Los Angeles Lakers

NBA legend Elgin Baylor -- one of the greatest basketball players of all time -- has passed away of natural causes, the Los Angeles Lakers announced Monday. He was 86.

Baylor was selected with the first overall pick to the Minneapolis Lakers in 1958 ... and spent his entire 14-year career with the franchise.

The 6'5" forward won Rookie of the Year in 1959 ... and was named All-Star Game MVP that same year.

Baylor was an 11-time All Star and 10-time First Team All-NBA selection for the Lakers. He was inducted into the Naismith Hall of Fame in 1977 ... and his #22 jersey was retired in 1983.

Baylor was also honored with a statue outside Staples Center in 2018.

Baylor ranks as one of the greatest to ever don the Purple & Gold -- he's ranked 4th in points scored, 1st in total rebounds and 6th in assists.

Baylor went on to coach the New Orleans Jazz from 1974-1979 after his playing days ... and later spent 22 years as GM of the Los Angeles Clippers, earning Executive of the Year honors in 2006.

Elgin's wife, Elaine, released a statement on his passing ... saying, "Elgin was the love of my life and my best friend."

"And like everyone else, I was in awe of his immense courage, dignity and the time he gave to all fans."

Lakers governor Jeanie Buss added ... "Elgin was THE superstar of his era - his many accolades speak to that."

"He was one of the few Lakers players whose career spanned from Minneapolis to Los Angeles. But more importantly he was a man of great integrity, even serving his country as a U.S. Army reservist, often playing for the Lakers only during his weekend pass."

"He will always be part of the Lakers legacy. On behalf of the entire Lakers family, I’d like to send my thoughts, prayers and condolences to Elaine and the Baylor family."

Baylor is survived by his wife, children and sister.

The King just gave his stamp of approval to Charlotte Hornets star rookie LaMelo Ball ... saying the 19-year-old is looking pretty "damn" impressive for a young rookie.

LeBron's Lakers took on Melo's Charlotte Hornets at Staples Center on Thursday -- logging a solid 26 points, 7 assists and 5 rebounds in a losing effort against the defending champs.

The Lakers ultimately won the game 116 to 105 -- thanks to a 37-point effort from James -- and during the post-game presser, Bron admits Melo looked pretty good out there!

"I think he's, ya know, damn good ... to be his age," Bron said.

"His speed, his quickness, his ability to make shots at all facets, ya know in the paint, floaters, threes, he has the 3-tier already, and he's going to only get better."

In other words, Brown says Melo can score from everywhere.

LeBron continued ... "Every game is a learning experience for him. He's going to get better and better as the season goes on, as his career goes on, and so on and so on.”

James ain't lying ... Ball is having a great rookie season -- the #3 overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft is averaging 16 point-per-game, 6.2 assists, and 5.9 rebounds on the season.

He’s also the reigning 2-time Eastern conference rookie of the month.

James also praised Melo's big bro, Lonzo Ball -- Bron's former teammate who is now a member of the New Orleans Pelicans -- saying both of the Balls are special players.

"[Melo] and Zo are two just very unique players in our league, and they showcase that every night."

LeBoston Red Sox.

Yep, LeBron James is now a part-owner of one of the most storied franchises in pro sports ... the Boston Red Sox.

So, how did it happen?

LeBron has obtained shares in the Fenway Sports Group -- which is the parent company of the BoSox, along with several other prominent sports teams and companies.

No word on how many shares LeBron owns or how much money he put down -- but what's clear is he's a minority partner in FSG, which means he's a part-owner of the Sox, as first reported by the Boston Globe.

By the way, the Boston Globe is owned by John Henry -- the majority owner of the Boston Red Sox, who's reportedly worth $2.8 BILLION.

LeBron has publicly supported the NY Yankees for years -- but obviously, those days are over now.

The rivalry between NY and Boston goes back decades and there's no way you can support both teams ... even if you're LeBron!

LeBron's business partner, Maverick Carter, is also part of the FSG ownership group now -- which makes him a Sox part-owner as well.

