Derek Fisher Will Kobe Be at My Wedding? Well, Here's the Thing ...
Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher were teammates for 13 years with the Los Angeles Lakers, so when Fisher gets hitched to "Basketball Wives" star Gloria Govan ... Mamba HAS to be there right?
NOT SO FAST.
We got Fisher out at LAX, and talked to him all about who may, or may not be there when he and Govan jump the broom ... and it seems there's a pretty decent chance Kobe WON'T be there.
"I mean, we'll see. It depends on how many people we decide to have there. If we decide it's just family, then it's just family."
So, Kobe's not family?! Weddings come with tough choices ...
Fisher also gave us his feelings on Shaq's ex-wife, Shaunie O'Neal, basically saying she wouldn't -- under any circumstances -- be caught dead at the wedding.
Here's a hint: He doesn't give a damn.
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Joel Embiid Yeah, I'll Say it ... LeBron 'Needs' to Play in Philly!!!
LeBron James recruiting season is officially open, and Joel Embiid is wasting NO time in courting the King to jump to the city of brotherly love.
We got Sixers superstar leaving Craig's Friday night -- a couple hours after the Cavs got swept out of the NBA Finals -- and asked him about the not-so-subtle tweet he fired off as the game was ending.
Joel hinted on social media, but he was way more direct with our photog.
Trust The Process!!!! Find a new slant @KingJames
@JoelEmbiid
As he walked out, we asked him to explain the "find a new slant" comment ... and he said, LeBron needs to "find a new team ... Sixers!"
Remember, just last week his teammate, Ben Simmons told us he'd love to play with LBJ ... but in a very laid back way. Y'know, like a guy who doesn't want a chick to know how much he wants to hook up?
Well, Joel's taking a different approach now. Full court press, baby!!
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Golden State Warriors Back-to-Back Champs In $400k Champagne Showers!!!
Every sports dynasty deserves a wild turn up, and Steph Curry, Kevin Durant and the rest of the Golden State Warriors didn't disappoint after winning the NBA Championship ... mostly.
Moments after the Warriors secured the bag -- back-to-back titles, and 3 out of the last 4 -- they doused themselves in super expensive champagne. Steph definitely came prepared for the burn ... with ski goggles protecting his eyes.
Here's the lowdown on the high-priced locker room bash: 300 bottles of Moët & Chandon -- 150 Impérial Golden Luminous magnums, $1,250 a pop in nightclubs ... and 150 Nectar Imperial Rose magnums, $1,500 each!!
Wanna know what it’s like in the BACK-TO-BACK CHAMPS locker room? 👀🍾🏆 pic.twitter.com/XMC418ajmR
@warriors
Sweet celebration, but we gotta say ... WHERE you win says a lot about how crazy your championship celebration gets. Sure, GSW turned up in the locker room, but where's the awesome nightclub bash with world famous DJs?? See the Washington Capitals for that.
The lesson? Whenever possible, win the title in Vegas!!
Or at least fly the team jet directly there. Just sayin' ...
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Cavaliers vs. Warriors Who's rockin' the ink?!
Wanna play a game that's more competitive than the current NBA Finals??
Grab some buddies and take a guess at which Cavs or Warriors players are rockin' which tattoos!!
Who has a Michael Jordan jersey tatted on his abs? Who's got a red "It" balloon inked on his right arm? And which Finals MVP contender has his little baby tattooed on his left forearm?
Play with your friends ... and see if you can win more times than the Cavs did/will do against the Warriors.
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Ben Simmons Hits Same Club as Tinashe ... Reconciling?
With Kendall Jenner apparently out of the picture, Ben Simmons MIGHT be trying to rekindle things with Tinashe ... because the two hit the same nightclub on Thursday.
The 21-year-old Philadelphia 76ers star and the 25-year-old singer both hit up Poppy nightclub in West Hollywood ... and left right around the same time.
Ben left solo at 1:37 AM on Friday morning and Tinashe left about 20 minutes later at 1:56 AM.
The two had dated for a couple of months before recently splitting -- Ben was seen out a short time later going on dates with Kendall.
But, Kendall was sucking face with Anwar Hadid in New York City earlier this week -- a sign it's probably over with Ben -- and now, he coincidentally shows up at the same club as his ex?
Hmmmm ...
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Joel Embiid Bryan Colangelo Is A 'Great Guy' ... I Wish Him Luck
Joel Embiid refuses to trash ex-Sixers GM Bryan Colangelo ... telling TMZ Sports the disgraced exec is a "great guy" ... despite the burner account scandal.
"He was a great guy. He did a great job for us, so I wish him luck," Embiid told us in Beverly Hills on Thursday night.
Shocking response since Embiid is one of the 76ers players who was targeted by the burner account tweets that Colangelo's wife claims she posted.
In fact, we asked Joel if he REALLY believes Bryan had nothing to do with the burner accounts and if he thinks Barbara Bottini truly acted alone.
"I have no idea," Embiid said ... "I'm sure there was an investigation for a reason. But if it was his wife, there's nothing you can do about it."
