Los Angeles Lakers

Skip Bayless and Shannon Sharpe went at it Tuesday morning on their FS1 show "Undisputed" ... after Skip insinuated LeBron James is lying about his injury.

Of course, it was reported Monday that James might miss substantial time with a right foot injury ... but Skip isn't buying he's hurt, questioning the legitimacy of LeBron's injury.

Bayless told Sharpe he hasn't seen any difference in Bron since the Lakers superstar turned 38 in December, and said he appeared to be fine during Sunday's game vs. Dallas.

Sharpe, however, took issue with Skip's comments, especially since LBJ said he "heard it pop" against the Mavs, prompting a war of words between the two hosts.

“Why is it when someone says something is wrong with LeBron James you either say it’s not that serious or he’s lying?” Sharpe asked. "But you’ve never called into question when Tom Brady said anything."

James, meanwhile, posted a pic of his right foot on Instagram Monday ... with the caption, "Fkn Sucks!!!! "

Mac McClung's performance at NBA All-Star weekend should have the Warriors and Lakers feeling foolish, so says Riff Raff who tells TMZ Sports both teams screwed up not signing the hoop star full-time.

Some quick background on McClung ... the Tennessee native has been an acrobatic dunker since high school and played two seasons at Georgetown, where he averaged 14.7 points and 2.2 assists per game. He also spent one year at Texas Tech.

Despite McClung's athleticism and scoring capability, the point guard went undrafted in the 2021 NBA Draft ... but spent time with the Lakers and Bulls G-League affiliates. He also had a short stint with the Warriors.

The Sixers recently signed Mac to a 2-way contract with their affiliate, the Delaware Blue Coats ... meaning he can play up to 50 games before deciding if they keep him full-time.

Now you can see why McClung wasn't necessarily a familiar face amongst the NBA crowd until he won the dunk contest in Salt Lake City last weekend, reviving a competition that has been pretty boring over the past few years.

Mac's cousin, hip hop artist, Riff Raff -- who has been promoting McClung for nearly 6 years -- tells us he's happy MM's finally "getting the notoriety that he deserves" ... and then he proceeded to call out the Lakers and Warriors in the process.

"He's been on the Warriors, they fumbled. He's been on the Lakers with some of his favorite players and he's playing with them and they fumbled that and now he's over there in Philly," Riff Raff said.

"He's the new Ivory Iverson!!!!'

Riff Raff continued ... "Any NBA team owner would be foolish to not wanna fill the stands and get hat hype around their team. To me, and to anybody who actually watches him play, he's a starter."

But, Jody Highroller wants you to have one thing straight ... there's more to McClung than dunking, calling the 6'2" baller an "actual hooper" who's more than just an explosive/athletic player.

But, don't get it twisted ... Riff Raff believes McClung will take over the dunk contest for many years to come, forcing NBA superstars to participate.

LeBron James has been getting showered with gifts ever since he passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer, but Cap's not going home empty-handed, either ... the Lakers gifted the NBA legend a custom, iced-out, gold ring!

TMZ Sports has learned the Lakers commissioned renowned jeweler Jason Arasheben (aka Jason of Beverly Hills) to design a ring commemorating Kareem's remarkable career and his holding the prestigious scoring record for nearly 40 years until LeBron James surpassed him Tuesday.

The ring is made up of 578 flawless, round brilliant white diamonds set in yellow gold. The front features Kareem's number 33, along with an image of his signature skyhook shot, which he used over Utah Jazz big man, Mark Eaton when he set the record, passing Wilt Chamberlain.

The side reads "Abdul-Jabbar", his number, the date he set the record (April 5, 1984), his total career points (38,387), and the number 38, representing the years KA-J held the record.

"The Lakers are a first-class organization and always cherish and recognize players both old and new. We were very excited to help bring this ring to life and celebrate the career of one of the all-time greats," Jason tells TMZ Sports.

We're told Kareem was rocking the custom ring as he watched James pass him as the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

Of course, James broke Kareem's storied record in the third quarter of the Lakers game ... in vintage LBJ fashion with a fadeaway over Thunder forward Kenrich Williams.

LeBron James' dinner wasn't baa-d ... it was literally goated -- 'cause the Los Angeles Lakers superstar was in the presence of two live farm animals at a gathering with his wife and friends.

