RIP

L.A. Clippers rookie Brandon Boston Jr. had the best game of his young career against the Celtics on Wednesday ... and dedicated his performance to the late Terrence Clarke.

The guard went off on the Cs in the 114-111 win ... scoring 27 points (including 5 3-pointers, going perfect from the free throw line and earning 4 steals in just 25 minutes off the bench!

The effort resulted in career-highs in points, threes and steals ... and after the game, Boston Jr. devoted the stellar performance to Clarke, his former Kentucky teammate.

"He would of called or screamed," " BJ said to reporters during post-game interviews. "Just excited with a bright smile on his face, just telling me, 'I told you! I told you! You the best in the world! Just keep going.'"

"That's the type of relationship we had."

Boston and Clarke both played college hoops together for the Wildcats -- and were both set to enter the 2021 NBA Draft.

However, Clarke was tragically killed in a car accident in Los Angeles on April 22 -- just months before the draft. Boston witnessed the crash as he was riding behind him.

"He always pushed me to be my best self so I always keep that in the back of my mind," BJ added.

"I actually like dedicated this game [to him] cause he's from Boston and he wanted to play for Boston."

"So, just going out there and carrying that chip on my shoulder. His energy just carried me along the way."

BJ has been honoring his close friend in many ways since his death -- including a tribute tattoo on his left leg featuring Clarke's UK basketball photo and "TC World."

Travis Scott is breaking his silence for the first time since Astroworld, insisting he didn't know the severity of what was happening in the crowd, and alleging the person in his ear never expressed an urgency to immediately stop the show.

Travis sat down with Charlamagne tha God for nearly an hour to talk all things about the tragic Houston festival. Travis says he feels a sense of responsibility to figure out what went wrong, but did everything he could with the knowledge he had during the show.

Travis claims his "in-ear" told him to end the show "after the guest" AKA Drake, and that he was never told just how bad things were in the crowd.

At times, Travis was clearly emotional -- especially when talking about the families who lost loved ones -- and even says he's met with some of them privately.

Travis says, "They lost their loved ones, I just always wanna be there for them, I’m gonna fix this problem and make sure this doesn’t happen in the future and be the number one voice for this. We gotta figure it out.”

Charlamagne asked Travis if he felt a sense of responsibility for what happened, and while Travis admits he was the face of the festival, he says he feels his responsibility is now to figure out what went wrong and how to prevent it in the future. In other words, he never takes responsibility, nor does he lay the blame on anyone else.

While he was pressured several times to say who was responsible, TS never gives a straight answer -- mostly preaching a message of future prevention.

He does, however, say as an artist, he and his team focus on the creativity of the show ... not so much the safety and logistics -- something that's handled by promoters.

One safety possibility Travis suggests -- though how exactly it would work is still in the air -- is to equip fan festival wristbands with health and location trackers to pinpoint issues in the crowd.

Travis says he never heard pleas from the crowd, asking him to stop ... and says he's done the best he can during shows in the past -- and even at Astroworld -- to stop the show when he could see someone needed help.

TMZ broke the story ... there was an apparent breakdown in communication from the time Houston Fire Dept declared the concert a "mass casualty event" and the time the show ended. We obtained video showing cops watching and recording the show nearly 30 minutes after the declaration was allegedly made.

Scott was heavily criticized for photos showing him golfing with Mark Wahlberg and Michael Jordan over Thanksgiving. Charlamagne asks Travis why he chose to go, and while he didn't really expand, Travis said Mark and Jordan were good people for him to be around, and it was just a thing for the holiday.

Slim 400 -- an up-and-coming rapper in the California hip-hop scene -- has been shot and killed in L.A. ... TMZ has learned.

Law enforcement sources tell TMZ ... Slim was gunned down Wednesday night in Inglewood. It's currently unclear what led to the shooting and how many suspects were involved.

Born to military parents in Germany, Slim moved back to Los Angeles as a young child and was raised in Compton. The rapper was later discovered and signed by the now nonexistent Pu$haz Ink music label -- the same one made popular by YG and DJ Mustard.

