Basketball

Zion Williamson won't be suiting up for the New Orleans Pelicans' matchup against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday ... an announcement that came just a few hours after his pregnant girlfriend posted a picture from a hospital bed.

The 23-year-old former No. 1 overall pick was officially listed as "out" for the road contest for "personal reasons" ... and his partner's recent social media activity might explain what exactly sparked his absence.

Zion and his lady, Ahkeema, announced back in June they were having a baby girl with a lavish gender reveal party ...  and she recently stated she was 38 weeks along in her pregnancy.

So, there's a chance Williamson's first child could be here soon -- if not already -- and naturally, he'd want to be around his girl for the monumental moment in his life.

Of course, Zion was over the moon when he first went public with his upcoming fatherhood ... even sending his future kid a special message.

"My baby, you’re going to see this at some point," Williamson said in a touching vid. "I don’t know what the future holds, but mommy and daddy love you."

"If you don’t know nothin' else in this world, know that mommy and daddy love you -- for life."

How do you make 6'4" Tom Brady look short? Stand him next to rookie phenom Victor Wembanyama ... who happens to be a full foot taller than the football G.O.A.T.!

The 7x Super Bowl champ shared photos of his meeting with the San Antonio Spurs rookie on Tuesday, alongside billionaire friend Michael Rubin.

Even though Wemby's height is no secret (he's around 7'4"), it's still mind-boggling to see him towering over someone as tall as Brady ... and fans got a kick out of the pics!

Brady had some fun with the caption, and even worked in a shot at former teammate Julian Edelman.

"Usually I’d make some joke here about how I think I could get 10 and 10 against you, but let’s be real… you’d send my jumper into the club level 😂😂😂," Brady wrote on IG.

"PS: @edelman11 This is how you felt all those years???"

Of course, Edelman is 5'10" ... so he's giving up about 6 inches to his quarterback.

Brady's son also got to meet the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NBA Draft ... and Tom challenged anyone to see the trio in a pickup game.

"3 on 3, who's got next?!" Brady said in his IG story.

Jordan Poole is finally addressing the rumors he shelled out half a million bucks on a date with Ice Spice ... and the Washington Wizards guard says it's all fake news!!

The 24-year-old hooper's hilarious denial came during a meet-and-greet with fans this week ... when one young supporter asked him straight-up if there's any truth behind the talk of an extravagant romance with the MC.

"Definitely not," Poole said. "Definitely cap!"

If you're not aware of how this came to be, rapper Cam'ron started the drama back in May when he called out Poole -- then on the Golden State Warriors -- for his playoff performance.

"Jordan Poole, you spent $500,000 on an Ice Spice date," Cam said on his "It Is What It Is" podcast. "You’re a munch and you’re playing like a f***ing munch."

"This is not you from last year, bro. Go back to Milwaukee and figure it the f*** out and get back in the playoffs, 'cause you look crazy."

Fans ran with the $500k rumor ... especially since Ice Spice is one of the hottest female rappers out right now, and Poole had signed a four-year, $140 million extension months prior.

Poole's adamant response should be enough to clear his name of the wild rumor ... but it probably won't stop the internet trolls from sticking to it for entertainment purposes.

Poole's teammate sitting beside him thought his answer was hilarious ... but at least we now know straight from his mouth.

Let's play devil's advocate here -- Poole only denied dropping a ton of dough on a date with IS, so it's entirely possible he DID take her out ... just for much less. But it looks like she's never addressed the rumor in the first place.

Bronny James could be one step closer to making his college basketball debut -- the USC guard is slated to have a health checkup later this month ... and if all goes well, he will be cleared to practice with his teammates.

The update came from Bronny's NBA superstar pops, LeBron, on Monday ... who doubled down on the chances his eldest son could see game action for the Trojans this season after suffering cardiac arrest on the court while training in July.

"Things are going in the right direction with Bronny's progress," LeBron told reporters after the Lakers' 108-107 loss to the Miami Heat. "He's doing rehab. Every week, he gets to do more and more."

