Seems LeBron James does indeed think he's passed Michael Jordan as the NBA's best ever ... 'cause during a backyard hoops session with his son on Thursday night, he bragged repeatedly that he's the "G.O.A.T.!!!"
LBJ and his 16-year-old boy, Bryce, were getting some late-night shots up at their ritzy mansion in Los Angeles ... when for some reason, the young James started chirpin' at Dad.
The teen called the Lakers superstar "trash" ... and said over and over again he would miss his next shot.
The injury Zion Williamsonsuffered late in the Pelicans vs. Lakers Play-In game was very real, despite some fans suggesting the NBA star was fakin' it, 'cause the former #1 pick will now miss Friday's elimination game!
ICYMI ... the 23-year-old went off in Tuesday's game against LeBron James and the Lakers ... putting up 40 points and 11 rebounds. Hands down one of the finest games of his pro career.
Unfortunately, with the game tied at 95 all with 3 minutes left, Williamson hurt his left leg ... allowing the Lake Show to pull away late, sending the Pelicans to a one-game elimination with the Sacramento Kings on Friday.
George Mikanwas one of basketball's original stars, and although it's been nearly 70 years since he suited up for the Minneapolis Lakers, fans now have a chance to bid on a historic piece of memorabilia ... the Hall of Famers sweat-stained, game-worn, signed warm-ups!
6'10" Mikan, known as "Mr. Basketball," starred for the Minneapolis Lakers from 1947 to 1954 (and briefly in 1956), years before they moved out west. He averaged over 23 points a game as a pro, leading the league in scoring in 3 of his 7 seasons. He won 7 titles (2 in the NBL and 5 in the BAA/NBA).
GM was named to the NBA's ultra-exclusive 50th Anniversary team in 1996 ... joining the likes of Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Magic Johnson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar.
Now, Mikan's royal blue warm-ups -- pants and zip-up jacket -- worn around 1950 on multiple occasions and signed (twice) by the all-time great, are on the block at SCP Auctions.
The outfit reads "MLPS LAKERS" in gold block letters and shows heavy use, including sweat stains, according to SCP.
Mikan gifted the pants and jacket to someone in the '70s... and they held them for many years before recently deciding to cash in.
Bidding on the Mikan warm-up ends Saturday night ... where they're expected to rake in north of $400k!
11:23 AM PT -- Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ ... Kim and Peter are just friends, and they just so happened to be sitting next to each other at the game. So ... no funny business.
Kim Kardashian reunited with a guy who used to hang out with her and her ex-husband Kris Humphries -- and even all this time later ... they look real friendly, especially courtside.
The reality star went to the Lakers game in L.A. Tuesday night with her daughter, North, and some pals -- and yes ... she had a front-row seat to all the action ... as did basketball player-turned-real-estate-agent Peter Cornell, who was plopped down next to Kim at one point.
They were photographed chatting it up and flashing big smiles as they watched the game seated next to Will Ferrell ... and it's interesting considering their history. If you didn't know, these two go way back.
Kim Kardashian estuvo con un hombre con el que solía pasar mucho tiempo junto a su exmarido, Kris Humphries, y a pesar de todo el tiempo que ha pasado desde entonces, ambos se veían muy amigables, especialmente en la cancha.
La estrella de los reality shows fue al partido de los Lakers en Los Ángeles el martes por la noche con su hija North y algunos amigos, y se sentó en un asiento en primera fila al igual que el jugador de baloncesto ahora convertido en agente inmobiliario Peter Cornell, que se acomodó al lado de Kim en un momento dado.
Ambos fueron fotografiados conversando y sonriendo mientras veían el partido, justo al lado de Will Ferrell, lo que es interesante teniendo en cuenta su historia. Por si no lo sabías, estos dos se conocen desde hace mucho tiempo.
The errors on the Kobe Bryant statue have been fixed ... the Lakers just made the corrections to the Mamba's life-sized tribute earlier Tuesday.
There were several problems on the figurine's base -- where a few names, including Jose Calderon and Von Wafer, were misspelled. The word "decision" in "Coach's Decision" was also wrongfully written twice as "decicion."
On March 11, right around the time the public discovered the problems, the Lakers said in a statement they had been aware of the issues for several weeks ... and had vowed to fix them.
Baron Davis está de acuerdo con la decisión de Bronny James de presentarse al draft de la NBA y le dice a TMZ Sports que ve muy posible que el hijo de LeBron sea mucho mejor como jugador profesional que como jugador de baloncesto universitario.
La ex estrella de los Clippers compartió sus pensamientos sobre el asunto en LAX el viernes por la tarde, pocas horas después de que Bronny anunciara que va a probar suerte en las aguas de la NBA mientras deja la puerta abierta para un regreso a la escuela.
