Los Angeles Lakers

Some rappers make NBA highlights just by sitting courtside -- but a few artists actually got on the court this weekend to make some Top 10-worthy jumpers!!!

Both Travis Scott and The Game got the royalty treatment during the Utah Jazz win over the Dallas Mavericks Saturday inside Vivint Arena ... and were able to shoot around before the game, targeting nothing but the bottom of the net.

Not to be outdone, YG sank a half-court shot Sunday inside Moda Center, decked out in baggy gear from his 4Hunnid line.

The "Alone" rapper was in Portland for his Red Cup Tour stop and got to see his Lakers beat the Trail Blazers before hitting the stage.

Game hit a couple of consecutive long bombs and went the extra mile and campaigned for an NBA 10-day contract. He also called out Gillie Da Kid to pull up to his home court in L.A. and earn an ass-whooping!!!

Gillie's one of the better shooters in hip hop ... even showing out NBA organizations in the past, so this could get interesting.

Master P is still the only traditional rapper who played in the NBA, having suited up for both the Charlotte Hornets and Toronto Raptors in the late '90s.

Dennis Schroder's Wednesday night went from awesome to pretty crappy real quick ... 'cause just after the Lakers point guard helped his team beat the Spurs -- a vehicle he was riding in was stopped by cops in Hollywood.

Cops tell TMZ Sports ... it all went down at around midnight, just a couple hours after the Lakers game had ended. According to an LAPD spokesperson, the stop was initiated after the vehicle allegedly had improper plates.

Video from the scene shows cops spoke with Schroder and what appeared to be his driver for about half an hour after pulling over the ride at a gas station.

It all seemed cordial, according to videos of the interaction ... with Schroder, at times, sporting a big smile on his face.

"I don't know what happened," the 29-year-old told a camera person during the stop. "I'm still surprised."

The LAPD says someone received a citation for improper plates during the stop, though it's unclear who the alleged violator was. Video shows Schroder was allowed to leave the scene without any issue.

Schroder's night had been going very well up until the pullover -- he played 37 minutes in the Lakers' win over San Antonio at Crypto.com Arena, logging nine points, eight rebounds, five assists, four steals and two blocks.

LeBron James nearly lost his cool with a heckler on Tuesday night -- having to be held back from the man after the guy shouted insults at him, including one dig that featured a shot at the Lakers star's hairline.

The moment happened as the King and his squad were headed into the locker room at halftime of their game with the Clippers at Crypto.com Arena ... when a guy started going off on the L.A. forward.

"Hey Bron! Hey Bron!" the man said from his floor seat as the Lakers were down 77-54. "You better get this s*** together!"

The fan continued, "With that receding-ass hairline!"

LeBron turned quickly, appearing to want to go after the man, before security intervened.

"Look, he mad!" the heckler shouted as LeBron was being ushered away from the scene. "Look at him! You sick!"

It's unclear if the fan faced any punishment over the interaction.

The trolling, while clearly annoying, didn't stop James from going off ... he scored 46 points in the contest with the Clips, making him the only NBA player to score 40-plus against every team in the league.

Amazing news for Slava Medvedenko -- the ex-Lakers player was gifted replacement championship rings on Monday ... after selling his original bling to help raise money for those affected by the war in Ukraine.

Lakers owner Jeanie Buss presented the new rings to Medvedenko at an event for L.A. fans ... five months after he decided to help his native country fight against the Russian invasion.

Medvedenko -- who was on the Shaquille O'Neal and Kobe Bryant-led squads that won it all in 2001 and 2002 -- sold the rings for $253,534 ... and all of the proceeds went to his "Fly High Foundation," an organization devoted to helping kids affected by the Russia-Ukraine war.

Medvedenko started the org. in 2022 ... and it focuses on repairing sports facilities at schools in areas hit hard by the war.

"In this moment, I just decided, 'Why do I need these rings if they’re just sitting in my safe?'" Medvedenko said of parting ways with the bling at the time. "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."

Slava did more than sell his rings, though -- the 6'10" NBA hooper served in Ukraine's territorial defense during the war, despite having no prior military experience.

Shannon Sharpe offered a mea culpa Monday morning, apologizing for getting into an altercation with several Grizzlies players and Ja Morant's dad near his floor seats at the Lakers game Friday night, saying he takes full responsibility for his actions.

