Chicago Bulls legend Bob Love has passed away following a battle with cancer, the team announced. He was 81 years old.
"Bob is one of the original Bulls greats," Jerry Reinsdorf, Chicago Bulls chairman, said in a statement. "During his nine seasons with the Bulls, Bob became a cornerstone of the franchise, and his tenacious defense set high standards for competition and toughness."
"Toughness was not only a trademark of Bob’s play on the court, but also apparent in his resiliency throughout his basketball career."
A New York Knicks fan infiltrated a family-friendly event with some adult humor on Wednesday ... making use of his time on the kiss cam by doing something a bit, uh, different than locking lips with his significant other.
The surprising moment happened during a break in the action at the home team's matchup with the Chicago Bulls ... when the Madison Square Garden cameras focused on an apparent couple enjoying their date night.
The woman was seemingly ready to give her man a smooch ... but the dude had other plans. As she leaned in for a peck, he grabbed her head and pushed it down toward his lap -- and it doesn't take a genius to figure out the message he was trying to convey.
Anne Hathaway's courtside seats Wednesday night might have been just a little too courtside ... 'cause she nearly got a faceful of a sprinting Knicks player!!
Check out video from the first quarter of New York's tilt with Chicago at Madison Square Garden ... OG Anunoby almost crashed right into the actress and her son as he hunted for a loose ball.
The 6-foot-7 232-pound forward tipped a Josh Giddey pass -- and then ran after it ... but thankfully, he was able to put the brakes on before he did damage to Hathaway.
Forget dinner and a movie ... Simone Biles and her husband, Bears safety Jonathan Owens, had something else in mind for date night in Chicago -- a Bulls game!
The famous couple were even gifted custom jerseys by the organization for pullin' up.
Simone and Jonathan -- who married in 2023 -- were spotted sitting courtside at the United Center on Thursday to watch Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves face their Bulls.
Shocking turn of events in a nearly 30-year-old trial ... the judge who presided over the murder case of Michael Jordan's slain father, James Jordan, has stunningly asked parole officials to release the convicted killer ... saying he fears the wrong guy could be behind bars.
Retired Judge Gregory Weeks, who oversaw the 1996 murder trial, petitioned the North Carolina state parole board, calling on the commission to release Daniel Green, the man who was found guilty of killing MJ's dad in the mid-90s during a botched robbery.
The reason? Judge Weeks says a forensic blood expert failed to disclose key findings during the trial ... evidence that could've cast doubt as to whether Green was guilty of the horrific crime.
Scottie Pippen is jumping into the documentary game -- the NBA legend tells ushe's linking up with a top filmmaker, and they're creating a series chronicling the 1990-1991 Chicago Bulls, focusing on the actual game ball from the title-clinching game!
"We're looking to do a documentary on this basketball because we think that there's a lot of stories to be told," Pippen told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (airs nightly on FS1).
"I think that ball really was a start of a dynasty and almost, I want to say, the end of a great dynasty in the Los Angeles Lakers, who we've known for many years in the '80s as 'Showtime,'" Scottie said, explaining the significance of the basketball.
Lonzo Ball hasn't stepped foot on an NBA court as an active player in 942 days and counting ... but it's a streak the former 2nd overall pick tells us he plans to end this upcoming season!
Remember, Ball -- a superstar at UCLA before being drafted by the Lakers in 2017 -- has dealt with several injuries, including a serious knee ailment ... that has forced him to the bench. Lonzo hasn't graced the NBA hardwood since January 2022.
But, when TMZ Sports ran into the hooper at LAX, he provided some good news for the Chicago Bulls fans.
22-year-old Michael Jordan broke his foot in 1985 -- the most significant injury of MJ's career -- and now His Airness' Js from the fateful game are on the auction block!
Jordan's Chicago Bulls faced the Golden State Warriors on October 29, 1985 -- just three games into his second season as a pro -- when Michael, wearing the black and red Nike Air Jordan 1s, fractured the navicular bone in his right foot during the first half.
MJ left having played just 18 minutes, scoring 12 points. Chi-town won, 111-105, but lost their rising superstar.
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 Goldinwebsite 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.
Now, for the first time ever it's about to be available to the public ... happy bidding!
Big win for Michael Jordan -- Larsa Pippen and Marcus Jordan have officially called it quits after more than a year together ... and we're told all signs are pointing to it being a permanent split this time around.
