Basketball

Amazing news ... Jeremy Lin says despite the horrifying head injury he suffered during a basketball game on Sunday, he's now doing OK -- and expects to make a complete recovery soon.

The ex-NBA star provided the awesome update in a video on his Instagram page Wednesday ... saying after undergoing a battery of tests and imaging this week, docs have told him he'll have "no long-term issues" following the scary concussion he sustained just three days ago.

In fact, the 34-year-old said he'll be cleared to hoop again in two-to-four weeks.

"I'm on the mend," he said.

Lin was initially hurt during a Taiwan P. League+ game over the weekend ... when he took an elbow to the face and then smacked his head on the hardwood as he fell to the ground.

The play was horrifying -- Lin's body appeared to have a fencing response to the blow. He was then ushered to the hospital, but, thankfully, he was discharged and able to return to the arena to root on his team.

Lin joked about the entire saga on his IG page -- writing, "As one of loved ones reminded me today, there werent too many brain cells to begin with lol."

Draymond Green is opening up about the Warriors' second-round playoff exit ... saying his squad would still be alive IF he hadn't socked Jordan Poole in the face before the season started.

Green spoke to Stephen A. Smith Tuesday night during Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals between the Lakers and Nuggets, and was honest about where he thinks things went wrong this season.

"We're not playing right now because when you speak about the fouling, when you think about all of the slippage that we had as a team on the road, not being able to come together. None of those things happen if that doesn't happen," Green told Smith, referring to when he punched the Warriors guard in the face in October.

Draymond continued ... "None of those things happen if that doesn't happen, because the voice that I am and the departments that I lead this team in, there was a ton of slippage due to me sitting back, me not saying anything, me trying to allow that situation to play itself out and give it time to heal."

Green -- the emotional catalyst during the Warriors' dynasty -- said he felt like he lost his voice as a leader after the Poole incident ... and, as a result, it caused a "ton of slippage" throughout the season.

Green went on to say it wasn't until February that he felt comfortable being the Draymond that helped the team win four titles. But, at that point, too much time had passed, and the Dubs had developed bad habits, thwarting any possible hopes of repeating as NBA champs.

"If that slippage has been going on that long, you are who you are at that point. You've built those habits. You've built bad habits. That is who you are now. So to try to correct them then. It's like, 'OK, you may get a little better.' We did. We ended up in the second round of the playoffs but not at a championship level."

Earlier on Tuesday, Warriors head coach Steve Kerr echoed the same sentiments as Draymond during his end-of-the-season interview with the media ... saying Green punching Poole "compromised things."

"My mama keep telling me to stop, I can't -- the second time they caught me with that gun, damn, I feel like Ja Morant."

Ja Morant's recent scandal is already getting the rap treatment ... with Vic Mensa dropping some timely lyrics just days after the Grizzlies star was suspended for flashing a gun on social media for a second time.

Mensa was out in NYC on Tuesday when TMZ Sports got his thoughts on the All-Star guard brandishing a weapon on Instagram Live ... and after revealing his tongue-in-cheek bars, Vic got serious about the situation.

"I think God blessed Ja Morant, man," the "$WISH" M.C. said Tuesday. "I pray that that brother gets it together and he figures it out because he's too brilliant and so talented. He's got a gift, he's got a real gift. So, I don't want to see him have to go down that path because he's so good."

"I think God blessed him," he added. "I'm not gonna say anything to disparage him. There's enough people doing that."

Many people are starting to wonder whether Morant is trying too hard to emulate rappers like NBA YoungBoy -- the artist he was vibing along to in the most recent clip -- given his recent off-court troubles ... but Mensa makes it clear the blame falls solely on Ja, not the music.

"Ultimately, NBA YoungBoy, he's just telling his truth and doing his thing."

Some ex-NBA stars have ripped into Morant for his second gun incident ... with Stephen Jackson referring to it as a "moron move," and Chandler Parsons calling for a year-long suspension.

Ja has since addressed the gun video ... saying he knows he has disappointed those who look up to him, and promising to continue to work on himself.

