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Kobe Bryant will once again grace the cover of NBA 2K24, the video game maker announced ... the 4th time for the NBA legend!

2K -- first released in 1999 by Visual Concepts -- took to social media on Thursday, writing, "Sharing the Mamba Mentality with the next generation. Introducing our #NBA2K24 cover athlete, Kobe Bryant."

The game will come with two different covers ... a Kobe Bryant Edition and a Black Mamba Edition!

The KB version features a young Bryant, wearing number 8, flying through the air for a dunk. The BM edition features a veteran Kob, wearing his purple and gold away Lakers jersey.

"As we celebrate 25 years of NBA 2K with Kobe Bryant, we commemorate his legacy and the generational impact he has had on the game of basketball," the Prez of Visual Concepts said.

"While we mark the history of the franchise, NBA 2K24 also looks ahead to the future to bring an innovative leap in technology and the introduction of community-requested features like crossplay."

Kobe was last on the cover for the 2K21 edition ... following Bryant's tragic death in January 2020.

The NBA Hall of Famer was also featured on the special edition cover for NBA 2K17 ... and NBA 2K10.

Preorders for the game start Friday ... and the game drops at the beginning of September.

Drake's just one show into his extensive "It's All a Blur" Tour, and he's already dealing with the flying cell phone trend -- one pelted him in the wrist mid-performance.

The Certified Lover Boy was serenading the crowd Wednesday night in Chicago with his own rendition of Ginuwine's "So Anxious" ... when he was assaulted with the phone. It hit his left wrist, but he just watched it land on the ground, and was definitely not injured.

Confused fans in the audience wondered what they had just witnessed, but Drake couldn't be sidetracked from his mission ... he never made a big deal about the phone, and simply continued crooning for the crowd.

The phone wasn't part of the plan, but Drake did have plenty of props onstage ... life-sized tributes to both Virgil Abloh and the fertilization of life!!!

Social media has inspired concertgoers to throw phones at performers in hopes of getting an exclusive video, but the movement has resulted in disaster -- ask Bebe Rexha, who's just healing from facial injuries suffered last month when a fan hurled a phone at her head.

Stars like Adele have vowed to strike back if phones fly their way, and we just got Jason Derulo's take on the subject, who'd be proud of Drake's reaction ... because he thinks artists shouldn't take pics with devices thrown onstage.

Taylor Swift's dad apparently knew there were some important happenings taking place concerning Big Machine Label Group just days before his daughter's catalog was sold to Scooter Braun.

In an email, obtained by TMZ, Scott Swift provides help into a "data room" for Ithaca -- the company that purchased BMLG (and Taylor's music) for $330 million. The timing of the email -- June 26, 2019 -- is interesting considering the company sale happened just a couple days later. DailyMail was first to break the news of the new details.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us the data room was used to include info about upcoming deals and happenings within the company -- and would have almost certainly included info about the $330M sale.

As we reported, Taylor has maintained she didn't know the sale was even happening until it was finalized and made public. Scott Swift has said he did not participate in any shareholder calls about the sale because they were under strict NDA, and he didn't want to know anything that might jeopardize his daughter's career.

We've also seen a copy of that NDA, which appeared to be standard in its guidelines.

However, Big Machine's CEO Scott Borchetta released a statement shortly after Taylor said she'd been left in the dark, calling Scott out ... "I guess it might somehow be possible that her dad Scott, 13 Management lawyer Jay Schaudies (who represented Scott Swift on the shareholder calls) ... didn't say anything to Taylor over the prior 5 days."

BTW ... Jay still works on Taylor's management team to this day.

We also reported Scott Swift cashed in to the tune of $15 million on the catalog sale as he owned a percentage of Big Machine when it was sold.

A source close to Taylor tells us, "In 2020, the ability to evaluate any opportunity for Taylor to purchase her catalog was conditioned on signing a gag order NDA prohibiting her from ever speaking the truth about Scooter and the situation. Taylor has completely moved on from this saga, and has turned what started out as an extremely painful situation into one of the most fulfilling creative endeavors of her life."

However, our Scooter sources dispute the part about the NDA and gag order ... telling such an order just doesn't exist.

The Taylor source continues, "She re-recorded 3 albums and has 3 more to go. She’s looking forward to the release of her new album tonight."

