Basketball

Rick Ross and Meek Mill are solidifying their union as a dynamic duo with a joint album that'll be here right around the time you're handing out candy to costumed kids.

The Maybach Music rappers dropped their new track "Shaq & Kobe" on Friday, the first sounds from their upcoming project entitled, "Too Good to Be True. " A source close to the album's production tells TMZ Hip Hop it'll drop at the end of October.

On the lead track, Meek sets up the alley-oop to Rozay as they flex jewelry and cars inside an airplane hangar near the Boss' private jet -- the references to winning big like the Lakers legends make perfect sense here.

The album will drop on the MMG imprint and the duo's chemistry in the clip surprised many fans who thought they were beefing after Rozay was absent from Meek's last album.

Our source tells us contrary to public opinion, Rozay and Meek have always remained cool ... Meek's rants in the past year were directed at outside parties as the two never had a dispute over money.

They'll have the opportunity to make even more when the project drops.

The NBA has suspended former San Antonio Spurs guard Joshua Primo for four games ... after it says it found he exposed his private parts to multiple women.

The league announced the ban on Friday morning ... saying an investigation into the free agent revealed he had "engaged in inappropriate and offensive behavior."

NBA officials called his actions "conduct detrimental to the league." They did, however, note that they "did not find evidence that he engaged in any sexual or other misconduct apart from these brief exposures."

"Primo maintains that his conduct was not intentional," the league said.

Dr. Hillary Cauthen, Primo's former therapist, was the first to bring the allegations against Primo to light after she claimed last fall that he exposed himself to her on nine separate occasions.

Dr. Cauthen's attorney, Tony Buzbee, alleged the Spurs were aware of Primo's actions, but didn't take action.

Cauthen went on to file a lawsuit against Primo and the Spurs ... though Primo's attorney at the time was adamant that the allegations were "a complete fabrication, a gross embellishment or utter fantasy."

Brittany Renner just opened up about her sex life to Shannon Sharpe in a big way ... revealing she's slept with 35 men -- a number that stunned the Pro Football Hall of Famer so much, he had to take a big swig of booze.

The "Basketball Wives" star made the remark while chatting with Sharpe on his "Club Shay Shay" podcast about Derek Jeter's dating life.

Renner said to Sharpe her roster of partners was very comparable to the Yankees legend's ... and then she told the former Denver Broncos star her body count.

Sharpe then reacted as if he had seen a ghost ... nearly spitting up his water -- before shooting some booze.

"Oh, lord!" the ex-NFLer said. "Anybody else need a shot of this?! We are in a bar, so help yourself!"

Renner took the intimate conversation even further moments later ... telling Sharpe she once caught a yeast infection after having sex with three men within 24 hours.

The deep convo didn't just stop there, though ... 'cause the two then dove into her relationship with her ex, NBA player P.J. Washington.

Renner explained she had been on birth control for a decade prior to getting with the Charlotte Hornets forward ... but she decided to go off of it to have a child with Washington because she thought he "was my guy."

"I thought I was doin' it right," she said.

Renner went on to say she's cool with Washington despite their split ... lauding his recent engagement to Alisah Chanel.

"I've sat down with his fiancée," Renner said. "We've had a four-hour conversation out for brunch."

12:33 PM PT -- Damian Lillard acaba de hablar sobre su pase al Milwaukee en X, diciendo que está emocionado de comenzar su nuevo capítulo con los Bucks.

También dijo que se dirigirá a sus queridos fans y a la ciudad de Portland, a quienes realmente ama, en una fecha posterior.

Batman tiene oficialmente su Robin en Milwaukee. Damian Lillard se acaba de unir a Giannis Antetokounmpo después de un exitoso traspaso el miércoles.

Según Adrian Wojnarowski de ESPN, los Trail Blazers de Portland están enviando a su mejor jugador a los Bucks como parte de un acuerdo con otros tres equipos, que también incluye a los Phoenix Suns.

Mientras que los Bucks solo recibirán a Lillard en el intercambio, los Blazers conseguirán a Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara y la elección de primera ronda no protegida de Milwaukee de 2029 como parte del intercambio. Los Suns, por su parte, adquirirán a Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little y Keon Johnson.

Lillard, de 33 años, solicitó inicialmente el intercambio el 1 de julio, declarando que después de 11 temporadas en Rip City, estaba listo para un cambio de escenario.

En ese momento, se esperaba que el destino del 7 veces All-Star fuera South Beach, ya que Dame dejó claro que quería unirse a los Miami Heat.

Otros equipos, como los Toronto Raptors, los Philadelphia 76ers, los Chicago Bulls, los Boston Celtics y los Brooklyn Nets, habrían mostrado su interés por hacerse con los servicios de Dame tras la solicitud de traspaso.

