Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James didn’t just beat the Nuggets Tuesday night … he toyed with them, and one tiny hand motion turned into the loudest moment of the game.

Cameras caught King James at one point in the night looking toward Denver’s bench, grinning and pretending his hand was a jack-in-the-box -- with his middle finger being the "jack."

Was it a flip-off? Not quite. Was it accidental? Not a chance. There's actually a familiar face on that bench -- his old buddy and teammate, Jared Dudley ... so the one-finger salute could have been out of love.

Cops say Lamar Odom had bloodshot, watery eyes and his car reeked of weed before he was arrested for DUI ... and claim the ex-NBA star fessed up to smoking marijuana earlier in the day.

TMZ Sports has obtained more details on the former Laker's arrest -- officers say they were patrolling the streets around 2 AM on Saturday when a black SUV pulled up from behind at a high rate of speed.

Cops say the car then zoomed past the cruiser and registered 106 MPH on a radar ... and emergency lights and sirens were activated.

For the first time in 21 years, LeBron James was NOT named an All-Star starter ... meaning if the King is gonna take part in this season's festivities, it won't be because of the fans.

The NBA's starting fives for the Eastern and Western Conferences dropped minutes ago ... and while there's plenty of star power for next month's event at the Intuit Dome, LBJ's name was notably missing.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jalen Brunson, Tyrese Maxey, Cade Cunningham, and Jaylen Brown were the top five fan vote-getters in the East ... and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Steph Curry, Nikola Jokic, Victor Wembanyama, and Bron's superstar teammate, Luka Doncic, got the nod in the West.

LeBron James is admitting he's at the point in his life where working two days in a row will be a rare occurrence ... telling reporters on Tuesday his status for back-to-back games is officially "TBD" moving forward.

After scoring 30 points and earning eight rebounds and eight assists in the Purple and Gold's 111-103 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, the King got pretty animated when asked about the quick turnaround and suiting up for L.A.'s matchup with the San Antonio Spurs on Wednesday.

"Every back-to-back for the rest of the season is [to be determined]," LeBron said. "I am 41. I got the most minutes in NBA history. Bank it right now."

Collaborating together since 2010, Chris Brown and Tyga recently hit the Lakers game court-side, but do think you've got the skills to track down the changes in these two swaggy snaps?!

Tyga wrapped rapped up in some icy chains -- with his sleeves exposed -- and Chris paired his baggy pants with a hat and shades!

Popular streamer Stable Ronaldo had a run-in with security at the Los Angeles Lakers game on Tuesday ... claiming he was told he's too popular to record content at his courtside seat.

The social media star -- who boasts millions of followers on Twitch -- was documenting his time at Crypto.com Arena to support LeBron James on his 41st birthday ... when at one point before tipoff, a staffer tapped him on the shoulder and asked to have a chat in the tunnels.

Stable Ronaldo -- real name Rani Netz -- said he received a warning from officials and was told if he streamed the game or himself, he'd be ejected.

Netz claimed a "lady" said otherwise ... but NBA rules are clear as day when it comes to broadcasting actual game footage, so it's no surprise the staffers relayed that policy.

Netz asked for a "reason" for not being able to stream himself ... and he claimed he was told it's because he's "too big" and there was a fear his fans would flock to him and cause a distraction throughout the night.

The guy behind the camera said he was told they were "making too much of a scene" and were instructed not to heckle any players or try to get LeBron's attention ... and Netz said he would be do that regardless of whether he's streaming or not.

Also no surprise -- the Association has a Fan Code of Conduct ... which is in place to make sure spectators don't cross the line when interacting with players.

LeBron James just made his 41st trip around the sun ... and the Los Angeles Lakers shared how they celebrated the four-time NBA champion at practice ... with rookie Adou Thiero leading the team in singing "Happy Birthday!"

L.A. shared its post-workout festivities on Tuesday, showing off a cake with the King James logo and a crown on top. But before the team could dive in, Thiero had to serenade the future Hall of Famer.

While the voice probably wouldn't get him far on "American Idol" ... the rook didn't sound too bad. Especially considering he was put on the spot, it gets an A+ for effort in our books!!

LeBron James is gearing up for what will be his record-setting 20th NBA Christmas Day game later this week ... and the King is opening up on always having to work on the holiday -- saying he'd much rather be on the couch with his fam.

James made the comments following the Lakers' loss to the Clippers over the weekend ... when he was asked why Christmas basketball matters to him.