"I want to apologize for my behavior," Sharpe said this morning on "Undisputed," adding ... "For the last six and a half years, I've preached accountability and responsibility. And I take full responsibility for what transpired. It does not matter what Dillon Brooks said or how many times he said it."

"Me being the responsible person. Me having the platform that I have and having so many people look up to me, I was wrong. I should have lowered the temperature in the arena. Instead, I turned the temperature up, and I let it get out of hand."

Sharpe then apologized to Jeanie Buss, the Lakers organization, and their fans for "any harm or unwanted attention" he may have caused. The FS1 commentator also apologized to the Grizzlies, Dillon Brooks, and Morant, whom he raved about after witnessing him play in person.

Of course, sitting courtside for the Grizzlies-Lakers game Friday night, Shannon got into a heated back-and-forth with Brooks, causing Ja and Steven Adams to come to Dillon's defense.

The Pro Football Hall of Famer was also jawing with Ja's dad, Tee, "saying, "I bet you won't," multiple times as security, arena staffers, referees, and players tried to separate them.

Despite the chaotic scene, Sharpe returned to his seat a quarter later to finish watching the game -- and even made amends with Tee later in the night.

Basketball's King apparently has the Midas Touch when it comes to pickleball too ... 'cause Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn tells TMZ Sports LeBron James' recent investment in the league brought BILLIONS of eyeballs to the sport!!!

LBJ -- alongside Kevin Love and Draymond Green -- bought a team in the MLP back in Sept. 2022 ... and Kuhn tells us immediately afterward, interest in the org. absolutely exploded.

"This year, stories about Major League Pickleball hit 11 billion eyeballs," Kuhn said, "and the LeBron announcement alone was four billion."

Of course, the sport had been on the rise even before LeBron got involved ... the unique, tennis-like game is widely considered the fastest-growing activity in America.

And, while LeBron's inclusion in the action was huge for the league ... he's hardly the only sports superstar to jump into the mix. Everyone from Tom Brady to Drew Brees to Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka and Kevin Durant have bought into the MLP as well.

Even LeBron's best buddy, Rich Paul, is an investor -- and he told us earlier this month he could see it all eventually becoming a huge deal in the U.S.

As for if the NBA and NFL players would ever get ON the pickleball court ... Kuhn -- like the rest of us -- is hoping that happens soon.

Shannon Sharpe and Ja Morant's dad, Tee, got into a heated altercation at the Laker game Friday night ... with both sides needing to be separated before eventually making amends.

It all went down during the first half of the Lakers' home matchup against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena ... when the focus shifted from the court to the crowd.

Memphis guard Dillon Brooks and the FS1 commentator -- who had courtside seats for the game -- had been jawing back and forth during the contest ... when Dillon's teammates Steven Adams and Morant inserted themselves into the picture.

Adams can be seen barking at Sharpe ... as everyone else tries to restore some semblance of order. As the chaos ensues, Shannon and Tee got into a war of words, too.

In the video, Shannon appears to yell "I bet you won't" at Tee multiple times as staffers, security and referees get between them.

Shannon was then escorted out of the seating area and into the tunnel.

After the commotion, Shannon spoke to ESPN's Dave McMenamin at halftime and said it all started after he told Brooks he couldn't guard LeBron James.

"I said he was too small to guard LeBron. He said, 'F*** me,'" Sharpe told Dave. "I said, 'f*** you back.'"

Sharpe claims that's when Brooks came after him ... followed by Ja and his father, which led to him responding the way he did.

"They didn't want this smoke," said Shannon. "They do all this talking and jockeying, and I ain't about that jockeying."

"I wanted anything they had. Don't let these fools fool you now."

BTS rapper Suga might be a "boy with luv" for a new team -- the K-pop superstar was spotted hanging courtside at the Laker game on Thursday ... bringing his Warriors allegiances into question.

Suga hit up Crypto.com Arena as Los Angeles hosted the Dallas Mavericks ... and he appeared to be in great spirits, enjoying a cold beer as he checked out the action.

The guy's presence was clearly known to the players ... with Luka Doncic even dapping him up before the game.

Of course, Suga appeared to be deep in Dub Nation prior to the season ... getting his own custom Golden State jersey and hanging out with the team when they were in Japan for a preseason game against the Washington Wizards.

