Los Angeles Lakers

LeBron James says Bronny is recovering so well from recent heart surgery that he's now hoping to suit up for USC this season.

The Lakers superstar revealed the plans for his 18-year-old son while meeting with reporters at L.A.'s Media Day on Monday.

Bron said his boy is "doing extremely well," and has already begun rehabbing to "get back on the floor this season with his teammates at USC."

"He's on the up-and-up," LeBron added.

As we previously reported, Bronny suffered cardiac arrest back on July 24 ... and was later diagnosed with a congenital heart defect that required a procedure to fix.

While docs believed the issue wouldn't derail his basketball career -- a timetable for a return to the Trojans' floor was not known. Clearly, however, LeBron thinks his son can get back within a matter of a couple months.

LeBron also called the summer "a whirlwind" that featured "a lot of emotions for our family" -- but he said the James Gang all leaned on each other to get through it.

Yeah, Damian Lillard and Antonio Brown might have some dope music, but Shaq tells TMZ Sports he's the G.O.A.T when it comes to athletes who rap ... and he's been that guy since the 1990s!

For those who don't remember, Shaq made four rap albums during his Hall of Fame NBA career, with the first one, "Shaq Diesel," coming out in 1993.

He hasn't stopped making music in retirement either ... the 51-year-old actually just jumped on a track with L.A.-based group Coyote -- and he tells us he's got much more on the way too.

"I got a couple of freestyles," O'Neal said. "It's all competition for me, so when I hear other people that say, 'I'm a better athlete-rapper than Shaq,' I gotta step up."

"Nothing personal. I just have to let these people know who paved the way."

Some of the athletes makin' waves in the rap game include Lillard, who's been considered by fans to be one of the best, lyrically, in any sport.

There's also Brown, who's made catchy tracks like "Put That Sh** On" ... as well as former NBA star Iman Shumpert.

But, while O'Neal (who we recently talked to about his huge upcoming charity event) was very complimentary of the guys' talents on the mic, he says he's still the greatest of all time.

"I put stuff out, they put stuff out and we let the people decide who the number one is," O'Neal said.

"I know who the number one is. I'ma always say myself is number one, but they got a lot of the guys out there that are coming."

Si, Damian Lillard y Antonio Brown pueden tener algo de buena música, pero                                  Shaq le dijo a TMZ Sports que él es el mejor cuando se trata de atletas que rapean ¡y lo ha sido desde los 90s!

Para aquellos que no lo recuerdan, Shaq hizo cuatro álbumes de rap durante su carrera en el Salón de la Fama de la NBA. El primero, "Shaq Diesel", salió en 1993.

A sus 51 años acaba de grabar un tema con el grupo Coyote, de Los Ángeles, y nos cuenta que tiene mucho más en camino.

"Tengo un par de freestyles", dijo O'Neal. "Todo es competición para mí, así que cuando oigo a otra gente que dice: 'Soy mejor atleta/rapper que Shaq', tengo que dar un paso adelante".

"No es nada personal. Solo tengo que hacerle saber a la gente quién abrió el camino".

Algunos de los atletas que triunfan en el rap incluyen a Lillard, que ha sido considerado por los fans como uno de los mejores (líricamente), en cualquier deporte.

También está Brown, que ha hecho temas pegadizos como "Put That Sh** On", así como la ex estrella de la NBA Iman Shumpert.

O'Neal (con quien hablamos recientemente sobre su próximo gran evento de caridad) fue muy elogioso de los talentos de los chicos en el micrófono, pero dice que él sigue siendo el mejor de todos los tiempos.

"Yo saco cosas, ellos sacan cosas y dejamos que la gente decida quién es el número uno", dijo O'Neal.

"Yo sé quién es el número uno. Yo siempre digo que yo soy el número uno, pero hay un montón de chicos nuevos haciendo cosas por ahí".

"If LeBron wanted to fight with me, it wouldn't be close!"

That's UFC fighter Bobby Green aka "King" saying he'd wash Bron in a purely hypothetical fight for the royal nickname.

See, TMZ Sports was talking to the 37-year-old lightweight before his Fight Night main event scrap against 29-year-old Grant Dawson, the 10th ranked 155 pounder.

Dawson's nickname is "KGD" ... said to stand for "King Grant Dawson"

When we asked Green if he had a message for Grant, he told us ... "There can only be one King. I just found out that Grant Dawson's fight name is KGD. There can only be one king. Let's go find out. The other one's gonna get his head cut off!"

Okay, okay. Obviously, the most famous "King" going right now this side of Charles is LeBron ... and given the age-old debate about skill vs. size, we asked BG if he could beat the 6'8" hoops legend.

"It wouldn't be close!" Bobby said.

