Basketball

Mac McClung is the back-to-back NBA Slam Dunk champion, but even he has his doubts about going at the King ... telling TMZ Sports he'd "probably" lose to LeBron James in a contest!!

The 25-year-old G League star wowed the crowd yet again during All-Star festivities this past weekend ... edging out Celtics star Jaylen Brown to take home the trophy in Indy.

We spoke with the high-flying athlete about what's next following his big victory ... and while he's planning to finish out this season strong before going back to the drawing board for new dunks, there's one thing you can probably take off his "To-Do" list -- a showdown with LeBron.

"[LeBron's] the man, I don't know if I'd want to go up against him," Mac told us during his celebrity shift at Raising Cane's in Orlando. "He'd probably beat me, for sure."

Worth noting -- LeBron famously never did the dunk contest ... something fans practically begged him to do for years, considering he's one of the greatest rim-rattlers in league history.

Despite the lack of experience in the event, Mac thinks the Lakers superstar would be his biggest competition yet ... even at 39 years old.

Mac admitted he's still on the fence about whether he'll go for a three-peat ... but if he does, he's just looking to go up against anyone who actually WANTS to participate.

There's more ... Mac also weighed in on his drive-thru shift at the chicken finger joint ... and he's a natural!!

Popular streamer Kai Cenat invaded Shannon Sharpe's show to set the record straight on his height ... confronting the Hall of Famer for calling him "three feet" tall on national television -- and the whole interaction was hilarious!!

Shannon had social media buzzing when he evoked Kai's height while dissing Jaylen Brown's dunk contest performance on Monday's edition of "First Take" -- ripping the Celtics star for leaping over a sitting Cenat ... when other guys had more impressive attempts with big men like Shaquille O'Neal.

Cenat got wind of Sharpe's comments ... and he went BALLISTIC on his livestream, jumping up and yelling expletives directed at the former tight end.

But he wasn't satisfied with sounding off in front of his viewers ... he had to step onto Shannon's turf on his "Nightcap" show to clear the air even further.

"Why you call me three feet?" Kai said. "Hold on, bro. Stop lying to these people."

Cenat insisted he's actually 5'9" ... but regardless, Shay Shay explained his stance, insisting his issue had more to do with Brown's decision-making than the YouTuber's stature.

Ultimately, it appears the two sides are on good terms now ... and were able to bury the hatchet.

A college basketball game looked more like the Royal Rumble on Monday ... with the postgame handshakes going from sportsmanlike to straight-up violent in one of the wildest brawls to date.

The scrap went down after Texas A&M-Commerce defeated Incarnate Word 76-72 at the Alice P. McDermott Convocation Center in San Antonio .... when at some point in saying "good game," two opponents got ticked off and bumped into each other.

It's unclear what exactly led to the altercation, but it quickly escalated ... with players from both teams throwing hands.

Despite the attempts of coaches, staffers, and peaceful athletes to break it all up, the fight continued for at least a minute before the teams were separated.

According to the ESPN broadcast, a "young girl" in the crowd was injured at some point ... and another team manager was bleeding from the face.

Both teams addressed the incident in a statement shortly after the game ... saying, "The University of the Incarnate Word and Texas A&M University-Commerce apologize for the behavior exhibited by our respective men's basketball programs following the game on Monday night."

"There is no place in college sports for such actions. The unsportsmanlike conduct that occurred after the game does not reflect the values of the universities involved, as well as the Southland Conference and their member institutions."

Adele finalmente explicó por qué estaba con una cara de aburrida y malhumorada en el partido de las estrellas de la NBA hace un par de años y, al parecer, todo tiene que ver con los equipos de filmación que osaron desafiar sus deseos.

La cantante abordó la historia durante su residencia en Las Vegas el fin de semana y explicó lo que se ha convertido en uno de los memes más famosos de la artista británica. Seguro ya lo han visto, la cámara muestra a la cantante sentada en la cancha, mientras ella mira torpemente a su alrededor, muy seria y evitando hacer contacto visual.

