Los Angeles Lakers

Is LeBron James' tenure in the Purple and Gold worthy of a statue?? Lakers legend Byron Scott can't see it happening as it stands right now ... telling TMZ Sports the King hasn't had enough success in L.A. -- yet.

We caught up with Scott -- a three-time NBA champ -- earlier this week while hosting KiKi Shepard's 7th Annual Celebrity Golf Classic in the City of Angels ... and asked the former Lakers guard how he felt about a potential "LeBronze" figure outside Crypto.com Arena.

"I think if he gets another one, then he has a chance," he said. "But right now, if you look at the players that have statues in front of Crypto.com [Arena], these are long lifers. They've been with the Lakers for almost their entire career, and they've had multiple championships."

It's been over five years since Kobe Bryant died, but we're certain his fans still have plenty of fond memories of the Los Angeles Lakers star from over the years.

We caught up with the basketball legend on several occasions over the years, and you gotta imagine he eventually got used to all the cameras and flashing lights, because the guy really knew how to keep his cool in public.

What do you do when you ink a fat, new deal?? For Luka Doncic, there was only one answer -- hit up Las Vegas for the Backstreet Boys concert with Lakers execs!!

The two sides agreed to a massive three-year, $165 million extension Saturday to keep him in Purple and Gold through 2030 ... and before the ink was even dry, they made their way to Sin City to catch the legendary boy band at the Sphere.

Videos of the Lakers superstar attending the performance began to make rounds on social media ... and it's clear the vibes were at an all-time high after putting pen to paper.

Bronny James and Cooper Flagg's Summer League showdown drew a crowd that resembled a real NBA game ... with plenty of notable faces in the stands for the contest, including Kyrie Irving!!

The matchup between the Lakers and Mavericks went down Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada ... where LeBron's son and the 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick went at it.

Irving -- who tore his ACL during a game in March -- was posted up courtside to support his new rookie teammate, who finished with 10 points in his debut after going 5-21 from the field.

The Lakers' rivalry with the Celtics apparently extends way further than the hardwood -- as Byron Scott was all smiles on Thursday realizing the sale of L.A.'s NBA franchise this week topped Boston's by nearly $4 billion!!!

The former Lakers player and head coach was thrilled to see Jeanie Buss get $10 billion for her beloved team on Wednesday ... happily gloating that it bested Boston's $6.1 billion sale in March.

"That's all that matters," Scott said of the price difference with a big grin. "We topped them. We topped them! We beat them by $3.9 billion!"

The sale of the Los Angeles Lakers is getting a big stamp of approval from one of the organization's biggest stars ... with Luka Doncic saying he's ready to win some championships under new owner Mark Walter.

"The Lakers are an amazing organization," the 26-year-old Slovenian hooper said Thursday. "I'm looking forward to meeting Mark and excited about the future."

As we previously reported, the Buss family is giving up their majority stake in the historic franchise ... but Jeanie will remain as team governor for years to come, which Doncic was thrilled about.

3:17 PM PT -- Lakers legend Magic Johnson is speaking out about the Buss family agreeing to unload their majority ownership stake in the Lakers ... congratulating them for striking "an incredible deal" and choosing the best person to carry the team's legacy going forward.

Jeanie Buss and her family have agreed to unload their majority stake of the Lakers, selling the team to L.A. Dodgers owner Mark Walter -- the largest sale of a sports franchise in history!!

Shams Charania broke the news Wednesday afternoon, revealing the Busses -- who own 66% of the organization -- reached a deal to sell the team to the 65-year-old businessman on an approximately $10 BILLION valuation.

Jerry Buss, Jeanie's dad, purchased the team for a paltry $67.5 million in May 1979. Under his tenure, the Lake Show became one of the most popular, successful, and culturally relevant American sports franchises ... exploding in value.

Lakers fans hoping to see more of the King and Knecht might get their wish ... 'cause Dalton Knecht tells TMZ Sports he and LeBron James could absolutely "run it" in L.A. for another half-decade plus.

Knecht, of course, was almost dealt to Charlotte in a trade last season ... but when we got him out at LAX on Friday, he told us despite the near move, he definitely wants to remain in the purple and gold.