We mentioned the size discrepancy ... Bobby's 5'10" and fights at 155 lbs. (we'll assume he walks around in the neighborhood of 185). James is 10 inches taller, and weighs 250 lbs., according to the Lakers website.

Irrelevant, according to Bobby.

"He's a big dude but he doesn't have the skills I'm sorry. Skills pay the bills, sir."

But, would Green actually fight King James?

"In a drop of a dime. In a heartbeat, without even thinking about it. Hell yeah. I'll wax his ass!"

Rick Ross and Meek Mill are solidifying their union as a dynamic duo with a joint album that'll be here right around the time you're handing out candy to costumed kids.

The Maybach Music rappers dropped their new track "Shaq & Kobe" on Friday, the first sounds from their upcoming project entitled, "Too Good to Be True. " A source close to the album's production tells TMZ Hip Hop it'll drop at the end of October.

On the lead track, Meek sets up the alley-oop to Rozay as they flex jewelry and cars inside an airplane hangar near the Boss' private jet -- the references to winning big like the Lakers legends make perfect sense here.

The album will drop on the MMG imprint and the duo's chemistry in the clip surprised many fans who thought they were beefing after Rozay was absent from Meek's last album.

Our source tells us contrary to public opinion, Rozay and Meek have always remained cool ... Meek's rants in the past year were directed at outside parties as the two never had a dispute over money.

They'll have the opportunity to make even more when the project drops.

Byron Scott won't be shedding any tears over "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty" getting shelved anytime soon ... 'cause the Lakers champ tells TMZ Sports he wasn't tuning into the series anyway.

We caught up with Byron just days after HBO announced the fate of the show based on the 1980s Los Angeles Lakers after just two seasons ... and asked him if he was bummed the storyline never got the chance to shine a light on his tenure with the purple and gold.

Safe to say he's not losing any sleep over it ... 'cause Scott told us straight up, "Nah, I'm good."

"I wasn't a big fan of the show because I know a lot of it was fabricated in certain ways just to make it more interesting for the fans which is cool, that's TV. That's Hollywood. That's what they do."

Scott -- who won 3 NBA championships with the Lakers -- said he, Magic Johnson and his former teammates don't even discuss the show ... and if it's ever brought up, it's their wives doing the talking.

Of course, it's no surprise the real Showtime Lakers are saying "good riddance" to the series -- Magic, James Worthy and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar have all spoken out against it.

Byron -- who entered the picture (for real) in 1983 -- said he didn't feel as strongly about it as his teammates ... admitting he didn't care all that much.

Byron Scott no va a derramar ninguna lágrima por "Winning Time: The Rise of the Lakers Dynasty", serie de televisión que fue archivada en el corto plazo. Esto, porque el campeón de los Lakers le dice a TMZ Sports que no estaba sintonizando con ella, de todos modos.

Nos pusimos al día con Byron días después de que HBO anunciara el destino de la serie basada en Los Angeles Lakers en los años 1980, después de dos temporadas. Le preguntamos si estaba deprimido de que la historia no hubiera tenido oportunidad de brillar.

Podemos decir con seguridad que no es algo que le quite el sueño, porque solo nos dijo directamente: "Nah, estoy bien".

"Yo no era un gran fan de la serie porque sé que gran parte de ella fue hecha de cierta forma solo para hacerla más interesante para los fans, lo cual está bien, así es la televisión. Así es Hollywood. Eso es lo que hacen".

Scott, que ganó tres campeonatos de la NBA con los Lakers, dijo que él, Magic Johnson y sus ex compañeros de equipo ni siquiera hablaban de la serie y si alguna vez salió a colación fue porque sus esposas estaban hablando de ella.

Por supuesto, no es de extrañar que los verdaderos Lakers de Showtime digan "adiós" a la serie: Magic, James Worthy y Kareem Abdul-Jabbar se han manifestado en contra.

Byron Scott, que entró en escena (de verdad) en 1983 dijo que no se sentía tan mal al respecto como sus compañeros de equipo, y admitió que no le importaba mucho.

Pippen and Jordan are teaming up to win it all again ... but it ain't MJ and Scottie -- it's Larsa and Marcus on a reality TV show.

Larsa Pippen and her boyfriend, Marcus Jordan, have signed on for season 2 of the Peacock series, "The Traitors" ... a competition where 20 contestants try to smoke out the backstabbers of the group in hopes of securing a $250,000 prize.

The couple is already on location in Scotland for filming ... and they're basically treating the business trip like a vacation as well, posting several selfies together on social media during their downtime.

The addition of Larcus to the competition will be interesting -- they're the first public couple to be on the show together, which could cause some problems with fellow contestants who may not like their established alliance.

The entire cast has not been announced yet, but it will consist of other famous faces in reality TV and other industries, according to People, who first broke the news.

