Jerry Buss -- Laker-Sized Chip on His Shoulder
Orlando fans weren't the only ones who couldn't care less about the Los Angeles Lakers' victory parade yesterday. Jerry Buss -- the dude who owns the team lock, stock and barrel -- had better things to do ... playing poker at a cheesy casino all by his lonesome.
Jerry was so engrossed in his hand at the Bicycle Casino -- 10 miles from the parade route -- he wasn't even looking up at live TV coverage of the celebration. We're thinkin' any other owner would be leading the band!
Turns out, this is S.O.P. for Jerry. His peeps tell us Buss has never attended a championship parade because he hates the traffic and the attention.
Hope he's not bettin' with the Lamar Odom money ....
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Lakers Parade Madness -- Calm Before the Storm
The stage is finally set for the Los Angeles Lakers $2 million victory parade -- and TMZ has locked down photos of the incredible scene ... before the chaos ensues.
The parade hasn't even begun yet -- and injuries have already been reported along the parade route. Plus, the S.W.A.T. team is already on scene to keep the peace, this according to our friends at KLAC radio.
Should be fun...
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LeBron James Most Valuable Loser
Overcompensation -- noun -- excessive reaction to a feeling of inferiority, guilt, or inadequacy leading to an exaggerated attempt to overcome the feeling ... especially when someone expected to win the NBA championship doesn't even make the finals.
LeBron James rocked this egotistical t-shirt during a shopping break in N.Y. yesterday.
For the record -- you won't see Kobe Bryant wearing a shirt with his individual accomplishments plastered on the front of it during his championship parade today -- he's gonna let the trophy do the talking.
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Jayson Williams Arrested for Unloading on a Guy
Former New Jersey Nets star Jayson Williams is in trouble yet again -- he was arrested in North Carolina early this morning for allegedly serving a guy a knuckle sandwich in a late night bar fight.
Cops say Williams was popped around 2 AM for assault after he allegedly socked some dude in the face in front of a nightclub in Raleigh. Williams was later released on $1,000 bond.
Go back to April, when the troubled former NBA star was tasered by cops after he allegedly tore up a hotel room in Manhattan...
...And lest we forget, Jayson is also still facing a reckless manslaughter charge for the shooting death of his limo driver back in 2002.
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WWE Sticks It to Denver, Moves Event to L.A.
The Denver Nuggets won the battle -- but the WWE isn't finished with their war.
After Vince McMahon raised hell when the team's owner screwed up and double booked the Pepsi Center for a WWE event on the same night as an NBA playoff game between the Nugs and the Lakers, the wrestlers have finally agreed to take their show on the road.
But in what seems to be a premeditated twist of fate, Vince is bringing the show to the Staples Center in L.A. -- home of the Lakers.
The Pepsi Center is now stuck having to refund thousands of tickets.
NBA Legend Hates Being Washed Up, Sues
Elgin Baylor, one of the greatest players in the history of the NBA, is literally dripping with anger -- and rain -- because the guy claims there's a serious problem with the roof of his Beverly Hills mansion.
It all started in February 2008 -- when a "violent rainstorm" pounded Baylor's home, and leaked water damaging several rooms. Baylor claims his insurance company cut him a check, but a few months later they wanted to do testing on his roof -- that's when Elgin claims things went from bad to worse.
In the lawsuit, filed today in L.A. County Superior Court, Baylor claims the company "failed to repair damages from the testing, leaving holes and openings in the structure." By February 2009 -- Baylor claims the holes still hadn't been repaired -- and a new rainstorm messed the house up even worse.
Now, he's suing his insurance company and the builder for unspecified damages.
LeBron Hits It from the Back... the WAY Back
This is just plain ridiculous.
LeBron James made another one of those insane trick shots at practice yesterday -- except he hit this one from way BEHIND the goal!!
He did miss twice before sinking it -- so maybe he's human after all.
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Shaq -- Like A Monster, But Nicer
Keep in mind that Shaquille O'Neal could literally destroy all of the people following him around ... and yet he chooses not to. Inspiring.
Shaq walked the beat last night as a self-described "undercover cop" -- even stopping to buy dinner for a homeless lady. We're told she left without eating, but we didn't have the guts to let Shaq know.
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LaLa -- Racist Mavericks Fans Attacked Me First
Carmelo Anthony's fiance LaLa Vazquez has released a statement claiming racial taunts and violent threats from Dallas Mavericks fans incited her at last night's NBA playoff game:
"Obviously the play-off games bring out the best and the worst in fans but what happened on Monday night with the racial slurs/threats, verbal attacks on my son and physical attacks to myself by irate fans was unacceptable. The fans were totally out of control.
