Basketball

LeBron James is breaking his silence on Bronny's medical scare ... assuring fans his family is "safe and healthy," and sharing his appreciation for all the support over the past few days.

"I want to thank the countless people sending my family love and prayers," the Lakers superstar tweeted on Thursday morning. "We feel you and I'm so grateful. Everyone doing great. We have our family together, safe and healthy, and we feel your love."

"Will have more to say when we’re ready," James added, "but I wanted to tell everyone how much your support has meant to all of us! #JamesGang👑"

Bronny initially suffered cardiac arrest on Monday ... while he was working out at USC. He was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center -- but, thankfully, he's been making steady progress ever since.

It's unclear what caused the issue and when Bronny will be able to return home -- but when he does eventually get out ... several people who have suffered similar medical emergencies have already said they'll be there for him if he needs them.

LeBron's former teammate, Ronny Turiaf -- who needed open-heart surgery in 2005 -- said he'd be "always available" to talk.

Shareef O'Neal, meanwhile, said he too would be down to chat with Bronny -- revealing Thursday he's already reached out to his good friend.

Shareef O'Neal has already offered to help Bronny James in his recovery from his cardiac arrest ... revealing this week he's actually spoken with LeBron's son -- making it clear he'll be there for the 18-year-old if and when he needs assistance in his road to recovery.

Shaq's son, of course, survived his own heart health scare back in 2018 -- when he had to undergo a scary surgery to fix an irregularity in his ticker.

He told Good Morning America on Thursday that getting back to 100 percent following the procedure was anything but easy ... explaining that, initially, he couldn't even walk.

"What is my future looking like," he remembered wondering during his first days out of surgery. "That's when I kind of realized, I don't know if basketball is ever going to be an option again."

O'Neal, though, eventually returned to the court at full strength ... and he says his dad's words -- which he's now passing on to Bronny -- helped tremendously in getting back.

"He's like, 'If you make it out of this, you'll be the baddest man on the planet,'" Shareef said of Shaq's advice. "And that kind of just builds a fire up in you and makes you want to go back and get it."

It's unclear how similar Bronny's situation is to Shareef's -- few details surrounding the cause of James' medical emergency on Monday have been released -- but sources close to the situation have told TMZ he's doing well enough now that both LeBron and Savannah are feeling "relieved."

From here, however, it'll likely be a hard road for Bronny to get back on his feet and potentially return to USC's basketball team ... but Shareef made it abundantly evident he's going to do everything he can to help.

Chicago Bulls forward Patrick Williams says news of Bronny James' cardiac arrest rocked the hoops world ... telling TMZ Sports "the whole basketball community" is now reeling.

LeBron James' son was raced to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center on Monday morning after he collapsed on the court at USC's Galen Center ... and when Williams heard the news Tuesday -- he said everyone who's ever hooped was rattled.

"In the basketball community, it's all a family," Williams said out in Beverly Hills. "You know what I mean? No matter where you are, basketball brings you in as a family. So, it definitely hurt the whole basketball community when we heard that."

Williams said he'd continue to send prayers Bronny's way ... with the hopes that the teenager will make a speedy recovery.

Of course, the 21-year-old NBA player -- the 4th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft -- was far from only pro baller to send his thoughts to the James family ... everyone from Trae Young to Jalen Brunson to Jayson Tatum also expressed their well wishes.

Even Magic Johnson and Metta World Peace took to their Twitter pages to write notes of encouragement to LeBron's eldest child ... and LBJ's former teammate, Ronny Turiaf, said he'd be there once Bronny's released from the hospital to help guide him in his journey back to full strength.

As for how Bronny's currently doing, sources tell TMZ there's been enough positivity surrounding his recovery already that his parents are "relieved."

Tori Kelly's moving in the right direction after a scary incident that had her hospitalized for blood clots.

Tori's husband, retired basketball player André Murillo, just posted an update on Tori's condition, saying, "Tori is smiling again and feeling stronger. Not fully out of the woods but we see the sun. Just waiting on a few more answers. Your love and kindness has been overwhelming. Thank you so so much!"

While André didn't include a photo of Tori in his update, we know she's been at Cedars Sinai in Los Angeles since Sunday night.

TMZ broke the story -- Tori was at dinner with friends DTLA when she suddenly felt her heart rate speed up before collapsing. Tori's friends loaded her into a car and rushed her to Cedars -- one of the top medical facilities in the country -- rather than an ambulance ride to a downtown hospital.