LeBron has yet to publicly comment on the deal -- but he's expected to make some sort of announcement in the near future.

FYI, the Boston Red Sox are reportedly valued at $3.3 BILLION, according to Forbes ... which makes them the 3rd most valuable franchise in MLB, behind the Yankees and Dodgers.

LeBron has some experience with pro sports ownership -- he bought a piece of the legendary Liverpool soccer team back in 2011.

As for FSG, the company owns pieces of the NESN network, Roush Fenway Racing, Liverpool FC and more.

The move expands LeBron's already impressive empire -- he's reportedly made $343 million from NBA contracts alone.

Plus, his media company, Springhill Entertainment, is thriving with "Space Jam 2" coming out soon.

And, don't forget that reportedly $1 billion lifetime deal with Nike.

He's also a part-owner of the Blaze pizza company and has a stake in the Ladder supplement company, which he created with Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Bottom line ... LeBron is not only the greatest athlete on the planet, he's a pretty savvy businessman, too!

L.A. Lakers star Kyle Kuzma gave a perfectly reasonable explanation for air-balling a FREE THROW against the Warriors Monday night ... saying a nearby earthquake messed up his shot.

Only one problem -- THERE WAS NO EARTHQUAKE!!!

The hilariously bad moment happened halfway through the 2nd quarter ... when Kuz -- a career 72% free throw shooter -- lined up on the charity stripe to shoot a technical free throw ... and the dude completely missed the rim!!

The Warriors bench let Kuz have it ... with Draymond Green erupting in laughter!!

So ... what the heck happened?!

The 25-year-old forward dug deeeep into his bag of excuses to try and justify his embarrassingly bad shot ... blaming the whole thing on seismic waves.

"San Francisco had a 3.5 magnitude earthquake," Kuzma said after the game. "S**t started rumbling. I don’t know. I got scared, and it went far off to the left."

Of course, there was no earthquake ... and Kuz tried his best to maintain his poker face throughout his fib ... but eventually cracked and broke out in a smile.

It wasn't all bad for #0, though ... Kuz ended up with 17 points in the Lakers' win.

LeBron James -- future basketball Hall of Famer AND NFL All-Pro receiver???

Greg Olsen says with 1 year of coaching, he could make that happen ... explaining he could do the same for Russell Westbrook as well!!!

The 3-time NFL Pro Bowl tight end joined Colin Cowherd on "The Colin Cowherd Podcast" on Monday ... and broke down how he could turn the NBA players into NFL stars in just 12 months.

"If I could coach LeBron James for one year, I could make him an All-Pro wide receiver," Olsen said. "There's no question in my mind."

Olsen added, "I could turn Russell Westbrook into an All-Pro free safety."

Don't get it twisted ... Olsen wasn't trying to brag about his coaching skills -- he just told Cowherd the NBA players are just that damn talented.

"There's a handful of those guys that could make the transition just because they are so unique," Olsen said. "But there's few and far between those guys."

LeBron's successes as a football player are well-documented ... he was a BALLER in high school before he switched to hoops full-time.

In fact, the Lakers superstar once said the Dallas Cowboys actually offered him a contract after he started training for football back in 2011!!

A signed ticket from Kobe Bryant’s epic last NBA game ever -- when Mamba dropped 60 points -- just sold for over $40K at auction!!

The April 13, 2016 game will never be forgotten ... Bryant had one of the greatest final performances in sports history.

Then 37-year-old Mamba single-handedly delivered his Los Angeles Lakers team to victory over the Utah Jazz -- scoring 15 of the team's final 17 points.

Kobe -- who knocked down big shot after big shot -- finished the game with 60 points ... capping off his 20-year, Hall of Fame career.

A ticket from the game (section 302, Row 2W, Seat 2) was on the auction block at Goldin Auctions ... and after 42 bids, it ultimately sold for $40,590.

The identity of the buyer is not known.

What's interesting ... the Staples Center attendance for Kobe's last game was listed at 18,997. Now, all those tickets obviously weren't adorned with Kobe's signature.