And, he said he can see a scenario where he does that for several more seasons with James.

The Kobe and Gianna Bryant mural in downtown L.A. -- just restored last week following previous vandalism -- has been defaced again ... and now the artist tells TMZ Sports he's likely going to move the artwork to a new location.

The mural, located (at least for the time being) on the side of a building at 14th and Main in DTLA, was targeted by vandals on Tuesday evening ... and we have video of the aftermath, showing white spray paint scribbled across the artwork.

The damage comes just four days after the artist, Sloe Motions, fixed his mural after an earlier incident of vandalism ... the apparent result of a feud between rival street artists.

Robert Horry tells TMZ Sports he knows he fits the criteria to be in the Hall of Fame ... but at the end of the day, he's not sweating it if the powers that be think otherwise.

We caught up with Horry out at LAX this week ... and asked him all about how he's still waiting for his spot among the all-time greats.

While his stat line isn't comparable to Michael Jordan's or Larry Bird's, Horry says people need to realize the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame highlights more than just one's NBA career.

Luka Doncic's $5,000 just went a long way -- the DTLA mural honoring the late Kobe and Gigi Bryant that was defaced amid an apparent beef between street artists has been restored.

The tribute piece received a new paint job and was returned to its former glory this week ... after it was spotted last month covered with white paint and a graffiti tag.

The fresh mural now looks like its original ... and features Kobe holding a baby Gigi, the L.A. skyline and the phrase "Mamba Forever."

Wanna feel old?? LeBron James' second son, Bryce, is officially a high school graduate ... and the entire family was present to watch the future Arizona hooper walk the stage!!

The Lakers superstar, Bronny, Savannah and Zhuri were all at Sierra Canyon's 12th Grade Commencement ceremony at SC Stadium on Thursday ... with the four-time champ electing for a sharp black suit, and his wife choosing a black and white pinstriped look for the occasion.

17-year-old Bryce sported a cap and gown (duh) ... and the 20-year-old rookie donned a light T-shirt as he supported his baby bro.

Slide over Jack Nicholson and hang back a bit, Flea ... cause there is a new breed of young famous faces taking over the courtside seats at all the must-see NBA games this season.

Timothee Chalamet is taking center stage as the new Knicks hype man ... while a revolving door of Hollywood Gen Z are high key taking the reins to all the latest Lakers games.

It's not just the cool East Coast / West Coast teams that are getting hit by all the young and pretty people ... other big cities like Atlanta and even Salt Lake City are getting their fair share of hotties.

The LeBron James haters are out in full force after the Lakers were abruptly booted from the postseason ... but the King doesn't seem to be fazed one bit -- claiming he's not losing any sleep in his early offseason.

The four-time champion opened up during a chat with Steve Nash on the "Mind The Game" podcast ... when the Hall of Famer asked James about the narratives surrounding the team's early elimination.

Nash asked one of the main questions on everyone's minds -- how did the Lakers lose to the Timberwolves when they have James and Luka Doncic, one of the top players in the league, on the same roster??

LeBron James is proof "win or lose, we still booze" holds true ... 'cause the Lakers superstar had a wine night with his buddies after Los Angeles was booted from the postseason on Wednesday.

King James was spotted leaving Wally's Beverly Hills early Thursday morning ... with sources saying he was at the establishment until roughly 4 AM.

The four-time champ looked pretty cheerful despite what happened hours prior ... sporting a Louis Vuitton outfit and a big grin as he headed toward his vehicle with a giant water bottle and lower back cushion in hand.

The Minnesota Timberwolves are on to the second round of the NBA playoffs ... and Anthony Edwards made sure to soak in the team's 4-1 series win over the Lakers -- hitting the streets of L.A. for a victory lap!!

Edwards took a stroll outside Crypto.com Arena shortly after the Wolves sent LeBron James, Luka Doncic and the rest of the Lakers to Cancun with a 103-96 victory.

The 23-year-old wasn't shy to interact with sad fans mourning the loss ... saying, "How y'all gonna be f***ing with me, I just sent y'all n****s home!"