Dikembe Mutombo Super Teams Don't Exist In NBA ... It's About Mental Toughness

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NOT ABOUT STAR POWER
TMZSports.com

Dikembe Mutombo is calling cap on anyone who believes the Brooklyn Nets are a super team ... because he tells TMZ Sports no such thing exists!!

We spoke with the legendary big man out at LAX this week ... and when we brought up the fact a lot of stacked rosters like the Brooklyn Nets are out of the playoffs, the Hall of Famer said he isn't on board with calling them -- or anyone else, for that matter -- a "super team."

"What is a super team?? Who told you that was a super team??" Mutombo asked our camera guy. "Everybody plays in the NBA. They play on the same team. I work for the league. There is no super team."

Mutombo goes on to explain no matter how much talent is on a team, what really matters is what's between the ears.

"If you are not ready to play, you lose," added Mutombo, who won the DPOY award 4 times. "It's like a boxing match. If you not ready, somebody gon' knock you out."

Some fans will vehemently disagree with Dikembe's take ... especially since the Nets have a roster that boasts two of the game's best scorers -- Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving -- and an elite defender in Ben Simmons when healthy.

"If you mentally ... not tough, you can be beaten," Mutombo said. "If you not mentally tough, somebody gon' dunk on you."

The quote echoes what some talking heads have said about Simmons, who was called out for not playing through a back injury. The criticism, however, may have been too harsh ... as the hooper needed back surgery to help the issue.

On paper, the Nets have one of the scariest rosters ... but based on Mutombo's comments, he's not feeding into the hype of KD, KI, and Ben as a trio until they prove they're tough enough upstairs.

Penny In 'The Wedding Planner' 'Memba Her?!

American comedian and actress Judy Greer is well known for playing the role of Penny -- the funny yet instrumental wedding planner that ultimately pushes her co-worker to date, fall in love and get married -- in the 2001 film "The Wedding Planner."

Greer shared the big screen with other A-listers Jennifer Lopez as the wedding planner, seeking monogamy and love, Mary Fiore, Matthew McConaughey as a pediatrician, and ultimately Mary's love interest, Dr. Steve Edison and Justin Chambers as Mary's childhood boyfriend and her secondary option for marriage, Massimo.

And, don't forget her iconic role in "13 Going On 30" with Jennifer Garner!

Guess what she looks like today 21 years later!

'Handmaid's Tale' Author Margaret Atwood Op-Ed ... Forced Childbirth is Slavery

Margaret Atwood -- who penned 'The Handmaid's Tale,' inspiring the TV show -- just let everyone know how she feels about banning abortion ... calling it literal enslavement.

The renowned author and poet wrote a brief but powerful op-ed in The Guardian this weekend -- and it's all about the prospect of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade, which was made public last week after a draft opinion leaked to the press.

Her title says it all ... "Enforced childbirth is slavery" -- and she lays out her argument pretty well in the following graphs, likening the would-be decision to what she outlines in her cautionary tale of a novel ... where women who are fertile become prisoners of the state.

Here's just a snippet of Atwood's words ... "Women who cannot make their own decisions about whether or not to have babies are enslaved because the state claims ownership of their bodies and the right to dictate the use to which their bodies must be put."

She goes on to compare the slavery she speaks of to conscription for men -- but notes that even there, guys have a better deal ... as they're afforded free resources for the "service."

MA then asks this ... "If the state is mandating enforced childbirth, why should it not pay for prenatal care, for the birth itself, for postnatal care, and -- for babies who are not sold off to richer families – for the cost of bringing up the child?" Essentially, pay women for having babies, especially if you're going to give them no other option but to do exactly that.

Margaret answers her own question, writing ... "Instead, it just wants to reinforce the usual cheap trick: force women to have babies, and then make them pay. And pay. And pay. As I said, slavery." She goes on to say that having a baby is a gift -- but ceases to be a gift if it's not freely given or received ... which is what would happen by default if abortion is banned.

She finishes, "No one is forcing women to have abortions. No one either should force them to undergo childbirth. Enforce childbirth if you wish but at least call that enforcing by what it is. It is slavery: the claim to own and control another’s body, and to profit by that claim."

Amy Schumer Here's Another Oscars Joke That Got the Axe!!!

Amy Schumer is opening her comedy vault -- she just laid out another joke that Oscars honchos apparently said no to ... and this one's on video.

