NBA

A court with homages to Kobe and Gianna Bryant could be cropping up at a local park near you ... 'cause Vanessa Bryant just announced plans to renovate courts across the country with Mamba and Mambacita themes.

Vanessa posted the news on her Instagram page on Wednesday ... saying in collaboration with BodyArmor and the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation, 10 courts throughout the U.S. will be renovated, and feature nods to Kobe and Gigi.

According to BodyArmor officials ... the courts will appear in Los Angeles, Philadelphia, D.C., Atlanta, Chicago, Houston, Dallas, Miami, Phoenix and Detroit.

Vanessa and BodyArmor shared a "sneak peek" of what the courts will look like ... and they're set to feature a few nods to Kobe and Gigi, including the Nos. 8 and 2 (jersey digits Kobe and Gigi wore in their basketball careers) just above the keys.

The cool gesture comes just 24 hours after BodyArmor's founder, Mike Repole, donated $24 million to the Mamba & Mambacita Sports Foundation.

"I’m going to make sure this foundation gets bigger than the Ronald McDonald House," Repole told the Boardroom following the generous gift.

"It’s not just about getting them the physical tools or on the courts in the right uniforms. It’s about what it does for kids mentally and confidence-wise."

BodyArmor also announced it's releasing a new "Mamba Forever" drink.

FYI -- Kobe invested $6 million into BodyArmor back in 2014 ... and when Coca-Cola bought out the brand in 2021, Bryant's estate cashed in over $400 million.

PSA for all the Internet trolls out there -- if you come at Drake, he WILL DM your significant other ... and the 6 God proved it during a heated debate over NBA star Ja Morant's dad.

Here's the deal -- Drizzy hit the Instagram comments to defend Tee Morant over a meme criticizing his support for the Grizzlies guard throughout the playoffs, which some have deemed "annoying."

Drake was having none of it -- saying, "Imagine your son makes the league and he’s Ja Or Melo (Ball) or Lonzo (Ball) all you can do is be elated and competitive and over supportive and it’s a right of passage to that the OG’s talk s*** 😂😂😂😂."

"I know I’mma be this way even if my son is in a rubix cube competition 😎."

One troll thought it would be wise to crack back at Drake by referencing the rumor he doesn't write his own songs ... saying, "ya son prolly play with ghost writers."

Big mistake -- 'cause Drake fired right back in the most ruthless way possible.

"I just followed your girl cause she prob miserable and needs some excitement in her life."

Sheesh.

And, get this -- Drake wasn't kidding ... because the troll later posted a screenshot of his wife getting a DM from Champagne Papi himself, which read, "I'm here for u ma."

Chalk this one up as a win for Drake ... and a teachable moment for anyone else looking to go after him.

Kevin Durant now has as many soccer teams as he does championship rings -- the NBA superstar just invested in Gotham FC!!

The new NWSL club announced KD and his business partner, Rich Kleiman, just made a "significant" investment in the franchise ... joining U.S. women's team legend Carli Lloyd in the ownership group.

Of course, KD's Thirty Five Ventures first dipped its toe into soccer back in 2020 ... when it bought a minority stake in the MLS' Philadelphia Union.

No word on how much KD and Kleiman shelled out for their piece of Gotham FC, but the team hints it was substantial.

KD shares his excitement on Wednesday ... tweeting out, "Let’s get it @GothamFC."

Kleiman commented on the business move ... saying, "As a New York-based company, the opportunity for us to partner with a forward-thinking team like Gotham FC was a no brainer,"

"There’s been so much growth in the NWSL in recent years, and the chance to be a part of that growth and work directly with the Gotham FC executive team and players is really exciting."

KD's company is slated to be hands-on -- helping out with player relations, community outreach, producing content and building a social media presence.

Shaquille O'Neal is looking to fuel his 7'1", 320-pound body with NO meat -- the NBA legend says he's TRYING his best to go vegan!!

Shaq opened up about his health ambitions with comedian Rip Micheals at Slutty Vegan in Atlanta ... where he explained on the "Urban Eats and Treats" show how he's able to eat his favorite foods and still look out for his body at the same time.

"My friend introduced me to this place and it's healthy," the Big Aristotle said in the clip. "For example, I like cheeseburgers, right. But the way she cooks it, I can eat healthy, but still feel like I'm eating bad."

O'Neal -- who played over 20 years in the NBA -- says the "Slutty Vegan" joint in Atlanta allows him to eat his favorite foods without the guilt.

"Whenever I want to cheat, I come over here and cheat," Shaq added.