Sources close to Tori tell us doctors determined she had blood clots in her legs and around her lungs, but they were working to determine if there were any clots near her heart.

Ice Cube has a serious bone to pick with the NBA and Adam Silver ... saying the league talks a good game about equality, but when it comes to supporting a black-owned company --like Cube's BIG3 -- they've completely dropped the ball.

The rap legend and 3-on-3 league founder teed off on the commish while he was on Tucker Carlson's Twitter show ... calling out Silver for making it seem like the league is at the forefront of change -- when, in his opinion, it's not doing much at all.

He said, "The NBA is full of great slogans and they write 'Black Lives Matter' on the court and they do all those things, but pretty full of s*** when the rubber meets the road."

Cube believes promoting the BIG3 would be a layup for the Association to show they're really about the cause ... but instead, their grand gestures have resulted in no real action.

"I'm just saying it's easy for them to put that on the court. It takes a little more effort to really care to work with a league like the BIG3. You really gotta want to make a difference."

Cube has been in an ongoing feud with Silver ... claiming there are several NBA team owners who want to get involved in the BIG3, but the league won't let them.

He's even openly said "I don’t give a f**k about working with the NBA" ... but wants the league to quit trying to keep his organization from growing.

Bronny James is doing well enough after his health scare that his parents are "relieved," sources with knowledge tell TMZ Sports.

LeBron and wife Savannah put everything on hold Monday after Bronny suffered cardiac arrest while practicing at USC.

TMZ broke the story ... Bronny, who was unconscious, was rushed to Cedars-Sinai Medical Center and taken to the ICU.

We're told Bronny is doing much better ... well enough that his parents are calmer. Not to say, of course, they're not anxious to know what caused Bronny's heart to stop, but they seem to have gotten enough reassurance from his doctors to tamp down the fear. One word used to describe them -- "optimistic."

One sign that must have reassured LeBron and Savannah -- Bronny was only in ICU for a short time.

LeBron and Savannah have yet to say anything publicly about Bronny's situation ... but his brother, Bryce, posted a pic with Bronny Tuesday and a heart emoji.

If and when Bronny James needs advice on how to come back from a scary heart issue ... Ronny Turiaf, one of LeBron's old basketball pals, tells TMZ Sports he'll be there no questions asked for the teenager.

Turiaf, of course, famously underwent open heart surgery back in 2005 ... after docs found he had an enlarged aortic root. The procedure was terrifying -- it lasted hours ... and the former NBA player didn't know if he'd ever be able to hoop again even when he made it through it successfully.

But, he went on to recover fully ... playing 10 years in the NBA -- including one championship season with LBJ in Miami in 2011-12.

Now, Turiaf tells us he's more than willing to provide a helping hand for James' oldest son when it comes time for the USC star to try to get back on the hardwood following his heart scare on Monday.

"If Bronny ever wants to talk, I'm sure that I'll be more than happy to talk to him," Turiaf said on Tuesday, the 18th anniversary of his own heart procedure. "If at any given time he wants to talk, I'm always available."

TMZ broke the story ... Bronny was raced to a local hospital on Monday after he collapsed during a workout on SC's campus. Thankfully, he was able to be treated following the cardiac arrest ... and now, he's out of the ICU and recovering.

While it's unclear what ailment ultimately caused the issue for Bronny ... Turiaf was optimistic it'll all work out going forward.

LeBron James' son, Bronny, was rushed to a hospital after suffering cardiac arrest during a basketball workout, TMZ Sports has learned.

A James family spokesperson tells TMZ Sports ... "Yesterday while practicing Bronny James suffered a cardiac arrest. Medical staff was able to treat Bronny and take him to the hospital. He is now in stable condition and no longer in ICU. We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information."

The spokesperson continues, "LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes."

Sources with direct knowledge tell TMZ Sports ... a 911 call was made at 9:26 AM Monday from USC's Galen Center -- the venue where the team plays and practices -- and the 18-year-old hooper, who was unconscious, was taken by ambulance to the hospital.

Our sources say it was a Code 3 -- meaning the ambulance had lights and sirens going -- which signifies the seriousness of the emergency.

Bronny is a rising talent in his sport -- he recently committed to the Trojans and is expected to end up in the NBA.

Bronny was a McDonald's All-American during his high school senior season ... and LeBron has expressed his desire to play alongside his son in the League.