Adele dice que el equipo de filmación de la NBA le había preguntado si estaría bien grabarla durante la transmisión y ella dice que se negó cortésmente porque "realmente no le gusta ser famosa" y se contentó con que su novio Rich Paul hiciera el desplante.

Bueno, ellos terminaron filmándola de todos modos y eso la hizo enojar.

Adele dice que en lugar de participar con la cámara como se suponía -o cómo otros harían en esa situación- decidió hacerse la tonta y solo escanear la arena.

En cuanto a sus labios carnosos -otra observación que la gente ha hecho sobre el video-, Adele insiste en que son naturales y que no necesita relleno. De todos modos, el punto más importante es que estaba súper malhumorada y desafiando con la mirada a la NBA.

Es bastante gracioso que Adele pensara que podría pasar desapercibida en un evento lleno de estrellas, especialmente cuando estaba sentada junto al agente de la NBA más prominente de la liga, el tipo que literalmente representa a LeBron James y una tonelada de otros jugadores de alto nivel.

Desde entonces, Adele ha seguido siendo bastante tímida en público con Rich, pero cuando está en su propio evento en Las Vegas es un libro abierto y muy conversadora.

Adele finally explained why she was making such a goofy ass face at the NBA All-Star game a couple years back -- and, apparently, it all has to do with film crews defying her wishes.

The singer got into the story over the weekend at her Vegas residency and explained what's become one of the most famous Adele memes. You've seen it by now ... the camera cuts to her sitting courtside, but she's awkwardly looking around avoiding making eye contact.

Adele says an NBA film crew on hand had asked ahead of time if it'd be okay to record her during the broadcast, which she says she politely declined because she "really doesn't like being famous" and was content with her boyfriend Rich Paul doing the schmoozing.

Well, they ended up circling back and filming her anyway ... and that ticked Adele off.

Adele says that rather than engage with the camera like she was supposed to -- or how others might in the situation -- she decided to play dumb and just scan the arena, all aloof.

In terms of her very full lips -- another observation people have made about the now-viral clip -- Adele insists it's all-natural, noting she doesn't need filler. Anyway, the bigger point here is that she says she was sulking in the moment ... and expressing defiance against the NBA.

It's pretty funny that Adele thought she could go unseen/unnoticed at a star-studded event -- especially when she was seated next to the most prominent NBA agent in the league ... the dude who literally reps LeBron James and a crap ton of other high-level players.

Since then, Adele has continued to be pretty camera-shy out in public with Rich -- but when she's in her own environment in Vegas ... she's an open book, and very chatty.

GloRilla wants to sink her teeth into Damian Lillard -- and the Memphis rapper is willing to knuckle up with anyone who's standing in her way!!!

After the Milwaukee Bucks superstar snagged the MVP honors at last night's NBA All-Star Game in Indy, GloRilla snagged a photo-op of her own ... asking which woman Dame belonged to and marked her territory with a stiff warning.

"Whoever she is can’t whoop me so I really dgaf," Glo wrote on X.

Hopefully, there won't be a need for fisticuffs. Dame filed for divorce from his wife Kay'La last October and has been pushing to get a championship after leaving his longtime Portland Trailblazers team.

Glo's clearly choosing up ... The Milwaukee Bucks superstar had the NBA on Dame Time all weekend.

He partied hard on Saturday after winning the 3-point contest, where he became the first player since a guy named Michael Jordan to win an ASG event and MVP.

St. John's head coach Rick Pitino went scorched earth on his basketball team Sunday night, tearing into his soft players and the "s***" university facilities during an unforgettable post-game presser!

"We are so nonathletic that we can't guard anybody without fouling," the legendary coach said after his team's 68-62 loss to Seton Hall at UBS Arena on Long Island in NY.

Pitino continued, "And, really it's not about losing. Even winning, when I watch the film, I see unathletic plays, I see people that don't handle the ball, that are just interested in taking quick shots. It's been a disappointing year."

The first half went St. John's way ... the Red Storm, which once led by 19 points, took a 41-29 lead into the half. But, thanks to turnovers and poor shooting by SJU, the Pirates came charging back in the second, securing the pivotal W with a late run.

