Basketball

Janet Jackson's schedule is wide open after her Atlanta concert got pushed back in favor of the Hawks' playoff game ... and Trae Young wants her to kill time by watching his team fight to stay alive against the Celtics!!

The legendary singer was slated to perform at the State Farm Arena as part of her "Together Again" tour on Thursday ... but the venue was accidentally double-booked along with Game 6 of the Hawks vs. Cs series, perhaps because many believed Boston would have handled business by now.

The final decision -- Jackson's concert was pushed back a day to Friday, and the Hawks will take on Jayson Tatum and the Celtics as planned on Thursday.

"All tickets for Thursday night's show will be honored for Friday night," Live Nation said of the Janet concert. "Refunds will be available at point of purchase for those who are unable to attend."

Young -- who forced Game 6 after an insane game-winning shot on Tuesday -- has little-to-no sympathy for the concert delay ... but the 24-year-old sees this as an opportunity for Ms. Jackson to come through.

"Sorry not sorry to this LEGEND," the 2-time All-Star tweeted. "Hope she can be at the game now!"

FYI, Thursday's game is a must-win for the Hawks if they want to keep their season alive and force a Game 7. The winner of the series will head to the semifinals against the Sixers.

President Biden was played by Vladimir Putin ... according to the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee, Rep. Michael McCaul, who says the Russian president agreed to send Paul Whelan home with Brittney Griner but changed the deal during the exchange.

Despite reneging on the agreed-upon swap, McCaul says the U.S. went through with the trade, sending back notorious arms dealer Viktor Bout, knowns as "the merchant of death."

"The deal was originally when the arms dealer from Russia was released that it was supposed to be Griner, the athlete, and Paul Whelan," Rep. McCaul revealed this week during an appearance on CNN.

The Congressman from Texas' 10th district continued ... "When they got to the point of the handoff, they call it, the Russians only showed up with one of the hostages, and that was Griner. And unfortunately, the Marine, Paul Whelan, was left behind."

Rep. McCaul believes the Russian president "played" JB's administration.

"Very tricky on Putin's part, and in my view, the Biden administration got played by releasing a very dangerous arms dealer for just one hostage, and not both."

Of course, 53-year-old Whelan, a retired U.S. Marine, has been locked up in Russia since December 2018. Shortly after his arrest, he was convicted on an espionage charge, and sentenced to 16 years in prison. The U.S. has always maintained the charges are BS.

As for the details of the negotiations, McCaul is likely in a position to know about the inner workings of the months-long, high-level discussions ... he chairs the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee. He also previously sat on the House Homeland Security Committee.

Shakur Stevenson says Ryan Garcia wasn't on "Tank" Davis' level Saturday night ... but he knows someone who is -- Shakur himself‍!

The 25-year-old undefeated boxer, one of the most talented fighters in the world, joined Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1) where he broke down this weekend's megafight ... and previewed a potential scrap with Gervonta.

"I felt Tank looked sharp. He was real sharp. He boxed real good. I think Ryan was preschool. Ryan wasn't on that top level," the 20-0 fighter said.

"I ain't think Ryan was that good. I ain't taking no credit away from Tank. Tank did what he was supposed to do but Ryan wasn't that."

Where'd Garcia go wrong?

Shakur explained it like this ... "He ain't know his distance. He was looking for one left hook the whole entire fight. He threw a left hook three times in a row and got clipped. Anybody knows that when you're fighting Tank, you can't do something three times in a row because his brain is like a computer. He picks up on it."

Of course, Davis beat Garcia by 7th-round knockout ... delivering a crushing liver shot to Ryan's body, ending a fight years in the making.

We also talked to Shakur about the KO, and people criticizing Garcia for not getting up before the 10-count (Stevenson says the critique isn't fair).

After the fight, the chatter started ... the real fight to make, and the guy who poses a true threat to Tank, is Stevenson, who is coming off a TKO win in April.

The good news is Shakur says he really wants the fight ... and soon.

"I would love that fight. I think that's the biggest and best fight in the sport of boxing."