Bronny also followed in his dad's footsteps and competed in the slam dunk competition at the high school showcase in March.

Bronny will have a close friend to lean on in this situation if he needs one ... as Shaquille O'Neal's son, Shareef O'Neal, dealt with a heart issue of his own back in 2018 when he was a teenage basketball star. You'll recall, Shareef required surgery to fix an abnormality in his ticker ... and while it's unclear if Bronny's medical emergency is even remotely similar -- the two are good pals and appear to be totally fine in confiding with one another.

In fact, they were recently spotted out together in Hollywood earlier this month trying to party with one another at Saweetie's birthday bash.

Bronny -- who was just recently seen looking fine at the ESPY Awards two weeks ago with his family -- was a 4-star recruit who averaged 14 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists at Sierra Canyon during his senior season.

Shareef O'Neal just unleashed on a troll for blaming him for Bronny James' cardiac arrest ... calling out the distasteful comment in a fiery interaction on social media.

It all went down shortly after TMZ Sports broke the news of Bronny's medical emergency on Tuesday ... with one user referencing Shareef's own heart issues in an awful attempt to poke fun at the situation.

"Bronny started hanging with Shareef and now look," the tweet read. "@SSJreef stay yo ass away from him he’s destined for greatness not overseas 😆"

Shaq's son -- who had open-heart surgery to correct a right anomalous coronary artery in October 2018 -- got wind of the jab ... and he clapped back with a passionate response.

"That is very disrespectful of you to say," Shareef said in a since-deleted tweet. "I’ve been around Bronny for a very long time before this happened ... I’ll pray for you. You need help ... sick that you would even say something like that 🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️🤦🏾‍♂️#dummy."

Karl-Anthony Towns couldn't keep his lips to himself during a couples vacation with his NBA friends this week ... swappin' spit with Jordyn Woods in a steamy makeout sesh!!

The Minnesota Timberwolves star is getting in some R&R with fellow hoopers Paul George, Ivica Zubac, Patrick Beverley and their significant others in Mykonos ... and they looked happy as hell as they threw on their bathing suits and hit the water.

KAT and Jordyn -- who started dating in 2020 -- weren't shy one bit about their romance in front of the crew ... passionately kissing each other as they all hung out.

KAT and Jordyn weren't the only couple packing on the PDA ... 'cause Pat Bev and his girl, Mandana, were also inseparable during the beach day -- embracing each other as they showed off their fit figures.

As for Paul and his wife, Daniela, they were also looking cute as ever ... with the Clippers forward lifting her up in his arms as they shared a laugh.

The sports world is sending its thoughts and prayers to Bronny James following his cardiac arrest Monday ... with Damar Hamlin and a bevy of others wishing their best for LeBron James' oldest son after his medical emergency.

Hamlin -- who suffered commotio cordis during a game in January -- took to Twitter on Tuesday to offer his support for Bronny and the rest of the James family ... saying he's available if they need anything from him going forward.

"Here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process," the Buffalo Bills safety said.

NBA stars Trae Young, Jayson Tatum, Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson also took to Twitter to offer prayers for Bronny.

Magic Johnson, too, released a statement on the scary situation ... saying, "Cookie and I are praying for LeBron and Savannah's son Bronny after hearing he suffered a cardiac arrest. We are praying and hoping he makes a full and speedy recovery."

Metta World Peace added in a tweet of his own, "Prayers for Bronny. What a great kid. Come back stronger young fella. Get better and feel better."

We broke the story ... Bronny was rushed to the hospital after he suffered a cardiac arrest during a workout at USC early Monday morning. Thankfully, however, a rep for the James family said the 18-year-old is now in stable condition and recovering.

Tristan Thompson almost got a front-row seat to a violent street fight over the weekend ... but thankfully for the NBA player, he hightailed out of the area just before the fists started to fly.

The wild scene all went down Saturday night at Papi Steak in Miami ... when the former Lakers center was outside of the restaurant with the hot spot's owner, David Grutman, and a few other men.

It's unclear what exactly was happening on the sidewalk or what Thompson's involvement in it all was ... but check out the video, it seems some of the people at the scene were angry about something -- and when Thompson sensed the apparent tension, he bolted.

"I'm gonna be in the car," he told the group of men as he walked away. "You guys figure it out."

The decision was clearly a good one ... 'cause just a minute later, a man in a blue shirt confronted a restaurant patron as he was leaving the eatery -- and then punches were thrown.

