Chicago Bulls

Patrick Beverley's right -- at least, that's what Ja Rule is saying, telling TMZ Sports he believes Ja Morant is absolutely being poorly influenced by hip hop.

The Chicago Bulls guard made waves earlier this week by sayin' he believed rap and the culture surrounding it are contributing to Morant's recent missteps ... and when we got Ja Rule out at LAX this week, he couldn't have agreed more.

He said growing up he was influenced to smoke weed by Redman's "How To Roll A Blunt" -- and pressured to drink booze by Snoop Dogg's "Gin and Juice" ... and he made it clear, he thinks Morant is being similarly impacted by today's tunes.

But, the "Holla Holla" rapper told us he thinks Morant needs to quit all of that ASAP ... telling us, "that ain't the way."

"Go play ball, man," he said. "The streets ain't about nothing, man. Go grind on 'em. Keep balling. That's it, man."

Morant has been investigated by police at least three times in the past calendar year -- most recently when he was seen on video flashing a gun at a strip club earlier this month.

Each time, Morant has dodged charges ... though he admitted in a sit-down interview with Jalen Rose this week he needs to start making better choices.

"In the future," he told Rose, "I will show everybody who Ja really is, what I'm about and change this narrative."

Colin Cowherd has a new hot take that Sports Twitter is NOT reacting well to whatsoever -- and it entails Michael Jordan ... not really being all that great without some key pieces.

The FS1 broadcaster jumped on his own podcast network, The Volume, this week to talk about the NBA G.O.A.T. ... arguing that MJ's legacy and success are largely tied to two specific dudes that helped him achieve the status he enjoys -- Phil Jackson and Scottie Pippen.

It doesn't sound like that wild of an opinion, but the way CC puts it is a bit harsher and cold-blooded, in his typical matter-of-fact style. Here's how he worded things ... "So, he tried baseball. He failed. He tried ownership, he was awful. He tried the Wizards, it bombed."

Cowherd adds, "Everybody understand, take out Scottie Pippen and Phil Jackson -- this whole Michael Jordan mythology is sort of just that." He goes on to say MJ has always been a bit of a selfish player and guy, and that he'd never been great at building community.

Colin finishes by saying Michael has been really good about building wealth for himself, noting that's fine ... and that it's just a reality of who he is. The larger context of his convo here has to do with reports that MJ will sell his majority ownership stake in the Hornets.

As for how the Internet is taking this POV ... not great. Bird app users are kinda crapping on him with memes and jokes, suggesting that Colin's downplaying Mike's individual greatness.

Lonzo Ball's NBA career is reportedly hanging by a thread -- the Chicago Bulls star is having a third surgery performed on his knee in a 14-month span ... but there's hope the procedure will pave the way for his eventual return to the court.

The news just went public minutes ago ... with ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski saying there is concern Ball -- who hasn't played since January 2022 due to his injury -- may not fully recover from the ailment ... which would impact his ability to play at the highest level.

The report states the surgery could keep 25-year-old Ball out for at least another year ... but after weighing his options for several days, the guard elected to go under the knife again to try and fix the issue once and for all.

Lonzo was the second overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers in 2017 ... and has since played for the New Orleans Pelicans and Bulls.

Chicago has struggled without Ball this season ... going 31-37 through 68 games.

Here's hoping the surgery goes well and Ball can get back out there.

Ja Morant is a product of the gangsta rap he hears every day -- so says his elder NBA statesman Patrick Beverly, who also thinks the embattled All-Star can make a proper comeback.

Pat Bev recently weighed in on the Ja situation on his Barstool Sports podcast, and pinpointed today's rap music as the catalyst for the 22-year-old's shocking downward spiral.

PB said, "I think music has a lot to do with this now. Especially with this culture, everybody holding a gun in the video is okay, bling on your teeth that's okay, pants halfway down your ass, that's okay."

The current Chicago Bull also valued music from "back in the day" over today's tunes ... "The culture now is ‘shoot 'em up, bang, bang, shoot 'em up, bend you over, I got this amount of money, I’m on private jets, that that that.’ That’s what the younger generation is."

Bev also speculated had Eminem rapped about totin' guns, his rabid fan base would've followed suit, but instead, they opted to copy Slim Shady's baggy hoodies and jeans from the "8 Mile" era.

