Los Angeles Lakers

Ex-NBA star Caron Butler is using his personal experiences to help teach young kids with his new book ... telling TMZ Sports his close friend Kobe Bryant inspired him to share his real story.

Caron played alongside the late Hall of Famer on the Lakers from 2004-2005 ... and the two remained great friends up until the legend's tragic death in 2020.

The 2011 NBA Champ says Bryant -- who had a series of children's books of his own -- once gave him pointers on how he could use his authenticity to motivate the next generation ... which led him to write "Shot Clock," alongside Justin Reynolds.

"He did like a little moment with me prior to him passing," Tuff Juice tells us. "We connected and we talked about the writing process and how it's so tough to be authentic and clear and real, but it's exactly what the kids need."

"He always told me to 'Tell your truth, be brave and people gonna accept it or reject it, but be brave in that process,'" he added.

Butler says he made a promise to Kobe that his second act would be "far better, more profound" than his playing career ... a vow he also disclosed with Bryant's wife, Vanessa.

The book is deep ... and reflects what Caron really went through in life -- from traveling the world to run-ins with law enforcement and losing friends to gun violence.

LA County Fire Dept. supervisors knew the holding of graphic Kobe Bryant crash pictures could be problematic for them ... according to an LACFD official, who testified on Thursday that one of his bosses referred to the photos as "plutonium," while urging everyone to delete them.

Sky Cornell, who worked in the LACFD for public information officer Anthony Joseph "Tony" Imbrenda at the time of the January 2020 crash, made the revelation while on the stand in court.

Cornell said Imbrenda had received graphic photos from just after the wreck, and he had later seen the pics on the supervisor's phone while at an awards ceremony a couple weeks after the tragedy.

Cornell, though, said when it became public that officials had been in possession of the photos and had been sharing them, his superiors told him and others to get rid of them ASAP.

In his testimony, Cornell said one official sent an email saying, "just a reminder folks, there are no secrets! One way or another people get exposed."

Cornell added in the testimony that his boss, Imbrenda, told him, "that stuff is plutonium. If you have any, you should get rid of them."

Cornell was also asked about the awards ceremony where Imbrenda was accused of showing pictures to others ... and he admitted in court that that setting wasn't appropriate.

Meanwhile, Arlin Kahan, another LACFD official, also testified during trial proceedings on Thursday -- and informed the courtroom that he was the one who initially took photos at the crash scene and sent them to Imbrenda. Kahan alleged his objective was not to take pics of human remains -- but, rather, just document the scene. He claimed the practice was useful earlier on in his career during a wildfire case, and he had intended to delete them once the investigation was closed.

As we reported, Vanessa Bryant is suing LA County officials -- claiming they caused her severe emotional distress by taking personal pics of the bodies of Kobe and Gianna at the L.A. crash scene.

LeBron and Bronny James are one step closer to being teammates in the NBA -- the King just inked a 2-year, $97.1 million deal to stay with the Lakers through the 2023-24 season ... which will make him a free agent when his son becomes eligible for the draft.

The NBA superstar hasn't shied away from his dream of playing alongside his oldest ... he's mentioned it several times and made his intentions crystal clear.

Bron's new deal with the Purple and Gold now gives him the opportunity to opt out and become a free agent the same season Bronny enters the 2024 NBA Draft ... paving the way for him to sign with whatever team picks the current 17-year-old baller.

It would mark the first time both a father and son played in the Association at the same time -- and even though LeBron will be 39 when 2024 rolls around, he's hellbent on making it happen.

Bronny's currently one of the nation's top-ranked players in his class ... and recently wowed all of social media by slamming home a poster dunk in the Club Basketball Euro Tour.

Stunning revelation in the courtroom during the Kobe Bryant photo trial case Tuesday ... a deputy testified that he sent another cop graphic pics from the crash site while the two were in the middle of a "Call Of Duty" gaming sesh.

Michael Russell -- an L.A. County Sheriff's Dept. deputy -- says the exchange of the photos happened shortly after the Lakers legend and his daughter, Gianna, perished in the tragic, Jan. 2020 helicopter crash.

