NBA

Shaquille O'Neal just sent a stern warning to Robert Griffin III ... telling the Heisman Trophy winner if he continues to keep Angel Reese's name in his mouth, the Big Diesel is going to serve up a big ol' knuckle sandwich.

The NBA legend took aim at RGIII during an appearance on the "Off The Record" podcast this week ... going off on the former NFL quarterback for re-posting a racist meme of Reese on his X page.

"RGIII," Shaq said as he took off his sunglasses and stared into a camera. "Tweet another monkey post about my girl Angel Reese and I'm going to punch you in your f***ing face. OK? It's enough."

It's been decades since Dwyane Wade's mom was in prison, but he just revealed to TMZ Sports he still has all the notes she sent him from her time behind bars ... and he still reads them to this day.

The NBA legend opened up to us about being pen pals with Jolinda Wade while she was incarcerated earlier in his life, and he explained why it was super important to both of them to keep in contact despite her situation.

He told us he wanted to let her know "we wasn't judging her. We wasn't pointing fingers at her. We just loved her and we just wanted her to come home to us."

LiAngelo Ball's soon-to-be ex-wife, Rashida Nicole, claims the hooper/rapper's former partner is trying to make her life a living hell amid her pregnancy ... unloading on the woman in a scathing social media post.

Nicole shared the note on her Instagram Story late Sunday night ... saying she tried to stay quiet to focus on her baby on the way, but she can no longer take it.

"I am sooo tired of this bish keep talking about me," Nicole wrote. "So let's talk about it!!! It's giving obsessed!"

Forget about his moves on the basketball court -- LeBron James showed off his dancing skills at the opening night of Bad Bunny's Puerto Rico residency!

The Los Angeles Lakers star entertained the roaring crowd at the Puerto Rican-born superstar's concert in San Juan Friday night ... hopping on stage as he got down to the music.

LeBron, decked out in blue joggers, a floral-print button down and a yellow bucket hat, seriously looked like he was having the time of his life as he vibed to "Titi me preguntó" and recorded the experience. He hasn't posted any footage he shot on his phone yet ... but he clearly took home some serious memories.

Chase Budinger was able to successfully transition from the NBA to pro volleyball ... but he tells TMZ Sports he's yet to see a single hooper who could repeat his feat.

The ex-Houston Rockets forward swung by the TMZ offices this week to give some staffers a lesson or two on how things are done in the sand ... and afterward, he explained just how tough it is to be an AVP player.

He told us his opponents can "jump out of the gym," and "it's even more crazy, because they're doing it on the beach."

2:08 PM PT -- A rep for Coco tells TMZ ... "After an amazing season and a sold out tour, Donovan Mitchell and Coco Jones took a moment to recharge on vacation which turned it into a beautiful engagement."

"The couple has been dating for two years and look forward to building a life together."

Donovan Mitchell just took things to the next level with Coco Jones -- the NBA star popped the question ... and she said YES!!

The Cleveland Cavaliers guard shared the amazing news with his 3+ million Instagram followers on Friday ... with a photo of him kissing the R&B sensation in front of a beautiful sunset.

He also posted a video of his proposal near the beach ... showing him getting on one knee.

Bronny James and Cooper Flagg's Summer League showdown drew a crowd that resembled a real NBA game ... with plenty of notable faces in the stands for the contest, including Kyrie Irving!!

The matchup between the Lakers and Mavericks went down Thursday night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada ... where LeBron's son and the 2025 No. 1 overall draft pick went at it.

Irving -- who tore his ACL during a game in March -- was posted up courtside to support his new rookie teammate, who finished with 10 points in his debut after going 5-21 from the field.

Megan Thee Stallion's taking advantage of Klay Thompson's summer off-season ... the NBA legend was cryptically spotted in her new IG post -- and it's because they're dating!!!

The "Hiss" rapper has a win-win situation with her social media posts doubling as promo for her Hot Girl Summer swimwear line ... but Klay's "Where's Waldo"-esque cameo in the background of her poolside shot was hard to ignore!!!

Meg knows her way around the hardwood ... she was linked with Chicago Bulls player Torrey Craig up until her Coachella performance in April -- but seems like all plays are running through Klay now.

We reached out to Meg's team ... no word back yet, but given her Houston hometown and Klay's current slot with the Dallas Mavericks, seeing each other shouldn't be an issue!!!

AVP took on TMZ ... and it ended up being a TKO.

