Basketball

Brittney Griner isn't going to let one bad interaction spoil things for her supporters ... 'cause TMZ Sports has obtained video showing she was super friendly with a man looking for a pic with her on Friday.

The scene played out in front of the Phoenix Mercury's team hotel in D.C. -- just six days after YouTube personality Alex Stein bothered her at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport.

During the June 10 incident, the social media troll was seen on video pestering the WNBA star about the prisoner swap that freed her from Russian custody back in December.

But, Griner clearly isn't letting any of the sour encounter change her mentality ... because when a fan approached her about getting a photo right before the Mercury took on the Washington Mystics -- she was happy to oblige.

In fact, she did it twice!

You can see in our footage, the man tried to grab a shot with her as she was getting off the bus, but when it didn't come out well ... he asked her for another one, and she said OK, no problem.

Witnesses at the scene tell us she and her security were super friendly throughout the ordeal ... and seemed genuinely happy to be around BG/Mercury supporters.

Kim Kardashian and Kanye West are continuing a theme for the Kardashian family ... coming together to support their kids, despite a lot of past drama.

The exes both showed up for son Saint's basketball game Friday at the Mamba Academy in Thousand Oaks ... though they both rolled up separately, with Kim bringing Saint to the game.

Kanye came with an entourage ... it doesn't look like his wife Bianca Censori was there this time ... but we've seen her support his kids recently, holding hands with North at Kanye's birthday party.

Kim and Kanye coming together to support Saint is an extension of what we've seen recently among the Kardashians.

Remember ... Kylie Jenner, Travis Scott, Khloe Kardashian, Angela White (formerly Blac Chyna) and Tristan Thompson were all under the same roof earlier this month to celebrate their little ones' finishing preschool.

LeBron James heard the Nuggets talkin' spit about the Lakers during their championship parade on Thursday ... and now, the NBA superstar is clapping back HARD.

In case you missed it, Michael Malone threw shade at reports of LBJ considering retirement after losing to Denver in the Western Conference Finals ... cracking jokes and claiming he was going to hang it up for good, too.

There was also a cringe moment at the rally, where Malone was referred to as "the Lakers' daddy."

James is now unloading on the Nuggets franchise ... saying he was minding his own business in Europe when he found out about the disses -- so he asked, "I'm on your mind that much huh???"

"I mean I guess I see why. 🤷🏾‍♂️," LeBron said on Instagram with a pic of him waving the starting flag at 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"But Wave the flag on these lames!! Please make being player cool again cause the lame machine is at an all-time high. Enjoy your light but just know I’m the SUN. I stay on forever!"

Here's a side of championship celebrations you don't see very often -- Nuggets hooper Bruce Brown revealed the aftermath of raging nonstop since Denver won the NBA Finals earlier this week ... admitting he's "hurting bad."

The 26-year-old posted some hungover content to his Instagram on Friday ... saying Nikola Jokic is to blame for his seat on the struggle bus.

"This is Nikola's fault," a clearly roughed-up Brown said from bed. "This is the Sombor Shuffle's fault that I'm down bad this bad ... and I want everyone to know that."

Brown admitted he had no idea what Jokic was handing him throughout the night ... but there's no doubt in his mind whatever it was was the source of his pain.

Brown -- who played a huge role in the Finals -- also begged for some "damn Pedialyte" to help him recover.

Of course, Brown was one of many Nuggets players letting loose during the team's parade and rally celebrations on Thursday ... which flowed into a night of raging at a Vegas nightclub.

A second gun video and yet another suspension won't cost Ja Morant his deal with Nike after all ... the Swoosh just announced it's still backing the NBA superstar.

In a statement released just minutes after Adam Silver banned Morant 25 games for waving a firearm on Instagram Live for the second time this year ... Nike announced it will not be severing its ties with the Grizzlies hooper.

"We are pleased that Ja is taking accountability and prioritizing his well-being," the shoe giant said. "We will continue to support him on and off the court."