The comedian revealed her latest axed bit during a set for the 'Netflix Is a Joke' festival going on right now -- and at one point in her performance, she laid out what exactly it was that showrunners weren't really feeling from AS's pitched material.

Watch ... it's a gag that incorporates a bunch of the nominated films to make a sex joke about her husband. You can watch it for yourself -- we'll just say, it ends in pregnancy.

Whether it was funny or not ... well, that sorta depends on who you're asking, it seems. The joke seemed to land well for the live audience that received it -- they were laughing it up when she delivered it -- but if you go peep how folks online are taking it ... it ain't good.

This harkens back to last month when Amy revealed yet another joke she claims was scrapped ... which was about Alec Baldwin, something most folks didn't see much humor in.

The Baldwin joke wasn't caught on tape -- she talked about it during a stand-up show of hers in Vegas, where people's phones were locked away ... but it was reported on nonetheless. Whether any of these jokes were actually on the table is also anyone's guess.

She could just be making these up now/working them into her current set ... who knows. Either way, what did end up making it into her monologue that night worked extremely well. You'll recall ... she roasted everybody under the sun and got a great response at the time.

So, on the issue of funny or not ... it's clear Amy's got the gift. Carry on, people!

Martin Brundle Confuses Paolo Banchero ... For Pat Mahomes at Grand Prix 😅

Paolo Banchero is NOT Patrick Mahomes -- a fairly obvious fact that Martin Brundle had to learn the hard way ... live on the air, no less. Whoops!

The former race car driver-turned-broadcaster was in the middle of his coverage of Sunday's Grand Prix down in Miami for Sky Sports ... where he was flagging people down for interviews on the speedway grid like he usually does each year.

Unfortunately, he manifested a case of mistaken identity ... doing a stop-and-chat with the star Duke basketball player -- who towered over everyone at an impressive 6'10" -- whom he apparently thought was the Kansas City Chiefs star QB. It was funny ... and kinda cringe.

Check it out -- you see Brundle spot who he thinks is PM, and shouts out his name ... only to be ignored by Paolo. When he finally catches up to him though ... he gets his interview.

After a few seconds, MB realizes Paolo isn't Pat ... and sorta apologizes as Paolo goes on his way. Doesn't seem he was sweating the mix-up either, dropping a "whatever" afterward.

At one point, Brundle came across a rando that he seems to have thought might've been famous -- but rather than make the leap he did with Paolo/Patrick, he politely asked ... who the heck are ya??? This interview didn't go so great either, though ... but made for good TV.

It seems awkward exchanges are Martin's M.O. at F1 events -- remember that time he tried to talk to Megan Thee Stallion??? Yeah, more of the same from this loveable bloke. 😂

Megan Thee Stallion BF Pardi Takes Her for a Ride ... Tossing Her Around Easy!!!

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boyfriend bouncin'
Twitter / @meganfatcheeks

Megan Thee Stallion looked more like Megan Thee Rag Doll in NYC this weekend -- and that's because her boyfriend was having his way with her in the club ... woof!

The femcee was hosting a party Saturday night in the Big Apple in honor of her new single, "Plan B," which she debuted at Coachella a few weeks ago. Seems like it was a rager, with MTS and her man, Pardison Fontaine, leading the charge in the hot and heavy department.

Check it out ... at one point, Pardi picked up Megan and started bouncing her up and down with hip thrusts, this as she had her arms wrapped around him. Yeah, it's pretty hot.

Even before this pony ride, it looks like Pardi had a firm grasp on her/the sitch at large -- literally carrying her upstairs like nothin'. It's wild ... Meg's not a small girl by any means -- she's reported as 5'10", so for him to be able to hoist her up like this is ... impressive.

Anyway, once they were in their own zone ... the dirty dancing continued, with Meg twerking and Pardi coming in for a taste. Looks like they're all about showing off PDA early and often -- which is great for everyone else taking in the show.

Later, Meg performed her song with Pardi behind her ... supporting his girl. The couple's been dating since 2020 -- post-shooting -- and they've been fairly inseparable ever since. Pardi's a newish rapper, having made a splash with a feature on Cardi B's "Backin' It Up" in 2018.

