The Backstreet Boys made the "right decision" not signing with Shaquille O'Neal back in the day ... so says AJ McLean, who tells TMZ Sports while he adores the NBA legend -- he doubts they'd have the same success had they inked a deal with him.
It's a wild story, but 100% true -- both BSB and *NSYNC used Shaq's Orlando studio to record some of their earliest music when he was a member of the Magic in the '90s ... and O'Neal has openly expressed his regret over not pouncing on the opportunity to work with the boy bands in an official capacity.
In his first interview since being released from the same prison that houses Diddy, former NBA player Sebastian Telfair tells TMZ what it was like being locked up with the music mogul.
Telfair chatted with our cameraperson just hours after being released from FCI Fort Dix, revealing it was rough for him getting locked up after living such a successful life, but he "couldn't imagine how Diddy felt."
Still, Telfair says the Bad Boy cofounder is making the most of it and staying in good spirits.
He said, "Diddy's holding it down. He's doing what he gotta do. And where he's at, they're going to help him."
Ex-NBA player Sebastian Telfair got a special holiday gift -- he's out of prison.
TMZ Sports has learned the 40-year-old was released from the Bureau of Prisons custody this week ... after spending the past few months at Fort Dix FCI in New Jersey.
Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.
Telfair said he's feeling good and rehabilitated now ... telling Antoinette Media he's ready to get home to his loved ones after taking care of himself.
LeBron Jamesis 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.
LeBron James on playing his NBA-record 20th Christmas Day game this week:
“I'd much rather be at home with my family. But I mean, it's the game, it's the game that I love. It's a game I watched when I was a kid on Christmas Day, watching a lot of the greatest play the game on… pic.twitter.com/lo85glVwPk
"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.
Days after Isaiah Rider saidhe was prepared to go to court to deal with a protective order put in place by his wife … TMZ Sports has learned the former NBA hooper was arrested for failure to appear at his court date.
According to court documents we obtained, Isaiah was not present at the hearing earlier this week to determine whether the order should remain in effect. The docs say his wife, Vanessa, did attend the hearing ... and the judge signed off on keeping the order in place.
Law enforcement in Arizona says the no-show landed the former NBA star in cuffs, telling us, "An individual named Isaiah Rider was arrested earlier today on a warrant for failing to appear at a court hearing on December 15."
"He was booked and processed at the Gilbert-Chandler Unified Holding Facility."
Isaiah's attorney, Benjamin Taylor, told us his client is not going to comment further on the matter ... but the former Laker previously told us he believes his ex is only going through with the protective order because he is moving forward with their divorce.
The NBA is reinstating longtime referee Eric Lewis ... two years after he hung up his whistle amid an investigation into whether he used a burner account on social media to talk hoops!
The Association released a statement on Friday announcing the move, saying Lewis will begin officiating at the G League Winter Showcase this weekend.
It'll be the first time Lewis will be back on the hardwood for a professional basketball game since 2023, when the league launched a probe into a burner account linked to Lewis, which would constitute a violation of league policy.
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.
Well, this is one way for the Knicks to celebrate a big win.
Josh Hartgave Jalen Brunsona big thumbs up on his NBA Cup championship performance on Tuesday ... quite literally -- 'cause he put his digit in firmly in his ass!!
The wild moment happened as New York partied on stage at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas after defeating the San Antonio Spurs, 124-113.
When Karl-Anthony Townslifted the NBA Cup trophy, Brunson -- the MVP of the game -- turned to help, unknowingly leaving his back perfectly exposed to his mischievous buddy.
The New York Knicks are NBA Cup champions after defeating the San Antonio Spurs Tuesday night in Las Vegas ... and the victors made sure to (virtually) celebrate with their biggest A-list fans -- TimothéeChalametand Ben Stiller!!
Karl-Anthony Townsshared the evidence on Instagram that the two hit his line after their 124-113 win ... and while it's just screenshots of their conversation, the images show the two thespians were totally pumped.
"Marty Supreme approved," Towns wrote on the picture featuring Chalamet.
Victor Wembanyama played in Tuesday's NBA Cup Final against the New York Knicks with a heavy heart ... the San Antonio Spurs superstar learned of his grandma's death just hours before tip-off, with the big man fighting back tears after the game.
Wembanyama was meeting with the media after the 124-113 loss to the Knicks, when the 7'4" center got visibly emotional at the podium, pausing to gather himself before apologizing to those in the room.
"Sorry," Wembanyama said. "I lost somebody today."
Another year, another successful “Shaq-A-Claus” event for Shaquille O’Neal ... but the NBA legend says it’s his mission to make the annual shindig even bigger, telling TMZ Sports he wants to have a 50-state “Shaq-A-Thon” in the future!
The Hall of Famer chopped it up with Courtney and Babcock on "TMZ Live" from Georgia, where they were treating hundreds of kids to a boat-load of free toys and experiences for the holidays.
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.
Jaime Jaquez Jr. is the current favorite to win the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year award ... but he tells TMZ Sports he's not thinking about his trophy case ... all he wants to do is win games.
The Miami Heat role player has been great off the bench this season ... averaging nearly 16 points a game, 5.8 rebounds, and five assists a contest so far.
When we caught up with the 24-year-old this week ... he said he's doing his best to keep the team first ... and not let the online chatter about his chances at 6MOY get to him.
Ex-NBA star Isaiah Rider is breaking his silence on his recent arrest ... telling TMZ Sports he had no idea he was violating a protective order -- because he claims he was never served!!
We broke the story earlier this week -- the 1994 Slam Dunk champion was arrested on December 4 in Arizona and charged with one count of interfering with judicial proceedings.
It all stemmed from a protective order his wife filed for in July 2025 -- his ex, Vanessa, said in the application Rider was aggressive with her and their son on numerous occasions.
No surprise here ... the game-ball from Kobe Bryantand Shaquille O'Neal's first NBA championship win just made history at auction -- selling for an insane $500K!
TMZ Sports confirmed the amount of the winning bid -- a little over two weeks after Sotheby's placed the rare Spalding call in their Winter Sports Classic lot.
To be precise, the 2000 NBA Finals game ball sold for $508,000 -- a new record for a championship-clinching basketball. Sotheby's says the previous high mark belonged to the Oklahoma City Thunder's Game 7 ball from the 2025 NBA Finals, which sold for just over $107,000.
