Los Angeles Lakers

Wood Harris is getting the stamp of approval from the guy he portrayed in LeBron James' new "Shooting Stars" movie ... 'cause St. Vincent-St. Mary head coach Dru Joyce says the actor was spectacular!!

TMZ Sports spoke with the Lakers superstar's longtime childhood coach about the new Peacock flick that documents the historic rise of LeBron and his teammates Sian Cotton, Romeo Travis, Willie McGee and Lil Dru en route to high school championships ... and he said he was pleased with the end result.

Joyce admits he was a bit nervous to watch the movie at first -- after all, Hollywood has its way with things -- but once he checked it out, all his worries went away.

"The thing that I was most concerned about, what I wanted to see portrayed most was the friendship and how the friendship was built," Joyce told us. "So, that came across very clear. So, I was happy."

Joyce believes Harris did a great job showing his real coaching skills ... which focused much more on raising good young men than simply basketball players.

In fact, Joyce told us Harris reached out and bounced ideas prior to shooting scenes ... but ultimately, "I just kind of let him run with it."

"I thought he caught the essence of me."

LeBron James heard the Nuggets talkin' spit about the Lakers during their championship parade on Thursday ... and now, the NBA superstar is clapping back HARD.

In case you missed it, Michael Malone threw shade at reports of LBJ considering retirement after losing to Denver in the Western Conference Finals ... cracking jokes and claiming he was going to hang it up for good, too.

There was also a cringe moment at the rally, where Malone was referred to as "the Lakers' daddy."

James is now unloading on the Nuggets franchise ... saying he was minding his own business in Europe when he found out about the disses -- so he asked, "I'm on your mind that much huh???"

"I mean I guess I see why. 🤷🏾‍♂️," LeBron said on Instagram with a pic of him waving the starting flag at 24 Hours of Le Mans.

"But Wave the flag on these lames!! Please make being player cool again cause the lame machine is at an all-time high. Enjoy your light but just know I’m the SUN. I stay on forever!"

Austin Reaves' hot streak continues -- fresh off his breakout season with the Lakers, the former undrafted NBA prospect has inked a signature shoe deal that's reportedly worth millions!!

The 25-year-old signed a multi-year contract with Chinese brand Rigorer that could "reach over seven figures per year," according to Shams Charania ... and it includes getting his very own sneaker, the "AR1."

Reaves talked about the business move on Thursday ... saying, "If you would have told me I'd have had a signature shoe at 18, I'd have looked at you and called you a liar."

"Honestly, I'm blessed to play basketball for a living and I just have to pinch myself sometimes to really understand what's going on."

Reaves blew up this past season ... becoming an important piece on the Lakers roster, averaging 21 points a game in the Western Conference Finals against the Denver Nuggets.

The Arkansas native's shoe deal isn't the only major source of income -- he's expected to be a big target in free agency, with teams prepping to offer him more than $50 million over four years.

LeBron James' second-oldest son is celebrating his Sweet Sixteen on Wednesday ... and the Los Angeles Lakers superstar made sure to wish Bryce a happy birthday with a special shout-out to the teen hooper.

"SCREAMING HAPPY 16th BIRTHDAY 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️ to my Twin MAXIMUS @_justbryce!!!!!!" Bron said on Instagram. "I LOVE YOU YOUNG 🤴🏾!!!"

"Keep going up and up and up! Love the young man you are and becoming every single day!! 🙏🏾🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎🤎👑."

LeBron's tribute also came with several recent pics of Bryce ... showing him balling out on the court and enjoying some downtime as well.

LBJ's oldest kid, Bronny, just graduated from Sierra Canyon High School and will attend USC in the fall ... and Bryce is slated to suit up for Campbell Hall for his remaining two years before college -- so yeah, we're all officially old.

The bday also means there could be another member of the James Gang on the road ... and if Bryce is getting his license, we're sure he'll be riding around in style.

Khloe Kardashian wasn't messing around when her son was born, giving him the Kardashian last name instead of Tristan Thompson's ... but later had a change of heart.

Sources with direct knowledge tell us Tatum Thompson -- as he's now known -- was initially legally a Kardashian. Our sources say Tatum also wasn't his first name, though we're not sure what first name Khloe originally chose for the kiddo.

Eventually, our sources say Khloe decided to drop the Kardashian name for Thompson, and that's now Tatum's legal name moving forward.

As for why Khloe may have made the initial decision to leave Tristan out of things -- it seems pretty clear ... as we reported, Tristan got another woman, Maralee Nichols, pregnant after Khloe and Tristan had decided to go ahead with a surrogate to carry Tatum.

