes goin' early -- chugging champagne right out of the bottle and spitting some into the air Triple H-style and letting out a huge, "LET'S GO!!!"

Speaking of WWE, fan-favorite Bobby Portis came through with his Championship belt ... with his mama holding on to the Larry O'Brien trophy.

Brandon Jennings -- the ex-Buck who came up with the famous "Bucks in 6" slogan -- is also in on the parade fun ... chugging beers and getting the fans extra hype.

Of course, Giannis Antetokounmpo is also celebrating with his guys ... but there's no Chick-fil-A this time around -- just some big ass bottles of champagne, which he sprayed into the crowd!!

Giannis even poked fun at his infamous free throw routine -- waiting a whopping 18 seconds before shooting a ball to the fans.

We'll keep updating with all the best highlights of the big party -- and judging by how it started, there will be a LOT more.

17-year-old basketball sensation Mikey Williams is close to becoming one VERY rich high schooler -- the 2024 prospect just inked a historic management deal that could help him rake in MILLIONS!!!

Williams is one of the top-ranked players in his class ... and has earned a massive following on social media with 3.2 million followers on Instagram alone.

Now that the NCAA and most states allow college athletes to make money off their name, image and likeness, Mikey has followed up by becoming the very first high school athlete to sign a NIL deal -- teaming up with Excel Sports, an agency that works with superstar athletes like Tiger Woods, Nikola Jokic and Clayton Kershaw.

The deal will help the Vertical Academy junior guard secure endorsements and sponsorships WAY before he makes it to the college level ... and Excel VP Matt Davis tells ESPN the partnership "will generate millions of dollars for this young man."

Williams spoke about the monumental moment ... saying, "The NIL rules provide a new opportunity for someone like me who that has put in so much energy and effort into building a community."

"I am excited to be the first high school athlete to make this move. I love to hoop and I love engaging with my fans and look forward to continuing to share my journey with everyone."

FYI -- there are no laws in North Carolina that prevent high school athletes from making NIL deals, so it seems like Williams will not hit any roadblocks on the way to makin' serious coin.

It's a sign of what's to come for young athletes all over the country ... and ya gotta wonder if Williams' fellow Class of 2023 prospect Bronny James is next.

Forget porterhouse steaks and fancy champagne ... Giannis Antetokounmpo celebrated his NBA title with Chick-fil-A -- and his run to the fast-food joint Wednesday was absolutely EPIC!!!

The Bucks superstar -- fresh off dropping 50 points in Milwaukee's NBA finals-clinching Game 6 win over the Suns -- documented his whole trip to breakfast on social media, and it was seriously amazing.

Giannis made the trek to the food spot with the Larry O'Brien trophy and his NBA finals award in his lap ... and he stopped to celebrate with plenty of happy fans along the way.

At one point, the dude even let a guy reach into his ride to touch his championship hardware!!

Once Giannis got to the Chick-fil-A line ... he ordered a feast -- first, requesting 50 (not 49 and not 51) nuggets to celebrate his points total from Tuesday night's game.

Then the 26-year-old added some burritos and a half Sprite/half lemonade drink!!

Giannis then tried to score some free Chick-fil-A for life ... making a deal with workers that if he went back-to-back next season, he'd never have to pay for the place's chicken again!!

"Hey," Giannis told his followers on IG Live. "This is why I love Milwaukee. This is why I chose to stay because we celebrate together. It's been like this since Day One. And I love this."

Fans then surrounded Antetokounmpo's whip -- chanting "Bucks In 6" and "M-V-P" -- before Giannis signed off to go home and eat his meal.

Joe Pytka -- the director of Michael Jordan's original "Space Jam" -- is going off on LeBron James' reboot, calling it an uninteresting mess ... and that's about the nicest thing he has to say.

Pytka -- who's also known for directing popular music videos and commercials in the '80s and '90s, including the "I Am Tiger Woods" ad -- tells TMZ ... "Space Jam: A New Legacy" is so boring, he couldn't finish it in one sitting.

In fact, he says it took him 5 separate sessions to complete its 2-hour runtime.

The director has several issues with the reboot, starting with LBJ. Pytka points out when "Space Jam" was made in 1996, MJ wasn't just the best basketball player ... he was the biggest celebrity in the world.

