Basketball

The death of John Wall's mother took a massive toll on him ... to the point the NBA star put a gun to his head twice, contemplating suicide.

The former Wizards guard made the shocking revelation on "The OGs" podcast with ex-NBA stars Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller ... saying he struggled badly when his mom died of breast cancer in 2019.

"My mom was my best friend," the 33-year-old said.

"I put a gun to my head twice and a lot of people that are close to me, friends at the time didn't know."

Wall explains dealing with his mom's death was his "darkest moment," combined with a litany of injuries after signing a $170 million contract extension with the Wizards.

But, Wall chose not to pull the trigger ... 'cause he couldn't bear the thought of leaving his two sons behind.

"If I take myself away from this Earth, I'm failing my kids, like, who gon' be able to raise them," Wall said.

"I know I gotta be there for them."

Instead, the 5x NBA All-Star went to see a therapist -- which he continues to do -- and now he's advising other men who are struggling with mental health to do the same.

"If you ever feel like you in a spot where you not comfortable as a Black man, African American, or any race, no offense to that, go get help. It's okay, there's nothing wrong with that," Wall said.

"I had to figure that out or I wouldn't be here today."

Wall was the first overall pick in the 2010 NBA Draft and has spent time starring for the Wizards, Rockets, and Clippers. He averaged 18.7 points and 8.9 assists during his 11 seasons.

Bronny James and Isaiah Collier are making their case for teammates of the year ... 'cause the two USC hoopers just hooked the whole Trojans squad up with some custom Beats headphones!!

James and Collier revealed the nice gesture ahead of the Pac-12 Tournament ... with the Lakers superstar's son explaining they wanted to show appreciation for all the support they've gotten this season.

The team clearly loved the presents ... with everyone freaking out over the Trojan-themed colorway.

Worth noting -- Bronny and Zay have NIL deals with the brand, so we take it they didn't have to open up their wallets ... but it's a dope move nonetheless.

It wasn't the greatest season for the Trojans -- they're currently 14-17 -- but perhaps James and Collier's gesture will help turn things around.

James is currently averaging 4.8 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.3 assists in 23 appearances this season ... while Collier is putting up 16.6 points, 2.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists a contest.

Glen "Big Baby" Davis just issued an apology to sexual assault victims ... this after a video of him making a joke about nonconsensual sex resurfaced on Tuesday morning.

The clip was offensive to say the least ... it showed the former NBA star walking out of an elevator and insisting a woman smelled so good, it "almost made me r*** you, girl."

It's unclear when the video was shot ... but in a mea culpa released on his Instagram page on Tuesday afternoon, Davis seemed to imply it was quite some time ago.

"First of all, I want to say I'm sorry to all r*** victims -- anybody that felt any type of way about what I said," the 38-year-old said of the clip. "I am a stand-up comedian, I do comedy and sometimes I might say stuff a little bit wrong."

"And I did."

Davis went on to say he hoped no one would be offended by his words ... before he chastised those on social media for bringing the old vid back to light.

"I took that down a long time ago off my page," he said. "Y'all kept that and just decided to use it today. That's ridiculous."

Steph Curry just revealed he's got interest in going from the basketball Hall of Fame to the halls of Congress ... admitting that after his NBA career ends, he's open to politics -- and "maybe" even a run for President!!

The four-time champion said he's considering the idea during a candid interview that aired on Tuesday on "CBS Mornings" ... after Jericka Duncan asked him if he wanted to be POTUS some day.

"Maybe," the 35-year-old said. "I have an interest in leveraging every part of my influence for good in any way that I can, so if that’s the way to do it, then ..."

Curry says "meaningful change" is his ultimate goal ... and if moving into 1600 Penn Ave. gets it done, then he's down for it.

But, he said it obviously won't be this year or in 2028 either.

"Not that soon!" Curry said with a laugh.

Of course, Steph appears to be nowhere near moving on from basketball just yet ... as even though he's battled some bumps and bruises this season, he's still averaging 26.9 points per game.

Then again, Curry's demonstrated he can do so much even while still starring on the court -- as he just released yet another children's book that he's clearly super proud of.

Logan Paul's foray into the sports world goes deeper than the WWE ring ... the star wrestler, along with partner business KSI, continues to kick ass in the drink space, linking up with one of the most valuable franchises in the world, the L.A. Lakers!

