Basketball

Congressman Colin Allred tells TMZ Sports the U.S. is calling Brittney Griner "basically a political prisoner" now in Russia ... and says because of it, government officials have formally begun negotiations with the foreign country to bring the WNBA superstar home.

We spoke with the representative out on Capitol Hill on Tuesday afternoon -- just hours after it was announced that Griner's detention in Russia would be extended until at least July 2 -- and he confirmed to us they've officially entered into talks with Russian leaders to try to get Griner back on U.S. soil.

"We're actively negotiating to get her out," Allred said. "Basically, we've acknowledged and we understand now that she is being held as basically a political prisoner."

"In some ways, that’s helpful," Allred continued, "because now we can just have a discussion on, 'What is it going to take for you to allow us to bring her back home?'"

It appears it'll be an uphill battle to make the negotiations work, however ... according to Russian state media outlet TASS, a Russian diplomat said on Tuesday the country will not consider a detainee swap for Griner until her case wraps in the court system.

It's unclear when that date might be -- she's been in custody since mid-February as her case continues to plod on -- but Allred told us they're still doing everything they can to make it sooner rather than later.

As for how Griner is doing while in custody, Allred said, "she’s as good as she could be under the circumstances, and the circumstances are not great."

He did say she is able to receive some messages from loved ones through her attorney.

Tyler Herro wished the mother of his child, Katya Elise Henry, a happy 28th birthday with a sweet message ... calling her "the most beautiful girl in the world" amid rumors of a nasty breakup.

The Miami Heat star penned the letter on Tuesday by sharing photos of himself, the fitness model, and their 9-month-old daughter, Zya, on Instagram.

"Happy Birthday to the most beautiful girl in the world," Herro said in the caption.

"Words can’t describe how much I appreciate you. Aint no tellin where we’d be at without you."

Herro -- who started dating Henry after sliding in her DMs in 2020 -- says she's been holdin' it down since they've met and he looks forward to their future.

"You’ve been my rock holding it down for 2 years, I can’t wait to see what life has in store for us. Enjoy. Smile. More life to 28 biggggg babbyyyy."

This is a good sign that the couple is in good spirits -- even after many thought Henry broke up with Herro after posting quotes about cheating on her IG story.

She also removed all of Herro's photos from her page and unfollowed him on social media.

But, we just checked -- she's following him again.

Brittney Griner will remain in custody in Russia for at least another two and a half weeks ... the WNBA superstar's detention was just extended by a court until July 2.

The ruling was handed down on Tuesday, according to Russian state media outlet TASS, after investigators requested the extension.

The decision comes on the heels of U.S. State Department officials meeting with representatives from Brittney's current WNBA team, the Phoenix Mercury, to discuss ways to safely return the professional hooper to America.

Specific details of the meeting remain tight-lipped -- it's unclear who exactly attended or what was discussed -- but officials confirmed to the Associated Press the forum did indeed happen.

Blue Ivy spent the night out with her pops Jay-Z, and fans had to stop and do a double-take after looking way too much like Beyoncé.

The father-daughter duo was at the NBA Finals Monday night in San Fran, and fans couldn't help but compare her to her mom -- the 10-year-old is rocking a new curly-haired look that's definitely very familiar.

Blue's look feels similar to queen Bey in the mid-2000s, or as one fan reacted on social media ... "Beyonce really copy and pasted her looks on her." Not everyone sees the Beyonce comparisons, though ... some still see more of her dad than her mama.

Jay-Z even got the chance to embarrass her at the game in true dad fashion ... pulling her in for a hug while on camera, and she tried to break away as she whispered, "Dad, my hair."

BTW, last night's game 5 pulled Golden State ahead 3-2, and Jay and mini-Bey even got to chat it up with Steph Curry after the game.

Steph Curry beat the Celtics on the court on Monday night -- and then he got the victory against their fans off of it immediately afterward, rockin' a T-shirt that trolled the hell out of some heckling Boston supporters.

