NBA

J. Cole is currently training his ass off in hopes of getting a shot to make an NBA roster ... so says Master P, who offered the rap star some pretty sound advice.

First, let's talk J. Cole -- the "No Role Models" rapper was a solid hooper back in high school and famously tried out for St. Johns during his stint in college, but ultimately decided to focus on music.

Cole is a regular on the celebrity basketball circuit and is widely known as one of the best non-pro celebrity ballers in the country.

The 35-year-old recently hooked up with Master P for a Puma commercial where it's strongly insinuated that Cole is training for a shot with an NBA team ... which makes sense since P basically did the same thing back in the day.

Master P says he earned an NBA contract with 2 different teams in the '90s -- after he was already a famous rap mogul -- and he knows what it takes to get to the top level.

P -- whose music and hoops careers are documented in BET's "No Limit Chronicles" -- tells TMZ Sports he had a lengthy conversation with J. Cole about his hoop dreams ... and says he's convinced the rapper is dead serious.

"When I talked to J. Cole, he was like 'You know, big dog you did it. What do you think I would have to do to make it happen?'"

"I said to get one of these NBA jerseys, it's not gonna be easy. It's gonna be a lot of hate, it's gonna be a lot of people not believing in you but you know J. Cole -- he got the right size, he in the gym!"

"But, what I told him ... this a different time we're in. They're going to pick you apart! You're gonna have to be able to hit every shot and if you don't hit every shot, they -- you know in the NBA, they don't hit every shot but they believe in them. So, you're gonna have to go somewhere where the team really believe in you and the players believe in you."

P says Cole won't get a pass just because he's famous -- in fact, he'll have to work even harder than everyone else to prove he's for real.

"They've been putting their whole life into this. So, you're gonna have to prove you're worthy of being on that court."

P adds, "I believe in him and I believe that he's a youngster that has a lot of desire."

Bottom line -- P says if Cole does get an opportunity, he's gonna have to show out.

"Either you're gonna be good enough to play or you're gonna get exposed."

Nic Naitanui -- Aussie Rules football's biggest star -- successfully completed 5 weeks in a bubble environment Down Under ... but cautions the mental health side of things is a real concern for athletes.

FYI, the Australian Football League (AFL) is currently running a hub system -- where teams are quarantined in separate bubble environments throughout the country.

Entry into each bubble requires 2 weeks of quarantine followed by strict testing -- and then it's off to a secure site, which in Nic's case was a Top Flight hotel.

The West Coast Eagles star admits it was "pretty tough" to adjust at first -- but he got into a routine and ultimately played really well on the field.

Now, Nic says sports leagues from all over the world have been contacting the AFL and the individual teams for advice on how to successfully pull off a bubble ... and he's got some solid tips.

The biggest warning, per Nic, is mental health for the players.

"The mental health side of things is massive because you are deprived of that social interaction with your family and friends and what not."

"I can tell why people probably do sneak out of the bubble. I see with the NBA boys because they're used to having that freedom and livelihood to do what they want and now you're being told -- its almost like a prison, albeit, a 5 star prison!"

The big question for us ... will the NFL follow the AFL's lead before time runs out?

The NBA, like the AFL, is having tremendous success so far in their bubble.

Orlando Magic power forward Jonathan Isaac became the first NBA player to stand during the national anthem following the season restart ... deciding against both kneeling and wearing a Black Lives Matter shirt.

The league's coaches, refs and players -- from LeBron James to Zion Williamson -- have been using the anthem demonstrations to raise awareness as games pick back up in Orlando ... a gesture that is being supported by NBA commish Adam Silver.

Isaac became the first player to choose to stand as the anthem was played before the Magic's match-up with the Brooklyn Nets on Friday ... while the rest of the team's players and staffers took a knee.

It's worth noting -- Silver says everyone will have the option to kneel during the anthem without consequence ... despite a league rule requiring players to stand.

The same goes for anyone who wishes to stand -- no one is saying the players HAVE to kneel, either.

So far, Jonathan hasn't commented on his decision to stand publicly -- because the game is currently being played. But, when he does, we'll update here.

Charles Barkley spoke about the demonstrations on Thursday during TNT's "Inside The NBA," saying, "The national anthem means different things to different people."

"I’m glad these guys are unified. If people don’t kneel, they’re not a bad person. I want to make that perfectly clear. I’m glad they had unity, but if we have a guy who doesn’t want to kneel because the anthem means something to him, he should not be vilified."

The Magic released a statement in support of the demonstration, saying, "The DeVos Family and the Orlando Magic organization fully supports Magic players who have chosen to leverage their professional platform to send a peaceful and powerful message condemning bigotry, racial injustice and the unwarranted use of violence by police, especially against people of color."

