Money

How's this for a sports lover's dream ... the vacation home custom-built by the late Lakers owner Jerry Buss, and visited by some of the greatest hoopers to ever grace a basketball court, is now on the market, and could be yours if you've got $12 million!

TMZ Sports has learned the 9,792-square-foot property, located on a 3.18-acre lot in Rancho Santa Fe (about 100 miles outside L.A.), recently hit the open market for $11.85 million. The land was purchased by Dr. Buss in 1994 for less than $300k, and the house, known as the "Dream Ranch," was built to his exact specifications to resemble the Rosewood Miramar Beach Resort in Montecito.

We're told Jerry wanted a place outside of Los Angeles that felt far enough away from the hustle and bustle of the city ... all while being close enough to the arena where his team played.

Buss often had company ... and they were some of the most famous athletes in the world like Kobe Bryant, Magic Johnson, and Shaquille O'Neal.

In fact, Jerry installed an extra-long driveway (it fits 25 cars!) to accommodate the stars' stretch limos.

The mansion features eight bedrooms and 10 bathrooms (8 full, 2 half) -- five in the main house and three in the guest house -- with the master suite, clad in marble, overlooking a rose garden.

There's also a 3-stall barn, two putting greens, a swimming pool with a pool house, a basketball court (of course), and a tennis court where none other than Andre Agassi once played.

Buss passed away in 2013 ... and the home was ultimately sold years later in 2022. The new buyers renovated the home, transforming it into a modern mansion.

Mark Cuban is making sure his Mavericks employees are being taken care of following his sale of the majority stake in the NBA franchise ... promising to dole out $35 million-plus in bonuses in the near future.

The former Dallas owner made the announcement in an email to Mavs staffers on Friday, according to ESPN ... explaining new owners Miriam Adelson and Sivan and Patrick Dumont will be helping to contribute to the large bonus pool as well.

Cuban said the payouts will be based on "a framework that took into consideration how long you have worked for the Mavs." He added the cash will be hitting bank accounts "in the very near future."

"I'm excited to continue our work making the Mavs the best franchise in all of sports!" Cuban said in the letter.

Of course, Cuban officially gave way to Adelson and the Dumonts late last month ... selling the families his controlling interest in the team for $3.5 billion.

The 65-year-old, however, still maintains a 27% stake in the org. ... and he told reporters after it all became official that he'll still have control of basketball operations.

As for why he made the surprising move ... he said it's simple -- he thinks the new owners can grow the business exponentially.

"When you get a world-class partner who can come in and grow your revenue base and you're not dependent on things that you were in the past," Cuban said, "that's a huge win."

The NFL is shining a light on Damar Hamlin's recent charitable efforts -- the Buffalo Bills safety was just selected as the Community MVP for Week 18 after giving back to his hometown during the holidays.

Hamlin received the honor for his 4th annual toy drive that went down last month ... where he distributed more than 2,000 toys, hundreds of books, and 50 bikes to hundreds of kids in McKees Rocks, Pennsylvania.

Hamlin has been helping out those in his area since before his NFL days, but this one was extra special -- it was the first toy drive since he suffered cardiac arrest against the Bengals on Jan. 2, 2023.

Hamlin said one of his first memories waking up after the incident was seeing the $9 million raised for his fundraiser. With the exceeded amount, Hamlin did his own personal Santa Claus impression, donning the big man's classic red suit and spreading some holiday cheer.

In a year that began with turbulence, this was one of the brightest moments for Damar ... which he explained when speaking about the drive.

"I just couldn’t wait for this," Hamlin said. "I've received so much love, so many blessings. I just couldn’t wait to pay them all forward."

The full $9 million raised after Hamlin's medical emergency won't just help his toy drive -- he said it will also go toward improving his community through CPR education, sporting events in the summer, and turkey drives.

If people risking jail time for a mug -- like some are to nab a limited edition Stanley Quencher Starbucks cup -- here's what ya gotta know ... they're making tons of money on the resale market.

It's pretty wild, and a sign of the times ... the pink cups retail for $49.95 at Starbucks branches inside Targets, and folks who've been able to snag them are turning around, and hawking them online for hundreds of dollars.

The resellers are working hard for that big payday, though ... the only way to get the cups seems to be camping outside Target for hours, or fighting through massive crowds in scenes straight out of Black Friday.

Other people are going to even greater lengths to try and cash in -- like the guy who hopped a counter and tried, unsuccessfully, to steal a whole box of the pink goodies.

On eBay, the pink cups are going for $250 to $280 ... and Mercari has them on sale for $225 to $300.

