Basketball

If things don't work out with Zion Williamson, Moriah Mills will have plenty of other options ... so says the XXX model herself, who tells TMZ Sports basketball players are hitting her up after going public about her alleged relationship with the Pelicans star.

MM has made headlines for some bombshell allegations recently ... claiming she was intimate with the former #1 overall pick while he's expecting a baby with another woman.

We spoke with Mills out in Beverly Hills on Monday ... and she says despite the backlash she's been getting from Zion's die-hard supporters, the hoops community has shown a lot of interest in the weeks following the scandal.

In fact, Mills says going viral with her allegations has resulted in a ton of inquiries for basketball-themed adult content ... as well as some DMs from other pros.

As for her public threats to release a sex tape with Zion, Moriah tells us she hasn't heard a peep from the star's legal team ... and she's confident he'd never actually follow through with a lawsuit.

Mills even says through the public ambush, the two are on "chill" terms ... but when we asked about her own alleged pregnancy, she played coy.

Magic Johnson and Samuel L. Jackson are tight both by land and sea  ... they ventured off their mega-yacht to grab some authentic Italian grub -- authentic 'cause they're in Italy!

The basketball legend and his famous guest jumped off their yacht for Sardinia, lunching at the Cala di Volpe Hotel.

As we reported, Magic's annual summer trip has been goin' down for nearly a decade, and this year's yacht is truly spectacular -- "Phoenix2," a 296-foot ship that rents out for $1.2 mil a week!

The yacht has everything ... an outdoor theater, swimming pool, gym, and multiple jacuzzis.

Michael Rubin followed up his famous July 4 fireworks bash in The Hamptons this year with another celeb-studded soiree in Las Vegas ... and we got all the excitement on video!!

TMZ obtained this footage showing a bevy of stars partying it up at the NBA's Summer Players Party at TAO nightclub, with rapper Lil Baby performing on stage Saturday night.

The list includes ... James Harden, Joel Embiid, Meek Mill, Jalen Rose, Flava Flav, Jason Tatum, Carmelo Anthony, Spencer Dwindiddie, Chet Holgram, JaVale McGee and Grant Williams.

Lil Baby was pumpin' out lyrics as the crowd grooved to his hip hop songs. Meek Mill was just chillin' and chattin' with a friend. James Harden was watchin' it all from afar.

There was also a pretty cool moment where smoke and confetti sprayed down from the ceiling engulfing the audience.

As you know, Rubin -- the sports apparel mogul -- is well known for his lavish summer get-togethers and last weekend was one of his best ever.

Hollywood's elite popped up at Rubin's July 4 white party bash, which is always a tradition in The Hamptons and the hottest ticket in town.

Jay-Z, Beyoncé, J-Lo, Ben Affleck, and Justin and Hailey Bieber were just some of the A-listers who came out to enjoy the festivities.

Lamar Odom's got a job offer to be the next head basketball coach at his former New York high school ... and he's giving the prospect some serious consideration.

A source familiar with the situation tells TMZ … Lamar recently had a conversation with the folks at Redemption Christian Academy in Troy, NY and was presented with an offer to be the head coach.

We're told Lamar originally reached out to the school about a month ago to inquire about the current head coach. Shortly after, the conversation developed into the school asking if he would consider taking the head coaching job for this upcoming school year. Should Lamar accept, we're told he would start in August and coach for 4 months, during the season.

Lamar's connection to the school is personal ... he played his senior season at Redemption, where he was named National Player of the Year by Parade Magazine. Lamar averaged 25 points, 17 rebounds, 12 assists and 5 blocks at Redemption, and he was also named a McDonald's All-American and played in the 1997 Magic Johnson Roundball Classic.

Our sources say Lamar would love a coaching job in California, where he currently lives, but he's seriously considering taking the position at Redemption because the school has a special place in his heart. Of course, if Lamar accepts he would move to NY and live there during the season.

Ultimately, we're told Lamar wants to coach college basketball in the future ... and he also wants to get back in the classroom and earn his BA in business, which would help with his Odom Recovery Group.

Our sources say those plans are on hold until Lamar decides if he wants to coach at Redemption.

LaMarcus Aldridge just got a new massive back tattoo featuring an image of the Joker ... and check it out -- it's so seriously awesome!!!

The former NBA star hit up Andres Ortega and his Onder Ink team last month to get the piece done ... and after sitting under the needle for 10 hours, most of the backside of the hooper's 6'11" frame was completely covered in ink.