"We are proud of the positive impact our players have made and join with them in the belief that sports can bring people together — bridging divides and promoting inclusion, equality, diversity and unity."

No bubble? No problem!

Steph Curry found a silver lining with his Golden State Warriors not qualifying for the NBA Bubble ... he got to spend his anniversary with his wife!

Steph and Ayesha celebrated 9 years of marriage on Thursday by spending a day at the beach -- climbing rocks, kissing and taking pics!

"Nine years in. And what they say? Forever to go! I love you," Steph said in a love note to Ayesha.

"Thank you for always making me better, for pushing me, for keeping it real with me, for bringing light and energy to every room you walk in, for showing our kids what it means to be passionate and caring and loving, for always being my eyes and ears, Traveling with me on every high and every low, and most importantly....for always being unapologetically you!"

Steph jokingly tagged location of the pics as, "My Own Bubble."

Ayesha and Steph met in a church youth group in Charlotte when they were teenagers and the rest is history.

They tied the knot in 2011 and have 3 kids together.

As for basketball ... Steph doesn't seem bitter about not being in the bubble with the league's other top stars.

Powerful moment from the NBA restart -- where every single player on both the New Orleans Pelicans and Utah Jazz took a knee in solidarity during the national anthem.

It was quite a statement Thursday evening in the first official game of the NBA restart -- which tipped off in the bubble environment at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

Seems every coach and referee in the building also took a knee alongside stars like Rudy Gobert, Lonzo Ball, Zion Williamson and Donovan Mitchell.

All of the players were wearing "Black Lives Matter" shirts -- and were standing behind the BLM art at center court.

The anthem was performed by musician Jon Batiste -- an instrumental rendition featuring heavy guitar and piano elements.

The players were arm in arm during the anthem -- some players raised their fists.

After the anthem, Shaquille O'Neal praised everyone involved -- saying the kneeling was "beautifully done in unity -- nice to see."

He added, "We have to continue to fight, continue the movement ... now we have to go vote."

Charles Barkley also weighed in ... saying, "If people don't kneel, they're not a bad person. I want to make that clear."

Barkley added that if a person chooses not to kneel, "they should not be vilified."

Of course, the kneeling movement was started by Colin Kaepernick who says the point of the demonstration is to put a spotlight on police brutality and social injustice.

The NBA allowed players to replace their names on the back of their jerseys with social justice messages.

Zion's jersey says "Peace." Lonzo Ball's says "Equality." Brandon Ingram's says "Freedom." Mike Conley's says "I Am a Man."

LeBron James will be repping Kobe Bryant when the NBA season restarts Thursday night ... wearing a #24 finger sleeve on his left hand.

Bron has been honoring Kobe with the sleeve since Mamba passed away back in January ... but wanted his fans to know he's keeping the tribute alive in the NBA Bubble in Orlando.

"Stucc in the Grind! The Marathon Continues tonight and forever. Let’s Get It," James posted on IG with a photo of the finger sleeve.

The lyrics are a tribute to another late L.A. legend, Nipsey Hussle.

The Lakers will rebegin their season Thursday night against the L.A. Clippers -- both teams are favorites to win the NBA title.

Kobe and his daughter Gianna died on January 26th in a helicopter crash in Calabasas.

LeBron -- and really most of the NBA -- was devastated by the loss. With several high profile players getting tattoo tributes to honor the legend.

In fact, Bron and his Lakers teammate Anthony Davis got similar Kobe Bryant tattoos on their legs in the weeks following Bryant's death.

The Lakers -- and every other team in the bubble -- will play 8 "regular season" games before the playoffs begin.

How's this for an amazing tribute!?!?

L.A. Angels outfielder Brian Goodwin threw on custom cleats to honor Kobe Bryant and Nipsey Hussle for his game Wednesday ... and then he balled out of his mind at the plate!!!

29-year-old Goodwin -- who's often publicly spoken about his love for the Mamba and Nipsey -- pulled out the fresh Under Armour kicks for the Halos' home matchup against the Mariners.

The spikes were pretty amazing ... one was all yellow and featured depictions of Kobe, his old jersey #8, and the L.A. Lakers logo.

The other, meanwhile, was baby blue with a black and white checkerboard ... and also featured a picture of Nipsey and a cursive "Crenshaw."

But, when Goodwin took the diamond in the cleats ... he took the tribute a step further, going 2-for-4 at the dish with a double, a home run and 3 RBIs!