What the cameras captured was me defending myself and didn't show the abuse that was taking place."
Footage shot at last night's game showed LaLa cursing and getting hostile as security tried to escort her out of the stands.
The Mavs and the Nugs are set to face off again tomorrow night.
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Carmelo Anthony's Fiance Explodes in Stands
The blood-feud between the Dallas Mavericks and the Denver Nuggets is so nasty, Carmelo Anthony's fiance had to be escorted out of the stands in last night's game after an argument with opposing fans got way out of control.
While Melo unsuccessfully tried to lead his Nuggets to a victory in Dallas, his fiance, LaLa Vazquez, who is ironically a judge on VH1's "Charm School," got into it with some people sitting near her. In the video, shot by KDFW in Dallas, a visibly upset LaLa can be seen trying to throw something and then cussing at security as they tried to get her to leave.
If you haven't been following the NBA, both teams pretty much hate each other. A few nights ago, Mavs owner Mark Cuban made some kind of a comment to the mother of a Denver Nuggets star. He since admitted he was wrong and apologized, but you know how fans get ...
NBA Hall of Famer -- Man in Tights
Legendary NBA player/broadcaster Walt "Clyde" Frazier, famous in the '70s for his fashion sense, pranced around NYC yesterday in a pair of really tight black tights ...
... not that there's anything wrong with that.
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NBA's Derek Fisher -- I'm Being Stalked
NBA star Derek Fisher, a point guard for the Los Angeles Lakers, got a judge to issue an order of protection against a woman who's been harassing him and his family for a long time -- and the danger is escalating.
We've learned the woman is a stranger who may have mental issues. She claims to be in an ongoing relationship with him for years. She started showing up at his home, scaring his wife and kids.
She changed her last name to Fisher ... Her first name is Symone.
Derek Fisher is playing tonight in the playoff game against Utah.
Fisher says Symone has been harassing him for years. They have no relationship of any kind. She believes they are either married, or parenting children together -- she's claimed both. She has said she felt God wanted them to be married.
The L.A. County Sheriff's Department -- Major Crimes Unit -- is investigating the matter and recommended that Fisher get a restraining order. The Sheriff filed a declaration with the court, claiming her threats were escalating and a matter of concern.
On her MySpace page, Symone calls herself "The REAL Mrs. Fisher." The court papers include love letters she sent him. "If I give your sexy ass my new # r u going to call me or will u send the po po after me? Meanie." And another: "Yes, I do want to have your babies - the ones you keep showing me. Our beautiful sons. Place them in my womb now."
In Derek's declaration, he says Symone "has repeatedly expressed anger and hostility towards me and my family." He adds, "Given this harassing and stalking behavior, I believe that any sort of further escalation at this point would put me and my family in danger."
According to a declaration from Fisher's security guy, Symone "began sending unsolicited and unwanted packages of compact discs of love songs to Mr. Fisher at the [Lakers] practice facility."
This has been going on for a long time -- We found that Derek applied for a restraining order against Symone back in 2005 but it was dismissed because he didn't follow through in court.
Usher's Basketball Loyalties Tested in D.C.
Usher's from Atlanta, but he co-owns a basketball team from Cleveland -- so when it comes to the Playoffs, who will he be rooting for -- the Hawks or the Cavaliers?
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Kobe and Vanessa -- Maid for TMZ
Kobe Bryant and wifey Vanessa were in NYC yesterday ... and clever Kobe found a way to block any question about that pesky lawsuit filed against them by a former housekeeper.
The maid accused Vanessa of being a super-bitch, screaming and yelling at her, and even allegedly forcing her to root around a trash can filled with dog poop so she could retrieve a receipt from a blouse the maid ruined.
Vanessa allegedly deducted the amount of the blouse from the maid's paycheck. Kobe and Vanessa say the maid is delusional and the allegations are a pack of lies.
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UNREAL Lebron Drops Sick Shot on '60 Minutes'
Lebron James pulled the sickest move to ever go down on "60 Minutes." Just watch the frickin' clip ... and try to keep your jaw from hitting the floor.
Kobe Bryant in Court This Time It's Consensual
Kobe Bryant lost on an L.A. Court last night, and he's rebounded in the O.C. today -- Kobe's on jury duty.
Kobe is at the Orange County Civil Courthouse in Santa Ana, waiting to be called for service. We got a pic of the famous Laker/former defendant clearing the metal detector. He was escorted into the building by Sheriff's deputies and taken to a private room near the Jury Assembly Room.
Now get this. Kobe is in a pool that has been assigned to a case. He'll be questioned and then the lawyers will decide if he's a true juror of their clients' peers. Will Kobe get picked?
Stay tuned ...