TMZ broke the story about the surrogacy in July of 2022, just a couple months after it was discovered Tristan had gotten Nichols pregnant. It was about a month later when Tatum was born, so you gotta imagine there was still a lot for Khloe and Tristan to figure out ... making it totally understandable Khloe wanted her son to have her last name.

Obviously, things have gotten better since that time, and it's almost certainly the reason Khloe decided to change Tatum's legal name to include Thompson.

As we've reported on multiple occasions, Khloe and Tristan are incredible co-parents ... hitting events together with their daughter True all the time. We were the first to report both Khloe and Tristan were at True's pre-K graduation last week ... along with exes Kylie and Travis Scott and family foe Blac Chyna.

With plenty of milestones and significant happenings for their son for the next several decades, it's nice to see Khloe and TT on the same page.

The Miami Heat are on the ropes in the NBA Finals, but their celeb turnout is still top-seeded in the league ... right up there with legendary LA Lakers Showtime.

Lil Wayne, Conor McGregor, G-Eazy, Chris Tucker and J. Balvin filed into the primo seats at Miami's Kaseya Center.

McGregor actually got some playing time -- not in the game, which the Denver Nuggets won -- but he was part of the center court entertainment. The UFC legend squared off with the Heat mascot Burnie ... and earned a one-punch W.

Some other famous fans in the crowd included Odell Beckham Jr., Flo Rida, Forest Whitaker, Neymar, Ozuna and Paul Pogba.

Lamar Odom is serious about getting Bam Margera the desperate help he needs ... stopping in to visit the "Jackass" star while he's in the hospital, and inviting him to Lamar's very own rehab center.

The former NBA star stopped in to see Bam Tuesday with an offer to get him back on the right path -- sources close to Lamar say he's trying to arrange for Bam to get treatment at one of his Odom Wellness Treatment Centers once he's released from his 5150 hold.

We're told Bam was receptive to going to rehab and was very hopeful during their chat ... saying he wants to see his son, Phoenix. Sources say Bam and Lamar hugged it out as the former NBA star told Bam he'd do everything he can to get him treatment.

As we reported, Lamar has opened up 3 drug treatment centers after his own battles with addiction in the past. He's got Gold Bridge Addiction Center in Louisburg, KS, Wavelengths in Huntington Beach, and Project West in San Diego.

TMZ broke the story, LAPD tracked down Bam Sunday to Trejo's Tacos in L.A. -- law enforcement sources told us his erratic speech and behavior, mixed with his recent threat to smoke crack until he dies, was enough to warrant the psych hold.

Lamar also sent Bam a rehab invite in April after Bam turned himself in for allegedly assaulting his brother. At the time, Lamar talked to us about the advice he'd love to pass along to Bam, as well as why his treatment centers could be a huge help.

Robert Horry played alongside Hakeem Olajuwon, Shaquille O'Neal, and Tim Duncan -- three of the greatest players to ever grace a court -- but who was the best?? Big Shot Bob says it's The Dream, and it's not even close!

52-year-old Horry recently joined Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson on their "All The Smoke" podcast ... when the convo turned to the 7x NBA champ's list of the top five big men in NBA history.

"Dream is number one by far," Horry told the guys. "Nobody wants to talk about it. I think you have these guys who are quiet. Dream, he's a really quiet guy. You can't get him to do much, to say much. So, we kind of veer away from him. We don't talk about him."

Of course, Horry was with Hakeem for four seasons, Shaq for seven, and Duncan for five.

Rob says if you look at the totality of Hakeem's career (winning Defensive Player of the Year and MVP in the same season), he deserves the top spot over Shaq and TD. Dream also made 12 All-Star teams.

Horry won back-to-back championships with Olajuwon in 1994 and 1995 before joining the Los Angeles Lakers, where he was an integral piece in winning three championships with Shaq and Kobe Bryant.

After his time in L.A., Rob finished his career with the Spurs, winning another two titles alongside Duncan.

As for who's the best ... pick your poison. All three legends have out-of-this-world numbers and career achievements.

Shaq won an MVP in 2000. He's also a 15x All-Star and 3x NBA Finals MVP. Duncan was a 2x NBA MVP and 15x All-NBA defender who was named to 15 All-Star games.

Ultimately, Rob says he's grateful he was able to play with Hakeem, Shaq, and Tim, but it's Olajuwon who gets the nod.