King James was honored with a pregame ceremony for becoming the NBA's all-time points leader before L.A.'s home matchup against the Milwaukee Bucks ... and the celebration continued into the night, with Bron and about 20 of his close friends hitting up A.O.C. in West Hollywood for some wining and dining.

LeBron and Savannah arrived at the fancy wine bar after the game ... and moments later, two goats and their handlers showed up for the shindig.

We're told the four-legged friends stayed for about 15 minutes before making their exit ... which probably isn't too shocking, considering animals chilling in a restaurant might be a big no-no with the health department.

Of course, LeBron recently deemed himself the G.O.A.T. in an interview with the O.C. Register ... saying, "What I bring to the table as a basketball player ... I feel like I’m the best basketball player that ever played the game."

#6 is really leaning into the whole "GOAT" title now ... and while the haters may say it's a bit much, he doesn't seem to care.

The signed, game-worn jersey from Kobe Bryant's 2007-08 NBA MVP season -- the only year he won the award during his career -- just sold for $5.8 million at an auction!!

Sotheby's tells TMZ Sports ... the Bryant jersey set a new record for Kobe-related sports memorabilia sold at auction, and is the second-most valuable basketball jersey to ever hit the market.

Bryant wore the jersey for 25 games in '07-'08 ... averaging 28.3 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.4 assists while leading the Lakers to the NBA Finals for the first time since Shaquille O'Neal left.

Kobe also wore the jersey the same evening he was awarded the regular season Most Valuable Player Award on May 7, 2008 ... and during Game 2 of the Western Conference Semifinals.

"This jersey is iconic in a way we seldom see in sports artifacts," said Brahm Wachter, Sotheby's Head of Streetwear and Modern Collectables.

Experts initially expected the jersey to sell for anywhere between $5-7 million.

Sotheby's recently sold LeBron James' 2013 Game 7 NBA Finals jersey for $3.7 million in January -- and Kobe's MVP season jersey is in that same rarefied air.

Russell Westbrook's days as a Laker have come to an end -- L.A. just finalized a trade to send the superstar point guard to the Utah Jazz in a three-team deal with the Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Lakers are sending Russ and a 2027 first-round pick (1-4 protected) to the Jazz in exchange for D'Angelo Russell, Malik Beasley, and Jarred Vanderbilt, according to Shams Charania.

Meanwhile, Utah's Mike Conley Jr. will join Anthony Edwards, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Rudy Gobert in Minnesota ... as well as a second-round pick.

The Lakers acquired Russ in 2021 in a trade with the Wizards ... which sent Kyle Kuzma, Montrezl Harrell, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to Washington in exchange for the 2017 MVP.

Westbrook's last game with the Purple and Gold was Tuesday night against the Thunder ... when LeBron James surpassed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer.

Russ' tenure with the Lakers had its fair share of ups and downs -- the former triple-double machine struggled to find his role during his two years playing alongside James and Anthony Davis.

First-year head coach Darvin Ham decided to bring Westbrook off the bench three games into this season ... a role he's flourished in, averaging 15.9 points per game to accompany 7.5 assists per game.

Westbrook has a legitimate case to win the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year Award, but the Lakers are opting to move in a different direction ... despite his steady production with the team's second unit.

There are reports Westbrook's arrival in Utah will end in a buy-out ... which will allow him to join a team elsewhere.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar was NOT pissed off LeBron James broke his all-time scoring record, despite what many basketball fans have said, according to Cap's close friend, teammate, and fellow Lakers great James Worthy, who tells TMZ Sports his buddy handled the situation with grace.

Of course, 38-year-old James toppled KAJ's near-long-held record (nearly 4 decades) ... and 75-year-old Abdul-Jabbar was on hand, sitting in the first row, to watch history in the making.

However, many NBA fans commented on Kareem's demeanor, noting the 19x NBA All-Star looked unhappy to be there.

So, we asked Worthy, a 3x NBA champion who was sitting with Abdul-Jabbar Wednesday night, if Kareem was bothered Bron broke his record.

"Not at all," James answered, with no hesitation.

