Los Angeles Lakers

JaVale McGee's music career has reached Justin Bieber status ... 'cause the L.A. Lakers star helped write and produce a song on the Biebs' new album!!

Yes, you read that correctly -- the 7-foot tall NBA center is a big-time music producer in his free time ... and officially got credit for his role in making Bieber's song, "Available," on his new project, "Changes."

Of course, McGee has dabbled in music for years ... and has worked with old Lakers teammates like Lonzo Ball in the studio in the past.

But, this is the first time McGee -- going by the pseudonym, "Pierre" -- has worked with someone on JB's level.

McGee has said in the past he's using his platform as an NBA player to push his music career ... and it's clearly working. It's Justin freakin' Bieber we're talking about here.

Pierre spoke about the opportunity, saying "I was blessed to write and produce on the song 'Available'! 2020 is about elevation and growth and following your dreams and this has always been one of mine to be a producer!"

As for the album ... it's well on its way top of the R&B charts after dropping on Valentine's Day.

McGee already has 2 NBA titles -- is a Grammy next?!?

Rick Fox, like so many others, is having a hard time processing the loss of Kobe Bryant.

We got Rick at the NBA Crossover event in Chicago Saturday during NBA All-Star Weekend, and he's clearly still hurting. You'll recall his emotional words on TNT a week ago.

Rick makes it clear ... Kobe's death is a blow to so many in a very personal way, but there's also a global factor -- Kobe was a worldwide celebrity and on the precipice of starting a second chapter that could have been as awesome as his first.

Rick shared some memories of Kobe ... riding on the team bus with him as Kobe talked about his "otherworldly plans."

When our photog asks Rick what Kobe would have done over the next 20 or 30 years, you see him get visibly emotional.

Rick played for the Lakers between 1997 and 2004 and won 3 championships with the team. Kobe played from 1996 to 2016. The 2 were teammates for 8 years.

The plans for Kobe and Gigi Bryant's Staples Center memorial are getting locked down and details for the service will be unveiled Friday.

Sources familiar with the planning tell us event organizers are working closely with Kobe's family to finalize who will speak at the service, and which singers and entertainers will take part.

We're told tickets will be available to the general public, although there will be a number of invited guests who get tickets first, including family, friends, players, NBA officials and, we're told, season ticket holders.

We're told the seats that remain will be sold to the public at a price that reflects the memories of Kobe and Gigi. We're told one of the options being discussed was to sell the upper bowl seats at $24.02 -- 24 representing Kobe's number and 2 representing Gigi's. The net proceeds will go to a charity selected by the family. Whatever the price ends up being, our sources say it will reflect and honor Kobe and Gigi.

We don't know which charity will be the beneficiary, but the Mamba Sports Academy was recently renamed Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation. As we reported ... Vanessa Bryant says the decision for the name change -- "Because there is no #24 without #2."

Our sources say there will be extra precautions taken in printing the tickets to make sure they can't be scalped.

The memorial is set to be televised live on multiple networks, and as we told you ... the streets around Staples will be closed for security and traffic control, so law enforcement is encouraging people who don't get tickets to stay home and watch it on TV.

Though the memorial is being held Feb. 24, Kobe and Gigi were buried in a private family service near the family’s Orange County home last week.

Days later, Vanessa opened up about losing both her husband and her 13-year-old daughter, saying ... "I can’t process both at the same time. It’s like I’m trying to process Kobe being gone but my body refuses to accept my Gigi will never come back to me."

She added ... "It feels wrong. Why should I be able to wake up another day when my baby girl isn’t being able to have that opportunity?! I’m so mad. She had so much life to live."

She concluded by saying ... "God I wish they were here and this nightmare would be over. Praying for all of the victims of this horrible tragedy. Please continue to pray for all."

Odell Beckham is finally revealing the ink he got to honor Kobe Bryant after the Lakers legend's tragic death ... and it's pretty amazing.

