NBA

11:30 AM PT -- There's a happy ending to this story ... as TMZ Sports has learned Lakers superstar Luka Doncic has donated $5,000 to help restore the mural.

It's an incredible gesture ... as that is the total amount the fundraiser was hoping to rake in for the effort.

A tribute to the late Kobe and Gigi Bryant was defaced with graffiti ... with the mural becoming a canvas for an apparent beef between street artists.

The vandalism was spotted recently ... with a piece depicting the Lakers legend in uniform and kissing his young daughter on the cheek being covered in white paint and a graffiti tag.

In the top corner, where the original artist's name "Sloe Motions" appeared, it looks like someone scribbled out the tag and wrote "Keep running your mouth, p***y."

Kevin Love and his former teammate Tristan Thompson shared an emotional and powerful moment before Monday's Cavs-Heat playoff game, following the recent passing of Love's father, his "first Hero."

The touching scene went down before the Cavs' 138-83 blowout dub vs. the Heat at the Kaseya Center in Miami, when Love and Thompson -- who played together in The Land from 2014 to 2020 -- reunited on the court.

It was all caught on the broadcast ... showing Thompson hugging and comforting Love, who is mourning the death of his father, Stan, who passed away on Sunday.

Damian Lillard's 2024-25 NBA season has come to a brutal end ... as the Milwaukee Bucks superstar will miss the rest of his team's playoff run after suffering a torn left Achilles.

The news broke Monday morning ... with ESPN saying an MRI revealed the extent of the ailment following the team's 129-103 loss to the Indiana Pacers in Game 4 of their first-round matchup.

The injury occurred during the first quarter of the contest when Dame went to grab a rebound. After falling to the ground, he reached for the back of his ankle before getting up and being helped to the locker room.

Kevin Love shared the heartbreaking news of his dad's death with an emotional goodbye on Sunday ... saying he was "so proud to be" former NBA player Stan Love's son.

The 36-year-old Miami Heat forward -- who has spent time away from the team due to personal reasons -- said his dad "fought for a long time," and although it was painful to watch him "deteriorate" in his final days ... he still viewed him as his a "Giant," his "Protector," and his "first Hero."

"Your only wish was to be at home surrounded by your family when you took your dying breath," Kevin said. "That breath came. And now it’s time to rest."

Most Dallas fans still haven’t figured out what the heck Nico Harrison was thinking when he traded away franchise player Luka Doncic ... but one former Maverick seems to understand the move at least a little bit -- Brendan Haywood!!

TMZ Sports caught up with the 2011 Mavs champ at LAX this week ... and asked him all about the transaction that sent shockwaves through the league back in February.

Haywood said he's looking at the entire picture ... telling us, "Defense wins championships, that’s what Nico's talking about."

Alijah Arenas' Cybertruck ended up wrapped around a tree in an L.A. suburb early Thursday morning -- and the cause is still a mystery -- but investigators do NOT believe alcohol or drugs were a factor.

TMZ Sports spoke with our law enforcement sources ... and we're told LAPD didn't observe any signs of intoxication at the scene, just moments after the 18-year-old 5-star recruit was pulled from his burning vehicle around 4:55 AM.

After Arenas was transported to a local hospital, cops followed up ... but the soon-to-be USC basketball star was already intubated (tube down his throat), so no blood draw was done.

Kate Hudson may know a thing or two on "How To Lose A Guy In 10 Days," but do you have what it takes to win the switch-ups in these two pics?! You better grab a rag to dab your forehead, 'cuz Kate's heatin' up!

Earlier this week, Hudson hit up the Los Angeles Lakers vs. the Minnesota Timberwolves game here in L.A., looking game-ready. Courtside and all, the actress-singer donned this ensemble, but it appears she was a smidge dehydrated.

Can you bag up the changes? You got this!

The serious car crash that sent 5-star hooper Alijah Arenas to the hospital with serious injuries was likely caused by excess speed, law enforcement sources tell TMZ Sports.

The Los Angeles Police Department was on the scene of the 5 AM crash, which occurred along a two-lane residential roadway in the Winnetka neighborhood of the San Fernando Valley, in a 40 MPH zone.

18-year-old Alijah was alone in the Cybertruck -- owned by his father, ex-NBA star Gilbert Arenas -- at the time of the accident ... which was a single-vehicle wreck.

Basketball phenom Alijah Arenas rolled on the ground in a huge puddle of water just moments after he was ripped from a burning Tesla Cybertruck ... video, obtained by TMZ Sports, shows.