The Lakers have won just 3 of their last 10 games ... but now is NOT the time to panic -- so says L.A. superfan and Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, who tells TMZ Sports everyone needs to R-E-L-A-X!!!

LeBron James and Co. have struggled quite a bit as Anthony Davis recovers from a calf/Achilles injury ... losing games to not-so-good teams like the Kings and Wizards.

The Lake Show has fallen behind the Utah Jazz and Phoenix Suns to 3rd in the Western Conference standings leading up to the All-Star break ... but Smith ain't worried one bit.

"Very early," Smith told us at Le Cafe de la Plage in Malibu. "Very early and as long as AD comes back healthy, Lakers baby."

FYI, Smith is as diehard as they come -- he's often spotted hitting up Staples Center to check out his beloved Purple & Gold.

As for Davis' injury, Smith says he's confident the Brow comes back completely healthy in time to defend their title.

"Lakers are gonna be fine and it's gonna be a repeat."

Blake Griffin is officially a free agent -- the 6-time All-Star has agreed to a contract buyout with the Detroit Pistons ... and now the big question is: where's he gonna go next?!

31-year-old Griffin -- the #1 overall pick in the 2009 NBA Draft -- can now join any team he wishes ... and there are some serious contenders reportedly interested in adding Griffin for a playoff run.

One of those teams?? The Los Angeles Lakers, a squad that's already stacked ... but could really use the depth in the hunt to repeat as NBA champions in 2021.

There are 3 other teams that have expressed interest in Griffin -- the Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors and Brooklyn Nets, according to reporter Marc Stein.

Of course, Griffin hasn't played for the Pistons since Feb. 12 ... when Detroit announced he would remain inactive while they explored trades and the possibility of buying out his contract.

Considering Blake has a player option worth nearly $39 million for next season, it's no surprise Motor City couldn't find a suitable offer.

Griffin played in L.A. for 9 years with the Clippers ... but there's a real possibility he could return to his old home as a Laker this time around.

Vanessa Bryant just got the perfect assist from daughter Capri -- who gave a sneak peek of the new Kobe Bryant 6 Protro "All-Star" kicks ... weeks before they're set to drop.

"These shoes are about to be released next," Vanessa said on IG ... "They're Kobe's All Star drop."

The new sneakers are an updated "Protro" version of the Nike Zoom Kobe VI 'All-Star' shoes, which were originally released back in 2011.

Capri was rockin' mommy's size 7 -- just a little too big for the 1-year-old ... but she'll grow into 'em. Even [Uncle] Pau Gasol weighed in on the adorableness -- saying, "So Cute!"

The new Kobes will reportedly come with a $180 price tag and are set to drop on March 8 -- the day after the 2021 NBA All-Star game.

But, you can expect these shoes to sell out QUICKLY and then fetch monster prices on re-sale sites.

As we've reported, the demand for all things Kobe has exploded over the past year -- with collectors paying record prices for everything from autographs to jerseys to basketball cards ... even the car he used to drive around.

Safety first!

LeBron James and his Lakers teammate, Anthony Davis, had a double date in L.A. on Thursday -- hitting the fancy Giorgio Baldi restaurant, while wearing their COVID masks!

The NBA superstars had the night off from the court -- so, they took their wives to dinner now that L.A. has allowed restaurants to re-open for outdoor dining.

On the way out around midnight, photogs asked both guys about everything from the Mark Cuban national anthem controversy to injury issues -- but mum was the word.

Honestly, it's just nice to see people going out to dinner again!

The Lakers -- 2nd in the Western Conference -- will take on the visiting Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center Friday night.

When is The King jealous of The GOAT??

Today, it seems ... 'cause LeBron James just said he was SUPER ENVIOUS of the epic championship celebration Tom Brady just had in Tampa Bay!!!

Just minutes after the Buccaneers star was captured on video seemingly drunkenly stumbling away from his SEVENTH Super Bowl title parade ... Bron tweeted about his FOMO.

