Money

LeBron James' family has yet another reason to celebrate today ... The King's youngest son, Bryce, has followed in Dad's footsteps -- and signed on with Klutch Sports.

The agency announced Monday it's inked the young James to an NIL deal ... welcoming the 15-year-old rising Sierra Canyon hoops star with a social media post.

Of course, LeBron's longtime friend Rich Paul founded the org. in 2012 after leaving Creative Artists Agency (CAA) ... and has inked some of the biggest deals in the NBA over the last few years.

In addition to LBJ, stars like Anthony Davis, Draymond Green, Ben Simmons, Trae Young and Anthony Edwards are all Klutch clients.

It's unclear what dollar figure Bryce is now expected to make with the org. ... but, safe to say it'll be a whole lot more than just gas money.

Bryce is now the second James kid to get his feet wet in the NIL game ... his brother, Bronny, signed a deal with Beats by Dre and Nike in October.

DaBaby's famous song "Rockstar" is a total ripoff, according to a new lawsuit ... because a music producer claims the rapper straight-up jacked his rhythm.

DaBaby is being sued by a music producer with the stage name JuJu Beatz, who claims DaBaby stole the entire beat for his No. 1 song.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, JuJu claims he sent DaBaby's camp a musical composition back in 2019, which was then sampled for "Rockstar" without his permission.

In the suit, JuJu claims he sent the beat in a digital file to DaBaby's team ... and he says DaBaby's camp accessed the file more than 40 times between late 2019 and early 2020. "Rockstar" came out in April 2020.

JuJu claims "Rockstar" has earned millions of dollars since it dropped ... but he says he hasn't been compensated for his beat, which he says was sampled illegally.

The music producer says he's tried to resolve the matter without going to court, but DaBaby has been unwilling to "cooperate or accept responsibility for blatant and willful copyright infringement" ... so now he's suing for damages.

Ezekiel Elliott helped both the Cowboys AND the needy with his touchdown last Sunday ... the Salvation Army tells TMZ Sports it saw a significant spike in donations following the star's trip to an end zone kettle.

If you missed it ... Elliott hopped into a Salvation Army red bucket at AT&T Stadium after scoring in the fourth quarter of the Cowboys' blowout win over the Colts in Dallas last weekend.

He pretended to be a jack-in-the-box -- while quarterback Dak Prescott wound him up. It was all hilarious -- and, according to Salvation Army officials, hugely beneficial as well.

The org. tells us, "after Ezekiel Elliott leaped into [the kettle] on Sunday night's game against the Indianapolis Colts, the number of donors to the Salvation Army that day doubled compared with the game last year."

They added, "We love it when players jump in the giant red kettle after scoring a touchdown because it does have an impact."

In fact, the org. tells us the amount of $21 donations -- an ode to Elliott's jersey number -- have skyrocketed as well.

Elliott himself actually contributed to the cause as well in the days following the score -- he donated a $50,000 check to the Salvation Army of North Texas on Wednesday. The money, the org. said, will help children, seniors and adults with special needs receive gifts during this holiday season.

Of course, jumping into the kettle isn't entirely a new thing for the Cowboys. In Elliott's rookie year in 2016, he started it all by hopping into the kettle after a score against the Buccaneers.

On Thanksgiving this year, Dallas tight ends had a similar party at the prop.

The 7th installment of "The Match" tees off on Saturday -- featuring golfing superstars Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth -- but aside from putting together a helluva foursome, the event has already raised more than $2.5 million for hurricane relief!

TMZ Sports talked to Bryan Zuriff -- just days before the event -- and while the 'Match' creator is absolutely pumped for the golf, he says he's most proud about the incredible amount of money they've raised for charity.

"What I'm really most proud of is the money we've raised. So far we've raised $33 million in our event, and we're gonna do great on this one. We're already north of $2 million for hurricane relief before we tee off."

Zuriff continued ... "The fact that we're able to help so many people with these events, and also make it profitable for the network, it's a testament to what we do."

The money from this year's match (which promises to be significantly more than $2 mil) will go toward hurricane relief. Florida has been hit hard by storms this year ... including Hurricane Ian.

Previous editions of "The Match" have benefited causes like COVID-19 relief and support of HBCUs.

As for the actual game ... it's Woods (unranked -- but, he's Tiger) and Rory (#1 in the world) against Justin (#8 in the world) and Jordan (#14 in the world). The 12-hole round -- "best ball" rules -- will be played at Pelican Golf Club in Belleair, FL.