Joe says LeBron's an incredible athlete and a very good actor, but adds ... "The truth is that LeBron ain't Michael." On top of that, Pytka says his film tied the plot to MJ's personal life -- retiring from hoops to play baseball -- while the new movie's missing a personal connection to LeBron.

Pytka's just getting started ... he feels the 1996 "Space Jam" featured a far superior supporting cast with Charles Barkley, Muggsy Bogues, Shawn Bradley and Bill Murray. In 'New Legacy' ... he says he can't even remember one thing Anthony Davis, Damian Lillard or the others did.

The director also thinks the reboot's soundtrack is "insignificant" while the OG's is classic, but his biggest beef is what happened to Bugs Bunny. No spoilers here, but Joe sees Bugs' role in 'New Legacy' as "heartbreaking."

Pytka says this new BB has no connection to previous depictions -- something they paid close attention to with the OG "Space Jam." In short, he says the new version "looked like one of those fluffy dolls you buy at an airport gift shop to bring your kid when your business trip has taken too long."

Take all this with a grain of salt, because Joe acknowledges his "Space Jam" was mostly panned by critics -- just like this reboot -- but it still became a cult classic.

Dozens of gunshots sent celebrating Milwaukee Bucks fans running for their lives after Tuesday night's NBA championship game ... and video from the scene is chilling.

It all happened near Fiserv Forum, where just minutes prior to the chaos, Giannis Antetokounmpo had helped earn Milwaukee an NBA title with a victory over the Suns.

Multiple cameras captured the terrifying images from the streets surrounding the arena ... and in footage from WISN12 News' broadcast -- you can see just how horrifying the situation was.

Gunfire erupted loudly and repeatedly near hundreds of fans who were celebrating the victory ... and it all grew so intense, people could be seen sprinting from the area in fear.

Milwaukee Police have not given specific details surrounding the shots yet -- but officials did say in a statement Wednesday that 3 people were injured in shootings shortly after the Bucks won it all.

According to cops, a 19-year-old woman, a 32-year-old man, and a 22-year-old man all suffered non-life-threatening injuries.

Police added they've launched an investigation into it all.

Just before the gunfire broke out ... the scene was epic in Milwaukee -- with more than 60,000 fans cramming into areas near the stadium to watch the game and then celebrate the win afterward.

Some were seen climbing on street poles after the victory ... while others were caught on camera leaping into the Milwaukee River.

The Larry O'Brien Trophy is coming back to Milwaukee after a 50-year drought -- Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks just eliminated the Phoenix Suns to win the NBA championship!!

The Greek Freak was nothing short of insane on the court during Game 6 on Tuesday ... earning 50 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks. He also went 17-19 from the charity stripe.

The Suns kept it a close game -- the final was 105 to 98 ... but the Greek Freak and Co. proved to be too much for PHX.

The Deer District -- the fan zone outside Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee -- went absolutely insane as their beloved team won it all ... jumping up and down and chanting for the new champs.

The win all but certainly cements Giannis' spot in the Pro Basketball Hall of Fame -- the 2-time regular season MVP scored over 40 points in 3 of the 6 games in the series.

Giannis finished with an average of 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds, 5 assists and shot 62% from the field on the series.

Of course, with those kind of numbers, Giannis was the obvious choice for Finals MVP -- the first of his career.

It's a devastating loss for Suns superstar guard Chris Paul ... who was just 2 games away from winning his first ring.

The celebration is just getting started in Milwaukee ... so be sure to check back for all the (probably) drunken debauchery in the morning.

Ex-NBA star Ray Allen suffered gnarly injuries in a bicycle crash over the weekend ... and he says the accident was so bad, he could've been SERIOUSLY injured if he weren't wearing his helmet.

The 2-time NBA champ spelled out the scary details of the incident on his social media page Sunday ... saying he was riding his bike in his neighborhood when a car pulled up behind him.

"As I looked back behind me," Allen said, "the car was gone, but, the minute I turned my head back to what was in front of me, it was too late."

Allen says he crashed into a tree branch and was violently thrown from his ride.

"I landed on my face, shoulder and hip," Allen said.

The 45-year-old says he was able to get up after the crash and walk to his house ... but he claims that's when he lost his breath and nearly passed out.

"My wife immediately took me to the hospital to make sure that I didn’t have any internal bleeding," Allen said. "Had my vitals checked and a few X-rays taken and all was ok."