OceanGate is pressing pause in the wake of the Titan submersible's fatal voyage to the Titanic shipwreck ... the company says it's halting all operations.

In a statement Thursday, OceanGate says it's suspending all exploration and commercial operations in the wake of last month's tragedy, which killed OceanGate CEO Stockton Rush and four others.

As you know, Stockton was piloting the Titan submersible when it imploded during a dive to the famed shipwreck ... killing everyone on board, including British billionaire Hamish Harding, French researcher/diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, Pakistani businessman Shahzada Dawood and his son, Suleman.

OceanGate has several other submersibles aside from the Titan, but the company says none will be going below the surface any time soon.

The Titan wreckage was recently recovered from the bottom of the Atlantic ocean ... along with presumed human remains.

Kim Zolciak and Kroy Biermann are still doing things as a family despite their extremely bitter divorce ... taking their children to worship and break bread together.

The former 'Real Housewives of Atlanta' star and former NFL player went to church as a family last Sunday in Atlanta, bringing their 4 minor children with them to the service.

Afterward, Kim and Kroy took the kiddos out to eat ... and there were even a few smiles among the family.

Frankly, it's a bit unexpected to see the estranged couple together with their kids in tow ... the divorce has just been that acrimonious.

As we've reported, Kim called the cops on Kroy just last month, because he allegedly accused her friend of kidnapping their son. She also allegedly punched him during a different argument that led to a police response, and she's accused him of being mentally abusive.

Financially, Kim and Kroy allegedly owe $1 million to the IRS and they're both being hounded in court for allegedly falling behind on payments for everything from Target purchases, to fancy cars and gambling trips.

A recent viral video accusing Colleen Ballinger of wearing blackface and performing "Single Ladies" has it all wrong ... and new footage lays out exactly what happened.

The clip shot back in 2009, made rounds Wednesday ... showing the popular Youtuber and two men performing the Beyoncé classic. Ballinger appeared to be in blackface during the number ... and was slammed on social media as a racist.

However, new video -- obtained by TMZ -- shows a different perspective. Prior to "Single Ladies," Colleen performed a song from the musical "Wicked" with Oliver Tompsett, one of the musical's stars.

Colleen wore green face paint for the tune with Tompsett -- like the Wicked Witch of the West -- and went into "Single Ladies" immediately after the song wrapped.

The sequence of back-to-back songs left zero time for Colleen to wipe off the green paint, resulting in the now-viral video accusing her of wearing blackface for "Single Ladies."

As we reported ... Colleen's under fire for what many have considered inappropriate behavior toward minors as well as racism.

Magic Johnson's annual yacht vacation has somehow gotten even MORE lavish ... Samuel L. Jackson just revealed the boat trip now features acupuncture sessions!!!

Johnson, Jackson and a few of their close pals set sale yet again for their yearly European vacay earlier this month -- hitting the French Riviera this time -- and the "Pulp Fiction" star showed there's truly no expense spared on the getaway.

In photos that Jackson posted to his Instagram page Thursday morning ... you can see he got healing needles injected into his skin -- all while he was relaxing and soaking in rays on one of the boat's decks.

Samuel clearly knew the moment was one dripping with luxury -- 'cause he captioned one of the pics with the words, "Accu in da Sun!!"

"DAAYUUUM!!!!" he added.

The treatments didn't stop there, though ... he also got some cupping therapy done right on a lounge chair as well!!

Of course, the extravagant amenities shouldn't surprise anybody ... Johnson's been going all out for the summer trip for nearly a decade.

This year's yacht is called "Phoenix 2" ... and the 296-footer comes with all of the expected bells and whistles -- including jacuzzis, a gym, an outdoor cinema, a swimming pool, and so much more.

Keke Palmer's boyfriend isn't gonna get a rise out of her -- at least publicly -- after he insinuated her choice of attire for an Usher concert wasn't appropriate for a mom.

The "Nope" actress is telling the world she had no regrets following the very public remarks made by Darius Jackson, the father of her son, regarding her outfit while attending Usher's Vegas residency last weekend.

Keke doubled down on her sexy wardrobe selection in a recap on IG ... that made no mention of Darius whatsoever.

She posted a pic in THE outfit, and said, "I wish I had taken more pictures but we were running late! I am telling y'all right now, if you haven't seen @usher YOU MUST GO!! HE WAS SO FABULOUS!!"

