NBA

Joel Embiid walked the walk against Drake's beloved Raptors ... and then he talked the talk to the rapper -- hilariously clowning the guy after hitting the game-winner in Philly's victory over Toronto on Wednesday.

Embiid -- who's the favorite to win the NBA's MVP award this season -- gave Drake the earful following his ridiculous overtime shot at Scotiabank Arena ... playing around with the "Hotline Bling" artist for a few seconds on the hardwood.

"Get your ass out," the 7-foot center said to Drake as he was leaving the floor. "I'm coming for the sweep, too!"

To his credit, Drake took all the trash-talk in stride ... smiling with Embiid and seemingly attempting to dish a little of it back.

Of course, Drake doesn't have too much ammo to send Embiid's way -- his Raptors are now down 3-0 in the series and are facing elimination on Saturday.

Drake, though, seemed to be deserving of Embiid's ribbing ... because Philly forward Tobias Harris revealed following the game that the rapper was trolling Embiid in the first half -- when the star center struggled.

"In the first half, Drake was over there saying, 'He can't play here!' That's what he was saying," Harris said to the media during a post-game interview.

"I said, 'He can play here, for sure.' He was like, 'Nah, he can't play here.'"

Embiid must've heard Drake's heckling ... 'cause he closed out the game with 33 points, 13 rebounds and two assists in the W.

LaMelo Ball's game is smooth on the court, and he might be trying to get your skin to feel the same -- the NBA star's team just filed a trademark for his very own skincare line.

TMZ Sports has learned ... LaMelo's manager, Jermaine Jackson, filed papers last week to trademark the phrase "LaFrance Skin By LaMelo Ball" for the purpose of "Skincare products, namely, non-medicated skin serum."

The filing was made under the name "Purple Goat Management" ... which is a nod to the nickname JJ gave himself.

Now, Melo is no stranger to off-court ventures -- as we previously reported, Ball recently launched his own LaFrance clothing line and luxury watch collection.

The clothes ($120 for a premium hoodie) and watch ($15k for a top-tier version) come with a hefty price tag ... so we're guessing the new skin products won't be cheap.

LaMelo averaged over 20 points a game this season ... and blossomed into one of the top young talents in the game.

If he becomes the face of the NBA, the league will be in good hands.

Silky smooth hands, that is.

Jerry West is breaking his silence on his hot-tempered, booze-fueled depiction in the HBO hit series "Winning Time" ... calling the show a "baseless and malicious assault" on his character and demanding a retraction, an apology and damages.

The Logo -- played by actor Jason Clarke -- is portrayed as a raging alcoholic in the series ... and while a warning explicitly says the show is a dramatization of real events, West says it has caused serious anguish to his family, according to ESPN.

In fact -- West's so pissed about the show ... his attorney, Skip Miller, fired off a letter to HBO and producer Adam McKay accusing the show of acting with malice ... and claiming the warning does not protect the project from liability.

"Jerry West was an integral part of the Lakers and NBA's success," the letter read, according to ESPN.

"It is a travesty that HBO has knowingly demeaned him for shock value and the pursuit of ratings. As an act of common decency, HBO and the producers owe Jerry a public apology and at the very least should retract their baseless and defamatory portrayal of him."

The show is based off Jeff Pearlman's book, "Showtime: Magic, Kareem, Riley, and the Los Angeles Lakers Dynasty of the 1980s" ... but West's team says his scenes in the show did not appear in the book -- nor did they happen in real life.

Many members of the Lakers org. also backed West -- including Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Mitch Kupchak and Michael Cooper ... who claim the fits of rage and binge drinking were entirely fabricated.

Quincy Isaiah -- who plays Magic Johnson -- defended the show to TMZ Sports recently ... saying it's meant to be entertainment and they meant no disrespect to the real people portrayed in the show.

Clarke previously raved about his experience on the show ... applauding producers and directors for giving actors the freedom to be as expressive as they'd like.

As for the real West, he's been hailed as a true professional and basketball genius ... even receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom from Donald Trump in 2019.

Devin Booker turned the toughest shot in the Suns' playoff game Tuesday night into the cutest ... dapping up a baby to celebrate a wild make!!!

The Phoenix star's adorable interaction with the courtside toddler happened after he drilled a stepback jumper to end the first quarter of the Suns vs. Pelicans game.

Booker dribbled to get some space and knocked down a 2-pointer before the buzzer sounded ... and then he fist bumped a toddler!

The scene was super sweet, Booker was gentle with the baby's little knuckles -- and, his own girlfriend, Kendall Jenner, appeared to love it all too!!

KJ posted video of her view of the play on IG -- seemingly enjoying every second of it.

Unfortunately for Booker ... his night took a turn for the worse about two quarters later -- because in the third, he injured his hamstring and couldn't return to action.