Los campeones de la NBA 2021 están recibiendo una superestrella probada para hacer equipo con el Greek Freak. Lillard ha promediado 25,2 puntos, 6,7 asistencias y 4,2 rebotes por partido en su carrera.

12:33 PM PT -- Damian Lillard just spoke about his trade to Milwaukee ... keeping it short and sweet on X, saying he's excited to start his new chapter with the Bucks.

He also said he will address his beloved fans and the city of Portland, whom he truly loves, at a later date.

Batman officially has his Robin in Milwaukee ... Damian Lillard's joining Giannis Antetokounmpo after a blockbuster trade Wednesday.

According to ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski, the Portland Trail Blazers are sending their best player to the Bucks as part of a three-team deal that also includes the Phoenix Suns.

While the Bucks will get only Lillard in the trade, the Blazers will land Jrue Holiday, Deandre Ayton, Toumani Camara and Milwaukee's 2029 unprotected first-round pick as part of the swap. The Suns, meanwhile, will acquire Jusuf Nurkic, Grayson Allen, Nassir Little and Keon Johnson in the deal.

33-year-old Lillard initially requested the trade on July 1 ... declaring after 11 seasons in Rip City, he was ready for a change of scenery.

At the time, the 7-time All-Star's destination was expected to be South Beach ... as Dame made it clear he wanted to join the Miami Heat.

Other teams -- including the Toronto Raptors, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Boston Celtics and Brooklyn Nets -- reportedly showed interest in landing Dame following the trade request.

The 2021 NBA champs are getting a proven superstar to team up with the Greek Freak ... as Lillard has averaged 25.2 points, 6.7 assists and 4.2 rebounds per game in his career.

Jade Cargill isn't wasting any time ... the long-running, former AEW champ turned WWE Superstar is setting her sights squarely on the biggest, most talented, and badass women in the world!

Now, don't get it twisted, Jade's super respectful of wrestlers like Charlotte Flair, Nia Jax, Rhea Ripley, and Bianca Belair ... in an 'I recognize your accomplishments, but want to kick your ass' kind of way.

"I'm excited to work with those ladies. They're phenomenal. They've been working their butts off in the system for years. These are the best women in wrestling in the world. So for me to even share the ring with them is phenomenal in general," Jade told Mojo Muhtadi on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weekdays on FS1).

She continued ... "I want every single one of them. Those matches are gonna put butts in seats. They're gonna sell tickets. I mean me working with Bianca Belair is gonna be a main event match on WrestleMania! I think everybody can say that. I'm just excited to be here and I'm excited to work with such stellar women!"

The wrestling world was rocked on Tuesday when WWE announced they'd signed the 31-year-old wrestler just days after Jade partied ways with AEW, nearly three years after she made her debut for the promotion (November 2020).

Cargill, a former basketball player at Jacksonville University, was champion for 508 days with AEW ... and now she's after a WWE belt or two!

Jade says the move was obviously a major step for her, but the "entire WWE Universe made [her] feel welcome" ... and now she's intent on becoming a huge star, all while inspiring kids across the world.

"A lot of people would probably be afraid to make the jump. I made the jump because I wanted to create something for myself, a legacy. A household name. I want my daughter to look at me, just not her father, but look at me and say, 'You know what, my mom did this, and I can do this.'"

Ja Morant's been laying low, but the Grizzlies superstar just made a rare appearance, surprising a bunch of kids at a Memphis basketball court ... hooking everyone up with his signature Nike kicks during hoop sesh!

24-year-old Morant, who will serve a 25-game suspension to start the season, along with Nike held the "Only Basketball" event this week ... and as you'd expect, the kids were super hyped when the 2x All-Star pulled up to the gym.

And, not only did Morant ball out with the youngsters (including throwing down a massive dunk) ... he also gifted the young athletes his Ja 1s, along with other athletic gear.

Morant even offered some advice to the kids, encouraging them to stay focused on the game and stay away from the outside noise.

"Believe in yourself," Morant said. "You know have confidence in yourself."

"There's going to be a lot of outside stuff that can distract you from your ultimate goal. Just stay locked in, tune it out, and stay true to yourself."

BTW, the new "Chimney" colorway for the Ja 1 Nike's were revealed this week ... and they feature his iconic phrase, "We ain't ducking no smoke" on the side. They'll drop later this year.

Morant has been virtually nonexistent this off-season ... laying low after the controversy from his second gun video rocked the NBA.

Of course, Ja flashed a gun on his friend's Instagram Live (just two months after the first incident with a handgun in a Denver-area strip club in March) ... resulting in the 25-game ban.

LSU women's basketball head coach Kim Mulkey was forced to undergo heart surgery in June after doctors discovered she had an artery that was nearly completely blocked.

But, thankfully, she says she's now doing well.

The 61-year-old revealed the ailment was initially discovered way back in May after she had noticed some tingling in the tip of one of her fingers.

