Basketball

Magic Johnson claims he has no idea who the Lakers' next head coach will be ... but he definitely knows who it WON'T be -- Magic Johnson -- 'cause the Hall of Famer tells TMZ Sports those days are long gone.

The Purple and Gold are currently coach-less after parting ways with Darvin Ham following his second season at the helm ... and when we caught up with the legend last week, he didn't want to speculate on who could fill the seat he briefly held three decades back.

"I couldn't tell ya," Magic said when asked about the vacancy in Beverly Hills. "It's up to the Lakers and Jeanie [Buss] and Rob Pelinka. I hope they get a good one, though."

Khloe Kardashian is turning Tristan Thompson's latest NBA game into a family affair ... turning up to his game with a very special entourage -- including their kids.

The reality star and her 2 children with Tristan -- daughter True and son Tatum -- popped up at the Rocket Mortgage FieldHouse Monday ... where the Cleveland Cavaliers are set to face against the Boston Celtics for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Sources familiar with the situation tell TMZ ... this game is extra special as it's the first time True and Tatum are seeing Papa Bear play professionally. We're told True has been asking to go to a game ... and so Khloe wanted to make this a special outing for her.

Caitlin Clark and the Indiana Fever are on their way to Connecticut for the WNBA season opener, and the women are traveling in style -- ditching the commercial flights for a charter -- and they couldn't be more HYPED!

Of course, the WNBA announced last week that they were scrapping regular commercial flights, instead revealing the hoopers would now travel on a plane exclusively for the squad this upcoming season.

The Fever are set to open the season on Tuesday against the Sun ... and Erica Wheeler -- who signed with the Fever in 2023 -- couldn't help but show off the new mode of transportation on social media.

Watch out, Nike ... Kim Kardashian's SKIMS brand is continuing to make a splash in the sports world ... this time by partnering up with the WNBA, and tapping some of the league's best and most popular players, including Kelsey Plum and Candace Parker, to model the undies!

"I’m proud to launch this new WNBA campaign starring such an incredible cast of athletes," Kardashian said on Monday. "Championing women and women in sports is incredibly important to SKIMS."

Kardashian hired some of the best female hoopers for the campaign ... Plum, a 2x WNBA champ, retired WNBA legend Parker, and 6x WNBA All-Star Skylar Diggins-Smith.

A huge step in the right direction for Bronny James' professional basketball ambitions -- the Los Angeles Lakers superstar's son has been medically cleared for the NBA following his July 2023 cardiac arrest.

The 19-year-old guard was recently checked out by the league's Fitness to Play Panel (which consists of three physicians) leading up to this week's pre-draft combine in Chicago, according to ESPN ... and was given the green light to be a full participant in workouts.

The outlet says Bronny will participate in the 5-on-5 scrimmages starting Tuesday ... which will give him the opportunity to show what he can do against fellow draft hopefuls.

Mac McClung's vert may be just a smidge less next dunk contest ... 'cause the high-flying hooper just got his whole arm tatted in NYC!

TMZ Sports has learned the 25-year-old guard hit up tattoo artist Michelle Santana out in SoHo after peeping some of her work on social media.

We're told McClung wanted an arm sleeve with sentimental meaning ... so the two got together at Bang Bang Tattoo and created a showpiece.

The New Orleans Pelicans were swept in the opening round of the NBA Playoffs ... but Master P knows the secret to getting the team on track, telling TMZ Sports he'd transform the team into a championship contender if he were on the coaching staff!

We caught up with the king of New Orleans and his hoops star son, Mercy Miller, at LAX recently and asked him about the Pels’ disappointing end to the season at the hands of the number one seed OKC Thunder.

While many fans have suggested the team move on from Zion Williamson, and some of the other key pieces, P says he’s optimistic about the future of NOLA hoops.

Matt Barnes says the Los Angeles Lakers' coaching vacancy is a tough gig, but thinks JJ Redick would be able to handle the pressure ... telling TMZ Sports the former sharp-shooter has a "great basketball mind."