The Suns went on to lose without the star, 125-114 ... and there's now big concern in Phoenix about his availability for the rest of the playoffs.

Shaquille O'Neal is opening up about his divorce with Shaunie O'Neal, not only taking blame for the split, but also acknowledging the loneliness that followed when his then-estranged wife and kids left their family home.

The 50-year-old Hall of Famer joined "The Pivot Podcast" with Ryan Clark, Channing Crowder and Fred Taylor this week ... and got real about the breakdown in his relationship.

"I had the perfect situation," Shaq plainly told the guys.

"Wife was finer than a mug. Kept giving me babies, still finer than a mug -- I had it all."

The hoops legend and Shaunie got married in 2002 -- in the midst of Shaq's dominant NBA reign -- and had four children together ... Shareef, Amirah, Shaqir and Me'arah.

Unfortunately, the two separated in 2007 ... before almost immediately reconciling. However, despite getting back together for some time, Shaunie filed for divorce in 2009, citing "irreconcilable differences."

The divorce was finalized in 2011.

And, Shaq isn't trying to place blame elsewhere ... he plainly says he was at fault.

"I don't make excuses. I know I messed up."

Shaquille last played in the NBA during the 2010-2011 season ... so he had a lot of free time on his hands, and he admits he was lonely.

"I was lost. 76,000 square-foot house by yourself. Lost."

O'Neal says his divorce from the "Basketball Wives" star and executive producer -- who's currently engaged to fiancée Keion Henderson -- is one of the three big regrets that continues to linger in his mind.

The other two ... the strained relationships he had with Kobe Bryant and Penny Hardaway.

"Big mistake in the Penny relationship. Big mistake in the Kobe relationship," Shaq said.

Kyrie Irving's middle fingers and potty mouth just cost him some serious coin ... the NBA announced it has fined the Nets superstar for flipping off Celtics fans as well as cussin' at some of them at Sunday's playoff game.

The NBA released a statement Tuesday saying the Nets guard has been docked $50K for "making obscene gestures on the playing court and directing profane language toward the spectator stands."

Of course, the gestures the league is referring to came when Irving flashed his middle fingers behind his head while standing in front of a group of Celtics fans who were trolling him.

The other incident occurred when Kyrie was walking in the hallway at TD Garden and a fan shouted, "Kyrie, you suck." Irving responded by yelling, "Suck my d*** bitch."

Unfortunately for Kyrie, this isn't the first time the NBA has come down on him. Earlier this year, KI was hit with a $25,000 fine after he clapped back at a fan in Cleveland who was giving him a hard time.

Irving's relationship with Celtics fans has been contentious ever since he left the team to sign with the Nets ... and Cs fans make sure to let him know they feel whenever he steps foot in TD Garden.

The Warriors aren't just chasing rings anymore -- they're going after the entire entertainment industry ... as the team is set to release K-pop star BamBam's new single, "Wheels Up" this week!!

The Dubs just launched Golden State Entertainment ... with the intent to tell stories via music and documentaries, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

The team's first project with the new venture is to release the GOT7 rapper's new song ... which he performed during halftime of the Warriors game earlier this month.

Remember, BamBam -- the Warriors' global ambassador this season -- recently teamed up with the org. to release a special merch collab ... which was a big hit with the fans.

BamBam's love of the Warriors runs deep ... in fact, the GOT7 rapper was an integral part in securing Andrew Wiggins a spot in the NBA's All-Star Game ... by calling on his massive social media following (16 million Instagram followers) to vote for the 27-year-old.

GSE exec David Kelly explained the shift into entertainment ... saying, "When you think about what we already do, we create content."

"We do storytelling, and this is just another form of storytelling. It’s a new type of content that we’re well-positioned to create."

"The line between sports and entertainment, we think, is pretty thin," he added, "and we just feel that we’re in a position to step a little over that line and begin to create original content."

Vanessa Bryant is remembering her late husband, Kobe, on their wedding anniversary, posting a throwback photo of the two with a heartfelt message on what would've marked their 21st year as a married couple.

On Monday, Vanessa shared a photo on her Instagram of her and Kobe from their younger days, paying homage to the love the two shared over the years.

"I love you forever, baby. Happy Anniversary @KobeBryant #21" she captioned the pic.

The Bryant's were married on April 18, 2001 ... so this would've been 21 years Kobe and Vanessa celebrated their matrimony.

It's been over two years since Kobe (along with eight other people including his daughter) tragically died in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, CA ... and Vanessa has been doing everything in her power to keep Mamba's name and legacy going.

She recently announced the longstanding partnership between Kobe and Nike -- which temporarily ended last year -- was repaired, paving the way for the release of the "Mambacita Sweet Sixteen" shoe under the Swoosh brand.