"Man o man," LeBron said. "I wish we were able to have our parade too cause I would have been walking beautifully just like you!"

Of course, LBJ and the Lakers weren't able to have a Los Angeles celebration after their NBA title in October ... California's strict COVID guidelines prevented a party from going down.

Bron had been angling to try to make some sort of safe celebration happen ... but with the 2021 season already underway, it seems it may never go down at this point.

Clearly, LeBron is sad about that ... and can you blame him?! LOOK AT ALL THE FUN BRADY HAD AT HIS TITLE CELLY!!!

By the way, Brady poked some fun at himself over his boozy day ... jokingly writing of it all, "Noting to see her...just litTle avoCado tequila."

The federal agency tasked with investigating the helicopter crash that killed Kobe and Gianna Bryant, along with 7 others, will announce their findings in a Tuesday meeting -- including the probable cause of the accident.

National Transportation Safety Board will meet virtually Tuesday -- and it will be open to the public, so we'll live stream the whole thing here.

The NTSB has been working on the case ever since the aircraft -- a Sikorsky S-76 helicopter -- crashed in Calabasas on Jan 26, 2020.

As we previously reported, the NTSB initially said preliminary findings showed no outward evidence of engine failure -- and months into the investigation, officials said the pilot may have been disoriented when the aircraft was caught in deep fog.

Autopsy results showed the pilot, Ara Zobayan, was NOT on alcohol or drugs at the time of the crash ... and NTSB investigators said Zobayan’s girlfriend told them he was in great shape before the accident.

The NTSB said in June it found evidence showing Zobayan thought he was ascending over the fog, when in reality, the helicopter was going downward at a high rate of speed.

In addition to revealing the likely cause of the crash, the NTSB is also expected to make flight recommendations for similar aircraft in the hopes of preventing another tragedy.

Along with Kobe and Zobayan, seven others -- including Kobe's daughter, Gianna, and friends Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Payton Chester and Sarah Chester -- perished in the Jan. 26, 2020 crash.

#RIP

She came. She saw. She got ejected for cussing out LeBron James!!!!

A woman and her husband were removed from the Lakers vs. Hawks game in Atlanta on Monday night for going absolutely nuclear on LeBron from the sideline ... and man, it's insane!!

The woman is Juliana Carlos -- an Instagram model who attended the game with her husband, Chris Carlos.

The couple was sitting courtside -- when the woman claims her husband got into a heated verbal argument with LeBron (which Bron confirmed after the game).

Juliana decided to get involved ... and began screaming, cussing and flipping off James from her insanely expensive seats causing a huge scene!

Worth noting ... the woman was initially wearing a COVID mask, but removed it to yell at LeBron.

In fact, the scene got so wild the refs stopped the game and the woman -- along with her husband and 2 others -- were all ejected from the building.

While she was getting the boot, Juliana flipped on her IG Live and gave her side of the story ... complete with threats and LOTS of F-bombs!!

"So, I'm minding my own business, and Chris has been a Hawks fan forever," Juliana explained ...  "He has this issue with LeBron. I don't have an issue with LeBron. I don't give a f**k about LeBron."

"Anyway, I'm minding my own business, drinking, having fun. All of the sudden, LeBron says something to my husband, and I see this and I stand up. And, I go, 'Don't f***ing talk to my husband.' And, he looks at me and he goes, 'Sit the f**k down, b*tch.'"

"And I go, 'Don't f**king call me a b*tch. You sit the f**k down. Get the f**k out of here. Don't f**king talk to my husband like that.'"

She was FIRED UP!!!!

After the game -- which the Lakers won 107 to 99 -- Bron was asked about the incident.

"At the end of the day, I'm happy fans are back in the building," Bron said with a straight face ... "I miss that interaction. I need that interaction."

As for the couple, Bron thinks booze may have been a factor -- "They might have had a couple drinks, maybe."

"I don't think taking down the mask harmed anybody," Bron added ... "I wasn't close enough to her."

Bron expressed concern for a few of the refs who got close to the woman -- "I hope they're okay. Safety first."