Stevenson believes Tank, like him, is an all-time fighter ... and he used a sports analogy to put the matchup into perspective.

"You got like a Michael Jordan that came around in his era. Then you got a LeBron that came around in his era but they wasn't in the same era so we never got to see them go against each other."

Stevenson summed up the future Stevenson vs. Garcia fight like this.

"With me and Tank, you got two special fighters that been special our whole careers and our whole lives. When it comes down to it, it's going to be the biggest and best fight in boxing."

More troubles for the Univ. of Alabama men's basketball team ... Jaykwon Walton, a top hooper who was slated to transfer to the Tide this season, was arrested over the weekend -- and now, he's been dropped from the team over it all.

Walton was busted for possession of marijuana at around 10:11 PM on the Strip in Tuscaloosa on Saturday night -- just three months after former Tide guard Darius Miles was arrested in the same area following allegations he was involved in the shooting death of Jamea Harris.

According to Tuscaloosa Police, a vehicle that Walton and two others were in reeked of marijuana ... and when officers eventually searched the ride, they said they found "a rolling tray, a baggie containing approximately 20 grams of marijuana, and a half-rolled blunt in the passenger side floorboard."

Cops also noted there were three loaded firearms in the car as well.

Walton was taken into custody and booked on a charge of second-degree possession of marijuana. He was released on $500 bond a short time later.

Bama head coach Nate Oats, though, said the former Wichita State star was no longer in the plans for his team's 2023-24 roster after the arrest.

"Alabama is no longer recruiting Jaykwon Walton," Oats said in a statement Monday night. "He will not be a student-athlete at the University of Alabama."

Oats had previously caught heat for the way he handled Miles' arrest and the ensuing allegations surrounding it back in the winter. While he did axe the guard from the team ... when authorities said star Brandon Miller had a connection to the case, Oats opted to not punish him.

Miller, who declared for the NBA draft this offseason, didn't miss a single game ... and eventually helped lead the Tide to the Sweet 16.

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle were just a handful of celebs who bent the knee for HRH last night -- and no, we don't mean King Charles ... we're talking LeBron James.

The Duke and Duchess of Sussex had box seats Monday at Crypto.com Arena -- having come on down from the Santa Barbara area to catch the big playoff game against the Grizzlies  ... which King James and co. secured in down-to-the-wire dramatic fashion.

Their presence came as a surprise to many when the TNT broadcast showed them in their private suite up in the stands -- and they seemed to be enjoying themselves ... flashing grins.

Later, they were caught on the Kiss Cam ... with their image being plastered on the giant jumbotron. The couple didn't really lock lips or anything, though ... they just giggled until the camera cut to someone else. However, it does seem PH might've considered a smooch.

Pretty neat to see 'em in such a public setting like this ... considering we hardly ever do. Harry and Meg tend to stick to the 805 area code, more or less, and hardly venture to the heart of L.A. And if they do ... they come privately, as they're hardly snapped by paps here.

Like we mentioned, they were in good (famous) company yesterday -- other stars in the building included Kim Kardashian, Adam Sandler, Timothy Olyphant, Flea and more.

We'll see more of Harry next weekend for his dad's coronation -- where Harry's expected to be front and center for the actual crowning ceremony on Saturday. Meghan won't attend.

Ime Udoka is back in the NBA ... hired as the Houston Rockets new head coach just months after the Celtics cut ties with the talented coach over an inappropriate relationship with an employee of the organization.

On Monday, the 45-year-old reached a deal to become the new head man in Houston, two weeks after Houston declined to pick up Stephen Silas' option.

Most people agree Ime is a fantastic coach -- he most recently led the Celtics to the 2022 NBA Finals.

However, in September 2022, Udoka was suspended for the whole season after it was revealed he had a "consensual intimate relationship" with a female staffer, violating Boston's team policies.

The team eventually cut ties with Udoka entirely, naming Joe Mazzulla their permanent head coach.