For example ... say the guys pull up to the first hole. Tiger shoots a 3, and Rory and 4. The Woods/McIlroy team would use their best score ... TW's 3. Same goes for Justin and Jordan.

As always, Charles Barkley will be part of the commentary team (if anyone can break down a swing, it's Chuck).

Past versions of "The Match" have featured superstars like Tom Brady, Peyton Manning and Patrick Mahomes, amongst others.

One of Madonna's iconic '80s MTV Video Music Awards -- this one for "Best Female Video" -- has a new home after a lucky buyer snatched it off the auction block.

RR Auction tells TMZ ... Madonna's VMA, aka the Moonman trophy, for her hit song "Papa Don't Preach" went to the highest bidder, who dropped $38,484.

As we reported ... the shiny Madge memorabilia was expected to fetch around $60k before the bidding began, so someone got themselves a sweet deal.

In case you didn't know, the song came out in 1986 as a single from her album "True Blue" ... and it became the pop star's 4th number-one hit.

"Papa Don't Preach" -- Madonna's song about teen pregnancy -- ended up garnering 3 VMA noms and a Grammy nomination for "Best Female Pop Vocal Performance."

A few other big-ticket items at the auction included Tom Hanks' screen-worn military uniform from "Forrest Gump" ... which sold for $20,771.

Ukrainian Olympic hero Yuriy Cheban, one of the country's greatest and most decorated sports heroes, is auctioning off his 2 gold and 1 bronze medals ... with the money going to the war effort in Ukraine.

Cheban contacted SCP Auctions ... who put his 2008 Bronze (Beijing), 2012 Gold (London), and 2016 Gold (Rio de Janeiro) medals on the auction block. The medals will be auctioned off separately.

The proceeds are going to Olympic Circle ... an organization "created by sportsmen to help fight Russian occupants in southern Ukraine by funding defense and recovery efforts." OC says they provide everything from equipment to fight, to toys for kids as well as food for Ukrainians in need.

Cheban is one of the greatest sprint canoeists ever ... and it's the event where he won his medals.

Awesome prices for what most would consider a worthy cause ... but if you're interested, you're running out of time! The auction closes on Saturday.

The 2012 and 2016 Gold both have bids of $16k ... meanwhile, the bronze medal has a bid of nearly $7K.

A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie is making good on his promise to celebrate his birthday all month ... even if has to cut the festivities short to conduct an interview!!!

The Bronx-born rap star stumbled into The Breakfast Club on Friday still lit from his latest birthday celebration to promote his long-awaited comeback album "Me Vs. Myself."

When the ball dropped at midnight, the newly minted 27-year-old was front and center in Times Square soaking up love from his adoring fans.

A Boogie says he later fell through Starlets strip club for the after-party ... and graciously gifted Charlamagne with the stacks of singles in his designer jacket during the interview!!!

A Boogie says he tossed $30K in strip clubs over the past two nights ... which means he hasn't been sleeping and flexed the Walmart-sized bags under his eyes to hammer home his point.

He also had been under the impression they were $100 bills. A gracious Charlamagne accepted the generous gift but also stressed the importance of donating to charity ... to which A Boogie agreed.

A Boogie's new album features guest spots from Lil Durk, Tory Lanez, G Herbo and Kodak Black, who hops on the follow-up to their nearly-diamond collab "Drowning."

Johnny Knoxville is known for his elaborate pranks, but his latest may have gone too far ... resulting in a lawsuit from a guy who says it caused him emotional distress.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, the 'Jackass' star is being sued by Khalil Khan over a home prank. Khan says he was hired to do a routine repair job through TaskRabbit but ended up getting way more than he bargained for.

According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Khan says was hired to a home to repair an electric dimmer switch. He claims the owner of the house was an actor in on the prank.

Khan claims within moments of starting the work, a lamp went out and a girl about the age of 10 -- who was also apparently an actor -- accused him of killing her pony because it was on life support and died when the electricity went out.

At one point, Khan says he was led into a room where there appeared to be an actual pony. He says things got worse when he saw his car getting towed. Khan claims when he started to call the cops, one of the men who'd taken his car said he'd get in trouble for having cocaine in it ... and he says the guy even pulled out a bag of white powder. Khan says he was horrified and denied knowing anything about it.

He says Johnny, who is known for pulling stunts, eventually let Khalil in on the prank ... expressing that it was all done in good fun, offering him money for his participation.