Referring to Usher, Keke added ... "Where is that pic of us all together with the King himself??"

The "king" Usher sided with his VIP guest, or at least shouted her out ... thanking her for attending his show, not to mention giving his Vegas residency yet another viral moment!!!

Darius was royally pissed off Wednesday when fans ripped him for being extra critical of Keke's sheer 'fit. He said, "We live in a generation where a man of the family doesn’t want the wife & mother to his kids to showcase booty cheeks to please others & he gets told how much of a hater he is."

As of Thursday, Keke and Darius don't follow each other on Instagram.

Hey Alexa, play "Moving Mountains" by Usher. 🎶

We covered the drama on the latest episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.

Drake kicked off his "It's All a Blur" tour in Chicago last night with no shortage of stage flair, including a moment where he spits his new poetry alongside a hologram of his younger self.

The megastar rapper lit up the United Center opening with his emotional “Look What You’ve Done" record as younger Drizzy bobbed his head wearing a Chicago Cubs' jersey.

Drake blitzed through 48 songs before the night's end and used various stage props to highlight the hit records ... paying tribute to the city's late hometown hero Virgil Abloh with a life-sized hologram of the fashion pioneer who passed away in November 2021.

The "certified lover boy" also reminded the crowd where babies come from while performing alongside a giant sperm cell.

Ghostface from the iconic "Scream" series also made a cameo, as did 21 Savage, who's co-headlining the shindig.

Bad behavior at airports and on commercial flights has plagued the U.S. of late -- and the problem has now spread south of the U.S. border.

Check out this insane video posted on Twitter ... which shows a woman going ballistic at a Volaris Airlines ticket counter in Mexico City International Airport on July 4.

In the clip, the lady picks up barcode scanners and computer monitors from the counter and smashes the items on the floor as a Volaris employee watches her in shock.

But the woman isn't through yet. She goes behind another counter and does the same thing, shattering electronic equipment on the ground.

According to the Daily Mail, the woman -- identified as Maria Guadalupe -- got angry when the Volaris ticket agent wouldn't refund her on the spot after he couldn't find her flight reservation.

Police reportedly arrested Guadalupe for disturbing the peace and damaging all the equipment.

The freak-out over the flight was just the latest in what has become an increasing trend. Unfortunately, the U.S. is ground zero for these types of outbursts whether they occur on commercial planes or in airports.

Ricky Martin and Jwan Yosef are calling it quits after 6 years of marriage.

The Puerto Rican pop star and Jwan announced they're getting a divorce in a joint statement Thursday.

They wrote, "We have decided to end our marriage with love, respect and dignity for our children and honoring what we have experienced as a couple all these wonderful years."

They went on ... "Our greatest desire now is to continue having a healthy family dynamic and a relationship centered on peace and friendship to continue the joint upbringing of our children, preserving the respect and love we have for each other."

The now-separated couple shares two young children, daughter Lucia and son Renn. Ricky also has two twin sons, Matteo and Valentino, both of whom he'll continue to raise as a single parent. All four kids were born via surrogates.

Ricky and Jwan first connected on Instagram in 2015 and six months later they began dating after meeting in London. They formally came out as partners on the red carpet at the 2016 amFAR Inspiration Gala and got engaged that same year. Two years later, they tied the knot.

Kim Kardashian can buy just about whatever she wants on the planet, but one recent purchase, in particular, has become a true dream moment for her.

Kim showed off her new $70 million Malibu mansion on Thursday's new episode of "The Kardashians" telling fans, "This has been a dream of mine forever, and it's just one of those pinch me moments where I can't believe I achieved a goal that I really didn’t think was realistic."

Kim's also got big plans for the crib ... revealing it's gonna be a "party house" before laughing and adding it'll also be used for a ton of time with her family and kids.

While Khloe and Kim tour the property in the episode, Khloe calls it an oasis.

As for Kim, you gotta hand it to her ... she's built an empire with a billion-dollar fortune. She says the home "Represents to me all the hard work I put in and enjoying fruits of my labor, new energy, looking forward to creating so many memories here."

If it wasn't clear before, there's certainly no doubt as to which country Prince Harry's allegiance is with ... celebrating America's Independence from his homeland on it's most patriotic holiday.