He was also getting close with Steph Curry ... who gifted him a pair of signed shoes after the matchup.

But, Suga might be swayed to the Purple & Gold now ... as the Lakers also got him a custom jersey prior to attending Thursday's game.

LeBron James had the best day off Wednesday, sitting courtside at son Bronny James' Senior Night game at Sierra Canyon ... where the 18-year-old hoops star went off!

Bronny, in his last year at SC, took part in the yearly tradition ... where H.S. seniors are celebrated before their last home game of the season.

LBJ and his wife Savannah pulled up to support their 18-year-old son -- rockin' black hoodies featuring Bronny on the back -- where they took photos on the court.

Bronny's younger brother Bryce, who also hoops for the Trailblazers, and his little sister, Zhuri, also posed for the pic.

The 18-year-old guard put on a show, too ... coming close to registering a triple-double. James put up 18 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists in their win against Loyola.

BTW, LeBron wasn't the only star at Bronny's game, surprisingly ... Hip hop mogul Diddy was also in attendance, as well as former NBA player and Mavs assistant coach Jared Dudley.

Of course, this isn't the end of James' basketball career. He's set to graduate this spring, and he's received a ton of interest from colleges across the country, including Ohio State.

And after college, pops has made it clear he wants to play at least one season on the same NBA team as Bronny.

Kobe Bryant's game-worn jersey from his sole MVP season is about to hit the auction block ... and TMZ Sports has learned it could sell for a whopping $7 million!!!

The signed Purple and Gold threads are from Bryant's 2007-08 season -- the only time the legend won the NBA's Most Valuable Player award in his 20-year career -- which he wore for 25 games, including 6 playoff matchups.

Sotheby's, which is hosting the auction, tells us the item is the "most valuable Kobe Bryant game-worn jersey to ever appear at auction" as the Lakers legend "scored a total of 645 points over 8 months in this jersey."

He averaged 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 5.4 assists per game that season and led the Lakers to the NBA Finals.

What also makes the jersey so rare -- Kob signed the gear by writing his first name on the stitched number on the back.

FYI, this is also the same jersey Kobe was seen tugging on in the first round of the 2008 playoffs -- one of Bryant's most iconic photos of all time.

"This jersey has influenced popular culture in a way that is seldom seen in the sports community, becoming iconic and synonymous with the image of Kobe Bryant," Sotheby's said.

"In California alone, there are more than 15 murals depicting him in this jersey, with wings, American flags, and snakes in the background."

The jersey is expected to sell for anywhere between $5-7 million when bidding opens up on Feb. 2.

The current record for the most expensive piece of Kobe memorabilia is a worn, autographed jersey from his rookie year ... which sold for $3.7 million in 2021.

Forget champagne or a nice glass of vino ... LeBron James opted for hookah to celebrate Tuesday's win over the Magic -- and TMZ Sports has the vid of The King's smoke sesh.

James hit Barsecco in Miami in the hours after he and the Lakers dumped Orlando in Florida, 129-110 ... and you can see in footage we obtained from the popular lounge that he unwound from the big victory by blowin' some big clouds at the hot spot.

Witnesses tell us the NBA superstar got to the place at around 1:37 AM Wednesday morning ... and only stayed for a quick smoke -- leaving after about 15 or so minutes.

You can see in the clip, he was wearing the same outfit he wore to his postgame press conference Tuesday night -- a green and blue colored cardigan with plenty of jewelry on display.

Of course, James had to bolt from the place fairly early ... as the Lakers play again against the Heat in at FTX Arena on Wednesday night.

Turns out ya can't keep Lamar Odom out of Los Angeles ... because we've learned the former Lakers star is settling back into California, and he's picked up a swanky bachelor pad after spending some time in ATL.

A manager for Lamar tells TMZ ... he moved into his $15K-a-month rental Wednesday, just in time for the holidays. We're told he signed a 1-year lease on the home, located in The Oaks in Calabasas -- aka Kardashian territory.

The 4,445 square foot home is decked out with custom walk-in closets, a built-in BBQ area, a spa and waterfalls. The common areas are pretty awesome ... a gym, tennis courts and a clubhouse.

The house is big enough for Lamar's security and his kids, and he's excited to start a new life in this new place. FYI, when he and Khloe Kardashian tied the knot in 2009, they moved into a $4M home in Tarzana, not far from his new place.