Social media is a factor too ... Stanley cups are wildly popular on Instagram and TikTok ... so there's huge demand and limited supply.

Polo G is feeling optimistic about 2024, especially if this leap year can boost the 2 things he cares about most -- making money and finally getting his delayed album off the ground!!!

We recently caught up with Polo in Bev Hills while he was doing some shopping with his sister Leia, and he made a vow to pad his discography by dropping more music.

Fans were eager for Polo G to drop last September, and he had told us he was just as excited, but legal issues put his "Hood Poet" album release on ice ... the kind that's slow to melt.

TMZ Hip Hop broke the story ... Polo and his brother Trench Baby were arrested in August 2023 following a police raid where Polo was charged with gun possession, and his bro is being accused of a drive-by murder.

Polo tells us he's still sticking with the "Hood Poet" title -- the single "Barely Holdin' On" was used as a charitable vessel for the music video's actors.

Polo G se siente optimista con respecto a 2024... sobre todo si el año bisiesto actual puede impulsar todas las cosas que le importan: ¡el dinero y sacar adelante su retrasado álbum!

Nos encontramos con Polo en Bev. Hills, cuando estaba haciendo algunas compras con su hermana Leia, y nos dijo que próximamente va a haber más música.

Los fans estaban ansiosos el pasado mes de septiembre. El rapero dijo estar emocionado, pero que tuvo que detener el lanzamiento de "Hood Poet" por problemas legales.

TMZ Hip Hop publicó la historia, Polo y su hermano Trench Baby fueron detenidos en agosto de 2023 después de una redada policial donde Polo fue acusado de posesión de armas, y su hermano está siendo acusado de asesinato.

Polo nos dice que sigue manteniendo el título de "Hood Poet": el single "Barely Holdin' On" se utilizó como recipiente benéfico para los actores del video musical.

Logan Paul dice que está comprometiendo más de 2.3 millones de dólares para corregir los errores de su fracasado CryptoZoo y también está presentando una demanda contra la gente que afirma que descarriló su juego.

Logan está cumpliendo su promesa de volver a comprar Base Egg y Base Animal tokens no fungibles de CryptoZoo, por su precio de compra original a través de un sitio web donde los inversores pueden presentar reclamaciones.

Recordemos que Logan anunció el juego CryptoZoo en 2021, facturando el proyecto animado NFT como "un juego muy divertido que hace dinero." Según se informa, el juego se inspiró en Pokémon y a las personas que pagaron $1.100 se les dijo que podían incubar, criar, coleccionar y comercializar híbridos de animales exóticos en la blockchain. La primera tanda de 11.000 NFT se agotó rápidamente, pero CryptoZoo nunca llegó a comercializarse.

Logan dice que tenía "las mejores intenciones" para CryptoZoo y "nunca ganó un solo centavo con el proyecto". Dice que gastó $400K desarrollando el juego y dice que se completó a principios de 2023, pero no fue lanzado debido a "obstáculos con la regulación que no comprendía realmente en un principio".

Logan añade: "Al igual que usted, yo estaba muy decepcionado porque el juego no fue entregado".

Logan dice que su programa de recompra de 2.3 millones de dólares "no está destinado a compensar a aquellos que apostaron en el mercado de criptomonedas y perdieron".

Además de la recompra de NFT, Logan también está tomando medidas legales, alegando en una nueva demanda que el desarrollador principal de CryptoZoo —Eduardo Ibáñez— y el "Crypto King" Jake Greenbaum son los culpables del fracaso del juego y no él.

En los documentos obtenidos por TMZ, una de las primeras banderas rojas en el proyecto ocurrió justo después del día de lanzamiento, con la actividad comercial sospechosa sucediendo, donde parecía docenas de personas ajenas al proyecto que de alguna manera obtuvieron información de la existencia del nuevo mercado de ZOO Tokens.

La demanda afirma que la actividad comercial poco clara hizo que la capitalización de mercado de ZOO Tokens cayera de unos 130 millones de dólares a 26 millones de dólares.

Logan Paul says he's committing more than $2.3 million to right the wrongs of his failed CryptoZoo ... and he's also filing a lawsuit against the folks he claims derailed his game.

Logan's delivering on his promise to buy back Base Egg and Base Animal non-fungible tokens from CryptoZoo for their original purchase price ... via a website where investors can submit claims.

Remember ... Logan announced the CryptoZoo game back in 2021, billing the animated NFT project as "a really fun game that makes you money." The game reportedly drew inspiration from Pokémon and folks who paid .1 Ethereum were told they could hatch, breed, collect and trade  exotic animal hybrids on the blockchain. The first wave of 11,000 NFTs quickly sold out but CryptoZoo was never released.