Russell, who claimed he had initially received the photos from fellow deputy Joey Cruz hours after the wreck, said he joined a video game party with Santa Clarita deputy Ben Sanchez the following day.

While the two were playing the first-person shooter game, Russell testified he told Sanchez he had the photos, and then asked if he wanted to see them. When the cop said yes, Russell said he sent them over.

Russell admitted in court that he had no business doing that. He also testified that he received nothing more than a minor write-up as punishment.

Cruz, meanwhile, also testified in court on Tuesday ... and did admit to showing the photos to a bartender as well.

Cruz said he did it to relieve the stress he had been dealing with due to the situation -- and testified that he did feel remorseful over it all.

Vanessa Bryant, who is suing for, among other things, emotional distress, was present in court -- though she did leave the room for at least part of Cruz's testimony.

Cops circulating crime scene photos isn't unique to the Kobe Bryant crash -- it's been happening since the O.J. Simpson murder case -- with an ex-LAPD officer testifying he saw a polaroid of Nicole Brown Simpson's dead body.

Former Los Angeles Police Department officer Adam Bercovici, an expert witness hired by Vanessa Bryant's legal team, testified he and other cops at his station saw a close-up of Nicole's body following her June 1994 murder.

The former police officer testified illicit photos of human remains -- so-called "death books" -- are common among law enforcement ... and not something unique to the Kobe crash.

Bercovici testified there were no legitimate reasons for the deputies to take photographs of the remains.

Despite this being an issue that's painful for the family and friends of the deceased, Bercovici says not nearly enough has been done to end the practice.

Luella Weireter, wife of an LAFD fire captain also took the stand, testifying she witnessed a group, including another fire captain, view the photos at a local awards show about three weeks after the fatal crash.

Weireter, who says she did not look at the photos, overheard another man say "I can't believe I just looked at Kobe's burnt-up body and now I'm about to eat."

It's just one of the ghastly and gruesome moments from the trial ... which started earlier this week, and has been very emotional for Vanessa and her family.

Bryant sobbed in court Thursday during opening statements, when her attorney told the 10-person jury that 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies snapped pics of Kobe and Gigi's bodies at the helicopter crash scene for nothing personal use.

Vanessa's lawyer says she lives "in fear, anxiety and terror" that the pics will someday be released ... saying she will be forever haunted by the deputies' actions.

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, who was Kobe's agent, took the stand Thursday and was barely able to speak when talking about his close relationship with KB.

On Thursday, the jury heard from a bartender in L.A. ... who testified a deputy showed him crash scene photos at his bar. Bryant's attorney showed screen grabs from surveillance video that appeared to show the bartender laughing after seeing the grisly photos.

In her lawsuit, Vanessa claims the deputies' conduct caused her severe emotional distress, saying the photos were an invasion of privacy. Lawyers for L.A. County say Vanessa's emotional distress is a result of the fatal crash, not the photos.

A bartender in Los Angeles allegedly laughed after being shown gruesome photos from the horrific Kobe Bryant crash scene, according to surveillance video screen grabs shown in court.

The Bryant crash scene photo trial continued Friday ... with Victor Gutierrez, a bartender at Baha Grill, testifying about the moments L.A. County Sheriff's Deputy Joey Cruz showed bar employees and patrons photographs from the scene.

Gutierrez testified Cruz asked him if he wanted to see the Kobe pics ... and he said he did. When asked if he found the photos humorous, the bartender claimed he never laughed or found them amusing in any way.

That's when Vanessa Bryant's attorney showed the court still images from bar surveillance video where it appeared Gutierrez was laughing.

Gutierrez denied laughing ... saying you'd have to be psychotic to find those images funny.

The bartender also testified he believed the deputy showed the photos to unload the burden of the horrific crash.

The injuries to Kobe and the other people who died were described in court ... and it was ghastly.

Thursday is the second day of the trial ... which is expected to take about 10 days.

As we reported ... Vanessa sobbed in court Thursday during opening statements, with her lawyer telling the jury the 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who snapped pics of Kobe and Gigi's bodies at the helicopter crash scene did it for personal use.