Slim narrowly escaped death back in the summer of 2019 when he was shot 9 times in L.A. Slim claimed he was ambushed in the attack while visiting family in Compton.

Slim 400 was just 33.

RIP

Legendary wrestler Blackjack Lanza -- who was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2006 -- has died at 86 years old ... Vince McMahon announced Wednesday.

"Our hearts go out to the family and friends of Jack Lanza," the famed WWE honcho said in a statement on his social media page. "He was a man's man, respected and beloved by all."

No cause of death has been revealed.

Lanza began his wrestling career in the early 1960s, and gained fame after he formed a tag-team partnership with Blackjack Mulligan.

The two -- who went by the moniker "The Blackjacks" -- became one of the most legendary duos in wrestling history ... eventually going on to star in McMahon's World Wide Wrestling Federation in the 1970s.

Lanza ultimately retired from wrestling in the 1980s ... but continued to work with McMahon and the WWE for years.

"His loyalty and dedication will never be forgotten," McMahon said.

Lanza had a huge impact on today's biggest wrestling stars ... with Triple H calling Lanza a legend after the two had a meeting back in 2016.

"One of the greatest minds in the business," Triple H said at the time, "thank you for letting me sit under the learning tree."

He added on Wednesday -- "Certain talent will seek certain agents for advice, but EVERYONE sought out Lanza’s."

"The sweetest man but incredibly tough & 100% dedicated to making us better. Jack often didn’t tell you what you wanted to hear, but ALWAYS told you what you needed. I’ll miss you dearly my friend.

Nick Cannon sent a big thank you to everyone for the support, kind words and love sent after yesterday's emotional announcement where he revealed the devastating news that his 5-month-old son, Zen, passed away.

The "Wild "N Out" creator shared his gratitude on the "The Nick Cannon Show" Wednesday afternoon... "of course, everyone knows I'm not fine, but you all are making me feel better."

Nick says he feels a bit of guilt because he never wanted to exploit the news, but he is appreciative of the outpour of support ... "The onslaught of love is new to me, so thank you is all I can say."

Nick kept his son's diagnosis private for months out of respect for Zen's mom, model Alyssa Scott, and everyone in their family. Cannon says she's been taking things "5 minutes at a time."

As we previously reported, Nick announced Tuesday that his youngest child Zen died from a brain tumor ... after his brain tumor began to grow quickly around thanksgiving. Nick says he got to hold Zen for the last time by the ocean last weekend, after he made a trip to California to spend time with his baby.

Zen was Nick's 7th child and 4th of Nick's kids born in the last year and a half.

Dorit Kemsley has some thoughts on her husband's DUI bust as well as the fatal shooting that befell Clarence Avant's family -- and her reaction to both is ... regret and sadness.

The 'RHOBH' star ran into paps Tuesday night, and there were two relevant topics to ask her about -- the fact her hubby, PK, had been hauled to jail over suspected drinking and driving ... and the recent break-in in town that cost Jacqueline Avant her life.

Luckily, Dorit was in a chatty mood ... so she opened up on each, first addressing Paul's arrest. Sounds like Paul wishes it never would've happened -- and Dorit expresses that quite clearly here.

She also kinda goes to bat for him a little -- explaining that Paul wasn't necessarily smashed ... even though he probably shouldn't have been behind the wheel. Good balancing act here!

As for the Trousdale Estates tragedy -- where Jacqueline was shot and killed by a home intruder -- Dorit is the perfect person to speak on it ... seeing how she too went through a frighteningly similar situation just last month.

It's interesting ... Dorit seems to make a distinction between the Avants' predicament and hers, saying she's still here ... highlighting just how dangerous the whole thing was.

Drew Brees is speaking out on Glenn Foster's death ... posting a touching tribute to his former New Orleans Saints teammate on Tuesday.

"My heart goes out to the family and friends of my former teammate Glenn Foster," the future Hall of Famer said Tuesday on Instagram. "I’ll always remember his smile and positive nature."