The Purple and Gold are looking for their next head coach now that Darvin Ham is out after two years ... and they're in desperate search of someone who can get them back in perennial title contention.

Barnes told us at LAX this week he doesn't have a clear favorite to take over the clipboard in L.A. ... but when we asked about Redick's name being thrown around as a potential candidate, he was all about it.

How do you top the 'Greatest Roast of All-Time??' How about going at another GOAT -- 'cause comedian Chris D'Elia tells TMZ Sports a roast of LeBron James would be a worthy follow-up to Tom Brady's night of hell.

But, don't get your hopes up, folks ... 'cause he doubts that'll ever happen.

We talked to D'Elia all about the successful Netflix special at LAX this week ... and picked his brain about the rules of roasting -- after all, he DID crack jokes at a guy named Justin Bieber's expense back in 2015.

"We killed [Reggie Miller at The Garden.] The whole crowd, 20,000 people. 'F you, Reggie.' I ain't gonna lie, I might have been in on the chat."

That's New York legend, and forever Knicks superfan, Fat Joe ... recounting the insanely loud chant directed at the Pacers legend as game 2 came to a close, and the NY K took a 2-0 series lead.

58-year-old Miller was part of the ESPN broadcast ... and the Hall of Famer wasn't shy, continually taking jabs at Knicks fans throughout the game, reminding the MSG faithful that he "owned" NYC.

Will Caitlin Clark's star power carry over to the WNBA? One home (exhibition) game in and we have our answer. A big hell yes!

22-year-old Clark officially suited up in front of the hometown fans for the first time as an Indiana Fever player Thursday night at Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis ... as the squad took on the Atlanta Dream, beating them 83-80.

The game didn't count ... so it's all the more astounding that 13,028 fans showed up to watch Clark and her teammates, nearly triple the Fever's regular-season attendance numbers from the 2023 season, where they averaged 4,067 a game.

Either someone was REALLY excited about the Mavericks' big win, or they forgot to clear their phone of some freaky content before Luka Doncic's postgame interview ... 'cause loud sex noises interrupted the whole presser -- and the NBA superstar's reaction was priceless!!

The hilarious moment went down just seconds into the Dallas baller's Q&A following the Mavs' Game 2 victory against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday ... when out of nowhere, moaning rang through the room.

Doncic's eyes got super big and he put his head down to cover his face as a reporter said, "Okay, umm ... okay, moving on."

A cryptic death post, a royal public appearance and a history-making award. Check out the hottest takes from Thursday.

On "TMZ Live," Charles and Derek discuss the cryptic death post Drake put on Instagram Thursday.

No more flying with the normies for the WNBA -- the league just announced it will provide full-time charter flights for all 12 teams starting this season.

The news comes weeks after WNBA commissioner Cathy Engelbert revealed the league was on the verge of launching a program so players could travel more privately and comfortably.

Now, it's officially official.

1:29 PM PT -- Glen "Big Baby" Davis isn't crying over his lengthy prison sentence ... going to Instagram Live to crack jokes at his own expense -- but also pointing out there are a few positives that'll come out of his time behind bars.

Davis made the funnies in the video (watch for yourself and you'll know why we won't spell one out for you) ... while stating this is God's way of getting him to stop scarfing down hamburgers and Cheetos all day.

Sounds like we will be able to take the "Big" out of his nickname by the time he gets out of the slammer.

Patrick Beverley will be sidelined to start the 2024-25 season -- the current Bucks guard has been suspended four games for throwing a ball at fans twice during Game 6 of Milwaukee's first-round matchup against the Indiana Pacers last week.

The NBA just announced Pat Bev's punishment on Thursday ... saying he will not be paid for the four games he will miss for "forcefully throwing a basketball multiple times at spectators" with about two and a half minutes left in the 120-98 loss ... but also for his interaction with reporter Malinda Adams.

NBA spokesperson Tim Frank admonished Beverley for booting Adams from his postgame interview over not subscribing to his podcast ... saying, "Patrick Beverley’s behavior towards ESPN producer Malinda Adams was unacceptable, unprofessional and failed to meet the standard that NBA players consistently meet in their interactions with the media."