Khloe Kardashian and Tristan Thompson are essentially operating as one parental unit, but that doesn't mean they're romantic again ... despite growing speculation online.

Sources close to the two tell us they're still operating as they have been for months -- as co-parents -- but Tristan lives near Khloe's place, so they're spending a lot of time together. Remember, they now have two young kiddos, and we're told it's important to Khloe that the kids get to spend as much time with Tristan as possible.

Another clue that things are good between Khloe and Tristan -- she was spotted driving around in one of his vehicles last Tuesday -- so they're sharing keys too. Our sources say the two are in a great spot as friends.

What's more, we're told Khloe let Tristan and his younger brother stay with her in the immediate time following the funeral for Tristan's mom. At the time, Tristan was getting work done on the roof of his home after some water damage ... so Khloe opened up her doors.

TMZ broke the story ... it was back in January when Khloe boarded a private jet to be with TT in Toronto after his mom's sudden death. At the time, our sources told us Khloe wanted to be there as a source of support and comfort for Tristan -- Kim and Kris eventually came too.

Clearly, the family bond hasn't broken between anyone ... as we continue to see the Kardashian family support Tristan, even sitting courtside to cheer him on with The Lakers.

LeBron James has tons of free time now that he's out of the playoffs, including family time -- which he soaked up this weekend with yet another graduation drop-in.

The Lakers superstar attended Chaminade High School's ceremony Saturday in West Hills, CA -- where his "nephew," Auston Mims, was all set to walk across the stage in a cap and gown as part of the Class of 2023. Mims played football there, and LBJ is close with the kid ... having attended games of his in the past. Although it's unclear if they're actually related.

Auston appears to be the son of LeBron's longtime friend and business partner Randy Mims. In any case, Bron was front and center to watch Auston receive his high school diploma.

Check out these videos, obtained by TMZ, where you can see the King is trying to lay low as the names are called, checking out his phone and keeping his head down. In these clips, he seems to be alone ... but eyewitnesses tell us he was actually there with family and friends.

Of course, he totally stands out -- at about 6'9", no less -- so, eventually, he parked it and had a seat. That didn't stop people from approaching him and fanning out a bit, though.

At one point, a young guy walking by spotted him ... and tapped him on the shoulder for a little handshake -- which Bron obliged and reciprocated. There was even an adult who came over to say hello ... but it kinda seems like LBJ just wanted to keep to himself here.

Anyway, this is the second graduation (that we know of) that LeBron's gone to in recent weeks. Remember, he was just at his own son's Thursday ... and was one proud papa.

The backdrop of all this is the question of whether he's going to hang it up on the court and retire from basketball. He suggested he might in his Game 4 loss presser ... noting he had a lot to think about in the offseason. Stuff like this might be at the forefront of his thoughts.

Fact is, if he was still playing ... it's possible he might have missed these types of moments. Certainly possible, but if a game was scheduled to be played on a Saturday ... it'd probably be tough to do both. Lucky for him, he was able to catch all the big days this year.

LeBron James' team may have been eliminated this week, but he still has something to celebrate ... his son Bronny is now a graduate of Sierra Canyon School.

LeBron and his wife Savannah James, along with Bronny's grandma Gloria, were front and center on Thursday at the graduation ceremony.

As we reported, Bronny has tapped USC for his next move. The high school basketball star clearly has his sights set on following in his dad's very large footsteps -- as in joining the NBA.

The proud papa posted, "Continue to fly high,” with a crown emoji.

As for LeBron ... he seemed to leave the retirement option open but most people think he's just signaling to the Lakers .... get better players.

Lamar Odom is adding another assist to his stat line -- the ex-NBA star is stepping up to help a local rehab center that fell on hard times recently ... by raising money to keep it from closing its doors forever.

TMZ Sports is told ... Lamar's recent decision to acquire three California treatment centers has garnered the attention of several facilities in serious need of assistance after being impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

We're told Lamar met with the family-owned Wavelengths Recovery out of Huntington Beach back in April ... and he felt compelled to partner with the center to help keep its lights on for good.

To get the ball rolling, Lamar has set up a GoFundMe page to raise money for food, payroll, renovations and more ... and plans to hold a silent auction, with all profits going toward Wavelengths.

As we previously reported, the 2-time NBA champion recently launched the Odom Wellness Treatment Centers to fight substance abuse ... a cause he has vowed to fight for following his near-fatal overdose in 2015.

Odom previously invested in facilities in San Diego, El Cajon and Lemon Grove ... and he's determined to help save as many lives as possible.