Lamar was in Georgia for about a year ... and we're told he came to LA and was living with a friend the past few months, finally planting roots back in Cali.

Jeanie Buss just added another ring to her collection -- the Los Angeles Lakers owner is engaged to Jay Mohr!!

TMZ Sports has confirmed ... the couple of several years recently took their relationship to the next level after the comedian got on one knee and proposed.

We're told Buss and Mohr -- who bonded over sports and comedy -- are ecstatic about how their love has developed over time ... and they're excited to spend the rest of their lives together.

The clues were there -- Jeanie has been spotted wearing a ring on that finger recently ... and sources close to the couple confirmed they are, in fact, engaged.

Jeanie and Jay started "quietly" dating back in 2017 ... and the two frequently attended Laker games together.

Jeanie has been head over heels for Jay ... and on her birthday last year, shared just how special he makes her feel in a mushy social media post.

"Happiness. Love. Joy," Buss said in September 2021. "That’s what you have given me on my birthday and every day in between."

Buss was previously engaged to coaching legend Phil Jackson ... but they announced their split in December 2016.

Mohr -- the former "Last Comic Standing" host and sports media personality -- was married to Nikki Cox for 10 years before filing for divorce in 2016.

Even though it was a school night, the stars still came out to celebrate Rich Paul's birthday on Thursday ... including his GF, Adele, and his BFF, LeBron James!!

The trio -- plus Tristan Thompson, Clippers head coach Tyronn Lue, and others -- hit Olivetta in West Hollywood for the festivities ... despite everyone having a lot going on this week.

James' Lakers play Friday night. Adele's Vegas residency continues then, too. Lue, meanwhile, coached the Clips in a loss to the Suns before hitting the bash.

Still, everyone appeared to be in great spirits ... and most (aside from Adele, who bolted early to presumably get back to Nevada) stayed out until midnight -- when Paul officially turned 41 years old.

The sports agent looked dapper for the party ... rockin' an all-brown 'fit, capped off with a pair of brown shoes.

James, meanwhile, looked great as well -- as did his wife, Savannah, who accompanied him on the date.

Didn't seem anyone brought gifts to the dinner for Paul ... but we're pretty sure at least one of the millionaires at the table picked up the tab for the guy.

Natalia Bryant -- Kobe and Vanessa's oldest daughter -- has been granted legal protection from someone she says poses a serious risk to her safety.

Natalia had court in L.A. Wednesday, where she gave some powerful testimony about things she claims 32-year-old Dwayne Kemp has done over the last few months to put her at risk.

Natalia called into the hearing and testified she doesn't know Kemp, but is terrified of what he's capable of -- scared at any moment he could show up. She called his actions "unsettling" and claimed at one point he even contacted her eyebrow beautician, offering to pay for services Natalia had completed.

Natalia's attorney Nick Sanchez tells TMZ ... the judge was convinced Kemp is dangerous enough to warrant a 3-year order of protection. Just as the temporary restraining order required ... Kemp now must continue to stay at least 200 yards away from Natalia, her home, her job, her car, school and sorority house at USC.

As we reported ... the 19-year-old got the TRO last month, claiming he’d been stalking her and was under a delusion they were in a romantic relationship. She says he started contacting her 2 years ago, when she was still only 17.

Under the new 3-year order ... Kemp cannot possess or purchase any firearms, and he has 24 hours to surrender any weapons he currently owns.

Ben Affleck made his annual visit to the Lakers-Celtics game in L.A., hitting the Crypto.com arena with his 10-year-old son, Samuel, where the guys sat courtside for an absolute thriller!

Ben, a huge Celts fan from Boston (and every other team in Beantown), and Sam, watched the Lakers battle back from 20 down, before rallying back. The game went to overtime and the Celtics ultimately won, 122-118.

Surprisingly, Ben and Sam weren't decked out in Celtics gear ... except for the actor's pair of green Nikes -- a nod to his home team.

Affleck wasn't the only celeb in the building ... Floyd Mayweather, Lou Adler and Hailey Bieber also attended the game.

For Ben, attending the Lakers vs. Celtics game in Los Angeles is somewhat of a yearly tradition. In fact, last December Affleck hit up the game with Jennifer Lopez ... and the couple packed on the PDA!

It looks like Ben and Samuel had a blast. As for the thousands of Lakers fans -- not soo much!