"I mean, Kareem was overwhelmed and for those of you who knew Kareem 30 years ago, Kareem has come full circle in life and really is enjoying himself and enjoying just living. I mean, he said that records were meant to be broken. I don't think he thought anybody would break it but I think Kareem handed it over with grace."

Now, as for Worthy ... he admits, as much as he likes LeBron, that he was a bit bummed to see the record change hands.

"I was a little sad to see the record being broken 'cause I just love Kareem. He's my best friend on the team. I'm sure somewhere down deep in his heart, he's had it for so long that it becomes a part of you that you never think it's gonna leave you. Not to be able to say that again, it's probably something that he'll miss, but his body of work will never be forgotten."

LeBron James' childhood basketball coach says he's "honored" to be a part of the superstar's journey to becoming the top scorer in NBA history ... telling TMZ Sports he couldn't be happier for the King.

Dru Joyce -- who first noticed LeBron's potential at just 10 years old -- played a huge part in shaping the 4-time NBA champ's career ... coaching James and the "Fab Five" to a state championship at Akron St. Vincent-St. Mary in 2003.

We spoke with Coach Dru about LeBron passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time scoring list ... and he couldn't help but reminisce about their earliest memories together.

"It was an honor to know the little kid who used to be at my house, days on end, and young man I watched him grow into in high school, to now reach this historic moment in professional basketball ... I don't have the words to describe it."

"It's a special feeling, and to know we've been a part of the journey, it makes it even more special."

Joyce even recalls advice he gave LeBron at an early age ... and praised how James was already mature enough to make the right adjustments and get better -- parts of his game Coach notices he still uses to this day.

Joyce also sends a special message directly to LeBron ... saying, "You're the greatest of all time. It's a special time, and the way you've gone about it makes it even more special."

"Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this journey. I've enjoyed it -- much love. I'm kind of taken for words, but 28 years ago, I just remember knocking on your door ... and little did I know where this journey was going to take us. So proud and happy to be part of that journey."

As for LeBron, he also spoke about his journey to the top of the scoring list ... referencing the famous Cedar Point amusement park to get his point across.

The jersey LeBron James wore to break the NBA's all-time scoring record is worth a fortune, according to an auction expert ... who tells TMZ Sports it could rake in over $3 MILLION if it ever hit the block.

The L.A. Lakers superstar rocked the uniform against the Oklahoma City Thunder at Crypto.com Arena on Tuesday night ... getting the 36 points he needed in it to pass Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's mark of 38,387.

Chris Ivy, the director of sports auctions at Heritage Auctions, tells us the James-used threads could easily fetch seven figures on the block ... especially after his Game 7 jersey from the 2013 NBA finals sold for $3.7 mil in a Sotheby's Auction a few weeks ago.

"I believe this jersey is just as historic and desirable, if not more so," Ivy tells us. "So I would estimate it at more than $3 million."

Of course, it's unclear what will ever come of the jersey -- James wasn't asked about what he'll do with it following the game.

The 38-year-old, though, did speak on the historic night following the game, calling it all "so surreal."

"This was not a goal for me," James said. "That's why it's probably so surreal and just so weird to me because I never talked about being an all-time scorer in NBA history."

The celebration of LeBron James' new scoring record Tuesday night didn't end at Crypto.com Arena .... several of the Lakers star's teammates -- as well as a host of other celebs -- were seen hitting an L.A. hotspot after the game to keep the party for the King rollin'.

Patrick Beverley, Rui Hachimura and Thomas Bryant were all spotted following L.A.'s loss to the Thunder, piling into The Fleur Room in West Hollywood to honor LBJ and his new all-time NBA points mark.

Bron's agent, Rich Paul, as well as Karrueche Tran, Kelly Rowland, Jimmy Iovine and Corey Gamble were also seen making their way into the venue.

James and his wife, Savannah, eventually got there as well -- and the two gave emotional speeches to the crowd in attendance.

Savannah spoke first, congratulating her hubby on all his hard work. James then took the mic, and dedicated the accomplishment to his family and friends.

The fiesta seemed like a blast ... there was a custom cake with LeBron's face all over it -- and even a stuffed goat!!!

Of course, LBJ and the guys had plenty of reason to celebrate despite the 133-130 defeat ... 'Bron broke a Kareem Abdul-Jabbar record that had stood since 1984.