Harry was spotted holding his daughter, Princess Lilibet, and taking in Montecito's Independence Day parade Tuesday. Harry refrained from dawning any American flag gear, but Lilibet wore a blue dress, white socks and some red shoes ... she's half-American, thanks to mom.

The timing is interesting considering Harry's dad, King Charles III, attended his second coronation ceremony in Edinburgh. Harry's brother, Prince William, was right by his dad's side during the coronation ... but obviously, Harry was stateside.

Journey's co-founding guitarist, George Tickner, is dead ... according to his former bandmate, Neal Schon.

Schon, Journey's longtime lead guitarist, announced Tickner's passing Thursday with a social media post saying, "Journey Junkies, I have some very sad news. George Tickner, Journey’s original rhythm guitarist and songwriting contributor on their first three albums, has passed away."

He added, "Our condolences to his family and friends, and to all past and present band members. So heartbreaking. I think we need to do a group hug."

Tickner was the original rhythm guitarist, when he formed Journey in 1973 ... along with Schon and bassist Ross Valory.

Interestingly, he bowed out of the band in 1975 -- before they became hitmakers, selling more than 100 million records -- because he wanted to pursue a career in medicine, and he was serious about it. George earned a scholarship to attend Stanford Medical School.

He never fully gave up on music, though ... he was reportedly writing and doing local performances as a hobby.

George rejoined his Journey bandmates -- and subsequent members like Steve Perry -- back in 2005 when the group got its star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. That's him rocking that sweet handlebar mustache.

Prior to Journey, George was a member of Frumious Bandersnatch, a psychedelic rock band formed in Berkeley in the late '60s.

Neal's post didn't mention a cause of death. George was 76.

Lisa Vanderpump's iconic West Hollywood restaurant PUMP's doors are closed, but that doesn't mean the brand is done, according to Lisa ... who's filling us in on what's next.

Lisa tells TMZ ... she's not shelving the PUMP brand, and fans of the longtime hot spot could see it in a new location at some point in the future.

She says she's taking some of her longtime PUMP staff -- bartenders, the chef, and others -- over to TomTom, which she co-owns with Tom Sandoval and Tom Schwartz.

LV says she loves her crew and is thrilled to have them move just 3 doors down to TomTom. What's more, we're told some of the popular menu items from PUMP are coming over, too ... although it's unclear which ones will make the final cut.

BTW, Lisa says all of the bougie PUMP furniture will go to a warehouse she uses for personal belongings ... because none of it fits the decor at TomTom.

As we reported, the WeHo landmark restaurant started getting the ol' teardown on Tuesday, the day before its official closing date.

Mark Zuckerberg apparently can't wait to get into an Octagon with Elon Musk to take shots at the billionaire ... he spent plenty of time Wednesday night throwing keyboard jabs at his nemesis -- as part of the rollout of his new app, Threads.

The Twitter rival made its debut right around dinner time ... and just a few minutes into its kickoff, Zuck took to the site -- which many are calling the "new Twitter" -- to go after Musk and his bird app.

First, Zuckerberg tossed shade at Twitter while explaining to Mark Cuban he hopes Threads is a more "friendly" area for people to interact.

"That's one reason why Twitter never succeeded as much as I think it should have," he wrote, "and we want to do it differently."

Later, the Meta founder told UFC fighter Mike Davis he's got hopes Threads will outgrow Twitter one day.

"It'll take some time," Zuckerberg said, "but I think there should be a public conversations app with 1 billion+ people on it. Twitter has had the opportunity to do this but hasn't nailed it. Hopefully we will."

There were some veiled comments from Zuck about a potential fight with Musk too ... while replying to new signups throughout the night, he consistently made references to winning "round one" of Threads. He also laughed at the prospects of the billionaire superfight being called "The Meta Threada." He spent a whole lot of time interacting with MMA stars like Jon Jones as well.

Zuck even appeared to get back on Twitter after an 11-year hiatus to get in another little ribbing at Musk ... with an account apparently associated with him tweeting out the Spider-Man meme.

No date has been set for the potential Zuck vs. Musk superfight -- there's a lot of hangups over the size discrepancy between the two -- but it's clear, the guys are more than content battling each other behind computer screens while it all gets sorted out.