The dinger was particularly impressive ... it traveled well over 400 feet -- and Goodwin made sure he showed off the cleats as he emphatically stepped on home plate.

Denver Nuggets forward Michael Porter Jr. believes COVID was secretly created for global "population control" ... and warns things are about to get much, much worse.

It was all part of a bizarre Snapchat Q&A session on Tuesday -- when the 2018 1st-round NBA Draft pick decided to go full conspiracy theorist when asked about the pandemic.

"Personally, I think that the coronavirus is being used obviously for a bigger agenda," 22-year-old Porter said from his room in the NBA Bubble in Orlando.

"It’s being used for population control in just terms of being able to control the masses of people."

More than 661,000 people have reportedly died from COVID around the world since the pandemic began -- with more than 16.7 MILLION cases.

Porter thinks it's all part of some diabolical plot for global control.

"Because of this virus, the whole world is being controlled. You’re required to wear masks, and who knows what’ll happen when this vaccine comes out. You might have to have the vaccine in order to travel. That’d be crazy."

And yeah, that's when Porter pivoted into some anti-vaxxer talk ...

"I've never been vaccinated in my life. I've never had any shots or anything like that. So, it could get crazy."

FYI, it seems impossible for Porter not to have been vaccinated at some point in his life since basketball players at Missouri (where he played college ball) were required to comply with the 2-dose MMR Immunization Policy -- which essentially requires proof of vaccination against measles, mumps and rubella.

Still, Porter continued his rant ...

"It's definitely an agenda behind everything that's going on right now and all you can do is sit back and watch what's going on."

"Don't get too emotionally involved," Porter warned ... "but yeah, I mean it is a serious thing -- it's a real thing but yes it's being overblown."

Here's rapper Jack Harlow showing love for his pal, Lou Williams -- just days after accidentally exposing him in a strip club incident that rocked the NBA.

Yep, it was Harlow who posted -- and then quickly deleted -- a pic of the L.A. Clippers star at Magic City last week which landed Williams in some hot water with the league.

Remember, Williams had received permission to leave the NBA Bubble in Orlando to attend a funeral in Atlanta ... and was ordered to stay away from places with a high COVID exposure risk.

LIKE STRIP CLUBS!

Of course, Williams insists he was only at the club for 20 minutes to pick up some chicken wings -- which are apparently AMAZING -- and didn't put himself in harm's way.

The "What's Poppin" rapper TRIED to lie to cover for his friend -- initially saying the pic was a throwback -- but the truth eventually emerged.

Williams is now serving a mandatory 10-day quarantine so he can get back into the bubble.

In the meantime, Harlow is now in L.A. where he was spotted in Lou's Clippers jersey.

More great news from the NBA ... a 2nd straight week with ZERO positive COVID-19 tests from players and staffers inside the bubble.

While MLB, NFL, and other sports are scrambling to figure out how to proceed safely -- the NBA seems to have it down.

The league claims that 344 players were tested and NONE of the tests came back positive for coronavirus.

There have been some issues with the bubble -- some players have violated the rules to get things like delivery food and strip club chicken wings -- but so far, the league has been able to avoid an outbreak.

There are strict protocols in place for breaches -- mandatory quarantine periods -- and judging by the numbers, it's effective.

Tiffany Haddish is opening up about the idea of motherhood, but says one thing above all else scares her -- bringing a child into a racist world.

The actress and comedian discussed the topic on NBA star Carmelo Anthony's hit podcast, "What's in Your Glass?," saying everyone's always asking her when she's going to have some babies.

Her answer ... "There's a part of me that would like to do that, and I always make up these excuses like, 'Oh, I need a million dollars in the bank before I do that, I need this, I need that.' But really, it's like, I would hate to give birth to someone that looks like me, knowing that they're gonna be hunted or killed."

Tiffany teared up as she added ... "Why would I put someone through that?"

Carmelo -- who has a teenage son -- said, "It's scary to even think about that" ... and Haddish pointed out that white people don't have that concern.

Awesome tribute from one of Kobe Bryant's most beloved teams ... the Philadelphia Eagles painted a Mamba mural at their practice facility to honor the NBA legend this offseason -- and it's pretty amazing.

Star receiver Alshon Jeffery showed off the new artwork at the NovaCare Complex on Monday ... and it shows 3 pictures of Bean alongside some inspiring words.

One of the depictions of Kobe features the Mamba in an Eagles jersey ... while the other two show him in his Lower Merion H.S. gear and his Lakers uni.

The message on the mural, meanwhile, reads "Kobe's 10 Rules" ... which includes important Kobe-isms like "#Believe In Your Team" and "Learn From Greatness."

