NBA

A woman at the Celtics' playoff game on Wednesday needed a boost -- literally -- 'cause she couldn't see what was happening on the court ... thanks to 7'6" Tacko Fall blocking her view.

The funny moment went down Wednesday night during Game 5 of the Celtics' series against the Bucks ... when a fan -- who is not 7'6" -- was trying to take in some playoff basketball ... but instead, she got a clear view of the back of Tacko's head.

In the clip, an arena staffer walks over to give the woman a booster seat -- much to her delight -- so she could finally watch the game in peace.

Tacko, a former member of the Celtics, turned around and acknowledged the debacle ... and shared a smile with the woman over it all.

Of course, both sides were great sports over the whole thing ... but it could have been a legit problem -- the seats were very close to the court, which comes with a hefty price tag.

Once the lady got the boost she needed, she was able to see well over Tacko.

No word on if the booster seat caused a domino effect with the people sitting behind her ... but we're assuming everything worked out.

Milwaukee staved off elimination on the court ... thanks to a 40-piece from Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Tacko previously talked to TMZ Sports in the past about his other issues with being so tall ... saying it's really tough to take a shower!!

Did you know Tom Brady has Medusa-like powers? He does! ... according to Charles Barkley, who says the NFL star is so handsome -- he can't look the man in the eyes!!

Chuck dropped the compliments during the "NBA on TNT" broadcast Wednesday night ... while bringing up a hilarious conversation he had recently with Shaquille O'Neal.

"Shaq came in the other night and said, 'I had dinner with Tom Brady the other night,'" Chuck said. "He says 'Man, I gotta tell you something?' I said 'What?' He says, 'I was out with Tom Brady the other night -- you right, that's a pretty man.'"

Shaq couldn't deny Barkley's story ... and even added to it, saying Brady is truly "gorgeous." That's when Barkley revealed that Brady has some kind of powers in his eyes.

"Every time I'm around him, when he start talking to me and I would make you contact, I don't remember nothin' he say after that," Chuck joked.

"We'll start talking and then I make eye contact and then you know ... that's a pretty man."

This ain't the first time Barkley has mentioned the spell Brady has on him -- back in 2019, the 59-year-old said similar things about TB12's eyes on "Jimmy Kimmel Live."

"I look him in the eyes and I said, 'Damn. You a pretty man,'" Barkley said to Kimmel.

"I see why he scores all the touchdowns because those defenses look into his eyes and get mesmerized."

After 45 years, the NBA's Larry O'Brien Trophy is getting a makeover.

The league just debuted the new-look championship trophy on Thursday ... showing off Tiffany & Co.'s redesign of the iconic award.

The new trophy won't differ too much from its predecessor -- its size, shape and weight will remain the same -- but there are some awesome new features to spice up its look.

For instance, in honor of the league celebrating its 75th anniversary, the new LOB trophy will have the names of the first 75 NBA champions etched on it ..., and moving forward, the name of each champion's name will be added to the bottom disc.

The trophy -- formerly known as the Walter A. Brown trophy --  was named after then NBA commissioner Larry O'Brien in 1984.

Victor Solomon -- the mastermind who designed the NBA All-Star Game Kobe Bryant MVP Award -- teamed up with Tiffany to create the new-look award, which features sterling silver on the 24-karat gold basketball that sits atop.

In addition to the remodeled NBA Finals trophy, the league announced that there will be Conference Finals MVP trophies named after Larry Bird and Magic Johnson ... who played a pivotal role in elevating the sport with their rivalry in the '80s.

LaMelo Ball is adding to his ink collection -- the Charlotte Hornets star just debuted some brand new hand tattoos this week ... and they're out of this world!!

The 20-year-old former Rookie of the Year -- who already has a chest piece and forearm tat -- got more work done with his go-to guy, Herchell Carrasco.

The tats feature butterflies, a UFO, LaMelo's "LaFrance" brand logo, and "Not From Here" ... a phrase that was used during his PUMA signature sneaker release.

The pieces also feature a set of red flames on each wrist, which move up Melo's forearm.

We're told there's also another tattoo on each of Melo's thumbs, which reads "Golden Child" ... and is etched in gold ink.

Herchell tells us it was about a 7-hour appointment ... and the images will be used for Melo's next shoe.

As we previously reported, Melo added a unique angel and "Rare" to his forearm last June ... and a massive #1 chest piece with wings back in 2019.

Melo didn't leave Carrasco empty-handed -- the artist showed off a pretty sick gift he got from the hooper ... an autographed jersey with a special message etched on it.

"My brudda Rock! Love You Family," LaMelo signed the threads ... including his soon-to-be jersey number 1.

Just a matter of time before the dude catches up to Wiz Khalifa.

LeBron James' Lakers took plenty of Ls in the last 12 months ... but The King's bank account certainly didn't -- because the L.A. superstar raked in a reported $121 MILLION this past year!!