Just minutes after Curry and the Warriors beat the Cs at the Chase Center in Game 5 of the NBA Finals in San Francisco, the Golden State superstar showed up to his news conference with a tee that read, "Ayesha Curry CAN Cook."

It was a simple, grey-and-black article of clothing underneath a zip-up jacket ... but it was the perfect clap back to some trolling that Celtics fans did before Friday's Game 4 in Boston.

If you missed it, outside of a popular bar, fans wrote "Ayesha Curry Can't Cook" on a sign to troll Curry's wife, who's a chef.

Steph clearly believed otherwise -- and his own trolling message hit perfectly following Golden State's dominating 104-94 win.

The 34-year-old, though, let the shirt do his talking for him, because when a reporter asked him about it -- he said simply, "You've got to ask around the room and ask Twitter. Yeah, yeah. Absolutely."

NBA forward Montrezl Harrell has been charged with drug trafficking after cops say they found three pounds of weed in his car during a traffic stop in May ... and is now facing time behind bars.

According to the Charlotte Observer, the 28-year-old was pulled over by a Kentucky state trooper around 10 AM on May 12 for driving a 2020 Honda Pilot rental too close to the car in front of him ... and during the stop, cops claim they smelled marijuana.

The report says Harrell admitted to having weed on him and pulled a "small amount" from his sweatpants ... but when cops searched the vehicle, they claim to have found a backpack filled with three pounds of weed in vacuum-sealed bags.

Harrell's arraignment was scheduled for Monday morning.

Harrell -- who played college ball at the University of Louisville -- was charged with trafficking less than five pounds of marijuana ... a Class D felony for first-time offenders that could result in up to five years behind bars and a fine.

Russell Westbrook might be a Laker, but he'll always be welcome in Oklahoma City ... which is why the point guard just received a key to the city!!

The 33-year-old superstar -- who won the MVP award with the Thunder in the 2016-17 season -- was on hand at Capitol Hill High School in Oklahoma City for the honor.

"We are so grateful for all @russwest44 has done for our city through the years," Mayor David Holt said. "And we want him to know he’s welcome here anytime."

"To make sure Russ can always come back home to OKC, I gave him the Key to the City."

The Mayor also cut the ribbon for a new futsal/basketball court, which was funded by Russ and his Why Not? foundation.

"This new court at Capitol Hill HS in South OKC demonstrates Russ’s continued commitment to the kids of @okcps and the people of OKC," David said.

Aside from his on-court accomplishments, Russ is known to have an active role in charitable work through his foundation -- which helps inspire children to achieve their dreams -- including backpack and shoe drives ... as well as handing out meals on Thanksgiving.

Of course, Westbrook spent the majority of his NBA career in OKC ... where he helped the team reach the Finals in 2012, and became the franchise's all-time leading scorer.

As Brittney Griner remains in Russian custody, U.S. State Department officials met with the Phoenix Mercury (her current team) on Monday to discuss steps to safely return the WNBA superstar to America.

The meeting reportedly included officials from an office within the State Dept. that advocates for Americans who've been wrongfully detained ... as well as representatives from the Mercury.

The State Dept. confirmed the meeting took place, but did not name who was in attendance or specify what was discussed during the forum, according to the Associated Press.

Brittney, a 7-time All-Star and WNBA champion, has been in Russian custody since February when authorities claimed the hooper tried to smuggle hashish oil into the country.

In May, the State Dept. demanded Russia allows American officials to see Griner -- who could be facing up to 10 years in prison if ultimately convicted -- as she awaits her drug trial.

On Saturday, Penny Taylor -- a 13-year WNBA veteran -- used her Hall of Fame induction speech as an opportunity to put pressure on the Biden administration ... with hopes they'll expedite the release of Griner.

"BG is our family," Taylor said. "She's yours too. The entire global sport community needs to come together to insist that she be a priority."