As we previously reported, Foster died while in police custody on December 6 ... just two days after he was initially arrested on charges of reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and attempting to elude.

The details surrounding his death are unclear.

Foster played for the Saints alongside Brees in 2013 and 2014, logging 3 sacks in 17 games.

Players throughout the league have mourned Foster's death, including fellow ex-teammate Terron Armstead, who said, "I really can't find the words to properly express. Rest In Peace Glenn Foster, you’ll be missed bro!"

Skilyr Hicks -- a one-time contestant on "America's Got Talent" -- has died ... TMZ has learned.

The young singer-songwriter passed away Monday, having been found lifeless in the home of a friend -- this according to her mother, Jodi. She says she doesn't know the actual homeowner. Skilyr's body was discovered in Liberty, South Carolina.

While the exact circumstances of her death -- including a cause -- are still unknown to the family, Jodi tells us her daughter battled with mental health issues, including depression and substance abuse. She also says Skilyr was loved by her family and 4 siblings -- using her music to help people in need. Jodi says, "She will live on through her music."

At just 14 years old, Hicks appeared on season 8 of 'AGT' in 2013, auditioning for Mel B, Heidi Klum, Howie Mandel and Howard Stern ... and impressing them enough to be moved on to the next round.

She performed an original song of her own during her debut, and actually had a good touching backstory that landed her own segment on TV. Skilyr had lost her father a few years prior to the audition and apparently taught herself to play, write and sing.

Hicks scored four yeses from the judges but was eliminated shortly thereafter before the live rounds in NYC. Still, her time on the show was memorable.

The artist ran into some legal trouble in her later years -- getting arrested for underage drinking in 2018, and also spending some time in jail for allegedly roughing up her fam.

She was just 23. RIP

Former NFL defensive lineman Glenn Foster -- who logged three sacks for the New Orleans Saints in 2013 -- has reportedly died ... just two days after he was arrested in Alabama.

He was 31 years old.

A Pickens County Medical Examiner official confirmed the Dec. 6 death, according to NOLA.com, though the spokesperson would not reveal the circumstances surrounding the passing, saying an investigation is currently underway.

Jail records show Foster was arrested and booked on Dec. 4 on charges of reckless endangerment, resisting arrest and attempting to elude. The records show he was later rebooked on Dec. 5 on charges of simple assault and robbery.

It's unclear if Foster was still in police custody at the time of his death -- we've reached out to the Pickens County Sheriff's Office for comment, but it said the Alabama State Bureau of Investigation is handling inquiries.

Multiple attempts to reach spokespersons for the Alabama SBI have been unsuccessful.

Foster -- who starred for the Univ. of Illinois -- signed with the Saints as an undrafted free agent in 2013 and played two seasons for the team, recording 8 tackles in 17 games.

He retired from the league in 2016.

Foster's former Saints teammate, current New Orleans star Terron Armstead, commented on the news on Tuesday -- saying on his Twitter page, "I really can't find the words to properly express. Rest In Peace Glenn Foster, you’ll be missed bro!"

The Univ. of Michigan football team is honoring the Oxford H.S. shooting victims in yet another way ... this time it's auctioning off its tribute jersey patches and donating all of the proceeds to the affected community.

The Wolverines wore the special jersey logos last Saturday during their Big Ten title game against Iowa ... and they were heartwarming.

The patches featured 4 blue stars to represent the 4 victims of the tragedy ... and they also featured the jersey number and the initials of Tate Myre -- the football player who heroically tried to disarm the gunman on Nov. 30.

School officials say the patches are now on sale for $5 each ... adding that 100 percent of every penny made will go toward helping the Oxford victims.

Of course, the Univ. of Michigan has already been active in showing its support for Oxford -- which is just about one hour north of the university.

In addition to the gameday patches, the team also invited Myre's family for the coin toss at the Big Ten championship game.

Several other sports teams have paid tribute to the Oxford victims as well -- the Detroit Pistons wore Oxford Wildcat T-shirts during warmups on Monday and also had a moment of silence.