Mensa said he will support Ja as he deals with his impending punishment ... and even joked about switching up his music taste.

It's a helluva night to be a Spurs fan ... San Antonio just came away with the first pick in the NBA Draft Lottery -- AKA the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes -- paving the way for the organization to draft the hottest prospect since LeBron James!!

The lottery just went down in Chicago ... and when all the ping pong balls settled, the Spurs were the last team called, which means they get first dibs on the 7'2" player from France in June's draft.

Wembanyama has impressed NBA scouts with his ability to create a shot off the dribble and run the fast break, which is rare for a man his size. He's any GM's dream come true ... and some actually consider him the most coveted prospect EVER.

In fact, we recently spoke to Sonny Vaccaro -- the man behind Michael Jordan's legendary Nike deal -- and he told us Wembanyama has the type of talent that could land him an unprecedented sneaker deal.

Of the 30 NBA teams, 14 had a chance (albeit different percentages) to land the big man, but it was ultimately the Spurs who walked away with the coveted lottery pick.

Wembanyama reacted right after the announcement ... saying he wants to win championships as soon as possible.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is clearly extremely disappointed with Ja Morant ... saying he was "shocked" to see the Memphis Grizzlies star once again flashing a firearm on social media.

The commish directly addressed Ja's latest incident before Tuesday's NBA Draft lottery on ESPN, telling the network ... "Honestly, I was shocked when I saw this weekend — that video. Now, we're in the process of investigating it."

Silver admits the footage, which appears to show Ja holding a handgun while in a car with his buddy, is grainy ... but given Morant's past, Silver says he's "assuming the worst."

The latest video comes just 2 months after Ja was seen holding a pistol on Instagram Live while at a Colorado strip club ... an incident that resulted in Morant being suspended 8 games.

Silver says he had a lengthy conversation with Ja after the first incident, with the commish making it clear to Morant why it was such a big deal and why the consequences were so severe.

The commish says Ja seemed to be taking the first incident seriously, which is why he was so shocked to see Morant waving another gun around for the cameras.

The Grizzlies suspended Ja from all activities pending the NBA's review, and it sounds like Silver will come down even harder on Morant this time.

Stay tuned ...

Steve Kerr is admitting Draymond Green's violent incident with Jordan Poole had a serious impact on the Warriors' season ... saying the practice punch broke trust and "compromised things."

The Golden State head coach was open with reporters during the team's exit interviews on Tuesday ... and he felt the players' lack of chemistry following the October altercation had the whole team facing an uphill battle all season.

"Anytime some trust is lost, then it makes the process much more difficult, and there was some trust lost," Kerr said. "That's as blunt as I can be."

"We have to get back to what has made us really successful, which is a really trusting environment and a group that relies on one another and makes each other better."

Kerr specifically mentioned the Green/Poole incident as he addressed the team's change in identity compared to previous seasons ... adding, "It's hard for that not to impact a team."

Despite what went down at the beginning of the season, Kerr says Green -- who has a $27 million player option for next year -- is vital to the team's success moving forward ... and even though the 4-time champ would have to work on his relationships in the locker room, coach wants him back.

Becky Hammon -- who many believe could eventually become the NBA's first-ever female head coach -- has just been suspended two games by the WNBA ... after the league determined she made inappropriate remarks about the pregnancy of one of her Las Vegas Aces players.

The WNBA said in a statement Tuesday that following a months-long investigation into claims that the Aces mistreated pregnant star Dearica Hamby ... it found that Hammon did violate a Respect in the Workplace policy during a conversation with the player.

The league did not say specifically what it believes the head coach told Hamby ... though in a statement, it said the comments were "made by Hammon to Hamby in connection with Hamby's recent pregnancy."

The WNBA also docked the Aces a 2025 first-round pick following its findings.

Hamby first went public with the allegations in January ... after she was traded from Las Vegas to the Los Angeles Sparks.

In a lengthy statement on her social media page, Hamby alleged the Aces "bullied, manipulated and discriminated against" her after she told the team she was pregnant.