You can see in a picture posted by the Browns superstar Friday ... the art on his rib cage -- done by tattoo artist Joaquin Ganga Lopez -- features a classic photo of Kobe chewing on his Lakers jersey.

Of course, it's an iconic image of the Mamba ... who was known to bite his uni during nearly every game -- and famously passed on the tick to his daughter, Gianna Bryant, before they were both killed in a helicopter crash on Jan. 26.

Odell went under the needle just days after the accident ... forever putting art on his body to remind him of how much Kobe meant to him.

"You taught us ALL so many valuable lessons Kobe," Odell said after the tragedy. "Your sacrifice and dedication to this game is somethin that every athlete can admire."

"You showed us that there is no substitute for hard work. You’ve been thru it, yet u always found a way to overcame it all. This one hurt beyond words."

Odell is one of many athletes and celebs who have gotten Kobe tats to honor the legend ... The Game famously got Bryant ink on his forehead this month while LeBron James and Anthony Davis got thigh tats.

Others, like Bryant's longtime friend, Olden Polynice, have turned to drawing to honor Kobe ... telling us art is helping him get through the grieving process.

The Game will pay homage to the late Kobe Bryant everywhere he goes from now on -- the rapper has revealed a new face tattoo in honor of the NBA legend.

Game added to his ink collection on Wednesday with a sideways 8 and Kobe's autograph above his right eyebrow ... which symbolizes "Kobe Forever."

Game -- who is still grappling with the loss of the L.A. icon -- has also planned a song to honor Bryant and has worn his jerseys during his current tour.

The Compton native is no stranger to face tattoos -- he had a butterfly on his left cheek before covering it with an L.A.-inspired piece. He also has a tear drop under his right eye.

Game hit up Dark Ink Gallery in Glasgow ... just hours before his show at O2 Academy.

NBA superstars LeBron James and Anthony Davis put permanent art on their bodies in honor of Bryant ... with LBJ getting a snake with Kobe's numbers and "Mamba 4 Life" underneath it.

J.R. Smith, Shareef O'Neal and 2 Chainz have also commissioned Bryant memorials on their bodies.

This is the best video you'll see all day ... nearly 200 students from LeBron James' I Promise school network found out they were getting FREE college tuition, and the moment's awesome!!

The junior class from Bron's program was told they were going on a college visit to Kent State University in Northeast Ohio ... but when they arrived on campus, they got a whole lot more than a tour.

School officials revealed that all 193 kids would have all 4 years of their schooling paid for ... as well as, 1 free year of room and board.

Naturally, the kids freaked out!!

It's not something to take lightly ... tuition for in-state students is around $11K a year. 193 students attending for 4 years costs over $8 million.

While the school won't have to front all that money ... it's still a huge chunk of change.

It's not just a handout for the students ... they have to maintain a good standing with the school by attending class, getting good grades, and volunteering in the community.

The memorial for Kobe and Gigi Bryant will be attended by friends, family, NBA officials and players, season ticket holders and local politicians. The remaining seats will be ticketed and go to members of the public on a first-come, first-served basis.

As we reported, the memorial will be held at Staples Center on February 24, where seating capacity stands at around 20,000. Fact is ... hundreds of thousands of people would like to honor Kobe and Gigi, but there's no way all of them can be accommodated.

No word yet on how the public can get tickets, but law enforcement sources tell us ... if people can't get into Staples, they're not going to get close to the venue.

We're told just like the Michael Jackson and Nipsey Hussle memorials, the streets around Staples will be closed for security and traffic control. The memorial will not be broadcast on the screens outside Staples or L.A. Live.

Several law enforcement sources tell TMZ, they're encouraging people who don't get tickets to stay home and watch the memorial on TV. We're told it will be broadcast on multiple networks.

Kobe Bryant's youngest daughter is already learning to stand up on her own two feet -- and her mom, Vanessa, is right there capturing every adorable moment of it on camera.

7-month-old Capri Kobe is the star of Vanessa's most recent IG post, impressively attempting to get up from the floor with the help of her aunt -- Kobe's sister, Sharia Washington. It's so freakin' cute, honestly ... the joy both Vanessa and Capri share is a sight to behold.

