NBA

Ex-NBA star Nate Robinson raked in more than $2 MILLION for that horrific boxing performance against Jake Paul back in 2020 ... and there's a chance they could run it back!!

That's all according to ESPN's Stephen A. Smith who says he spoke with a source "close to Nate" about what's going on behind the scenes ... and he dropped a ton of very interesting information.

Smith had mentioned Robinson's ill-fated Nov. 2020 match with Paul on Monday's "First Take" ... and when they came from commercial break, the extremely well-connected Stephen A. read a text message he received from a trusted Nate Robinson source. Here's what it said:

"Nate walked out the arena [on Nov. 28 and] realized he was not trained well. [He] apologized for not listening and collected a little over $2 million for that fiasco. He's fine."

"They are trying to get him to fight in a rematch, if you can believe that. Floyd 'Money' Mayweather wants to train him, if he agrees. Crazy but true."

The source said he advised Nate "not to do it" -- "but if he does, it needs to be for more money and he needs to train with a pro for a very long time."

Stephen A. and his First Take co-host Max Kellerman both strongly urged Nate to NOT take a rematch ... considering the punishment he took in the first fight.

We strongly agree.

Welcome to the Dozens ... starring Barack Obama?!?

He's got jokes! Fat jokes. Gambling jokes. Shaq jokes!! Plus, actual information about the COVID vaccine (no joke!)!!

Obama sat down virtually with Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal as part of ATTN:'s "Roll Up Your Sleeves" special on NBC ... where the goal was to educate the public about some of the misconceptions about the vaccine.

But, before he got down to business ... Obama had a little fun at Shaq and Barkley's expense!

Obama razzed Chuck for his famous gambling habit and joked with Shaq about how the Big Man endorses every business on the planet!

And then came the fat joke ...

Obama congratulated Barkley on his daughter's recent wedding -- and brought up how Charles mentioned how he wanted to slim down for the event.

"You also felt like you need to get in shape because The Hora (the traditional Jewish dance) ... when you're lifting the chair, nobody could do that at your current weight!"

Don't freak out, it was all in good fun -- and Barkley laughed it off.

"I survived the Hora! No one got hurt -- it was the best day of my life!"

As for the vaccine ... here's the gist of what Obama had to say.

-- "A lot of the underlying conditions, things like diabetes, folks who have preexisting conditions ... there is more of that in communities of color than there is generally, which means we're more vulnerable."

-- "A lot of young people think ... 'Even if I get COVID, it's like a bad cold.' But part of what we're seeing now is there is a different strain of the virus that's come over. That's not the dominant variant and it's actually hitting young people harder than the original version."

-- "We don't know the kinds of long terms effects that were having. There's some folks who get it and 6 months later and they're still not feeling quite right."

Obama also brought up how measles used to "kill people all the time" before vaccines.

He also mentioned the Tuskegee experiments and how it has become a reference point for Black people who don't trust the government when it comes to health care.

"The irony is when you know about the Tuskegee experiment, what's going on there is the government withheld treatment that was available for Black men for Syphilis. They didn't give them medicine they needed."

"So, here's a situation where if the medicine is available, we need to take it."

Metta World Peace is genuinely impressed with Jake Paul's boxing career -- telling TMZ Sports the guy is "legit" and loves the fact he's chasing his dream.

The former NBA star -- who's a big boxing fan -- loved watching Paul knock out Ben Askren over the weekend ... and explained why it's the latest in an "incredible" journey for the 24-year-old YouTube star.

"I like Jake Paul, because I think anybody who has a dream should go after that dream," Metta told us outside of Toast in L.A.

"I think what's incredible about it is he's doing it! That's what's incredible about it, action!"

Metta says he had dreams of becoming a boxer when he was younger -- but never followed up.

So, the fact Jake is putting in the work and seeing results is very impressive to him.

And get this ... Metta tells TMZ Sports he's been getting calls from networks looking to book him in a major celebrity boxing event.