James needed 36 points heading into the night to get the new all-time mark of 38,388 -- and he got them before the 3rd quarter ended with a fadeaway jump shot.

A-listers were all over the arena to watch the historic moment -- everyone from Jay-Z to Bad Bunny to Usher, Floyd Mayweather and Dwyane Wade had courtside seats.

All of the celebs appeared to be in awe after James scored the bucket -- Usher and Floyd, who were sitting next to each other, were all smiles. Jay-Z was, too.

'Bron addressed the crowd in the seconds after breaking the record -- thanking everyone for helping him in his career. He ended his speech in fitting fashion, exhaling, "F***, man."

LeBron James is officially the NBA's all-time leading scorer ... the Lakers superstar passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar for the most points logged in league history on Tuesday night.

James accomplished the feat against the Oklahoma City Thunder ... in front of a Crypto.com Arena crowd that featured a slew of celebs and former athletes -- including Abdul-Jabbar himself.

Jay-Z, Floyd Mayweather, Dwyane Wade, Shannon Sharpe, Usher and Bad Bunny were all there too.

LBJ needed 36 points to pass Kareem heading into the game ... and after scoring 20 in the first half, he got the rest in the third quarter.

A fadeaway jumper earned him the record -- and the game was stopped so James could be honored. During the break, James was swarmed by his family members and friends -- as a hype video for James played on the arena's jumbotron.

Commissioner Adam Silver also spoke at center court following the record-breaking basket ... telling LeBron, "You are the NBA's all-time scoring leader. Congratulations." Abdul-Jabbar then passed a basketball to the future Hall of Famer, and gave him a hug.

James wiped away tears, before he took the mic and thanked the crowd in attendance. He finished his thank you speech by saying, "F***, man!"

The record is a monumental one -- after Kareem set it in 1984 ... many believed it would never be touched again. But James got the 38,388 that he needed in the 1,410th game of his career -- accomplishing the feat in 150 games less than KAJ did.

James was as consistent as one could possibly be in his chase for the record -- never averaging less than 20.9 points per game in a season. In fact, in his 20th NBA season this year, the 38-year-old is averaging 30 points per game.

LeBron James admits he's "disappointed" the Lakers didn't reunite him with his old teammate Kyrie Irving ... saying Monday he thought a trade for the point guard could have given him the chance to win multiple championships in L.A.

LBJ sat down for an interview with ESPN's Michael Wilbon ... and when the topic of Kyrie came up, it wasn't hard to see the King was heartbroken the Lakers got beat out by the Mavericks in a swap for the Nets superstar.

"Definitely disappointed," James said. "I can't sit here and say I'm not disappointed."

James called Irving someone he knows he has great chemistry with -- and someone who "can help you win championships."

The 38-year-old, though, said he's already getting over it ... telling Wilbon, "My focus has shifted back to where it should be, and that's this club now and what we have in the locker room."

As we previously reported, Irving was sent to Dallas on Sunday after he requested a trade last week. As part of the swap, Dallas sent over Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and a handful of second-rounders.

L.A. reportedly tried hard to get into the mix for Irving -- as did the Heat, Suns and Clippers.

James and Irving previously had success in Cleveland, when they went to four consecutive NBA Finals. They won a title in 2016 after overcoming a 3-1 deficit against the Warriors.

After news broke that Irving was on the move from Brooklyn to Dallas, James sent out an eyebrow-raising tweet that said, "Maybe it's me."

It's unclear who or what James was referring to, though the timing was interesting. But, either way, the four-time time NBA champion says he's moving past the disappointment of it all.

LeBron James breaking Kareem Abdul-Jabbar's scoring record won't silence his critics, so says his former teammate Michael Beasley ... telling TMZ Sports, "they gon' keep hating."

Remember, James is only a few points away from becoming the NBA's all-time scoring leader -- a record that Kareem has held for almost four decades.

You would think with such an accomplishment, the ones who doubt King James would come around ... but Beasley says that won't happen, even when he's crowned.

"They gon' keep hating," the former NBA power forward tells us at LAX this week.

"It's a good percentage of the world that just wanna go against the grain. That's literally what we get. We get the ones who wanna go against the grain."

