Austin Reaves Signs 7-Figure Shoe Deal ... With Chinese Co. Rigorer
Austin Reaves' hot streak continues -- fresh off his breakout season with the Lakers, the former undrafted NBA prospect has inked a signature shoe deal that's reportedly worth millions!!
The 25-year-old signed a multi-year contract with Chinese brand Rigorer that could "reach over seven figures per year," according to Shams Charania ... and it includes getting his very own sneaker, the "AR1."
Ahead of NBA free agency, Lakers guard Austin Reaves and Chinese company Rigorer are finalizing a signature shoe deal that is expected to reach over seven figures per year. Reaves on the new AR1: pic.twitter.com/B7WSCzGvri
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) June 15, 2023 @ShamsCharania
Reaves talked about the business move on Thursday ... saying, "If you would have told me I'd have had a signature shoe at 18, I'd have looked at you and called you a liar."
"Honestly, I'm blessed to play basketball for a living and I just have to pinch myself sometimes to really understand what's going on."
Reaves blew up this past season ... becoming an important piece on the Lakers roster, averaging 21 points a game in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets.
The Arkansas native's shoe deal isn't the only major source of income -- he's expected to be a big target in free agency, with teams prepping to offer him more than $50 million over four years.
The AR1s are slated to drop this summer ... so yeah, it's been a helluva 2023 for the guy.
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Hit-Boy Didn't Think 'N***s In Paris' Would Go 💎 But Glad It Did!!!
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Hit-Boy is genuinely surprised his iconic "N***s In Paris" record with Jay-Z and Kanye West gained Diamond status from the RIAA ... but he'll take the honor.
TMZ Hip Hop caught up with the ultra prolific producer as he cooked inside his studio, and he says his job as a musician is simply to craft beats to inspire artists ... and that's exactly what happened with Jay and Ye when they hopped on the 'NIP' beat.
Released in 2011 as part of their "Watch The Throne" album, the song became the highlight attraction of their global tour ... with them performing the song multiple times in a row each night — including 11x in Paris!!!
The song also won Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song at the 2013 Grammy Awards ... and HB admits Ye removed layers of instrumentation from the original beat in order for it to be palatable to those types of audiences.
"NIP" is HB's 2nd Diamond plaque following his work on Drake and Travis Scott's "Sicko Mode" but he says there's plenty more gas in his engine.
His father Big Hit was released from prison after a 9-year stint last month, and the two linked with director THIRDEYERAZ for a half dozen videos and counting .. and HB tells us the new tunes will appear on his upcoming "Surf or Drown 2" album.
One album HB is not a part of is Nas' "King's Disease 4" ... but he says it's still all love!!!
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Floyd Mayweather Gets Juneteenth 'Freedom Belt' ... After Gotti III Melee
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Floyd Mayweather, despite being attacked in the ring by John Gotti III after their fight, was still able to share a cool moment with his longtime business partner, with both men receiving a custom Juneteenth belt in a back hallway of the venue.
The ceremony was originally supposed to go down inside the ring, but the subsequential brawl made that impossible. Still, the 50-0 legend, along with WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman, presented CEO Jas Mathur with the World Boxing Council Championship Freedom Belt.
Mayweather also received the commemorative strap.
The belt, the WBC says, celebrates "the remarkable achievements and visionary leadership demonstrated by Mr. Mathur and Limitless X for their contributions to the sporting and business community."
“Thank you to Mauricio and the WBC for creating and presenting me and my partners with this unique freedom belt to commemorate Juneteenth,” Floyd told us.
"The WBC has always led by example. I am honored to receive the belt along with Robert Smith, who is the largest civil rights activist in our history, and Jas Mathur my dear friend and partner."
Mayweather's friend, billionaire philanthropist Robert Smith, also received the Freedom Belt at a dinner Saturday night in South Florida.
Mathur, who has worked alongside Floyd for years, was touched by the gift, writing, "It is truly an honor to receive this championship belt from the World Boxing Council."
Of course, Mayweather and Gotti III fought in an 8-round exhibition fight on Sunday ... which erupted into chaos after the grandson of the legendary mobster attacked Floyd after the ref stopped the fight.
For his actions, Gotti III has been suspended for six months by the Florida athletic commission. Mayweather, who didn't engage with John after the bout was called, received no penalty.
