Basketball

The injury Zion Williamson suffered late in the Pelicans vs. Lakers Play-In game was very real, despite some fans suggesting the NBA star was fakin' it, 'cause the former #1 pick will now miss Friday's elimination game!

ICYMI ... the 23-year-old went off in Tuesday's game against LeBron James and the Lakers ... putting up 40 points and 11 rebounds. Hands down one of the finest games of his pro career.

Unfortunately, with the game tied at 95 all with 3 minutes left, Williamson hurt his left leg ... allowing the Lake Show to pull away late, sending the Pelicans to a one-game elimination with the Sacramento Kings on Friday.

Jontay Porter has just been banned from the NBA for LIFE ... after league officials say the Toronto Raptors player not only bet on his own team to lose, but also manipulated his play to tip the scales in his favor!

Adam Silver just announced the historic punishment on Wednesday ... explaining league investigators discovered that in March, Porter took part in a gambling scheme that ultimately called into question the integrity of the NBA's competition.

They claim the 24-year-old gave confidential information about his health to at least one known bettor. They say another bettor Porter knew then placed an $80K wager that Porter "would underperform" in the Raptors' March 20 tilt with the Sacramento Kings.

Caitlin Clark doesn't mind packed arenas, zone defenses or contested shots ... but she admitted Wednesday there is one thing that terrifies her -- "Saturday Night Live" cameras!!

The 22-year-old met with reporters in Indiana for the first time since the Fever picked her in Monday night's WNBA Draft ... and amid questions about her game and her future, someone just had to ask about her hilarious appearance on 'SNL' over the weekend.

Clark revealed that while she looked calm and cool on the outside -- she was anything but that on the inside ... saying, "I was terrified."

"I was so nervous," she said. "My heart was about to explode out of my chest."

Of course, Clark -- as she does so often on the hardwood -- came through in the clutch despite the nerves ... and delivered funny line after funny line in her four-minute cameo with Michael Che and Colin Jost on Weekend Update.

She roasted Che for making fun of women's sports ... and then made him read some jokes about himself that she said on the show that she "wrote."

Clark revealed Wednesday she didn't actually pen them herself -- "I'm not that funny," she quipped  -- but she was pleased nonetheless with how it all turned out.

"It was good," she said. "It was a good platform for women's sports. Everybody loved it."

The winner of the Number 10 Chicago Sky jersey sweepstakes has been confirmed ... Kamilla Cardoso will keep the number she wore in South Carolina while Angel Reese will switch to 5, calling it "new beginnings."

Remember, former Gamecocks center Cardoso and Reese -- who played forward at LSU -- both wore number 10 during their standout college basketball careers.

In fact, Reese even wore the number before stepping foot in Louisiana... rocking 5 at the Univ. of Maryland (2020-2022) and Saint Frances Academy in Baltimore. Cardoso, on the other hand, has worn different jersey numbers since high school.

So, when the Chicago Sky selected Cardoso and Reese at the WNBA Draft Monday night, we questioned who'd get 10.

The Chicago Sky posted the new rookie jerseys on their site on Tuesday ... and you can obviously see Cardoso's black and blue number 10 jersey.

Reese addressed the change to 5 ... and the 7th overall pick claims she's fine with the new number.

"New era, new beginnings," the 21-year-old said. "Go cop now!"

Despite the change, you can expect Reese's gear to sell like crazy. Remember, Fanatics told us Caitlin Clark's rookie jersey was the hottest seller for a rookie athlete ever, with a record number of fans copping Caitlin's merch.

Reese is also incredibly popular ... and her jersey is sure to be one of the most rocked in the country.

Speaking of the two superstar hoopers ... their teams, the Chicago Sky and Indiana Fever, will match up in a highly anticipated game on June 1.

Eyeballs all across the nation continue to flock toward Caitlin Clark ... Monday night's WNBA Draft -- which the former Iowa superstar headlined -- was just revealed to be the most-viewed in the history of the event!

ESPN announced Tuesday that 2.45 million people tuned in to watch the Indiana Fever take Clark with the No. 1 overall pick ... smashing the previous high of 601,000 watchers in 2004. The outlet added that at its peak, the draft's broadcast drew in a total of 3.09 million people.

According to the network, the selection ceremony -- which also featured stars like Angel Reese and Kamilla Cardoso -- was the most popular program on Monday night amongst people under the age of 35 years old.

Caitlin Clark has always been a baller, but even her own high school coach, Kristin Meyer, never saw this level of stardom coming, telling TMZ Sports, "I can't say that I honestly predicted this!"