Ukraine Bono, Jill Biden & Trudeau Visit ... Lift Spirits for Mother's Day

Here's a sign that the tide might be turning in Ukraine -- Bono, First Lady Jill Biden and even Prime Minister Justin Trudeau paid a visit this weekend ... a very pleasant surprise.

The trio don't appear to have traveled together, but they were all on hand Saturday and Sunday in different parts of the war-torn country to lift spirits for Mother's Day ... albeit through different means.

The U2 frontman, for example, did an impromptu performance down in a Kyiv subway station alongside The Edge -- singing to a relatively small crowd that had gathered ... but blowing their minds, nonetheless. He even did a duet with Ukrainian singer Taras Topolia!

As cool as that was ... it was Dr. Biden's visit that might've been the most meaningful. She met with President Zelensky's wife, Olena Zelenska, at a school in Uzhhorod ... marking the first time the Ukrainian FL has been in public since February. She's been in hiding.

The visit was unannounced, which made this all the more special. She'd been meeting with refugees earlier in the week in different parts of Europe -- but nobody expected her to drop into the actual country itself ... and yet, here she was giving flowers to Mrs. Zelenska.

Finally, there was Canada's Commander in Chief himself ... PM Trudeau was in Irpin and Kyiv taking in the destruction and devastation -- and even met with Zelensky himself.

Like we said ... the fact these world leaders are there on the ground signals that things might be finally settling down. There's no way they'd send Trudeau or Biden if their respective countries' intelligence thought there was any chance they'd be in danger -- so a good sign.

More and more high-profile people have been going to Ukraine lately ... including Angelina Jolie, who went last week. Here's hoping that normalcy can be restored sooner than later.

John Mulaney 1st Comic to Hit Hollywood Bowl Since Chappelle Incident

It's been less than a week since the Dave Chappelle bum-rush at the Hollywood Bowl, and another comic's already headlined the venue, apparently without incident ... John Mulaney.

The beloved comedian took the stage Saturday night with a couple of openers where Dave was attacked by a guy just a few short days ago -- and, according to reports, everything went swimmingly ... which might have to do with the beefed-up security on high alert.

THR's got a pretty description of the guards on hand and the vibe in general -- they say everyone had to go through the metal detectors and have their bag checked, per usual.

The difference now ... a wood panel that used to line the very front row and the stage was replaced by a fence -- and not just that, but apparently 10 security officers lined the stage from down below in addition to other guards that were in the second level and off to the sides too.

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It might sound more intense than it actually was though -- while there weren't any phones allowed from the crowd, somebody did get a video of John exiting the stage to thunderous applause ... giving us a great view of the front of the stage, and the fence looks wimpy.

John even acknowledged it in his set -- poking fun at HB security and the Chappelle incident in general ... reportedly saying, "we have great security. This fence is so jumpable it’s crazy."

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Another reference to the stage crasher ... John challenged the crowd (jokingly, of course) by saying, "No one’s going to do anything. You don’t have the balls." He went on to riff about how great rushing the stage would be for whatever cause someone was all about.

His two openers, Earthquake and Seaton Smith, also referenced Isaiah Lee ... but kept it mild, it seems. In the end, it appears everyone had a good time -- and no one got hurt.

Talk about a 180!

Sam Hunt Divorce Called Off ... Back W/ Pregnant Wife

Sam Hunt and his wife called off their divorce and all signs point to reconciliation.

According to new legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Sam's wife, Hannah Lee Fowler, asked the court to dismiss the divorce case last month, and a judge signed off.

Remember ... Hannah cited infidelity when she originally filed for divorce back in February, but she quickly withdrew her petition and refiled it in a different county in Tennessee.

But, this time around it looks like the divorce is really being called off.

There's more evidence Sam and Hannah are giving their marriage another try ... he's been wearing his wedding ring again.

Sam was NOT wearing the band during a performance in March when the divorce was still working its way through the courts, but he was rocking the ring last week on stage in Florida.

And, get this ... witnesses say Sam and Hannah have been spotted together recently, walking their dog in Franklin, TN.

They have a pretty good reason to reconcile ... Sam says they are expecting a baby girl at the end of the month, which would be their first child.

TMZ broke the story ... Hannah filed for divorce back in February. In her divorce docs, she said Sam was "guilty of inappropriate marital conduct" and "adultery." She asked the court for primary custody of their future child and alimony.