For a while following the second gun video, it appeared the relationship was in jeopardy ... as the co. had wiped all of his signature athletic shoes from its app and website. But now, it's clear -- the two are moving forward in lockstep.

Of course, Ja has had a relationship with Nike dating back to 2019 ... and he's become one of the faces of the company -- releasing his first-ever Ja 1 shoe a few months back.

It all clearly makes a ton of dollars and sense for both sides regardless ... as even with all of the controversy surrounding him, Morant's Ja 1 "Hunger" colorway drop sold out in a matter of minutes back in late May.

Longtime NBA player Tony Snell is opening up on a recent health discovery ... revealing he was diagnosed with autism last year.

The 31-year-old shared the news with "Today" on Friday ... saying his son's own diagnosis gave him the courage to get checked out as well.

As it turns out, Snell says the signs were there throughout his life ... explaining he was often independent and alone, and struggled to connect with people on a personal level.

"I was not surprised because I always felt different," Snell said. "I was just relieved like, 'Oh, this is why I am the way I am.' And it just made my whole life, everything about my life make so much sense."

"It was like a clarity, like putting some 3-D glasses on."

Snell believes if he knew his diagnosis earlier, he would have not made it in the NBA ... because people would have "put a limit or cap on my abilities."

The former 20th overall pick in the 2013 NBA Draft has played 9 seasons in the league ... suiting up for the Bulls, Bucks, Pistons, Hawks, Trail Blazers and Pelicans.

He currently plays for the G League's Maine Celtics.

Ja Morant will miss more than a quarter of the 2023-24 NBA season as a result of his second gun-flashing incident -- the league just slapped the Memphis Grizzlies star with a 25-game suspension.

Adam Silver announced the punishment just minutes ago ... saying, "Ja Morant’s decision to once again wield a firearm on social media is alarming and disconcerting given his similar conduct in March for which he was already suspended eight games."

"The potential for other young people to emulate Ja's conduct is particularly concerning. Under these circumstances, we believe a suspension of 25 games is appropriate and makes clear that engaging in reckless and irresponsible behavior with guns will not be tolerated."

Morant was initially suspended without pay after showing a gun while at a Colorado strip club in March ... which he later apologized for and vowed to seek help.

Just two months later, the All-Star was spotted holding a weapon during an Instagram Live session with his friend.

The suspension begins immediately ... and Ja is forbidden from attending any team events, including preseason games prior to the start of the 2023-24 campaign in October.

The punishment will also hurt Morant's pockets -- he will lose approximately $12 million in salary during his time away from the court.

"For Ja, basketball needs to take a back seat at this time," Silver added. "Prior to his return to play, he will be required to formulate and fulfill a program with the league that directly addresses the circumstances that led him to repeat this destructive behavior."

There were rumors Morant's team was claiming the gun shown in the video was actually fake ... but the Association said Friday it concluded the firearm was real.

As part of the punishment, Morant will be required to meet certain conditions before he will get the green light to return to the court.

If he hits the criteria, Morant will be available to play in December.

Michael Jordan's run as owner of the Charlotte Hornets is coming to an end -- the basketball legend has agreed to sell the team to a group that includes several A-list stars.

The Hall of Famer will hand the reins over to businessmen Gabe Plotkin (who already owns part of the Hornets) and Rick Schnall.

The buyer group also includes rapper J. Cole and country singer Eric Church, the team announced Friday.

MJ initially bought a minority stake of the franchise back in 2006 ... and took the position of Managing Member of Basketball Operations.

He became a majority owner in 2010 ... buying the rest of the team from BET founder Robert L. Johnson for $275 million.

The two sides will put pen to paper in the next few days, according to reports.

Plotkin bought part of the Hornets back in 2019 ... a move that, in hindsight, is now considered the first step in phasing Jordan out of ownership.