VB captioned the video, "My Koko Bean. She looks just like my Gigi. ☀️💗auntie Ri-Ri. #7months." You hear Vanessa cheer the kid on as she gets up twice in a row from a seated position ... the baby loves the encouragement, giggling and eager to try it again.

As tragic as the loss of Kobe and Gigi must be on the Bryant family right now, it's great to see Vanessa in good spirits. She's been fairly open on social media thus far, capturing Gigi's jersey retirement as well as capturing the Lakers' tribute in Staples Center.

The Kobe and Gigi Bryant public memorial has been set for Monday, Feb. 24 at Staples Center -- with organizers expecting a MASSIVE turnout, and Vanessa Bryant just announced it.

The date (2/24) is significant -- #24 was Kobe's jersey number and #2 was the number his daughter, Gigi, wore. Worth noting, Vanessa's IG post announcing the event has 24 butterflies.

We're told the event will take place in the morning -- because the Clippers have a game against the Memphis Grizzlies later in the evening. Our sources say the Clippers had to sign off, because, technically, they have Staples rented for the whole day.

We're told owner Steve Ballmer, and head coach Doc Rivers gladly agreed because there's such solidarity and love for Kobe and his family. Plus, the significance of the 2/24 date was not lost on them.

The other issue will be crowd control around Staples. When Michael Jackson and Nipsey Hussle's memorials were held there ... all the surrounding streets were shut down to anyone who didn't have a ticket. You simply couldn't get near the arena. They haven't announced yet how it will work for Kobe and Gianna's memorial.

Event organizers had been discussing a venue for days -- going back and forth between Staples and The Coliseum over concerns about the size of the crowd.

Staples -- where Kobe played for most of his 20-year NBA career -- only holds about 20,000 people. The Coliseum in Downtown L.A. holds closer to 80,000.

As for the event itself, we're told several high-profile people will speak about Bryant -- but organizers are still nailing down the official list.

Kobe and Gigi passed away in a helicopter crash on Jan 26 in Calabasas, CA., along with 7 others.

The Lakers held a massive tribute for all of the victims before and during the Lakers' January 31 game against the Portland Trail Blazers.

Not only was the arena filled with fans -- all wearing Kobe shirts -- but outside, hundreds of people packed the surrounding area to remember the Lakers legend.

An autographed box score sheet from the night Kobe Bryant scored 81 points has just hit the auction block -- and some of the proceeds will go to the families of the helicopter crash victims.

The rare document was personally signed by Bryant in blue ballpoint pen shortly after he dropped the incredible figure on the Toronto Raptors in that legendary 2006 performance.

You can see in the doc -- which, according to Goldin Auctions, was only given out to media members, players and staffers after the game -- Kobe was a flat-out BEAST during the Jan. 22 matchup.

Bryant took 46 shots and added 20 free throw attempts ... dropping 81 points with just 3 turnovers. What's even more incredible is only 2 other Lakers scored more than 10 points!

Of course, Bryant's squad won the game -- a sellout at Staples Center -- and Kobe said of it all afterward he couldn't have have imagined dropping that much "not even in my dreams."

We're told a portion of the proceeds from the auction will be donated to the MambaOnThree Fund -- a charity set up to help the families of the other passengers that died in the tragic helicopter crash that killed Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, on Jan. 26.

Brian McKnight is honoring his late friend, Kobe Bryant, with a new song that's guaranteed to get you crying all over again over the passing of a Los Angeles legend. Be warned ...

The R&B crooner wrote a tune specifically dedicated to Kobe -- and by extension, to the basketball star's daughter, Gianna -- called "Can't Say Goodbye." We got a video of Brian playing it on guitar, and it's incredibly touching and sweet. Check it out for yourself ... but again, waterworks.

In the video, Brian says he wrote the song ... but can't really take credit, because it wrote itself. The lyrics touch on saying other versions of "goodbye" without actually uttering the words themselves because it's just too hard and so final. Frankly, it's beautiful.

