Sports

LeBron James WILL play next season ... just not for the Los Angeles Lakers.

The four-time NBA champion's agent, Rich Paul, informed the team of his decision on Tuesday ... stating the King isn't hanging up his crown just yet, but he's done with the Purple and Gold.

There are rumblings 41-year-old James will team up with Stephen Curry and Draymond Green on the Golden State Warriors ... with Anthony Davis' name being thrown in the mix as well.

The "Hand of OG" ball from Game 4 of the NBA Finals is staying with the New York Knicks -- the piece of hoops history was scrubbed from the auction block minutes before bidding was slated to begin.

The rock is the same one Knicks hero OG Anunoby tapped in with seconds left in the June 10 contest to give New York a 3-1 lead in the series. The highlight also solidified the biggest comeback in Finals history after being down 29 points against the San Antonio Spurs.

It was a monumental moment for the Knicks as they went on to win their first title in 53 years ... and the item was sent to Sotheby's to allow fans to bid on it.

Dianna Russini is in hot water again ... but this time it's not for holding hands with an NFL coach ... but for seemingly not telling the truth about what happened during a traffic stop.

Here's the scoop ... in January, the former NFL reporter for The Athletic got pulled over by a police officer for using her phone while driving in New Jersey. Their subsequent interaction was caught on body cam video that was posted Monday on X by Adam Herbets of Center Square. 

In the clip, the officer walks up to Russini's vehicle and asks for her license and registration.  Russini introduces herself as an NFL journalist who just broke a story about Buffalo Bills coach Sean McDermott getting fired, saying she was sending a tweet about it before she was stopped.

Lance Stephenson's doing his best Charles Barkley impression ... telling TMZ Sports his message to young hoopers is simple -- do NOT consider him a role model.

We caught up with the NBA vet-turned-BIG3 baller at LAX on Monday ... and had to ask about his recent on-court altercation that resulted in a suspension from Ice Cube's organization.

For those who missed it, Stephenson threw hands in a chippy moment between the LA Riot and Miami 305 ... which forced a forfeit after he was ejected from the contest, as his squad ran out of players.

Nebraska Cornhuskers running back Mekhi Nelson was arrested in Florida after an alleged altercation with his pregnant girlfriend ... TMZ Sports has learned.

The redshirt sophomore was taken into custody around noon at the Blue Flamingo Resort Key West and transported to a nearby jail and booked for misdemeanor battery.

According to the police report, officers responded to a call for a disturbance at 11:39 AM. Once they got to Nelson's room, cops say he answered the door and stated he was in an argument with the mother of his children.

In the docs, Nelson claimed the two were bickering over how another man -- who also fathered a child with his girlfriend -- was speaking to her ... and told cops he had anger problems that "seemed to flare up" when he addressed how the other guy was acting.

This wasn't the sort of release Terrion Arnold was looking forward to on Monday -- hours after he was granted bond in his kidnapping and robbery case, the Detroit Lions announced they're cutting the star cornerback.

The news broke minutes ago ... but the Lions elected not to elaborate on the decision.

Earlier in the day, Arnold celebrated a bit of a victory ... as a judge ruled he does not have to stay behind bars leading up to his trial.

Former NFL superstar Chris Johnson just revealed he was diagnosed with ALS last year ... and the disease has progressed so quickly, he now uses a speech-generating device to communicate.

The 40-year-old Tennessee Titans great and his wife, Brittany, sat down with Michael Strahan on "Good Morning America" on Monday ... where the All-Pro running back stated he first noticed symptoms with weakness in his right hand.

After meeting with medical professionals and undergoing thorough testing, Johnson received the news at 39 years old he had Lou Gehrig's disease ... and a doctor recommended medication that might extend his life by a few months, while also suggesting he get his affairs in order.

Detroit Lions star Terrion Arnold just caught a huge break in his kidnapping case -- he will NOT remain behind bars as he awaits his trial, a judge ruled on Monday.

