NBA

Ex-NBA star Chris Webber is bringing more weed business to his hometown -- by opening a $50 million cannabis facility in Detroit.

Of course, Webber is already in the weed industry -- he launched a $100 million equity fund with JW Asset Management to help minority entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry earlier this year.

Now, he's taking it one step further and building Players Only Holdings -- a 180,000 square foot facility featuring a 60,000 square foot cultivation, a dispensary and a cannabis consumption lounge.

The $50 million dollar location -- that will be owned by Webber and Lavetta Willis -- will also be a training spot that will focus on cannabis cultivation, creative content and management, branding and real estate.

The awesome compound just broke ground on Tuesday and is expected to be finished in March 2022 ... with plans of expanding the cultivation by 80,000 square feet later on.

Webber's also expanding Cookies Campus -- his cannabis training program in California -- to the Motor City ... and the 5-time NBA All-Star is excited to bring this opportunity to his hometown.

"We will create, foster and provide a cannabis ecosystem that celebrates diversity, creates jobs, and benefits this community – focusing intensely on those who are being left behind," Webber said.

LeBron James just confirmed he is, in fact, vaccinated ... but he said he will not urge others to do the same, explaining, "That's not my job."

The NBA superstar broke down his feelings on the COVID vax at Lakers media day Tuesday ... saying to reporters he was initially skeptical of the shots -- but decided to get them after doing his research.

Still, James said he had no interest in pleading with others -- including his NBA peers -- to follow in his footsteps ... believing it's a decision each person must make on their own.

"We're talking about individuals' bodies," LeBron said. "We're not talking about something that's political, or racism, or police brutality. Things of that nature. We're talking about people's bodies and well being."

"So, I don't feel like, for me personally, that I should get involved in what other people should do for their bodies and their livelihoods."

James compared it to giving out job advice -- explaining he would never tell someone how to choose their own career paths.

"You have to do what's best for your family," LeBron said. "So, I know what I did for me and my family. I know some of my friends and what they did for their families."

"But as far as speaking for everybody and their individualities and things that they want to do, I don't feel like that -- that's not my job."

LeBron James says he almost played in the NFL, telling Eli and Peyton Manning the Cowboys and Seahawks both offered him a contracts during the NBA lockout in 2011.

Bron joined the Manning Bros during their "Monday Night Football" broadcast ... when the Giants legend asked James if it were true that Dallas recruited him back in the day, with Eli asking if he had "any temptation to put the uniform on and go play for the Cowboys?”

"That's true, Jerry Jones offered me a contract. Also, Pete Carroll did as well, in Seattle during our lockout time," LeBron told Eli and Peyton.

"It definitely got my blood flowing again. Got my mind racing again thinking about the game of football, being out there on Sundays."

Unfortunately for Cowboys and Seahawks fans, Bron says NBA players and owners quickly worked through their differences, and lockout ended shortly after.

"We were able to get a deal done in the NBA and I was back on the court in no time, but I definitely thought about it. I still got the jerseys too, that Jerry and Pete Carroll sent me from 2011."

Eli asked which position teams envisioned the 6'8", 250+ lb. basketball legend playing -- wide receiver, tight end?

“Yeah, more tight end, tight end," LeBron answered ... "I wanted to be a red-zone specialist like Gronk.”

You'll recall, James was a talented receiver in high school, playing for St.-Vincent-St. Mary’s football team … even getting recruited by several Division 1 schools (for football).

He smashed the competition during his junior year ... racking up 57 receptions, 1,160 yards, and 16 TDs.

Great numbers ... but safe to say his decision to quit football and focus on hooping turned out well for the future Hall of Famer.

But, not even Peyton could stop himself from imagining what it would've been like to throw the ball up to a freakishly big, strong, and talented athlete.

“I would have thrown so many touchdowns to LeBron, put him out wide, throw the ball, throw the fade, jump ball. 75 touchdowns.”

The Brooklyn Nets are without part of their "Big Three" to kick off the 2021-22 season ... 'cause Kyrie Irving will not attend the team’s media day due to New York City's COVID-19 protocols.

Irving is believed to be in the roughly 10% of the league that has not been vaccinated ... with Rolling Stone reporting he's actively engaging with wild anti-vax conspiracies on social media.

Considering there's a mandate requiring NYC-based NBA players to have at least one vaccine shot before practicing or playing indoors, Irving had no choice but to miss the team's event on Monday ... and now, his status for the season is in jeopardy.

29-year-old Irving is coming off one of his best seasons as a pro ... dropping 26.9 points on 50.6% shooting and averaging 6.0 assists and 4.8 boards.

Irving certainly figures to be a crucial part of any hopes the BK Nets have to win a title this season ... but unless he gets a religious exception from the league (Andrew Wiggins' request was denied), there is a slim chance he can suit up until the city's protocols change.