Details on the relationship with the staffer weren't made public. Udoka's fiancee, actress Nia Long, broke off their engagement after the affair came to light.

NBA legend Magic Johnson weighed in on the hire ... a move they nailed, if you ask Earvin.

"Houston is getting a championship-caliber coach," Johnson tweeted.

The NBA is investigating Hawks star Dejounte Murray for making contact with an official at the end of Game 4 against the Celtics Sunday in Atlanta ... and could be suspended as his team fights for their playoff lives.

As the game clock winded down in the fourth quarter at State Farm Arena, Murray and his teammates began leaving the court, but Dejounte made a detour, before heading for the locker room.

Check out the video ... Murray walks up to official Gediminas Petraitis, in his 8th season as an NBA ref, and appears to bump him with his chest. It's unclear if the contact was incidental.

Dejounte also appeared to say something to the ref, before starting to walk away. Seconds later, a visibly frustrated Murray turns around and starts pointing while yelling, ultimately having to be restrained by his teammates before leaving the court.

The Celtics took a commanding 3-1 series lead in the first round after defeating Atlanta 129-121 ... and will look to close out the series in Game 5 Tuesday in Boston.

And, they may have to do it without Murray. Per NBA rules, "intentional physical contact with an official" results in an automatic one-game suspension. Again, the question is, was it intentional?

Murray has been one of Atlanta's best players -- alongside superstar pg Trae Young -- averaging 25.3 points per game and 7.3 rebounds through four contests against the C's. Losing Dejounte, one of their most potent offensive threats, would be a considerable blow.

Rick Pitino's phone was BLOWING UP Sunday ... the legendary hoops coach was seen giving out his phone number during the Knicks game, and lip-readers nabbed his digits, and wouldn't stop texting him.

Pitino was at Madison Square Garden to watch the team he coached from '87-'89 take on the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 4 of their first-round playoffs series.

As is customary, the broadcast showed the vast array of celebrities in attendance at MSG, but when the cameras panned to Pitino, he could be seen mouthing his phone number while having a convo.

"So yesterday I was enjoying the Knicks game n someone read my lips on TV giving out my phone number," the 70-year-old head coach tweeted Monday.

He continued ... "Over 300 plus messages came in - here’s the bizarre news, 95% were nice n positive. I got a lead on 7 new recruits. My new cell is….."

Rick is one of the greatest coaches ever. He won National Championships with Kentucky (1996) and Louisville (2013 -- was vacated for an NCAA violation). His coaching career spans 40+ years, dating back to his time as a graduate assistant at the University of Hawaii (1974).

In March 2023, 70-year-old Pitino was named head coach of St. John's ... after coaching at Iona for three years.

Angel Reese is flattered Shaquille O'Neal considers her the greatest athlete in LSU history ... but for the college hoops star, the praise is premature, saying she hasn't done enough to earn that recognition.

Remember, the initial comments sparked a ton of debate ... when Shaq said "[Angel Reese's] probably the greatest athlete ever to come out of LSU Sports." The Big Fella added, "Did you hear what I just said? Male and female."

Well, Reese visited the Breakfast Club with her teammate Flau'jae Johnson on Monday and admitted she called the NBA legend after the controversial take.

Angel says she spoke with Shaq, who she calls "Uncle," and asked him, "Do you know how much pressure you just put on me?" According to Reese, O'Neal said he didn't give a f***.

Reese -- who went viral for doing the "You Can't See Me" gesture towards Iowa star Caitlin Clark during the national championship game -- explained she'd need to win another championship before feeling comfortable accepting the G.O.A.T. crown.

Of course, Angel's humility will likely play well with Olympian Lolo Jones, who ripped her fellow Tigers alum Shaq for having the "audacity" to say, Reese, who she respects, is the best athlete in LSU history.

Nevertheless, Angel and Flau'jae have lived their best lives since winning the NCAA title over the Hawkeyes. Reese said several rappers have slid in her DMs to congratulate her, including Drake, Future, DJ Khaled, and French Montana, to say congrats!