One Sheriff's detective said in a deposition he tried showing the photos to his wife, telling her they depicted "piles of meat." Another deputy is accused of showing the photos to a woman he met at a bar. Firefighters were allegedly shown the pics at an awards gala.

Vanessa's lawyer says she lives "in fear, anxiety and terror" of someday seeing the photos ... and she will be forever haunted by the deputies' actions.

In her lawsuit, Vanessa claims the deputies' conduct caused her severe emotional distress, saying the photos were an invasion of privacy. Lawyers for L.A. County say Vanessa's emotional distress is a result of the fatal crash, not the photos.

Lakers GM Rob Pelinka, who was Kobe's agent, took the stand Thursday, and was barely able to speak when talking about his close relationship with KB.

Pelinka says he was in church when he was notified of the crash, rushing to meet Vanessa at an airport, and going with her and deputies to the crash site, where he says they were promised the area would be kept private.

Vanessa Bryant dissolved into tears as her lawyer addressed the jury in opening statements, saying the 8 L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who took photos of the bodies of her husband and child took the pictures "for a laugh like they were souvenirs."

Vanessa's lawyer said the deputies "poured salt in an unhealable wound" by using their cellphones to take the photos for personal use. The lawyer described "pictures of broken bodies, close-ups of limbs and burnt flesh."

The lawyer played the deposition of a Sheriff's detective who said his wife didn't want to see the photos, and that's when he told her they showed "piles of meat."

The attorney says Vanessa lives "in fear, anxiety and terror" that someday she and her family will see the photos.

The lawyer said Vanessa's children were her everything, Kobe was her everything, and she will be forever haunted by what the deputies did.

The crux of the case involves L.A. County Sheriff's deputies who took photos of the bodies of Kobe and daughter Gianna at the crash scene and then shared them with colleagues. In one case, a deputy allegedly showed the photos to a woman at a bar, and the bartender is the one who blew the whistle on him.

Vanessa claims in the lawsuit ... the conduct of the deputies caused her severe emotional distress, adding it was an invasion of privacy. Lawyers for L.A. County responded by claiming Vanessa's emotional distress is rooted in the crash, not the photos.

First, he learned to dunk like Dad -- then he got inked up like Pops, too!!!

Bronny James -- the oldest son of LeBron James -- just got his first-ever tattoo this week ... and he looked super happy with how the body art turned out.

No word on what the 17-year-old got permanently inscribed on his skin -- but it seems he got a few tats during the session, including some on his neck and his wrists.

The tattoo artist who did the work, Ganga, said on Instagram he got LeBron's blessing to do the tats -- adding that he was grateful for the opportunity.

"I made the first tattoo for @bronny," the artist said. "thank you very much for the trust, @kingjames 👑 much love fam ❤️"

Of course, the Lakers superstar is familiar with the tattoo needle -- he's got ink all over his body ... and he even recently allowed Ganga to draw on his upper thigh area as well.

LeBron James' Tuesday workout was unforgettable -- The King got to hit the hardwood at the Lakers' facility for some drills with his two sons ... and all three looked AWESOME.

The L.A. superstar and his two boys -- Bronny and Bryce -- just got in the sweat sesh down in El Segundo ... working on their dunks, their jumpers and their ball-handling.

The trio of James showcased some serious skills -- all three of 'em can rattle the rim now, and all three certainly know how to find the bottom of the basket.

Perhaps the most impressive part of the clips that James shared on his social media page was Bryce's game -- the 15-year-old is nearly as tall as Dad now, and yet he can still move like a point guard!!

"Simply no better feeling than doing what I love to do with who I love!" James said of the workout. "Great work today Young🤴🏾’s #JamesGang👑 #EarnedNotGiven"

While James is gearing up for Year #20 in the league, his sons still have some H.S. ball left to play.

But, based on the clips Bron posted -- doesn't seem it'll be long before they're all revving up for their own NBA seasons.

No, Jeanie Buss did NOT pick up a side hustle selling PlayStation 5 consoles this summer -- the Lakers owner says her Twitter was hacked!!

Buss' social media was the latest to fall victim to the viral video game scam ... in which hijacked accounts send out posts about selling PS5s.