FYI, it's a game that was critical for both bubble teams. St. John's, now 6-9 in Big East play, has a lot of work to do. Seton Hall, 10-5 in conference, is sitting in a much better position after the victory. SHU has a resume that boasts wins over UConn and Marquette, and 3 other quad 1 teams.

Pitino also singled out individual players ... calling Drissa Traore, Chris Ledlum, Sean Conway and Joel Soriano "slow laterally," while calling Brady Dunlap "weak."

Pitino, a 2x NCAA champion (though the '13 Louisville title was vacated), said his team's issues go back to recruiting.

“We recruited the antithesis of the way I coach, with speed, quickness, fundamentals, strength and toughness,” Pitino said, adding, “It’s a good group, they try hard, but they’re just not very tough.”

As for their athletic facilities, Pitino clearly believes they're lacking, but isn't going to blame a locker room for a loss on the court.

“Do we have s****y facilities? Yes, we do. Having s****y facilities has nothing to do with not guarding.”

SJU is located in Queens, NY ... and the school has an on-campus arena, though they play a handful of games at Madison Square Garden and other larger local arenas.

As for his thoughts on the year, Rick, who has been coaching since the '70s, admits he isn't having any fun.

"I’m not gonna lie to you. This is the most unenjoyable experience of my lifetime. This has been so disappointing.”

Damian Lillard and Mac McClung were big winners during NBA All-Star Weekend ... and the two champs celebrated like it -- getting the VIP treatment at a celeb-packed hot spot on Saturday.

The Milwaukee Bucks superstar and G League standout were victorious in the Three-point and Slam Dunk contests, respectively ... and shortly after they got their shiny, new hardware, they made their way to Sei Less NYC's popup party in Indianapolis.

The gathering had an impressive guest list ... including Allen Iverson, Draymond Green, Fabolous, Druski, Paulo Bancero, Anthony Edwards and Trae Young.

Mac was loving the cuisine, even making his way to the back kitchen to hang with the chefs and thank them for the grub.

We're told Dame and McClung weren't the only ones with a reason to party -- ex-NBAer Al Harrington was also feeling the love on his 44th birthday ... getting surprised with a cake!!

Steph Curry no deja lugar a dudas, es el mejor tirador de tres puntos de todos los tiempos, independientemente del género.

El tirador de los Golden State Warriors se enfrentó a la estrella de la WNBA Sabrina Ionescu en un concurso de triples durante el fin de semana del NBA All-Star Game.

Steph ganó el concurso 29-26, pero eso no fue un golpe en el rendimiento de Sabrina, porque sus 26 puntos empataron el número de Damian Lillard del concurso de tres puntos de la NBA que tuvo lugar durante la noche, que finalmente él ganó.

A propósito, Sabrina retrocedió y lanzó desde la distancia de tres puntos de la NBA, añadiendo unos treinta centímetros a la distancia desde la que normalmente lanza para el New York Liberty. Ella utilizó el balón WNBA ligeramente más pequeño para disparar.

Curry es un experto en triples y ha ganado de concurso de la NBA dos veces y ostenta el récord de más triples.

Después del concurso, los dos competidores fueron increíblemente elogiosos el uno con el otro. Steph dijo que la presencia de Sabrina en el evento inspiraría a un montón de personas a seguir persiguiendo sus sueños de baloncesto, mientras que Sabrina aplaudió a Steph por mostrarle respeto compitiendo contra ella.

Eso no significa que no hubiera un poco de sabor antes del concurso, con Sabrina diciéndole a los periodistas que Steph estaba hablando basura durante una ronda de práctica antes del evento.

Sabrina también dijo que está lista para una revancha. Por cierto, el All-Star Game del próximo año será organizado por los Warriors.

Steph Curry's leaving no doubt ... he's the greatest three-point shooter of all time -- gender be damned.

The Golden State Warriors sharpshooter faced off with WNBA star Sabrina Ionescu for a head-to-head three-point contest during NBA All-Star Game weekend ... going shot for shot beyond the arc.