Irving's teammate -- Kevin Durant -- was asked about why he isn't concerned about KI's vaccination status ... and he downplayed the whole situation.

"That's his personal decision," KD told the media. "What he does is not on us to speculate. I expect us to have our whole team at some point."

Now we all know, Irving marches to the beat of his own drum ... but that drum may not be at a championship parade if things don't change.

While his NYC availability is up in the air, Irving is expected to travel with the team to San Diego later Monday for training camp.

Story developing ...

Devin Booker says he's currently fighting COVID ... revealing on a Twitch stream over the weekend he's been battling the virus for about a week -- and it's sapped him of his taste and smell.

The NBA superstar -- who's been famously dating Kendall Jenner for the past year -- broke it all down for his followers while playing "Call of Duty" on Sunday.

"I got the 'vid, man," Booker said ... adding later in the stream, "Honestly, I'm feeling straight, man. Only thing that I'm dealing with is no taste, no smell. Which is the worst part of it."

"But," Booker continued, "I'm about a week in. I'm going to be back in no time. No time."

Booker -- who vacationed all over the globe with Jenner in August -- declined to say if he was vaccinated or not ... but did mention on the stream, "You can still get COVID with the vaccine."

Booker is now expected to miss the start of the Phoenix Suns' training camp while he recovers from the virus.

It's unclear, meanwhile, if Jenner has also contracted COVID.

Think your new J's are the s**t? Nah, think again ... 'cause somebody just copped a real deal pair of Michael Jordan's worn underwear, and they cost about 3 grand!!

We're serious ... a lucky Jordan fan just bought a one of a kind pair of boxers at Lelands Auction Saturday night ... with the final bid coming in at $2,784.

As we previously reported, the gray and black boxers hit the auction block in August ... and the company says the trunks have evidence of "definite use" by the G.O.A.T. himself.

It's not what ya think ... there are some loose threads and a dry cleaning tag attached to the drawers.

While you may think most people wouldn't want to get their hands on these skivvies, think again ... there were 19 bids!!!

Lelands secured the garment from Jordan's buddy and bodyguard John Michael Wozniak, who you might remember from "The Last Dance" documentary.

Woz also gave the company other items worn by MJ -- suits, coats, dress shirts and ties that were included in the auction lot.

Jeffrey Jordan, Michael Jordan's 32-year-old son, is accused of assaulting staff at a hospital in Arizona Friday night, where he was being treated for an injury he sustained in a bar, TMZ Sports has learned.

Here's the deal ... Jeffrey was at Casa Amigos bar in Scottsdale when he "fell and hit his head," according to police. They say Jordan then became combative with security who were attempting to escort him out of the bar to receive medical attention.

Scottsdale PD, who were in the area for an unrelated call, were summoned to assist. Cops interviewed bar staff, and eventually deemed the incident "medical in nature," not criminal. An ambulance was called to transport JJ to a hospital.

After arriving at a local hospital, that's when things allegedly took a turn.

Jeffrey is accused of assaulting hospital staff while being treated for the injury he sustained at the bar. A report for aggravated assault, a felony, was taken at the hospital.

As for Jeffrey's side, our sources tell us he was confused and disoriented following the fall.

Jordan was NOT arrested or charged with a crime. As of this morning, he still remains in the hospital.

Police tell us the relevant reports will be sent to the Maricopa County Prosecutors Office ... where they will review the case and determine if charges are warranted.

6'1" Jeffrey, MJ's oldest son, played college basketball at the University of Illinois, before transferring to the University of Central Florida in 2010. He played 107 college basketball games over his career, averaging about 2 points a game.

Utah Jazz star Rudy Gobert says the NBA can come knocking on his door any time it wants ... telling TMZ Sports he ain't scared of the league's "random" drug tests!!

Of course, it's become quite the trend in the Association -- you post a jacked pic on Instagram, you get "randomly" hit up for a test.

Just ask Sacramento Kings guard De'Aaron Fox, who posted a shirtless pic showing off his buff bod in the gym earlier this month ... and then got contacted the very next day.

Before that, then-Lakers player Alex Caruso was "randomly" selected to test just one week after a photoshopped pic of him looking like the Hulk went viral on social media.

Are ya starting to see the trend here??

Gobert could be the next guy to fall victim to the NBA's far-from-sneaky ways ... 'cause the 3-time defensive player of the year posted a snap looking absolutely shredded on social media earlier this week ... so when we saw him out at LAX, we had to ask if he was worried.

"No, I'm not worried," Gobert told us. "I'm all clean, all organic, all-natural, all work."