Logan says he had "only the best possible intentions" for CryptoZoo and "never made a single penny from the project." He says he spent $400K developing the game and says it was completed in early 2023 but wasn't released due to "regulatory hurdles that would need to be cleared that I did not originally understand."

LP adds ... "Like you, I was highly disappointed the game was not delivered."

Logan says his $2.3 million buyback program "is a way for me to make whole those who intended to play CryptoZoo. The buyback is not intended to compensate those who gambled on the crypto market and lost."

In addition to the NFT buyback, Logan is also taking legal action ... claiming in a new lawsuit that CryptoZoo lead developer Eduardo Ibanez and "Crypto King" Jake Greenbaum are to blame for the game's failure and not him.

In the docs -- obtained by TMZ -- one of the first red flags in the project happened just after launch day, with suspicious trading activity happening ... where it appeared dozens of project outsiders somehow got info of the existence of the new market for ZOO Tokens.

The lawsuit claims the sketchy trading activity caused the market capitalization of ZOO Tokens to drop from about $130 million to $26 million.

El juego de rol para móvil de Kim Kardashian está cerrando sus puertas virtuales, marcando el final de la aplicación casi una década después de que se puso en marcha.

Kim le dice a TMZ: "Estoy muy agradecida desde el fondo de mi corazón con todos los que han amado y jugado Kim Kardashian Hollywood los últimos 10 años. Este viaje ha significado mucho para mí, pero me he dado cuenta de que es hora de concentrar mi energía en otras pasiones. Quiero dar las gracias al equipo de Glu y a las muchas personas que han trabajado entre bastidores para que esto fuera un éxito. Estaré siempre inspirada por esta comunidad que hemos construido juntos".

Por cierto, la gente que entra en el juego de Kim y Glu Mobile, "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood", se encuentra ahora con una alerta sobre el próximo cierre del juego, diciendole a los jugadores que el juego "ya no ofrece compras dentro de la aplicación y ha sido retirado de las tiendas de aplicaciones".

Así es, ni siquiera puedes comprar el juego si estás interesado, porque ha desaparecido por completo de las tiendas de aplicaciones de Apple y Android.

Por suerte, el aviso dice que los jugadores pueden seguir utilizando las funciones del juego hasta el 8 de abril: "después de eso el juego será inaccesible. Gracias por apoyar Kim Kardashian: Hollywood". También tiene un temporizador de cuenta atrás, lo que lleva al cierre.

Para aquellos que no lo saben, Kim y Glu se asociaron para lanzar el juego de 2014 que llevó a los jugadores a un viaje al estrellato de la lista vip, con el objetivo de ganar fans haciendo cosas como actuar, modelar, hacer apariciones en clubes y citas.

También tenía una moneda en el juego llamada K-estrellas, que ayudaría a los jugadores a progresar. La aplicación hizo $1.6 millones solo 5 días después de su lanzamiento el 27 de junio, a pesar de terminar con algunas críticas mixtas.

Nigel Lythgoe is in the crosshairs of an investigation by the studio that produces his long-running show "So You Think You Can Dance" ... with his job possibly hanging in the balance.

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... the embattled EP of the hit reality competition show is at the center of an internal probe being conducted by Sony Pictures Television -- which co-produces 'SYTYCD' under its subsidiary 19 Entertainment, alongside Dick Clark Productions.

We're told Sony's looking into recent claims of sexual assault and harassment made against Nigel -- who created 'So You Think' with Simon Fuller, and has served as an executive producer since its inception, not to mention a consistent judge until he stepped away in '22.

Of course, what Sony's investigating here is Paula Abdul's allegations -- which she made in an explosive lawsuit ... claiming she'd been sexually assaulted by Lythgoe twice, once in the early 2000s during her 'Idol' stint and again in the 2010s while she judged on 'SYTYCD.'

Remember, as it pertains to the latter allegation -- which is what Sony's concerned with here -- she alleged Lythgoe invited her to his pad to discuss work opportunities ... only to allegedly pounce on her in an attempt to kiss her. PA also claimed Lythgoe groped one of her assistants during her time on the dance show.

Lythgoe denies Paula's claims, saying they're "deeply offensive" to everything he stands for and totally false.

Our sources say that while Sony digs into this matter, no decision has been made on whether Nigel will be allowed to stay on as an EP. It also remains to be seen if he'll serve as a judge -- this despite the fact he was announced to return to his chair last month for Season 18 ... which will start airing in March. He wasn't a judge during this past season.