Plotkin is the founder of Tallwoods Capital ... and Schnall is co-president of Clayton, Dubilier & Rice, a private equity firm.

The Denver Nuggets championship parade just took a somber turn ... a police officer was rushed to the hospital with serious injuries after being struck by a firetruck that was participating in the ceremonies.

According to the Denver Police Dept. ... the incident happened just minutes ago while the truck was driving along the parade route in the Mile High City.

You can see in video from the scene, Nuggets superstars Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray -- as well as the Larry O'Brien trophy -- were on the vehicle when the accident occurred.

It's unclear how exactly the officer was hurt ... but cops said in a statement Thursday afternoon they have launched an investigation into it all.

Jokic and Murray were not harmed during the incident -- and both were escorted off the truck by officials. The two are now up onstage addressing the huge crowd of supporters that have been out since early Thursday morning celebrating the team's first-ever title.

Busta Rhymes' 30-year career in the rap biz will be honored in full at an upcoming event, presented by Netflix.

The veteran rapper will be receiving the Icon Award at the 7th annual Culture Creators Innovators and Leaders Awards Brunch ... which won't have a shortage of star power in the spotlight this year.

Chloe x Halle will be granted the Innovators of the Year Award ... while LSU b-ball champ Flau'jae Johnson, Stephen Hill, Troy Carter, Karl Kani, Laurieann Gibson, Chris Robinson and Candace Rodney will all be recognized for their areas of expertise.

The event goes down on Saturday, June 24 inside the Beverly Hilton International Ballroom and is also sponsored by Lexus.

The Denver Nuggets' NBA championship parade is officially underway ... and things are already off to a hot start -- with Kentavious Caldwell-Pope getting into a beer-chugging contest with a fan in the crowd!!

The awesome moment went down as the team made its way through the streets on firetrucks ... when KCP decided to hop off and down some brews with a lucky supporter.

The basketball player destroyed his competition ... but no one seemed to really be keeping score, as the two hugged it out at the end -- and the fan lost his damn mind.

Not everyone was guzzling the beers on hand, though -- Christian Braun did a sort of Triple H/"Stone Cold" Steve Austin combination by spitting out his drink as his truck cruised down the street.

Finals MVP Nikola Jokic has his whole family with him for the celly ... so we take it he'll mostly be on his best behavior -- but we're hoping he decides to let loose a bit.

The parade will end at Civic Center Park ... where the team will hold its rally.

Hopefully, there will be some boozed-up speeches on the horizon!!

Austin Reaves' hot streak continues -- fresh off his breakout season with the Lakers, the former undrafted NBA prospect has inked a signature shoe deal that's reportedly worth millions!!

The 25-year-old signed a multi-year contract with Chinese brand Rigorer that could "reach over seven figures per year," according to Shams Charania ... and it includes getting his very own sneaker, the "AR1."

Reaves talked about the business move on Thursday ... saying, "If you would have told me I'd have had a signature shoe at 18, I'd have looked at you and called you a liar."

"Honestly, I'm blessed to play basketball for a living and I just have to pinch myself sometimes to really understand what's going on."

Reaves blew up this past season ... becoming an important piece on the Lakers roster, averaging 21 points a game in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets.

The Arkansas native's shoe deal isn't the only major source of income -- he's expected to be a big target in free agency, with teams prepping to offer him more than $50 million over four years.

A Michael Jordan fan just spent a staggering sum of money to own some of the NBA legend's most iconic memorabilia ... dropping over $1 MILLION to nab His Airness' "Flu-Game" sneakers!!

The shoes -- which Jordan wore during Game 5 of the 1997 NBA Finals against the Utah Jazz while he battled an illness -- were bought at auction Wednesday ... coming in with a final price tag of $1,380,000.

Somehow, it was not the highest price ever for Jordan sneakers -- a pair from the 1998 Finals and a pair from his rookie season previously netted more -- but, according to the man who facilitated the auction, Ken Goldin, they're an unreal purchase nonetheless.