She also accused the team of promising her "things to entice me to sign my contract extension that were not followed through on."

"I was asked if I planned my pregnancy," she wrote of the Aces in her statement. "When I responded, 'no,' I was then told that I 'was not taking precautions to not get pregnant.'"

She continued, "I was being traded because 'I wouldn't be ready and we need bodies.'"

Hamby said despite the pregnancy, she fully planned to play in the 2023 season -- which just kicked off this month -- but the team was still angry with her over it ... and decided to trade her nonetheless.

"The unprofessional and unethical way that I have been treated has been traumatizing," the 29-year-old said in her January statement. "To be treated this way by an organization, BY WOMEN who are mothers, who have claimed to 'be in these shoes,' who preach family, chemistry, and women's empowerment is disappointing and leaves me sick to my stomach."

46-year-old Hammon took over as head coach of the Aces back in Dec. 2021 -- after years of working as an assistant on the San Antonio Spurs' staff. Many, including Byron Scott, have said she deserves to one day be the first female head coach in the NBA.

Stephen Jackson defended Ja Morant when he flashed a gun on IG Live in March ... but the former hooper says he can't have the back of the Grizzlies superstar this time around,  calling the act "the dumbest thing he could've done."

"It's not what you do, it's what you do after. And, what you do after is not do the same thing again, like what [Ja] just did," 45-year-old Jackson said on I Am Athlete's Paper Route show.

"All the people like me that was taking up for him, that's said 'it was a mistake, he's a young kid.' We can't go to bat for him this time. This is the dumbest thing he could've done. This is a moron move."

Of course, 23-year-old Morant was suspended by the Grizzlies over the weekend after another video surfaced, showing the 2x NBA All-Star holding a handgun while in a car with his buddy.

The video comes just two months after Ja was seen holding a pistol on Instagram Live while in a Denver area strip club on March 4. Morant was suspended 8 games ... and decided to seek treatment, entering a counseling program in Florida, where he stayed for a few days.

In a sitdown interview with Jalen Rose, Ja vowed to make better decisions going forward ... though Jackson always doubted the effectiveness of the treatment Morant received in the Sunshine State.

"It's just a f**ked up situation, but you gotta really just put everything in his lap and let him deal with it. He gotta deal with everything that comes with it because he done the same dumb thing again that he act like he went and got help for," Stak said.

He continued ... "Just like I told yall, he didn't talk to nobody and get help that fast. There was no way. That was a publicity stunt. This is all on him and can't nobody defend him. I definitely won't stand up and defend him because that was the dumbest thing you could've done."

Jackson, who played 14 seasons in the NBA, says he had Ja's back before the first incident because he was once in a similar situation to Morant ... but Stephen says he learned and made changes where necessary.

"I was one guy that actually went to bat for him because I've been a guy who was thrown a lot of money at a young age and made a mistake, but I'm totally different than the person I was. A lot of people commend me on the changes I made after the mistakes I made."

Terrifying moment for ex-NBA star Jeremy Lin on Sunday ... he suffered a head injury during a basketball game that was so scary, he actually appeared to be unconscious for several moments on the floor.

The former NY Knicks point guard -- who now competes for the Kaohsiung 17LIVE Steelers in Taiwan's P. League+ -- was playing against the Formosa Taishin Dreamers at the Fengshan Arena ... when he caught an inadvertent elbow to the face.

The blow caused him to lose his balance -- and when he came crashing to the floor, his head smacked against the hardwood.

You can see in replays of the incident, the 34-year-old's body seemed to have a fencing response to the injury ... and trainers raced over quickly to make sure he was all right.

Eventually, Lin got up on his feet -- but the footage shows he was woozy ... and bleeding from his nose and mouth area.

According to South China Morning Post, Lin was taken to the hospital for evaluation -- but, thankfully, he was able to return to the arena a short time later to cheer on his teammates. The outlet reported he was diagnosed with "symptoms of concussion."

Later Sunday, Lin released a statement on Twitter saying he'd be OK.