On Monday, Ja entered a counseling program and is rumored to miss the remainder of the Memphis Grizzlies' season. He's been vocal about the hardcore hip hop he consumes before games -- citing Lil Baby, Moneybagg Yo, NBA YoungBoy and the incarcerated Pooh Shiesty as his go-to rappers.

Pat Bev's commentary may mirror old-school ethos -- repeated by OGs like Melle Mel -- but younger crops of rappers have been voicing similar opinions regarding the state of hip hop.

Kyrie Irving showed appreciation for fans eager to meet him in Chicago this week ... by signing autographs and taking pics with a big crowd of supporters.

TMZ Sports is told ... Irving embraced the impromptu meet-and-greet and spent a moment with everyone in the crowd right outside the Nets' team hotel in the Windy City.

In the video, you can see Irving swarmed as he was presumably on his way to the team bus ... with the mob of fans handing the star point guard various items to sign.

As it turns out, we're told there was a group of Irving fans waiting outside the same hotel on Wednesday, and Kyrie promised that if they returned Thursday, he would stay and interact with as many people as time permitted.

Of course, the Nets were in Chi-Town to take on the Bulls at the United Center ... but Brooklyn fell to Chicago, 121-112, snapping a 12-game winning streak.

The Nets have been clicking on all cylinders since Kyrie returned from his suspension on Nov. 20 against Memphis ... reasserting themselves as a powerhouse in the East.

Boosie Badazz had an absolute ball watching the Atlanta Hawks lose a nail-biter to the visiting Chicago Bulls last night ... and couldn't contain his excitement after DeMar DeRozan gave him his winning game jersey!!!

Boosie posted a video of himself getting down to Bruno Mars' "24K Magic" in the VIP hallways of State Farm Arena -- and also got the chance to meet Hawks' legend Dominique Wilkins ... who allegedly was very familiar with the Louisiana rapper's antics already!!!

The Lousiana rapper was sitting courtside with comedian Desi Banks -- giving him a front-row view of the wild finish where DeRozan's hail Mary airball landed right in the hands of his teammate Ayo Dosunmu to sink the game-winning layup as time ran out.

DeRozan walked away with 28 points and 6 boards -- and Boosie got the NBA experience of a lifetime.

Larsa Pippen is sticking to her story, insisting to Andy Cohen she and Michael Jordan's son are just friends ... even as he sat just a few feet away from her on Andy's show.

The reality star played coy to the max on Monday night on 'Watch What Happens Live' -- where Marcus Jordan was in the audience ... for moral support, we're sure. 😉

Of course, Andy tried to grill her, asking Larsa what her ex, NBA Hall of Famer Scottie Pippen, thinks about her dating his nemesis' son.

Larsa totally tried to downplay it, telling Andy she has no idea what Scottie thinks about it, and says they've never discussed Marcus.

While she understands why people might have questions -- their 17-year age gap and the fact Marcus was a kid when Scottie and MJ were Chicago Bulls teammates -- Larsa says their families were never tight.

As we've reported ... Marcus and Larsa have been hanging out in public since September, often showing PDA around Miami, and looking every bit like a couple. Hell, the guy even flew to NY with her for Andy's show!

The NBA's Most Valuable Player trophy just got a makeover ... and the league revealed they redesigned and renamed the award after the G.O.A.T. -- Michael Jordan!!

In fact, the NBA unveiled six newly designed trophies on Tuesday that will be awarded to the best players of the season.

The MVP trophy is now named after His Airness and is described as a bronze trophy that features "a player breaking out of a rock to reach for the ultimate rock — a crystal basketball."

The prize pays homage to Jordan's jersey number #23 and his 6 NBA titles ... as the trophy stands 23.6 inches tall, and weighs 23.6 pounds.

It also stands on a five-sided base -- a salute to MJ's 5 MVPs -- and has a 15-degree angle base which is a nod to his 15-year NBA career.

Mark Smith, retired VP of Innovation Special Projects at Nike, Inc., and Jordan Brand designer, worked with MJ for the new look ... saying he's honored to have created such a memorable piece.

"As we worked together on this project, it was very important to Michael that the figure not be a likeness of him, but instead that the recipient should be able to see himself in the award," Smith said.

"For Michael, naming the award in his honor was recognition enough.”