On the bottom of the tattoo, Aldridge got Batman's nemesis tatted because, according to Ortega, the former San Antonio Spurs forward said there was a time in his life when nobody believed in him -- and this was his way of laughing at those detractors.

Aldridge also got images of a lion and its cub to represent the relationship he has with one of his children. The skyline of Dallas -- Aldridge's hometown -- was also added to the top of the artwork.

The 7-time NBA All-Star got his jersey No. 12 inked too ... and Ortega tells TMZ Sports he added religious imagery to honor his faith as well as family members who have passed.

Megan Rapinoe is retiring from soccer -- but she's got one last thing to achieve on her checklist before doing so ... winning another World Cup.

The longtime U.S. women's soccer legend -- who's been on the national team since '06 -- made the announcement Saturday at a presser, telling reporters this upcoming tourney would be her last as a professional ... and that she'd be hanging up her cleats afterward.

She does say there'll be more to come for her down the road -- presumably meaning she'll still be involved in soccer in some capacity -- but first, her focus is on snagging the gold.

During her remarks ... MR got a little choked up as she reflected on her storied career, thanking teammates, coaches, fans and everyone who's supported her over the years. She also touched on the game itself and commented on just how far it's taken her in her life.

She also shouts out her partner, WNBA star Sue Bird, for giving her inspiration in coming to the decision -- ICYMI, SB announced her retirement from pro basketball just last year.

Megan's thoughts are touching ... and it's a huge moment, seeing how she's been on several U.S. Women's Soccer teams, having played with some of the greats of the modern era. She's played with the likes of Abby Wambach, Alex Morgan, Carli Lloyd, Hope Solo and so many others ... and is, by and large, considered to be one of the final players of the old guard to still be on the pitch today. She's also served as a captain on the team for years now.

Of course, her accolades are many. Megan's helped the U.S. win the World Cup twice, and she's also led the U.S. to a gold medal in the Olympics before. MR's won a lot of awards, too, including the Golden Boot and Golden Ball from FIFA for her standout performances.

Scottie Pippen is seemingly trying to outdo his ex-wife Larsa when it comes to who can act racier with their dates.

Check out these photos, obtained by TMZ, which show Scottie driving an SUV with a woman in back as she posed for what could easily pass for a Playboy spread.

With the window wide open, the woman pushed up her shirt, exposing her breasts, covered by a white bra, for everyone to see. We're sure there were more than a few guys lovin' the view.

As for Scottie, he flashed a peace sign out his window while the two cruised out of a parking lot in Malibu Friday.

The basketball legend's R-rated ride comes on the heels of Larsa's naughty make-out session with her boyfriend, Marcus Jordan, inside a club. Video shows Marcus puffing on a hookah mouthpiece, placing his lips on Larsa's chest and blowing smoke in between her boobs.

But the drama didn't stop there ... Marcus' dad, former Chicago Bulls star Michael Jordan, was recently filmed by paparazzi in Paris saying he doesn't approve of his son's relationship with Larsa.

Dennis Rodman's girlfriend says the NBA legend's new face tattoo featuring a portrait of her was not her idea at all ... explaining to TMZ Sports that when he first told her he wanted to get it, she thought he was "crazy!!!"

Rodman and his GF, Yella Yella, spoke all about the new artwork roughly 24 hours after the former Bulls star got it done ... and the two made it clear to us, The Worm wasn't influenced by anyone other than himself when he decided to get the ink put on his cheek.

"I actually told him not to do it," Yella Yella said. "I'm like, 'What're you doing!'"

Rodman, though, said he was full-go on the idea once it popped into his head ... explaining, "This is my last dance with a woman."

"She's very lovely," he added. "And I thank her for loving me the way I am -- and that's why I did it for her."

Yella Yella says initially Rodman wanted the portrait to be even bigger than what it ultimately ended up being ... leading her to call him both "crazy" and "a wild boy."

Fred VanVleet is fired up to be joining the Rockets ... telling TMZ Sports that after spending the past seven seasons in Toronto, he's "looking forward" to the new sitch!!

The All-Star guard explained his excitement to us over his new 3-year, $130 million contract with Houston while he was out getting some shopping done on Rodeo Drive in Beverly Hills this week.

While he obviously loved his time with the Raptors (the guy, after all, won a championship and made his first-ever All-Star team in Toronto), he did admit he's eager to get everything going in H-Town.