The Detroit Lions, meanwhile, dedicated a game ball to the Oxford victims after they beat the Minnesota Vikings on Sunday ... with head coach Dan Campbell saying those who died are "in our hearts and in our prayers."

Nick Cannon just shared some devastating news, his youngest child has died from a brain tumor.

An emotional Cannon made the announcement Tuesday on "The Nick Cannon Show," telling his audience his 5-month-old son, Zen, passed away. Nick says things took a turn for the worse around Thanksgiving, and the tumor began to grow very quickly.

Breaking down, Nick says he spent this last weekend in California with his son, and on Sunday they took a trip to the ocean where Nick held Zen for the last time, he died soon after.

Giving some background, Nick says when he was about 2 months old, Zen started to develop what they thought was a sinus issue, and they noticed his head seemed large. Doctors said fluid had started to build up in Zen's head, and they discovered a tumor, which required immediate surgery.

Zen was Nick's 7th child, born earlier this year with model Alyssa Scott. Zen was the 4th of Nick's kids born in the last year and a half, twins Zillion and Zion were born in June and his daughter, Powerful, last December.

Jacqueline Avant's family believes she was awake at home when an intruder shot and killed her, as Clarence was nearby in the couple's bedroom ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to the situation tell us Clarence was asleep during the break-in last week at their Trousdale Estates home, but his wife was already up just after 2 AM -- as she typically is -- in another room.

We're told she and the suspect unexpectedly came face-to-face ... the family believes they startled each other and that's when he opened fire.

Our sources tell us security was patrolling the front of the house and the suspect appears to have entered from the side yard.

We're told a guard heard a gunshot from inside, raced over and then the suspect fired at him too ... before fleeing the scene.

As we reported ... cops took a man named Aariel Maynor into custody about an hour after the crime, and say he's the guy responsible for killing Jacqueline. They allege he was attempting yet another burglary in the Hollywood Hills, where he apparently shot himself in the foot.

The police say he's the sole perpetrator in the Avant killing, and they also say he used an AR-15 style weapon.

Maynor has since been charged with murder, attempted murder, felony with a firearm as well as 2 counts of residential burglary with a person present ... all in connection to the Avant shooting. We're told he's scheduled to have surgery on his foot Wednesday, so he won't be arraigned until after that.

Virgil Abloh was honored in a big way in his hometown -- with a memorial service full of big names ... including Kanye West, Kim Kardashian and Rihanna, just to name a few.

The service went down Monday at the Museum Of Contemporary Art in Chicago, with scores of people showing up ... including the above-mentioned names, and many more. Other stars who were there -- Tyler the Creator (who delivered an emotional eulogy), Drake, Kid Cudi, Frank Ocean and A$AP Rocky.

Like we said ... TTC was one of the handful of folks who spoke, and he ended up breaking down in tears remembering Virgil.

It turned out to be more than just a somber affair -- there was a live performance put on by none other than Lauryn Hill, who was also wiping away tears throughout. All in all, the service made for a lot of waterworks, and a lot of tributes and stories in Virgil's name.

On the way out, paps caught Kim with some shades on ... and also snapped RiRi and A$AP arm in arm, with everyone looking pretty blue. Ye was spotted outside too -- but he actually stopped to sign a bunch of autographs for people.

As we reported ... Virgil recently passed away from cancer -- a private battle he didn't disclose publicly, but only his closest friends were aware of. He'd just been tapped to head up Louis Vuitton's men's line as their artistic director -- this after a successful run as CEO of Off-White, his own fashion house.

The news sent shockwaves across Hollywood and beyond -- with an untold number of stars coming out with condolences ... as Virgil had friends far and wide in the entertainment industry.

Vanessa Bryant says her fear and anxiety over photos taken of the remains of Kobe and Gianna Bryant will last forever -- breaking down in heartbreaking detail how and why.

