Basketball

Zion Williamson is taking the high road amid the growing concern about his weight and conditioning ... telling reporters he appreciates the criticism if it's in good faith -- and thanking his fans for sticking by his side.

The New Orleans Pelicans star spoke to the media after his 121-107 win over the Timberwolves on Monday ... and he was asked specifically about guys like Shaquille O'Neal sharing their thoughts on his struggles so far in his career.

Of course, Shaq dropped knowledge in hopes of helping Williamson last week ... saying there are several parts of his game that have to improve if he wants to be great.

Zion said he hadn't heard Diesel's comments ... but explained he respects the words if they were meant to lift him up instead of bring him down.

"If it comes from a great place and a place where they just wanna see me do better, thank you," Zion said. "But if it comes from anywhere else, everyone entitled to their own opinion. Can’t control that."

Zion's fitness has been a major focus this season ... with reports claiming the Pels are trying to get him to focus on his diet and conditioning, but he "doesn't listen."

Despite the report, Zion was met with applause from the home crowd prior to the matchup against the Wolves ... and he didn't take it lightly.

"If you love the city, which I very much do, it will love you back," Zion said. "So, to the city, to the fans, thank you. I'm gonna do my best not to let y'all down."

Mercy 👏 Miller👏 Went👏 Off👏

Master P's son, one of the best high school basketball players in the entire country, had an absolutely gaudy stat line Monday night, dropping 68 points, 10 rebounds, and 3 assists on 28 for 38 shooting (74%)!!

Thanks to the ridiculous performance, Mercy Miller's Notre Dame Knights squad beat Oakwood, 104-44.

Mercy's 68 points were good enough for the ND school record (Sherman Oaks, CA) ... and one of the greatest scoring performances in California history.

Miller, a 6'4" guard who committed to the University of Houston last month, is averaging 36 points and 11 rebounds a game this season.

It shouldn't come as a shock that Mercy can hoop his ass off. His brother Hercy Miller hoops at the Univ. of Louisville ... and dad, aside from being a hip hop mogul, played in the NBA.

The undefeated, 6-0 Notre Dame team is regarded as one of the best teams in their division, the CIF Southern Section.

Mercy will have a few days to rest his arms after putting up all those shots ... his Knights team doesn't return to the court until December 19, when they'll play a 2-4 Marshall H.S. squad.

Notre Dame will also be in action on January 6th ... under the bright lights at Crypto.com Arena when they play in the Coastal Catholic Classic Game, with proceeds going to the You Are Not Alone Foundation, which helps kids struggling with mental health issues.

Ja Morant had a busy day in court Monday ... testifying that he punched a teen during an altercation at his home last year in self-defense -- while also demonstrating to an attorney how to check a ball in a pickup basketball game.

The Memphis Grizzlies superstar did it all before a judge in Tennessee ... as part of Joshua Holloway's civil case against him.

Holloway claims in the lawsuit that Morant assaulted him while the two were hoopin' at the NBA player's Shelby County residence in July 2022 ... though Morant and his attorneys say the suit should be dismissed, claiming Ja was simply attempting to protect himself during the incident.

At one point during Monday's proceedings, Morant told Holloway's attorney he was physically "hurt" when the teenager threw a ball at his face during a check situation.

Morant said in the courtroom that he asked Holloway, "What you on?" after the teen heaved the ball -- and then he claimed Holloway pulled up his shorts.

"Him pulling up his shorts," Morant testified, "where I'm from, that's a fighting stance."

Morant claimed Holloway then took a step at him -- and that's when the NBA player fired off a punch.

"I hit him first," Morant said, "to protect myself."

Morant was also seen in the courtroom showing a lawyer how a normal check-ball situation is supposed to go down.

Morant's dad, Tee, spoke as well from the stand during the hearing -- and it's anticipated he'll continue testimony Tuesday.

The proceedings, meanwhile, are slated to go through at least Wednesday -- and if it's ultimately deemed Morant was, indeed, acting in self-defense, the case could be dismissed. However, if it's not, a trial could be slated to begin in April.

Things got so intense between referees at a youth basketball game in Colorado that they ended up throwing punches in front of a bunch of kids ... and now police tell TMZ Sports they're investigating the melee.