Buss' fake offer was angled around her team -- with the message claiming the profits from the deal would go to charity ... and whoever buys the console would have a chance to get Laker tickets.

Of course, anyone who spends time on Twitter knows it's clearly a scam ... but Buss released a statement on Tuesday making sure there wasn't any confusion.

"Lakers Fans, my Twitter account has been hacked," Buss said on the official team Twitter account. "Please do not engage with it or send any money. These are NOT legitimate offers. The Lakers will alert you when I am back in control of my account."

Of course, this is the Internet we're talking about ... so a lot of people had their fun at the Lakers owner's expense.

Shaquille O'Neal's son, Shareef, is continuing to work towards his dreams of making it to the NBA one day -- he just signed a 6-figure contract with the G League.

22-year-old Shareef will play for the Ignite -- a developmental team based in Nevada, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.

Shareef took to Twitter to express how pumped he was about the opportunity, writing, "VEGAS LETS DO IT !! Thank you, ignite !"

Specifics of the deal have yet to be disclosed ... but it means the young hooper is getting another shot at improving his game after teaming up with the Los Angeles Lakers' Summer League team this season.

Shareef averaged 4.5 points per game when he got playing time, and was efficient when he touched the rock ... shooting 60% from the field.

Shareef has plenty of people rooting for him ... like former Lakers head coach Byron Scott, who believes if he cleans up a few things in his game, he can play in the NBA like his father.

"I think he looked a little bit out of place," Scott said of O'Neal's Summer League play. "He wasn’t ready. I think he still has a little ways to go. I think the talent is there. Obviously, the athleticism is there."

Former Los Angeles Lakers F Slava Medvedenko is selling his two NBA championship rings from '01 and '02 ... and it's all to raise money for his home country, Ukraine, as the war continues to rage on in the country.

The rings, on the block at SCP Auctions through August 5, are expected to sell for at least $100K total, and 100% of the money from the sale will go to Slava's Fly High Foundation.

The foundation aims to support Ukrainian children by repairing sports in schools in areas that have been hit the hardest by the war, According to the Associated Press.

Medvedenko says he plans to use the money from the sale of the rings, which he earned playing alongside Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant, to repair or rebuild fitness centers destroyed by missiles, bombs, and artillery fired by Vladimir Putin's military.

“We want to restore gyms because the Russian army bombed more than a hundred schools,” Medvedenko told The AP during a phone interview.

“Our country, they need a lot of money to fix the schools. Sports gyms are going to be last in the line to fix it. In Ukraine, we have winter, and kids need to play inside.”

Slava -- who spent 7 seasons in the NBA -- says he felt compelled to help after witnessing firsthand Russian rockets flying through the night sky as the former Laker watched from a Kyiv rooftop.

“In this moment, I just decided, ‘Why do I need these rings if they’re just sitting in my safe?’” Medvedenko said. “I just recognize I can die."

"After that, I just say I have to sell them to show people leadership, to help my Ukrainian people to live better, to help kids."

Despite having no military background, the 43-year-old, 6'10" ex-hooper -- equipped with his binoculars and AK-47 -- has served in Ukraine's territorial defense during the war.

As Medvedenko continues to help Ukraine during the war with Russia, he's already plotting how he can use sports to restore some normalcy and return prosperity to his war-torn country.

Byron Scott believes Shaquille O'Neal's son, Shareef, can still have a future in the NBA despite having a rough go in Summer League ... telling TMZ Sports the talent is there, but the 22-year-old still has little things he needs to work on in his game.

We spoke with the former Lakers head coach out at LAX this week ... and he was very candid about what he saw from Shareef, sharing what he believes is the biggest reason the former UCLA and LSU product has struggled to find success playing pro ball this summer.

"I think he looked a little bit out of place,” Scott said. "He wasn’t ready. I think he still has a little ways to go. I think the talent is there. Obviously, the athleticism is there."

"It’s just some other little things he has to tweak. But Scotty Pippen Jr. looked really good," he continued.

Shareef and Scotty have been linked together all summer -- considering they are both sons of Hall of Famers and were both signed to the Lakers -- but Byron thinks Scotty is ahead in his development, thanks to the time he spent in college.