Embiid didn't seem concerned about the future of the 76ers -- in fact, he told us the Colangelo drama won't slow down "the Process."
"The Process is never starting over and it's never going to be over. There's a process for everything. It takes a lot to get where you wanna go and that's the process."'
"So, it's never gonna be over, it's never gonna restart."
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Yoel Romero Calls Out Shaq ... I'd Beat Your Big Ass!
UFC superstar Yoel Romero has a big rematch with Robert Whittaker this weekend ... but there's a MUCH bigger opponent he's already got his sights on -- SHAQ!!
TMZ Sports started asking The Cuban Missile about meeting The Big Aristotle at an event in Miami back in May ... and that's when Y.R. revealed he wants to get in the Octagon with the 7'1" giant to give him the whoopin' of a lifetime.
FYI, Yoel is 6'0" and 185 lbs.
Yoel might be teasing about the fight ... but one thing he's NOT joking about is what the outcome would be if he DID end up fighting the NBA legend.
As for Whittaker at UFC 225 ... Romero says he's gonna get his revenge on the loss at 213 and hints he's gonna make sure the outcome is indisputable this time around.
As for Shaq ... dude can fight -- he's been in the ring with both Oscar De La Hoya and Sugar Shane Mosley and held his own!
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Klay Thompson Launching Baller Designer Bag Line
Klay Thompson is shooting his shot as a designer ... launching a new line of custom backpacks and luggage bags ... and TMZ Sports has the pics!
The Golden State Warriors star hooked up with Prime Society to create the "Championship Collection" -- featuring backpacks, duffle bags, toiletry bags, mini backpacks, wallets, and a cardholder.
The best part ... the company came up with the name of the line as a "reference to the Finals Championship they are about to win!"
No word on what the pricing will be -- but the average Prime Society backpack is around $500.
The gear is first going up for sale at a Nice Kicks pop-up shop in the Bay Area ... some time after Game 4.
Dude's having a good week!
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Glen 'Big Baby' Davis Pleads Not Guilty In Court ... Craves Cheesesteak
Glen 'Big Baby' Davis finally faced a judge in his felony assault case -- the ex-NBA star appeared in court and pled not guilty to brutalizing a man in a West Hollywood nightclub parking lot.
And when he got out, Davis told us he was REALLY in the mood for a philly cheesesteak.
Davis showed up with his attorney, Chris Darden -- yes, THAT Chris Darden -- and sat in the courtroom as the charges were spelled out for him.
We broke the story ... the 32-year-old was accused of picking up and slamming a man to the ground after he claimed Davis almost hit him with his car outside Factory nightclub back in April.
Our sources tell us the alleged victim was hospitalized for severe injuries including facial fractures, a broken tooth and broken ribs.
Davis was charged with felony assault with force likely to cause great bodily injury on Wednesday ... and, if convicted, he faced up to 7 YEARS in prison.
He doesn't seem too concerned and tells his fans, "Believe in the Big Baby."
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Bryan Colangelo Throws Wife Under the Bus ... In New Statement
Bryan Colangelo isn't even PRETENDING to defend his wife -- he's dumping ALL of the blame on her ... with no shame.
Colangelo resigned as President of Basketball Operations for the Philadelphia 76ers -- after a private investigation firm found his wife was the person behind several Twitter accounts that published damaging and private info about 76ers players.
Now, Bryan is breaking his silence ... and continuing to dump all blame on his wife, Barbara Bottini.
"While I am grateful that the independent investigation conducted by the 76ers has confirmed that I had no knowledge of or involvement in the Twitter activity conducted by my wife, I vigorously dispute the allegation that my conduct was in any way reckless."
"At no point did I ever purposefully or directly share any sensitive, non-public, club-related information with her."
"Her actions were a seriously misguided effort to publicly defend and support me, and while I recognize how inappropriate these actions were, she acted independently and without my knowledge or consent."
Bryan also says his wife was a bad leaker, at that ...
"Further, the content she shared was filled with inaccuracies and conjecture which in no way represent my own views or opinions. While this was obviously a mistake, we are a family and we will work through this together."
"Although I am not directly responsible for the actions, I regret this incident occurred and understand that it has become a distraction for the team. Therefore, the organization and I have mutually agreed to part ways."
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Bryan Colangelo Quits 76ers Wife Fesses Up to Burner Accounts
The process is over for Bryan Colangelo ... the Philadelphia 76ers president of basketball operations has resigned after an investigation revealed his WIFE was behind several Twitter accounts that had trashed 76ers players and leaked private info.
But there's a major twist ... investigators say Bryan's wife tried to delete and hide key pieces of info on her phone before turning it over to be examined.
"The Philadelphia 76ers organization has accepted the resignation of President of Basketball Operations Bryan Colangelo, effective immediately," the team said in a statement.
Colangelo has been in hot water ever since The Ringer published a story connecting him to several Twitter accounts that had trashed various 76ers players -- including Joel Embiid, Markelle Fultz and former players Nerlens Noel and Jahlil Okafor.
