Basketball

Jimmy Butler looked like he was about to ask if "people ever heard of closing the goddamn door" at Miami Heat media day ... going full emo with a haircut and piercings!!

The NBA superstar was back at it with his preseason antics on Monday ... showing up to the team facility rocking a look that would fit right in at the When We Were Young festival.

Of course, the 34-year-old All-Star has made it his thing to debut a shocking appearance for his official team photos prior to the season -- last year, he wore dreads for the occasion.

This time around, he went with the straightened hairdo ... even rocking lip and eyebrow piercings to complete the style.

"This is my emotional state," Butler told reporters. "I'm one with my emotions. So, this is what you get."

To really lean into it, The Used's "The Taste of Ink" played over the speakers as Butler posed next to teammates Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo for some snaps.

Last season, Butler explained he was trying out new looks to piss off the internet ... but this one seems to be getting a lot of approval from the emo hoops fans.

Yeah, Damian Lillard and Antonio Brown might have some dope music, but Shaq tells TMZ Sports he's the G.O.A.T when it comes to athletes who rap ... and he's been that guy since the 1990s!

For those who don't remember, Shaq made four rap albums during his Hall of Fame NBA career, with the first one, "Shaq Diesel," coming out in 1993.

He hasn't stopped making music in retirement either ... the 51-year-old actually just jumped on a track with L.A.-based group Coyote -- and he tells us he's got much more on the way too.

"I got a couple of freestyles," O'Neal said. "It's all competition for me, so when I hear other people that say, 'I'm a better athlete-rapper than Shaq,' I gotta step up."

"Nothing personal. I just have to let these people know who paved the way."

Some of the athletes makin' waves in the rap game include Lillard, who's been considered by fans to be one of the best, lyrically, in any sport.

There's also Brown, who's made catchy tracks like "Put That Sh** On" ... as well as former NBA star Iman Shumpert.

But, while O'Neal (who we recently talked to about his huge upcoming charity event) was very complimentary of the guys' talents on the mic, he says he's still the greatest of all time.

"I put stuff out, they put stuff out and we let the people decide who the number one is," O'Neal said.

"I know who the number one is. I'ma always say myself is number one, but they got a lot of the guys out there that are coming."

Grizzlies legend Zach Randolph is confident Ja Morant will bounce back from his off-court issues ... telling TMZ Sports he's been sharing advice with the young NBA star following his 25-game suspension.

Memphis will be without its face of the franchise for the first chunk of the upcoming season as a result of his second gun-related social media post that surfaced back in May ... but Z-Bo says it's just a bump in the road for the two-time All-Star -- revealing what he's been telling Morant in their conversations.

"Man, I just tell him, Ja, you're lil bro," Randolph said at LAX. "We all been through some stuff. If it was social media like it was when I was playing, I'd be in some stuff, too."

"You gon' be all right," he added. "You just go through growing pains, and you be resilient and you bounce back."

"That's what he is. He'll bounce back."

24-year-old Ja initially faced criticism for flashing a gun at a strip club back in March ... resulting in an 8-game ban.

Despite his claims -- and alleged video proof -- that the weapon shown in the second video was actually a lighter, the league elected to hand down his current lengthy punishment.

Isaiah Thomas is hell-bent on continuing his career in the NBA ... telling TMZ Sports his No. 1 -- and only -- plan right now is getting back into the Association.

"My only option is the league," Thomas said while out at LAX this month. "For sure."

The former Boston Celtics star, though, said right now there hasn't been much movement on his quest to land on a team. But, he told us he is staying patient.

"Just waiting it out," said the 34-year-old, who last played for the Charlotte Hornets in the 2021-22 season. "Staying ready to be on an NBA roster."

Of course, there are other pro leagues outside the NBA that Thomas could thrive in -- including the EuroLeague, the Australian National Basketball League and the Chinese Basketball Association ... but the two-time All-Star made it clear he wants to see NBA hardwoods only.

We also talked to Thomas about his former teammate, LeBron James, recruiting players for the 2024 Olympics following the country's loss in this year's FIBA World Cup semifinals ... and he told us if LBJ gets the guys he wants, it should be an easy win for Team USA.

"If LeBron wanted to fight with me, it wouldn't be close!"

That's UFC fighter Bobby Green aka "King" saying he'd wash Bron in a purely hypothetical fight for the royal nickname.

See, TMZ Sports was talking to the 37-year-old lightweight before his Fight Night main event scrap against 29-year-old Grant Dawson, the 10th ranked 155 pounder.

Dawson's nickname is "KGD" ... said to stand for "King Grant Dawson"

When we asked Green if he had a message for Grant, he told us ... "There can only be one King. I just found out that Grant Dawson's fight name is KGD. There can only be one king. Let's go find out. The other one's gonna get his head cut off!"

Okay, okay. Obviously, the most famous "King" going right now this side of Charles is LeBron ... and given the age-old debate about skill vs. size, we asked BG if he could beat the 6'8" hoops legend.

"It wouldn't be close!" Bobby said.

We mentioned the size discrepancy ... Bobby's 5'10" and fights at 155 lbs. (we'll assume he walks around in the neighborhood of 185). James is 10 inches taller, and weighs 250 lbs., according to the Lakers website.

Irrelevant, according to Bobby.

"He's a big dude but he doesn't have the skills I'm sorry. Skills pay the bills, sir."

But, would Green actually fight King James?

"In a drop of a dime. In a heartbeat, without even thinking about it. Hell yeah. I'll wax his ass!"

Damian Lillard's trade to the Milwaukee Bucks is bittersweet for Giannis Antetokounmpo -- the Greek Freak finally opened up about the deal that sent his "brother" Jrue Holiday to the Trail Blazers ... saying he's both excited and crushed.

"Jrue is my f***ing brother for life," Antetokounmpo told Bleacher Report. "I love his family. I love him. I appreciate him. I wish him nothing but the best."

Giannis' reaction comes days after the Blazers-Bucks-Sun blockbuster trade, where the Bucks gave Portland their 2029 unprotected first-round pick and several players -- including Holiday -- for Lillard.

It's understandable why Antetokounmpo is sad -- he's been teammates with Holiday since 2020, and they won the NBA Finals a year later.

"He blessed me with a f***ing championship," Antetokounmpo said.

"He’s the one who made that huge steal in Game 5 of the Finals. I went to battle with him multiple times. F*** basketball. F*** the media s***."

On the flip side, Giannis said he's stoked to play with Lillard ... explaining the 7-time All-Star gives them a legit shot at another NBA title.

"I’m excited to play with the caliber of player that he is," Antetokounmpo said. "He can score the ball in his sleep and shoot the lights out."

Lillard -- who requested the trade out of Portland in July -- is hyped to play with Giannis and the Bucks as well ... but admits he will miss his teammates, fans, and Portland dearly.

"I do believe a day will come where I put a Blazers uniform on again," the 33-year-old said in a farewell letter on Thursday.

"Hopefully by then, I'll be forgiven for breaking your hearts along with my own."

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.