But, don't hold your breath -- Metta says he ain't interested.

"I don't feel like doing it ... It's just not something I'm into doing."

"Ain't no dollar amount," Metta added ... "I just don't want to do it."

The L.A. Lakers will NOT visit Joe Biden at the White House next week to celebrate their 2019-20 NBA championship -- but it ain't a protest.

Unlike every NBA team during the Trump administration, the Lakers are NOT choosing to skip the Biden visit for political reasons -- it's all about COVID protocols and scheduling conflicts, according to multiple outlets.

The Lakers will be in D.C. to take on the Washington Wizards on April 28th -- and championship teams have historically scheduled the celebratory White House during road trips in the area.

But, it won't happen this time.

However, the Lakers -- including superstar LeBron James -- are open to a future meeting with President Biden ... possibly later or even after the season.

Hey, they're all busy people!

Plus, the NBA has strongly discouraged teams from participating in large public gatherings -- which could be one of the reasons they're pressing pause on the White House visit for now.

During President Trump's term -- zero NBA or WNBA championship teams visited the White House.

The Warriors, Raptors and Lakers were all outspokenly against the visit -- and Trump, in turn, either withdrew his invitation or never extended one.

Same with the WNBA teams and nearly every major college basketball champion with one exception ... the Baylor women's team visited after their 2019 title win.

New team, new bling!! At least, that's the type of wave Andre Drummond is on ... with L.A.'s newest star copping a brand new grill right after joining the Lakers!!!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 6'10" big man decided he wanted his smile to be spotted from miles away ... so he hit up his guy, AP the Jeweler from Atlanta, to help him out with a new grill.

Since Drummond was still a Cavalier at the time, AP personally flew out to Cleveland back in February to get his molding and start the process.

Of course, Drummond's tenure in The Land ended shortly after placing his order ... but the timing couldn't have been more perfect -- he now had a new accessory for his big arrival in L.A.!!

AP -- who also made LaMelo Ball's grill -- tells us the 8-top, 8-bottom white gold piece is filled with 10 carats of VVS diamonds in a honeycomb set.

No word on how much Drummond paid for his teeth, but we're told a grill like this would cost anyone a solid $20,000.

The NBA and WNBA teams that honored Daunte Wright by wearing custom shirts in the wake of his death are now auctioning off the items to raise money for Wright's family, league officials confirm.

Players from the Minnesota Timberwolves and Lynx -- along with the Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat all wore special warm-up shirts this week with the message "With Liberty and Justice FOR ALL" in the days after Wright was killed by a police officer in Minnesota.

Now, the teams say various players will sign their warm-up shirts and donate them for an auction -- with proceeds benefitting The Daunte Wright Memorial Fund, which supports the Wright family.

Some of the players who wore the shirt are Kevin Durant, Blake Griffin, Karl-Anthony Towns, DeAndre Jordan, Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro and many more.

The bidding starts at $200 per shirt -- but some of the items are exploding, like KD's shirt ... which already hit $500 just minutes after the auction went live.

Bidding closes at the final buzzer of Friday's Wolves vs. Heat game.

20-year-old Wright was shot and killed on April 11 during a traffic stop in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, a suburb of Minneapolis.

The officer responsible for the shooting, Kim Potter, has been arrested and charged with 2nd-degree manslaughter.

Potter has claimed she was trying to deploy a Taser on Wright -- but accidentally grabbed her handgun instead, fatally wounding him.

The shooting sparked outrage around the country -- and several NBA and WNBA teams held a moment of silence for Wright before games this week.

Wright is survived by his 2-year-old son -- and his family has set up a GoFundMe page to help covert funeral and burial expenses along with "mental health and grief counseling for Daunte's family."

LaMarcus Aldridge -- a 7-time NBA All-Star -- just announced he's retiring from the league after learning he played with an "irregular heartbeat."

The 35-year-old Brooklyn Nets star -- who dropped 12 points against the Lakers on Saturday -- made the shocking announcement in an emotional social media post Thursday morning.