We've reached out to reps for both Sam and Hannah ... so far no word back.

Travis Scott First Public Performance Since Astroworld ... Performs at 3AM To Sold-out Crowd

Travis Scott made his move Saturday night ... performing at his first public venue since last November's Astroworld tragedy.

Travis headlined at E11EVEN during the Miami Grand Prix weekend. It was not for the faint or weary ... T.S. showed up at 3 AM. He first beelined it for the DJ booth, told the crowd he'd be back in 10 and then warned people when he re-appeared, everyone "better lose their motherf***ing minds!"

He did indeed come back 10 minutes later and hopped on the stage ... the sold-out crowd went nuts.

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BACK ON STAGE

Travis' set lasted around 45 minutes, and he did not disappoint ... with "Sicko Mode," "Antidote," "Pick Up the Phone," and "Goosebumps."

What's interesting ... Travis didn't seem uneasy about going full throttle, telling the crowd to take shots as he gripped a bottle of 1942 Don Julio. Travis was happy to throw some loot into the audience.

Logan Paul was there, and at one point he screamed, "The one thing I know about you is that you turn the f*** up!"

Toward the end of his set, Quavo jumped on stage ... they did "Dubai S**t" and ended up handing the mic to a fan who was super impressive.

Travis did not blow out of there ... he stayed until 6 AM. Prior to his performance, Travis grabbed a bite at Prime 112.

There were tons of celebs on hand ... Future, Tyga, Zedd, will.i.am, Busta Rhymes, Joakim Noah, Danny Amendola, Damson Idris, Travis Kelce, P.K. Subban, Terrence J, Teyana Taylor, Karrueche, Carnage, Alec Monopoly, and Todd English.

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TMZ.com

Travis has performed after Astroworld, but only at private events, like the pre-Oscars event and a Coachella after-party.

He's now got his sights on a massive venue ... Travis will headline at the Primavera Sound Festival ... where more than 100,000 fans are expected to attend.

Anna Nicole Smith Daughter Dannielynn Wears Janet Jackson Outfit ... And Janet Approves!!!

Anna Nicole Smith's daughter Dannielynn Birkhead kinda took a page from Kim Kardashian, wearing an iconic getup to a big, fancy event.

The 15-year-old daughter of Anna Nicole and Larry Birkhead showed up at the Kentucky Derby's Barnstable Brown Gala in the same outfit Janet Jackson wore to the exact same event back in 2003. The outfit included a black pantsuit and an old-fashioned cap.

The proud papa said, "It was purchased as a part of Janet’s @juliens_auctions benefitting charity.“#prouddad."

And guess who was there ... Janet!!! The 3 took pics together at the soiree.

Larry was gushing afterward ... "What a night! Janet was so gracious and complimentary of Dannielynn in her outfit. She made Dannielynn so happy and even graciously posed for a photo with us."

Larry and Dannielynn attend the Derby events every year. In fact, Larry and Anna Nicole met at the Derby years ago.

Larry has done an amazing job raising his daughter ... especially in the face of incredible turmoil after Anna Nicole's death.

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Gotta say ... the older Dannielynn gets, the more stunning is her resemblance to her mom.

LeBron Parties Hard in Miami ... One Club's Not Enough!!!

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"WHO WANT SMOKE??"
TMZSports.com

LeBron James came back Saturday night to where he started the weekend ... at CARBONE BEACH in Miami Beach, and he partied his ass off!!!

LeBron was having a great time, drinking, dancing and hanging with pals. It's all part of Grand Prix weekend, and it was wild.

There were other celebs on hand ... Meek Mill showed up with some friends and was chilling with the crowd. Patrick Mahomes was also there with his wife Brittany Matthews.

But that's just the beginning of the roster ... Serena and Venus Williams, Travis Kelce, Lindsey Vonn, Kevin Love and lots of others showed up for a night of great food and partying.

LeBron didn't stop at Carbone ... at a point -- late in the evening -- he bailed and went to another club and partied most of the night.

He couldn't have looked happier ... smiling and dancing and blowing off steam.

Drake Troll DM'ing My Wife Crossed A Line ... But It's All Love!!!

Drake's DM to one dude's wife may have crossed the line, but it's all love and the guy is actually a big fan ... so says the troll himself!

As we reported ... Drake clapped back to a guy named Cedric, by DM'ing the dude's wife. He wrote, "I just followed your girl cause she prob miserable and needs some excitement in her life".