"LOVE to the best teammates, coaches, staff, and fans. Ty for everyone's wishes, I'll be back healthy soon," Lin wrote. "We fought til the end, we hold our heads high, we absolutely did not fail! I'll never forget this season. All glory to God! From the bottom of my heart, thank you."

As for the game, Lin's Steelers missed out on the final playoff spot after losing to the Dreamers, 92-89. Lin said afterward he was not sure if he would return for another season.

"It is a year-by-year decision," he said. "I shall discuss it with my family and friends."

Ja Morant has set social media ablaze with another apparent gun incident ... this time flashing what appears to be a weapon Saturday during an IG Live.

Morant is having fun in a car with a friend, listening to NBA YoungBoy's album. As the camera pans toward him, you see what appears to be the Grizzlies star holding a gun ... just for a second, and then the camera turns away.

Fans recorded the moment and it's making rounds on social.  What we don't know ... whether the gun's real, and whether it's his.

There was a previous incident in March with Morant and a gun ... he was at a Denver nightclub on IG Live, but later said the gun wasn't his.

This had its consequences ... Morant was suspended for 8 games without pay for the incident. However, police investigated and ended up not charging Morant with a crime. The NBA also did its own investigation and could not conclude that the gun at issue belonged to Morant. It was also unclear if he brought the gun into the club.

The 23-year-old enrolled in a Florida counseling program before returning to the court.

We reached out to a rep for the Memphis Grizzlies about the IG video taken Saturday ... so far, no word back.

A super rare card that features an NBA Logoman patch from one of LeBron James' jerseys during his epic 2016 Finals series has just gone up for sale ... TMZ Sports has learned.

PWCC officials tell us they put the card on their auction block Thursday ... and it's truly a one-of-a-kind item.

It's a Panini Eternal piece that was created just after the trading card co. scored one of LBJ's jerseys from the series against the Warriors where he came back from down 3-1 to win Cleveland's first title.

Panini cut the NBA Logoman patch from the threads -- built it into the card ... making it a true 1-of-1.

No word on what it's ultimately expected to fetch when the final gavel hits ... but PWCC exec Jesse Craig called it "one of LeBron's best cards" ever.

"Outside of some rare booklet-style cards, this is the only series of cards I am aware of that included LeBron James NBA Finals-worn jersey pieces in them," Craig said.

"It's of interest to see it go to auction right now because of the playoff battle between LeBron and Curry. That 2016 Finals is the notorious 3-1 Golden State lead that LeBron and the Cavs overcame to secure their elusive championship. This card was constructed as a monument to the victory of King James."

Bidding on the card -- which is graded Mint 9 and features James holding the Larry O'Brien trophy with a short blurb about his legendary Game 5 performance on the back -- ends on May 25.

The LA Lakers trounced the Golden State Warriors on Friday night to inch closer to an NBA Championship ... and a bevy of Hollywood stars came out to support their team.

Led by The King, Lebron James, the Lakers walloped the Warriors 122 to 101 to win Game 6 of the NBA Western Conference Semifinal matchup and advance to the finals in their division.

Needless to say, the celebs loved every moment of it as they rooted for the Lakers from their courtside seats at Crypto.com Arena in L.A. Among the boldfaced names were Leo DiCaprio, Kim Kardashian, Michael B. Jordan, Jack Nicholson, Woody Harrelson, Orlando Bloom, Jack Harlow, Lewis Hamilton, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Bill Maher, Kendall Jenner and her boyfriend, Bad Bunny.

Kendall and Bad Bunny were seated side by side looking around and smiling ... Leo, as always, went incognito with his baseball cap pulled down over his face ... Jack Nicholson was enjoying the game with his son Ray ... Woody, Bill and Orlando all got together for a little chat on the sideline. And the rest of the stars were having plenty of fun, too.

Brittney Griner made her long-awaited return to the basketball court Friday night after her 10-month detainment in Russia last year, but it didn't have the ending her fans were hoping for.

The Phoenix Mercury center still scored 10 points and pulled down 3 rebounds as the Mercury fell to the LA Sparks by a score of 90 to 71 in the WNBA preseason game.