FYI -- 'Urban Eats & Treats' is a new food and travel series from Kevin Hart's Laugh Out Loud Studios ... where Micheals and his celebrity friends search for the best food and laughs in their respective cities.

Some of the show's featured guests include Shaq, DJ Envy, Bill Bellamy, Nick Cannon, Russell Peters, Deon Cole, Tamar Braxton and more.

The big fella says his healthy diet would usually consist of chicken salad, steak, and fish ... but now that he's trying to make changes, the S.V. restaurant helps him feel like he's pigging out.

Of course, Shaq is involved with multiple businesses as an owner -- Papa John's, Auntie Anne's, and Krispy Kreme to name a few ... but surprisingly, he says he doesn't go there for his junk food.

LeBron James is getting a ton of blame for the Lakers' failures this season, but Kent Bazemore is coming to his teammate's defense ... telling TMZ Sports the King did everything he could to help L.A. win.

A quick Google search of "LeBron Lakers" will show experts and analysts pointing the finger at the 4-time champ over the team's inability to make the playoffs ... especially after his reported influence on acquiring Russell Westbrook, an experiment that crashed and burned.

But, Bazemore wants to hear none of that talk -- sticking up for what James has done on-and-off the court.

"The dude was third in the league in scoring," Baze said at LAX this week. "What else do you want him to do? He put his body through a lot this year to be there for us."

37-year-old James finished with 30.3 points, 8.2 rebounds and 6.2 assists a game this season ... bringing him 1,325 points away from passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar on the all-time list.

"He's chasing Kareem," Kent added. "He's done a lot for the game. He's given a platform to a lot of people. He's changing the world."

When asked if LeBron deserves more respect for what he's done over the years, Bazemore replied, "100%."

Chris Paul went absolutely nutty yesterday ... breaking an NBA Playoff record while leading the Phoenix Suns to victory over Curren$y's New Orleans Pelicans, but Spitta Andretti is taking it in stride.

The NOLA rap legend was courtside Thursday night in his hometown to witness CP3 shoot a perfect 33-point game. Following the 115-109 victory, Chris still had enough energy to talk smack to Spitta and his manager Mousa in a viral moment on the sidelines.

The footage is hilarious … CP3 was still in go mode as Curren$y eventually playfully pushed him off.

Curren$y tells TMZ Hip Hop of the heartfelt moment "Chris was just talking s***," as they've been pals for a long time. Remember, CP3 started his future Hall of Fame career with the then-New Orleans Hornets.

Despite the loss, Curren$y says the playoff experience unified the city -- "The Pelicans put it all on the court for us and we filled the arena for them," Spitta continued. I feel like this turnaround season is definitely gonna be a booster shot to the season ticket sales."

Spitta's having a personal come-up in 2022, having dropped off 2 projects this year alone ("Land Air Sea" Chopped + Slopped reissue w/ Cash Fargo and "Continuance" w/ Grammy-Nominated producer The Alchemist) -- and recently blazed his way through a heralded Tiny Desk Concert ... dropped, appropriately, on 4/20.

Maybe LeBron James is cool with the Lakers missing the playoffs after all -- the King just took his closest friends on a jaw-dropping getaway to the Maldives ... and the vacation looked insane.

Okay, let's be real -- the 4-time champ definitely wishes he was making another run at an NBA title right now ... but hitting up a private island instead definitely doesn't suck.

Bron posted a ton of footage from the trip ... which included bike rides, soaking in the beach waters, riding on boats and enjoying all the food and drink the group could handle.

The group included James' wife, Savannah, longtime trusted friend Ernie Ramos and his wife, Klutch Sports COO Fara Leff, DJ Bamboozle and more.

It was a trip that most people can only dream of ... and we're assuming the whole thing cost hundreds of thousands of dollars.

You're not going to BEE-lieve this!!

Rudy Gobert's nose is all messed up after getting stung by a bee this week ... and his face is still pretty swollen just hours before the Jazz's must-win playoff game against the Mavs!!

The 7'1" center showed off the damage via Instagram minutes ago ... and you could tell by his face -- the bee got 'em really good.

As it turns out, the All-Star owns a hive at his house ... and joked about how one of the insects attacked him.

"It bee your own bees sometimes," Rudy captioned a pic of his swollen face. Gobert also joked when he showed up to media availability -- "It was seven guys. But I'm the only one who came out the room."

Rudy told reporters the sting happened two days ago while he was changing the Queen out.

Gobert says he's basically used to getting stung at this point -- this is the third time it's happened.