The 76ers hired the firm Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP to investigate -- and the results showed Bryan's wife was the culprit.
"We do not believe that Mr. Colangelo established the Twitter accounts or posted content on those accounts," the firm said in a statement.
"The evidence supports the conclusion that Ms. Barbara Bottini, Mr. Colangelo’s wife, established the Twitter accounts and posted content on those accounts. When interviewed, Ms. Bottini admitted establishing and operating the accounts. Forensic evidence corroborates her admissions."
As a result of the investigation, the team said, "It has become clear Bryan’s relationship with our team and his ability to lead the 76ers moving forward has been compromised."
But get this ... investigators say Colangelo's wife IMPEDED the investigation by deleting the contents of her iPhone prior to surrendering the device for forensic review.
Still, Bryan is not blameless, according to investigators ... "Our investigation revealed substantial evidence that Mr. Colangelo was the source of sensitive, non-public, club-related information contained in certain posts to the Twitter accounts."
"We believe that Mr. Colangelo was careless and in some instances reckless in failing to properly safeguard sensitive, non-public, club-related information in communications with individuals outside the 76ers organization."
The organization says the search to replace Bryan begins now ...
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Khloe Kardashian Got VIP Treatment at Cavs Game ... To Support Tristan
Tristan Thompson's Cavs ain't doin' so hot, going down 0-3 to the Warriors Wednesday night ... but his family?? That seems to be doing WAYYY better.
Khloe Kardashian continued to show her support for her baby's daddy by showing up to Game 3 despite TT being a bum off the court ... and kinda one on it too.
Remember, Khloe wasn't so sure about sticking by Tristan after the cheating scandal rocked her right as their baby was being born ... but, so far, she's been ride or die with him -- sportin' the CLE shirt and getting backstage access Wednesday night.
Now ... if Thompson could just figure out his on-the-court game ...
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Kevin Durant Held Back from CLE Hecklers ... At Team Hotel
JUNE 2018
Kevin Durant did not like being told his alma mater is "butt" -- and it almost led to a confrontation outside the Warriors team hotel Wednesday night.
KD -- fresh from hitting that dagger that gave Golden State a 3-0 series lead over Cleveland -- was returning to the Ritz-Carlton ... where Cavs fans were heckling him on the way in.
They shouted stuff like "you suck" and "where LeBron at?" -- but the one that got him to turn around ... "KD, UT's butt!"
Obviously, Durant went to the University of Texas ... and he stopped in his tracks to stare the heckler down.
In fact, a team official started to hold KD back.
Don't worry, he walked back into the hotel without incident.
For the record, UT basketball was "butt" last year -- finishing 9th in the BIG 12.
But, in all seriousness ... Props to KD for not killing this guy.
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Lonzo Ball Clowned By Lakers Teammate ... You Lift to Your Own Music?!
What did Lakers player Josh Hart tell his teammate, Lonzo Ball, when he caught him listening to his OWN rap music in the gym???
"TURN THAT SH*T OFF!"
It's actually pretty hilarious ... Hart could hear the ZO2 joint, "Gotta Get It," bumping from across the Lakers facility on Wednesday and decided to shame his pal on social media.
When the camera focused on Lonzo, he started dancing ... hard.
Hart added a comment when he posted the footage on IG -- "weak ass rappers."
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Allen Iverson Out at BIG3 ... No Time for Coaching Gig
Allen Iverson is leaving Ice Cube's BIG3 league -- at least for now -- claiming he's got too much other stuff going on and no time to fulfill his duties as the coach of 3's Company.
"I have informed the @thebig3 that I will not coach this year and they support me in this decision," The Answer said on Wednesday.
"However, do know that this does not end my association or support of the league and I will attend games this season whenever able."
A.I. was suspended as a player/coach last season when he failed to show up to a game because he was on a gambling binge.
But, A.I. says there's no bad blood with the league ... and he's "forever grateful" for the opportunity.
"I wish the league the players, coaches and fans continued success this and every season that follows."
Iverson will be replaced as coach by former L.A. Lakers star Michael Cooper.
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Kevin Garnett's Sister Busted for Armed Robbery ... Allegedly Made Bomb Threats
Kevin Garnett's younger sister is in serious trouble after cops say she tried to rob THREE check cashing stores in South Carolina ... while making bomb threats.
It all started on Monday ... cops say Ashley Danyelle Phelps tried to rob a Check Into Cash in Greenville -- and told employees she had a bomb. Someone pressed a panic button and Phelps fled without any loot.
The next day, cops say Phelps tried to hit another Check Into Cash store -- but failed so she went to an Advance America shop instead and once again told employees she had a bomb.
Police responded and 37-year-old Phelps was captured a short time later.
She was formally charged with 2 counts of armed robbery, 2 counts of making a bomb threat and 1 count of attempted armed robbery.
She's currently being held in Greenville County Detention Center after a judge denied her bond.
A family source tells us KG and Ashley used to be close ... but they had a falling out and no longer speak.