No. 21-ranked USC kicked off its college season against Kansas State ... and of course, Bronny did not play. He has been with his teammates as he recovers ... even dancing during USC's annual Trojan HoopLA event at the Galen Center last month.

"We have a big moment at the end of this month to see if we can continue to go forward," LeBron continued. "If he's cleared, then we'll not be too long from him getting back on the floor and back with his teammates and practicing with the notion of being back on the floor and playing in a game situation."

"Everything is on the up and up. We're proud of his progress, we're proud of his strength."

As we previously reported, it was determined Bronny had "an anatomically and functionally significant Congenital Heart Defect," which caused his cardiac arrest on July 24.

Justin Bieber demostró una vez más que tiene un juego serio en la cancha, cruzando por encima de los defensores y encestando repetidamente durante un partido de baloncesto organizado el jueves por la noche.

El cantante de "Ghost" llegó al estudio de The Surgeon en Los Ángeles por segunda vez en las últimas dos semanas, para jugar con el equipo Nahmias una vez más en la liga de baloncesto del famoso zapatero.

Y no pasó mucho tiempo para que Biebs demostrara que su última aparición en el lugar no fue casualidad, pues estuvo esquivando a los defensores y anotando fácilmente durante toda la noche.

Bieber terminó el partido con 13 puntos, tres rebotes, una asistencia y un montón de otros números positivos, aunque no fue suficiente para que su equipo se llevara una victoria a casa. Nahmias cayó 110-102 frente a Surgeon.

Bieber estaba muy entusiasmado con el partido, pero parece que luego se tomó la derrota muy mal.

Justin Bieber proved once again he's got serious game on the hardwood ... crossing over defenders and burying shots repeatedly during an organized hoops game on Thursday night.

The "Ghost" crooner hit up The Surgeon's studio in Los Angeles for the second time in the last couple weeks ... suiting up for Team Nahmias yet again in the famous shoe customizer's basketball league.

And, it didn't take long for Biebs to show that his last appearance at the venue wasn't a fluke ... as he blew by defenders over and over again, scoring easily throughout the night.

Bieber finished the game with 13 points, three rebounds, one assist and a ton of highlights ... although it wasn't enough to score his team a win -- as Nahmias fell to Surgeon, 110-102.

Bieber was hyped up for the game beforehand ... but afterward, he seemed to take the loss hard.

Adam Silver is lovin' the NBA's new collaboration with Kim Kardashian's SKIMS underwear brand ... so much so the commissioner was actually wearing 'em when TMZ Sports spoke with him this week in NYC!

We caught up with the 61-year-old commish just days after the NBA announced its multi-year partnership with SKIMS MENS ... which Kardashian recently introduced.

In fact, KK used OKC star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as one of the models for the SKIMS MENS launch ... in addition to Neymar Jr. and Nick Bosa. The line did millions of dollars in sales in minutes upon launch.

But, is the product any good? Silver's clearly a big fan!

"Although I'm not going to show you, I'm wearing them right now," Adam told us.

"I strongly recommend them to everyone."

Silver even believes the undies could help the players perform better on the court.

"When guys are more comfortable, makes them play better," Silver said. "So yes, gonna have a direct impact on the game."

Speaking of playing better, LeBron James is fresh off a monster game ... scoring 35 points, grabbing 12 rebounds, and dishing out 7 assists in 42 minutes against the Clippers.

Dan Dakich spent 16 years with Bob Knight as a star player and coach, and while "The General" was certainly a hardass many times, his former pupil revealed another side of the legendary Indiana University coach ... the funny side!

"The dude was hilarious. He comes off as this big, mean, 'I'm gonna go crazy on everybody,' and he did. Let's be honest, he did. The man would go nuts on you and make you do things you never thought your body was capable of doing, but he was hilarious, honest to God," the Outkick host told TMZ Sports.

The 61-year-old continued ... "He was a guy's guy. You could crack on him if he was in the right mood. If we won a few games. And he was certainly gonna crack on you."