The Salt Lake Bees -- a Minor League Baseball Triple-A affiliate for the Angels -- decided to poke fun at the 3-time Defensive Player of the Year over the incident ... saying, "The Salt Lake Bees deny any involvement in this terrible act and wish @rudygobert27 a speedy recovery and a wonderful game 6 #gojazz."

As of right now, Gobert hasn't been ruled out of Thursday's pivotal Game 6 against Luka Doncic and the Mavs ... which is a promising sign for Jazz fans.

It's apparently like mother, like daughter in the Curry household ... because 9-year-old Riley Curry showed she's got mad skills in the kitchen just like momma Ayesha!!

And, now we officially feel super old.

Steph's wife posted video of her daughter killin' it with the utensils on Tuesday night ... revealing the chef blood apparently runs strong in the Currys.

Little Riley -- who's all grown up since she famously went viral at Steph's playoff games years ago -- whipped up chicken piccata with mashed potatoes and veggies ... and it all looked amazing.

Riley dusted the chicken with flour all on her own and fried it up herself -- with Ayesha saying on the video, "I'm so dang proud! I literally did nothing!"

The meal also included halibut ... and Riley shouted out her mom -- who, if you weren't aware, is a wizard in the kitchen -- for the lessons that led up to the finished product.

"I learned from the best," Riley said on camera as her mom gushed.

Riley topped off the meal with some sparkling grape juice -- and judging by the plates set up on the dinner table, it appears Steph was able to indulge in his daughter's dishes as well.

Twinning!!!

Music superstar Usher chopped it up with his perfect doppelganger at the Grizzlies vs. Timberwolves game on Tuesday ... hanging out courtside with Ja Morant's dad -- and it was hilarious!!

Of course, fans have been commenting about how the Memphis superstar's pops looks strikingly similar to the "Yeah!" singer throughout the playoffs ... and finally, the two men met face-to-face.

Usher pulled up to Game 5 of the Grizzlies' home game against the Wolves ... and of course, Tee Morant was in the building to support his son Ja, who just won the Most Improved Player Award for this season.

Tee has been making headlines all series -- early on in the playoffs, he enjoyed some friendly back-and-forth with Karl-Anthony Towns' dad, Karl-Anthony Towns Sr. ... and fans couldn't help but notice how much he looked like Usher.

While people swear Tee is Usher's doppelganger, it reached new heights on Tuesday ... when the two wore matching black outfits to the matchup!!

Both twins got to see an incredible game -- with about 6 seconds left on the game clock, Minnesota rising star Anthony Edwards hit a clutch 3-pointer to tie the game at 109-109.

But, Ja would not be denied ... as he beat Edwards to his spot and finished at the rim with a nifty layup over Jarred Vanderbilt ... propelling the Grizzlies to a 111-109 victory.

Jerry West might not want to hold his breath waiting on an apology from HBO ... 'cause the network is defending the controversial 'Winning Time' show and standing firmly with its "talented creators."

The show has been under serious scrutiny since it debuted in March -- with Magic Johnson, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and, most recently, Jerry West, completely trashing the validity of what happens in each episode ... claiming a lot of it is straight-up not true.

But, HBO -- which had previously stayed silent on the public outcry -- released a statement to The Hollywood Reporter on Tuesday ... and the network didn't hold back.

"HBO has a long history of producing compelling content drawn from actual facts and events that are fictionalized in part for dramatic purposes," the network said in the statement.

"'Winning Time' is not a documentary and has not been presented as such. However, the series and its depictions are based on extensive factual research and reliable sourcing, and HBO stands resolutely behind our talented creators and cast who have brought a dramatization of this epic chapter in basketball history to the screen."

Of course, Quincy Isaiah -- who plays Magic -- pointed out to TMZ Sports earlier this month that the show clearly says that events in the show might have been dramatized ... and he meant no malice while doing his job.

Kyrie Irving is admitting it ... his COVID vaccine drama did become a "distraction" for him and his teammates this season.

Irving -- who was forced to sit out a large portion of the year after refusing to get the shots -- said following the Brooklyn Nets' 4-0 series sweep to the Boston Celtics on Monday night that his unvaccinated status did have a big effect on his team this year.

"It was just really heavy emotionally this season," Irving told reporters after the Nets' 116-112 Game 4 loss. "We all felt it. I felt like I was letting the team down at a point where I wasn't able to play."

"We were trying to exercise every option for me to play, but I never wanted it to just be about me. And, I think it became a distraction at times."

You'll recall, Irving was initially barred from Nets games and practices over his vaccine choice. He was later allowed to play in road games for the team, but not home ones due to New York mandates.