As for some of his new teammates -- guys like Dillon Brooks and Jalen Green -- he's clearly happy to be walking into a lineup featuring those guys as well.

"We're just trying to take a step forward," he said. "One day at a time."

VanVleet, Brooks and Green will all have a new coach this season in Houston -- the Rockets inked Ime Udoka to a new deal back in April ... so it'll be a bunch of fresh faces all around in 2023.

Britney Spears and NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama have critically different accounts of what went down before his security guard slapped her, and video of the incident, obtained by TMZ, supports Britney's version.

Check out the video ... you hear Britney approach Victor outside Catch restaurant in Vegas Wednesday night, screaming in a British accent, "Sir, Sir!"

Britney reaches up and taps Victor on his left shoulder. This is important because Victor described Britney "grabbing" him. The video does not support that claim.

You then see Victor's security slap her hand and either his hand struck her face or he made contact with her hand and the force of impact caused her hand to hit her face.

Either way, you hear the slap. As the police said, it does not appear he struck her intentionally ... it was more him swatting her hand away.

Britney's glasses flew off, but she did not fall as she indicated.

After the slap, you hear Britney clearly upset, screaming, still in a British accent, "That's America for you. F*** you all!"

Britney and friends went to dinner after the incident ... where a witness tells us she seemed super pissed.

As we reported, the Metro PD has closed it's investigation and no charges will be filed against Victor's security.

Originally Published -- 10:53 AM PT

Honey Boo Boo's dad was supposed to check in for some much-needed help to combat his prescription pill addiction at a rehab owned by Lamar Odom, but he's since gone MIA ... TMZ has learned.

Sources close to Lamar tell us Sugar Bear was scheduled to fly into Kansas Thursday night and begin treatment with Odom Recovery Group at the Gold Bridge Treatment Center for his serious issues. However, we're told he never got on that flight ... and he's giving the Odom group radio silence.

Our sources say Lamar and co. believe SB simply got cold feet, because first he told them he couldn't attend the rehab because of work, then said he couldn't go because he was in the hospital for another health issue.

We're told Lamar's team isn't giving up on Sugar Bear, and hope he'll change his mind on getting help -- but he's not been responsive in their efforts to get in touch.

As we reported ... Lamar purchased 3 rehab centers in California earlier this year, and he's built on that foundation ever since.

Luka Dončić didn't get a ring this year ... but his girlfriend did -- 'cause the Dallas Mavericks star just proposed to Anamaria Goltes in Slovenia -- and she said YES!!!

The NBA point guard and his new fiancee revealed their engagement in social media posts on Friday ... showing the basketball player got down on one knee at Lake Bled.

"💍❤️ 7.7," Doncic captioned the pic.

LeBron James was one of many who were stoked for the hooper ... writing in the comment section on Luka's Instagram post, "Congrats brother!!!!"

Dončić and Glotes have known each other since they were kids ... and, eventually, they began to date in their teenage years.

While the two were off and on for a bit, they ultimately became super serious as Dončić began establishing himself as one of the best players in the NBA.

Since then, she's been seen by his side often ... and she's even been spotted helping out at his charity events in Slovenia while he was back in the States playing basketball.

Now, they'll get to spend forever together ... something the two couldn't seem more pleased about.

The Victor Wembanyama security guard accused of slapping Britney Spears during a wild incident in Las Vegas on Wednesday night will NOT be charged with a crime, cops say.

According to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Dept. ... an investigation into the allegations concluded on Friday morning -- and "no charges will be filed."

No further details regarding the police probe were revealed.

TMZ broke the story ... Spears had attempted to get Wembanyama's attention while outside of Catch restaurant in the ARIA Hotel -- but in an effort to keep the singer away from the San Antonio Spurs star, Wembanyama's security guard struck her in the face.

Spears claimed she was hit with such force, it rocked the glasses off her head ... and nearly knocked her to the ground.

She demanded an apology ... while her husband, Sam Asghari, said he wanted to see the guard punished.

For Wembanyama's part, he said he had no idea it was Spears who wanted his attention until several hours later.

The No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft also told reporters Thursday that the whole incident with the guard was kicked off because Spears "grabbed" him from behind.

Spears, though, refuted that claim ... and said she simply "tapped him on the shoulder."