Kobe's widow filed a declaration in her ongoing lawsuit with L.A. County. In the docs, obtained by TMZ, she explains she actually asked Sheriff Alex Villanueva specifically on Jan. 26, the day of the crash, to secure the crash site and not allow anyone to take photographs of what was left behind ... this upon learning there were no survivors. In her docs, she says she told the Sheriff, "If you can't bring my husband and baby back, please make sure no one takes photographs of them."

A month later, she says she learned Sheriff's deputies and firefighters were sharing photos taken of Kobe and Gianna's remains ... precisely what she wanted to avoid. Vanessa says hearing this infuriated her, and also sent her into a constant cycle of distress they'd leak and be disseminated online.

Vanessa says she has reason to believe at least 20 different people obtained copies of the photos ... and despite the County's assurance that they'd all been secured/scrubbed ... she says she has strong doubts.

Vanessa says in the documents she's already seen one photo purportedly showing her late husband's remains, saying, "Since viewing the photo, I've been tormented with thoughts of who took it and whether it depicts my husband."

She adds, "It infuriates me that the people I trusted to protect the dignity of my husband and daughter abused their positions to obtain souvenirs of their deaths, as though possessing pictures of their remains somehow makes them special. I imagine Kobe watching over what occurred at that crash scene, and I am overcome by anger and emotion."

And there's more ... "I feel sick at the thought that deputies and firefighters have gawked at photos of my husband's and child's bodies without any reason. I also feel extreme sadness and anger knowing that photos of my husband's and daughter's bodies were laughed about while shown at a bar and awards banquet."

She points to the fact photos can be easily stored, transferred and preserved with the technology of today -- and is constantly fretting about the pics surfacing in some way, shape or form. She says she's triggered when she types Kobe's name in Google and a suggested search of "Kobe Bryant body" appears. She also says trolls threaten her by claiming to have the photos and promising to release them -- which she says also adds fuel to the fire.

Long story short, Vanessa says she's deeply troubled that one day her children might come across the photos while doing a family tree project for school ... adding, "For the rest of my life, one of two things will happen: either close-up photos of my husband’s and daughter’s bodies will go viral online, or I will continue to live in fear of that happening."

The man cops say is responsible for the shooting death of Jacqueline Avant, the wife of Clarence Avant, has been charged with murder ... TMZ has learned.

The L.A. County District Attorney's office announced the charges of murder, attempted murder and felon with a firearm as well as two counts of residential burglary with person present against Aariel Maynor Monday, less than a week after Avant was killed.

George Gascón, the D.A. says, “Mrs. Avant was a treasured member of our community. Her generosity and good will touched so many lives.”

TMZ broke the story, Maynor allegedly broke into the family home around 2:30 the morning of December 1. He then shot and killed Jackie and opened fire on a security guard. Both Clarence and the guard were uninjured.

As we reported, Maynor was arrested the night of the murder when he was found in a backyard 6 miles from the Avant home in the process of committing another crime. Somehow, Maynor shot himself in the foot with the same weapon it's believed he used to kill Avant.

Maynor's motive is currently unknown, but it's possible the Avants fell victim to a random attack at their Trousdale Estates home.

Clarence, known as the "Godfather of Black Music" is a music legend, with a career and influence spanning decades. He and Jacqueline were regulars at public outings, and after her death, tributes poured in across the entertainment and political world.

Medina Spirit -- the thoroughbred that won the 2021 Kentucky Derby -- suddenly died on a track in Southern California on Monday.

The horse's owner, Amr Zedan, confirmed the death to Thoroughbred Daily News ... revealing it appears the colt suffered a heart attack just after a workout in Santa Anita.

The horse was just 3 years old.

Medina Spirit famously won the Kentucky Derby in May ... but, as we previously reported, it was not without controversy.

The horse tested positive for steroids following its run ... and even though Medina Spirit's legendary trainer, Bob Baffert, denied that they cheated to win -- the colt could be stripped of the victory down the road pending the results of an ongoing investigation.

Medina Spirit went on to finish in third place in the Preakness Stakes after the Derby -- but did not race in the ensuing Belmont Stakes after Baffert was suspended over doping allegations.