"Survivor" star Cirie Fields won it all the first time around ... securing the quarter milli after outlasting names like Brandi Glanville, Rachel Reilly and Cody Calafiore.

Larsa and Marcus -- who started dating last year -- are used to having cameras in their faces ... as they've documented parts of their relationship for "Real Housewives of Miami."

Deion Sanders just received about the highest praise a coach could get ... courtesy of Shaq, who tells us Coach Prime reminds him of 11x NBA champion Phil Jackson during the epic rivalry game with Colorado State this weekend!

"When they were down 15, there was a camera that panned to Deion's face, and it reminded me of Phil Jackson. And I've always said, if the general doesn't panic, the troops don't panic," O'Neal told Babcock on the TMZ Sports TV show (full interview airs on Tuesday's show on FS1).

Of course, Sanders' squad was down double digits to Colorado State Saturday night ... when the Buffaloes stormed back late in the 4th quarter, ultimately winning 43-35 in double OT.

Deion's demeanor on the sideline brought back memories for Shaq.

"I know exactly what the [Colorado players] are going through because when you are standing in front of someone that has an impressive resume, and you're trying to get to the level he get to, everything you say is golden. I felt that way when Phil Jackson first came to the Lakers," the NBA legend explained.

"Before [Phil] got there, me and Kobe, we got swept all the time. But when he came there and stepped in the locker room and we saw he didn't panic, so it taught us not to panic. We know that this guy knows what he's talking about."

Coach Prime's team, which won a total of 1 game last season (1-11), is now 3-0 ... and they're ranked 19th in the country.

Given the job he's done so far, Shaq believes Sanders is the best coach in the sport.

"Deion right now is the best coach in college football. You heard it here first."

We also talked to O'Neal about The Event on October 7, Shaq's third annual fundraiser ... which has raised more than $6 MILLION for children in need in Atlanta and Las Vegas!

In addition to Diesel, The Event -- hosted by The Shaquille O'Neal Foundation -- will also feature performances by John Legend and Jennifer Hudson. Ray Romano will also be in the building for the Joel McHale-hosted event.

Tickets are now on sale!

LeBron James is giving his personal review of Diddy's new project ... and it's safe to say the rap mogul got the King's approval -- 'cause Bron actually took the time to learn the lyrics!!

Well ... some of them.

The Los Angeles Lakers superstar is infamous for his backseat jam sessions whenever new music drops ... and it was only a matter of time before he gave his two cents on the Bad Boy founder's latest effort -- "The Love Album: Off the Grid," which dropped last week.

Bron went through three of his favorite tracks -- "Pick Up," "It Belongs To You," and "Brought My Love" ... vibin' out as each tune blasted in his Maybach.

James even tried his best Jacquees-esque falsetto at one point ... singing along until a fast-cadenced part of the song seemed to catch him off-guard.

The four-time champ rolled with the punches, though ... pretending to crush each word. In reality, it was more like the time he tried to do karaoke to a 6lack song.

"Man O Man!!!!!!!," James captioned his vid ... calling the project "an ABSOLUTE FKN STONE COLD VIBE!!!!!"

Es probable que Lamar Odom vea subir mucho la factura del seguro de su carro, pues acaba de estrellar su Mercedes contra dos coches aparcados en un accidente en la madrugada.

Un representante de Lamar le dice a TMZ, que él estaba al volante cuando se metió en un accidente de carro alrededor de las 3 AM del lunes en una zona residencial cerca de su casa.

Nos dicen que Lamar estaba conduciendo a casa de un amigo en Northridge cuando se le cayó el teléfono dentro de su Mercedes, se agachó para recuperarlo, perdió el control y se estrelló contra un par de carros aparcados en la calle.

El representante de Lamar dice que su Mercedes blanco golpeó a otro coche blanco, que chocó contra otro coche aparcado delante de él.

Los airbags de Lamar se desplegaron, y por suerte él no resultó herido ni necesitó asistencia médica, aunque estaba un poco aturdido y su Mercedes; destrozado.

Se llamó a la policía de Los Ángeles, pero esta no realizó un informe policial después de atender la escena. Nos han dicho que los oficiales hablaron con Lamar y le preguntaron si había estado bebiendo, a lo que Lamar respondió que no y les dijo que se encuentra sobrio y que es dueño de centros de rehabilitación.

Los policías no realizaron ninguna prueba de alcoholemia.

Lamar luego le explicó a los policías cómo ocurrió el accidente. Los propietarios de los carros impactados salieron de sus casas y Lamar les dio la información de su seguro.

Afortunadamente, nos dicen que no había nadie dentro de los carros aparcados en el momento del accidente. Aunque el Mercedes de Lamar fue remolcado y su seguridad lo llevó a casa.

Lamar Odom is likely to see his car insurance bill go way up ... he crashed his Mercedes into two parked cars in an early morning accident.