Of course, Bryant -- who grew up in Philly -- was a GIANT Eagles fan ... he famously went BALLISTIC watching the team win the Super Bowl back in 2018.

In fact, Kobe's love for the Eagles was so great ... he was spotted reppin' them in his last-ever appearance at a Lakers game at Staples Center before his tragic death in January.

Michael Jordan's super-rare, game-worn, signed Bulls jersey from his rookie year in Chicago just hit the auction block ... and you guessed it, His Airness' uni top could bring in $500k!!

MJ -- who was drafted 3rd behind Hakeem Olajuwon and Sam Bowie😬 -- rocked the red mesh size 42 Rawlings jersey multiple times during the 1984-1985 campaign ... where he averaged 28.2 points per game, led Chi-town to the playoffs, and won Rookie of the Year.

The jersey just hit Goldin Auctions block ... and they tell TMZ Sports they believe it could rake in up to $500,000.

Of course, the value of MJ items has exploded following the success of ESPN's "Last Dance" docu-series.

Everything from Jordan's personal checks, to baseballs he signed as a youth ballplayer have been selling for exorbitant prices.

Michael's rookie jersey won't be any different ... bidding starts now.

Good luck!

Rapper Jack Harlow says he was NOT hanging out with Lou Williams on Thursday ... claiming he has nothing to do with the Clippers star leaving the NBA bubble.

The 33-year-old L.A. hooper reportedly left the Disney campus this week due to "excused personal reasons" ... but is expected to rejoin the team at a later date.

The whole thing seemed pretty normal -- considering several players have left the bubble for a number of reasons in the past few weeks -- until the "What's Poppin'" rapper posted an IG Story with Williams.

"A location U would never guess," Harlow captioned the pic ... tagging Williams.

Harlow quickly deleted the pic ... which led people to speculate if he accidentally got the Sixth Man of the Year in trouble.

But, Harlow tried to clear the air on Friday ... saying the pic was old and he was just missing his buddy.

"That was an old pic of me and Lou. I was just reminiscing cuz I miss him," Harlow said.

What makes things even more bizarre -- Harlow deleted that tweet minutes later.

So ... what the hell is going on?? Is Harlow trying to cover his tracks, or is it all a misunderstanding??

Either way, the Clippers have lost several guys -- including key players like Montrezl Harrell and Patrick Beverley -- with the season restart quickly approaching on July 30 ... so it'll be interesting to see how it all plays out.

Story developing ...

The NBA bubble can't stop Winnie Harlow from showing love for her man, Kyle Kuzma, on his 25th birthday ... she just wrote the Lakers forward a mushy message and shared a steamy pic!!

The 25-year-old supermodel posted the shoutout on IG on Friday ... saying, "Happy birthday, (Kyle) ❤️ blessed to know your beautiful heart and soul."

Of course, Harlow and Kuz can't be together to celebrate ... as he's currently stuck on the Disney campus in Orlando.

"Endless hours of quarantine FaceTimes and now I’m hooked," Harlow said.

"Thank you for helping me step out of my comfort zone, then making me comfortable outside of my comfort zone."

"Thank you for making me smile everyday, wiping my tears, and pushing me to be my best," Harlow says, "Thank you for your energy king, it’s only up from here lol💋"

We broke the story ... the two first met at the Harper's Bazaar party during NY Fashion Week back in Sept. ... and things clearly heated up quickly -- they're already dropping L-bombs!!

"I love you babe," Harlow says, "have an amazing day today and kill it at work young lion🦁🔥"

And if that wasn't enough -- Harlow hired a plane to fly across the Disney campus with a special birthday message so Kuz -- and the rest of the NBA -- could see how much she loves him!!

Houston Rockets guard Austin Rivers has left the NBA Bubble in Orlando due to an "urgent" family matter ... but plans to rejoin the team soon, according to reports.

The 27-year-old shooting guard left Orlando Friday and expects to return "sometime this weekend," The Athletic's Shams Charania says.

Of course, Rivers will have to quarantine for 10 days before he can re-enter the bubble ... as part of the league's strict safety protocols.

As we previously reported, Rivers' teammate, Russell Westbrook, tested positive for COVID-19 before the NBA restart and quarantined before joining the team in Orlando this week.

Rivers joins Pelicans superstar rookie Zion Williamson and Clippers forward Montrezl Harrell ... who also recently left the bubble due to family matters.

Rivers -- the son of L.A.'s Clippers coach, Doc Rivers -- is averaging 8.7 points per game, shooting at 41% from the field.

No word on if coach will be leaving the bubble as well.