We're told, Brian put this together in the hopes that it will help people begin to heal from the loss.

Of course, Brian and Kobe had a relationship. The NBA superstar was once featured on one of Brian's songs back in 1997 called "Hold Me." KB had a rap verse on it toward the end.

He's also a huge Lakers fan in general and included a ton of footage of Kobe in a tribute video he put together to honor the City of Angels. That track's called "I Love LA."

With all that said, it's no wonder the death of Kobe has affected Brian the way it clearly has. No word if this song will make its way onto an album of some sort, but we expect it'll reach the masses eventually.

The Los Angeles Lakers honored the late Kobe Bryant with a tribute before the first game following his death ... with emotional performances by Usher and cellist Ben Hong ... and a powerful speech by LeBron James.

The Lakers superstar took center court to address the fans in attendance ... and spoke straight from the heart, calling Kobe his brother and the event a celebration of his career.

"I got something written down, they asked me to kinda stay on course, or whatever the case may be," LeBron said. "But Laker Nation, I would be selling y'all short if I read off this sh*t, so I'ma go straight from the heart."

"I look at this as a celebration tonight. This is a celebration of the 20 years of the blood, the sweat, the tears, the broken-down body, the getting up, the sitting down, the everything, the countless hours, the determination to be as great as you could be."

"I wanna continue along with my teammates to continue his legacy. Not only for this year, but as long as we can play the game of basketball that we love, because that's what Kobe Bryant would want."

James finished his speech with the message -- "So in the words of Kobe Bryant, 'Mamba Out' ... but in the words of us, 'Not forgotten.' Live on, brother."

Prior to LBJ's words, Usher performed a strong rendition of "Amazing Grace" while the video board showed a montage of the tributes that have popped up throughout the world, and Hong played while Bryant's on-and-off the court accomplishments flashed on the screen for all the fans to enjoy.

The Lakers then posted the names of all 9 people lost in the tragic helicopter accident and honored them with a 24.2 second moment of silence while the board showed the 2 courtside seats draped with Kobe and Gigi's jerseys.

Boyz II Men performed the National Anthem ... with all 3 members wearing the Kobe shirts handed out to every fan in attendance. Several players -- including LeBron -- broke down in tears during the performance.

The Lakers players honored Kobe by wearing Kobe's #8 and #24 jerseys during warmups ... and each player was announced as Kobe Bryant for the starting lineups.

LeBron wore Kobe's signature shoes, which might be the first time he's worn anything other than his own sneakers in an NBA game.

The Lakers and Portland Trail Blazers followed other teams' lead by opening the game with 24-second shot clock and 8-second violations.

Kobe's #8 and #24 were displayed on the court ... as well as a "KB" badge on the players' jerseys.

The fans were shouting Kobe's name outside Staples before entering the arena ... and we have video of the emotional scene.

Carmelo Anthony -- who was very close with Kobe -- did not make the trip because he's still mourning Kobe's death.

James revealed his permanent tribute to Kobe before the game, a tattoo that reads "Mamba 4 Life."

The memorials outside Staples continued to pour through LA Live on Friday ... and TMZ Sports was able to capture some of them.

Everyone who attends the Lakers game Friday night will get a free Kobe Bryant tribute shirt, courtesy of the team ... 20,000 in total.

The hard-working people at Staples Center have draped a Kobe shirt on every single seat -- half of the arena will get Kobe #8 shirts. The other half will get #24 shirts.

It's just one part of the Kobe Bryant tributes at Staples on Friday -- the first game for the Lakers since Kobe passed away on Sunday.

There will be a moment of silence, visual tributes to Kobe around the arena and we're told some players are considering addressing the crowd ... but nothing is set in stone yet.

Tickets for Friday's game against the Portland Trail Blazers are already rising in value -- with the cheapest tickets just to get in the building hovering around $800 on the secondary ticket market.