And, by the time Irving was fully allowed to suit up for Brooklyn ... the team had developed just too many issues on top of the whole ordeal to gel in time for a deep playoff run.

Head coach Steve Nash said following the loss Tuesday night it all certainly weighed on the team.

"I think that's a big reason why we were in that position," Nash said, "a lack of continuity."

Pelicans fans were all over Suns' forward Jae Crowder last night ... starting an impromptu (and pretty damn loud) "F*** Jae Crowder" chant during the game.

The chant came in the second quarter of Game 4 between the Suns and Pelicans ... Crowder was called for a foul on Brandon Ingram, sending BI to the charity stripe for two free throws.

And, it was clear as day on the game broadcast ... "F*** Jae Crowder!" But, why the animosity?

Pels fans probably still have the visual of Crowder going after New Orleans' big man Jaxson Hayes on Friday after refs hit Hayes with a flagrant 2 foul and ejected him.

Hayes barreled into Crowder as if he were a linebacker blowing up a running back ... though, a WWE Superstar would've approved of how Crowder sold the hit.

Jae got off the floor and made a beeline in Hayes' direction before he was stopped by teammate Mikal Bridges.

Hayes was ultimately ejected after refs deemed the play was "unnecessary and excessive."

Charles Oakley has an idea why the Brooklyn Nets are struggling so far in the playoffs ... telling TMZ Sports head coach Steve Nash might be the problem.

Despite having two of the best players in the league -- Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving -- the Nets are currently down 0-2 to the Boston Celtics by a combined 8 points.

If Brooklyn loses to the Cs at home on Saturday, the Nets will be faced with the nearly impossible task of winning four straight.

We spoke with the NBA legend about the Nets' woes ... and he says the 2-time MVP could be why they're stumbling out of the gate.

"The problem with Brooklyn was I don't know if Nash is the right coach for them," Oak said at LAX this week. "I don't know. Being a ballplayer watching them, you know, everybody say, 'well, this and that, if you got Kyrie and KD' but you still need somebody at that front seat."

Of course, Nash joined the Nets last season ... finishing with a 48-24 record and a playoff appearance. But, with guys like KD and Kyrie, people are expecting rings.

Oak -- who recently released his own book, "The Last Enforcer" -- points out successful dynasties like the Lakers and Bulls had coaching masterminds leading the charge -- like Pat Riley and Phil Jackson.

Oakley says the Nets' issues started when they brought in James Harden -- a move they didn't need to make.

Shaquille O'Neal is responding to Master P's interest in coaching the Lakers together ... saying he's totally down for the job -- if they cough up $25 million a year.

Remember, the rap legend recently told TMZ Sports he wants to take Frank Vogel's old gig at the head of the bench in L.A. ... adding he'd love to have the Big Aristotle join him on the coaching staff.

Shaq got wind of the interview ... and it may not be the best news for P, 'cause the 4-time champ wants a fortune to take the job.

"If the Lakers offer me $25 million a year for 4 years, I'll coach the Lakers," Shaq said on The Big Podcast. "I need a 4-year contract. I'll coach them right now."

Here's the catch -- Shaq says he's not a package deal with P ... and if the No Limit mastermind doesn't get the gig, he's still interested.

"Let's just say they have a conversation with Master P and they don't pick him, now I'll just go in as a side meet and say, 'Hey, I know you didn't wanna consider my good friend Master P, but if you want me, this is the fee.'"

Now, Shaq's demands legit would never happen -- the highest-paid coach in the NBA right now is Gregg Popovich, who's raking in $11 million.

Aaron Rodgers was front and center at the Bucks' playoff game in Milwaukee on Wednesday ... hanging out with his bestie/teammate Randall Cobb and Mallory Edens.

The Bucks took on the Chicago Bulls in Game 2 of their first-round matchup at the Fiserv Forum ... and Rodgers -- who owns 1% of the team -- was in the building to check it out.

Rodgers sat right on the court with his trusted target ... as the Bucks heiress sat to their left. The group looked laser-focused on the game, which ended up going in favor of the Bulls in a nail-biter.

Rodgers loves to frequent Bucks games -- and tends to leave the fans with memories. In 2019, Rodgers famously got into a beer-chugging contest with his star left tackle, David Bakhtiari ... and the MVP failed miserably.

Of course, Rodgers sitting courtside is a welcoming sight for Packers fans ... as they previously feared they would lose the star QB following a tough loss to the 49ers in the divisional round of the playoffs.

It's been pretty rare to see Rodgers out and about without Shailene Woodley ... as the couple has been damn near inseparable since their breakup(?) back in February.