Basketball

Stephen A. Smith has a message for LeBron James after Bronny's 17-point performance ... saying he's not too proud to admit his initial assessment of the Lakers rookie could very well have been off the mark.

The ESPN talent didn't shy from his previous comments about the four-time champion's son on "First Take" Friday ... in fact, he reiterated how he initially thought the 20-year-old needed to spend a year in the G League in order to reach success with the big dogs -- but Thursday's outing has him reconsidering.

Smith said he was "very impressed" with Bronny's contribution in the Lakers' loss to the Bucks ... as he looked like someone who belonged.

The University of North Carolina can show people they belong in the NCAA Tournament on Friday by beating Ole Miss ... but it's gonna be a helluva tough game, according to Tar Heels legend Rashad McCants.

But, victory is attainable ... the former All-American told TMZ Sports, ahead of tip-off, going down Friday afternoon at Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee.

"It's gonna be a very, very tough game," the 40-year-old former first-round draft pick said, continuing ... "I think traditionally we'll edge out, but I think if Ole Miss shows up to be who they are, they'll win."

Bronny James silenced some of his critics with his performance in the Lakers game on Thursday night ... 'cause the guard dropped 17 points in Crypto.com Arena -- a career-high for the rookie.

The 20-year-old got his opportunity to play for more than a few minutes against the Milwaukee Bucks ... thanks to several key players like LeBron, Luka Doncic, Austin Reaves and more out with injuries.

Despite the Lakers' 118-89 loss, Bronny had 17 points, his first career double-digit game and tying fellow rookie Dalton Knecht to lead the team in scoring. He also had five assists and three rebounds.

Arkansas head coach John Calipari's daughter was on an emotional rollercoaster during the Razorbacks' first-round upset in the NCAA tournament ... and even after the win was secured, she admitted she was "not okay."

Down three points with three minutes to go, cameras caught Megan struggling to keep her eyes on the court as her dad's team tried to claw its way back on top.

Hunching over in her seat, her mom, Ellen, was doing what any good mother would do ... comforting her and assuring her that everything would be okay.

Lakers fans hoping for a Dwight Howard reunion can uncross their fingers and let out their breath ... the former NBA superstar tells TMZ Sports there's simply no chance he re-signs with Los Angeles.

Many purple and gold backers, of course, have been urging L.A. to go after the big man following its Anthony Davis-for-Luka Doncic swap ... but when we got Howard out in the City of Angels this week, he said it just isn't going to happen.

Despite appearing to express some interest in re-joining the squad on X after the big trade went down, he told us at LAX he's now four years removed from an NBA roster ... and is currently content spending his time at home with his children.

A member of the McNeese State University basketball team has caught the eyes of sports fans with March Madness underway ... but we aren't talking about an athlete -- but rather their student manager!!

Senior Amir "Aura" Khan has taken the college basketball world by storm this season ... and while he isn't allowed on the bench during tournament games -- he got the team hyped as it took the court against number No. 5-ranked Clemson.

Despite the restriction, he was busy in the stands taking pictures with fans. Even the cheerleaders were in on the craze, rocking socks that featured his mug!!

Detroit Pistons hooper Malik Beasley is moving on after his split from Montana Yao ... 'cause he just hard-launched his new girl after Wednesday night's win.

Instagram model Natalia Garibotto shared a pic of the two walking out of the Kaseya Center after his 116-113 victory over the Heat in Miami -- which the 28-year-old reposted on his own Story.

She also showed Beasley running over to her after the final buzzer.

Bronny James is addressing all the negativity surrounding his NBA career ... saying despite people thinking he's a "f***ing robot," he does have feelings -- and the criticism is motivating him to prove the haters wrong.

The 20-year-old NBA player spoke out in a feature with The Athletic ... on the heels of a confrontation between LeBron and Stephen A. Smith at the Lakers game earlier this month -- which was sparked due to the ESPN talent's comments on the four-time champion's son.

Bronny said all the outside noise doesn't go unnoticed ... but instead of letting it hurt his pride, it's actually having the opposite effect.