But, Ray did have some gnarly injuries ... Allen showed photos of bloody road rash on his leg as well as a big scrape on his shoulder.

Allen also showed a pic of his helmet, which clearly took a large brunt of the blow in the crash.

"Thank God for my helmet because as you can see in the picture my head hit the ground and I didn’t even realize it," Allen said.

"My helmet saved me from a far worse fate."

Allen says he was hesitant to share the incident but wanted it to be a reminder to everyone to wear helmets while riding.

Several NBA stars reached out to the 10-time All-Star expressing gratitude for his health ... with LeBron James writing on his social media, "Glad you’re good my brother!!!"

LeBron James isn't playing in the NBA Finals, but he's definitely playing AT them ... as he was spotted chilling courtside in Phoenix ... with a full bottle of Tequila!!! Hardcore playing.

King James was quite the sight Saturday night during Game 5 -- he had the bottle of booze between his legs, sitting on the court. Fans know LeBron typically gets his way on the court, but this seemed ridiculous. Ever try bringing your own liquor into a game? Don't.

Of course, if you're LeBron it's a different story, and the bottle of Lobos 1707 was more for business than drunken fun, we're guessing.

As we've reported ... LBJ and several other NBA players are investors in the brand. There's a reason the Lakers star had the label out toward cameras. Smart business, man.

His teammate Anthony Davis and Warriors star Draymond Green are also investors in the booze.

LeBron's pal, Chris Paul, and the Phoenix Suns lost the game and now trail 3-2 in the series -- but LeBron came out the winner off the court.

And yeah, he probably enjoyed a shot or 2 himself to celebrate "Space Jam: A New Legacy" hitting theaters.

WNBA superstar Candace Parker is making history again ... she will be the first female ever to be on an NBA 2K video game cover!

The Chicago Sky center and NBA 2K made the announcement Wednesday ... saying the basketball legend will grace the front of one of the editions of this year's NBA 2K22 game.

"I’m honored to work with a company that’s investing in women and betting on us to succeed," the 35-year-old baller said.

"Being a player in 2K was a dream of mine; having the privilege to be a broadcaster in 2K was a goal of mine, and now being on the cover brings it all full circle."

Parker is certainly deserving of the honor -- she's a 2-time MVP, a 6-time All-Star and she owns a WNBA championship plus 2 Olympic gold medals.

And, before going #1 in the 2008 WNBA Draft, she won 2 NCAA championships and completely dominated at Tennessee.

Oh, she's also the first female to dunk twice in a college game!!

"I don’t take any of this for granted and I appreciate all of those who came before me and laid the groundwork for this moment. I’m hopeful there will be many more badass females to follow."

NBA 2K also announced Luka Doncic, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Durant and Dirk Nowitzki will be cover athletes on other editions of this year's game.

Ever seen a dude jump so high during a dunk that he injured his face on the rim???

Well, now ya have ... 'cause NBA draft prospect Jericho Sims did just that Tuesday night -- and video of the scene is absolutely WILD!!!

Sims was warming up to try to put on a show for scouts at this week's Klutch Sports Pro Day ... when he elevated so high for a dunk, his eye came down and scraped the rim.

Check out the footage, the 22-year-old former Texas Longhorns star was a legit FOOT above the goal before his head came crashing down on the iron ... and he had to wipe away at his face afterward to try to stop the pain.

Don't worry ... Sims ended up being just fine -- and he went on to prove to NBA execs throughout the evening his hops are seriously no joke.

In fact, NBA superstar Ja Morant was so impressed with the guy ... he even tweeted a shocked reaction to the throwdown!!!

The 6-foot-10, 245-pound forward -- who averaged 9.2 points and 7.2 rebounds per game as a senior in 2021 -- was not initially thought to be a potential first-round pick later this month ... but he's shown so much athleticism in pre-draft workouts, pundits are now rethinking that idea.

Forget watching the Tokyo Olympics at a bar -- Scottie Pippen is offering fans a WAY cooler watch party option ... his own Chicago home!!!

TMZ Sports has learned the former NBA star is renting out his pad for 3 one-night stays in August to a max of four people to have Olympics watch parties -- and the spot is amazing!

We're told Scottie's home features an indoor basketball court AND an outdoor one ... and also has an arcade and a SWEET pool.