"My last game, I played while dealing with an irregular heartbeat. Later on that night, my rhythm got even worse which really worried me even more," Aldridge said.

"The next morning, I told the team what was going on and they were great getting me to the hospital and getting me checked out."

Aldridge says he's "better now" -- but explains, "What I felt with my heart that night was still one of the scariest things I've experienced."

"With that being said, I've made the difficult decision to retire from the NBA. For 15 years, I've put basketball first, and now, it is time to put my health and family first."

Aldridge was the 2nd overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft -- and spent nearly a decade with the Portland Trail Blazers.

After that, he spent 6 years with the San Antonio Spurs before signing with the Brooklyn Nets in late March.

Aldridge says he's "thankful for everything this game has given me; the great memories, including all the ups and downs, and the friendships I’ve made and will keep with me forever."

"I thank Portland for drafting a skinny, Texas kid and giving him a chance. The city of Portland has given me some unforgettable years. They will always remain in my heart."

"I want to thank the Spurs for letting me into the family and giving me 5 fun years."

"Last but not least, I want to thank Brooklyn. You wanted me for me. In a game that’s changing so much, you asked me to come and just do what I do which was good to hear."

Aldridge ended his statement with this -- "You never know when something will come to an end, so make sure you enjoy it everyday. I can truly say I did just that."

Get the tissues ready ...

When Kobe Bryant is inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in May, the man presenting him will be none other than his hero ... Michael Jordan.

The Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame just announced the official plans for the May 15 event at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut.

Kobe -- along with NBA legends Tim Duncan and Kevin Garnett -- is set to be inducted into the class of 2020 (which was delayed due to COVID).

The HOF says members of the 2020 class were each asked "to select previous inductees to accompany and present them to their peers" during the ceremony.

In the case of Kobe, who passed away in January 2020, the decision was left for his family -- and they chose MJ.

Everyone knows ... Kobe modeled his entire career after Jordan and they grew close over the years.

In fact, after Kobe's death, Michael Jordan took the mic at Staples Center and paid tribute to Mamba in a very emotional and memorable speech to the L.A. crowd.

"When Kobe Bryant died, a piece of me died," MJ said at the time.

Here is the rest of the list of HOFers and their presenters ...

Patrick Baumann, presented by Russ Granik (’13), Vlade Divac (’19)

Kobe Bryant, presented by Michael Jordan (’09)

Tamika Catchings, presented by Alonzo Mourning (’14), Dawn Staley (’13)

Tim Duncan, presented by David Robinson (’09)

Kevin Garnett, presented by Isiah Thomas (’00)

Kim Mulkey, presented by Michael Jordan (’09)

Barbara Stevens, presented by Geno Auriemma (’06), Muffet McGraw (’17)

Eddie Sutton, presented by John Calipari (’15), Bill Self (’17), Sidney Moncrief (’19)

Jayson Tatum says his battle with COVID is STILL ongoing after 3 months ... telling reporters his breathing remains so messed up, he's been forced to use an inhaler before games.

The Boston Celtics superstar was diagnosed with the virus back in early January ... and missed nearly the entire month battling its effects.

The 23-year-old ultimately recovered ... though he said after the Celtics' win over the Trailblazers on Tuesday night that his lungs still have yet to bounce back to 100%.

"It's a process," Tatum said. "It takes a long time. Like, I take an inhaler before the game since I've tested positive."

"This has kind of helped with that and opened up my lungs, and, you know, I never took an inhaler before. So I think that's something different."

The good news? After roughly 12 weeks of fighting it, Tatum says he's closer than ever to getting back to normal.

"I for sure feel better now than I did a month ago," Tatum said.

Tatum's been a monster for Boston this season despite the COVID struggles ... he scored 32 points against Portland on Tuesday to lift the Celtics to a win.

"A year ago my life was forever changed. To the most beautiful woman I will ever know, I love you more than life itself."