As for his prowess on the bench, Dan says Knight's "the best basketball coach I've seen."

Dakich played for Bobby at IU from 1981 to 1985 ... where he served as a team captain during his junior and senior seasons.

Right after graduating, DD went to work with Knight as a graduate assistant until 1987, when he became a full-time assistant coach. Dan remained with Indiana until 1997 when he left to become the head coach at Bowling Green.

"I think people don't get to see how caring he was, how loving he was. He loved his players. he loved his team. He loved his school. And he was always giving back."

That's former Indiana University star turned college basketball head coach Steve Alford joining Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) ... opening up on the death of his coach and longtime friend, Bob Knight.

Alford played for the legendary figure in Bloomington between 1983 and 1987 ... winning an NCAA National Championship as a senior. Steve averaged 19.5 points per game over his standout college career and graduated as Indiana's all-time leading scorer (Calbert Cheaney later surpassed SA atop the list).

Knight's accomplishments on the court are nearly unmatched ... he led his team to 3 National Championships, 5 Final Fours, and 11 Big Ten titles. He was named the AP Coach of the Year 3 times, and Big Ten COY 8 times. He was also inducted into both the Basketball and College Basketball Hall of Fame. Coach Knight won 902 games over 42 seasons.

For all his accolades, Alford says Bobby did just as much for the players away from the hardwood.

"[Coach Knight] was a mentor, he was a father figure. He taught us about life as much as he did about playing the game of basketball, which was immense. He was as good as it got on the court," Alford said.

Steve also told the story of Bobby's recruitment of him ... when he was Indiana's Mr. Basketball in high school in 1983.

"When he made his home visit to our home in Newcastle, he only gave me 4 promises," Alford told us.

"He said 'you'll play with great teammates.' I have incredible teammates. 'You'll play for championships.' That happened, both conferences and nationally. 'You're gonna get your degree.' That happened in 4 years, and 'you're gonna have a friend for life.' Those were the promises coach made."

Knight (as well as Steve's dad, who was a coach) left a huge impression on him ... so much so Alford obviously because a head coach, too. Alford, who was previously the head coach at UCLA, is now the HC at Nevada.

The General's family announced the sad news Tuesday afternoon.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by family. We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored."

Kayla Nicole might not be with Travis Kelce anymore, but she had no issue getting the best seats in the house when the Lakers hosted the Clippers on Wednesday -- enjoying the contest from a courtside view.

The model and fitness influencer appeared in great spirits as she celebrated her 32nd birthday a day early at Crypto.com Arena ... seemingly blocking out all the outside noise related to her ex's new relationship with Taylor Swift.

Of course, KN recently spoke out about Kelce's new romance ... saying she had to distance herself from the situation by unfollowing her good friends Patrick and Brittany Mahomes on Instagram to protect herself.

While Kayla and Travis' romance is dunzo, there was still love in the air at the game -- recently-married Lakers owner Jeanie Buss and comedian Jay Mohr couldn't help but share a kiss while LeBron James and Co. secured the 130-125 win in overtime.

The arena was packed with star power -- popular K-pop group LE SSERAFIM also got to check out the Purple & Gold in their custom L.A. jerseys ... and the Laker Girls paid tribute to the quintet by doing a dance to their hit song, "ANTIFRAGILE."

The ladies also had a special meet and greet with Laker legend Magic Johnson, who fanboyed out and asked for a pic outside the arena.

Chaewon, Kazuha, Eunchae, Sakura and Yunjin were really into the game ... going crazy for the home team after the final buzzer -- so it really was a "Perfect Night" for the group.

Actor Jeremy Renner proved once again he's doing well after his serious accident earlier this year ... smiling from ear-to-ear as he caught the action from the front row.

Other big names include Swae Lee, Latto, Mike WiLL Made-It, internet star Corinna Kopf, Jimmy Iovine and Clippers owner Steve Ballmer, who might be the only celeb who didn't go home happy.

Everyone in attendance didn't get to check out the Clips' newest star, James Harden ... who wasn't available to play following his big trade from the Philadelphia 76ers.

