NBA

Amaya Espinal got a hero's welcome in the Big Apple after her winning run on "Love Island USA" ... including shaking it with a few of the New York Knicks' finest.

The 'LI USA' season 7 winner pulled up to Sei Less -- a fine-dining Asian Fusion restaurant in Midtown Manhattan -- Friday night after months in the villa ... and, she and some friends decided to go all out at the celeb hot spot.

Our sources say Sei Less is one of Amaya's fav restaurants, a place she frequented before achieving fame on 'Love Island' ... but, yesterday was a change for Espinal, who got a private dining room and was mobbed by fans while walking through the joint.

Marcus Jordan had a sobering realization following the deaths of Hulk Hogan and Ozzy Osbourne this week -- one that encouraged him to reconnect with his family ... and nearly pick up the bottle after months of sobriety.

The troubled son of Michael Jordan took to Instagram Friday to reveal the deaths of the rock legend and WWE icon encouraged him to reach out to his family because "life is short and it's important to spend time with the people you love."

His relationship with his father, mother Juanita Vanoy and siblings was previously unknown ... but he hasn't been seen publicly with the NBA star since February 2024, when they watched the Super Bowl together. And considering he says he reached out to his siblings -- brother Jeffrey and sisters Jasmine, Victoria and Ysabel -- and both 'rents, it seems like they were not on speaking terms.

Jeremiah Fears' latest ink had social media abuzz ... and it turns out the NBA rookie already has All-Star-level patience -- 'cause the body art took more than 10 hours to complete!!

The former Oklahoma Sooners guard -- who was the seventh overall pick in the 2025 NBA Draft -- went to his go-to artist, Joseph McCormick, for the job ... and he told TMZ Sports Fears wanted to pay homage to his hoops career, both past and present, with the tattoo.

McCormick said Fears pulled up to his Ink Plug Tattoo Co. shop in Oklahoma City this week ... where he brought the massive tribute to life.

Memphis Grizzlies star Zach Edey -- the 7-foot-4 phenom -- cut a deal with prosecutors on Wednesday to close out his reckless driving case, TMZ Sports has learned.

Court records we obtained show the 23-year-old admitted to a speeding infraction and agreed to pay $639.50 ... and in exchange, officials dropped the misdemeanor reckless driving charge he had been facing.

The case stemmed from a May 1 encounter the basketball player had with Indiana State Police in West Lafayette.

Draya Michele and Jalen Green are setting the record straight on how they ended up together -- the NBA star admitted he is the one who slid into the DMs!!

The couple appeared on Whistle for a Q&A about their controversial relationship (due to their age gap) ... with many accusing Michele of manipulating the young basketball star.

Well, that's not the case. Green -- who was traded to the Phoenix Suns in July -- revealed he was the one who made the first move.

LeBron James and Drake's severed friendship is past the point of no return -- the Lakers superstar was spotted rapping to Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" in Cannes this week ... and to make matters worse for the 6ix God, Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sanchez were vibing along, too!!

The video is making rounds on social media on Tuesday ... showing Bron's table -- including his wife, Savannah, and business partner Maverick Carter -- jamming to K. Dot's famous Drizzy diss while vacationing in France.

While LeBron elected not to go entirely word for word, especially during the most damning anti-Drake lyrics, Savannah yelled "A minorrrrrrr" with her whole chest.

Shaquille O'Neal is clearly not impressed with Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson's new romance ... 'cause he believes they'll be broken up long before the NBA season rolls around.

The NBA Hall of Famer shared his thoughts on the coupling on a recent episode of "The Big Podcast with Shaq" ... after co-host Adam Lefkoe brought up the new relationship between the "Savage" rapper and Dallas Mavericks hooper.

O'Neal, 53, didn't have much to say ... but made it clear to all his listeners where he stands on the couple.

Megan Thee Stallion and Klay Thompson's romance tour continues -- this time, the new couple turned heads at a fancy event ... and the "Mamushi" rapper gushed about how special her hooper boyfriend is to her.

The pair was spotted all dolled up at the inaugural Pete & Thomas Foundation Gala in New York City on Wednesday ... a bash for Megan's nonprofit organization that provides resources for women, children and the elderly in underserved communities.

It's the second time the lovebirds have been spotted showing PDA in public since their Instagram hard launch ... and the shindig was a perfect opportunity to open up a bit about their hot love story.

Oklahoma City Thunder star Jalen Williams went from unknown college player to one of the best young talents in the NBA in three short years ... and he tells TMZ Sports his success has allowed him to give his parents an amazing gift -- retirement!!

The 12th overall pick in the 2022 draft has made the most of his time as a pro ... and his 2025 season was as good as it gets with All-Star and All-Defensive team selections, an NBA championship and a massive five-year, $287 MILLION extension to top it all off.

We caught up with 24-year-old J-Dub at LAX this week to ask what it's been like ... and he admitted he hasn't been able to process any of it -- including his fat payday.

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.