In fact, the auction expert previously told TMZ Sports back in April that he believed they were simply "the most valuable sneakers of all time."

Jordan scored 38 points while wearing the Jordan 12s in the pivotal game in Salt Lake City. Despite battling an ailment that left him, at times, completely exhausted on the court, he still was the key reason the Bulls won the game. Chicago would later go on to lock up the NBA title on the heels of the victory.

Following the game, Jordan signed the kicks and then handed them over to Utah Jazz ball boy Preston Truman ... who had helped MJ with postgame snacks in years prior.

Truman then held onto them for over a decade, before he sold them at auction back in 2013. They hadn't been seen again ... until Goldin's auction this year.

No word on who Wednesday's buyer was ... but something tells us they're very rich -- and, now, very happy.

LSU hoops star Angel Reese appeared in Latto's new music video for "Put It On Da Floor Again", but there was no sign of her teammate Flau'jae Johnson -- who literally did a remix of the same song last month -- and she clearly feels some type of way!!

Remember, Johnson -- who's signed with Roc Nation -- freestyled to Latto's hit single in May ... and despite having to re-do it due to lyrics that referenced the 9/11 attacks, the song went viral.

In fact, Latto reached out to Johnson about the remix, saying it was dope ... but a few weeks later, the Atlanta rapper dropped her music video with Cardi B and Reese and not Johnson ... and many were wondering why.

"Latto she hit me about it, the day before," Johnson explained to Baller Alert this week. "She was like 'I want you to be in the video.' I was like, 'I'm in LA right now. But yeah we can make it happen.' But we didn't make it happen."

"Her people never hit my people. I seen she had asked Angel like a week before. And I was like, 'okay, maybe she ain't really want me in the video for real. But she had to ask, 'cause we kind of had a relationship before and she put Angel in it.'"

Johnson continued, saying at the end of the day, she's happy Reese made the cut ... 'cause it's good for women's college basketball, but she just doesn't understand why she was left out.

"I didn't really care because Angel was in it and that was a big moment for women's basketball, and at the same time, why wouldn't you put me in it? It just makes sense."

"I did the remix, it went viral!" Johnson said.

The SEC Freshmen of the Year says hopes one day she and Latto can do a song together.

Johnson also told us earlier this month she wants to collab with J. Cole.

LeBron James' second-oldest son is celebrating his Sweet Sixteen on Wednesday ... and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar made sure to wish Bryce a happy birthday with a special shout-out to the teen hooper.

"SCREAMING HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ to my Twin MAXIMUS @_justbryce!!!!!!" Bron said on Instagram. "I LOVE YOU YOUNG 🤴🏾!!!"

"Keep going up and up and up! Love the young man you are and becoming every single day!! 🙏🏾🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎👑."

LeBron's tribute also came with several recent pics of Bryce ... showing him balling out on the court and enjoying some downtime as well.

LBJ's oldest kid, Bronny, just graduated from Sierra Canyon High School and will attend USC in the fall ... and Bryce is slated to suit up for Campbell Hall for his remaining two years before college -- so yeah, we're all officially old.

The bday also means there could be another member of the James Gang on the road ... and if Bryce is getting his license, we're sure he'll be riding around in style.

Drake was so floored by the instrumental for his future Toronto Raptors championship anthem "Money In The Grave," he shelled out $20k for the track on the spot, claims producer Lil CC.

The big bag payday rang especially monumental for CC, as the 2019 track was actually her first-ever placement as an artist!!!

Rick Ross wound up hopping on the track and the rest became history -- yet another Top 10 Billboard hit for Drake and a summer anthem to celebrate the Raptors' first chip as a franchise.

CC recalled hearing "Money In The Grave" for the first time during an appearance on "Shirley's Temple." She says she was out in London for a modeling gig and removed from English-speaking friends who would share her excitement.