DJ Khaled better hit up Lil Baby (remember?) for some jump shot tips ASAP ... 'cause the rapper/producer hilariously airballed a 3-pointer during the Heat's playoff game on Sunday.

The "We The Best" star was on tap for the first game of Miami's 1st round series against the Hawks ... and decided to get in a "practice shot" during a break in the action.

In the video, you see Khaled take one dribble to gather his shot before launching a 3-pointer from the top of the key ... and, well, he misses everything.

In Khaled's defense, security was coming over to stop him from shooting, even going as far as to put a hand up to try and block the attempt.

So, the degree of difficulty was definitely there, but the airball wasn't even the funniest part ... 'cause security then booted the hip hop icon off the court in epic fashion.

Khaled, however, was a good sport about it all ... leaving the court and returning to his seat to enjoy the rest of the game.

On a recent episode of LeBron James' "The Shop," Khaled's close friend, Rick Ross, was asked what would happen if the two played one-on-one.

"I'd do em dirty," Ross said ... and judging from Khaled's airball, it's kind of hard not to agree with Rozay.

Kyrie Irving and Celtics fans are still beefin' ... the Nets star point guard gave double middle fingers behind his head to a group of fans who were heckling him during Sunday's game.

Celtics fans were all over Kyrie -- who spent two seasons with Boston before signing with the Nets -- trying to get him off his game ... and Kyrie seemingly had enough and responded.

In the short clip, you see Irving flip not one but two birdies behind his head as he stands along the baseline, waiting to receive the ball from the ref before inbounding the ball.

Of course, Irving's double bird drew a response from the crowd ... who was happy they finally got KI to respond.

After the game, Irving addressed the incident with the C's fans ... saying, "Where I'm from I'm used to all these antics and people being close nearby. It's nothing new when I come into this building what it's gone be like. But it's the same energy they have for me, I'm gonna have the same energy for them."

He continued ... "It's not every fan. I don't want to attack every Boston fan. When people start yelling p**** or bitch and f*** you and all this stuff, there's but so much you can take as competitor. We're the ones expected to be docile and be humble and take a humble approach. Nah, f*** that, it's the playoffs."

It's not the first time Kyrie's gotten into it with the Boston fans. You may recall, he compared C's fans to a "scorned girlfriend" after they chanted "Kyrie sucks" late in the fourth quarter of a game back in March.

"If somebody's going to call me out my name, I'm going to look them in they face and see if they bout it," Irving said on Sunday. "Most of the time they not."

And, it wasn't just the court where Kyrie was getting into it with the fans ... as he was walking to the locker room in the hallway, a fan can be heard saying "Kyrie you suck."

"Suck my d*** bitch," Irving quickly responded.

Despite the heated back-and-forth between Irving and C's nation ... Ky still dropped 39 points against a physical Boston defense.

Master P isn't giving up on his NBA coaching dreams just yet -- the rap legend tells TMZ Sports if Jeanie Buss hires him as the team's next head coach, he guarantees they'll win a championship.

Remember, P was campaigning to join the New Orleans Pelicans' staff last season ... even hiring an agent in an attempt to secure an interview.

The mogul didn't land the gig, but now that there's an open spot at the head of the Lakers' bench ... he wants owner, Jeanie Buss, to look his way.

"Bring me in, I can help get us some W's."

The rap icon said he's not used to seeing the Lakers like this -- having witnessed Hall of Fame players such as Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant win 5 titles during their careers.

P says he has a plan to get the Purple and Gold back on track ... and it starts with bringing in Shaquille O' Neal to be one of his assistants.

"They need some alpha males over there," P said. "Cant get nothing bigger than me. If you want to win, bring me in."

"I'll bring some hell of assistant coaches with me. Shaq, John Lucas. I don't know if Shaq wants to do that, but if he do, we can take over. I can't see another team like that."

P knows his hoop -- the guy almost made an NBA team back in the '90s ... and has experience coaching Bulls star DeMar DeRozan at the AAU level.

LeBron James is gonna be happy to hear this ...

Kenny "The Jet" Smith says he loves the idea of Mark Jackson becoming the Los Angeles Lakers' next head ... telling TMZ Sports he can lead the team to a championship.

The Lake Show just fired Frank Vogel after a horrendous 2021 season ... and there are reports the 4-time NBA champ favors the former Golden State Warriors head coach to take the reins.

We spoke with The Jet about the vacancy ... and he thinks landing Jackson would add trophies to the Lakers' already-stuffed case.

"Mark Jackson, he knows how to handle that kind of environment," Smith said at LAX this week ... pointing out the success he had with the Dubs before he was fired in 2014.

Remember, the Warriors went on to win three championships over the next 4 years after Jackson's ousting ... while coach went on to work as an analyst for ESPN.