The Boston Celtics are off the market ... the 18-time NBA champions have been scooped up for a whopping $6.1 billion -- making it the largest sale for a sports franchise in North American history.

Bill Chisholm -- the managing partner at Symphony Technology Group -- was the man to submit the winning bid for the 2024 NBA champs. The $6.1 billion price tag surpasses the number previously set by Josh Harris when he purchased the Washington Commanders in 2023 for $6.05 billion.

The Celtics hit the market not long after they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in the 2024 NBA Finals. Their current owner -- 63-year-old Wyc Grousbeck -- announced plans to sell his stake for "estate and family planning considerations." Grousbeck intended to sell 51% of the team by late 2024 or early 2025, with the rest closing in 2028.

Travis Kelce and Taylor Swift have kept a low profile since the Super Bowl thrashing, but there's a chance the superstar couple may soon reemerge at the World's Most Famous Arena to catch a Knicks game!

Trav and bro Jason chopped it up with Ben Stiller on this week's episode of "New Heights," with the actor telling the story of meeting Swift at a game a decade ago.

"I was there with my son," Stiller said. "We FaceTimed my daughter, who is a huge Swiftie. She's 23 now, we had the best time. She was incredible."

The biggest honor in entertainment means nothing to Ben Stiller -- at least in comparison to his beloved New York Knicks' success ... 'cause the actor said he'd rather have an NBA title than an Oscar!!

The comedy legend and "Severance" director admitted just how crazy he is about his basketball team on the latest episode of Travis and Jason Kelce's "New Heights" podcast ... when he admitted he'd be perfectly content with never getting a statuette in his trophy case -- as long as Larry O'Brien comes back to New York.

Stiller joked a Knicks title is a lot more likely ... so he's "definitely down" for it to play out like that.

Take notes, Common ... Warriors forward Kevon Looney just gave a masterclass on how to protect the oblivious from loose basketballs on NBA floors!!

Just days after the rapper failed to save Jennifer Hudson's noggin from a tipped pass at a Knicks game ... Looney showed everyone how it should be done while he was giving a pregame interview Tuesday night.

The Golden State big man was chatting with Kerith Burke at the Chase Center just ahead of his team's matchup with the Bucks ... when a ball came careening straight for the media member's head.

Gelo Ball's going from BBB to TNA -- the hooper-turned-rapper just released the visuals for his new track with GloRilla ... and it's chock-full of strippers.

The video for "Can You Please" is set in a strip club ... showing Gelo arriving at the joint in a Ferrari and rocking a jacket from his brother LaMelo's LaFrance clothing line.

The vid gets crazy from there ... with a bunch of women dancing on poles and twerking in front of Ball and his crew.

LaVar Ball is opening up on his recent amputation ... revealing this week complications with his diabetes were what caused him to lose a significant portion of his right leg.

LiAngelo, LaMelo and Lonzo's father broke down his medical situation with SLAM on Tuesday ... and explained his health began deteriorating in January.

He stated right around the time Gelo's hit single, "Tweaker," was going viral ... he got an infection on his foot "that started spreading through my blood due to not paying attention to my diabetes."

Tracy Morgan's medical emergency Monday night all stemmed from some bad grub he had eaten earlier in the day.

The comedian said in an Instagram post Tuesday morning he projectile vomited all over the Madison Square Garden floor during the Knicks vs. Heat game because he was dealing with food poisoning.

It's unclear what he ingested to cause the ailment -- but Morgan fans can breathe a bit easier knowing the issue wasn't anything more sinister.

Angel Reese is takin' a jab at her WNBA salary ... joking (we think) about the paltry paycheck she receives compared to some other super high-paid athletes!

Here's the deal ... 22-year-old Reese played in the Unrivaled 3-on-3 hoops league (though she missed time with an injury), and her Rose BC team won the 'chip, with a 62-54 victory over Aliyah Boston's Vinyl team, securing a $50k bonus.

After securing the bag, Reese went to X and wrote, "50K NEED DATTTTT" ... prompting WNBA star Sydney Colston to respond with a joke, asking if she could hold some cash.