UCLA

UCLA basketball star Shareef O'Neal -- Shaq's son -- says he'll be forced to sit out next season due to a heart issue that will require major surgery ... but vows to return ASAP.

TMZ Sports spoke with the 18-year-old superstar who said he was having a routine checkup recently when the docs "found a medical issue dealing with my heart."

Shareef didn't specify the exact problem -- but said the issue is severe enough that he'll be having heart surgery in the near future.

"Thank God the UCLA medical staff caught it early," O'Neal tells us.

Shareef says he's been talking with his dad and mom Shaunie O'Neal about how best to handle the situation -- and will NOT withdraw from school while recovering.

"During rehab, I'll be attending my classes and being a normal student."

Shareef says he vows to return to the court in 2019 after redshirting this upcoming season -- and describes the ordeal as "just a bump in the road."

"I'll be back in no time."

Shareef was one of the top high school players in the country in 2018 and was expected to have a real impact with UCLA this upcoming season.

Chip Kelly's first three games at UCLA have been a disaster -- but it ain't time to panic in Westwood yet ... so says ex-Bruins star, Donovan Carter.

Carter -- a former DL and current star on HBO's "Ballers"-- joined the guys on "TMZ Sports" (weeknights on FS1) ... and preached patience when it came to the embarrassing 0-3 start his alma mater is off to under Chip.

"You just gotta be patient," Carter says. "Rome wasn't built in a day!"

Carter says there are plenty of explanations for why Kelly's team can't find a win -- and he tells us once Chip has the chance to recruit HIS guys to the roster ... W's will come.

Two UCLA women's soccer players took a knee during the national anthem before their game Thursday ... and the school tells TMZ Sports its coach is still fully in support of their protests.

Defenders Kennedy Faulknor and Kaiya McCullough -- along with 2 others on the sideline -- dropped to a knee at midfield during the song ahead of their clash with LMU. The pic was captured by Fred J. Robledo.

The women have been demonstrating since last season -- and clearly haven't been dissuaded by the constant attacks on kneelers by people like President Donald Trump, who has constantly called for harsh penalties on those who don't stand for the anthem.

But, UCLA head coach Amanda Cromwell has publicly supported the players from the jump.

"It's about supporting the cause of racial justice and equality in the world," the coach said to the Pac-12 Networks last fall.

"I love that our team is socially active. We're politically active and we support them across the board."

You'll remember, Colin Kaepernick started the movement back in 2016 -- but the Bruins joined in the protest shortly after Donald Trump called the kneeling NFLers "sons of bitches" in 2017.

Question: What's black and white and red all over?

Answer: Ed Sheeran and Don McLean performing 'Vincent' together. And it's beautiful.

The two got together to perform the song as part of a fundraiser in the Pacific Palisades for UCLA Health and Teen Cancer America ... but before they hit the stage, they got together for a private rehearsal.

Sheeran brought the guitar -- and his finest red cargo shorts -- and strummed away while he and Don took turns with the verses.

72-year-old McLean was clearly impressed with his 27-year-old duet partner -- saying, "Ed is a quick study...turned out great"

Ex-UCLA star and renowned basketball trainer Billy Knight was found dead in Phoenix on Sunday after posting an apparent video suicide note ... cops confirm to TMZ Sports.

The 39-year-old posted a YouTube video early Sunday morning saying it was "probably my last message on Earth" ... and noting, "My time is up."

In the video, an emotional Knight talks about depression and apologizes to friends and family. He also advises people suffering from mental illness to seek help, so they don't end up like him.

Shortly after the video was posted, the Phoenix P.D. says officers found Knight's body in a roadway in downtown Phoenix.

Officers say, "No evidence of foul play was detected," but the body has been sent to the Medical Examiner to determine the cause of death.

Knight broke out at UCLA in 2001 -- when he started all 33 games and averaged 14 points on 46 percent shooting from the floor.

After going undrafted in 2002, he played in the NBA's D-league for a bit before heading overseas.

The news of Knight's death has rocked the basketball community ... with ex-NBA star Matt Barnes saying, "Rest Easy My Brotha! Your summer time beach workouts had me in the best shape of my life to start every season!"

R.I.P.

Tom Brady's epic meltdowns aren't just limited to the football field ... 'cause dude even snaps on the links -- in rounds of golf with his folks!!

TB12 hit the course with his mom, dad and niece on Monday in what shoulda been a fun family time ... until Tom needed two mulligans to get off a tee.

The Pats QB snap-hooked his first shot and screeched out a "DARNIT!!"

His next stroke wasn't any better ... leading to a hat toss.

He finally got it straight on the third swing ... but, if you're counting at home -- he's lyin' five when he gets to his ball in the fairway.

Don't worry ... Tom cooled down eventually to take an adorable pic with his fam.

Obviously, Tom was hamming it up for the camera -- still funny though!

By the way ... his niece, Maya Brady, is a legit softball player -- committed to play at UCLA after her senior season at Oaks Christian next year.

LaVar Ball doesn't know it all, and the proof is that LiAngelo didn't get drafted ... so says Master P, who tells TMZ Sports he thinks Gelo should go back to school.

LiAngelo didn't hear his name called draft night ... leaving some to wonder what's next for the kid, who LaVar promised would one day join Lonzo on the Lakers.

We got P out in L.A. and he made it clear he thinks it was a mistake for Gelo to leave UCLA in the first place, and told our guy he thinks the 19-year-old should hightail it back to Westwood.

"I mean if he can, I would go back."

P wasn't finished ... saying he thinks the fact that he's currently without a basketball team should be a wake-up call to LiAngelo ... about his father.

"It just show you that Lavar don't have that magic ball like he thought he had."

LiAngelo Ball is finally ready to laugh at that whole international crime incident in China ... and he's doing it all for a new Foot Locker commercial.