"He put the Warriors in contention of what they are," Smith said. "The way they play, their style of play. Steph Curry owes a lot to his career, because before Mark got there, Steph Curry wouldn't even play in 4th quarters. We wouldn't think he was a great player, a great defender."

"Mark Jackson could coach the Lakers to a championship, for sure."

Paul George is out ... the Clippers star has entered the league's health & safety protocols and will miss tonight's game against the New Orleans Pelicans.

... a gigantic blow for the Clips.

Adrian Wojnarowski reports sources told him the L.A. forward will not play in his team's win-or-go game against the Pelicans.

It's unclear if PG tested positive for COVID or is just experiencing symptoms, but either way the 7x All-Star won't be seeing the court in the biggest game of the season.

George was already sidelined for a number of games for the Clippers this season ... as he was dealing with a torn ligament in his elbow.

However, since returning to the Clips lineup, the team has enjoyed some success with one of the game's premier two-way players back in the mix.

George averaged over 24.3 points per game, 6.9 assists, and 5.7 rebounds despite only playing in 31 games for the Clippers this season.

The Clippers will have an uphill battle if they want to get past a tough New Orleans team ... and losing one of their best players certainly won't make it any easier.

Story developing ...

That was quick ...

The NBA took less than 24 hours to punish Miles Bridges for throwing his mouthpiece at a fan ... announcing Thursday it's fined the Charlotte Hornets star $50,000 for his outburst Wednesday night.

As we reported, Bridges chucked the mouthguard into the stands after he was ejected in the fourth quarter of the Hornets' blowout loss to the Hawks in Atlanta.

Bridges threw the mouthpiece in a fit of rage at a heckler following his removal from the game ... but he did apologize for it afterward.

Bridges added that he wanted to get in contact with the fan he hit ... and "do something nice for her."

"I was aiming for the guy that was screaming at me and it hit a little girl," Bridges said. "So that's definitely unacceptable on my part and I take full responsibility."

Lamar Odom says if the Lakers want to win a title next season, they need to hit up an old friend and hire the Zen Master himself -- Phil Jackson!!

Remember, last time TMZ Sports spoke with Odom about his beloved Purple & Gold, he thought they could still turn things around and win it all ... but unfortunately for his prediction, L.A. was eliminated from the playoffs last week.

Odom tells us the biggest reason for the Lakers' struggles this season is because the team didn't spend enough time playing together due to injuries to several key players.

"They needed more time," Odom said. "Anthony Davis missed damn near half the year. They just needed time together to bond, but they'll be back next year."

"It'll be LeBron's 20th year next year, so I look forward to see how that's going to go."

Odom -- who won back-to-back rings with the Lakers during his career -- believes the team should keep the guys currently on the roster ... but a new coach can help bring success back to the franchise.

"I think they need to keep the same core intact," Odom said. "Just taking new demands from somebody else. New coach. New direction from someone else.

"It's hard to coach LeBron this far along in his career because he's so advanced mentally."

Despite the daunting challenge of coaching LBJ, Odom tells us the one person who can handle it is Jackson ... who led the Lakers to 5 NBA titles in his career.

"Phil Jackson, I know can coach LeBron with the triangle offense," Odom said. "I think that would keep [LeBron] around a little longer. Preserve him a little longer."

"I would love for Phil Jackson to be the coach of the Los Angeles Lakers."

LO told us if the Lakers hired Phil [Jackson] as their next coach, they will win the NBA championship next season.

"If he was to come back and coach the Lakers, I think the Lakers would be the pick -- the fan-favorite."

There's more -- Lamar tells us he's officially making his way to the Metaverse via his very own "Baller Heads Club" NFT collection.

We're told members of the community will have the opportunity to win awesome rewards -- meet and greets with LO and other NBA players, signed gear ... and even three $5,000 scholarships will be given away as well.

Lamar says he saw it as an interesting way to give back -- with a percentage of earnings going to charity each month as well.

NBA baller Hassan Whiteside is letting go of his beachfront mansion -- complete with a home theater and rooftop deck -- and it comes with a $23 million price tag.

This pad is amazing -- it sits off the Biscayne Bay in sunny Miami, Florida ... and features 6 bedrooms, 6.5 baths, a gorgeous backyard pool, sleek kitchen with a gigantic fish tank and floor-to-ceiling windows.

It also comes with a movie theatre, full gym for workouts, a cabana bath, private terrace and a private dock ... as well as a rooftop deck, which is perfect for watching the sunset.

The crib is listed with Joe Azar from Compass for $23 milli -- $7.3 million more than Whiteside paid back in 2016.

The 2-time NBA block leader lived in the beach-style home while he played for the Miami Heat ... before he was traded to the Blazers in 2019.

After short stints with Portland and the Sacramento Kings, Whiteside signed a one-year deal with the Jazz in 2021. He is currently a free agent.