TMZ Sports has learned ... Scottie Pippen's ex-wife and MJ's son have been broken up for a couple of weeks now ... and unlike the brief "pause" in their relationship back in February, there's no hope of patching things up in the future.
The two had a pretty rocky romance ... and ultimately, they decided it was time to call it a day. With that being said, it's impossible to say for sure we'll never see these two together again ... especially considering their track record of being on and off.
We're told 49-year-old Larsa and Marcus, 33, haven't been on speaking terms since the split ... and they're both focused on doing their own thing.
The signs were there -- Larsa and Marcus unfollowed each other recently ... and the oft-paparazzi'd duo haven't been shot in public together in weeks.
Of course, many considered the coupling to be a bit odd -- Michael and Scottie have had a longstanding feud after winning six NBA championships together with the Chicago Bulls ... and Larsa is a decade and a half older than Marcus.
MJ even voiced his displeasure over the relationship back in July 2023 ... and Marcus insisted his pops was just joking, but a lot of folks didn't believe it.
7/2/23
BACKGRID
Larcus (RIP to that nickname) were first spotted together back in September 2022 -- they initially swore up and down they were just friends ... before ultimately caving in and admitting they were, in fact, a couple.
Things eventually got serious between the two ... and Marcus even teased a wedding date was "in the works."
At least Larsa and Marcus' friends and fam don't have to worry about keeping their calendars cleared now.
Michael Jordan puede estar tranquilo, porque Larsa Pippen y Marcus Jordan han terminado oficialmente luego de más de un año juntos, y nos dicen que todas las señales apuntan a que se trata de una ruptura permanente.
TMZ Sports ha indagado. La ex esposa de Scottie Pippen y el hijo de Michael han roto desde hace un par de semanas, y a diferencia de la breve "pausa" en su relación en febrero, no hay esperanza de arreglar las cosas en el futuro.
Los dos tuvieron un romance bastante polémico, y finalmente decidieron que era hora de ponerle fin. Es imposible asegurar que nunca más volveremos a ver a estos dos juntos de nuevo, especialmente teniendo en cuenta su historial.
Nos dicen que Larsa -de 49 años de edad- y Marcus -de 33- no han hablado sobre la ruptura, y en lugar de eso, han seguido cada uno por su camino.
Las señales estaban ahí... Larsa y Marcus dejaron de seguirse recientemente, y el dúo no ha sido fotografiado en público estas semanas.
Por supuesto, muchos consideraron que la pareja era un tanto extraña. Michael y Scottie han tenido una larga disputa después de ganar seis campeonatos de la NBA juntos con los Chicago Bulls, y Larsa es una década y media mayor que Marcus.
Michael incluso expresó su descontento sobre la relación en julio de 2023 y Marcus insistió en que su padre estaba bromeando, pero muchos no le creyeron.
7/2/23
BACKGRID
La pareja fue vista por primera vez en septiembre de 2022, cuando juraron que solo eran amigos, antes admitir que eran, de hecho, una pareja.
Lamar Odom says LeBron James and the Lakers can make it out of their current slump, they just gotta get into shape -- well, one in particular to be exact -- telling TMZ Sports L.A. needs to bring back the triangle offense!!
The Purple and Gold have struggled to keep it together after being crowned the In-Season Tournament champions last month -- they're currently sitting in the bottom half of the Western Conference with a record below .500.
We spoke with the two-time Lakers champ about his former team's woes ... and he said head coach Darvin Ham should take a page out of Phil Jackson's book and implement the offense that helped his squad rack up championships back in the day, as well as the legendary Chicago Bulls teams led by Michael Jordan.
In fact, he even suggests his own lineup that could flourish under that strategy -- Jarred Vanderbilt, Rui Hachimura, Austin Reaves, Anthony Davis and, of course, LeBron.
LO says he's "100%" confident the triangle will help get the Lakers back to winning ... but they better get it together quickly, as the All-Star break is around the corner.
Marcus Jordan is hoping his basketball G.O.A.T. father comes around to accept his relationship with Larsa Pippen ... revealing he wants Michaelto be his best man when he gets married.
The Hall of Famer's son opened up about his future plans to get hitched to Scottie Pippen's ex-wife on the "Pablo Torre Finds Out" podcast this week ... saying while it's still early on in the process, he knows who he wants by his side at the alter.
"Look, I was the best man at [Michael's] wedding and the best man at my brother's wedding, and so obviously we'll keep that tradition going," Marcus said. "It's my thoughts on it."