Photos we obtained from inside Catch later in the evening show Spears was visibly agitated at her table -- and according to one eyewitness, she seemed to be in shock ... and, at one point, made a beeline for the bathroom.

Spears has yet to publicly comment on the results of of the police findings.

Originally Published -- 9:32 AM PT

Britney Spears was extremely agitated after getting slapped by a security guard protecting NBA phenom Victor Wembanyama ... according to an eyewitness and photos obtained by TMZ.

TMZ broke the story ... Britney was outside Catch restaurant at the Aria Hotel Wednesday night when she saw Victor and made her way to him for a selfie. She says she tapped him on the back -- he says she grabbed him -- and Victor's security guy backhanded her across the face. Metro police are now conducting a criminal battery investigation.

An eyewitness who was dining at Catch when Britney walked in tells TMZ ... as she walked in she said in a "very animated voice" that the security guard "punched" her in the face, as she pointed at the guy who was sitting at another table.

The eyewitness says Britney's security guy went over to Victor's security and asked the guy to come over to her table and apologize. The eyewitness says the guy walked over and said "I'm sorry," and said something to the effect he didn't know it was her when he made contact.

Britney seemed in shock, according to the eyewitness, and angry. She said she couldn't believe it happened and beelined it for the bathroom.

We've learned so far ... neither Victor nor anyone else from the San Antonio Spurs has reached out to Britney, and she is not pleased.

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

Dennis Rodman took the saying "tattoo my name so I know it's real" to the extreme ... getting a portrait of his girlfriend's face inked on his cheek!!

The NBA legend hit up 'Black Ink Crew's Van Johnson on Thursday, getting tattooed at the artist's home. Dennis shared video of the new tattoo on social media.

As for anyone who thinks the ink is fake, Johnson tells TMZ Sports it's "really real," saying the job took a little over an hour to finish.

"He was a champ, he sat through it," Johnson says. "Pretty random, but he love the hell out that girl."

We're told Dennis and his GF love the piece, but not everyone feels the same way ... some fans in the comments weren't exactly loving the new artwork, with one person writing, "You should have tried to talk him outta that my G."

Another person wrote ... "His girlfriend should have been against that. Shows her immaturity to NOT STOP him from doing this."

Though, it's a safe bet Dennis, who has a ton of tattoos and has never been shy when expressing himself, isn't losing sleep over a few negative Instagram comments.

Former WNBA star and ex-Tennessee Lady Volunteers hooper Nikki McCray-Penson has tragically passed away at 51 years old.

The heartbreaking news was confirmed to The Tennesean on Friday by Rutgers University, where McCray-Penson had been working as an assistant coach for the women's basketball team.

The school did not provide a cause of death ... but Univ. of Tenn. reporter Maria Cornelius said McCray-Penson passed away after battling breast cancer for a second time.

The former guard starred at Tennessee in the 1990s ... winning SEC Player of the Year twice (1994, 1995) -- as well as earning Kodak All-American honors twice.

Following her stint with the Vols, she went on to become a three-time WNBA All-Star ... while playing eight seasons for the Mystics, Fever, Mercury, Silver Stars and Sky.

She also won two gold Olympic medals with Team USA in her career ... and was inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame in 2012.

Her coaching tenure began in 2006 ... when she was hired to be an assistant on Western Kentucky's staff. She later became a head coach for Old Dominion, where she won C-USA Coach of the Year in 2019-2020. She then had a stint as Mississippi State's head coach ... before she began her career at Rutgers in 2022.

McCray-Penson also had a significant impact off the court ... she was selected by Bill Clinton to be a member of the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports. She was also picked by the Library of Congress as a speaker for the Women's History Month Address in 1999.

News of the death has rocked the basketball world ... with many stars remembering her fondly after learning of her passing.

"Nikki McCray : Sweet person and cold hooper!," ex-NBA star Chris Webber wrote. "Rest in Peace."

Added Dick Vitale, "I am so heartbroken hearing this news a few minutes ago about Nikki McCray - Penson . Loved everything about Nikki - she was a Hall of Famer as a player & as a person . May Nikki RIP."

Lady Vols senior Rickea Jackson, who played under McCray-Penson at Mississippi St., also tweeted her condolences to the McCray-Penson family.

"One of the most beautiful souls I've ever met," Jackson said. "The one who genuinely went out their way to understand me when I was so misunderstood. The one who was always there."

"You fought so long and hard and I am grateful to have known you. I love you. Rest easy."