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YNW Melly 'Murder' Charge Worked Wonders For Rap Career Went From 0 to 10 Platinum Plaques 💿
YNW Melly's career essentially came to an end in 2019 after he was arrested and charged with double homicide ... but his streaming has seen a resurgence as of late.
On Monday, Melly's trial kicked off in Florida's Broward County court, where it was uncovered the 24-year-old rapper had absolutely zero RIAA certifications on his wall at the time of his arrest on February 13, 2019 ... but now has 10 platinum plaques and 6 gold.
#YNWMellyTrial: Melly was arrested February 13, 2019 with 0 @RIAA certifications.
— Bryson “Boom” Paul (@brysonboompaul) June 12, 2023 @brysonboompaul
TODAY: He has 10 Platinum Certifications, 6 Gold Certifications. #ynwmelly #lawandcrime pic.twitter.com/aA3xZmyzBc
Fans have especially been running up the numbers for Melly's more sinister tracks ... "Suicidal" sits at 4x platinum while his signature hit "Murder on My Mind" is fairly close to Diamond status at 6x platinum.
Melly and Kanye West's 2020 collab "Mixed Personalities" is also double platinum.
The Florida rapper, born Jamell Demons, stands accused of gunning down his own friends YNW Juvy and YNW Sakchaser.
While it still remains to be determined what will happen with the criminal case, it appears his musical legacy will thrive.
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Nicki Minaj Sued Over Damaged Bling ... She Denies It
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Nicki Minaj is being dragged to court over some alleged unpaid bills for custom jewelry ... but her attorney says she's not responsible, and claims the jeweler is just using her for publicity.
The rapper is being sued by a West Hollywood jeweler who claims they loaned out some bling to the rapper -- a pretty standard transaction for celebs, but the jeweler claims some of those pieces came back damaged ... which is not standard.
According to a new lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Nicki's stylist Brett Alan Nelson signed a contract with Roseark jewelry store, with Roseark agreeing to loan Nicki jewelry for a public appearance.
The store claims the contract called for Brett to return the bling within a week and pay for any damages the jewelry might incur under his watch.
In the docs, Roseark claims Nicki's stylist failed to return 66 pieces of jewelry by the agreed upon deadline, and, when Brett finally forked over the bling, there was noticeable damage to a set of earrings and a leaf ring.
A source close to Nicki tells us ... everything was returned on time as promised and it was only after items were in the jeweler's possession for some time that the store complained about a missing stone.
The jewelry store says it sent invoices to Brett for the damage, which it says totals $26,239.50 plus interest. The folks at Roseark claim they haven't gotten paid, despite their repeated attempts to collect.
So, Roseark is suing Nicki and her stylist for the money ... even though it appears Nikki never had any direct dealings with the jeweler.
In fact, Nicki's attorney, Jordan Siev, tells TMZ ... "We have not been presented with any evidence that any of the jewelry at issue was damaged by Nicki. This lawsuit appears to be nothing more than an ordinary insurance claim by the jeweler designed to generate publicity for itself and extract a payment to which it is not entitled. We will defend the lawsuit vigorously."
We covered it all in a recent episode of The TMZ Podcast, available on all podcast platforms.
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'Dubai Bling' Star Kris Fade Expecting 1st Baby With Wife Brianna ... After Health Issues
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"Dubai Bling" stars Kris Fade and his wife Brianna's dream has come true -- she's pregnant with their first child ... something they feared wouldn't happen due to some serious health concerns.
Sources close to the couple tell TMZ ... Brianna is pregnant, and she's close to the end of her first trimester.
The news is particularly special because Brianna recently opened up about being diagnosed with Graves' Disease, which caused her to have Hyperthyroidism. She also developed fibroids ... causing the couple to put off trying for a baby for a while.
However, Brianna recently explained on TikTok her thyroid levels and her vitamin deficiencies are leveled, and she's off all medication.
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Just last month Kris, who hosts the no.1 radio show in Dubai, reflected on his 2019 engagement to Brianna ... saying they were hoping to start a family. It's unclear if he already knew she was pregnant at that time, and just didn't want to jinx it.
Kris has 2 daughters from a previous relationship -- and he and Brianna are hoping for a boy this time around.
Their lavish 2022 wedding was featured in the first season of "Dubai Bling." Fans will get the inside scoop on their pregnancy in the new season, which began filming earlier this year.
Congrats!