She said the problem led to her going to a doctor -- and following some testing, she told ESPN she found out she had "plaque on her carotid arteries."

Further testing showed she had a blockage in her heart -- and would need to have two stents put in to fix the issue. She held off on the surgery until after the Tigers' May visit to the White House.

"You're awake for the procedure," she said, according to ESPN. "Then they told me, 'You were 95-99% blocked in one artery.' And I said, 'Doc, why didn't I feel bad in any way?' He said, 'You're what's called an asymptomatic patient. You're the ones that can die suddenly and drive cardiologists crazy.' I asked if I was likely to have had a heart attack without the procedure, and he said, 'Yes, eventually.'"

Mulkey is now feeling good and taking medication to make sure the problem doesn't return. She's also urging people to go get checked out, even if they're feeling OK.

"The issue with my heart, it was really just luck that we found it," she said. "So I will keep telling people, 'Get yourself checked out. You have nothing to lose, and it could save your life.'"

The USC Trojans were without Bronny James during their first team practice on Monday ... but according to coach Andy Enfield, the star freshman is in good spirits as he recovers from his cardiac arrest in July.

Enfield shared the update after the Trojans' training session ... and while he didn't have any new information on Bronny's hoops return, he said the Lakers superstar's oldest son is crushing it off the court.

"Bronny's doing very well," Enfield said, according to ESPN. "But we just can't comment on anything medically. He's going to class and doing extremely well in school, and we're really excited for him."

"He's around when he can be. And he's getting caught up [with] some schoolwork and doing very well. His grades are excellent right now, and he's being the true student-athlete."

Enfield went on to explain there is no timetable for Bronny's college debut ... but made it clear he still believes the 18-year-old will be a "valuable part of our basketball team."

As we previously reported, Bronny was diagnosed with a treatable congenital heart defect last month ... and his family believes he will be able to continue his career on the hardwood.

Kevin Gates is pumped for his upcoming "Only the Generals" Tour, and he's crediting his new hoops skills ... and the advice of a future Hall of Famer for getting him stage-ready!!!

We linked with Kevin out in Hollywood this week and he gushed about how incorporating basketball into his workout routine has boosted his fitness.

He's been participating in the TCL Crew League and admittedly is more Jason Kidd than Jason Tatum when he's on the court. Even though his shot might not be NBA-ready, Kev says he's loving his time on the hardwood

He counts Kevin Durant, DeMar DeRozan and Chris "Lethal Shooter" Matthews as his favorite pros to shoot around with during his training.

KG says KD told him to always focus on the shot he's taking above everything else, and you gotta see how he's applying that advice to his everyday life.

The additional inspo and energy will come in handy come October 6 when the tour kicks off ... 31 cities in 4 months is quite the cross-country trek!!!

Last time Kevin was on the road, he went viral for jumping high like he could duplicate a KD dunk.

Dwyane Wade se está abriendo sobre uno de los momentos más difíciles de su vida, admitiendo que casi terminó las cosas con su ahora esposa, Gabrielle Union, después de enterarse de que iba a ser padre de un hijo con otra mujer.

La leyenda de Miami Heat, que fue padre de su hijo de 9 años, Xavier, con Aja Metoyer durante una pausa en su relación con Union en 2013, analizó sus luchas mentales durante ese momento en el podcast "Club Shay Shay" de Shannon Sharpe esta semana. Allí dijo que es algo en lo que pareja se ocupa hasta el día de hoy.

"No ha sido perfecto", dijo Wade. "Nunca será perfecto. Vamos a terapia, hemos estado en terapia. Hemos tenido reclamos sobre ello, conversaciones regulares sobre ello. Va a seguir siendo algo en lo que tengo que trabajar y trabajar ".

Wade dijo que consideró cortar lazos con Union para evitar enfrentarse a la música, pero está agradecido de que ella no se diera por vencida.

"Traté de evitarlo", continuó Wade. "Intenté romper con ella. Oye, las cosas han ido mal últimamente'. 'Oye, hemos estado un poco distantes de todos modos.' Intenté todo eso. Ella seguía apareciendo".

Wade -quien se casó con Union en 2014- explicó que no hay forma de que pudiera navegar por las aguas turbulentas sin su pareja... pero dejó en claro que también lo siente por su hijo, quien siempre tendrá que vivir con esa narrativa.

Dwyane Wade is opening up on one of the most challenging times of his life ... admitting he nearly ended things with his now-wife, Gabrielle Union, after finding out he was having a child with another woman.

The Miami Heat legend -- who fathered his 9-year-old son, Xavier, with Aja Metoyer during a pause in his relationship with Union in 2013 -- broke down his mental struggles with the circumstances during his appearance on Shannon Sharpe's "Club Shay Shay" podcast this week ... saying it's something the couple still deals with to this day.