Forbes just released its annual "top-10 highest-paid athletes in the world" list ... and LBJ came in second place, just behind Lionel Messi, who the outlet reports garnered around $130 million.

Forbes says LBJ's cash flow was obviously inflated by his huge Lakers contract -- but his ventures with the new 'Space Jam' flick, his "The Shop: Uninterrupted" talk show, and other endorsement deals pushed him over the $100 million mark, which is quite the feat.

According to the outlet, James is only the 10th athlete ever to earn more than $100 mil in a 12-month span ... and his $121,000,000 figure marks the most ever earned by an NBA player in a year (he previously held the record with $96.5 mil).

Outside of Messi and Bron -- a whole bunch of soccer players and basketball players rounded out the top 10, with Cristiano Ronaldo (#3, $115 million), Neymar (#4, $95 million), Stephen Curry (#5, $92.8 million), Kevin Durant (#6, $92.1 million) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (#10, $80.9 million) making the cut.

The others in the top 10 ... Roger Federer (#7, $90.7 million), Canelo Alvarez (#8, $90 million), and Tom Brady (#9, $83.9 million).

What's interesting ... Conor McGregor for the first time in a long time didn't crack the top 10 -- but don't fret, Forbes says he was close, landing somewhere in the top 50.

As for the 10 dudes at the top of the heap ... Forbes says in total, they all earned a combined $992 million in the last year.

Nikola Jokic will truly never forget winning the 2021-22 NBA MVP award ... because the Denver Nuggets surprised him with the trophy while he was out riding a horse in Serbia!!

The surreal moment was documented by the team on Wednesday ... showing Jokic was (seriously) out on a horse carriage in his home country when the NBA officially named him the league's most valuable player.

And, when Jokic returned from his jaunt ... he teared up at the sight of the trophy -- with Nuggets video revealing the 6-foot-11 center was very emotional outside of his horse stable.

In the clip, you can see Jokic wiped away tears and hugged all of his family and friends in attendance ... and even earned an "M-V-P" chant from some of them while he admired the trophy.

Jokic went on to do an interview with media members from inside the stables ... where a coughing dog actually interrupted one of his answers!!

Of course, Jokic is used to all the animal chaos ... he's owned horses for years and has talked repeatedly about how amazing the pets have been for him.

The MVP award, meanwhile, is the second one in as many years for the 27-year-old ... and, it was expected. After all, Jokic killed it this year, averaging 27.1 points per game, 13.8 rebounds and 7.9 assists.

Michigan State fans are honoring Adreian Payne in a very Spartan way -- painting a tribute to the former hoops star on the famous boulder in the middle of the school's campus.

MSU supporters inked "RIP AP #5" on "The Rock" -- a monument on the university's campus since 1873 -- just two days after Payne was shot and killed following a dispute outside of a Florida home on Monday.

The fans also painted a message on the rock referencing Payne's touching friendship with 8-year-old cancer patient Lacey Holsworth.

"Adreian + Lacey ❤ together again," the note read.

There were also several bouquets of flowers left near the monument, too.

Payne played at MSU from 2010 to 2014 -- and helped lead the team to an Elite Eight appearance in his senior season.

Spartans head coach Tom Izzo -- along with many others in the basketball community -- mourned Payne's death on Monday, saying in a statement, "Adreian was loved by his teammates and coaches, who respected his development as a player and a person."

LeBron James appears to be sending a message to his haters who think he isn't working hard this offseason ... by posting videos of him hitting the gym shirtless at 5 AM!

James threw up the clips on his Instagram on Wednesday morning ... showing that despite being on a few vacays the last several weeks, the Akron native is still getting after it, and is still completely jacked.

James captioned one of the videos at 5 AM by writing, "The perfect place to pull up on to relieve so stress! Time to work."

He then showed off his chiseled shoulders, chest and abs while getting in some kettlebell and cable work.

Of course, the timing of the posts is interesting ... LBJ's been under a lot of scrutiny lately from fans who believe he's been enjoying his offseason just a little too much after the Lakers' disappointing season.

Bron's been spotted vacationing in the Maldives with his wife, Savannah, as well as in Miami ... where he partied his face off for the F1's Grand Prix event.

So, were these vids a clap back at the haters?!?

Getting the New York Giants' #5 jersey number from Graham Gano cost Kayvon Thibodeaux a whopping $50K ... but don't worry, the kicker said the cash is on its way to a VERY good cause!!!

Here's the deal ... Gano has worn the NY #5 since 2020, but after Thibodeaux was picked in the first round of the NFL Draft -- the star rookie wanted it badly.

After all, the 6-foot-4 pass rusher wore it when he starred for the Oregon Ducks from 2019 to 2021 -- AND he was also the #5 overall pick in last month's draft.