The clip was recorded by a neighbor who tells us he heard the crash happen at around 5 AM Thursday just outside of his home in L.A.'s San Fernando Valley.

The witness says he raced out and saw Arenas stuck inside the flame-engulfed vehicle after it had barreled over a fire hydrant and come to a stop on a nearby tree.

12:37 PM PT -- According to high school hoops insider Tarek Fattal, Alijah Arenas was placed into the induced coma due to smoke inhalation ... and did not suffer any broken bones.

12:26 PM PT -- Alijah's mom, Laura Govan, appeared to address the news in an Instagram post ... pleading with her 1.5 million followers to send wishes.

"I NEED ALL YOURE (sic) F***EN PRAYERS," Govan said minutes ago.

High school basketball phenom Alijah Arenas, the son of former NBA superstar Gilbert Arenas, was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries after crashing his Tesla Cybertruck early Thursday morning ... TMZ Sports has learned.

It's unclear what caused the wreck, but the luxury vehicle was completely mangled on the side of the road of a Los Angeles neighborhood based on images we have viewed.

We're told emergency responders raced to the scene at 4:55 AM -- after fire personnel responded to a "trapped patient" ... but when help arrived, everyone inside the vehicle had already made it out.

Kristaps Porzingis is embracing the bloody injury he sustained in Game 2 of the Celtics vs. Magic NBA Playoffs series ... saying despite needing five stitches as a result of the shot to his head, he loves his "WWE moments!"

The 7'2" center spoke to the media about the gruesome gash he sustained late in the third quarter of Wednesday night's matchup at TD Garden in Beantown.

In case you missed it, Porzingis -- who was traded to Boston in 2023 -- took an elbow to the forehead when Magic big man Goga Bitadze went for a rebound off a missed Paolo Banchero shot.

Shaquille O'Neal doesn't have to worry about running off set for a bathroom break anymore ... 'cause adult diaper brands are lining up to give him free product!!

O'Neal, 53, hilariously waddled to the restroom in the middle of an "Inside the NBA" segment on Monday ... and fans, as well as his cohosts Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson and Kenny "The Jet" Smith, had a field day with the blooper.

NorthShore Care -- known for its "maximum absorbency products" -- tells TMZ Sports it wants to throw up a lob to the Lakers great following the viral moment ... by shipping him some items that could keep him at the desk for a loooong time.

Shaquille O'Neal's bathroom emergency wasn't about to come and go without some chain yanking from his "Inside the NBA" cohosts ... with the NBA legend getting trolled with a portable toilet right next to his spot on the desk!!

Fresh off O'Neal's abrupt exit from Monday night's show to drain the snake, his coworkers decided to help him out a bit with some hijinks.

The hilarious prank was documented during Tuesday night's TNT coverage of the NBA playoffs ... something Charles Barkley didn't even notice when he arrived to the studio.

An anonymous NBA player poll dubbed Tyrese Haliburton the most overrated player in the league ... but don't bring that up to Indiana Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle -- 'cause he believes the results are absolute "bulls***."

Carlisle was asked about the questionnaire published by The Athletic following the Pacers' 123-115 win over the Milwaukee Bucks Tuesday night ... and he made it clear he isn't a fan of the yearly piece.

"The other guys on the list were Jimmy Butler and Giannis [Antetokounmpo]," Carlisle said. "I wanna see the guys' faces that voted those guys, I wanna see the faces of those guys. This is a bulls*** poll."

Detroit is riding high after snapping its 15-game playoff losing streak against the New York Knicks on Monday ... but former Piston Ben Wallace tells TMZ Sports the current squad isn't a bunch of "Bad Boys" -- they've earned their own identity!!

We caught up with Big Ben out at LAX on Tuesday ... and while he knows there's a ton of basketball left, he believes his old team can pull off the first-round upset with the series tied at 1-1.

"The guy's been playing well," he said. "The guy's playing hard, playing together. We're gonna go out there and just see what happens. I think the guys are excited about being out there, being able to be back in the playoffs. We know anytime getting to the playoffs, anything's possible."

Anthony Edwards' bank account just got shafted by the NBA ... with the Minnesota Timberwolves hooper getting hit with a $50,000 fine for telling a Lakers fan his "dick bigger."

The league just announced the punishment on Tuesday ... saying the 23-year-old All-Star directed "inappropriate language" toward a fan -- as well as an "obscene gesture."

The incident went down with less than five minutes left in the third quarter of the Wolves' 117-95 Game 1 win over Los Angeles ... which naturally had some Purple and Gold supporters on edge.