It's an interesting choice ... considering MJ famously said earlier this year he was not a fan of the coupling, but Marcus later insisted the Chicago Bulls legend was only joking -- claiming his father does, in fact, approve.
Of course, the elephant in the room is the fact Marcus' pops and Larsa's ex don't see eye-to-eye anymore ... as Scottie has been public about feeling slighted and glossed over in Jordan's "Last Dance" documentary.
He hasn't shied away from dissing his former teammate ever since ... even stating LeBron James is the greatest NBA player of all time -- not MJ.
Worth noting -- it's unclear if Larcus are even engaged yet ... as the 32-year-old reiterated that their marriage plans are "in the works," but admitted they've had discussions about whether the nuptials will be televised.
Marcus did emphatically state the marriage will happen ... even saying there might be multiple weddings to satisfy the privacy and public interest in their relationship.
Scottie Pippen hates Michael Jordan's guts right now, but not all hope is lost for the legendary Bulls duo's friendship ... so says their former teammate, Dennis Rodman, who believes the two will eventually bury the hatchet.
It's no secret -- Pippen was pissed over the 'Last Dance' documentary that dropped back in 2020 ... claiming the Jordan-produced project glossed over his teammates' contributions to the Bulls dynasty and focused too much on #23.
Pippen has gone out of his way to throw verbal jabs at Jordan ever since ... calling him a "horrible player" before Scottie joined the team in 1987 and declaring LeBron James the G.O.A.T. in his eyes.
Rodman says the beef between the two is nothing like their dynamic during their playing days ... as he never saw them feuding during his time on the Bulls in the '90s.
"No, I never saw that before," Rodman claims. "I never saw them fight. Even after the season, I never saw that. They were always hanging out together, playing golf together, traveling together."
Things are totally different now, but the Worm seems to think the friendship is still salvageable.
"It's just a lot of things that's happened over the last couple of years. So, I think Scottie's a little bitter and Michael's more laid back and say, 'Okay, like whatever,' but they're gonna work it out."
Scottie and MJ's feud has taken an interesting turn recently as well ... with Pippen's ex-wife dating Jordan's son, Marcus.
As we previously reported, Michael said he didn't approve of the relationship back in July ... but Marcus later claimed his pops was joking.
Here's hoping the two guys can sit down and squash the beef for good.
Michael Jordan got the red carpet rolled out for him at Usher's show over the weekend ... getting prime seats, a shoutout during the concert -- and even a sexy dance from Tiffany Haddish!!!
His Airness pulled up to the "Let It Burn" crooner's performance at Park MGM in Las Vegas on Saturday ... and almost immediately, king treatment commenced.
Jordan, his wife and a couple other friends were walked to some chairs in a VIP area that seemed to feature bottle service.
Then, as Usher was singing, Haddish cruised over to Jordan's group to give the NBA legend a show of her own ... gyrating in front of the former Chicago Bulls star -- while he clapped and laughed.
Usher himself then made sure Jordan felt special in the audience ... pausing his whole act to acknowledge that the hooper was in attendance.
"We love you, Mike," he screamed as everyone went crazy.
Of course, the conduct toward MJ shouldn't surprise anyone ... after all, he's the NBA's G.O.A.T. -- and he and Usher are longtime pals.
In fact, they famously collaborated to make an ultra-rare version of one of Jordan's signature shoes back in 2014 -- kicks that Usher actually broke out during Saturday's show.
"I'm putting them on because I want to be like Mike!" Usher said.
The fun evening comes just a few days after it was revealed Jordan is now one of the 400 richest people in America ... proving yet again, MJ just doesn't lose.
Michael Jordan's personalized book from famous author Harper Lee is on the market ... and his custom copy of "To Kill A Mockingbird" is going for five figures.
Harper sent Michael an autographed copy of her classic work back in 1995, when 'TKAM' was celebrating its 35th anniversary and MJ was playing basketball for the Chicago Bulls.
Michael's signed copy reads ... "To Michael Jordan - best wishes, Harper Lee."
Harper mailed a small number of autographed special edition copies to celebs she was connected with ... and the NBA superstar was among that special group.
MJ kept his signed copy in his library when he was married to Juanita Vanoy, and when they divorced in 2006 she got the book as part of their divorce settlement.
The book was ultimately purchased by a private collector ... and now it's going up for sale over at Moments In Time.
So just how much is MJ's signed copy worth?!? How about a cool $24,000.
