Jerry Buss -- Laker-Sized Chip on His Shoulder
Orlando fans weren't the only ones who couldn't care less about the Los Angeles Lakers' victory parade yesterday. Jerry Buss -- the dude who owns the team lock, stock and barrel -- had better things to do ... playing poker at a cheesy casino all by his lonesome.
Jerry was so engrossed in his hand at the Bicycle Casino -- 10 miles from the parade route -- he wasn't even looking up at live TV coverage of the celebration. We're thinkin' any other owner would be leading the band!
Turns out, this is S.O.P. for Jerry. His peeps tell us Buss has never attended a championship parade because he hates the traffic and the attention.
Hope he's not bettin' with the Lamar Odom money ....
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RiRi Clone Hates Being Called RiRi Clone
Rihanna's doppleganger is hella, ella mad at the AP and Yahoo for misidentifying her as RiRi at the Lakers/Magic game last night -- and now she's putting them on blast via her Twitter page.
Teyana Taylor -- who is one of Pharrell's singer protege's -- wrote:
"omgggggg if one more reporter say that im rihanna im gonna go crazzzzzzzzyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy ... I wish the AP would do a little research. since wen am i RIhanna ... yahoo and everybody else just did a biggg f***in s**t"
Right, because it's a huuuuge stretch to think someone with a RiRi mohawk, wearing RiRi hipster shades and sitting one person away from RiRi's old boyfriend Chris Brown could possibly be RiRi.
The audacity!
Chris Brown -- Who's That Girl?
Chris Brown was at last night's Lakers/Magic game, but Rihanna wasn't -- or was she?
Is it just us or does the girl just two seats from Chris look just like RiRi?
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Rihanna and Chris Brown Recapture the Magic
Rihanna and Chris Brown went face-to-face at last night's Lakers/Magic game in Orlando -- fortunately there was a length of the court in between them!
With Brown on one end of the court and RiRi on the other, they both watched intensely as the Lake Show came back from behind to upset the Magic in OT.
Side note: Rihanna made the celebrity highlight reel during the TV telecast. Brown -- not so much.
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Tyrese -- Don't Mess with Francis Scott Key!
During Game 5 of the Playoffs last week, Tyrese Gibson decided to change the words of the National Anthem -- and now he realizes what a colossal mistake that really was.
Gibson was booed hardcore after he replaced the line "our flag was still there" with "our Lakers were still there," and when we asked about his version last night, dude turned deathly serious and extremely apologetic.
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Tracy Morgan Plays for the Lakers?!?
Here's "30 Rock" thesp Tracy Morgan (left) at an event recently, and the 21-year-old center for the Los Angeles Lakers, Andrew Bynum (right).
One of them is about to be manhandled by Dwight Howard.
We're just sayin'.
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Suge Knight Shoots Chick Down
For some unknown reason, a random, hot, busty blond was all over Suge Knight outside the Lakers game last night -- and for reasons even more puzzling, he wasn't having it!
Watch her try to make out with him three times ... and get utterly denied.
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Kobe to Maid -- You Can Sue, But You Can't Talk!
Kobe Bryant and his wife Vanessa have filed a cross-complaint against their former maid -- but all they really want is for her to keep her mouth shut.
According to court docs filed yesterday, the Bryants fully acknowledge Maria Jimenez's right to battle them in court -- although they say her claims of abuse are "without merit." What the Bryants are really concerned with is the confidentiality agreement they claim Jimenez signed when she was hired in 2007 -- which prevents her from talking to the press and other third parties.
The Bryants feel, according to the docs, that Jimenez's press tour following her lawsuit is in violation of that agreement.
Jimenez is suing the Bryants, specifically claiming Vanessa was incredibly abusive -- even demanding that she put her hand in a bag of dog feces to retrieve a tag from her blouse
They are all due back in court in July.
UPDATE: William Vogeler, potential Kobe-stopper and lawyer for Maria Jimenez has just released an exclusive statement to TMZ.
"The Bryants claim that they treated Maria Jimenez with the utmost respect, yet they want to silence her from talking about it. Fortunately, my client has a First Amendment right to talk about how they treated her.
Ultimately, a judge and jury will decide what really happened in the Bryant's home, And the last time I checked, the court is open to the public."
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Celebrity Laker Fans -- It's Game Time!
The best place to spot a celebrity is at a Lakers home game ... on and off the court!
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LeAnn Rimes My Marriage Is Rock Solid
LeAnn Rimes made a giant statement about her reportedly shaky marriage in Brentwood today, showing off that big, giant honkin' diamond ring on her finger...
But in the same week she put her Tennessee mansion on the market and happened to run into rumored hook-up Eddie Cibrian at the Lakers game, we gotta ask -- doth the lady protest too much!?
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Lakers Star Scores Permanent Restraining Order
A judge just made the temporary restraining order against the woman accused of harassing Lakers star Derek Fisher permanent -- it didn't help her case that she was a no-show.
Fisher got the TRO late last month after alleging the woman had harassed him for years -- claiming they were married, among other things -- despite the fact Fisher claims they never met.
The woman, who changed her last name to Fisher, claimed she was "The REAL Mrs. Fisher" on her MySpace page. Fisher alleged she started showing up at his home, scaring his wife and kids.
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LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian Game On!
Probably not the smoothest move ... LeAnn Rimes and Eddie Cibrian "ran into each other" at a bar inside the Staples Center during halftime yesterday.
L.A. Laker Pau Gasol was player of the game -- on the court ...
JT and Jessica: Game On
Who can watch the Lakers game when Justin Timberlake and Jessica Biel are sitting courtside and sucking face?!
The young lovers smooched and horsed around at Staples Center in L.A. on Tuesday.
Get a luxury box!
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L.A. Laker Re: RiRi -- Not Hittin' It
Lakers center Andrew Bynum reportedly took Rihanna out on her first date since Chris Brown last weekend -- but that ain't how he's telling the story....
And yes, Bynum's car is painted in Lakers purple and gold.
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Zac Efron Clowns Chump at Lakers Game
Kobe Bryant in Court This Time It's Consensual
Kobe Bryant lost on an L.A. Court last night, and he's rebounded in the O.C. today -- Kobe's on jury duty.
Kobe is at the Orange County Civil Courthouse in Santa Ana, waiting to be called for service. We got a pic of the famous Laker/former defendant clearing the metal detector. He was escorted into the building by Sheriff's deputies and taken to a private room near the Jury Assembly Room.
Now get this. Kobe is in a pool that has been assigned to a case. He'll be questioned and then the lawyers will decide if he's a true juror of their clients' peers. Will Kobe get picked?
Stay tuned ...