Remember, it was just 7 months ago ... Gelo -- along with 2 teammates from UCLA -- were detained in China after stealing several pairs of designer sunglasses and other accessories from multiple stores in Hangzhou.

UCLA -- along with Chinese billionaire Jack Ma -- worked with Chinese officials to bring the players back home. LiAngelo left UCLA a short time later and moved to Lithuania to play pro ball overseas.

Now, Ball is joking about the whole situation for Foot Locker's new "One and Done" campaign ... in which the host brags that the new apparel is an "absolute steal," while cutting to Gelo.

The host jokingly realizes his mistake and says he meant to say, "The price is so good it must be criminal."

Get it?! Good times ...

Josh Rosen out ... TOM BRADY IN!!!

The New England Patriots stud showed up to the UCLA football facilities in L.A. on Friday for a special workout with the Bruins players ... and c'mon, how awesome is that?!

Brady was throwing the ball around and dishing out advice to some of the players at the Wasserman Football Center in Westwood. One of the prospects pictured is 3-star QB Austin Burton.

Interesting considering all the rumblings that 40-year-old Tom might retire instead of coming back for the 2018 season. This looks like a guy ready to hang it up to you? Didn't think so.

Meanwhile, the UCLA social media team used the workout to throw a little low-key shade at their cross town rival, USC ... tweeting out, "OnlyAtUCLA."

Josh Rosen says he's been the target of A LOT of anti-Jewish trash talk on the field -- with some opposing players telling him, "Stay the f*ck down, you Jewish bastard."

The former UCLA quarterback opened up about the anti-Semitism in football to NFL.com's Michael Silver ... saying when it comes to trash talk, "I get a lot of Jewish things."

"My nose, particularly. I get, like, 'Stay the f*ck down, you Jewish bastard … I'm gonna break your f*cking nose, you Jew.'"

Rosen says he's unfazed by the insults -- explaining, "I really like when people try to get in my head."

"I like away games more than home games. I like silencing crowds; that's a big thing. One of my best games was at Arizona my freshman year. It was College GameDay and they had a ton of banners; they had my face on the queen from 'Frozen'. They had, 'Josh Rosen's Bar Mitzvah Wasn't Even Lit.'"

Did you know ... Josh Rosen has been tight with Snoop Dogg's son Cordell Broadus since the 7th grade??

It's true ... they're still good friends today (after playing together at UCLA) -- and now Cordell is giving us the REAL inside scoop on the QB.

In fact, Cordell says critics who think Rosen would fail in Cleveland are wrong -- and explains why a BIG, FAT PAYCHECK could drive a "millennial" like Josh to greatness in LeBron's city.

"If you give anybody $1 million they'll be mentally stimulated," Broadus told TMZ Sports at LAX. "He could thrive anywhere with the right check and the right dedication and the right determination."

Shaquille O'Neal and his family were so excited for Shareef to commit to UCLA last night -- they made a victory family dance video!!!

We told you first ... Shareeef was leaning toward signing with the Bruins after decommitting from the University of Arizona following a recruiting scandal involving the head coach.

Well, Tuesday night, Reef -- one of the best high school hoops players in the country -- made it official ... and his mother Shaunie couldn't be happier (he'll be close to home!).

Then ... the family dance party broke out.

Shaq also posted a message about his son's decision -- "My baby @shareefoneal decided he’s gonna be a Bruin."

"Me and your mom @shaunieoneal5 are proud of you dude. This is the first of many steps to fulfill your dreams. #prouddad."

Here's a reason to 8-clap ... Shareef O'Neal is "leaning toward signing with UCLA" after pulling his commitment to the University of Arizona ... sources tell TMZ Sports.

O'Neal -- the high school superstar son of Shaquille O'Neal -- decommitted from Arizona over the weekend after reports surfaced that Arizona coach Sean Miller was caught on an FBI wiretap discussing making a $100,000 payment to a huge recruit.

Shareef is one of the best high school players in the country -- and the move made top programs around the country salivate at the mouth hoping to score a top prospect who has absolutely NO REASON to be involved in a pay-for-play scandal (his family's got way too much money for that).

Multiple sources connected to O'Neal tell us he's been considering a couple different schools -- mostly Pac-12 programs -- but right now, UCLA is in the lead.

James Franco is facing 4 sexual misconduct complaints from some of his former acting students at Studio 4 and Playhouse West, so we decided to call around and see if anyone lodged complaints at the various schools where the actor taught, and it turns out there were none.

Franco taught classes at NYU in 2011 and 2012 ... an NYU administration source tells TMZ there were neither formal nor informal complaints against him.

We also checked with USC, where Franco taught various classes from 2013 and 2015 and a rep for the school tells us ... no complaints.

And we contacted UCLA, where Franco taught from 2012 to 2017. No one from the school would give us an official comment, but sources at the school who would have received such complaints tell us none were lodged.

The fact that no complaints were filed does not mean nothing ever happened. As we've reported, Franco has maintained he has done nothing wrong.

UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen and USC's Sam Darnold have both declared for the NFL Draft -- and both could go #1 to the Cleveland Browns.

Question is ...

UCLA QB Josh Rosen could mean to the Browns what LeBron James means to the Cavs ... if he's willing to give it 100% -- so says former UCLA football coach Rick Neuheisel.

Rick -- Bruins HC from 2008-2011 -- told us it's only a matter of time before the Browns find their Bron ... so why not Rosen??

"Someone's gonna be the hero of Cleveland -- look what LeBron James did for the Cavaliers. It's all possible. It's just going in there with the right attitude," Neuheisel told TMZ Sports.

Josh is reportedly thinking about going back to UCLA if Cleveland gets the #1 pick in the draft ... but Rick says that's not the right move for Rosen's future.