Basketball

Edgerrin James will be spending some quarantine time online shopping for a new basketball hoop ... a college player just destroyed the NFL legend's hoop with a vicious dunk -- and the video is insane!!

Justin Tucker -- a Campbellsville Univ. junior (who's transferring to Keiser Univ. next fall) -- is the man guilty of the backboard assault ... committing the rim crime last week.

The 22-year-old, who's been family friends with James for YEARS, says he and a few other college hoopers got in some run at James' home court in Orlando, Fla. on Thursday.

The games were going smoothly -- the guys were trying their best to exercise and stay safe during the pandemic -- when all the sudden Tucker caught a lob ... and all hell broke loose.

You can see in the vid, Tucker's authoritative slam rattled the hoop so hard ... the backboard crumbled into a thousand pieces!!!

Don't worry ... the 6-foot-8, 225-pound forward says he was just fine afterward -- and admitted everyone was just in awe of the feat.

In fact, Justin claims Edgerrin ran up to him after the slam and asked him straight-up, "ARE YOU SERIOUS?!"

As for the hoop, Tucker says James ain't making him pay for it -- and has plans to replace it ASAP.

By the way, if you didn't know ... Edgerrin's 15-year-old son is a budding hoops phenom as well -- and Justin says he was actually playing against the kid just before the violent dunk!!

And, don't be surprised if James' son is breaking backboards of his own in a few years -- 'cause Justin says the teenager is the real deal!!

Michael Jordan did NOT want to sign with Nike back in the day. Not even close.

He WANTED to sign with ADIDAS IN 1984 ... but they didn't want to make him a priority.

TALK ABOUT A BILLION DOLLAR MISTAKE!!!

MJ explained the whole thing in episode 5 of "The Last Dance" ... admitting his mom FORCED him get on a plane and take a pitch meeting with the Swoosh just to hear what they had to say.

"My mother said, 'You're gonna go listen. You may not like it, but you're gonna go listen,'" Jordan said ... "She made me get on that plane and go listen."

At the time, MJ thought Nikes just weren't a top-flight shoe. He was more into the Adidas.

But, when a very young MJ met with Adidas, they made it clear he would NOT be pushed as their premiere athlete and they weren't open to giving him his own shoe.

Converse -- the other top sneaker company at the time -- had Magic Johnson and Larry Bird on their roster and also didn't see him as their top guy.

So, Jordan took the Nike meeting -- and the rest is history.

"Go into that meeting not wanting to be there, and Nike made this big pitch," Jordan said ... "My father said, 'You'd have to be a fool not taking this deal. This is the best deal.'"

Nike was working on their "Air" technology -- which they built into MJ's shoe and called "Air Jordan."

Also, Nike hired Spike Lee to direct the Air Jordan commercials -- and they were AWESOME.

In fact, Nike only expected $3 million in sales in the first 4 years ... but it sold $126 million in the first year alone!!!

Jordans ultimately became the most popular shoe in the world and made Michael hundreds of millions of dollars over the years.

Carmen Electra's appearance on "The Last Dance" left some fans wanting more of her, uh, content, this week ... which translated to some HUGE search numbers on one of the world's biggest XXX sites.

Of course, the former Baywatch bombshell and Playboy model popped up on the uber-popular ESPN doc to discuss her relationship with Dennis Rodman ... which included an infamous mid-season vacation to Vegas.

Oh, yeah ... and the time Michael freaking Jordan barged in on them in bed together. Good stuff.

Electra's appearance on the doc was pretty memorable for several reasons ... which inspired some eager viewers to do more "research" on the sex symbol.

Pornhub (SFW link) tells TMZ Sports ... demand for Electra was ENORMOUS this week ... with more than 1.7 MILLION searches for videos related to her.

To compare ... there were just 14,796 searches the day the show aired ... and then they shot up to 393,000 the day after.

But, the biggest day came on April 28, with more than 588,00 searches!!

Shout-out to Carmen Electra for still dominating the game at 48.

P.S. -- Remember to clear your browser history, folks.

LaVar Ball says he's definitely open to the idea of teaming with Puma for a Big Baller Brand shoe collab ... saying "the possibilities are unlimited" now that his boys signed with Roc Nation.

"If everything goes right, this thing can be explosive," Ball tells TMZ Sports about joining forces with Jay-Z.

As we previously reported, all 3 of LaVar's sons -- LaMelo, LiAngelo and Lonzo -- are signing with Roc Nation to handle "marketing opportunities" off the court ... which includes shoe deals.

And, with Jay-Z being the creative director for Puma Basketball -- there have been questions about if the boys will jump ship from Big Baller Brand and sign with Hov's company instead.

But, LaVar says it doesn't have to be one or the other -- when asked if there was a possibility of BBB and Puma collaborating on a shoe, he seemed very into the idea.

"That could be," LaVar said ... "See, that's a good thing about dealing with Roc Nation. The possibilities are unlimited."