A rep for Lamar tells TMZ ... Lamar was behind the wheel when he got into a car crash around 3 AM Monday in a residential area near his home.

We're told Lamar was driving home from a friend's place in Northridge when he dropped his phone inside his Mercedes, reached down to retrieve it, lost control and smashed into a pair of cars parked on the street.

Lamar's rep says his white Mercedes hit another white car, which bumped into another car parked in front of it.

Lamar's airbags deployed, and he wasn't injured and didn't need medical assistance ... though he was a little shaken up and his Mercedes is now mangled.

Cops were called but LAPD did not take a police report after responding to the scene. We're told officers spoke with Lamar, asking him if he had been drinking, to which Lamar said no and told cops about being sober and owning rehab facilities.

Cops did not perform a field sobriety test.

Lamar, we're told, then explained to LAPD how the accident happened ... and the owners of the impacted cars came out of their homes and Lamar gave them his insurance information.

Fortunately, we're told no one was inside the parked cars at the time of the crash ... though Lamar's Mercedes was towed and his security drove him home.

Fernando Tatis Jr. will evoke the Mamba Mentality when the Padres visit the L.A. Dodgers this week ... 'cause the MLB star copped some custom Jordans in honor of Kobe Bryant.

TMZ Sports has learned ... El Niño hit up Stadium Custom Kicks to get some special cleats for San Diego's upcoming series at Dodger Stadium ... requesting a tribute to the late Lakers legend.

Tatis -- who signed a $340 million deal with SD in 2021 -- is now the proud owner of a truly one-of-a-kind, purple and gold pair of Jordan 1s ... decked out in around 4,750 crystals.

The cleats also feature Bryant's two retired jersey numbers on the heel -- No. 8 and No. 24.

It's fitting for Tatis to rock the Kobe kicks in the series, which kicks off Monday night ... considering Bryant hit up several Dodger games during his time in Los Angeles. He also threw the first ceremonial pitch in 2000.

Tristan Thompson ha tomado el relevo como cuidador de su hermano menor, tras la repentina muerte de su madre, y ahora está tomando medidas para hacer oficial su tutela.

En documentos legales obtenidos por TMZ, Tristan le está pidiendo a la corte ser el tutor de Amari Thompson. Los documentos afirman que Tristan asumió las responsabilidades de cuidado de Amari, de 17 años, tras la muerte de su madre Andrea en enero.

Los documentos también afirman que el padre de Tristan y Amari, Trevor, ha estado ausente de la vida del hermano menor, lo que deja a Tristan como el miembro más cercano de la familia y capaz de proporcionar el cuidado que necesita.

Amari tiene varios diagnósticos médicos que le incapacitan para cuidar de sí mismo, y Tristan tendrá que ayudarle con su día a día, así como con sus citas médicas.

Es más, los documentos dicen que Amari va a recibir aproximadamente 103.475 dólares como resultado de la muerte de Andrea, y será Tristan quien protegerá esa herencia de pérdidas o daños.

Tristan Thompson has taken over as caregiver for his younger brother in the wake of his mom's death, and is now taking steps to make his guardianship official.

In legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Tristan's asking the court to become guardian of Amari Thompson. The documents state Tristan took over the responsibilities of care for 17-year-old Amari after their mother, Andrea, died in January.

The documents also state Tristan and Amari's dad, Trevor, has been absent from Amari's life -- leaving Tristan as his closest family member who is able to provide the care he needs.

Amari has several medical diagnoses that leave him unable to care for himself -- and Tristan will need to help him with his day-to-day as well as with his medical appointments.

What's more, the documents say Amari is set to receive approximately $103,475 as a result of Andrea's death ... and Tristan will protect that inheritance from loss or injury.

Expect to see Bronny James and Paige Bueckers in a fresh pair of Kobe Bryant kicks this season ... 'cause six bigtime NCAA hoops powerhouses were selected as "Mamba Programs" and will be wearing the NBA legend's Nike sneakers on the court this year!

Vanessa Bryant made the announcement via social media on Tuesday ... listing the universities that were picked as the first group to represent her husband's Nike brand.

"So excited to see their players wearing Kobe and Gigi’s NIKE shoes this upcoming season," Vanessa wrote in the caption.

No mid-majors here.

The selected schools were USC -- where LeBron James' son Bronny is playing -- as well as Kentucky, Oregon, Duke, LSU, and UCONN, the team Gigi supported.

"We are grateful for the amazing support of these prestigious universities (in no particular order) towards the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation - to further the legacies of Kobe and Gigi!" Bryant added.

Vanessa didn't disclose which Kobe's the teams will rock, but the Swoosh recently relaunched Bryant's line with the release of the Protro 8 "Halos" ... which hit the market on what would've been KB's 45th birthday (August 23).