In fact, he even offered his services to "Jackass" star Bam Margera back in April ... although it's unclear if the two were able to connect.

Kyrie Irving sneakers could return to a store near you soon ... 'cause the NBA superstar just teased a new deal is on the horizon after his fallout with Nike.

The 8-time All-Star revealed it might not be long before fans can get their hands on some new Kyrie kicks ... discussing the matter during an Instagram Live session on Wednesday afternoon.

"I'm really excited," the 31-year-old said. "I will be signing my new shoe deal very, very soon. I'm 'bout to blow this stuff out the water. I'm so excited about it."

Is it SIA Collective? Musiq Soulchild did tell us he heard Kyrie was talking to the new shoe company last December ... but Irving mentioned no names during the stream.

Uncle Drew was with Nike dating back to 2011, but the Swoosh cut ties with the hoop star after his controversial tweet sharing an antisemitic film in 2022.

The point guard -- who last played for the Dallas Mavericks -- also said to be on the lookout for his free agency decision ... and urged fans not to listen to analysts, TV personalities, or sports influencers who claim they know his next move.

"I'm a free agent this summer, but I am in no rush to make a decision," Irving said.

"When they speak on my name and they're talking about potential teams that I'm going to, can y'all please, respectfully, I'm asking, please stop paying attention to that."

Of course, many speculate Irving could join his old teammate LeBron James in Los Angeles, especially after the guard was spotted sitting courtside at a recent Lakers playoff game.

Despite the rumors, Irving swore up and down no one knows what he's going to do -- just him.

Kris Jenner was sitting courtside Monday night, supporting Tristan Thompson -- and perhaps bringing the NBA vet some luck -- 'cause not only did TT get a decent amount of burn, but he also scored his first points in weeks!

Unfortunately for fans of the purple and gold, it wasn't enough to keep the brooms at bay ... and the Lakers were swept by the Nuggets.

Jenner showed up to Crypto.com Arena with bae Corey Gamble ... and the two sat front row, along the baseline for the pivotal game.

32-year-old Thompson ultimately played 10 minutes, making 2 of his 4 attempted field goals for 4 points and 1 rebound.

Before game 4, Tristan had only played 1 minute total in the first 3 games.

Jenner's presence is seemingly further proof everything is good on the Thompson-Kardashian-Jenner front. In fact, when Tristan was first signed by the organization, Corey not only attended a game but also partied with TT afterward.

Kim Kardashian has also been to multiple games ... although Tristan didn't play.

Kris wasn't the only celeb in the building last night ... the place was jam-packed with celebs.

Everyone from Vin Diesel, to Floyd Mayweather, Alex Rodriguez, Kyrie Irving and Edward Norton attended the game.

The Nuggets didn't just eliminate the Lakers from the postseason on Monday night -- they may have ended LeBron James' career too ... 'cause the L.A. superstar said after the Game 4 loss he's now seriously considering retirement.

A somber James met with reporters after Denver completed its sweep of the Lakers in the Western Conference Finals ... and after fielding questions for about a dozen minutes, 'Bron made it clear, he might not be back for the 2023-24 season.

"We'll see what happens going forward," James said to a throng of media members following the 113-111 defeat. "I don't know. I don't know. I got a lot to think about, to be honest. I got a lot to think about, to be honest."

While James is 38 years old, no one saw retirement coming this soon ... after all, he's still the Lakers' best player -- and in the series-clinching loss Monday night, he still dropped 40 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists.

But, James -- who just wrapped up his 20th year in the NBA -- did battle a foot injury for most of the season ... and L.A. doesn't much room to significantly improve its roster next season due to the team's current salary cap situation.

Plus, James' kids are going through some years of their lives that LeBron certainly wouldn't mind being home for more often than not.

"Just for me personally," he said, "going forward with the game of basketball, I got a lot to think about."

Facing a 3-0 deficit in the Western Conference Finals, the Lakers haven't looked good ... but the women cheering them on throughout the playoffs sure have!

It's been tough being a fan of the purple and gold lately ... but Laker Girls Anoukka, Sammy, and Juliette have done their best to give the fans at Crypto.com Arena something to cheer about.

Of course, we can't forget Quori-Tyler ... a New York native who is in her second year with the Lakers.

Alongside Quori and the rest of the squad is Taylor from Dallas, and a handful of other beautiful and talented women.

Game 4 of the Western Conference Finals goes down Monday night ... and it's win or Cancun for LeBron and company as they try and stave off the Nuggets.