So, Gano cut an agreement with the former All-American ... send $50K to Puppies Behind Bars -- an org. that "trains incarcerated individuals to raise service dogs for wounded war veterans and first responders" -- and the jersey is yours.

Thibodeaux apparently gladly cut the check -- 'cause Gano is wearing #9 now.

"The whole idea behind the number five being special to myself and being special to Kayvon was being able to help five people get the five dogs and be able to make an impact in five people's lives for the better," Gano said.

"While it is special to me as well, there's a whole lot of meaning in that No. 5 to him."

Gano added, "I just wanted to be a good teammate and also be able to support others throughout the whole process."

So, the 35-year-old kicker -- who set a franchise record with three 50-yard plus field goals against the Cowboys in the 2020 season -- will wear #9 ... for the time being.

"I can be No. 9 and maybe in 10-15 years when he retires and I'm still kicking, I can get No. 5 back," Gano joked.

DJ Khaled pulled a Drake during the Miami Heat playoff game on Tuesday ... jumping up from his courtside seat to assist his beloved team -- including giving Erik Spoelstra a shoulder massage!!

The hilarious moment went down in the third quarter of the Heat's second-round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers ... when the mogul hopped up to snag a ball that went out of bounds.

But, while Khaled was up, he decided to pump up the crowd by clapping and cheering ... and when he made his way back to his seat, he gave Coach Spo's shoulders a squeeze.

Of course, it's reminiscent of what Drizzy did to Toronto Raptors coach Nick Nurse back in the 2019 playoffs ... when he tried to calm him down after a Fred VanVleet three-pointer.

Khaled should be careful, though -- the NBA had to talk to the Raps regarding Drake's sideline antics ... but ultimately, nothing serious happened.

Spo seemed to love Khaled's gesture ... saying, "That was funny. I didn't even notice him until the end, what he was doing to get the crowd fired up."

"But, I loved it," he added. "That's awesome. I was humbled to be part of that moment. He's such a great fan there. Over the years, I've said hello a few times. But, that was the best interaction and that was genuine."

Sad news in the NBA world ... Hall of Famer Bob Lanier passed away on Tuesday at 73 years old.

The Detroit Pistons legend -- who made eight All-Star teams in 14 seasons -- died following a short illness, the NBA announced. He was surrounded by his family when he passed, the league added.

"I learned so much from Bob by simply watching how he connected with people," NBA commissioner, Adam Silver, said in a statement mourning Lanier's death on Tuesday night. "He was a close friend who I will miss dearly, as will so many of his colleagues across the NBA who were inspired by his generosity."

"We send our deepest condolences to Bob's family and friends."

Lanier -- who gained notoriety for his size 22 shoes -- was taken by the Detroit Pistons with the #1 overall pick in the 1970 NBA Draft ... and he went on to star for the Motor City for the next decade, averaging 22.7 points per game and 11.8 rebounds per game.

The 6-foot-11, 250-pound big man later went on to star for the Bucks -- playing four seasons in Milwaukee before retiring following the 1983-84 season.

Silver called Lanier one of "the most talented centers in the history of the NBA."

Following his career on the court, Lanier briefly coached the Golden State Warriors. He later became a global ambassador for the NBA and a special assistant to commissioner David Stern and then Silver.

"His impact on the league went far beyond what he accomplished on the court," Silver said.
"For more than 30 years, Bob served as our global ambassador and as a special assistant to David Stern and then me, traveling the world to teach the game's values and make a positive impact on young people everywhere."

Silver continued, "It was a labor of love for Bob, who was one of the kindest and most genuine people I have ever been around. His enormous influence on the NBA was also seen during his time as President of the National Basketball Players Association, where he played a key role in the negotiation of a game-changing collective bargaining agreement."

The Phoenix Suns are making sure to show support for Brittney Griner for the remainder of their playoff run -- by putting a decal on their court in honor of the WNBA superstar as she remains detained in Russia.

As we previously reported, the Phoenix Mercury center has been detained since February ... after she was accused of having hash oil in her luggage while going through airport security.

Sports, entertainment and political figures have been calling for her release ever since ... with President Joe Biden's administration even claiming Griner is being wrongfully detained in hopes of bringing her home sooner.

The Suns revealed the "BG42" decal ahead of their game against the Dallas Mavericks on Tuesday ... saying, "One family. #WeAreBG."

"Honoring Brittney Griner on our court for the remainder of the playoffs. 💜🧡"

The decal is the same one the WNBA debuted recently ... with commissioner Cathy Engelbert promising to keep "Brittney at the forefront of what we do through the game of basketball and in the community."

"We continue to work on bringing Brittney home," Englebert added, "and are appreciative of the support the community has shown BG and her family during this extraordinarily challenging time."

Police say Adreian Payne -- a former Michigan State men's basketball star -- was shot and killed on Monday after he had a dispute with a man outside of a residence in Florida.