Bare Knuckle Fighting Championship star Tai Emery is giving fans two big reasons to check out her fight ... telling TMZ Sports she might show her boobs in the ring again -- even if it means she gets fined!!

Emery -- whose OnlyFans page exploded in popularity when she went viral for flashing the crowd following her impressive BKFC debut -- spoke with TMZ Sports ahead of her next fight against Po Denman in Thailand ... and she says there's a chance she frees the nipple again on Saturday.

"If there's gonna be salute of t***ies back to me, guess what, guys -- you will just enable me to just flash even more," she says.

Emery, who charges $10 a month for fans to access her content, saw a 6,150% increase in revenue after pulling the stunt the first time ... but claims she was told she will be punished if it happens in Thailand.

"I will be in trouble," Emery said. "I will be fined. The last I heard was half a million to a million baht (Thailand currency), so I don't know what that conversion is in U.S. dollars, but yeah, I have 100% been warned and told it's a no-no."

FYI -- 500,000 baht equals about $14,405 ... so it's nothing to scoff at. But, Emery says she ain't making any promises.

"It's fine, but I can't control myself in moments like that. Everything else just takes over."

Despite the newfound attention, Emery, who has a modeling background, says she's always going to be herself ... and is focused on the task at hand, defeating Denman.

"This is something anyone's career has been building to ... and I really truly believe my personality and my talents and athleticism," Tai said, "like this is the fit for me."

Russ knows his worth as an artist ... and according to his calculations, record labels are gonna need more than 8-figures to lockdown his catalog!!!

On his new song "Too Much," Russ humbly brags about turning down a $50 million deal to buy out his discography ... further detailing his investment savvy later in the track.

A post on Russ' TikTok account also indicated selling his catalog would've been the equivalent of selling his soul ... and he apparently likes living, so the songs are staying with him for now.

He didn't reveal his failed bidders but his last major label venture was with Columbia Records before he ended things to start his own Diemon musical imprint earlier this year.

The last time we spoke to Russ ... he scolded ALL rappers for still signing to record labels, as he's adamant artists have all the tools at their disposal to DIY ... which is totally the "CHOMP" rapper's mantra these days.

He recently gave fans and artists a tutorial on recording songs -- from out of a suitcase while on the road!!!

Florida Congressman-Elect Maxwell Alejandro Frost, the first Gen Z candidate to make it to Congress, says he tried applying for an apartment in Washington, D.C. -- but got denied because of low credit.

25-year-old Frost let out his housing frustrations Thursday, tweeting ... "Just applied to an apartment in DC where I told the guy that my credit was really bad. He said I'd be fine. Got denied, lost the apartment, and the application fee."

He says, "This ain't meant for people who don't already have money," before answering some follow-up questions -- mainly telling people his credit tanked because of all the debt he got while running for Congress.

He added, and not jokingly, "Didn't make enough money from Uber itself to pay for a living."

Frost gives a shoutout to fellow Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who he says went through the same thing 4 years ago ... pointing out how history's repeating itself.

He ends his post pointing toward the fact that his credit should bump back up once he gets on his new salary, but adds ... "We have to do better for the whole country."

WNBA superstar Angel McCoughtry, who spent three seasons in Russia playing basketball, says she will NOT hoop in Russia anymore ... after Brittney Griner was held captive in a cell for nearly 10 months, and was only freed after a high-profile prisoner swap.

McCoughtry joined Babcock on the "TMZ Sports" TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) ... and reflected on the release of 32-year-old Griner, Angel's friend and former Team USA Olympic teammate in 2016 (they won gold).

"Oh my gosh, today is a celebration. Brittney is back, she's on solid ground," Angel told us, elated ... adding, "Knowing Brittney, she's a big teddy bear. Her personality is so bubbly. I couldn't imagine the conditions she's gone through."

Of course, in August, Brittney was sentenced to 9 years in a prison labor camp after a Russian court convicted her of bringing hash oil into the country. That was until Thursday, when she was released in a prisoner swap for notorious arms dealer, Viktor Bout, also known as the "Merchant of Death."

Speaking about the conditions in Russia, Angel described her experience ... and she obviously wasn't under arrest or in a cell, and it was still difficult.

"I couldn't imagine the conditions she's gone through. I played in Russia for three years, and that was probably one of the hardest places I had to play."

"It was hard to make friends. People are introverted because of the weather. The sun doesn't come out. So, it's already kind of depressing being there, playing there. But, to be in that kind of environment, I'm so glad she's back. What an amazing feeling to wake up to that."