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IG Model Liziane Gutierrez Small Dog Maced, Hospitalized During Vegas Burglary
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Instagram model Liziane Gutierrez and her 10-lb pooch fell victim to some nasty crooks who not only broke into her home but decided they also needed to mace the pup in the process.
Check out the video, obtained by TMZ, showing 3 men break into Liziane's Vegas home Thursday night through a back door. You see her maltese, Duchess, approach the intruders in a friendly manner only to be blasted with pepper spray.
From there, the men rush upstairs and into Liziane's bedroom, ransacking her closet and making away with Gucci bags, a Rolex, a gold chain and designer sneakers.
Thankfully, Liziane was at the gym at the time of the incident ... but she tells us the men made away with over $50K in luxury goods. She called the cops as soon as she got home.
As for Duchess, she was taken to the vet -- given a bunch of baths and some medication for her lungs and eyes -- we're told she's still having a tough time recovering and isn't yet back to 100% ... though things are looking good.
Cops tell us the incident is still under investigation, and no arrests have been made.
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Aaron Gordon Gifts Jamal Murray 'JM27' Pendant ... Ahead Of NBA Finals
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Aaron Gordon is a helluva basketball player and apparently one whale of a teammate too ... 'cause TMZ Sports has learned the Nuggets star gifted Jamal Murray a sick diamond pendant before the start of this week's NBA Finals.
We're told AG was so thrilled over the way Murray's helped lead Denver this season ... he hit up Mile High Jewelers to make a custom piece to show his appreciation.
Gordon wanted the new bling to represent Murray's signature on-court celebration ... and the jeweler certainly delivered.
You can see the piece features a bow and arrow ... with Murray's initials and jersey No. 27 in it. We're told it's all filled with 10 carats of white and blue VVS diamonds.
We're also told it took 10 days to make, which is an expedited time as Gordon wanted to be sure Murray had it before the start of the NBA Finals on Thursday.
And, check out the video, Murray was pumped to receive it earlier this week!!
"[Aaron] wanted to show his appreciation for his outstanding play, effort and being a great teammate/brother during his time in Denver," the jeweler told us.
Murray is certainly deserving of the present from Gordon -- the 26-year-old averaged 20 points, 6.2 assists and 4 rebounds per game in the regular season ... and has absolutely balled out this playoffs.
Up next for Jamal ... pairing a new NBA championship ring with the necklace? Stay tuned!
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Star Boxer Devin Haney Cops New Diamond Grill ... After Lomachenko Fight
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Devin Haney's shining in both the boxing ring AND the dentist chair these days ... TMZ Sports has learned that after beating Vasiliy Lomachenko last month, the star-fighter copped some crazy diamonds for his teeth!!
We're told the undisputed lightweight champ reached out to famous jeweler JimmyBoi ahead of the May 20 Loma fight to have a grill made for him ... win, lose or draw.
Turns out, Haney was able to beat the Ukrainian fighter -- and then he was happily rewarded with the bling!!
The mouthpiece is fully iced-out ... we're told the set is filled with 17 carats of princess cut flawless clarity D color diamonds -- and also features 18k rose gold.
The 24-year-old was clearly pumped for it all -- showing it off in a recent selfie.
It hasn't all been super fun for Haney following the big tilt vs. Loma -- a lot of boxing fans have been upset with him over the controversial decision -- but seems he's going to smile through all the hate ... with some serious pizzazz now!
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Millie Bobby Brown & Jake Bongiovi Time to Celebrate Our Engagement!!!
Millie Bobby Brown and Jake Bongiovi aren't walking down the aisle yet, but they're partying like they are ... going all out commemorate their engagement with family members.
The "Stranger Things" star made sure to snap several photos Thursday with her fiancé, Jake -- Bon Jovi's 21-year-old son -- during the private party. And, the couple couldn't look happier, as they posed in front of a sign reading "Mr and Mrs Bongiovi."
19-year-old Millie donned a bridal lace co-ord set -- and Jake was suited and booted in green.
Hairstylist Pete Burkill shared several photos from the celebration, congratulating the young couple and showing off their hair for the event.
As we reported, Millie announced her engagement back in April ... sharing a photo of Jake hugging her, and flaunting her stunning diamond ring.
She captioned the photo with a quote from Taylor Swift's song "Lovers" -- "I've loved you 3 summers now, honey, I want 'em all."
Jake also shared the special moment on his page, posting photos with the caption, "forever."