The ugly scene, which was captured on video, went down during a 4th-grade boys hoops game -- Cherry Creek vs. Legend Blue -- over the weekend at the Gold Crown Field House in Lakewood, CO.

The clip clearly shows two referees square up on the court after some type of disagreement ... when one of the refs throws a massive right hook, knockin' down the other official.

The ref attempted to throw more punches, but was held back by bystanders.

The ref who was dropped eventually got up ... but he wasn't done fighting. The man then got into a stand-off with another official ... but thankfully no punches were thrown this time.

We talked to Lakewood Police ... who told us they're aware of the situation, but haven't yet made any arrests because "the involved parties had already left the gym" by the time they arrived on scene.

Thankfully, no one was injured during the fight, according to the Gold Crown Foundation ... which also tells us all the referees have been suspended indefinitely.

"We have informed these independently contracted officials that they are suspended indefinitely from working for Gold Crown Foundation," GCF told us in a statement.

"Most importantly we apologize to everyone that had to witness their unacceptable behavior - especially the kids."

It's pretty crowded up in the Crypto.com Arena rafters already, but the Los Angeles Lakers will have to make some room -- the team is reportedly expected to hang a banner in honor of winning the In-Season Tournament.

The Purple and Gold -- who already have 17 championship banners above their home court -- will announce the newest addition to the collection as a tribute to LeBron James and Co. beating out the competition in the first-ever regular season event, according to multiple reports.

To avoid confusion, the IST banner won't look like the Lakers' usual gold cloths with purple lettering -- insider Chris Haynes says it will have a different shape and color, and each year will be added to it whenever they win the NBA Cup.

Of course, the Lakers defeated the Indiana Pacers to win it all on Saturday ... and the postgame ceremony was comparable to an NBA Finals victory -- with everything from confetti to champagne celebrations and special merch.

Many were wondering if the Lakers would find the victory worthy of getting the same treatment as the other titles ... and now we have answers.

Bronny James just made his college basketball debut ... and his dad, LeBron, had a front-row seat for the special moment.

The 19-year-old USC hooper entered Sunday's home contest against Long Beach State around the 13-minute mark in the first half ... and the Galen Center erupted as James stepped onto the court.

Of course, the former Sierra Canyon standout's college career was put on hold after he suffered cardiac arrest during a workout back in July ... but as we previously reported, he was given the green light late last week to finally suit up for games.

LeBron -- who vowed not to miss Bronny's first game, even if it conflicted with his Lakers schedule -- held up to his promise ... getting a courtside seat and documenting his son's entrance on his iPhone.

He also said following the Lakers' In-Season Tournament championship win over the Indiana Pacers on Saturday he was looking forward to being in L.A. for the game ... so we take it it was one helluva weekend for the James Gang.

The classic "$500k or a dinner with Jay-Z?" debate just turned into "$25k or dinner with Jerry West?" ... 'cause that's what one lucky bidder shelled out for an evening with the Logo at a big charity event.

TMZ Sports has learned ... a special one-on-one with the Pro Basketball Hall of Famer was one of the big auction items at a gathering for the Aiming High Foundation this week ... with an anonymous bidder winning the RSVP with a massive, quarter-hundred thou donation.

Not only did the winner get a din-din with West, but two VIP passes to an upcoming L.A. Clippers game were also included in the bundle.

The Aiming High Foundation -- founded by celebrity agent Darren Prince -- raises funds for those seeking help with mental health and substance abuse issues ... so the money is going to a good cause!!

Prince's clients like Brande Roderick, Jesse Metcalfe, American Idol star Nutsa and influencer Rudy Mawyer were also present at Komodo in Miami ... so it sounds like it was quite the shindig.

The hype for Bronny James is REAL ... the college basketball player is already sellin' out games just like his pops, and before his big USC debut.

Bronny and the rest of the USC Trojans are going up against Long Beach State on Sunday, but good luck gettin' a ticket -- 'cause every single one has already been snatched up!

Sunday's game marks the first time Bronny's hitting the court as a college athlete, and LeBron told reporters on Thursday how excited he was for his boy's big milestone ... saying it's a match he's incredibly looking forward to.