Karl-Anthony Towns is remembering his late mother on the one-year anniversary of her death ... and his tribute is incredibly moving.

Jackie tragically passed away on April 13, 2020 after a lengthy battle with the coronavirus ... which included being placed in a medically induced coma.

KAT reflected on the impact she left on his life Tuesday ... remembering the loving woman who helped raise him to be the man he is today.

"Every day I miss you more and more, but your endless love and unforgettable memories are what keeps me going," Towns said on Instagram.

"One day, we will walk side by side again but until that beautiful day, I will continue to hold down the amazing family you made."

Towns recently stepped away from the Minnesota Timberwolves to be with his family during the difficult time ... and he will miss the team's Tuesday matchup against the Brooklyn Nets.

The team honored Jackie on Sunday with a reserved courtside seat ... draped in a custom #32 jersey and flowers.

Towns' girlfriend, Jordyn Woods, also paid tribute to Jackie -- gifting KAT an amazing portrait of his mom.

KAT continued ... "I can never replace you in this family, but I will try my best every day."

Denver Nuggets superstar Jamal Murray tore up his knee in such a scary fashion Monday night ... even the game's broadcasters were having trouble watching a replay of the injury.

"This is awful," one said ... while another added, "He's in a lot of pain. I don't even know if I want to watch this."

The gruesome play all went down in the final minute of the Nuggets' loss to the Warriors ... when Murray was driving to the basket at full speed.

You can see in clips of the play, as Murray planted his left leg to try to explode upward ... his knee just simply gave out on him.

The 24-year-old -- who had a breakout season last year and helped lead Denver to a Western Conference Finals appearance -- immediately crumpled to the hardwood in pain.

He let out several screams, pounded the floor ... and needed several trainers to help him get up.

A wheelchair was ultimately brought out for Murray ... but he refused to get in it -- and instead, hobbled off the floor and into the locker room.

The severity of Murray's injury was not yet known immediately after the game -- he'll undergo further testing Tuesday -- but it was clear to all involved it could be a devastating one for the Nuggets' star.

"Keep Jamal in your thoughts and prayers," Denver head coach Michael Malone said, "and hopefully we'll get some good news."

Added Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, "We hope he's not injured, that was a really scary fall and there was silence in the gym. Everybody is so concerned for him, so fingers crossed."

Steph Curry, who was just feet away from Murray when he suffered the scary fall, said he, too, was hoping Murray avoided catastrophic knee damage.

"My heart goes out to him," Curry said. "I hope that he gets the best news possible."

Murray had averaged 21.2 points per game this season ... and helped Denver to a 34-20 record. Most believed with a healthy Murray, the Nuggets had a great chance to win the Western Conference.

There will be no pity party for Paul Pierce -- the NBA legend's not wasting any time sulking over his departure from ESPN ... insisting he's already on the verge of a major comeback.

"Truth gonna bounce back like never before ... that's all you gotta know," so claimed "The Truth" on his way out of Il Pastaio restaurant in Beverly Hills Friday night.

So what's Paul's big move?? Well, we know Barstool Sports is making a recruiting push. In fact, Dave Portnoy personally tweeted out to Pierce just hours after his split with ESPN ... urging him to hit him up.

Pierce wouldn't dish out any details of his next gig after dinner though, but whatever it is ... he's pretty fired up about it.

As we reported ... ESPN parted ways with Pierce last week, though the network wouldn't reveal the reason for its decision.

Two extremely rare, insanely valuable collector's items -- a Tom Brady and a LeBron James trading card -- just hit the auction block ... and are expected to sell for over $5 MILLION!!!

Yes, $2,500,000 each ... $5 million total. That's equivalent to the cost of 24 brand-spankin' new Lamborghini Huracans.

Let's start with the King James card ... a 2003-04 Upper Deck "Exquisite Collection" Exquisite Rookie Patch Autograph card -- 1 of 99 ever produced.