We're expecting to see a massive turnout both inside and outside Staples Center -- where Kobe played for nearly all of his 20 years with the Lakers (the Lakers previously played at The Forum).

Tonight will be emotional. In fact, Carmelo Anthony -- who was very close with Kobe -- did not make the trip because he's still mourning Kobe's death.

Kobe Bryant Blvd?

It's certainly possible ... we're told L.A. City officials are having discussions on how to honor the late Lakers superstar and naming a street after Kobe is definitely up for consideration.

Look, no official decisions have been made -- it's still early in the process -- but we're told L.A. City Council members have already started the conversation.

One source tells us something that keeps getting brought up is some sort of tribute in the L.A. Live area -- right across from Staples Center, where Kobe balled out for nearly 20 years.

We're told there should be more clarity about the plans early next week -- but it's definitely top of mind.

The Lakers will return to Staples Center on Friday to take on the Portland Trail Blazers ... the first game at Kobe's home court since his death on Sunday.

We're told the turn out is expected to be massive ... and that the Lakers are planning several tributes to the Mamba, his daughter, Gianna, and the other 7 people who died in Sunday's helicopter crash.

In the meantime, tributes are popping up all over the L.A. area ... even at Santa Anita Race Track where the statue of legendary racehorse Seabiscuit was draped in a Kobe banner.

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss says losing Kobe Bryant is like losing a family member -- but credits KB and his daughter Gianna with helping her find her "purpose" in life.

Jeanie has known Kobe ever since her father (the late Jerry Buss) signed him as a rookie back in 1996 and they had remained extremely close ever since.

Jeanie took Kobe's death extremely hard and waited several days to collect her thoughts before putting out a statement ... and what she produced is touching, sad and inspirational all at the same time.

"Kobe, I don’t know how to express what you mean to me, my family and the Los Angeles Lakers," Buss wrote ... "My father loved you like a son, which makes us family."

"When you invited me to lunch shortly after my father passed away [in 2013], I was struggling to find motivation and purpose," Buss admits.

"Kobe, you brought Gianna with you to spend some time with me. You explained that you wanted to show her that women can be leaders in the NBA, just like the men."

"At first, it seemed like an action of a devoted father setting an example for his daughter. But in actuality -- and I am positively sure you knew EXACTLY what you were doing -- what you did was give me the inspiration and strength I was searching for. I reflect on that day often and it makes me smile and it makes me strong."

Jeanie continued ... "I call on that memory whenever I feel down and need a bit of courage. For everything you did on the court that filled me with so much joy and love, for all the lives you changed through basketball itself, it was that day with Gigi that reignited my drive and determination."

"Vanessa, Natalia, Bianka, and Capri - I am so sorry for your loss. We are grateful to have you in our lives and we will always be here for you."

"To the families that also lost loved ones on Sunday, the entire Laker family mourns with you. Laker Nation - we are one family grieving the loss of people we all loved dearly. We will mourn together, cry together but we will also heal together, love together and win TOGETHER. We love you."

Originally Published -- 10:00 AM PT

Ex-Laker Smush Parker knows exactly what he would have said if he and Kobe Bryant ever crossed paths again -- but now that he can't, it's become a huge regret.

Parker, the starting point guard for the Lakers for from 2005 to 2007, told us ... he wishes they could have officially buried the hatchet, man-to-man, over having said playing with Kobe is an "overrated" experience.

The 2009 interview obviously caused a huge rift, with Kobe eventually responding ... "I tell Steve [Nash], you won MVP, but I was playing with Smush Parker. [Nash's] playing with [Leandro] Barbosa. I'm playing with Smush and Kwame [Brown]. My goodness."

Kobe added, "Smush Parker was the worst. He shouldn't have been in the NBA, but we were too cheap to pay for a point guard. We let him walk on."

Despite the shots fired -- in both directions -- it's obvious Smush is now hurting over Kobe's death. He's even more upset about never getting the chance to square things right with his former teammate face-to-face. Smush says he did apologize in a letter to Kobe, who never responded.