Prime Hydration and the Purple and Gold announced the biz deal on social media on Tuesday, revealing the new partnership, writing ... "Lakers x @PrimeHydrate Hydration: Get ready L.A., PRIME Hydration is the new Official Sports Drink of the Los Angeles Lakers."

Of course, it's not the first time Logan and KSI's company has gone into business with a major force in the sports world ... they're also the official sports drink of the UFC, the Los Angeles Dodgers, Arsenal, and FC Barcelona, amongst other teams and leagues.

They also work with individual athletes like Patrick Mahomes and Israel Adesanya.

Not too shabby ... and the Lake Show deal positions Prime as an indirect partner with LeBron James.

Puka Nacua put his hoops skills on full display at the NBA's All-Star festivities last month ... and he tells TMZ Sports if he ever needed basketball to pay his bills, he could probably get it done professionally overseas!!

The Rams wideout put on the show on Feb. 16 at the All-Star Celebrity Game in Indianapolis ... scoring 16 points while throwing down two highly impressive dunks. It was so eye-opening, many wondered if the football player could actually transition just fine into the sport if he wanted to.

So, when we got him out at LAX this month ... we asked the question -- and he didn't say no!!!

While he was sure he could never get it done in the NBA, the 22-year-old didn't rule out other pro leagues across the pond ... telling us, "Maybe in another country!"

Nacua, however, doesn't seem interested at all in pursuing another career anytime soon -- telling us straight up, "I'm a lot better at football, that's for sure."

Of course, there's really no reason whatsoever to even explore at this point. The former BYU standout just had one of the greatest rookie seasons in NFL history, catching 105 passes for 1,486 yards and six touchdowns.

12:06 PM -- The L.A. Lakers say they're already in the process of fixing the typos on Kobe Bryant's statue ... admitting to ABC News on Monday they've known of the issues "for a few weeks."

"We have been aware of this for a few weeks," a spokesperson said, "and are already working to get it corrected soon."

The statue erected to immortalize Kobe Bryant outside of Crypto.com Arena has multiple typos on it ... at least four, to be exact.

The flaws were discovered this week ... on the base of the monument where an image of a signed box score from Bryant's famed 2006, 81-point game was etched in.

You can see Von Wafer's name is mistakenly spelled "Vom Wafer." Jose Calderon's name is also incorrectly listed as "Jose Calderson." The word "decision" in two of the "Coach's Decision" portions of the statue is also wrongfully written as "decicion."

A copy of the box score sold at Goldin Auctions back in 2022 shows none of the errors were featured on the original document.

We've reached out to the Lakers for comment, but so far, we've yet to hear back.

The Bryant sculpture was first put up at the arena back on Feb. 8 ... at a star-studded event. Phil Jackson, Stu Lantz, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Derek Fisher and Lakers owner Jeanie Buss were all there ... as was Vanessa Bryant, who helped introduce it with an emotional and, at times, lighthearted speech.

"For the record," Vanessa said before the public saw the carving for the first time, "Kobe picked the pose you’re about to see. So if anyone has any issues with it, tough s***."

At the ceremony, it was also announced the Lakers would unveil two more tributes to Bryant at their arena at a later date.

The brother of LSU hoops star Flau'jae Johnson has been arrested after cops say he injured an SEC employee when he jumped onto the basketball court as a scuffle broke out on the hardwood during the Tigers-Gamecocks game.

Greenville Police tell TMZ Sports that Johnson's brother, Trayron Milton, was taken into custody Monday and was charged with assault, battery in the 3rd degree and disorderly conduct.

The arrest comes following his involvement in the altercation during the women's SEC title game on Sunday at Bon Secours Wellness Arena ... which was started when Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley shoved Johnson to the floor.

Milton, who was sitting courtside, hopped over the scorer's table, apparently trying to defend his sister, but also injuring an SEC employee in the process.

"While Milton was jumping over the barrier, the victim was sitting at the scorer's table at the edge of the court," a GPD spokesperson said.

"To get over the table, Milton came from behind the table, pushed down on the victim’s head, and stepped on her shoulders to jump over."

Milton was eventually placed in handcuffs and escorted out of the arena while being booed by fans.

Johnson has not commented about the incident or her brother's arrest ... but South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley said the LSU guard approached her after the game and apologized.

The Detroit Pistons' lousy season somehow just got even lower ... the team's GM, Troy Weaver, was filmed getting into a heated spat with an angry fan at a game on Saturday.