Puede que Kayla Nicole ya no esté con Travis Kelce, pero no tuvo ningún problema para conseguir los mejores asientos cuando los Lakers recibieron a los Clippers el miércoles, disfrutando de la competencia desde una vista privilegiada de la cancha.

La modelo e influencer de fitness parecía de muy buen humor mientras celebraba su cumpleaños número 32 un día antes en el Crypto.com Arena, aparentemente bloqueando todo el ruido exterior que ha provocado la nueva relación de su ex con Taylor Swift.

Por supuesto, Kayla habló recientemente sobre el nuevo romance de Kelce diciendo que tuvo que distanciarse de la situación y por eso tomó la decisión de dejar de seguir a sus buenos amigos Patrick y Brittany Mahomes en Instagram para protegerse.

Aunque el romance de Kayla y Travis ya se terminó, el amor aún estuvo presente la noche del partido, con los recientemente casados Jeanie Buss, propietaria de los Lakers, y el comediante Jay Mohr compartiendo un beso, mientras LeBron James y compañía aseguraban la victoria 130-125 en el tiempo extra.

El estadio estuvo repleto de estrellas. El popular grupo de K-pop LE SSERAFIM también pudo ver a los Purple & Gold con sus camisetas personalizadas de L.A., y las Laker Girls rindieron homenaje al quinteto bailando su canción de éxito, "ANTIFRAGILE".

Las chicas también tuvieron un encuentro especial con la leyenda de los Lakers Magic Johnson, que se hizo fan y les pidió una foto afuera del estadio.

Chaewon, Kazuha, Eunchae, Sakura y Yunjin realmente se metieron en el partido y enloquecieron de alegría tras el pitido final, así que fue una "noche perfecta" para el grupo.

El actor Jeremy Renner demostró una vez más que se encuentra bien tras su grave accidente a principios de este año, sonriendo de oreja a oreja mientras seguía la acción desde la primera fila.

Otros grandes nombres incluyeron a Swae Lee, Latto, Mike WiLL Made-It, la estrella de Internet Corinna Kopf, Jimmy Iovine y el propietario de los Clippers Steve Ballmer, que podría ser la única celebridad que no se fue a casa feliz.

Ninguno de los asistentes pudo ver a la nueva estrella de los Clips, James Harden, quien no estuvo disponible para jugar tras su gran traspaso desde los Philadelphia 76ers.

Legendary college basketball coach Bob Knight has passed away, his family announced Wednesday. He was 83 years old.

"It is with heavy hearts that we share that Coach Bob Knight passed away at his home in Bloomington surrounded by his family," a statement by Knight's loved ones said. "We are grateful for all the thoughts and prayers, and appreciate the continued respect for our privacy as Coach requested a private family gathering, which is being honored."

"We will continue to celebrate his life and remember him, today and forever as a beloved Husband, Father, Coach, and Friend."

Knight -- AKA "The General" -- is one of the most successful coaches in NCAA history with 902 Division I wins ... leading the bench for three programs (Army, Indiana and Texas Tech) from 1963-2008.

Knight was a three-time champion as the Hoosiers' head coach ... winning it all in 1976, 1981 and 1987. He also went to the Final Four five times during his time in Bloomington.

Before becoming a coach, Knight played at Ohio State, where he helped the Buckeyes win a national championship in 1961.

At 24 years old, Knight took over at Army ... where he would coach future Duke Blue Devils legend Mike Krzyzewski. Coach K also served as Knight's assistant before going to Duke.

Knight became the Hoosiers' head coach in 1971 ... spending 29 seasons with the program, including 24 NCAA tournament appearances and 22 20-win seasons.

The Hoosiers went a perfect 32-0 en route to a national title in the 1976 season ... the most recent team to ever do so.

Knight also coached Team USA to an Olympic gold medal in 1984.

Knight -- known for his hot temper -- infamously got ejected during a game against Purdue in 1985 after getting angry over a foul call.