"It hasn't been perfect," Wade said. "It will never be perfect. We go to therapy, been to therapy. We've had shouts about it, regular conversations about it. It's going to continue to be something that I have to work at and work on."

Wade said he considered cutting ties with Union to avoid facing the music ... but he's thankful she didn't give up on their love for each other.

"I tried to pussyfoot around it," Wade continued. "I tried to break up with her. 'Hey, things have been bad lately.' 'Hey, we've been having a little distance in our relationship anyway.' I tried all of that. She kept showing up."

Wade -- who married Union in 2014 -- explained there is no way he'd be able to navigate through the rough waters without his partner ... but made it clear he also feels for his son, who will always have to live with the narrative.

Aaron Gordon will never forget his iconic poster dunk over Landry Shamet now ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the NBA star just got the moment memorialized with a crazy iced-out pendant!!!

Gordon's jeweler and good pal Buckz The Jeweler gifted the piece to the Denver Nuggets forward this week ... and it's awesome.

It features a mini Gordon in his No. 50 jersey soaring over a mini Shamet ... with 6.54 carats of VS1 diamonds draped over both characters.

The coolest part of the piece, though, is instead of Gordon dunkin' a basketball, he's holding the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy that he won just a couple months after the Christmas Day 2022 slam.

"This pendant took me and my team 504 hours to bring every last detail to life," Buckz told us. "I knew I had to capture that all-time great moment on a pendant."

Buckz says the piece would typically run his customers somewhere in the area of $20,000 ... but he handed it over to Gordon free of charge as a thank you for believing in him when he was an up-and-comer in the diamond biz.

Buckz tells us ... Gordon came to him for an 18K gold grill last year -- and he'll never forget how the hooper took the chance on him.

Byron Scott won't be shedding any tears over "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" getting shelved anytime soon ... 'cause the Lakers champ tells TMZ Sports he wasn't tuning into the series anyway.

We caught up with Byron just days after HBO announced the fate of the show based on the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers after just two seasons ... and asked him if he was bummed the storyline never got the chance to shine a light on his tenure with the purple and gold.

Safe to say he's not losing any sleep over it ... 'cause Scott told us straight up, "Nah, I'm good."

"I wasn't a big fan of the show because I know a lot of it was fabricated in certain ways just to make it more interesting for the fans which is cool, that's TV. That's Hollywood. That's what they do."

Scott -- who won 3 NBA championships with the Lakers -- said he, Magic Johnson and his former teammates don't even discuss the show ... and if it's ever brought up, it's their wives doing the talking.

Of course, it's no surprise the real Showtime Lakers are saying "good riddance" to the series -- Magic, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have all spoken out against it.

Byron -- who entered the picture (for real) in 1983 -- said he didn't feel as strongly about it as his teammates ... admitting he didn't care all that much.

Byron Scott no va a derramar ninguna lágrima por "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty", serie de televisión que fue archivada en el corto plazo. Esto, porque el campeón de los Lakers le dice a TMZ Sports que no estaba sintonizando con ella, de todos modos.

Nos pusimos al día con Byron días después de que HBO anunciara el destino de la serie basada en Los Angeles Lakers en los años 1980, después de dos temporadas. Le preguntamos si estaba deprimido de que la historia no hubiera tenido oportunidad de brillar.

Podemos decir con seguridad que no es algo que le quite el sueño, porque solo nos dijo directamente: "Nah, estoy bien".

"Yo no era un gran fan de la serie porque sé que gran parte de ella fue hecha de cierta forma solo para hacerla más interesante para los fans, lo cual está bien, así es la televisión. Así es Hollywood. Eso es lo que hacen".

Scott, que ganó tres campeonatos de la NBA con los Lakers, dijo que él, Magic Johnson y sus ex compañeros de equipo ni siquiera hablaban de la serie y si alguna vez salió a colación fue porque sus esposas estaban hablando de ella.

Por supuesto, no es de extrañar que los verdaderos Lakers de Showtime digan "adiós" a la serie: Magic, James Worthy y Kareem Abdul-Jabbar se han manifestado en contra.

Byron Scott, que entró en escena (de verdad) en 1983 dijo que no se sentía tan mal al respecto como sus compañeros de equipo, y admitió que no le importaba mucho.

Cam'ron is rewinding it back to 2002 when he starred in the Roc-A-Fella-produced film "Paid In Full" ... a cult classic still getting its props today thanks to Damian Lillard.

The (probably) soon-to-be ex-Blazer released his "Paid In Full" video Thursday from his new album "Don D.O.L.L.A." album featuring Cam reprising his old role.

Cam'ron played "Rico" in the popular gangsta flick ... which was a loose exposé on the life and times of Harlem drug dealers Rich Porter, Alpo Martinez and Azie "AZ" Faison.

Song costar Tobe Nwigwe also pops up in the clip, which he helped direct with Keoni Mars.