Millie and Jake have been together since 2021, after initially connecting on social media.
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SHEIN Removes Fake Jordan 11s ... Blames Third-Party Sellers
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SHEIN is taking swift action after being accused of selling knockoff Jordan 11s on its site this week ... with the company telling TMZ Sports the product has been wiped from its store.
The Chinese-based online fast fashion retailer recently featured athletic kicks described as "professional basketball sports shoes for men" ... which were selling for $49.99.
However, the shoes looked just like the Air Jordan 11s (which come with a $225 retail price tag) ... all the way down to the patent leather mudguard. The only key difference?? The obvious absence of the iconic Jumpman logo.
Sneakerheads got wind of the bootleg kicks ... and quickly went to social media to call SHEIN out for the item.
One person joked on Twitter saying, "SHEIN got space jam 11s y’all better get y’all a pair" while another person tweeted, "Fordan 11s to go with my Fucci bag and Folex watch."
We reached out to Shein about the matter ... and the company is placing the blame on an outside retailer.
"SHEIN takes all claims of infringement seriously and we have removed the product in question," a spokesperson said Wednesday.
"Third-party sellers are required to comply with our SHEIN Marketplace policies and certify their products do not infringe IP."
It's not the only issue the company has -- the site also appears to have bootleg versions of the MSCHF Big Red Boots, Yeezys, Balenciaga, and more.
But based on SHEIN's statement, it sounds like that won't be the case for long.
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Tom Brady, Leo DiCaprio Rubbin' Elbows On Yacht In Sardinia
Two of Gisele Bündchen's exes walk onto a yacht ...
There's no joke here, but that's exactly what went down in Sardinia over the weekend ... with Tom Brady and Leonardo DiCaprio hanging out on a big boat together.
As we previously reported, the "Departed" actor has been yacht hopping for about a week following the Cannes Film Festival ... most recently ditching his shirt to hang with his guy friends out on the waters near the Italian island.
As it turns out, the NFL legend was also part of the fun at sea ... with TB12 and Leo appearing in a big group photo posted on Miami hospitality entrepreneur David Grutman's Instagram stories.
The occasion appeared to be a birthday bash for their friend, Bert Hedaya ... and judging by the picture, it didn't appear to be awkward at all for the two -- granted, they were about 25 feet away from each other.
Remember, Leo dated Gisele for more than 5 years in the early 2000s before she tied the knot with Brady ... a marriage that lasted over a decade before ending in divorce this past October.
TB12 and Leo are both seemingly keeping their options open for now ... and apparently, they're enjoying the hell outta their free time.
Grutman also posted a solo shot alongside Brady ... with the quarterback joking he was "ready for my hospitality internship."
Brady might have his hands tied with his new Las Vegas Raiders and Aces ownership AND prepping for his new Fox TV gig ... but hey, live it up, champ!!
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Terrell Owens Titles Don't Define Careers ... 'Work Speaks For Itself'
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Terrell Owens wants the "ring culture" crowd to take a seat ... telling TMZ Sports championships shouldn't account for everything when it comes to respecting an athlete's greatness.
We caught up with Owens on the heels of 10-time All-Star Carmelo Anthony announcing his retirement last week ... and the former Dallas Cowboys wide receiver told us although the Syracuse legend never won an NBA ring, he's still an all-time great.
Of course, T.O. and Melo have something in common -- both were among the best in their respective sports during their playing days ... but were never able to reach the pinnacle before walking away for good.
With that being said ... we asked T.O. about the folks trying to discredit ringless résumés ... and he feels it should have zero impact when it comes to legacy.
"Not everybody gets to win a championship," Owens said at LAX. "That's not the defining thing. Obviously, as an athlete, you want to compete. You obviously want to win a championship, but sometimes that's not in everybody's cards."
T.O. defended Melo ... saying his body of work in the pros playing most notably for the Nuggets and Knicks "speaks for itself" and warrants respect.
FYI -- former NY Giants running back Tiki Barber was one of the biggest talking heads to compare Melo to T.O. given how their careers played out ... saying, "Obviously one of the all-time greats. You're not even questioning his skill. You don’t question T.O.'s skill. But, you do start to question the winning. Did he ultimately win?"
Owens didn't take the comment as a diss ... and went on to say despite not winning championships, they'll both have some bling that holds a lot of weight when it's all said and done.