The journey has been long and grueling, but Isaiah Austin has officially made it to the NBA -- the ex-college hoops star has received a fellowship to work for the league’s front office this season!!

Remember, Austin was a talented center coming out of Baylor and was projected to be a first-round pick in the 2014 NBA Draft ... until his medical reports showed an underlying condition of Marfan Syndrome, which affects the connective tissue in the body.

At the time, this would put a halt to his league aspirations ... but the NBA showed love by giving him an honorary draft pick.

After 2 years away from the game, another medical evaluation allowed Austin to play professionally overseas in Taiwan, China, Serbia, Puerto Rico and Lebanon. He even scored the opening point of the 2021 BIG3 season.

Now, Austin is happy to move on from his playing career and start his life off the basketball court in retirement.

"Here I am, in year five, and I’m ready for the next stage of my life," Austin told Shams Charania.

Austin says he's out to prove he's willing to start from the ground-up and earn a living by learning the ropes in each department the league has to offer.

Austin’s fellowship will start October 4 and last a full year ... and he’ll be looking to work with an official team by next season.

An L.A. Lakers fan is suing an LAPD cop ... claiming the officer shot him in the head with a rubber bullet while he was peacefully celebrating the Lakers championship last year, and now he wants the officer to pay up.

The fan, Kimberly Marroquin, filed the civil lawsuit Thursday in California … claiming she was peacefully and legally celebrating the 'ship against the Miami Heat on October 11, 2020 ... around 9:15 PM.

"Without warning or provocation", the suit reads, the officer "shot [Marroquin] in the head with a less lethal rubber projectile round."

Marroquin was "unarmed and never posed a threat," according to the lawsuit.

She’s going after an unnamed officer, the Captain she claims was responsible for overseeing the area where she was celebrating, and the City of Los Angeles.

As a result of the alleged excessive force, the plaintiff claims she "suffered severe pain and suffering, mental anguish, humiliation, and emotional distress, and incurred economic losses" from mounting medical bills.

The lawsuit also accuses the LAPD of failing to properly train their officers ... as well as refusing to punish cops who screw up.

Marroquin is asking for unspecified compensatory and punitive damages, medical costs, and attorneys' fees. The exact amount she's seeking is unclear.

We've reached out to the LAPD, who told us they don't comment on pending litigation.

LeBron James may not want to talk about it, but the NBA superstar did get -- or is getting -- the COVID-19 vaccine ... so says GM Rob Pelinka, who claims the whole Lakers roster will be fully vaxxed by the start of the season.

King James has danced around the question for months ... electing to keep his vaccine decision a family matter.

But, Pelinka revealed L.A.'s entire roster will, in fact, be at 100% vaccination status when the season kicks off ... and in case you didn't know, LBJ is on the Lakers.

"On opening night, all of the players that are currently signed on our roster will be deemed fully vaccinated," Pelinka told reporters Thursday. "We’re grateful for that."

Pelinka says it's a sigh of relief to know the team and staff members will not face any setbacks due to people within the organization being unvaccinated.

Of course, LeBron previously brushed the topic off ... calling it "not a big deal" back in May.

"Anything I do off the floor is predicated to my family for the majority or 99.9% of that," James said at the time.

"It’s about the health and safety of my family," he added. "That’s what it came down to. Being available to my teammates on the floor is about taking care of my body and me doing everything I can to make sure I’m available both mentally, physically and spiritually as well."

"But, anything of that nature is all family talk."

There was strong indication Bron had been vaccinated prior to the first round of the NBA playoffs last season ... when the league explained he would not have to quarantine following an appearance at an outdoor event.

Had he not been vaxxed, James would have been forced to stay away from the team for a period of time.

Dwight Howard says his own mother was shocked while watching her fave show -- "The Masked Singer" -- because she found out her baby boy was the "Octopus!!!"

The NBA veteran, and current L.A. Lakers star, joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday to tell us all about his experience on the Fox show -- and why he went to great lengths to keep his appearance top secret from his mom.

It's super sweet ... Dwight says she was just like every other viewer across the country, watching his unmasking after he'd dropped a pretty good version of the Little Richard classic, "Tutti Frutti."

Keep in mind, he pulled that off while being 6'10" and draped in his heavy costume and headgear.

Unfortunately for the Howard fam, Dwight was eliminated at the end of Wednesday night's season premiere, but it sounds like she'll continue watching even though he got the boot.

It turns out ya can't really say ANYTHING about a player without breaking the NBA's anti-tampering rules ... 'cause Warriors owner Joe Lacob just got hit with a $50k fine this week -- for basically saying he's not interested in landing Ben Simmons.

The Warriors have been named as one of the potential landing spots for the 25-year-old ... after the struggling Philadelphia 76ers star demanded a trade this offseason.