The incident reportedly happened in the fourth quarter of Detroit's blowout loss to the Dallas Mavericks at the Little Caesars Arena ... when a man decked out in Red Wings gear seemed to confront Weaver at his seat.

You can see in a video posted to TikTok on Sunday ... Weaver appeared to yell at the fan, "You're lucky I don't beat your ass" -- before the man can be heard responding, "You suck at your job."

Weaver then motioned for a security guard to take the guy away from the area. The video then cut out.

A season ticket holder who claimed to have witnessed the interaction told the Associated Press on Sunday the tiff was actually the second time the man had gotten into it with Weaver at the game.

"The guy that was in the incident, with the Red Wings stuff on, came over and was pointing at the scoreboard earlier in the game,” Jeffrey Calloway told the AP. "Troy Weaver just shrugged his shoulders and said, ‘OK,’ and the guy went back to his seat."

"When [Jalen] Duren got ejected, the guy came back and told him that he was terrible at his job. Then, Troy Weaver was telling the fan he had to leave and that's when ushers or security walked over."

Weaver -- Detroit's GM since 2020 -- has yet to publicly comment on the matter.

Anthony Davis' parents had several reasons to celebrate after the Lakers' massive win on Sunday ... their son's historic performance and 31st birthday -- mom and dad even surprised him with a massive cake right in the locker room!

The Lakers center put on a show at the Crypto.com Arena against the Minnesota Timberwolves (who were without Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns) ... finishing the game with 27 points, 25 rebounds, seven steals, five assists, and three blocks.

AD's folks, Anthony Sr. and Erainer, were in attendance to watch their son ... and he was incredible. The 'rents then got to surprise him with a big cake for another trip around the sun.

The Lakers helped out, too ... as mom and dad walked in, players, including LeBron James, began singing "Happy Birthday!"

AD was all smiles ... and rightfully so. His stat line from Sunday's game was a first for an NBA hooper.

"We just want to come out as a team effort knowing that where we are in the standings and how important this game was," Davis said during post-game interviews, "You know, trying to close the gap in the standings."

The Lakers are currently the 9th seed in the West, moving just one game behind the Dallas Mavericks.

LSU women's basketball star Flau'jae Johnson was shoved to the floor during a wild fight at the SEC Championship Game on Sunday.

The push happened with about 2 minutes remaining in the Tigers' 79-72 loss to South Carolina in Greenville ... after Johnson had gotten tangled up with Gamecocks guard MiLaysia Fulwiley.

You can see in video from the game's broadcast that following the physical play on the court, Johnson nudged Ashlyn Watkins on her way back to her bench. That prompted Kamilla Cardoso to run into the skirmish and put her hands all over Johnson.

After the LSU guard hit the ground, all hell broke loose ... as players from both teams raced onto the floor. At one point, a man ID'ed on the game's broadcast as Johnson's brother even got involved ... jumping over the scorer's table to see the action up close.

Thankfully, cooler heads prevailed, and both squads returned to their ends of the court without much further issue.

Six players in total -- including Cardoso -- were ejected from the matchup. Johnson's brother, meanwhile, was led away from the court in handcuffs, but an LSU spokesperson told The Advocate he was not arrested.

Cardoso -- who could be forced to miss some NCAA tournament time now due to her role in the tussle -- went on to apologize for it all in a post on X after the game.

"My behavior was not representative of who I am as a person or the South Carolina program," she wrote, "and I deeply regret any discomfort or inconvenience it may have caused."

As for where Angel Reese was during the whole mix, she wrote in a post on her own X page, "As a person at my STATUS, sometimes you have to walk away from certain situations."

"Mind you," she added, "the play before that I had rolled my ankle AGAIN and was already walking to the bench. I ALWAYS ride for mine. I’m super proud of this team & super excited for march. #geauxtigers."

La estrella de "Ghost Adventures" Zak Bagans no solo persigue fantasmas, el tipo es un gran aficionado a los deportes y ha estado soltando mucho dinero en algunos recuerdos deportivos de primera categoría.

El investigador paranormal le dice a TMZ que desembolsó una asombrosa cantidad de $160.000 para enganchar la tarjeta del novato de la NBA del Año Paolo Banchero, que es sin duda el sueño de un coleccionista de deportes.

Además, la tarjeta está firmada por el propio Banchero en tinta azul elegante, que sin duda aumentó su valor monetario.

Zak sabe que esto es una inversión, diciendo que la tarjeta podría ser una mina de oro en potencia y valdría millones si el novato llega a ganar un futuro campeonato.