The NBA legend then dropped a tweet -- saying, "Courtside Karen was MAD MAD!!"

She sure was.

The tricked out 1963 Chevy Impala once owned by Kobe Bryant is hitting the auction block -- and we're told it's expected to sell in the $250,000 range!

The car has a pretty famous and well-documented history. Kobe's wife Vanessa went to West Coast Customs (the "Pimp My Ride" people) back in 2006 and had them customize something special for Mamba ... so she could gift it to Kobe on Christmas morning.

The final product was pretty amazing -- the guys at WCC rebuilt the engine, installed hydraulics, gave it a custom paint job. There was also some major work done on the sound system.

And check this out ... the interior got some major work as well, as described by the Barrett-Jackson auction house.

"The interior was beautifully re-worked, with all new white leather upholstery studded with genuine Swarovsky crystals and offset by royal blue piping and carpets."

Damn.

Kobe got rid of the car around 2013 -- and it was later auctioned off by Barrett-Jackson in 2014.

Now, the car is changing hands once again -- with the folks at Goldin Auctions running the sale. The auction is live and there's already a $100,000 bid -- but Ken Goldin tells us he expects the car to sell in the neighborhood of $250k.

The seller's identity has not been revealed. All we know is the vehicle is located in Indiana and the winning bidder is responsible for picking the car up after the sale ends next Saturday.

Good luck!

Cops say a fan in Cleveland heckled LeBron James so aggressively during the Cavs vs. Lakers game Monday night ... they were forced to boot him from the arena in an intense confrontation.

According to a police report, obtained by TMZ Sports, cops claim 49-year-old Joseph Bilgen was holding up offensive shirts and screaming profanity at LeBron and others during the big game.

Of course, with LeBron returning to his home state and playing the Cavs ... emotions were high -- and according to the report, several Cleveland players and employees, including GM Koby Altman, reported the fan to security.

Cops say they were informed the guy had held up shirts with offensive writing on them ... including, "Lebron is a racist," "La B**w J*b," and "Lebron is a narcissist."

Officers say when they confronted Bilgen about the inappropriate shirts and actions ... he became so combative -- security told officers he would have to be removed from the arena.

Bilgen, though, did not go quietly according to the report ... an officer says the man told him to "go f*** yourself" repeatedly, and at one point, even put his hands on the cop.

The report states as Bilgen was leaving, he then held up a shirt that read, "Gloria Goes West. Starring LBJ as king narcissist."

In the report, officers say that when a female security guard took the shirt from him, Bilgen grabbed her arms and struck her in her left side.

Officers say they were eventually able to boot Bilgen from the arena after several more minutes of struggling near the exits. Bilgen, according to Cleveland.com, was NOT arrested.

No charges have been filed against Bilgen, either, per Cleveland.com.

It's been 365 days since Kobe Bryant tragically passed away ... but Byron Scott's still nowhere close to moving on -- telling TMZ Sports, "I still think about him every day."

The former NBA star was very tight with the Mamba -- Byron played with Kobe AND coached him -- and he says getting through the tragedy has been hard as hell.

"There's two people that passed away in my life," Byron said. "My mom, who I think about all the time, and 'Showboat.' I think about him every day."

Scott explained, "It's something about him that, in my life, every day something brings me back to a memory of KB."

Byron says from when he met Kobe as a 17-year-old, to coaching him with the Lakers in his late 30s -- Bryant inspired him in nearly every way.

"I was just blessed to be able to be around him," said Byron, who added Kobe was "an unbelievable person."

As we reported, 41-year-old Bryant died along with his daughter, Gianna, and seven others in a helicopter crash one year ago today.

The NBA world has paid homage to the legend in nearly every way since the wreck -- with stars like LeBron James and Anthony Davis getting Kobe tribute tattoos, and others, like Charles Barkley and J.R. Smith, remembering him publicly in recent days.

Byron says the legacy Kobe left behind is unquestioned ... telling us he believes the former Lakers superstar is firmly in the conversation for greatest basketball player of all time.