"Again, it goes back to showing you four years of school compared to a guy that just went a year or whatever the case may be is a big difference," Byron said.

"Scotty is NBA ready."

Byron believes anybody overtly critical of Shareef's performance needs to remember that he's overcoming heart surgery ... and is still trying to find his way back physically.

"You should take that into consideration," Byron said. "The fact that he’s not where everybody thinks he should be at this particular point is because of some of the medical conditions that he’s had to deal with."

"And he’s still young. Give 'em a chance!"

Malik Monk may no longer be a Laker, but he says his old team will be just fine with LeBron James, Anthony Davis and Russell Westbrook all returning ... telling TMZ Sports he thinks the big three will work things out this season.

The Lake Show made news this week after reports of a three-way phone call between the superstars ... in which they allegedly expressed their commitment to figuring out how to coexist.

We spoke with Monk -- who recently signed a 2-year, $19-million deal with the Sacramento Kings in the offseason -- out at LAX on Tuesday ... and he says he's confident his old teammates can bounce back and have a better season.

"They grown men," Monk said. "Especially when they have convos like that, it’ll work out for them. They all great."

Of course, the 2021-22 season was a mess for the Lakers -- they missed the playoffs as AD missed a ton of games due to injury ... and Russ' production was a serious issue.

Despite all that, Monk had the best season of his career ... and said the leader of the Lakers deserves some credit for it.

"LeBron had a big part of everything," Monk said when asked how James shaped his career. "He had a big part in me coming to L.A."

"It's Bron, bro. He gon' try to help every teammate he comes in contact with. So, I have nothing bad to say about him."

"You got to play at a level he plays at," Monk added. "If not, you going to get surpassed. That’s why he’s so great."

As for his new team, Monk has a message for NBA fans ...

A mint, one-of-one Upper Deck Exquisite Triple Logoman card containing actual jersey patches from LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, and Michael Jordan just hit the auction block, and will sell for MILLIONS!!

The card went live on Goldin Auctions website Wednesday morning ... and it's one of the coolest and most sought-after cards in existence. That's because, aside from containing real memorabilia from the basketball legends, it's literally the only one of its kind.

Ken Goldin, CEO of GA, tells us the card could sell for upwards of $3 million. Bidding opens at $750K.

The front of the UD Exquisite features 3 NBA patches from game-used jerseys, worn by James, Jordan and Bryant. It's unclear exactly when they rocked the jerseys which ended up in the card ... but they were worn during real-deal NBA games.

On the back is a message congratulating the (very lucky and now wealthy) owner of the special card.

"You have received a Michael Jordan. LeBron lames and Kobe Bryant Game-Used trading card. On the front of this card are pieces of memorabilia that have been certified to us as having been used in an NBA game. We hope you enjoy this piece of basketball history, as we continue to keep you as close as you can get!" the card reads.

And, don't think Logoman's go for huge amounts of money. A LeBron James Logoman card recently sold for 2.4 million ... and that only had 3 King James patches (Cavs, Heat, Lakers jersey).

Of course, by almost all accounts, MJ, LeBron and Kobe are three of the greatest players to ever hoop. They've combined 10 NBA MVPs, 15 NBA championships, and 50 All-Star game selections.

LeBron James has something to say you Boston basketball fans -- you're SO racist.

LeBron went off on his latest episode of "The Shop," after being asked why he hates Boston. His blunt answer ... "Cause they racist as f***."

King James went on ... "They will say anything. And it's fine. It's my life, f*** I've been dealing with it my whole life. I don't mind it. I hear it. If I hear somebody close by, I check them real quick, then move onto the game. They're going to say whatever the f*** they want to say."

James offered receipts for his conclusion ... reminding folks about the 2012 incident at the Eastern Conference Finals, where Celtics diehards doused him with a drink as he walked toward the locker room.

LeBron's not alone. Other players have also groused about the way Celtics fans behave, Klay Thompson complained, "We've played in front of rude fans before. Dropping f-bombs with children in the crowd. Really classy. Good job, Boston."

Draymond Green's wife blasted them for chanting "f*** you Draymond" during the NBA finals.