Arnold appeared at a pretrial detention hearing in Hillsborough County, Florida ... where both sides broke down the serious allegations made against the 23-year-old.

While the judge believed there is certainly probable cause, he did not agree with the prosecution that Arnold should be held until trial.

NBA player Malik Beasley has been indicted on federal gambling charges in connection to a sports betting scheme, his attorney announced Monday.

The 29-year-old is currently working with the government to voluntarily surrender, according to Shams Charania ... who also reported the matter is related to point shaving and prop bets.

The NBA launched an investigation into Beasley after a sportsbook detected unusual betting interest on his stats in January 2024 ... and his lawyer, Steve Haney, said the hooper was fully cooperating with the probe.

The Pistons are in great shape to make another run in 2027 ... so says Detroit legend Ben Wallace, who tells TMZ Sports Motor City is ready to take the next step with more experience.

Cade Cunningham and Co. earned the top seed in the Eastern Conference after a 60-22 regular season record ... but fell short in the postseason, getting eliminated in the semifinals against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Big Ben has found a silver lining ... saying all the guys have to do is refocus and remind themselves that even the top dogs can lose in the playoffs.

Soccer star Lucas Trejo's worst nightmare didn't end when the shaking stopped ... it ended three days later, when rescuers found the bodies of his wife and two young children.

The Argentine player was with his club in Caracas when Venezuela's devastating earthquakes tore through the country last week ... and while he desperately waited for news, teammates, volunteers and family members searched nonstop for his loved ones.

Authorities confirmed Saturday night that Trejo's wife, Yanina Maranella, and the couple's children, Aarón and Ainhoa, had all been found dead after spending roughly 72 hours missing beneath the rubble.

Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce's wedding guests are as confused as the general public ... at least according to a new report that indicates the venue is still a mystery.

Here's the deal ... Us Weekly published an article Saturday claiming the discreet duo are still keeping details on their wedding on the DL.

The outlet quotes one insider who said, "Taylor and Travis told guests to be in NYC. No other location was provided."

Gorkys Hernandez -- a former MLB player -- revealed his wife, Deisy Maria Tovar De Hernandez, was killed during the devastating earthquakes in Venezuela earlier this week.

The veteran baseball player announced the news via Instagram Saturday ... penning an emotional caption alongside a photo of Deisy.

He starts off by calling Deisy the queen of his life ... adding she's "the most beautiful, beautiful, precious, the best woman in the world," who always looked after him in the hard times.

Ex-NBA player Chris Carr is one proud dad ... telling TMZ Sports he's thrilled to see his son follow in his pro hoops footsteps and get drafted to the Los Angeles Lakers!!

We caught up with the former Suns and Timberwolves shooting guard at LAX on Friday ... and he's still over the moon after 21-year-old Cameron -- a standout at Baylor -- went No. 24 in Tuesday's draft.

Carr loves how Cameron is joining such a historic franchise ... but now that he's got his NBA home, it's time to get to work.

Dwyane Wade's son has been arrested for felony domestic violence ... TMZ has learned.

Zaire Wade -- the NBA Hall of Famer's eldest child -- was arrested and booked by the Burbank Police Department on Sunday.

He was booked on three charges ... felony domestic violence, criminal threats, and false imprisonment and an emergency protective order has been issued. We've reached out to cops for more information.

Phil Mickelson allegedly showed a photograph of his erect penis, propositioning the wife of Pat Perez while her husband was in the bathroom, according to the woman who is telling the story for the first time.

The incident, according to Pat's now ex-wife, Ashley Perez -- who gave her account to Skratch -- went down in 2015 while the couple was staying with Mickelson at a villa he owned in New Jersey (the guys were playing in a tournament in the area).

The three were drinking red wine on the patio when Pat got up to go to the restroom. Ashley says Phil grabbed his phone and pulled up a full-body nude photo where he was erect and flexing his bicep.