LeBron even claimed he'd miss his own Lakers game if it fell on the same night as Bronny's ... luckily, it doesn't.

TMZ broke the story, Bronny suffered cardiac arrest during a workout on campus back in July, and ended up spending a couple of days in the hospital ... and was cleared last month to get back on the court.

Adam Silver just spoke on the Josh Giddey situation ... explaining the NBA is currently taking "a backseat" on the matter while police investigate claims the point guard had an inappropriate relationship with a minor.

The Association's commish didn't get into too many specifics on the topic while addressing it with ESPN's Malika Andrews on Friday afternoon ... but he did confirm the NBA will allow cops to do their due diligence before it decides on how it'll move forward with the Oklahoma City Thunder star.

"I think if you look back," Silver said, "I can't think of many circumstances where we've suspended a player based on an allegation alone."

"I'd also add," he continued, "where there is a criminal investigation, we take a back seat."

The disturbing allegations against Giddy cropped up last month ... when an X user posted images to their account that appeared to show the now-21-year-old with an underaged girl.

A short time following the posts, the Newport Beach Police Dept. told TMZ Sports it was looking into the matter. Days after that, we learned the family of the girl at the center of the probe hired famed attorney Gloria Allred to assist in the case.

However, Giddey has been allowed to play for the Thunder despite it all ... something that Silver seemed to say will continue as long as the police investigation remains ongoing.

The New Orleans Pelicans are trying like hell to get Zion Williamson to work on his fitness, but the franchise player is tuning them out -- this according to a new report.

The 2019 No. 1 overall pick appeared gassed throughout the Pels' In-Season Tournament semifinal game against the Los Angeles Lakers on Thursday ... something many analysts pointed out as a reason why it was a 133-89 blowout in favor of LeBron James and Co.

Of course, Zion's size has always been a hot topic since he entered the league ... and the team even reportedly implemented a weight clause in the five-year extension he signed last season that would penalize him if the sum of his weight and body percentage surpassed 295.

FYI -- Zion reportedly weighs in at 284.

According to Christian Clark of NOLA.com, the Pelicans have continuously told Williamson he has to work on his diet and conditioning ... but simply put -- he "doesn't listen."

LeBron James and the Lakers punched their tickets to the In-Season Tournament championship Thursday night, but there was a different matchup the NBA superstar said he was pumped about -- Bronny's first-ever game at USC.

King James addressed the big news of his eldest son being slated to make his big debut this weekend with reporters on Thursday ... and he explained how it'll mean "everything and more" to see his kid fully return from his cardiac arrest in July.

"Looking forward to that for sure," LBJ said after the Lakers routed the New Orleans Pelicans in the semis in Vegas. "Super excited for that moment."

Bronny is expected to play in USC's home game against Long Beach State on Sunday ... after completing his first full-contact practice on Thursday.

LeBron explained he is excited to see Bronny run out on the court with his teammates following his medical clearance ... but also when he enters the game -- whenever that may be.

"It's a big milestone for our family, for sure," LeBron said. "It's another step for him on his journey in his basketball career. Looking forward to it."

Of course, LeBron previously stated he was willing to miss one of his own games in order to be there for his son ... so we take it he will be front and center to soak it all in on Sunday.

The divorce drama between Iman Shumpert and Teyana Taylor is heating up ... he's now calling BS on her claim he made her feel endangered when she was with him.

According to court documents, obtained by TMZ, Shumpert says Teyana never proved he made her feel endangered, despite making the claim in recently filed divorce papers. Iman wants the court to take action, and to remove Teyana's accusations from the documents.

To get specific, Teyana put something called "cruel treatment" as grounds for the couple's divorce, which is defined as "willful infliction of pain bodily or mental ... [that] reasonably justifies apprehension of danger to life, limb, or health."

Iman says that's nonsense, and the only grounds should be "irretrievable broken bond." He wants the "cruel treatment" grounds thrown out.

What's more, Iman says despite Teyana's claims, he's never been irresponsible when it comes to the care of their two daughters, seven-year-old “Junie” Tayla, and three-year-old Rue Rose.