The other five trophies will be named after legends Jerry West, Hakeem Olajuwon, Wilt Chamberlain, John Havlicek, and George Mikan.

The Clutch Player of the Year will be named after West, the Lakers legend who won the NBA Finals MVP back in 1969.

The Defensive Player of the Year will be renamed after 2-time DPOY and Rockets great Olajuwon, while the Rookie of the Year award is retitled after Chamberlin, who had a peerless rookie season in 1960.

Havlicek gets the honor of having his name on the Sixth Man of the Year trophy and Mikan -- known for his "Mikan Drill" layup and footwork -- will represent the Most Improved Player of the Year award.

Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan got an earful from a troll at the Chargers game on Sunday ... when a heckler went after the reality TV star for dating Michael's son -- and it's all on video.

48-year-old Pippen and Jordan, 31, were posted up in some solid seats during their date at SoFi Stadium ... but at one point, a fellow spectator decided to share his two cents on Larsa dating Scottie's nemesis' son.

"Hey Larsa, that's what you're doing?" the fan said. "You're with the boy, Mike's son? You a cold motherf***er, ain't you! You're cold as a motherf***er, homie."

The couple appeared to take it in stride ... with both brushing off the verbal jab. Ex-NBAer Chandler Parsons had a close look at the whole thing ... but seemingly thought it best to mind his own business.

Of course, the heckler is referring to Scottie and MJ's ongoing beef ... which was reignited following the release of the "Last Dance" series.

Pippen was miffed over the doc ... saying he deserved much more credit for his role with the team, and claiming MJ used the show to persuade the younger generation of hoop fans into believing he was better than LeBron James.

Their relationship is so bad ... their former teammate, Charles Oakley, believes the two sides will never speak to each other again.

Now that Larsa and Marcus have gone public with their romance, some have called her out for dating someone close to her ex's biggest enemy.

But, we're told that doesn't really matter to the couple ... as they've gotten really close over the past few months -- which was made clear with cozy trips to Rolling Loud and, more recently, the beach in Miami.

Chicago Bulls player Nikola Vucevic will have to cough up some dough for giving somebody the middle finger during Wednesday's game ... getting hit with a $15K fine for the "obscene gesture."

The 6'10" center was pissed when a ref called him for traveling in the 1st quarter of the Bulls vs. Pelicans matchup ... and was so fired up, he let the middle finger fly.

Unfortunately for Nikola, the cameras caught the 2-time All-Star red-handed on the broadcast ... pretty much solidifying an impending punishment.

Joe Dumars -- the Executive Vice President and Head of Basketball Operations of the NBA -- announced the penalty on Friday ... forcing the hooper to shell out the $15K.

It's unclear whether Vucevic -- who signed with Chi-Town in 2021 -- was flippin' off the referee who made the call or a fan in the stands ... but ultimately, it doesn't matter in the Association's eyes.

Ex-NBA star Ben Gordon was arrested again this week ... after he allegedly attacked two McDonald's security guards in Chicago.

TMZ Sports has learned ... 39-year-old Gordon was taken into custody around 3:30 AM on Friday. Chicago PD says the 2004 third-overall pick was being escorted out of the Mickey D's when he got physical.

Police say Gordon struck a 29-year-old male guard in the face and threw him to the ground ... before shoving a second 21-year-old male guard to the ground as well.

It's unclear why Gordon was being kicked out of the restaurant in the first place.

Gordon was booked for two counts of misdemeanor battery -- cause bodily harm and make physical contact -- as a result of the alleged altercation. The two guards declined medical attention.

The arrest comes less than one month after Gordon was accused of punching his 10-year-old son in the head at an airport for dropping a book.

Shortly after making bail in that arrest, Gordon was taken into custody in connection to an open assault case for a 2020 incident in Manhattan.

Gordon won an NCAA Championship at UConn in 2004 ... and averaged 14.9 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game in the Association.

A pair of tickets that were once used by fans to go see Michael Jordan's NBA debut game have just hit the auction block ... and they're so rare, experts say they could sell for six figures!!

The tickets were redeemed way back on Oct. 26, 1984 -- when Jordan made his first appearance for the Chicago Bulls -- and somehow, they were kept intact for decades.

Which, of course, turned out to be a smart move by the owners, because they're now worth a small fortune!!

Officials at Bonhams, which is hosting the auction, anticipate they'll go for between $200K and $300K.