The card features Bron's signature ... and an actual NBA logo patch from a jersey LBJ rocked during his incredible rookie year with the Cavs in 2003.

The card was rated a mint 9 by Beckett -- one of the top grading companies in the business -- meaning it's essentially in brand new condition.

As for the Brady card ... it's a 2000 Playoff Contenders #144 Signed Championship Ticket Rookie card -- 1 of only 100 ever made.

The TB12 is considered the "holy grail" of modern football cards ... it was graded an 8.5 (near mint +) by Beckett ... and the autograph was awarded a perfect 10 (pristine) rating.

If you think $2.5 mil for each card is crazy ... it's not. In fact, a lower graded version of the Brady card recently sold for $2.25 mil.

Also, a different version of the same Bron card sold for $1.84 mil in 2020 -- and the card collectibles market has exploded recently.

Both cards are part of Goldin Auctions' latest auction ... which went live Friday.

"I've been waiting on y'all to ask me!!"

Draymond Green COULDN'T WAIT to respond to Team USA soccer star Megan Rapinoe on Thursday -- after she ripped him for his comments about the female pay gap in pro sports.

And, when the Golden State Warriors star began to explain himself ... he tried to make it clear they're both fighting for the same thing!!!

"I think what I've said has been extremely misconstrued," Green told the media ... "because I am on their side."

Green had previously said he was sick and tired of hearing female athletes "complain" about the pay gap instead of taking more effective action to get better contracts.

Rapinoe blasted Green on Wednesday -- saying he showed his "whole ass" with the "unacceptable" remarks.

"It's really unfortunate, in the position [Green's] in," the soccer superstar said, "having all of the resources that he has and the ability to have a much more educated opinion, that he just hasn't."

So, fast forward to Thursday when Green tried to clarify his position.

"At the end of the day, what Megan wants and what I want is the same thing," Green said.

"And, if she believes doing something a certain way gets her to the end goal, I'm all for that. And, if I believe doing something a certain way gets to the end goal, I'm all for that. So, if we can both do something to move the needle to get to the end goal, great."

"I have no complaints with whatever it is she wants to do, or any woman athlete wants to do, or anyone who is trying to help drive their cause and what they want to be done. It doesn't matter to me how we get there. What matters to me is that we get there."

Green had previously said female athletes DESERVE better pay -- but advised they need to change their PR strategy in order to achieve their goal.

On Thursday, he reinforced his point that female athletes need to band together to hold sports leagues, advertisers and other influential organizations responsible ... and push them to do a better job marketing women's sports.

Green specifically called out Nike and Beats By Dre.

"All of these companies [can] tell these stories [about top female athletes] in order to help drive that bottom line."

Megan Rapinoe is firing back at Draymond Green ... ripping the NBA star for his "unacceptable" comments on women's pay, and saying he showed his "whole ass" with the remarks.

Rapinoe went off on the Warriors player during a conference call with reporters Wednesday ... explaining Green's take on the gender pay gap in sports was just "really disappointing."

"It's really unfortunate, in the position [Green's] in," the soccer superstar said, "having all of the resources that he has and the ability to have a much more educated opinion, that he just hasn't."

In a Twitter thread last month, followed by a subsequent double down on the take just days later, Green essentially pinned women's sports' financial problems on women themselves.

The 31-year-old said professional female athletes need to stop "complaining" ... and think of more effective ways to bring in more revenue to their leagues -- and thus, boost their pay.

Rapinoe had a major issue with all of that ... saying, "You obviously showed your whole ass in not even understanding what we all talk about all the time -- WNBA players and us on the national team."

She continued, "You don't think we asked for more money? I mean, what are we screaming about? Nonstop!"

Rapinoe says it's actually men in power who need to help women and aid in the funneling of funds to women's sports ... telling reporters, "We know all this, about all social movements and all people who are marginalized, whether it's by race or gender, religion, sexuality, whatever it is, it is not just their job to be the ones fighting oppression."

"We need all of the other people as well."