Shaquille O'Neal just eviscerated a hoops fan for trying to discredit his success with the Lakers ... telling the guy to "enjoy my stats and STF up."

The whole interaction started after the Legion Hoops Twitter account posted Diesel's insane stat lines from the NBA Finals during the Lakers' 3-peat from 2000-2002 ... which was meant to praise the big man's dominance.

Naturally, one user had to provide his unwarranted take on the topic ... tweeting out, "Even with all of this Shaq doesn’t win those rings without Kobe."

The jab got Shaq's attention ... and pissed him off so much, he clapped back with a fierce response.

"No person can win without another star big dummy," he said over the weekend. "How many would Magic (Johnson) have without Kareem (Abdul-Jabbar)? How many would Kenny Smith have without Hakeem Olajuwon?"

"WTF u talking about I hate dumb ass people," the Hall of Famer added. "Enjoy my stats and stf up."

The heckler has yet to respond to Shaq directly, but has been forced to defend his take with those backing O'Neal up.

It looks like Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor are about to be officially done with the West Coast ... 'cause TMZ has learned, they sold their L.A. area house.

Property records show they accepted an offer for their house back in April, and real estate sources tell TMZ ...  they'll be closing next week, unloading it for $4 million.

Whoever scooped up the Studio City pad is getting all the bells and whistles ... including a pool, movie theater and even a waterfall. Oh, and there's a custom dog house, just in case they're any kinda dog-lover.

The master bedroom also comes with a massive walk-in closet and a meditation balcony that overlooks the serene yard.

The place is a real beaut, but we're told Teyana and Iman decided to sell it because they're spending most of their time on the East Coast these days.

And, from the looks of it ... they've been toying with the idea for a while.

The couple actually bought the home back in 2018 for a little under $3 mil, listed it for rent and tried to sell it 2 years later. They ended up taking it off the market, before relisting back in April.

Big fan of Steph Curry and have half a mil layin' around? Good news -- a super rare SC rookie card has hit the auction block, and it could sell for over $500K!

TMZ Sports has learned ... the 2009 National Treasures autographed patch piece is up for sale at PWCC Marketplace -- and it's such a gem, bidding is already up over $400,000.

The front of the card has a photo of a young Steph in his road Warriors jersey -- and features a cutout of his threads. It also has Curry's autograph in bold, blue ink.

On the back, Curry's stats are displayed ... as well as a nod to one of his most famous triple-doubles.

Officials at PWCC tell us the card is ultra hot right now because it's super rare (it's numbered to just 99) and because Curry -- in addition to already being one of the greatest point guards ever -- is in yet another NBA Finals.

With a series win over the Celtics, Curry would be a four-time champion -- putting him in seriously rare air.

Jack Harlow is turning into quite the method actor -- the rapper was spotted working his ass off on the basketball court on the set of the "White Men Can't Jump" reboot.

Of course, Jack is no stranger to hoop ... but his Billy Hoyle character is a former college baller, so the dude's gotta look the part when the cameras start to roll.

Harlow can be seen backing down his defender and whizzing by him for a layup in one of the clips ... and appears to be laser-focused on immediate feedback from a trainer.

As we previously reported, Harlow has been hanging around on set in Venice this week ... as TMZ Sports obtained video of the "Nail Tech" MC walking around on a court.

Now, we get a chance to see the guy with a ball in his hand ... which will obviously be a big part of the flick.

Harlow has recently showed off his basketball skills during celebrity basketball games ... and he's got some solid range.

Paul Pierce is being sued yet again ... this time a man is alleging the NBA legend borrowed a bunch of cash to play in poker games, but lost most of it all and never paid it back.

In the new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ Sports, Stephen Carmona says he was hosting a poker game at his home on Jan. 27, when Pierce showed up and asked Carmona to lend him some money so he could play.

Carmona claims he gave Pierce $150,000, and alleges the former Boston Celtics great -- who reportedly made over $195 million in his playing career -- promised to pay him back within seven days.