Don't get it twisted, Meyer knew from the get-go Clark was special and would find success -- but No. 1 college women's basketball player ever simply didn't cross her mind when she had the point guard runnin' pick and rolls at Dowling Catholic High School in West Des Moines, Iowa.

"This level of success, and especially this level of fame that she's achieved," Meyer said, "it's just something I don't think anyone could have predicted."

Quavo's "Huncho Day" event is back in Atlanta for 2024 ... and TMZ Sports has learned the superstar rapper is expanding this year, adding both basketball and 7v7 football games in addition to his first-ever "Quavo Cares Social Impact Hub", a gun violence prevention that focuses on community safety.

For the past six years the 33-year-old rapper, along with apparel brand Legends, has given back to his city of ATL by throwing the annual shindig -- a celebrity football game -- at his alma mater, Berkmar High School.

But, this April 28th, Quavo (real name Quavious Marshall) is adding to the festivities ... the 7th annual "Huncho Day" will feature the Team Huncho Basketball and Team Huncho Elite 7v7 football games.

Football and basketball youth clinics, supported by the Atlanta Hawks and Atlanta Falcons, will also be there, along with a fun zone for kids.

He's also introducing a new initiative called the "Quavo Cares Social Impact Hub" ... and we're told it's "an experiential space for civic and community resource partners to provide and educate the Atlanta community on their service offerings, with a special focus on gun violence prevention."

The social impact hub -- which is powered by Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund -- has several partners, including the Hawks, Falcons, 100 Black Men, Be SMART, H.O.P.E. Hustlers, the Atlanta City Mayor's Office, and more.

We're told the gun violence prevention foundation stems from the death of fellow Migos rapper and Quavo's nephew, Takeoff, who was shot and killed in 2022.

An incredibly rare Michael Jordan Logoman card is about to be up for grabs ... and trust us, this is one collectors NEED to own!

The 2003-04 Upper Deck Ultimate Collection Ultimate Logos Signature Michael Jordan Signed Game-Used Logoman Patch Card will go live on the Goldin website in just a couple of days ... and bids START at a quarter of a million dollars.

Yes, that's how rare this card is.

While Jordan, arguably the greatest hooper of all time, has been featured on a Logoman card in the past as a Washington Wizard, this is the first Chicago Bulls MJ Logoman.

That means the card, in addition to Michael's autograph, signed in blue ink, also contains a patch from an actual game-worn, Jordan Chicago Bulls jersey.

The autograph was rated a Gem Mint 10 by PSA, one of the top card authenticators in the country, meaning the signature is virtually perfect.

The Logoman card is also hand-numbered "1/1" -- this one card is all that exists.

In fact, the whereabouts of the very valuable cardboard were unknown for years ... until the card was submitted to PSA in 2022.

NBA star Blake Griffin is calling it a career after 14 seasons ... announcing his retirement in a heartfelt post on Tuesday.

The 35-year-old forward was the first overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft ... spending 7 1/2 seasons with the LA Clippers, where he made the All-Star team 6 times.

Griffin was a high-flying athlete throughout his time on the hardwood ... winning the league's dunk contest in 2011.

Caitlin Clark continues to break records -- the basketball superstar skyrocketed to the top of the merch charts after being selected with the No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 WNBA Draft ... earning the top-selling jersey EVER for a draft pick.

The former Iowa Hawkeyes baller was the obvious choice for the Indiana Fever on Monday ... and considering her historic run in college, no one was surprised to hear her name called first.

Right after Clark's big moment, Fanatics -- the official online retailer for the WNBA -- was quick to offer preorders for her No. 22 jersey ... and they rapidly sold out.

Angel Reese's outfit wasn't the only thing shining at the WNBA Draft, so were her pearly whites ... the 7th overall pick rocked a sick white gold and VVS diamond grill!

The former LSU star was seen with the awesome piece of jewelry Monday night as she walked the WNBA's orange carpet at the Brooklyn Academy of Music in New York.

The 6'3" forward even shared a closeup of the bling on Instagram.

Caitlin Clark, Angel Reese and all the ballers expected to be taken in Monday night's WNBA Draft just walked across the orange carpet at the event in New York ... and each and every one of them wowed in glamourous 'fits.

Clark opted for a white skirt and silver tube top, which she capped off with an oversized, white button-down jacket. She completed the look with a pair of big shades and a huge smile.

Reese, meanwhile, donned an elegant, hooded silver gown ... which the WNBA liked so much, it captioned a video of the dress with heart-eye emojis.