Kim Kardashian's mobile roleplaying game is closing its virtual doors ... marking the end of the app nearly a decade after it went live.

Kim tells TMZ, "I'm so grateful from the bottom of my heart to everyone who has loved and played Kim Kardashian: Hollywood in the past 10 years. This journey has meant so much to me but I’ve realized that it’s time to focus that energy into other passions. I want to thank the Glu team and the many people behind the scenes who have worked diligently on making it a success. I will be forever inspired by this community that we built together."

BTW, folks logging on to Kim and Glu Mobile's game, "Kim Kardashian: Hollywood," have now been met with an alert about the game's upcoming shutdown -- telling players the game "no longer offers in-app purchases and has been removed from app stores."

That's right, ya can't even go get the game for yourself if you're now interested, because it's completely vanished from Apple and Android's app stores.

Luckily, the notice says gamers can continue to use the game's features until April 8 ... "after which the game will become inaccessible. Thank you for supporting Kim Kardashian: Hollywood!" It's also got a countdown timer, leading to the shutdown.

For those unaware, KK and Glu teamed up to release the 2014 game which took players on a journey to A-list stardom ... with the goal of gaining fans by doing things like acting, modeling, making club appearances, and dating.

It also had an in-game currency called K-stars that would help players progress -- and the app made $1.6 million just 5 days after its June 27 release, despite ending up with some mixed reviews.

Yung Bleu is set to open his Moon Boy University campus to all comers next month, and predicts his halls will lead the next generation of great music.

The "You're Mines Still" singer opened up to TMZ Hip Hop about operating the 24,000-sq-ft super studio, and he scoffs at the notion the genre's glory years have passed ... in the wake of all the 50th-anniversary celebrations.

Bleu says he mainly identifies on the R&B side, but subscribes to the age-old theory that most fans champion the music released during their carefree adolescent years, and his MBU will produce sounds to supplement those times.

He tells us admission packages can range from $1500 - $10K and unlike record labels, MBU isn't looking to get a chunk of their credits and earnings ... they're simply here to teach and steer artists away from bad contracts!!!

To date, Bleu has already invested $2.6 million of his own money, with another $1 million pledge toward content production over the next 2 years.

He's already had artists such as Sukihana, Kirk Jay and Seddy Hendrinx touch grass on the Atlanta-based hub and expects many more visitors this year -- even the ones who'd be totally unexpected.

Yung Bleu está a punto de abrir su campus Moon Boy University para todos los interesados el próximo mes y predice que sus pasillos conducirán a la próxima generación de la música.

El cantante de "You're Mines Still" se abrió con TMZ Hip Hop sobre el funcionamiento del super estudio de 24.000 pies cuadrados y se burla de la idea de que los años de gloria del Hip Hop han pasado a raíz de todas las celebraciones de 50 años.

Bleu dice que se identifica principalmente con el R&B, pero se adhiere a la vieja teoría psicológica de que la mayoría de los fans defienden la música que se editó durante sus años de adolescencia, y su proyecto producirá los sonidos que complementen aquellos tiempos.

Nos dice que los paquetes de admisión pueden oscilar entre los $1500 y $10K y a diferencia de los sellos discográficos, MBU no busca obtener parte de los créditos y las ganancias, ¡están aquí para enseñar y alejar a los artistas de los malos contratos!

Hasta la fecha, Bleu ya ha invertido 2.6 millones de dólares de su propio dinero, con otra promesa de 1 millón de dólares hacia la producción de contenidos en los próximos dos años a seguir.

Él ya ha tenido artistas como Sukihana, Kirk Jay y Seddy Hendrinx tocar la hierba en el centro con sede en Atlanta y espera que muchos más visitantes este año, incluso los que son inesperados.

Tras la demanda de Paula Abdul, el veterano productor de televisión Nigel Lythgoe se enfrenta a una segunda demanda, en la que se le acusa de haber agredido y acosado sexualmente a dos concursantes hace 20 años en un programa de telerrealidad.

Ambas eran concursantes de "All American Girl" —que se emitió durante una temporada en 2003— y Lythgoe era productor del programa. Según los documentos obtenidos por TMZ, las mujeres alegan que en repetidas ocasiones se presentaba en el set y en los vestuarios cuando llevaban trajes de baile y "abiertamente manoseaba" sus traseros.