SC won the contest 29-26, but that's no knock on SI's performance ... 'cause her 26 points tied Damian Lillard's number from the NBA three-point contest that took place earlier in the evening -- and, he won the whole dang thing.

BTW ... Sabrina backed up and shot from NBA three-point distance, adding about a foot and a half to where she normally shoots for the New York Liberty. She did use the slightly smaller WNBA ball to shoot.

Curry's an expert on three-pointers ... he's a two-time winner of the NBA contest -- on top of holding the record for most career threes made.

After the contest, the two competitors were incredibly complimentary of each other. Steph said Sabrina's presence at the event would inspire a whole lotta kids to keep chasing basketball dreams while Sabrina applauded Steph for showing her respect by competing against her.

That doesn't mean there wasn't a little gamesmanship before the contest ... with Sabrina telling reporters Steph was talkin' some trash during a practice round before the event.

The Splash Bro reigns supreme ... but Sabrina also said she's jonesing for a rematch. FWIW, next year's All-Star Game is being hosted by the Warriors.

Some amazing Kobe Bryant items are looking for a new owner -- including a Draft Day ticket and gold-painted handprints -- and they're all going to go to the highest bidder at auction!!

The two rare pieces are a part of Goldin's "Iconic Collection Honoring Life & Career of Kobe Bryant" ... and the stub stands out, as it sparked the very beginning of Mamba's Hall of Fame career.

The Continental Airlines Arena ticket has the event date (6/26/96) etched on it ... as well as the customized NBA Draft in New Jersey logo.

Of course, the 1996 draft is considered one of the most talented in NBA history ... featuring Bryant (the 13th overall pick), Allen Iverson, Stephon Marbury, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Jermaine O'Neal, Derek Fisher and more -- so the original owner certainly saw a fair share of future greats.

Another cool item is the 33x25-inch framed clay handprints Kobe made during a tour of Paris in 2017 ... which were covered in gold paint as part of a project for French artist Sacha Schwarz.

There's also a photo to match the moment Bean put his paws in the molding to provide authentication.

We're told both items are estimated to sell in the thousands ... in fact, the gold-plated hands are expected to go for $20k!!

There are other great pieces as well -- things like game-used jerseys and unique trading cards.

NBA Slam Dunk champion Mac McClung says he has two opportunities to do something truly historic this weekend ... telling TMZ Sports he's ready to reveal a pair of moves that have never been done before!!

The G League star -- who wowed the entire basketball world with his top performance in 2023 -- peeled back the curtain on this year's contest ... and it sounds like fans can expect nothing short of fireworks.

"I think I have three dunks that haven't been done in a contest before, but I think two of them haven't been done by anybody before," McClung said. "So I hope I can make them -- if I make them, I'll be happy and I do them right."

"But we put a lot of effort into it and hope it goes well."

Mac -- who currently plays for the Osceola Magic -- says there are about six different dunks he's got ready to go ... and the only real issue is figuring out which ones he'll pick.

But it's not just the dunks that have him excited -- he hinted there could be some cameo appearances featured in his routine as well.

McClung is going up against some fellow high-flying athletes -- Jaylen Brown, Jaime Jaquez and Jacob Toppin -- and he admitted he'll be just like the fans as he watches them perform.

There will be a lot more than a shiny trophy on the line for McClung -- the hooper recently partnered with hi-tech insoles company, VKTRY ... and if he repeats as champion, he's giving out $ 500k worth of product to a number of lucky fans who register for the giveaway.

McClung raved about the insoles ... claiming they give him a big advantage on the court.

Dude better be careful, or he's gonna need a helmet when his head hits the roof.

You won't see Josh Hart anywhere near the NBA All-Star festivities this weekend ... 'cause the Knicks guard absolutely HATES the host city -- essentially calling the entire state of Indiana a dump.

All 30 teams' biggest names are flocking to Indianapolis for the event ... but Hart made it clear he's skipping out on hanging with his NBA buddies to avoid spending any unnecessary time in the Hoosier State.