McCoughtry, the former #1 overall pick in the 2009 WNBA Draft, 2x WNBA scoring champ, and 5x All-Star, just to name a few accolades, spent two stints with Dynamo Kursk of the Russian Premiere League.

Many players travel overseas during the WNBA off-season because they can earn significantly more money than they do in America ... though the future is now uncertain.

"I mean, it's tough on us cause Russia was one of the places where we made the most money. I was making my WNBA salary in one month in Russia. My whole salary. I think girls are gonna go elsewhere and play, probably."

"We still have Spain and Istanbul, Turkey, different places, but, it definitely takes a toll on our game cause Russia, that was a place that had a lot of money for women to play, so it definitely hurts our game."

As for whether Angel would ever go back to Russia ... we asked the question with an obvious answer.

"No, I would not go back. I would not go back."

McCoughtry also talks about Griner's prospective return to professional basketball in the States, when she plans to reach out to BG, and much more.

NAV's taking his 2022 success -- his third No. 1 rap album, "Demons Protected By Angels" -- and rolling it into 2023 with a tour packed with special guests.

The XO rapper unveiled dates Thursday for his upcoming "Never Sleep" Tour ... which, of course, takes its name from his smash hit with Lil Baby and Travis Scott.

Current XXL Freshman SoFayGo and RealestK -- whose "Toxic" song was a mega-popular TikTok meme this year -- will also be opening acts.

As a treat for his Toronto hometown, NAV also recruited Bryson Tiller for a special appearance to shut down the tour on April 11 at Scotiabank Arena.

NAV was just spotted this week supporting his friend Metro Boomin's new "HEROES & VILLAINS" album during the release party.

Metro and NAV go back some years -- they collaborated on their 2017 album "Perfect Timing," and since then each has dominated in their own lanes.

Soulja Boy is getting a kick outta being proved wrong, for a change -- after Shaquille O'Neal stepped up to make it clear HE is the first "rapper" to possess a one million dollar bill.

Shaq reacted to SB's Instagram video of himself flexing the fake currency ... and essentially said ... sorry, Soulja, I did that way back in '92 when you were just 2.

That would explain why the "Crank Dat" rapper has no recollection of Shaq's feat, but Soulja's taking it well.

SB conceded to Shaq, but added ... he forgot The Big Aristotle rapped back in the day, as the NBA HOF'er has been moonlighting as a DJ for years now. Shaq actually dropped 4 rap albums, the last one coming in 1998.

He didn't post hard evidence of his $1M bill, but there's no doubt he has experience spending big.

Courtney Clenney, the OnlyFans model accused of murdering her boyfriend, has been denied bond ... mostly because the court doesn't buy her claim that she killed him in self-defense.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, a Florida judge isn't allowing Clenney to be released on bond while she awaits trial -- saying her description of how her BF, Christian Obumseli, got his fatal stab wound "is not supported by the evidence."

Specifically, the judge didn't buy Clenney's claim that she threw a knife at Obumseli from more than 10 feet away ... noting the medical examiner's testimony indicated the wound was too deep and required more pressure than could have been applied from throwing the blade.

The judge also ruled that releasing Clenney was not warranted because there are worries Clenney could leave the country ... noting she's got a ton of cash to do so if she wanted.

"Fixer Upper" stars Joanna and Chip Gaines are being taken to court by their former literary agent who claims the couple tried to back out of paying a set fee for their massive book deal after signing with someone else.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Joanna and Chip were repped by Vigliano Associates when they inked a massive $12.5 million deal back in 2017 to crank out 5 books for HarperCollins.

Vigliano says it was set to get a 7.5% cut of any payments to the couple and claims everything went fine for the first 2 books ... but Vigliano says the couple then "concocted a scheme" to back out payments for the last 3 books by trying to amend the deal.

The docs say the couple tried to eliminate one of the books and, as for the other two, Vigliano says they tried to swap out Joanna and make Chip the author for one of the remaining books.

Vigliano claims the original deal only applied to Joanna-authored books, so the move essentially took the book deal from 5 books down to 3 ... and, as a result, meant much less pay for Vigliano.

What's worse, the docs claim Joanna inked a deal with a different agent instead ... and now Vigliano says the money made from her new book, "The Stories We Tell: Every Piece of Your Story Matters," should be going to its company instead -- and now Vigliano is looking for at least $1 million in damages over it.