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West live very separate lives these days, but that doesn't mean they can't come together to support their kids ... doing just that this weekend.

Kanye and his wife Bianca Censori showed face at Kim and Kanye's daughter North's basketball game -- though it was only for a brief moment -- before the two took off in Kanye's SUV.

Kim was also at the game, walking into a bunch of photogs before taking in the action inside. On her way out, Kim was joined by North and some of her friends, Kim stayed quiet, but North joked about the photo flashes before they piled into a waiting car.

We haven't seen a whole lot of Kim and Kanye together as of late ... and it appears they showed to the game at separate times as well. However, they've maintained for a long time that they'd co-parent their 4 kids, and it appears they've been able to keep that promise.

Haley and Hanna Cavinder's college basketball careers are over, but they could have a bright future in professional wrestling ... so says WWE Hall of Famer Booker T, who tells TMZ Sports the twins can succeed in the industry if they remain a dominant duo.

We spoke to Booker about the Internet sensations -- whose agent, Jeff Hoffman, confirmed earlier this week they would start training at the WWE Performance Center -- and the wrestling legend shared some words of encouragement for the sisters as they embark on their new journey.

"The best advice I can give to siblings is [to] learn this craft and stick together because it will be a ride," Booker said. "It's going to be a journey. This is a marathon. You got to be ready to run the long haul."

After Haley and Hanna -- who helped Miami reach the Elite 8 this past season -- announced they would not return to The U for a fifth season, speculation grew about the next endeavors the twins would pursue.

"We love the WWE," Haley said during their appearance on The Today Show last week. "The fan base, the sport, the fitness side of it ... they’re great, our partner, and we’re very excited in a future with them."

Of course, Booker T -- a five-time WCW champion -- knows what it feels like to break into the wrestling business with a sibling. The King of the Spinaroonie was one half of the legendary "Harlem Heat" tag team with his real-life brother, Stevie Ray.

In April 2013, Booker was inducted into WWE's Hall of Fame. Harlem Heat reunited for one final match in February 2015, where they won the ROW Tag Team Championship and were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame together as part of the 2019 class.

If the Cavinder twins ever make it to WWE's roster, they won't be the first set of trailblazing twins. Nikki and Brie Garcia -- formerly known as the Bella Twins -- and Jimmy and Jey Uso created a blueprint for how siblings can dominate in professional wrestling.

"These young ladies that are coming in," Booker said, "they are so athletic."

"So much more athletic than the crop when I came up. I see this business going in a really great direction."

Ex-NBA player Matt Barnes is gunning for office by the time he's 50 ... and one politician is here to tell him how to make it happen -- former Los Angeles mayor, Antonio Villaraigosa!!

As we previously reported, the 2017 champion shared his intentions on Rachel Uchitel's 'Miss Understood' podcast last month ... saying he'd love to make a difference as an elected official like mayor or governor.

Of course, Villaraigosa knows a thing or two about the former -- he held office from 2005-13 -- and Barnes better listen up, 'cause he's droppin' some nuggets on how to get started.

"Get involved -- get involved in your church, get involved in your community and your kids' schools," Villaraigosa said.

"Get involved in trying to get people to vote. Get involved around an issue."

As for Barnes' reputation as an enforcer during his playing days, Villaraigosa says it shouldn't be an issue -- 'cause those in politics are generally forgiving people.

Charles Barkley and Gayle King are teaming up to take CNN by storm -- they're gonna be hosting a new show together later this year ... which may be forcing HRH into a double take.

The announcement was made Saturday during TNT's pregame coverage ... where Gayle came on set with Chuck and the guys to talk about their new venture together -- namely, a weekly primetime slot on CNN that sees them both talking politics and timely topics.

The program's gonna be titled "King Charles" ... and while, on its face, it might sound Chuck-centric -- you'll remember, King is Gayle's last name ... so she's in there as well.

Now, as for what sort of stuff they might get into -- well, they teased a little bit on TNT ... including the hot-button issue of guns. Charles and Gayle brought up a string of shootings that have happened over the past few months ... including school shootings and even ones that have randomly occurred to innocent bystanders -- like Ralph Yarl and Kinsley White.