The Orange County Sheriff's Office spelled out the allegations in new court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, saying the killing happened a short time after Payne had arrived at Lawrence Dority's home in Orlando on Sunday night/early Monday morning.

According to the documents, a witness told cops she believed Payne had pulled up to the house to possibly play "mediator" between Dority and his girlfriend, who the witness said, "have a relationship where they argue often."

Cops say witnesses told them 29-year-old Dority ended up confronting Payne outside of the home when he arrived a short time after Payne got there.

In the docs, cops say Dority told them Payne "had no business being at his residence this late at night." Cops say Dority added that he took the former NBA player's "presence as a threat."

Police say Dority told them at one point during his conversation with Payne, the 6-foot-10 basketball player made "movements with his right hand in the right side of his waistband." Cops say Dority told them Payne then said "I'll smoke you bra."

According to cops, Dority immediately went into his home, grabbed a firearm, went back outside, and fired one round at Payne, before he returned to his residence. Cops say Dority said he was "protecting his family and protecting his home" -- and added that "his actions were justified."

In the docs, cops say 31-year-old Payne was struck by the gunfire and was later transported to a local hospital, but died there from his injuries.

Officers say following their immediate investigation -- which included interviews with witnesses and a review of surveillance footage -- they determined Payne was "not threatening Dority in any way." They said he had no firearm in his possession, and claimed Dority's "act was a premeditated killing."

Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green is paying tribute to his former Michigan State teammate Adreian Payne ... honoring the late player with a $100k donation after he was tragically shot and killed on Monday.

The 3-time champ announced the gesture after the Warriors' 101-98 victory over the Grizzlies in the NBA playoffs ... saying he and his wife, Hazel, are going to make the charitable contribution in AP's name -- and hopes others will follow their lead.

"I call on my Spartan family, coach (Tom) Izzo, Magic (Johnson), Jaren Jackson, Miles Bridges ... all of my Spartan family, to come in," Draymond said Monday. "Let's do something in honor of Adreian."

As we reported, 31-year-old Payne, a native of Dayton, Ohio, was shot and killed in Florida ... and news of his death sent shockwaves throughout the sports world.

Draymond is hoping his teammate's legacy lives on -- whether it be naming something on the Michigan State campus in his honor or starting a scholarship in Dayton.

29-year-old Lawrence Dority was arrested after cops identified him as the shooter.

Green -- who played two seasons with AP in East Lansing -- was visibly emotional as he spoke with the media following the Warriors' win over Memphis.

"I'm going to go home and talk about Adreian," Draymond said. "I apologize. I will give you guys the greatest press conference after Wednesday's game."

Steve Aoki had a night full of ups and one down ... falling hard off the stage during his DJ set at a nightclub, before getting back up to continue.

Steve hit the floor (literally) Sunday night at DAER Nightclub in Hollywood, Florida. During his set, he fell really hard off the stage and landed on the ground ... but, he didn't stay down for long.

Moments later, he hops back up and goes back to work on the turntables. For the most part, he didn't seem too affected by the tumble ... bobbing his head and getting back in the zone.

At one point after the fall, he even puts on his boxing gloves and squares off with boxer Ryan Garcia ... and punches weren't the only things the guys ate on stage. Steve even threw a huge cake in Ryan's face, before they danced it all out, together.

Some other notable guests in the building included ... Dennis Rodman, Shaggy, Vernon Davis, and Sommer Ray.

Celebrity Sports Entertainment put on the event, which was an F1 after-party ... clearly, it was a fun night, full of many surprises.

Chris Paul says a Mavericks fan had an extremely inappropriate interaction with his family during Sunday's playoff game in Texas ... claiming the Dallas supporter "put his hands on my mom."

The incident allegedly went down at some point during the Suns' loss to the Mavericks at American Airlines Center.

Paul's mother, wife and kids were in attendance at the game sitting near the Phoenix bench ... when, according to Paul, a fan physically contacted them.

"Wanna fine players for saying stuff to the fans but the fans can put they hands on our families," Paul said after the game, "f*** that!!"

According to ESPN, the fan allegedly put his hands on Paul's mom, and also pushed the NBA star's wife. The outlet reports Paul's kids saw it all happen.

Video shot by fans near the Suns' bench appears to show part of Paul's reaction to learning of the fan's alleged actions.

In the clip, you can see Paul was furious with a Mavericks fan, clearly telling the guy, "Hey! I'll see you later!"

In another video from the arena, Paul can be seen telling security guards, "He put his hands on my mom."

The Mavericks said in a statement after the game they were aware of the incident and the fan was removed from the stadium.

"The Dallas Mavericks are aware of an incident between a fan and the family of Chris Paul," the team said. "It was unacceptable behavior and will not be tolerated. The Mavericks, along with American Airlines Center, swiftly removed the fan from today's game."