The guys traded blows right on the sidewalk for several seconds -- before the scuffle was all mercifully broken up.

Thompson's ride appeared to stay in the area during the entire fracas -- though it should be noted he was never once involved in any of the action.

It was all part of an eventful weekend in South Florida for Thompson ... who not only attended Lionel Messi's first game for Inter Miami on Friday night, but he also partied with his ex's sister, Kim Kardashian, afterward.

The Truth is ... Paul Pierce just might not have it anymore -- showing in the latest episode of "Stars On Mars" that his body is nowhere near as limber as it used to be when he was an NBA superstar.

The former Boston Celtics forward joined the existing cast on the popular Fox show this week ... and it didn't take long for him to provide some hilarious laughs on set.

As he was getting familiar with Lance Armstrong's workout routine ... he noticed Tinashe was getting in some yoga on a couple of mats nearby.

Intrigued by the stretch sesh ... 45-year-old Pierce thought he might be able to do it -- and, spoiler alert, he couldn't.

Check out the clip ... while Pierce was kind of able to bridge his body similarly to the pop singer's -- he eventually began shaking, before he crumpled to the floor.

Everyone got a huge kick out of it -- including Pierce himself, who let out a big laugh.

While Tinashe made it clear she's wary of the show's newest castmates ... it's gotta be hard to freeze out Pierce going forward after that display of athleticism.

Kim Kardashian is taking her soccer mom game to the next level ... bringing son Saint with her to Lionel Messi's first game with his new Major League Soccer club.

Kim and Saint are among the celebs in the house for Messi's debut with Inter Miami ... she says they're there to support Saint's passion for soccer, and root on his favorite player, Messi.

Remember ... Kim and Saint have been to soccer games around the world this year, we saw them back in March at a match in Paris.

Kim and Saint are seeing some familiar faces at the game ... because Tristan Thompson is also in the house.

Serena Williams made sure to catch Messi's first game ... and LeBron James did too, even sharing a moment with the soccer star before the game.

Messi's new Inter Miami team is playing Mexican club Cruz Azul at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale ... and he's coming off the bench and expected to play the last 30 minutes.

Lakers star Austin Reaves is shaking off rumors that he dated Taylor Swift ... saying straight up there's never been a love story between him and the pop singer.

The rumor initially cropped up a few weeks ago ... with some on the internet suggesting they had seen the basketball player with Swift while the two were at an Arkansas bar shortly after she had called things off with Matty Healy.

But, when Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson inquired about it all on the latest episode of the "All The Smoke" podcast ... Reaves said it just ain't true.

"I have never met her, never talked to her," the 25-year-old told the guys on the show. It's "all bulls***. I don't know her."

"I ain’t never talked to her," he added.

As for if Reaves would be down to date her at some point in the future ... Jackson actually tried to pry that answer from the hooper, but the media-savvy Reaves didn't want to indulge.

Channing Frye had a "welcome to the NBA" moment before he even made it to the league ... 'cause he claims Richard Jefferson racked up a whopping $36,000 tab on his credit card the night before he was drafted!!

The pair of Cavs champions/former Arizona Wildcats detailed the 2005 rager on their "Road Trippin'" podcast this week ... when RJ invited Frye and his crew of 20-30 friends to go clubbing in the Big Apple.

The former No. 8 overall pick says the group included a ton of ex-Arizona guys like Gilbert Arenas and Luke Walton, Nets and Knicks players and fellow class of 2005 draftee "David Lee's punk ass" (RJ's words, not ours) ... but there was no issue with rolling deep, 'cause Jefferson had clout in the city after helping the Nets reach the NBA Finals.

"Richard, for lack of a better term, ran that demographic of New York," Frye says.

Once they got inside the club, it was bad news for Frye ... who willingly handed over his card to RJ after he asked him to "hold the table."

As it turns out, Frye says the massive group ended up partying on his dime the whole night ... with the final damage coming out to a mind-blowing $36,000!!

"They swipe it, they swipe it," RJ says. "He's just getting crushed. And this is kind of like a rookie hazing."

Channing rightfully freaked out over it all ... explaining, "The NBA money hadn't even got into the ozone yet, and my phone is blowing up."

"My s*** is still college s***, I don't even have an NBA check yet!!"

RJ insists he was looking out for his guy the whole night ... saying he was acting as a security blanket in case things went south.