"They said something I liked which is 'Lavar, we wanna change the game. We wanna do something special.' Now, that terminology right there means I'm supposed to be with you guys. Because my boys are special and like I said, I wanna change so it's all good."

LaVar also told us the decision to join Roc Nation was a FAMILY decision made after thoroughly vetting several agencies.

"I think you have to go through different agencies to see the one that you need that's going to have the same mindset as you. I feel that Roc Nation is trying to move in a direction that we moving in."

As for Jay-Z -- who famously supported LaVar's initial foray into the shoe business back in the day -- Ball says he's "cool" with Hov, but the decision to sign wasn't just about one man.

"All those folks is good man ... Roc Nation wants to do exactly what me and my boys want to do."

There's more ... LaVar is still having fun promoting the Big Baller Brand -- and he's even hosting an online pop-up shop where fans can Zoom with him as they cop BBB march.

"I got a great team around me where my newest guys always thinking of new ideas and things to do to make the brand grow."

Vanessa Bryant is paying tribute to her daughter, Gianna -- who would have turned 14 years old today ... saying, "You are part of MY SOUL forever."

"Happy 14th Birthday to my sweet baby girl, Gianna," Vanessa posted on social media.

"Mommy loves you more than I can ever show you. You are part of MY SOUL forever. I miss you so much everyday."

"I wish I could wake up and have you here with me. I miss your smile, your hugs and your giggles. I miss EVERYTHING about YOU, Gigi."

"I LOVE YOU so much!!!!!!!"

Gianna passed away on January 26 in a helicopter crash in Calabasas -- along with her father, Kobe Bryant, and 7 others.

In the days after the crash, Vanessa said, "My brain refuses to accept that both Kobe and Gigi are gone."

Gigi was an unbelievable basketball player with dreams of playing in the WNBA along with her Mamba Academy teammates, Alyssa Altobelli and Payton Chester.

In fact, all 3 of the girls were announced as the first three honorary picks of the 2020 WNBA Draft.

Vanessa said of the Draft ... "It would have been a dream come true for [Gianna]. She worked tirelessly every single day. She wanted to be one of the greatest athletes of all-time, just like her daddy. So thank you, thank you for honoring my little girl."

The Ball Brothers are joining a new family -- the Roc Nation Sports fam -- with LaMelo, Lonzo AND LiAngelo Ball all planning to sign with Jay-Z's sports management company.

Melo's business partner, Jermaine Jackson, went public with the decision on Monday ... saying the whole family is on board.

"This was a family decision," Jackson said in an interview with ESPN. "This is now an extended family. They put together a beautiful game plan with Jay-Z."

Jackson says the family had been shopping for an agency and spoke with "several agents" -- but ultimately, "The family had good vibes with Roc Nation."

Jackson added ... "I've known Jay-Z since I played for the Knicks, but this is what the kids wanted to do. Jay-Z is a master at what he does. He's global. It's power beyond power."

Roc Nation will take the lead on marketing deals for the Ball bros -- including LaMelo's shoe deal.

Of course, LaVar Ball has put tons of work into rebuilding the Big Baller Brand ... but Jay-Z is the creative director for Puma Basketball ... so it'll be interesting to see how that shakes out.

Jackson says there are multiple sneaker companies targeting Melo -- a top 2020 NBA Draft prospect.

"He's still wide open," Jackson said ... "He hasn't signed with anyone. Everyone is kicking in the door. Melo is open to whatever. With this pandemic going on, we don't know what things are going to look like."

The Ball Bros join a HUGE roster of sports superstars signed to Hov's agency ... including Kyrie Irving, Jaire Alexander, Spencer Dinwiddie and JuJu Smith-Schuster.

Teshaun Hightower -- a Tulane men's basketball star who just declared for the 2020 NBA Draft -- was arrested this weekend for felony murder, records show.

Officials believe the 22-year-old is involved in the April 8 shooting death of a man in Stockbridge, GA. Cops say the Green Wave star is one of six people who they believe contributed to the murder.

Law enforcement has not yet released further details surrounding the shooting.

Hightower was arrested Saturday at 9:50 PM, according to jail records, and was booked on 8 charges, including felony murder and felony aggravated assault. No bond was listed for the NCAA star.

Tulane announced in a statement shortly after his arrest, "Upon learning of Teshaun’s arrest this afternoon, he was immediately dismissed from the Tulane basketball program."

Hightower had just declared himself eligible for the NBA draft on April 18 ... this after he posted a monster season in 2019-20.

The shooting guard/point guard started 29 games for the Green Wave, averaged 34.3 minutes per game and posted a team-high 15.9 points per game.

Hightower also logged 4.6 rebounds per game ... and had intended to come back to the school if his NBA draft prospects weren't favorable.

Isiah Thomas admits he's still "personally hurt" he was not asked to be a part of that legendary '92 Dream Team -- and it's obvious he thinks it's all because he didn't shake Michael Jordan's hand.