Pippen's place also promises a stacked kitchen ... filled with fresh fruit, veggies and Scottie's favorite pregame and game-time meals (AKA steak and potatoes).

Oh, and the place even comes with a whole movie theater to catch all of the Olympic events!

We're told Pippen's hookin' up his guests with theater footage of the Dream Team in the 1992 Olympics as well ... with exclusive access to his Olympic memorabilia.

Of course, the Hall of Famer won't be there for the stays -- but we're told Scottie will give a virtual welcome check-in ... and his spot comes with staff available on-call too.

The coolest part of the experience? It only costs $92 per night via the special Airbnb offer -- a tip of the cap to the 1992 year that Scottie won his gold medal.

Byron Scott says Kevin Durant and Team USA's weekend loss to Nigeria was the biggest upset in the history of USA hoops ... and breezing through the Olympic tourney is no longer a foregone conclusion.

TMZ Sports talked to the former star player and coach ... only minutes after Nigeria downed the U.S., 90-87 in a tune-up (exhibition) game for the Olympics.

"I wouldn’t say one of the biggest, that’s probably the biggest upset," Scott says.

But, why is it such a shocker??

Consider this ... when USA and Nigeria faced off less than a decade ago at the London Olympics, America dominated Nigeria on the court -- winning by 83 points.

83 POINTS (that squad had Kobe Bryant & LeBron James, FWIW).

Despite still having a pretty stacked roster complete with KD, Jayson Tatum, Bradley Beal and Dame Lillard ... Nigeria's squad -- with 7 active NBA players -- clearly weren't intimated.

Team USA recently came together and only had a few practices ... meanwhile Nigeria has been practicing for weeks.

And, that's why Scott says things have changed ... and gold is no longer a guarantee.

"It’s not a given. It’s not a given by the USA anymore. Basketball in this world has caught up to the U.S. of A. And it’s going to be that much tougher for them to win the gold this year, no doubt about that."

But, Byron still has faith ... we asked if he still sees gold in Team USA's future.

Wanna have the same Olympic gold medal as Michael Jordan?!

A player from the Team USA hoops squad in 1984 is parting ways with their memento ... and it can be yours if you have a huge chunk of change lying around!!

This medal is from the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, when Team USA -- coached by college legend Bob Knight -- dominated with Jordan, Patrick Ewing, Chris Mullin, Sam Perkins and Wayman Tisdale!!

FYI, Jordan -- who led Team USA with 17.1 points per game -- was drafted by the Chicago Bulls one month before the '84 Olympics started ... and had yet to play in an NBA game!!

The team whooped 8 teams before receiving their medals and now one of them will be up for sale ... and it's expected to go for over $70k!!

The medal will be on the market with RR Auction ... and it still has all the fine details --- "XXIII Olympiad, Los Angeles 1984" inscribed on the front and "Basketball, Men" on the side plus the image of the Coliseum.

And, there's more priceless Olympics memorabilia in this upcoming auction:

A silver and bronze medal from the 1896 Olympics in Athens -- the first international games held in modern history -- will also be up for grabs.

The silver is expected to fetch over $75k ... and $40k for the bronze.

There's also a 1994 Winter Olympics torch that favors a 'sheath knife' with a handle representing Norway, where the games were held --- estimated to sell for over $30k!!

Drake's been doing more than just wining and dining his new boo, Johanna Leia, at Dodger Stadium ... he's also been mentoring her basketball prodigy son for months.

Sources close to the pair tell us they first met months ago through high school basketball -- Johanna's son, Amari Bailey, is a top prospect -- and the relationship grew from there. We're told Drake and Amari hit it off, and Drake's offered the kid advice on finances, fame and life, in general.

Amari is headed to UCLA in 2022, and our sources say Drake's given him pointers on how to handle all the attention and pressure that comes with being a star player. We're told they've spent some one-on-one time, and all 3 have hung out at Drake's home.

Our sources say prior to Drake, Johanna was with NBA'er Alfonzo McKinnie -- who helped Amari build his skills on the court -- so it looks like he's more than ready for the next level.

As we reported, ABC7's chopper spotted Drake and Johanna as they had Dodger Stadium to themselves for a date night, complete with a table on the first baseline. A Dodgers source told us the whole thing was a thank you for a sizeable donation Drake made to the team's charitable foundation.