In the suit, Carmona says Pierce went on to lose $140K in the game and only returned $10,000 to him.

A week later, Carmona says he hosted another poker game at his home, and Pierce showed up again and requested another loan to play, despite not paying off the initial debt.

Carmona claims he handed over another $40,000 to the ex-NBA hooper, with the promise that he'd pay that off in addition to the $140,000 that he owed Carmona from the previous week.

Carmona says in the suit Pierce went on to lose the $40,000 that night ... and never paid it or the prior loan back.

Carmona says he's now out $180,000 -- and "despite multiple requests for repayment," Carmona says Pierce won't pay off the debt.

In the suit, Carmona is asking for $180,000 plus interest.

Pierce has yet to publicly comment on the allegations.

This is far from the first time the ex-NBA hooper has faced a civil lawsuit -- following the 2018 Conor McGregor vs. Khabib Nurmagomedov fight, he was sued for allegedly calling a security guard "racist."

Hollywood Harlow in full effect -- Jack Harlow is on set for his acting debut in the "White Men Can't Jump" reboot ... and TMZ Sports has the vid!!

As we previously reported, the "First Class" rapper landed the gig after crushing his first-ever audition ... playing Billy Hoyle, which was Woody Harrelson's role in the original film back in 1992.

The project appears to be well on its way ... as Harlow was spotted making his rounds on set at a basketball court in Venice.

Of course, Harlow is working alongside Sinqua Walls in the flick ... who was picked to play Wesley Snipes' Sidney Deane role, despite Quavo's hopes of getting his name called.

The project is backed by Kenya Barris, NBA star Blake Griffin, NFLer Ryan Kalil and Noah Weinstein of Mortal Media ... and is directed by Calmatic.

Other actors on board include Lance Reddick, Teyana Taylor, Andrew Schulz and Laura Harrier ... so some of those names were probably on set as well.

George Thompson, one of the greatest players in the history of Marquette basketball, has died at 74 years old, the school announced on Wednesday night.

The university shared the sad news in a tweet ... saying Thompson passed away due to complications from diabetes.

"George made a tremendous impact, not only on the program, but the entire Milwaukee community after his arrival on campus," school officials said. "RIP Brute Force."

The Brooklyn native was a standout at Marquette from 1966 to 1969, playing under legendary coach Al McGuire. In 87 career games at the school, spanning three seasons, he averaged 20.4 points, 7.9 rebounds and 1.5 assists.

He went on to be selected by the Boston Celtics in the 5th round of the 1969 NBA Draft ... but chose to start his pro career with the Pittsburgh Pipers of the American Basketball Association.

George spent 5 total seasons in the ABA -- playing for the Condors/Memphis Tams for 2 years -- before taking his talents to the NBA to play for the Milwaukee Bucks.

The 3-time ABA All-Star only played one season with the Bucks, but his iconic #24 jersey hangs in the rafters at Fiserv Forum thanks to his storied career at Marquette.

Thompson -- a member of Marquette's Hall of Fame -- was inducted into the Wisconsin Athletic Hall of Fame in 2001.

LeBron James wants to head to Sin City one day with his billion-dollar net worth -- the superstar just revealed he's gunning to buy an NBA team in Las Vegas.

The King -- who just recently earned his membership in the 3 Comma Club -- is already describing his plans to build his business portfolio even further ... saying on "The Shop" he wants to be the guy to bring pro men's hoops to Vegas.

Of course, Bron already has a stake in Fenway Sports Group, which owns the Boston Red Sox among other franchises ... and previously said his goal is to own an NBA franchise "sooner than later"

Bringing an NBA team to Vegas has been talked about for years -- the Association already hosts Summer League games in the desert -- and it would certainly be a success.

The city has already welcomed the Aces, Golden Knights and Raiders in recent years ... so it's just a matter of time before the NBA joins the Vegas fam.