Davis dijo que podía ver a Bronny siendo reclutado por una organización, a pesar de una temporada de primer año más o menos tranquila en USC, explicando que el juego profesional podría adaptarse mejor a él.
Baron Davis is in favor of Bronny James' decision to declare for the NBA draft ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks it's very possible LeBron's kid turns out to be a far better pro than a college basketball player.
The former Clippers star gave us his thoughts on the matter out at LAX on Friday afternoon ... just hours after Bronny said he'll test the NBA waters while leaving the door open for a return to school.
Davis said he could see Bronny getting picked up by an org despite a quiet freshman season at USC ... explaining the pro game simply might fit him better.
Diddy might be in hot water at the moment, but his daughters were in much calmer waters a world away this week -- enjoying their Spring Break with LeBron James' teenage son.
16-year-old Bryce James was featured in a video that's making the rounds online -- which shows him and a pal of his, Boogie Johnson, enjoying the ocean in Turks and Caicos ... and in the little dance compilation that got posted (and which has since been deleted), you can see Jessie and D'Lila Combs in the mix as well.
The girls and their matching bathing suits are unmistakable -- especially when you consider Bryce and the twins are quite close ... he and Boogie took them to homecoming last year. In fact, Boogie's got photos up with one of the twins on his social media page ... so yeah, it's a tight-knit friend group -- and it appears they're vacationing together right now.
LeBron James is addressing the recent rumblings surrounding Bronny's college basketball future ... saying he has no idea where the reports are coming from, but he'll support the young hooper no matter what he decides to do.
Longtime sportswriter Dick Weiss reported Tuesday the 19-year-old USC Trojan planned to transfer to a new program following head coach Andy Enfield's departure for SMU.
Weiss later backtracked and admitted he couldn't confirm the story ... but that didn't stop Lakers reporters from inquiring about it following L.A.'s 128-111 win over the Toronto Raptors.
"I don't know where it came from, but at the end of the day, Bronny's his own man and he has some tough decisions to make," Bron told reporters. "And when he's ready to make those decisions, he'll let us all know."
"But as his family, we're going to support whatever he does."
There's a lot of speculation regarding Bronny -- he was once believed to be a 2024 NBA Draft prospect, but he averaged less than 5 points, 3 rebounds and just over 2 assists a game in his freshman campaign after recovering from his offseason cardiac arrest.
Some analysts think he would benefit from staying in school another year to develop his game for the next level ... but 39-year-old LeBron has long stated it is his dream to be in the Association alongside his eldest son.
So either LeBron is playing dumb and knows what's in store for Bronny ... or the whole report really was a nothing burger this whole time.
Give Jaxson Hayes another assist on his career stats ... the Lakers center was seen handing out cash to kids in LA on Thursday night!!!
The 23-year-old performed the sweet gesture while outside of a Louis Vuitton event on Rodeo Drive ... after some tykes who were selling candy bars asked him for his business.
Hayes didn't want any of their chocolate -- but he decided to kick some money their way regardless.
Check out the video ... Hayes got one of the boys' numbers and then sent what appeared to be a Venmo. Seconds later, the kid jumped for joy and screamed, "He just sent me $100!"
Hayes was also spotted taking some pics with the little fans who had gathered around the storefront.
What's interesting ... most of the celebs we saw at the event bypassed the boys -- so props to Hayes for the kind move!
12:14 PM -- LeBron James was clearly watching every second of the first-round matchup ... 'cause the Lakers superstar was quick to congratulate his former coach on the 71-67 upset win over BYU.
"YEAAAAHHHH @DruOnDemand LFG!!!! Go Dukes @DuqMBB," Bron said on Thursday.
As the saying goes ... it's gotta be the shoes!!
The Duquesne basketball team got a sweet surprise before their first-round game in the NCAA Tournament ... brand newLeBron James XXI kicks -- from the King himself!
The Lakers superstar had the white and light blue sneakers delivered to the 11th-seeded team this week before Thursday's game against 6th-seeded BYU ... in the tourney's East Region.
The players were HYPED when they saw the new shoes ... and were super appreciative of the gift.
FYI, the LeBron 21s "Blue Diver" dropped this month ... with Air Zoom cushioning and a glow-in-the-dark outsole. The shoe was modeled after an Oyster shell.
There's a deeper meaning ... and it's a tribute to Bron's daughter, Zhuri, and how the proud dad protects his daughter just as a shell shelters a pearl.
You're probably asking, why Duquesne? Well, James' former high school basketball coach is their current HC ... Keith Dambrot, who has been the coach of the Dukes since 2017.
The special delivery comes on the heels of Duquesne's biggest basketball game in decades ... they haven't been in the NCAA tourney in 47 years, and last made a trip to the Final 4 in 1940, 84 years ago.