Volleyball superstars Chase Budinger and Brandie Wilkerson popped by the TMZ offices on Wednesday ... and to warm up for their games at the AVP League Event in Los Angeles this weekend, they played a few of our staffers on our sand court.

Budinger, a former NBA star, and Wilkerson, a Paris Games silver medalist, faced off with TMZ Sports' Edward Lewis and Conor Hurley in Game 1 ... and while the first point went the journalists' way, it was total annihilation from there.

2:51 PM PT -- TMZ Sports has obtained more details on the split ... with docs showing March 24, 2025 for their date of marriage and June 15 for their separation.

The reason behind the divorce was listed as "irreconcilable differences."

Docs show Gelo is asking for joint custody and visitation ... and wants to terminate spousal support for both parties.

LiAngelo Ball has filed for divorce from Rashida Nicole ... just days after the influencer announced she was pregnant with the couple's child.

Court records, obtained by TMZ Sports, show the "Tweaker" rapper requested the split at a Southern California courthouse on July 3.

It's unclear when the two actually tied the knot -- though we did see the duo leaving the same SoCal courthouse back in February wearing all-white outfits and carrying a large envelope.

The King's new palace is taking shape ... check out some recent images of the mega-mansion LeBron James is building in Beverly Hills -- it's getting closer and closer to completion.

The latest video of the Southern California property was shot a couple weeks ago ... and it shows the home LBJ will one day move into is going to be a massive one.

There appear to be two structures on the 2.5-acre land ... and both look like they'll have plenty of space for the James Gang, their cars and a friend or six.

Former NBA player Ben McLemore was sentenced to 100 months in prison after he was convicted of raping a woman in 2021 when he was hooping for the Trail Blazers.

The more than 8-year sentence was handed down on Wednesday, a week after a jury found the former Blazers guard guilty of sexual assault and rape in a Clackamas County courtroom.

The incident happened in October 2021 at the home of former Blazer's player Robert Covington, where McLemore was accused of raping a 21-year-old woman during a party.

11:40 AM PT -- NBA 2K general manager Zak Armitage opened up on the decision to feature Angel Reese on this year's cover ... telling TMZ Sports, "NBA 2K26 is celebrating the bold, the confident and the visionaries -- and WNBA All-Star Angel Reese carries all that on and off the court."

"In her sophomore year in the WNBA, Angel Reese has made waves, created impactful conversations, and inspired the next generation. She’s a storyteller and has helped the WNBA grow its audience."

Armitage went on to praise Reese for making her presence known "on the biggest stages, including in gaming," and the crew is honored to have her join the 2K family.

Angel Reese has reached "cover athlete" status -- the Chicago Sky hooper was just revealed as the face of the NBA 2K26 "WNBA Edition" ... leaving some folks wondering if Caitlin Clark's invite got lost in the mail.

The popular video game franchise announced the slate of stars who would join NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander with the honor for the upcoming installment ... with Hall of Famer Carmelo Anthony landing the "Superstar Edition" cover.

The decision to go with Reese over the Indiana Fever guard has folks weighing in ... and it's breathing new life into the biggest rivalry in women's basketball in the process.

Larsa Pippen's got a thing for basketball players -- and apparently coaches, too -- 'cause Scottie's ex just opened up on a brief romance she had with a 47-year-old before linking up with her new boyfriend, Jeff Coby ... and he was a real whistleblower.

The reality TV star peeled back the curtain on her dating life on the latest episode of Angela Yee's "Lip Service" podcast ... when the topic of age being just a number was raised.

"I dated a guy that was 47 years old, before I dated Jeff, and he was so immature," Pippen said.

Dwight Howard's wife, Amber Rose Howard, has filed for divorce ... just six months after she tied the knot with the ex-NBA superstar.

Court documents, obtained by TMZ Sports, show the rapper and reality star -- known widely as Amy Luciani -- requested the split from the basketball player at a Georgia courthouse on July 1.

Amber wrote in the docs "The marriage is irretrievably broken," adding, "there are no prospects for reconciliation."

October won't just feature pumpkins, ghouls and goblins this year, it'll also mark the first time in forever that "Roundball Rock" will be on NBA broadcasts ... and the man who created the iconic jingle tells TMZ Sports he couldn't be more fired up for it!

We caught up with John Tesh out in Los Angeles last week ... and he could hardly contain his excitement when talking to us about the song's return to airwaves.

The tune, of course, was a staple of NBC's coverage of the NBA throughout the 1990s ... but when the network lost the rights to broadcast Association games roughly two decades ago, the melody went on hiatus.