Caitlin Clark is moving on from Iowa to Indiana ... the Fever just revealed they've taken the former Hawkeyes superstar with the No. 1 overall pick in the WNBA Draft!!

The choice, of course, was a no-brainer ... Clark is considered by many to be the greatest women's college basketball player ever -- but still, Caitlin was fired up for the honor nonetheless.

The 22-year-old hooper walked across the stage in New York with a huge smile on her face ... before she embraced commissioner Cathy Engelbert and held up her new Fever jersey.

Indiana fans won't have to wait long to see her ball out in the new threads ... as preseason for the team begins in just a couple weeks -- on May 3.

Fans can obviously expect fireworks as soon as Clark hits the court ... because her four seasons at Iowa were some of the most memorable in the history of the sport.

She averaged 28.4 points per game ... as well as 7.1 rebounds and 8.2 assists per contest. She totaled 3,951 points in all -- a number no other player has ever reached.

A ton of other ex-college superstars, meanwhile, are set to find their new WNBA homes in a matter of minutes too -- including LSU's Angel Reese and South Carolina's Kamilla Cardoso.

Despite being defending champs, the Denver Nuggets aren't content with one ring ... they want to go back-to-back, and they're hungrier than ever, according to star guard Jamal Murray.

TMZ Sports talked to 27-year-old Murray Friday night (before the Spurs comeback victory) ... as the 2023 champs are gearing up for another deep playoff run -- this time as the hunted (champs), rather than the hunter.

"When you're the hunter, you've got to be super aggressive. You're trying to prove something. You're trying to be precise. You're trying to catch them off guard. You're trying to blitz them when you have them down, you know, stomp on the neck. It's that kind of mentality when you have that chip on your shoulder when you're trying to win," the All-Star guard said.

"As the winner, as the one being hunted with the target on the back, you have to be more aware of your surroundings. You have to be more aware of the situation and what's going on, aware of the moment. You got to be ready to be challenged and fire back."

As for the team's determination, Jamal says "We want it bad" ... 'cause winning last year was so special.

"Winning the championship, some guys never see it, right? Some of the greats never see it. And to have gone through that and see what it's like and how much we enjoyed it, how much we enjoyed being with each other, accomplishing that, it's something that we desperately want to get back to as a unit."

"So I think just the intensity, the sacrifice, the selfishness, it's all there. And I think we've done a great job of just continuing to grow and not be satisfied with what we got."

We also asked Murray about playing with superstar teammate Nikola Jokic, arguably the best player in the world (check out the clip).

The Nuggets finished the season tied with the Thunder for the best record in the West, but because of tiebreakers, the squad is the number 2 seed, and will play the Pelicans or the Lakers.

Can they go back-to-back? Stay tuned!

In the meantime, Murray has partnered with Cheetos, helping to launch their "Other Hand" campaign. Cheetos lovers know the pain ... you need to use your hand, but it's covered in cheesy goodness, leading to all kinds of mishaps like untied shoes and missed high-fives!

Boban Marjanović plays for the Rockets, but he was arguably Clippers fans' favorite player on Sunday ... 'cause he helped them all win free chicken!!!

The Houston center -- who's known as one of the biggest hams in the Association -- got the job done for the L.A. faithful late in the Rockets' meaningless game against the Clips at Crypto.com Arena.

After missing a free throw with around five minutes left in the fourth quarter of the contest ... Boban realized if he missed another, he could score everyone in attendance chicken sandwiches on the house.

You see, the Clippers run a promotion on game days where if an opposing player misses back-to-back shots from the charity stripe in the final quarter, it's Chick-fil-A for all.

So, Boban purposely shanked his shot -- and everyone in the building went crazy. Even Marjanović couldn't help but get in on the celebration after the miss.

Boban -- who's 7 feet 4 -- went on to have even more fun seconds later, appearing to intentionally lose a tip-off to 6-footer Xavier Moon.

Of course, if the game had mattered, the antics likely would've been panned ... but with the Rockets out of playoff contention and the Clippers' postseason fate already sealed -- the fun was appreciated by all.

La gran Caitlin Clark dejó a todos boquiabiertos en 'SNL', dando cátedra a Michael Che por menospreciar el baloncesto femenino.

La guardia de Iowa se unió a Che y Colin Jost para el Weekend Update, y nada más al inicio, MC bromeó diciendo que Caitlin iba a cambiar su camiseta por un delantal.

¡Mira el clip, porque al final Caitlin le enseña a Che quién manda!