On one of the tickets, the words "Michael Jordan's first game" are inscribed on the front. On the other ticket, "Michael Jordan's first game" is written on the back.

One of the tickets also features a signature of former NBA player Dallas Comegys, who signed the fan's ticket while attending the game that night.

Jordan memorabilia has exploded in price since ESPN aired its "The Last Dance" documentary in 2020 -- and a similar ticket to this pair actually sold for a staggering $468,000 earlier this year.

Sorry, drama seekers ... Larsa Pippen is NOT hooking up with the son of her ex-husband's nemesis -- the 'Real Housewives' star and Marcus Jordan are strictly friends, TMZ Sports is told.

As we previously reported, Larsa and Michael Jordan's second oldest son were spotted dining together at Zuma in Miami on Sunday ... with witnesses telling us it looked like a double date with another couple.

Despite what some folks assumed by their public outing, we're told Larsa and Marcus are really just homies and aren't an item.

It would have been a big mess if it were true -- Larsa's ex, Scottie, pretty much hates his old partner in crime ... which dates back to their playing days on the Chicago Bulls and was reignited during the "Last Dance" documentary.

As for why LP and MJ were together, we're told they happen to have a similar social circle ... so it was just a good ole fashioned hangout.

Amazing news for Zach LaVine and his wife, Hunter Mar -- the couple just welcomed their first child together ... Saint Thomas LaVine!!

The LaVines revealed their little nugget on Wednesday ... saying the baby boy was born on Sunday.

"My heart in human form," Hunter said on Instagram. "I love you, baby boy! 💙"

Zach added ... "Best feeling I’ve had is now being a Father."

As we previously reported, the duo broke the news of their new addition earlier last month ... saying, "God has blessed us with the most special gift and we couldn’t be happier."

Zach and Hunter have been together for a long time now ... and first got engaged back in April 2020.

The couple will have no problem finding a babysitter ... as all their friends shared their excitement over Saint's big introduction.

"Congrats broski 🙏🏾," Tristan Thompson said ... with Dejounte Murray adding, "I Love This For Y’all!!!! 🖤 @zachlavine8 @hunter_lavine."

Even the city of Chicago's Instagram got into the comment section to congratulate the LaVines ... saying, "👏👏👏."

G Leaguer Perri’on Callandret is already thinking of the important things ... joking, "Anyone in these comments know what size shoe babies this size wear? 😂"

In search of more, rare Michael Jordan-era memorabilia? Horace Grant's got ya covered -- 'cause TMZ Sports has learned MJ's former Chicago teammate's three title rings he won with His Airness in the early 1990s are up for auction.

The rare items come from the Bulls' first 3-peat in 1991, 1992 and 1993 -- when HG played a key role alongside Jordan and Scottie Pippen.

The rings feature the former power forward's last name ... with the Bulls' season record on one side and the World Champion title year/postseason record on the other.

We're told each ring -- which are all size 12 and have "14k Jostens" on the interior bands -- is so valuable, they could fetch over $100K apiece.

Heritage Auctions officials tell us each ring also comes with a letter of provenance from Grant as well.

Grant's 2001 championship ring that he earned while playing alongside Kobe Bryant and the Los Angeles Lakers is also up for grabs. That bling, we're told, is expected to sell for over $40k.

FYI, Grant is not the consignor for the rings -- we're told Horace sold his rings a long time ago for charity.

Milwaukee fans are probably having the worst Monday ever ... 'cause Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo just revealed he'd love to play for the rival Chicago Bulls one day.

It's not time to panic just yet, Bucks fans -- the 2-time MVP and 2021 NBA champ made it crystal clear he's committed to his current team during an interview with "The Sports Zone" on Fox 32 Chicago ... but the 27-year-old also raved about the possibility of suiting up in Black and Red at some point in his career.

"It's a team that won multiple championships, it's a team that one of the greatest players -- if not the greatest player to ever play this game -- played for, so it's a no brainer," the Greek Freak said Sunday night.

"Everybody would love to play for Chicago. Down the line, you never know, you never know how life brings it, maybe I'll play for Chicago. But right now, I'm committed to Milwaukee."

Giannis says any NBAer "would be a liar" if they said they didn't want to play for Chicago ... which just goes to show how much influence Michael Jordan still has on today's game.