L.A. Lakers big man Christian Wood's ex, Yasmine Lopez, is opening up on the wild allegations made against her in court documents ... owning up to keying a car and hopping his fence -- but claiming she's seeking help following the incidents.
TMZ Sports broke the story -- Wood accused Lopez of wreaking havoc on his personal life ... abusing and stalking him, damaging his property (including two luxury vehicles) on multiple occasions, and keeping their child from him.
Lopez weighed in on the recent events during an Instagram livestream ... and she expressed her regret with how their business has been thrown into the spotlight.
The influencer and model seemingly defended her actions while speaking with her followers on Wednesday ... saying, "I wouldn't be hopping nobody's fence for no f***ing reason, but I don't condone violence. I don't."
She also claimed the car she wrecked did not belong to Wood, but rather his new girl's vehicle -- regardless, she did go to jail over the February incident.
Lopez revealed she is taking the proper measures in hopes of preventing issues in the future ... including therapy.
"I'm working on myself to become a better woman, a better mom, just all around," she added. "I don't have time for the bulls***."
"The s*** I tolerated in the past, I'll never tolerate again."
Wood was granted a temporary restraining order against Lopez earlier this month ... which expired on Wednesday.
The NBA's gonna have a real problem on its hands when LeBron James retires ... so says Kwame Brown, who tells TMZ Sports the league isn't putting enough focus on the next generation of athletes -- like that one guy on the OKC Thunder.
We spoke with the former 2001 No. 1 overall pick at LAX this week about the current state of the Association ... and he pointed out the top teams in the Western Conference aren't getting nearly as much coverage as the Lakers due to the LeBron effect.
"You got this young talent," Brown said. "The only thing I see what's wrong with the NBA is that they hold on to the 'superstar' thing too long. We got OKC ... before, I didn't even know their starting 5. You don't even know their coach."
"You gotta start promoting this young talent that you have. Otherwise, they're going to be scrambling when LeBron's gone."
Our camera guy pretty much proved Brown's point ... 'cause when he brought up MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, he asked how his name's pronounced -- and both dudes were stumped.
"I don't know either," Brown admitted. "He's not on ESPN every day."
FYI -- it's "Shay."
As for SGA's season, the 25-year-old Canadian is averaging 31.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 2.1 steals a game ... leading the Thunder to a 46-20 record, tied for the best in the Western Conference.
He's one of the most exciting players on the court today ... and it's safe to say Brown wants the league to treat him like it.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck's romantic afternoon had a wrench thrown in it ... or more accurately a tire -- 'cause one of theirs popped and stopped their date
The lovebirds were rollin' around Los Angeles Saturday in a silver BMW when they suffered a flat tire, quickly bringing their couple's outing to an unfortunate standstill.
Bennifer hopped out to check the damage -- with Ben in a flannel and baseball cap while J Lo rocked a tight black turtleneck and matching leggings.
Affleck and Lopez both got their hands dirty, leaning over the car -- with Ben's shirt lifting to reveal his infamous back tattoo -- but they ultimately weren't able to fix the problem.
Eventually, Lopez and Affleck just had to leave the car ... calling for a ride to come pick them up and leaving the Beamer behind as they headed for greener pastures.
Unclear who picked up the BMW or if it was taken to a shop, but it's far from the first time Ben's had car trouble ... with his luck seeming more than a little worse than the average motorist on the road.
Yeah, certainly seems like bad luck seems to plague the movie star everywhere he drives.
Seems like the rest of the day went just fine for the couple ... who were at the Lakers game last night -- apparently it's gonna take more than a flat than to keep the couple from courtside seats.
Kim Kardashian and her son, Saint, sat courtside at the Los Angeles Lakers game Saturday night, leading a small group of big celebs who showed up for the event.
As per, Kim looked stunning in a tight white t-shirt and black leather pants while parked alongside 8-year-old Saint at Crypto.com Arena in downtown LA.
At one point, Kim posed for paparazzi by putting her arm around her little guy who was dressed in his Lakers jersey, leaving no doubt as to who he was rooting for.
Kim was also snapped chatting with some fans and Saint even flashed a peace sign for the camera!
Meanwhile, Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck enjoyed their courtside seats, watching the matchup while holding each other's hands. The couple seemed pretty chill as they hung out with Ben's 12-year-old son, Samuel.
And that's not all ... singers Bad Bunny was also in the crowd to see the Warriors and Lakers take it to the hoop.
And in the world of sports, tennis legend Novak Djokovic was front and center to see the Warriors take the W, 128-121.
After the game, J Lo gave Bunny a little hug as Ben shook hands with some of the Golden State players.
16 minutes have elapsed in just 15 seconds of game time in the Lakers-Warriors game 😳pic.twitter.com/cENw4SzpOT