"Hell no, I'm not going to Indianapolis," Hart said on his "Roommates Show" podcast with Jalen Brunson and guest Mikal Bridges. "If I don't have to play the Indiana Pacers, I'm not stepping foot in that state."

"I do not want to be in Indiana for any All-Star break, anything. I'm not an Indiana guy. I don't want to be there [when I play against the Pacers]. I'm not an Indiana fan."

Hart continued to pile on the state ... evoking Joakim Noah's infamous rant about Cleveland in the process.

"What's good about Indiana?" he added ... admitting there are actually two positives that come to mind -- a White Castle and a local bakery.

"If not those two things ... Indiana, bottom of the barrel."

Iowa star Caitlin Clark got a ton of love from A-listers like Tom Brady, Brittney Griner and Damian Lillard after becoming the NCAA's all-time leading scorer ... but there's one shoutout that stood out from the rest -- a congratulatory post from Angel Reese.

Clark was the star of the night as the Hawkeyes took down Michigan on Thursday ... dropping 49 points and solidifying her title as the greatest scorer in women's college basketball history.

The moment she broke Kelsey Plum's record of 3,527 points was truly special ... as she nailed a deep three-pointer from the edge of the half-court logo.

The tributes poured in after the accomplishment ... including a star-studded video posted on the Big Ten Network's X account, which featured personal messages from Ashton Kutcher and Mila Kunis, Gayle King, Peyton and Eli Manning and the G.O.A.T. himself.

Heck, even Clark the Cub got in on the celebration!!

Clark's former on-court nemesis also took the time to give props ... with Reese going to social media to send a special note.

"Congratulations @CaitlinClark22," the LSU star said. "KEEP BREAKING RECORDS & MAKING HER-STORY! 🖤💛🔥"

The two had their beef during the national championship game last season, in which Reese hit Clark with the John Cena "You Can't See Me" gesture -- something Caitlin did in the past.

Reese's taunting was dubbed unsportsmanlike by many ... which forced Clark to speak out and say any criticism toward the Bayou Barbie was unwarranted.

Tipoff for an NCAA men's basketball game was delayed on Thursday night ... and it's all 'cause members of one team got stuck in an elevator while on their way to the court.

Seriously!!!

It all went down at the Wellness Center in Brookville, New York ... when the visiting Fairleigh Dickinson Univ. Knights tried to get to their game against LIU Brooklyn -- but simply couldn't, because of a faulty elevator.

As the team was packed into the lift that was supposed to take it from the locker room to the floor ... the ride broke -- trapping players inside.

Thankfully, with the help of firefighters, the Knights were released after about 15 minutes.

It didn't seem to faze the guys too much ... although one player said just after the incident that it sure was hot while inside of the metal box.

The team, though, still ended up putting the whole fiasco behind it and pulled off a come-from-behind, 84-82, win. And, if you're wondering, yes, they did take the stairs the rest of the evening.

P.J. Tucker's straight-up not having a good time in L.A. ... and somehow, it's gotten worse -- the Clippers forward was just fined a whopping $75,000 for publicly saying he wanted to be traded earlier this month.

Tucker -- who was part of the James Harden deal with the 76ers back in October -- has grown more and more upset with his current team in recent months ... having only played in 12 matchups for the Clips.

It got to the point where Tucker told the media he was ready to pack up his shoe collection and leave town for a new squad ... saying he had his "fingers crossed" he'd get either traded or bought out.

"I want to be somewhere where I’m needed, wanted and can do it all," Tucker told Andscape last week.

The league got wind of Tucker's comments ... sharing a statement on the hefty punishment just minutes ago.

"The NBA announced today that LA Clippers forward P.J. Tucker has been fined $75,000 by the NBA for public comments reported during the week of February 5 expressing a desire to be traded to another team," the Association said.

Ty Lue has opened up about Tucker in the past ... saying he understands the athlete wants to compete, but hopes he can still have a positive impact on the team.

Tucker wasn't traded prior to the trade deadline ... and he will be away from the Clippers until after the All-Star break.