Beasley -- who played with LBJ in Miami and Los Angeles -- says James deserves respect from the doubters ... and they have no choice but to give him his flowers after this feat.

"He earned it," MB says, "You can't really say too much after that, you know. He the best."

BTW ... Beasley says he wouldn't mind playing alongside LeBron again, telling us he'd be down to sign back with the Lakers.

Kareem Abdul-Jabbar might have mixed feelings when his scoring record gets broken ... but John Salley says the Lakers legend should ultimately be proud to pass the torch to LeBron James when he passes the Hall of Famer on the all-time list.

The 4-time NBA champ broke it down for TMZ Sports at LAX ... comparing the situation to another sports record that many believe to be impossible to break.

"The same way my boy Eric Dickerson thinks about anybody trying to break his record ... you don't want nobody to break your record!" the 58-year-old told us.

Nonetheless, Salley still believes Kareem will come around and give James his flowers when the Lakers star beats his record of 38,387 points.

"I think Kareem will take his hat off to him, be proud of him," Salley said. "He should."

Salley's comment may come off as shocking since he didn't believe LeBron was gonna break Kareem's record to begin with ... saying on Shannon Sharpe's Club Shay Shay podcast a few months ago, "I think they’re not going to let him get it."

He's obviously had a change of heart since then ... saying, statistically, James will be "the greatest player to ever play" and the way he carries himself off the court is admirable.

"What he's doing in television, film, the dude has definitely set the bar what a professional athlete is supposed to do," Salley said.

"I said I didn't think anybody was ever gonna break his record, but I'm so happy LeBron is breaking his record."

James is only a few points away from becoming the all-time scorer ... and barring something crazy, it's definitely happening.

LeBron James' first-ever #6 Lakers jersey -- which he wore on the opening night of the 2021-22 NBA season -- is hitting the auction block ... and could sell for a ton of dough, TMZ Sports has learned.

A rep with SCP Auctions tells us the gold Nike "Icon" Edition jersey James sported against the Golden State Warriors on October 19, 2021, is up for grabs ... and it's a big deal, considering it's the first time he rocked #6 for L.A., instead of his Cleveland-era #23.

The bottom left corner of the piece of history shows LeBron's jersey size (54) and the date of the game, 10-19-21, handwritten on the tag.

The jersey has gone through several layers of authentication -- it was entered into the NBA and MeiGray Game-Worn Jersey Authentication Program -- and was photo matched to the 1st and 2nd half of the contest against the Warriors.

Remember, James switched from #23 to #6 in June 2021 ... just four months before the NBA season started. LeBron previously wore the #6 when he was with the Miami Heat for four seasons (2010-2014).

"It's always been a part of me, to be honest," James said when asked about the switch. "Six has a lot of meaning to me, from my family and numbers and things of that nature to what I believe in and things of that sort, but my mentality doesn’t change."

King James finished the night against the Warriors with a game-high 34 points to go along with 11 rebounds and five assists -- but the Dubs spoiled LeBron's night, defeating the Lakers, 121-114.

LeBron James made his return to Madison Square Garden on Tuesday night -- and in turn, so did a ton of celebs ... and the king didn't disappoint in NYC as a bunch of Hollywood's A-listers cheered him on.

LBJ went off in the game against the Knicks -- logging 28 points, 10 rebounds and 11 assists  ... as the Lakers knocked off the home team in overtime, 129-123.

Emma Stone, Michael B. Jordan, Jon Stewart and Pete Davidson -- sporting a new haircut! -- seemed to love it all ... rockin' big smiles on their faces as the L.A. superstar did his thing.

New York Giants quarterback Daniel Jones, former NHL star Henrik Lundqvist and comedian, Hasan Minhaj were also in attendance.

Of course, Spike Lee -- as usual -- was in the building ... though he wasn't in good spirits as his favorite team got dumped on by L.A.

All the celebs sat near each other in courtside seats ... with most appearing to have a hell of a time while rubbing elbows with one another.

It should be noted there was no date spotted on Davidson's arm ... but he seemed to be content riding solo and hanging with Stewart for the big hoops night, nonetheless.

Celebrities won't get another chance to watch LeBron hoop at the Mecca again until 2023 -- this was the Lakers' lone appearance at MSG this season.