Drizzy followed up by messaging Cedric's wife, Toni saying ... "I'm here for u ma".

It all started after Cedric took a jab at Drake on Instagram on a post where Drake defended Tee Morant -- father of NBA star Ja Morant. Cedric chimed in referencing a rumor that Drake doesn't write his own music, obviously, hitting a nerve for the 6 God.

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Of course, the beef sparked lots of reactions from folks on social media, but we talked to Cedric and his wife, Toni, and they were actually in good spirits over the whole thing.

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TMZ.com

Cedric says, he felt Drake took things a little too far, by messaging his wife ... but he finds the whole situation hilarious. At first, he didn't think the comment would go anywhere, and he was shocked when a little trash-talking escalated into Drake actually DM'ing his wife.

Cedric says he's actually a huge fan of Drake. His wife, Toni, was all smiles over the dustup. She says, she's not interested in going on a date with Drake, because she's super happy with her hubby ... but she insisted they all meet!

We're guessing don't hold your breath.

'SNL' Challenge to SCOTUS Over Abortion ... Here's What Tradition Looked Like

'SNL' did a really smart cold open Saturday night ... challenging what appears to be the Supreme Court's notion that tradition should stand in the way of change.

It was pretty brilliant ... the host Benedict Cumberbatch, along with Andrew Dismukes, Alex Moffat, Kate McKinnon, Chris Redd and Cecily Strong played characters back in 1235, when the laws were incredibly draconian. The point -- these ideas have no place a thousand years later.

There's a hilarious moment when Cumberbatch says, "It’s just while I was cleaning the hole on the side of the castle where we poop and then it falls through the sky into a hole of human feces, I started to think about abortion. Don’t you think we ought to make a law against that?"

The reply ... "You mean like to know we have against pointy shoes?"

At one point someone asks, "Shouldn't we at least make exceptions in cases of rape or incest? Moffat jumps on that ... "But those are the only kinds of sex."

Then there's a turn where somehow mask-wearing becomes relevant, and even Johnny Depp vs. Amber Heard becomes grist for the group.

It really does squarely challenge the 5 justices who signed on to the majority draft opinion. RBG would probably have liked the skit.

Odell Beckham Jr. & Von Miller Collabing W/ Celeb Jeweler We're Helping Design Rams' SB Rings!!!

Odell Beckham Jr. and Von Miller played huge roles in the Rams winning the Super Bowl ... and, now, TMZ Sports has learned they'll have a big say in how L.A.'s championship rings look, too!

We got celeb jeweler, Jason of Beverly Hills (who's creating the Rams' title bling this year), out in Las Vegas this week -- and he told us he's actually working closely with Beckham and Miller on the drip's design.

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A TOUCH OF L.A.
TMZSports.com

Jason said Jalen Ramsey and Aaron Donald have been calling him with input as well ... and he tells us he's expecting the final product to be epic.

"That is going to be a legendary ring," Jason said.

In fact, Jason said with the help of all of the Rams players ... he's anticipating "something that's never been done before."

"I'm from L.A.," Jason said, "so to make the best Super Bowl ring in history is a big deal to me."

Jason tells us OBJ has been great throughout the initial design process ... saying the wideout "is really creative."

But, developing a piece that tops Jason's past works of art won't be easy. You'll recall, the jeweler has created championship rings recently for the Milwaukee Bucks, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Los Angeles Lakers.

Still, Jason is gunnin' to somehow accomplish the feat.

"We want this Rams ring to be the best Super Bowl championship ring in history," Jason tells us. "It's L.A. We are L.A. We're ready to do it."

Celeb First-Time Mamas Happy Mother's Day 2022

It's definitely all about the mama's out there this weekend, but these celebs are celebrating Mother's Day as first-timers with their little ones ... so they deserve a little mom shoutout!

Halsey, Naomi Campbell and Lauren Lane are just a few stars to name that have taken you through their new-mom journey over the past year ... from posting and sharing growing belly-bump pics to the first time they held their precious, new babies!

Emmy Rossum, Abby De La Rosa, and Lauren Sorrentino also joined "The New Mom's Club," as they welcomed their new additions into the world!

Scroll through our gallery to see all of the new-mom-cuteness overload!

Happy Mother's Day!