The new filing from Iman is just another chapter in what's already become a nasty custody battle. As we reported, Teyana first filed the divorce docs using only the couple's initials in an attempt to keep everything private from the public.

However, Iman blew the lid off the secret when he filed a motion asking the court to attach their full names to the documents ... and allowing the public to know what was going on.

LeBron James is fed up with the lack of change to America's gun laws after the recent mass shooting on UNLV's campus ... saying it's "ridiculous" to see yet another tragedy unfold somewhere people should feel safe.

LeBron and the Los Angeles Lakers are slated to face off against the New Orleans Pelicans in Vegas for the semi-finals of the In-Season Tournament on Thursday ... and when speaking with media members, the four-time champ expressed his frustrations with hearing about yet another act of gun violence.

"It just goes back to what I said before about guns in America," LeBron said Wednesday. "I think it's such a longer conversation, but we're the only ones who keep dealing with this same story, this same conversation every single time it happens, and it just continues to happen."

"The ability to get a gun, the ability to do these things over and over and over, and there's been no change is literally ridiculous. It makes no sense that we continue to lose innocent lives, on campuses, on schools, at shopping markets and movie theaters and all type of stuff. It's just ridiculous."

67-year-old college professor Anthony Polito is accused of opening fire on UNLV's campus ... killing three people and wounding a fourth. Investigators are reportedly looking into whether a recent job rejection played a role in the act.

LeBron -- who has been outspoken against gun violence in the past -- believes lawmakers are asleep at the wheel ... claiming firearms have become even more accessible throughout the country.

"The fact that we haven't changed anything -- it's actually been a lot easier to actually be able to own a firearm, it's stupid."

Luka Doncic is apparently having a difficult time keeping his postgame interviews PG ... letting yet another F-bomb fly on Wednesday night -- although, as he's done previously, he apologized right away.

The latest potty-mouth incident from the Mavericks superstar happened just after the Dallas point guard netted 40 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists in a 147-97 win over the Utah Jazz.

Doncic was asked about the importance of the W after his squad had started December with an 0-2 record -- and that's when began cussin'.

"I said before the game, you know, we just can't f*** around," Doncic said.

Almost immediately, he realized his blunder -- and told the reporter on the floor, "Ah, s***. My bad."

To his credit, the journalist helped Luka brush off the embarrassing moment -- attributing it all to the lack of sleep he's gotten due to the birth of his first child.

Of course, Doncic has been doing this since well before his newborn arrived ... in fact, it just happened in late October, when he described a player's game as "f***ing amazing."

Doncic said he was sorry for that incident as well -- looking just as sheepish as he did Wednesday night.

La carrera de Candace Parker en la WNBA no ha terminado todavía. La superestrella le dice a TMZ Sports que tiene planes de volver a la cancha la próxima temporada si todo sale bien.

Por supuesto, hubo preguntas sobre su futuro en el baloncesto después de que la alero de 6 pies y 4 pulgadas se viera obligada a perderse la victoria de las Aces en las Finales de la WNBA, así como gran parte de la temporada 2023, mientras luchaba contra una lesión en el pie. Sin embargo, cuando la vimos en Los Ángeles esta semana no parecía alguien dispuesta a colgar las zapatillas todavía.

"Estoy sana", nos dijo, "y quiero jugar".

Parker dijo que el proceso de recuperación de su lesión en el pie va bien.

En cuanto al número de temporadas que le quedan a la jugadora de 37 años si su cuerpo vuelve a estar en forma... dice que no está muy segura.

Candace Parker's WNBA career ain't over just yet ... the superstar hooper tells TMZ Sports she's got plans to return to the hardwood next season -- if she's healthy.

Of course, there were questions about her basketball future after the 6-foot-4 forward was forced to miss the Aces' WNBA Finals win -- as well as a large portion of the 2023 season -- while battling a foot injury.

However, when we got her out in Los Angeles this week ... she sure didn't seem like someone ready to hang up her sneakers just yet.

"If I'm healthy," she told us, "I want to play."

Right now, Parker said the recovery process from her foot injury is going well.

When it comes to how many seasons the 37-year-old might have left in her if her body gets back into playing shape ... she says she isn't quite sure.