Lacob was asked about the team's potential interest in Simmons during an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle this week ... and it definitely didn't sound like they were jumping head-first into the Simmons sweepstakes.

"I think we are always looking at everything to see if we can improve our team," Lacob said.

"We would always look. In some ways, [trading for Simmons] doesn't really fit what we're doing. He makes a lot of money."

Lacob also said Simmons is very talented, but questioned whether he can finish games down the stretch and if he would fit well with Draymond Green.

In other words, Lacob's not salivating to bring Simmons to the Bay ... but, nonetheless, he was hit with a $50k slap on the wrist on Wednesday.

Introducing the newest member of the Orlando Magic ... a 6'2" guard from Fayetteville, North Carolina ... J. Cole!!!

Okay, so maybe not quite ... but the superstar rapper DID work up a sweat with a bunch of Magic players at a workout this week -- and he looked GOOD!!

Of course, Cole is known for his skills on the mic AND the court ... and rap legend/former NBA hopeful Master P told us back in 2020 the rapper was interested in pursuing a career in the league.

Now, Cole was able to put his skills to the test against guys like Cole Anthony and R.J. Hampton ... with the Magic posting footage of the squad hooping on Wednesday.

The vid is impressive -- Cole holds his own against the pros by draining three-point shots and dishing dimes.

Cole even got to chat it up with the guys after ... saying, "Any time I get to act like a kid around professionals, I appreciate it."

The Magic even gave Cole his own custom #15 jersey to top it all off!!

But, does Cole really have what it takes to be in the NBA?? Ex-pro Larry Sanders certainly thinks so -- he told us back in August 2020 the dude could legit make it if he worked at it.

Keep ballin' out, J.!!

If you're looking for a sweet deal on a Texas mansion ... ex-NBA star Jermaine O'Neal just dropped the price of his decked-out mega-mansion -- and now it only cost $9.9 million.

The former Indiana Pacers center built this beauty on 5 acres of land in Southlake, Texas (about 25 miles from Dallas) back in 2012.

And, the 16,477-square-ft. estate is dope -- featuring 8 bedrooms, 10.5 bathrooms, a giant living room with a gorgeous staircase, top-notch kitchen, full gym, an elevator and a 6-car garage.

The best part? The cribs entertainment. There's a full indoor basketball court (of course) and a big outdoor pool with a waterslide.

There's also a bowling alley and pool table in the game room!

The house has been on the market for over 500 days. O'Neal even put the property up for auction in December 2019 ... but the reserve price of $11.49 million was not met, according to the Star-Telegram.

JO slashed the price by almost $2 million and re-listed the house on the open market for $9,999,900.

Almost seems like a steal for the chance to live like a legit NBA All-Star ... exactly what O'Neal was during his career.

A huge LAPD police union is going scorched earth on the Los Angeles District Attorney after he decided NOT to charge Jaxson Hayes with a felony, following the arrest of the New Orleans Pelicans star in July.

"George Gascon's latest criminal's first airball puts a target on the back of every police officer in Los Angeles," the Los Angeles Police Protective League tells TMZ Sports.

The LAPPL -- which reps over 9,000 cops in L.A. -- continued, "Gascon's refusal to prosecute Jaxson Hayes for violently attacking and injuring an officer during his n-word laced tirade is nothing more than a declaration that it's open season to attack cops and it's shameful."

The union is livid that Gascon's office decided against charging Hayes with any felonies ... despite the fact he seemingly pushed an officer on video.

FYI, Gascon is a polarizing figure. His critics have accused him of being soft on crime ... and failing to protect law enforcement officers.

Still, Hayes isn't totally out of the water criminally ... it's still possible the city attorney could levy a misdemeanor charge(s) against Jaxson.

We broke the story, 21-year-old Hayes -- the 8th overall pick in the 2018 draft -- was arrested for battery on a law enforcement officer after Jaxson got physical with a cop who was investigating a domestic violence call after Hayes' GF allegedly said she was scared her hooper BF was going to physically harm her.

Police released body camera footage ... and it seems Hayes pushed an officer, injuring him in the process, according to LAPD.

What happened next has caused some controversy.

Cops eventually got Hayes to the floor, but the struggle continued. An officer deployed his taser at least once. At one point during the arrest, Hayes said he couldn't breathe.

As a result, LAPD launched an investigation to determine if excessive force was used. That investigation is still ongoing.

As for the LAPPL, they weren't done ... they also went in on the NBA for failing to discipline Hayes, or condemn his actions.

"As for the NBA, their silence is deafening when it comes to one of their players assaulting an officer and thwarting a domestic violence investigation. Apparently, their policy on preventing domestic violence was created more for SportsCenter than it is to actually hold its players accountable. Real classy."

We reached out to the DA's office ... but they declined comment.