Griner only played for 17 minutes, but she made the most of it, and her teammates were psyched to see her back on the court, hugging and high-fiving while also giving each other chest bumps.

The crowd was ecstatic to see Brittney ... they erupted in applause when her name was first announced inside the Footprint Center in Phoenix.

After the game, Griner told reporters that she was "grateful" to have the opportunity to play again and would not take a single day for granted.

She also said she had a different experience hearing the national anthem before the game got underway.

“Hearing the national anthem, it definitely hit different," she said, adding, "It’s like when you go for the Olympics."

Griner was critical of her on-court performance, explaining, “Not where I want it to be, but on the right track. We’re making the right moves."

But, given what's Griner's been through, it must have felt in some way like a victory.

Kenyon Martin has a bone to pick with Julius Randle ... and it's a weird one -- the former NBA star says it irks him when the Knicks forward kisses his wife after playoff games.

Martin unleashed the bizarre tirade against Randle on the "Gil's Arena" live stream on Thursday ... hours after the NY star was seen smooching Kendra Randle following the Knicks' Game 5 win over the Heat.

"I saw something last night at the end of the game and it bothered me," Martin said on the show. "We just got done playing a hard-fought game in a playoff series, and the first thing you do is you go kiss your wife."

"Like," he added, "that's the first thing you do?! Where's your mind at?!"

Martin said Julius should have been more focused on celebrating the victory at Madison Square Garden with his teammates ... instead of loving on his significant other.

"I'm sitting there watching the game with my wife, and I'm like, 'I love you to death,'" the 15-year NBA veteran said, "'but ain't no way in that instance I'm going to walk over. I'm going to be with my guys -- we just got done winning. I'm not even thinking about you.'"

For what it's worth, there weren't many others on the show that seemed to agree with Martin's take ... they pointed out to the 45-year-old that Kendra is Julius' most ride-or-die supporter, and deserves the postgame love.

LSU women's basketball star Flau'jae Johnson is breaking her silence on her 9/11 rap lyric controversy ... apologizing for her song -- and vowing to do better moving forward.

Johnson was initially hit with backlash earlier this month ... when she made a reference to the Twin Towers in her remix to Latto's hit, "Put It On Da Floor."

In the tune, Johnson sang, "In this 911 blowing smoke just like them towers." The bar was a double entendre -- it was a play on riding in a Porsche ... and the 2001 terrorist attack that killed more than 2,000 people.

Many on social media called her out over it all -- saying it was insensitive ... and in an Instagram story video late Thursday night, Johnson finally addressed the issue.

"I just want to come on here and let ya'll know by no means would I ever intentionally try to disrespect or offend anyone," said the 19-year-old, who has a legitimate budding rap career off the basketball court.

"My whole goal in music is to push positivity and spread love. So, in no way shape or form would I ever intentionally try to disrespect or offend anyone."

LSU previously commented on the song earlier this week, saying Johnson "expressed sincere remorse for any possibility of a misunderstanding." The school added that the song's music video has since been pulled from the internet.

Johnson -- who wasn't born until 2003 -- insisted she'll "learn from this moving forward."

"I just thank ya'll for ya'll continued support," she said.

For more, tune into the TMZ Sports Podcast, available on all podcast platforms!

E-40 can officially be referred to as Dr. E-40 now that he has an honorary doctorate from the same school he attended as an undergrad way back in the '80s.

The legendary rapper was awarded the degree Friday during Grambling State University's commencement ceremony in Louisiana ... and he made sure to drop some words of wisdom and encouragement to the graduating class before he left the stage.

And, it appeared to be a super special moment for 40, who's proudly continued to support the University he once called home.

As we reported, earlier this year he donated $100K to the HBCU's music department to help install a recording studio so students could follow their dreams as he did. GSU surprised him by naming it the Earl "E-40" Stevens Sound Recording studio.

For those who don't know, 40 was a Grambling Tiger in 1986 ... before he became the hip hop mogul we know today.