"It's the game that I love," James said. "It's a game I watched when I was a kid on Christmas Day, watching a lot of the greatest play the game on Christmas. It's always been an honor to play it."

But the 40-year-old was honest with reporters -- while he knows the impact of playing in these games -- he wishes he could also soak in the special day like the rest of the world gets to enjoy it.

The brother of Los Angeles Rams star Puka Nacua was arrested in West Hollywood over the weekend ... after he and another man allegedly took a BMW SUV from Lakers player Adou Thiero without permission.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department confirmed to us on Thursday that Samson Nacua, 27, and Trey Rose, 27, were placed into custody for Taking a Vehicle Without the Owner's Consent.

"Deputies were flagged down in the 8400 block of Sunset Boulevard, West Hollywood, and contacted the victim who stated his newer model BMW was stolen, and he was able to track it to that location," cops said.

Los Angeles Lakers minority owner Jeanie Buss is adding to her real estate portfolio ... shelling out $4.2 million for a stunning beachfront home.

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 2,252 square-foot property sits right on the beach in the Playa del Rey neighborhood of Los Angeles.

The oceanfront retreat -- sold by Dena Luciano of Douglas Elliman and co-listed with Berkshire Hathaway's Yvette Busot -- was built in 1956 and features four bedrooms and three bathrooms.

Even though he got heated during several run-ins with Dillon Brooks in the Lakers vs. Suns game, LeBron James is adamant butting heads with his opponent was nothing more than a natural part of the game.

The Lakers superstar spoke about Brooks -- a player known for getting under opponents' skin -- and their multiple scuffles during the Lakers' 116-114 win over the Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on Sunday.

ICYMI, Brooks and James were jawing at each other for most of the game, including one moment when LeBron had to be held back by referees.

A courtside heckler learned the hard way that Omar from "The Wire" wasn't kidding when he said "come at the king, you best not miss" ... 'cause the spectator tried to clown LeBron James over his hairline -- but it hilariously backfired!!

The fun interaction happened on Sunday during the Los Angeles Lakers' road game against the Philadelphia Sixers at the Wells Fargo Center.

When James was standing near the expensive seats, a guy saw an opportunity and yelled, "You still ain't got no hair though" -- clearly not ready for LBJ's response.

Cops investigating the break-in at former Lakers player Christian Wood's rental home believe the intruders used a pizza delivery method to see if anyone was home before making a move ... this according to a search warrant obtained by TMZ Sports.

According to the search warrant, a Domino's pizza delivery driver walked up to the residence -- an Airbnb in Sherman Oaks -- at around 12:30 PM on November 5 ... the day of the break-in.

Cops say Wood, who was home at the time, did not answer ... as he was not expecting a pie to be dropped off on his doorstep.

Luka Doncic is a girl dad of 2! The Los Angeles Lakers star announced the arrival of his baby girl, Olivia, Saturday morning.

Check out his latest IG post -- he shared an adorable photo of the newborn dressed in a pink top and rose-printed pants lying on pink and white blankets. The exciting announcement comes after he missed his last 2 games with the Lakers ... and now it's clear he had a very good reason.

Luka welcomed his first daughter with his fiancée, Anamaria Goltes, in December 2023 ... meaning the sisters have birthdays just days apart. He shared the news of his first newborn with a precious snapshot of her parents holding her tiny hands. He revealed her name was Gabriela in the caption.

He was with the Dallas Mavericks at the time, and missed his first game of the season for his little one's arrival.

Luka and Anamaria have an adorable love story -- they met as kids in Croatia and began dating in 2016. He got down on one knee in a picturesque proposal in Slovenia in July 2023 ... and they began growing their family months after.

TMZ Sports has obtained the 911 call made regarding Elden Campbell's death ... with a man telling the operator he spotted something washed up on the shore that "looks like a human body."

In the audio, the caller sounded confused about what he initially saw on the beach on December 1 ... but after zooming in on his camera, he told the operator, "It looks like a dead person on the floor."

When police arrived, we were told they found Campbell's body alongside a jet ski on the beach around 8 PM ... and he was pronounced dead at 8:03 PM.

Elden Campbell -- a longtime Los Angeles Lakers big man and key figure on the team during the '90s -- has died at 57, TMZ can confirm.

Family sources tell TMZ ... he died suddenly Monday, but they declined to reveal his cause of death. We're told he was not sick.

The 6'11" center spent 15 years in the NBA -- more than half of that run in the purple and gold. The Lakers drafted Campbell in the first round in 1990, and he went on to share the floor with icons like Shaquille O’Neal and Kobe Bryant.