Y lo que es más, la primera persona que consiguió esa épica tarjeta de novato de la NBA antes de que saliera a subasta no fue otro que Jonny Venters, ¡el lanzador All-Star de los Atlanta Braves!

Venters habló con el propietario de Goldin Auction -el mismísimo Ken Goldin- sobre cómo se hizo con el santo grial de los recuerdos deportivos y Ken lo calificó como el golpe definitivo de 2022.

"Ghost Adventures" star Zak Bagans ain't just chasing ghouls -- the dude's a major sports buff, and has been dropping serious cash on some top-notch sports memorabilia.

The paranormal investigator tells TMZ he splashed a jaw-dropping $160,000 at Goldin Auctions to snag the NBA Rookie of the Year Paolo Banchero Best 1/1 rookie card, which is most definitely a sports collector's dream.

Also, the card is signed by Banchero himself in sleek blue ink -- which undoubtedly increased its monetary value.

Zak's not just splurging for kicks, he's playing the long game here ... saying the card could be a goldmine down the road and worth millions if he wins an MVP or future championship. Talk about a savvy investment move!

What's more, the person who first scored that epic NBA rookie card before it hit the auction block was none other than Jonny Venters, the Atlanta Braves All-Star pitcher!

Venters spoke to the owner of Goldin Auction, Ken Goldin himself, about getting his hands on the holy grail of sports memorabilia -- with KG dubbing it the ultimate hit from 2022.

The woman who went viral after attending the Warriors game this week has experienced an insane surge of interest in her luxury girlfriend services ... and it's gotten so out of hand, she's had to nearly double her hourly rate.

Katherine Taylor caught the eye of many NBA fans after she was spotted cheering on the action during Wednesday's matchup between the Dubs and Milwaukee Bucks at the Chase Center ... largely in part thanks to her wardrobe choice.

TMZ Sports caught up with the stunning blonde following her newfound fame ... and she says being in the spotlight has resulted in some serious interest in her side hustle.

Taylor -- who offers her company for compensation -- tells us she can barely keep up with all the inquiries that have piled in over the past two days ... and her website crashed due to the increase in traffic.

Prior to her appearance at the game, Taylor (who's actually a Sacramento Kings fan) was charging 900 bucks an hour for her services ... but now, it'll set ya back $1,500/hr. Ya know, supply and demand.

Damian Lillard's a must-have commodity for GloRilla, after the rapper pulled up from 40 feet to shoot her shot at the reigning NBA All-Star MVP!!!

TMZ caught up with Dame in Bev. Hills on Thursday ahead of his Bucks face-off against the Lakers and asked if he was even aware that Glo wanted to be on what he was on.

After Dame led the highest-scoring ASG ever with 39 points, Big Glo squeezed in a photo op and instantly marked her territory ... and threatened to hard foul anyone who attempted to score on her future man!!!

The way her "Yeah Glo!" hit has been on the rise, it doesn't sound like Glo's taking no for an answer, either.

Judging from Dame's ear-to-ear grin, he's aware the Memphis rapper wants him bad ... no comment if he's already taken her up on her offer!!! 🤐

Dame Time may not have clocked GloRilla just yet -- but his new Milwaukee teammates are feeling the love ... after he upgraded everyone's wrists with gold watches from his Tissot line on the team plane.

LeBron James used his day off from the Lakers to support his son, Bronny ... showing up to the teen's USC game decked out in Trojans gear!

The NBA superstar was in total Dad Mode on Thursday night ... rollin' to the Galen Center in downtown Los Angeles to watch SC face off against Arizona State.

The 39-year-old -- wearing a Trojans hoodie and a cardinal and gold cap -- sat next to his wife, Savannah, in the best seats in the house ... and cheered his face off the entire time.

Bronny didn't do much in front of Pops -- he played just 16 minutes and didn't score a point. He did, however, log two assists, one steal and one rebound.

Of course, the two could actually be teammates next season -- although that topic has recently been a hot-button issue in the hoops world.

After a medical emergency and subsequent lack of playing time, the freshman guard dropped off many mock drafts, leading to a ton of criticism of the 19-year-old. LeBron, however, recently addressed all of that -- writing in a now-deleted post on X, "Can yall please just let the kid be a kid and enjoy college basketball."

"The work and results will ultimately do the talking no matter what he decides to do. If y'all don’t know he doesn’t care what a mock draft says, he just WORKS! Earned Not Given!"