En la demanda —que los demandantes están presentando como Jane Does— dicen que la producción organizó una fiesta para celebrar el final de la filmación, pero al final de la fiesta, afirman que Lythgoe insistió en que una de las mujeres fuera con él de vuelta al estudio cuando el resto del elenco ya se había ido.

La segunda demandante insistió en ir con ellos para proteger a su compañera pero afirman que Lythgoe las llevó a su casa, donde les hizo proposiciones sexuales a ambas. En la demanda, alegan que se levantó el jersey que llevaba puesto y "engulló" a una de las mujeres mientras intentaba besarla, cosa que ella le rechazó inmediatamente.

La otra demandante afirma que se puso agresivo con ella, empujándola contra un piano de cola y forzándola con la boca y la lengua mientras ella protestaba y se negaba.

Las mujeres están demandando a Lythgoe y a una productora sin nombre por asalto sexual, agresión, acoso sexual, imposición intencional de angustia emocional y negligencia.

Como hemos dicho, los demandantes se han presentado de forma anónima y solo identifican al demandado como "John Roe N.L." y al espectáculo como "AAG", pero TMZ ha confirmado a través de fuentes con conocimiento que se refieren a Nigel Lythgoe y "All American Girl".

Los demandantes citan la Ley de Responsabilidad por Abusos Sexuales y Encubrimiento de California (Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act) que, en su opinión, permite reactivar sus demandas, aunque de otro modo hubiera prescrito.

TMZ publicó la historia, Paula Abdul también citó esa Ley cuando demandó a Lythgoe la semana pasada por supuestamente agredirla sexualmente mientras trabajaban juntos en "American Idol" y "So You Think You Can Dance".

Lythgoe calificó la demanda de Paula de "totalmente falsa" y añadió que las acusaciones son "profundamente ofensivas para mí y para todo lo que represento".

On the heels of Paula Abdul's lawsuit, veteran TV producer Nigel Lythgoe finds himself facing a second lawsuit, claiming he sexually assaulted and harassed 2 contestants 20 years ago on a reality competition show.

Both women were contestants on the show, "All American Girl" -- which aired for one season back in 2003 -- and Lythgoe was a producer on the program. According to the docs, obtained by TMZ, the women allege he would repeatedly show up on the set, and in dressing rooms, when they were wearing dance costumes ... and "openly swatted and groped" their butts.

In the suit, which the plaintiffs are filing as Jane Does, they say production hosted a party to celebrate the end of filming ... but at the end of the party, they claim Lythgoe insisted one of the women ride with him back to the studio where everyone else on the cast was going.

The second plaintiff insisted on going with them to protect her fellow contestant -- but they allege Lythgoe drove them back to his home, where he made sexual advances on both of them. In the suit, they allege he lifted up the sweater she was wearing, and "engulfed" one of the women while trying to kiss her ... and she immediately rejected him.

The other plaintiff claims he got aggressive with her by pushing her against a grand piano and forcing his mouth and tongue on her ... all of which she protested.

The women are suing Lythgoe and an unnamed production company for sexual assault and battery, sexual harassment, intentional infliction of emotional distress and negligence.

As we said, they've filed anonymously, and the suit only identifies the defendant as "John Roe N.L." and the show as "AAG" -- but TMZ has confirmed through sources with knowledge ... they're referring to Nigel Lythgoe and "All American Girl."

The plaintiffs cite California's Sexual Abuse and Cover Up Accountability Act ... which they believe allows for the revival of their claims even though the statute of limitations would have otherwise run.

TMZ broke the story ... Paula Abdul also cited that Act when she sued Lythgoe last week for allegedly sexually assaulting her while they were working together on "American Idol" and "So You Think You Can Dance."

Lythgoe called Paula's lawsuit "wholly untrue" -- adding the allegations are "deeply offensive to me and to everything I stand for."

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper is going to have to bust out his check book -- he was just fined $300k for chucking his drink toward a group of fans during Sunday's loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The billionaire hedge fund manager -- the richest owner in the league -- was spotted dumping his beverage in anger after an apparent exchange with a group of supporters amid the 26-0 blowout ... and the whole thing was caught on video.

The clip is short ... and it's unclear what led to the incident.

The NFL announced the punishment on Tuesday ... labeling the incident "unacceptable conduct."

Tepper -- who bought the Panthers in 2018 for $2.3 billion -- released a statement following the news ... saying, "I am deeply passionate about this team and regret my behavior on Sunday."

"I should have let NFL stadium security handle any issues that arose. I respect the NFL’s code of conduct and accept the League’s discipline for my behavior."

It's been a disastrous 2023 season for the Panthers -- they're 2-14 and will not have their first-round pick next season.