Knight's time in Bloomington ended in controversy -- after he was captured on video choking former player Neil Reed in 1997, the school implemented a zero-tolerance policy toward the coach ... and he was fired after student Kent Harvey accused Bobby of grabbing him by the arm for referring to him as "Knight."

Knight was hired as the Texas Tech head coach in 2001 ... where he would lead the Red Raiders to a Sweet 16 appearance in 2005.

He retired from Texas Tech in 2008 ... and his son, Pat, took the reins.

Knight coached several future NBA stars during his career ... including Isiah Thomas and Mike Woodson.

After retirement, Bobby worked for ESPN as an analyst until 2015.

Knight was inducted into the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame in 1991 ... and the College Basketball Hall of Fame in 2006.

Knight was hospitalized back in April with an "acute illness" ... and the Indiana program asked his supporters to pray for him.

El legendario entrenador de baloncesto universitario Bob Knight ha fallecido, anunció su familia el miércoles. Tenía 83 años.

"Es con el corazón encogido que compartimos que el entrenador Bob Knight falleció en su casa de Bloomington rodeado de su familia", decía un comunicado de los seres queridos de Knight. "Estamos agradecidos por todos los pensamientos y oraciones, y apreciamos el continuo respeto a nuestra privacidad, ya que el Coach solicitó una reunión familiar privada, la cual está siendo honrada".

"Seguiremos celebrando su vida y recordándole, hoy y siempre como un querido Esposo, Padre, Entrenador y Amigo".

Knight  —AKA "The General"— es uno de los entrenadores más exitosos en la historia de la NCAA con 902 victorias en la División I, liderando el banquillo de tres programas (Army, Indiana y Texas Tech) de 1963-2008.

Knight fue tres veces campeón como entrenador jefe de los Hoosiers, ganándolo todo en 1976, 1981 y 1987. También fue a la Final Four cinco veces durante su tiempo en Bloomington.

Antes de convertirse en entrenador, Knight jugó en Ohio State, donde ayudó a los Buckeyes a ganar un campeonato nacional en 1961.

A los 24 años, Knight se hizo cargo del Arm, donde entrenaría a la futura leyenda de los Blue Devils de Duke, Mike Krzyzewski. El entrenador K también sirvió como asistente de Knight antes de ir a Duke.

Knight se convirtió en el entrenador en jefe de los Hoosiers en 1971, pasando 29, incluyendo 24 apariciones en el torneo de la NCAA y 22 temporadas de 20 victorias.

Los Hoosiers lograron un perfecto 32-0 en su camino hacia el título nacional en la temporada de 1976, el equipo más reciente en lograrlo.

Knight también entrenó al equipo de Estados Unidos que ganó la medalla de oro olímpica en 1984.

Knight, conocido por su temperamento, fue expulsado durante un partido contra Purdue en 1985 tras enfadarse por una falta.

El tiempo de Knight en Bloomington terminó en controversia luego de que fue capturado en video estrangulando al ex jugador Neil Reed en 1997, la escuela implementó una política de tolerancia cero hacia el entrenador y fue despedido después de que el estudiante Kent Harvey acusó a Bobby de agarrarlo por el brazo por referirse a él como "Knight".

Knight fue contratado como entrenador en jefe de Texas Tech en 2001, donde llevaría a los Red Raiders a una aparición Sweet 16 en 2005.

Se retiró de Texas Tech en 2008 y su hijo, Pat, tomó las riendas.

Knight entrenó a varias futuras estrellas de la NBA durante su carrera, incluyendo Isiah Thomas y Mike Woodson.

Tras su retirada, Bobby trabajó para ESPN como analista hasta 2015.

Knight fue incluido en el Salón de la Fama del Baloncesto en 1991 y en el Salón de la Fama del Baloncesto Universitario en 2006.

Knight fue hospitalizado en abril con una "enfermedad aguda" y el programa de Indiana pidió a sus seguidores que rezaran por él.

Marcus Jordan is hoping his basketball G.O.A.T. father comes around to accept his relationship with Larsa Pippen ... revealing he wants Michael to be his best man when he gets married.