Now, while they'll certainly cover stories that touch on politics ... Charles insists the show itself won't be political by nature -- meaning, it won't pander to Republicans or Dems. The way they're pitching it is ... Gayle and Charles giving their "straight shooter" opinions live.

Gayle also says it doesn't always have to be so heavy ... adding they might get into food, pop culture and whatever else they wanna touch on that's in the news cycle that week.

"King Charles" will air Wednesdays starting this all, and both will retain their gigs at CBS and Turner, respectively ... the latter of which is an already subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery.

Dillon Brooks might actually be getting under LeBron James' skin ... 'cause the Lakers superstar got so fed up with being asked about the Grizzlies forward on Friday, he abruptly cut off his media availability.

Of course, Brooks made headlines for ripping the King after Wednesday's win over L.A. ... calling James "old" and saying he doesn't respect his game.

Naturally, the 4-time NBA champ was peppered with questions about his current enemy at practice just minutes ago ... and he was short and to the point with reporters -- claiming he didn't hear a word Brooks said.

James' patience clearly ran thin as media members continued to try and get a soundbite out of him ... and, eventually, he brought everything to a screeching halt and walked away.

"I don’t want to talk much more," an annoyed James said. "Tomorrow is going to be a great game. I’m not here for the bulls***. I’m ready to play. That’s it."

Some reporters in attendance laughed it off ... but Bron didn't appear to be in a laughing mood.

James didn't wanna talk, but Rui Hachimura gave a short comment about Brooks ... saying, "They’re a young team. They just want to talk. We don’t really care. We’re just going to play our game and try to win the game."

The famous Ball family is growing by one ... 'cause LiAngelo just announced he and his girlfriend Nikki Mudarris are expecting their first bundle of joy together!

The professional basketball player and former "Love & Hip Hop: Hollywood" star revealed the amazing news to their millions of Instagram followers on Friday with pics from an intimate photo shoot.

"My partner and I are excited for this next chapter of our journey as soon-to-be parents!! 🧸🤎," Ball said in the caption.

Mudarris left a comment in the post ... saying she can't wait to meet their baby this summer.

"I wouldn’t want to bring our Angel to this world with anybody else," Mudarris said. "I love you ❤️"

Of course, this means LaVar Ball is going to be a grandpa once again (Lonzo already has a baby), while Zo and LaMelo Ball become uncles ... and they're hyped!

"My mom was yelling and cheering in excitement," the 24-year-old told People. "When I told my brothers they were happy for me and also excited to become new uncles to my seed."

The relationship between Gelo and the 32-year-old reality star was private for a long time until Nikki confirmed they were an item by congratulating her man on his NBA contract in her IG story last year.

Gelo also had several stints in the G League ... spending time with the Oklahoma City Blue and the Charlotte Hornets-affiliated Greensboro Swarm.

The stars were out both on and off the hardwood at the Clippers vs. Suns playoff game Thursday night ... as Floyd Mayweather, Queen Latifah and the Cavinder Twins all pulled up for the huge contest!!

Game 3 of the two teams' series went down at Crypto.com Arena in Los Angeles ... and even though both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George sat with injuries, the A-listers still packed the venue.

Mayweather, as usual, sat courtside ... and he was joined there by Chicago Bulls star DeMar DeRozan, who was just booted out of the playoffs last week.

Famous basketball twins Haley and Hanna Cavinder also had some great seats ... and they were even gifted personalized Clippers jerseys for the night too.

Scooter Braun, film producer Dick Wolf, Disney CEO Bob Iger and "Black-ish" creator Kenya Barris were all there to watch the Clips go at it with Devin Booker as well.

Queen Latifah -- who was just inducted into the National Recording Registry -- also made an appearance with a big smile on her face.

Everyone who got a ticket saw a heck of a game ... though the home squad ended up ultimately losing to Phoenix, 129 to 124.