Remember, Thomas and his Pistons teammates infamously walked off the court after getting their asses kicked by the '91 Chicago Bulls in the Eastern Conf. Finals without shaking hands.

Thomas, now 58, was not only villainized in the media for being a bad sport -- but Michael Jordan took the snub personally. They still don't get along.

The incident was featured in Sunday's new episode of "The Last Dance" ... and Monday morning, Thomas had more to add when he joined ESPN's "Get Up."

"Why I'm personally hurt is another reason why I'm here," Thomas said ... "Because being left off the Dream Team, that personally hurt me."

Thomas says he doesn't know why he was not selected -- but it's obvious he believes it's because he dissed Michael Jordan by not shaking his hand after that '91 series.

Thomas -- one of the best NBA players alive at the time -- says his resume should have made him a lock for the Dream Team, which is why he thinks the non-selection had nothing to do with his talent.

"If I'm not apart of the Dream Team because a lapse in emotion in terms of not shaking someone's hand ... if that's the reason why I didn't make the Dream Team, then I am more disappointed today than I was back then when I wasn't selected."

Thomas -- who had made the NBA All-Star team every year from '82 to '93 -- explained, "The only thing that's missing from my resume is not being on the Dream Team."

The man's got a point -- Thomas was one of the best players in the league at the time ... and had 2 NBA titles and was a 10-time All-Star at the time.

It's something Thomas has stressed for years ... he revealed in 2013 he felt disrespected by the Bulls, but would "absolutely" shake hands if he could do it all over again.

An incredible amount of rare Kobe Bryant memorabilia is heading to auction ... and the items will help the late Lakers legend's foundation.

TMZ Sports has learned ... Goldin Auctions has made more than 50 dope pieces from Kobe's 20-year NBA career available in its Spring 2020 catalog ... from signature shoe prototypes to game-worn jerseys, to his 2000 NBA championship ring.

On top of that, there's a score sheet from Kobe's 81-point game signed by the Black Mamba himself, a jersey with Kobe and Vanessa hand-painted, and Bryant's autograph on White House stationery.

The best part?? 5% of the winning bids will go towards Kobe's Mamba and Mambacita Sports Foundation ... which helps young athletes learn life skills through sports.

We know, 5% doesn't sound like a lot -- but the value of Kobe memorabilia has skyrocketed over the past few months, so there could be A LOT of money raised here.

Vanessa Bryant has kept the Foundation moving in the months since Kobe, Gianna and 7 others perished in that tragic helicopter crash on Jan. 26 ... and the NBA has made a $100k donation to help the cause.

As we previously reported, the sports memorabilia community has flooded with fakes since Kobe's passing ... but Goldin Auctions assures us all of the items in their auction are certified legit.

The auction runs through May 16 ... good luck!!

It doesn't happen often, but Kawhi Leonard has been defeated -- the NBA superstar just lost his copyright battle with Nike over the "Klaw" logo.

Remember, the LA Clippers guard -- a Nike athlete from 2011-2018 -- claimed he got a cease and desist in 2018 from Swoosh execs who said they owned the copyright to his "Claw Design" ... forbidding Leonard from using it elsewhere.

In his lawsuit, filed in the heart of the 2019 NBA playoffs, Kawhi claimed he came up with the design in college back in 2011 ... and since he created the logo, he should have the rights to it.

But, a judge just blocked Leonard's attempt on Wednesday ... ruling Nike's design is an "independent piece of intellectual property" put together by its team of designers and it is distinct from Leonard's early sketch of the idea ... meaning, KL doesn't own it. So, the judge dismissed KL's complaint.

Leonard's attorney Peter Ginsberg addressed the outcome on Wednesday, saying "Kawhi put his heart and soul into that design so we are obviously disappointed the judge ruled the logo belongs to Nike and not Kawhi," according to The Oregonian.

Joe Burrow torched the entire SEC ... and now the ex-LSU superstar says he can light up the NBA too ... saying he's confident he could drop 15 points in a real pro game!!!

Of course, Burrow was no one-sport athlete back in his high school days with the Athens Bulldogs in Ohio -- he was a damn good hooper as well.

How great does he think he was?? The 23-year-old says his stroke is so automatic, he could post up in his sweet spot and make it rain all night.

"I could spot up in the corner and get 12 to 15, make a couple 3s," Burrow told Bleacher Report's Taylor Rooks.

Now, the question to Burrow was how many points could he score if he had an entire month to prepare for the game ... but given the dude's confidence, he probably doesn't think he'd need it.

"You gotta put me on a team with LeBron or Chris Paul or someone and I can just spot up in the corner and let them go to work, kick it to me."

Remember, we got a glimpse of Burrow's J back in December ... he hit a clutch shot against Oklahoma in a shooting challenge before their College Football Playoff matchup!!

As for the other side of the ball, it's a totally different story ... Burrow admits he'd be a huge liability on defense (guess he can't do EVERYTHING).