The Hall of Famer's son opened up about his future plans to get hitched to Scottie Pippen's ex-wife on the "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast this week ... saying while it's still early on in the process, he knows who he wants by his side at the alter.

"Look, I was the best man at [Michael's] wedding and the best man at my brother's wedding, and so obviously we'll keep that tradition going," Marcus said. "It's my thoughts on it."

It's an interesting choice ... considering MJ famously said earlier this year he was not a fan of the coupling, but Marcus later insisted the Chicago Bulls legend was only joking -- claiming his father does, in fact, approve.

Regardless, Larsa said she was "traumatized" and "embarrassed" by MJ's comments ... saying she didn't find it funny at all.

Of course, the elephant in the room is the fact Marcus' pops and Larsa's ex don't see eye-to-eye anymore ... as Scottie has been public about feeling slighted and glossed over in Jordan's "Last Dance" documentary.

He hasn't shied away from dissing his former teammate ever since ... even stating LeBron James is the greatest NBA player of all time -- not MJ.

Worth noting -- it's unclear if Larcus are even engaged yet ... as the 32-year-old reiterated that their marriage plans are "in the works," but admitted they've had discussions about whether the nuptials will be televised.

Ex-NBA player Joe Smith's wife says their issues run much deeper than her OnlyFans career ... admitting they've also struggled with finances, mental health and infidelity over the years -- but she's confident she won't have to hire a divorce lawyer anytime soon.

Kisha Chavis joined Harvey and Charles on "TMZ Live" to address the now-viral video of the former No. 1-overall pick finding out about her NSFW side hustle ... and she admits it's just the tip of the iceberg.

As it turns out, the two have been together for nearly 13 years -- Kisha says she was an established singer overseas before getting with Joe ... and she thought their pairing had all the makings of a power couple, but it didn't go as planned.

Kisha explains they fell on hard times -- Joe was out of the league ... and while she created several new money-making opportunities, the COVID-19 pandemic left a major impact on their cash flow.

Kisha believes Joe fell into a depression after going from a top pick in the NBA to being jobless ... and instead of taking matters into his own hands and creating a second career for himself, he did nothing.

As a result, she resorted to what she had to do -- claiming it was a decision she made to improve their lives.

"I'm just sorry that he can't understand that ... it wasn't a selfish decision," Kisha says. "It was a decision that I made. I made an executive decision when my man wasn't taking the lead. I really love Joe."

Kisha claims she's had her account for more than a year ... and Joe didn't find out about it until a "friend that he's been entertaining" brought it to his attention.

She also says Joe got so pissed after finding out about it, he's currently living elsewhere.

Despite all their issues, Kisha makes it clear she wants to work on their relationship ... and believes he will have a change of heart.

Two former Sacramento Kings dancers are suing the team ... alleging one of the org's choreographers was a total creep who prevented them from making this year's dance squad.

The two dancers -- ID'ed only as Jane Doe 1 and Jane Doe 2 -- filed the lawsuit against the NBA franchise in a California court on Tuesday.

Doe 1 said in the suit she was hired by the Kings in 2022 ... and a short time later, she noticed a pattern of misconduct from team choreographer Matthew Day.

According to the woman, Day would inappropriately touch dancers as he worked with them, "causing emotional discomfort." She said she went to HR over it ... but she claims in the suit "no changes were made."

Doe 1 alleged Day's unprofessional behavior continued as he remained employed by the team ... claiming Day sent her various messages on Instagram, including some that contained "flirtatious comments and emojis." She said in the suit she never engaged "in any flirtatious behavior in response."

Doe 2, who was also hired by the Kings in 2022, listed similar allegations against Day in the suit.

Both Doe 1 and Doe 2 said when they attempted to rejoin the team for the 2023-24 season ... Day was on the judges panel, much to their surprise.

And, when the two were not picked for the team following auditions -- they said in the lawsuit they were sure it was retaliation for their complaints against Day.

Both are suing the Kings and Day for unspecified damages.