"He's going to be a Hall of Famer," Owens said confidently. "And for me, a lot of people are like, 'Oh, well, you don't have a ring.' Well, essentially, he will have a ring. I do have a ring. I have a Hall of Fame ring, and not a lot of people can say that."
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Chanel Iman Engaged To Pats DT Davon Godchaux ... 'Blessings Keep Pouring'
"Blessings keep pouring" in for supermodel Chanel Iman ... just weeks after announcing she's pregnant with Davon Godchaux's baby, the NFL player proposed with a massive diamond ring.
And, she said yes!!
The New England Patriots defensive tackle got down on one knee while the couple was enjoying baecation in Italy ... and the special moment was captured on camera.
"First of all, I can’t even lie I was nervous ahh hell😂," the 28-year-old said in an Instagram post on Tuesday. "I never thought I would be getting down on one knee but LOVE will make you do some amazing things in life!"
"Chanel I love you so much and I wouldn’t have rather spend this moment with no one else by my side!"
Godchaux added, "From the moment we met I knew it was something about you and how much you value having a FAMILY that was really important to me! We are in this together and will always be, I love you from the bottom of my heart! My love, My fiancé, My everything!!❤️❤️🇮🇹💍"
Iman, 32, was in complete shock when Godchaux asked for her hand in marriage ... and she said she can't wait for the next chapter with her "soulmate, protector and best friend."
"Baby moon in Capri turned into the perfect engagement 🎉 I love you so much @chauxdown ❤️," Iman said in her own IG post of the proposal.
"You promised me the world and so far you have given me that and so much more!"
The Victoria's Secret model started dating Godchaux -- who signed a 2-year extension with the Patriots last year -- shortly after New York Giants WR Sterling Shepard filed for divorce in 2021.
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Sterling and Chanel have two daughters together. In May, Iman and Godchaux announced they were expecting a baby.
Congrats!!!
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Leo DiCaprio I'm King of Sardinia!!! ... No Steerage for Me
Leo DiCaprio may be as famous for yachting as he is for another, even bigger ship, but these days he's strictly upper deck!
The "Titanic" star was lounging this weekend on the top deck of a super yacht with some buddies ... along the coast of Sardinia.
There he was -- again -- a shirtless Leo lovin' life on the high seas. He was recently seen on another yacht in Cannes, where he was promoting his upcoming flick, "Killers of the Flower Moon."
The movie is a throwback -- an American Western crime drama -- directed by none other than Martin Scorsese.
Leo made an appearance at the Cannes Film Festival but still found the time to jump on a yacht with his pal, Tobey Maguire.
The 48-year-old heir apparent to Jack Nicholson knows how to live. We're waiting to see if he gets an invite to jump aboard Mr. Bezos's big boat.
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PHIL SPECTOR DAUGHTER SUES JULIEN'S OVER UPCOMING AUCTION ... Hey, That's My Stuff!!!
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Phil Spector's daughter wants a judge to bang the gavel ... to prevent tons of his music memorabilia from being sold to the highest bidder ... and now she's suing one of the biggest auction houses over it.
The late music producer's only daughter, Nicole Spector, is suing Julien's Auctions ... claiming the items actually belong to her, so they have no right to sell them.
According to the lawsuit, obtained by TMZ, Nicole says she only recently found out about Julien's "Music Icons" auction, which features 82 items the auction house has been promoting as coming straight from Phil's estate.
Among the items ... a letter from President Nixon, a baseball signed by Mickey Mantle, tickets from a 1966 Beatles concert, a book signed by Yoko Ono and tons of gold records and album cover plaques.
Nicole claims Julien's told her they got the stuff from a woman named Sheryl Coughlan, who told them she got the property from Phil's daughter. Problem is, Nicole says she never gave any of Phil's property to Coughlan or anyone else.
In her suit, Nicole thinks her late father's ex-wife Rachelle may be to blame ... claiming she believes Rachelle misrepresented herself to Coughlan as Nicole when transferring the items.
Nicole claims when Phil divorced Rachelle, the judgment called for Phil to get all of his personal property back aside from a few specific items ... but she claims Rachelle didn't play ball and refused to turn over a bunch of Phil's memorabilia to Nicole a few years later when Phil died.
As the executor of Phil's estate, Nicole says the items up for auction are rightly hers ... and she wants the court to step in and force Julien's to hand over all of Phil's stuff.